#anyway this was really fun and i like how it turned out

[riveriki]

your writings are incredibly sweet--saccharinely so.. some of my favorites on tumblr :') would love to see more high school bf riki works!! i think he really fits that trope..

highschool romance

PAIRING… student! bf! Ni-ki x student! gf! reader | GENRE… fluff | TROPE…highschool love| WC… 1.6k

The Hoodie Incident

You weren’t even cold, really. It was barely the end of September, and the air had just started to turn crisp. But the second you shivered, barely noticeable even to yourself, Riki caught it. You didn’t even register the motion until his hoodie was halfway over your head, his hands warm on your shoulders as he tugged it down gently.

“Wear it,” he said, like it wasn’t a question. “You’ll get sick.”

You opened your mouth to argue, because you had your sweater in your bag, because his hoodie practically swallowed you whole, because he didn’t even hesitate, but the words dissolved the second you smelled it. It smelled like him. Like laundry detergent and green apple shampoo and the lemony hint of gum he always chewed during physics.

“You planning on stealing this?” he teased, watching you roll up the sleeves.

“I might.”

“I’m okay with that,” he said, and for a second, the playful glint in his eyes softened. He looked at you like he wanted to say something else. Like a thousand unsaid things were sitting behind his quiet gaze. But instead, he leaned back on his hands and said, “It looks better on you anyway.”

You wore it for the rest of the day. Through fifth period. Through after-school practice. Through your walk home. You tried to give it back later, held it out to him under the streetlight outside your building.

He shook his head. “Keep it.”

You did. And even weeks later, when you were curled up on your bed with a million things on your mind, slipping it back on made you feel a little lighter. Like he was there. Like it meant something. And maybe it did.

════════════════════════════════════════════

His Locker, Your Notes

It started with one note. Just a small sticky one with a doodle of a sleepy cat and the words “You’ve got this. Today’s gonna be a good day <3” written in lilac pen. You stuck it through the slats in Riki’s locker before homeroom, heart pounding like it was some grand confession.

He didn’t say anything that day. But the next morning, his locker was different.

Your note was taped inside, right at the top. And beside it was a new one, his handwriting, messier than yours, in blue pen: “You’re a better artist than me. Also, good luck on your quiz :)”

After that, it became a thing. You’d pass each other during break and grin like you were in on a secret. You started folding the notes into little origami hearts. He started using gel pens in ridiculous colours; neon green, glittery gold, and navy blue. Sometimes they were just one-liners: “Today’s sandwich sucked, but at least I saw you.” Or “I didn’t get to talk to you much today. Made me kinda grumpy.”

Sometimes, the notes were longer. He’d tell you about something funny Jake said, or about how he liked the way your laugh echoed in the hallways. One time, he wrote:

“I had a dream where we went on a road trip and you made us stop every ten minutes to take pictures. It wasn’t annoying. It was kinda perfect.”

You kept every single one. And even though neither of you said it aloud, you knew this wasn’t just a cute routine. This was something else. Something closer to love than either of you wanted to admit.

════════════════════════════════════════════

The Fake Dating Game That Wasn’t (before you guys got together)

It started as a joke.

You were sitting in the courtyard, picking at a bag of chips, when Riki leaned over and whispered, “Wanna mess with them?” He tilted his chin toward your group of friends, who were side-eyeing the two of you like something was going on.

You raised an eyebrow. “Mess with them how?”

He just smirked, looping his arm around your shoulders like it was the easiest thing in the world. “Let’s pretend we’re dating. Just for fun.”

So you played along.

You held his hand in the hallway. He saved you a seat in every class, always scooting his desk closer than necessary. During lunch, he poked your cheeks until you laughed. During gym, he carried your water bottle like it was second nature.

People started whispering. “Are they a thing now?”

“Since when did they get so close?”

“They’re so obvious.”

You both ignored it. But somewhere between the fake flirting and “accidental” hand-holding, things started to shift. The lines blurred. You caught yourself watching him when he wasn’t looking. He started memorizing your schedule, always showing up two minutes before you needed him.

One afternoon, while you were waiting for the late bus, you leaned against his shoulder and asked, “Are we still pretending?”

He didn’t answer right away. Just stared at the horizon for a bit, then said, “Do you want to stop?”

You turned to him. “No.”

He smiled. Not teasing, not smug. Just soft. Like he’d been waiting for that answer all along.

════════════════════════════════════════════

The Morning Walks

Ni-ki didn’t believe in being on time. He believed in being early. “Being on time is just being late with extra steps,” he told you once, sipping his convenience store iced coffee like a full-grown adult. “And you’re always late.”

You had been.

Until he started waiting for you at the corner near your house every morning.

The first time, he pretended it was a coincidence. “Oh? You live around here?”

The second time, he brought two drinks: one coffee, one milk tea. “Didn’t know what you wanted.”

The third time, he didn’t say anything. Just handed you your usual, asked how you slept, and made fun of your bedhead before ruffling it even worse.

It became routine.

You walked to school next to him each day, shoes scuffing the pavement, his bag slung over one shoulder while yours swung between you. He’d say dumb things like, “I wonder if we get free coffee on our 100th day buying stuff from the cafe”, and laugh when you rolled your eyes.

But then he’d nudge you gently with his elbow, or walk on the roadside of the sidewalk without making a fuss, or tilt his umbrella to make sure you stayed dry.

So maybe it was dumb.

But you never minded waking up early again.

════════════════════════════════════════════

The Mid-Test Love Notes

You weren’t supposed to talk during tests.

But that didn’t stop Ni-ki from slipping you folded notes under your desk.

It started with small doodles, stick figures of your teacher or cartoon versions of you both, drawn with exaggerated features and speech bubbles saying things like, “I’m gonna fail LOL.”

You nearly laughed out loud once, trying to stifle your grin behind your test paper.

The next week, the doodles turned into messages.

“Remember to breathe. You got this.”

“You studied hard. I believe in you.”

“If you score higher than me, I’ll buy you dinner.”

You tried to glare at him after class. “You’re going to get me in trouble.”

But he just winked. “What’s life without a little risk?”

Then, on the midterm, there was no note.

Until the very end.

When you flipped over the last page of your paper, a heart sticker was stuck to the back. No message. Just that. Pink and shiny and slightly ridiculous.

When you turned around, Ni-ki was already smiling.

And your heart was already gone.

════════════════════════════════════════════

The Rain Run

You hated getting wet. Like, irrationally hated it. You’d rather run a mile in the heat than walk five minutes in the rain.

So, of course, the one day you forgot your umbrella, the skies opened up like a scene from a drama.

You stood under the school gate, backpack hugged to your chest, watching the water pour in sheets.

Ni-ki appeared beside you, shaking out his own umbrella. “You didn’t check the forecast?”

You gave him a flat look.

“Hop under,” he said, tilting the umbrella toward you.

You looked at the size of it, then at the distance you had to walk. “It’s not gonna cover both of us.”

“Well,” he said, “guess we’ll just have to run.”

He grabbed your wrist before you could protest.

You shrieked.

The both of you bolted down the sidewalk, Ni-ki laughing like a maniac, umbrella doing absolutely nothing to help. The rain soaked your sleeves, hit your cheeks, but you were laughing too hard to care. He kept glancing at you, like he was making sure you were still having fun.

You stopped at the convenience store, breathless and soaked. He looked at you, water dripping from his hair.

“You’re still pretty cute, even when you look like a wet cat,” he teased.

You threw a napkin at him.

════════════════════════════════════════════

The Sleepy Movie Nights

He always wanted to pick the horror movies.

You always tried to veto.

“Come on,” Ni-ki said, “you’ll be fine. I’ll be here.”

You sat on the couch, arms crossed, blanket tucked up to your chin like a shield. “If I cry, it’s your fault.”

“Deal.”

Twenty minutes in, you were clutching his arm. Thirty minutes in, you were practically in his lap. At some point, you buried your face in his hoodie, too scared to look.

“Are you even watching?” he whispered.

“No,” you muttered.

He chuckled, arm curling protectively around you, fingers brushing your shoulder. “You’re really scared, huh?”

You nodded.

Then he reached for the remote.

“Let’s just watch something else,” he said softly. “I was mostly watching you anyway.”

You looked up at him, eyes wide. “HEY?!”

But he didn’t say anything, instead chuckling to the side. Just clicked on a Studio Ghibli movie, then pulled the blanket tighter around you both.

“You’re so annoying,” you murmured as you drifted off, head on his shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah,” he whispered, brushing your hair back. “I know.”

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━━━

not the usual short story but I hope you enjoyed!

[3liza]

guaifenesin is one of my pet drugs in that i find it really interesting how divided the research vs patient reporting is, the drug version of the rotten tomatoes scores being like 13% critics and 90% audience.

it's also an interesting drug because its considered non-controversial in vet med. which for me personally is one of the things i check when a drug has a mixed reputation in human med, because when you drug an animal the patient-side placebo effect is removed entirely, leaving only the physician-side placebo effect still in play, so in a lot of ways vet med research and practice is sort of....less confusing i guess. thre are plentyof drugs that human physiology in particular just makes less effective or reliable, so it's not a perfect indicator of an "underrated drug" when vet med likes it but human med does not, of course, it's just one variable to consider.

guaifenesin is also used in human med almost exclusively as an OTC cough medicine, ie, an expectorant (mucus reducer/liquifier, to make you less congested), and a cough suppressant (to make your cough reflex weaker so you dont cough as much when sick). for both purposes guainfenesin performs really poorly against placebo. but guaifenesion does a LOT more than cough medicine stuff, it's just not prescribed or used or recognized for it in human med for some reason. in vet med it is almost entirely used, and without much debate that i can find, as an adjunct to general anesthesia, because it has powerful skeletal muscle relaxant properties specifically, and it's a really good mild pain reliever for specific kinds of pain.

While the exact mechanism of action for the muscle relaxant effects are notknown, it is believed that guaifenesin acts centrally by depressing or blocking nerve impulsetransmission at the internuncial neuron level of the subcortical areas of the brain, brainstem andspinal cord. It relaxes both the laryngeal and pharyngeal muscles, thus allowing easier intubation. Guaifenesin also has mild intrinsic analgesic and sedative qualities. Guaifenesin causes an excitement-free induction and recovery from anesthesia in horses. It produces relaxation of skeletal muscles, but does not affect diaphragmatic function and has little, if any, effects on respiratory function at usual doses. Possible effects on the cardiovascular system includetransient mild decreases in blood pressure and increases in cardiac rate. Gastrointestinal motilitymay be increased, but generally no adversity is seen with this. Guaifenesin potentiates the activity of preanesthetic and anesthetic agents.

so why does it kkeep being used just as a cough medicine in human med when its use as a muscle relaxant, anesthesia potentiator, and painkiller is so established in vet med? two reasons i think. one is that those are all Fun Drug characteristics, ie, they are effects that make you feel better. War on Drugs hates that shit if you cant patent and control it. second reason, which is related, is that guaifenesin is ancient and thus fully out of patent and firmly relegated to generic production, so the big pharma guys cant turn it into a blockbuster prescription pill without doing a bunch of tiresome reformulation.

culture note: guaifenesin is the subject of a semi-quack treatment for fibromyalgia which has a lot of anecdotal success behind it. anecdotal success rates are an incredibly important aspect of chronic illness treatment landscapes because subjective improvement is the primary measure of treatment success for chronic, idiopathic, invisible illnesses. ie, if it's a placebo, it doesnt matter as long as it's actually working. that's the ethical approach anyway. i say "semi-quack" because Dr. Amand is absolutely a crackpot and his adjunct theory about salicylates being responsible for any time the treatment fails is nonsense and he got Really Weird about it like many quacks do, even when they are sincere, but there's this fascinating old document by an MIT professor with fibromyalgia who has a very long conversation with himself about why the Guaifenesin Protocol seems to be effective even though Amand's theory about why it works is self-evidently silly. guainfenesin has been interesting to me ever since i stumbled on this document years ago

[lovemepartly]

i'm gonna get you back ✩ thanos & namgyu

featuring: thanos x reader, namgyu x reader (separate)

wc: 2.4k

warnings: some (mild?) cursing. thanos and su-bong used interchangeably.

a/n: this part shows a bit more of thanos and reader's dynamic which was so much fun to write! + i included a lot of references to the other parts hehe... last part coming soon ☺️ (also sorry there is no smut in this one i will hopefully make up for that in part 5) title inspired by taylor swift's imgonnagetyouback.

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | series masterlist

 ˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊ 

the ceiling isn't giving him the answers he wants. the answers he needs. but namgyu's staring at it anyways. the lights in the bedroom are already turned off and you're already asleep and curled into his side, breathing softly.

he can't stop thinking about it. he's praying that the message will change. that it was a glitch. that su-bong didn't really call you 'baby.' that the phone wasn't yours. that it wasn't you. but it is. and, god, he has no idea what happened.

⋆⭒˚.⋆

the past week had felt off to you. like after the fight with thanos, after namgyu had come home to you beaten up, a flip had been switched. he'd leave for work without his usual dramatic monologue and kiss to the back of your hand— now, just a simple, "i'm going." and the door would slam shut before you could even blink.

he'd come home from work and messily kick off his shoes at the entrance, shoulder brushing past yours in the hallway like you were invisible. like you were someone he hated.

he didn't ask you how your presentation at work went, one that he knew you'd been particularly nervous about weeks before. he used to come home from the club and see you still up at the desk, trying to research more notes, and press a soft kiss to the top of your head, mumbling, "you work so hard. 'm so proud." now, nothing.

it seemed like he didn't want you anymore. he wouldn't hold your hand on grocery store runs. he'd barely bat an eye at the effort you'd made two nights before to get dolled up for him, laying on the bed with a mauve lipstick and nothing but his t-shirt on. just glanced at you once, said "i'm too tired tonight," and stepped into the shower like nothing was wrong.

so you began apologizing. sometimes it felt like it was over everything— for dragging him into this mess with su-bong, for having him need to fight over you. sometimes it felt like it was over nothing. because you truly didn't know what you'd done wrong.

it was friday night, exactly a week after namgyu's fight with su-bong. namgyu had left for work in the same cold manner he'd been carrying all week.

your stomach twisted into knots every single time you thought about it for too long. you tried to excuse it as exhaustion, as tiredness. getting beaten up by your girlfriend's ex isn't something that you brush off with the wave of a hand. but another part of you kept spiraling down a path that you didn't want to take. what if you and namgyu had really just been a fling? you'd left the only safe option you had to be with him.

namgyu came home a little before 5am. you didn't flinch when the door slammed shut behind him, not like you used to. su-bong was always one to slam doors carelessly behind him when he'd come home drunk from the club. namgyu used to close the door quietly, just in case you were already sleep. ever since last friday, he'd been letting the door swing shut behind him. not out of anger or intentionality, but out of carelessness. somehow, that hurt more.

you pulled yourself up from the couch where you'd been waiting up for him again, curled in one of his sweatshirts. "how was work, baby?" you asked softly, padding barefoot across the living room over to him.

namgyu's gaze flickered over to you, lingering a little bit longer on the sweatshirt you were wearing— his sweatshirt. "fine." he muttered, breath catching in his throat.

you felt your heart rise to your throat at the harshness of his words. you frowned slightly, taking another tentative step towards him. he didn't step away. but he also didn't look at you. "did something else happen at the club that you didn't tell me about?" you murmured, voice barely above a whisper.

namgyu's jaw tightened. he dropped his bag by the door, eyes finally landing on you. his gaze was emotionless. he didn't answer your question, instead looking at you like he was waiting for you to say more.

your mind ran through every possible scenario. maybe there was another fight. maybe one of the other bouncers got hurt. maybe something with management, or a bad customer. maybe— and then, for some stupid reason you couldn’t quite name, you asked, "is thanos still going there?"

that's when he snapped. "that's what you fucking care about?"

the words cut through the air. you flinched without even realizing, taking a step back. his voice was sharp, sharper than you'd ever heard it before.

"i come home at 5am, exhausted, and you're asking me about your ex?" namgyu ran a hand through his hair. his voice was just a notch louder, but it was his tone that made the lump form in your throat.

"i didn't mean—" you started, trying to blink back the tears that were already forming in the corner of your eyes.

"of course you didn't." he muttered under his breath, gaze still sharp and locked onto you. he paused. then a bit quieter, added, "you didn't mean for me to see that message either, did you?"

everything seemed to freeze in that moment. "w—what?"

"'can't wait to see you, baby.' are you kidding me? why are you even still talking to that asshole?"

your heart clenched in your chest. "namgyu, it's not what it looks like, i promise, i only—"

"sometimes it feels like you wish i were him."

you paused. blinked, trying to will the tears away. before you could say anything else, namgyu sighed softly and muttered, "we'll talk in the morning. night." and turned on his heel, stalking off in the direction of the bedroom.

you stayed frozen there for a couple of minutes. then walked over to the sink and washed a dish. then another one. your mind was reeling. you knew it looked bad, of course it looked bad. and you were going to tell namgyu about your meeting with su-bong just... after it had happened. once you knew it was over. once it made sense in your head. but now? it just felt like a mistake. all of it. you let out a shaky sigh, dish clattering in the sink, head buried in your hands.

by the time you carefully walked over to the bedroom, namgyu was asleep. his chest was rising softly, lips just slightly parted, cheeks slightly pink. you wanted to reach out and trace your fingers over his features and kiss his temple, just like how you used to do when you left for work early in the morning and he was still asleep. but instead, being as quiet as possible, you changed into your pajamas and climbed in bed next to him, eyes fluttering shut.

you couldn't sleep. maybe only three or four hours, tossing and turning the whole time. when you eventually decided to get out of bed, namgyu was still asleep next to you. your heart ached as you looked at him, the tired purple bags under his eyes more noticeable now in the morning light.

you climbed out of bed with a soft sigh, bare feet landing on the cold wood under you, as you got ready for the day. you didn't really want to do anything, but you also couldn't sit around waiting for namgyu to wake up. what if he would be more upset than last night? and actually break up with you? after a moment of contemplation, you decided to spend the whole day out of the house, running mindless errands that you didn't have to do.

and in the evening, once the skies begun changing from gold to a soft purple, you parked the car in front of the bar you'd agreed to meet su-bong at. after namgyu had come home from the club— his work place— beaten up by su-bong, you knew you had to talk to him. part of you needed the closure too. sure, su-bong had been a shitty boyfriend. but he'd also been a year of your life. and despite the turn of your relationship, there'd been some good times.

late nights in his car, laughing about something that was only funny at 2am. watching his career take off; you still remembered reassuring him that that one song was good, and it ended up being the one that made him viral. seeing him on a big stage for the first time, absolutely captivated by his stage presence— and feeling like a schoolgirl when he spotted you in the crowd and winked at you.

travelling the world with him on tour. japan had always been your favorite country to return to, and even when he couldn't bring you with him, su-bong would bring you home a small gift. "i'll take you next time, jagi." he'd murmur softly.

you'd agreed to meet su-bong. but now, as you walked into the bar, it felt inevitable.

you recognized him almost immediately as you stepped inside the dimly lit bar. sitting at the counter, drink already in hand. it looked like whiskey, which he was probably drinking to look mysterious. thanos' gaze flickered over to you as you walked in, a slight smirk on his face, like he knew you'd come. because you always did.

you wanted to wipe the smug smile off his face, already feeling the anger and pettiness surge back into your body. but you took a deep breath, smoothed down your skirt, and crossed the room, taking a seat on the stool next to him.

thanos spoke first, voice low. "you came."

"i did." you responded, voice quiet. thanos took a sip of the dark gold liquid in his hand. even in the dim lighting, you could see the effects of the fight on his face. the slight yellow bruise on the side of his jaw. the small, light pink healing edge of his bottom lip. the bruises on his knuckles, one slightly scabbed. the worst part was that he didn't look beaten up and defeated in the way namgyu had. he looked like he won. you weren't sure if he had.

you were sure thanos could feel your intense gaze on him and in the unfortunate way that the slight mark on his bottom lip kept drawing your gaze to his mouth. his lips curled into a smile, "don't worry, baby. your new little boyfriend didn't ruin my face."

your jaw clenched. you wanted to say something, anything snarky, but you found nothing. thanos was clearly amused. he took another sip of the drink, like this was just another night for him. like he hadn't ripped your heart in half and then tried to stitch it back up with a lame text.

"you look good," he said after a moment, voice smooth and lazy. "still wearing my colors, i see."

you regretted your outfit in that instant, realizing you'd unintentionally matched your skirt to his purple hair. you didn't know what to say. you'd always been starstruck around su-bong. now it just felt like you were speechless. "you didn't come to flirt with me, su-bong." you half-muttered under your breath, fingers fidgeting with the edge of the table and gaze fixed on it like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"no," su-bong mused, and you could nearly hear the way he smiled. "i came because you asked me to, remember? didn't know you missed me that much, baby."

your jaw tightened again, eyes closing for a brief moment in an attempt to suppress an eye roll. you looked up to meet his gaze, your eyes immediately landing on his bottom lip, then to the bruise on the side of his face again. "you look like shit," you said softly.

su-bong let out a low, smug laugh, bruised knuckles curling around the glass in his hand. "you should see the other guy," he said, "actually wait— you did."

that made your stomach twist. su-bong's grin only widened. "bet he didn't like you meeting me tonight."

you responded without thinking: "he doesn't know." that was half-true.

su-bong hummed softly, leaning back a bit against the bar, like he owned the space. he always did that. "so, you're sneaking around behind his back. that's cute."

"don't flatter yourself." you snapped back almost immediately, voice cold.

su-bong didn't respond for a moment, but you could feel the intensity of his gaze. he let it linger over your figure. you fidgeted. silence stretched, the tension between the two of you thick. you felt stupid. for having been the one to reach out, you suddenly had nothing to say.

finally, su-bong tapped his fingers against the table. "y'know, i've been thinking a lot about the last night we spent together. we didn't say goodbye. you just... left."

your chest felt tight. his words were soft, like he was actually hurt. how could he be hurt after what he'd done? then he added, tone suddenly turning just a bit sharper, "like we didn't even happen."

"you cheated on me." you said, voice unwillingly cracking just a little.

su-bong sighed, running a hand through his hair. for the first time that night, his gaze landed on the floor. you thought maybe he'd deny it again, but instead, when he met your eyes, his voice was soft. "once."

your breath hitched. "you know it was more than once, su-bong."

he didn't respond for a second, but his gaze lifted from the floor. he was quiet for a moment, like he was really mulling over your words. then, "but you still came back. every time. even now."

"i didn't text you to come crawling back," you snapped, suddenly furious at yourself, at him, at everything. "i texted you for closure. to say goodbye. and because you beat up my boyfriend. not because i still love you."

you stood from the bar, breath sharp. su-bong was still sitting, still lazily holding his drink in one hand, still smiling like he owned the place. "you sure you don't?"

you didn't answer. you didn't. it didn't mean that there weren't times when you missed the way he looked on stage, how his voice dropped when he said your name, or hotel room nights with him in foreign countries. but this was all just a reminder. a cold, sharp wake-up call, like someone had splashed water on your face. "this was a mistake." you whispered, voice harsh.

"that's it?" su-bong responded, gaze still locked on you. "you're leaving again?"

"yeah." you replied, voice barely louder than a whisper. su-bong didn't say anything. and you didn't give him a chance.

and as you stepped outside, your breath catching in the sudden night air, you didn’t see the familiar car across the street.

but namgyu did. and he saw su-bong's face in the window. and he saw yours.

[theperplexedbookworm]

I also find Discworld comfy/cozy. Also not in spite of the darkness, but because of it.

I love my escapist fluff. It makes me feel warm and happy because of the joy over the silliness, positive relationships, the blorbos being happy, and the general, lighthearted fun. But the stories that make me feel warm and fuzzy, like I'm in front of a fire wrapped up in a thick, cozy blanket that's fresh out of the dryer, are not the ones that feel like the characters don't really experience all the shit the world has to offer. I can't feel fuzzy from a story that doesn't feel like it could ever understand mine, let alone anyone else's experience. But I will always feel that warm fuzzy feeling when the story looks me in the eye and says, "I know exactly what you're dealing with, but here's positive feelings anyway." A story that sees the world for every messy thing that it is, acknowledges every last piece of it and then turns around and give you real reasons to hope and feel joy and find good in your life and the world. And those real reasons don't just apply to the fictional world, but to you in real life. It shows you not just that you should feel joy and hope, but how. And that is so much cozier than any fluff could ever be.

So I've been thinking about a discussion over on the Discworld reddit recently

Basically someone was like 'Discworld has become my go to cosy read'

And someone was like 'Disword isn't cosy it's actually very satirical and can be quite scathing and not escapist fluff'

But to me I would also class Discworld a cosy/comforting read.

And I think the fact the series does go to some pretty dark places is part of why I find it comforting, because Discworld doesn't shy away from the fact that bad things happen and you have to just get on with it and the fact it's full of characters who are often kind of fed up with everything but still go and do the Right Thing anyway even if it's hard and I actually find that more comforting than if it was like 'Oh nothing bad ever happens' setting.

[traveler-at-heart]

Doctor's In - Chapter 21

Summary: What happens after Wanda and you get engaged? Is there a party, wedding planning or plans for grandchildren? (spoiler, it's all of the above.

A/N: So, this is all thanks to @a-cat-on-titan and their love for this series. Their ideas and encouragement made me write this tiny little chapter. I don't know if more will come soon, but this leaves things on a nice little note, I think. Enjoy!

--

It’s the best night of your life.

Never, in a million years, would you have seen this coming.

“Are you happy?” Wanda says in a soft voice as you drive back home.

“What? The big smile on my face is not enough answer, my love?” you reply and she laughs.

As you park in the driveway of your home, you stay inside, taking it all in.

“Laura and Clint took the kids. I thought we could use some time for ourselves” Wanda says, still in a low voice. As if speaking louder will break the spell. “I even considered going back to a fancy hotel suite or something, but I wanted us to spend this night at our home”

“I think that’s perfect”

“Yeah?”

“And you’re perfect” you kiss the back of her hand, smiling. “Come on, let’s get inside”

Wanda’s too eager to wait for you to open the car door, so she joins you in the porch steps, her hand reaching out for yours.

“Do you have your keys?” she looks in her purse, and you look back to the car.

“Maybe. I’ll check… in a minute” you press her against the door. “I really need to kiss you right now”

Your fiancee -how you love the word- lets out a laugh, but it turns into a moan when you pull her by the waist, lips meeting in a hungry kiss. You hear a breathless moan that sounds like your name when you bite down her earlobe.

“Find your keys so we can get inside and continue this” Wanda tries to push you away, but you shake your head, pulling her closer.

“Or, let’s just have fun in the porch and then I’ll find the keys. I just really, really need to make you cum right now, baby”

Wanda responds by switching your places and pushing you roughly against the door. When you gasp, shocked and turned on, she takes advantage and pushes her tongue inside your mouth, claiming you in a searing kiss.

“You’re mine” she whispers hotly against your lips.

“All yours, forever” you promise, undoing the buttons of her shirt to kiss down her neck.

You’re both too busy to hear someone walking to the door and opening it from inside.

Which is how you end up falling, Wanda on top of you. Your friends shout “Surprise!” but they’re the ones who end up being surprised by the state of you.

Wanda squeals, getting up and hiding behind you as you stand up.

“Hey” you say, clearing your throat. “What’s up, guys?”

“You sickos! Out in the porch?” Darcy swats your arm. Wanda’s trying to button her blouse and your friend tsks. “Missed a button there”

“Give her a second” you push her back.

“Are we even surprised they couldn’t keep it in their pants?” Pietro laughs.

“Nope” Agatha says. “Not the first time they’re all outdoorsy either. That fence ain’t tall enough”

“Yeah, on call rooms aren’t sound proof either” Bucky comments, and a couple of people laugh.

“Sorry, is this a roast or an engagement party?” you glare, and everyone laughs.

“So, you said yes!” Kate claps.

“Of course she said yes, why else would they be getting freaky in the streets? Anyways, welcome to your engagement party” Darcy signals for you to come in.

Everyone claps, and as you make your way across the room, your friends hug you and make you show off the ring.

“It fits perfectly! How did you guess her size?” Agatha admires.

“I didn’t. It’s my mother’s” Wanda says, squeezing your hand.

It had been a surprise to the both of you. Wanda expected the ring to be a bit too small, but it was honestly the perfect fit.

“Meant to be” you say, kissing Wanda’s temple.

“Looks good on you” Ekaterina says, and you hope she’s not about to scold you for the little show you put on when you first walked in. But what comes out of her mouth is much worse. “So, grandchildren”

“Oh, yeah, where are the twins?” you play dumb, looking around the living room.

“How old are you?” she insists.

“Thirty five” you don’t know if you should add a “Ma’am” for good measure.

“Wanda’s thirty one. So, if she’s having the babies, you have more time. But if it’s you… you better hurry, dear”

“Mama!” Wanda says, shocked.

“I’m just being practical. And you know I want more grandchildren. At least four”

“Four in total or four more?” you gulp, suddenly nervous. Ekaterina smirks at you, and you let out a nervous laugh. “Well, good thing I’m a doctor then”

Just in time, there’s a commotion at the door. Clint walks in, followed by an entire army of children that come inside running and screaming. They are lead by none other than Billy and Tommy.

“Mom! Did she say yes? Are you guys getting married?”

“When’s the wedding?”

“Easy there” you say, picking them both up. “Yes, we’re getting married. So you knew all this time, huh? I’m surprised you could keep it a secret”

They laugh and go to greet everyone, talking excitedly about whether they want a brother or a sister.

“Not them too” you complain when you hear Billy say he wants a brother and sister.

Clint goes to congratulate you, and you take Nathaniel in your arms, playing and making faces at him.

“Careful, he’s starting to bite” Clint says when he closes his mouth around your thumb.

“Yeah, I see”

“Something to look forward, huh?” he winks.

There’s laughter, snacks, some wine and you tell the story of how Wanda proposed at least three different times. Mrs. Davies cries, which of course she does.

At one point, you decide to take a break from all the small talk and walk outside. You take a look at the ring, running your finger over the diamond.

You never thought you’d get this. A family. Someone who wants you for the rest of your lives. A mother in law that happily gives you her own engagement ring.

“Hey” a soft voice says from behind you.

“Hi, Darcy” you turn back to look at her, smiling. “Thanks for the party”

“Don’t mention it. You only get married once. Unless you’re an ass, like Ross”

That makes you laugh, but there’s silence between you a moment later.

“I know it’s hard to believe it, but you deserve good things. And this is good”

“Yeah. It is good. So, uh… will you be my bridesmaid?” you sway until you’re pushing her with your hip, and she scoffs.

“If you ask anyone else, I will kill you”

“Ok, but Jenny has to be in it too” you remind her.

“Right. You should tell them. They’ll be happy”

That’s true. There’s not a lot of people you have to tell this to. Most of your friends and family are inside the house.

You think about the people you left behind in Boston, and how they’d react to the news.

Natasha.

By the time everyone leaves, you pull Kate into a tight hug and she aws, until you shush her.

“Does Yelena know?”

“No, I didn’t even know about it until today. Why?”

“Don’t tell her”

“But…”

“Natasha” you whisper as you pull apart. “I want to tell her myself. And her sister can’t keep a secret”

“Right. Ok. I just… she’ll be mad at me for not telling her” Kate says, frowning.

“Well. Good luck, Bishop” you pat her back, and send her on her way.

Wanda tucks the kids in bed while you stand  against the door, watching with a smile.

“We’re really happy about you” Tommy says.

“Me too” Billy adds.

“Me three” you say, making them laugh. “Good night, kiddos”

The party leaves you more exhausted than you expected, so you change into a pair of briefs and a t-shirt, scrolling through your phone while Wanda gets ready for bed.

She leaves the bathroom with a playful smile and straddles your lap. That thin tank top and satin shorts ride up sinfully with each movement. Your hands rest on her thighs, enjoying the view.

“There’s a Sokovian tradition…” she starts, trailing kisses down your throat.

“Mhm…”

“That… you’re not supposed to touch… even kiss…” she whispers hotly against your ear, her nails pushing your shirt to scratch your abs. “Until you set a date for the wedding”

“Oh… wow…” you’re too lost on the sensation of her touching you to pay attention. But then a second later you turn around, shocked. “WHAT?!”

“I’m kidding” she laughs and you plop down in bed, rolling your eyes. “You should have seen your face”

“Not nice, baby”

“Sorry” she cuddles next to you, still laughing.

“You’re lucky I love you” you mumble, kissing her temple.

“Yes, I am” she says, laughing as you hold her close.

—

The bed is empty when you wake up, the sound of music coming from the kitchen.

Wanda laughs the minute you come to view, rubbing the sleep off your eyes.

“Morning, malyshka”

“Morning, evening… what day even is it?”

You forgot Darcy makes cocktails that have at least three different types of alcohol in them.

“It’s just past 10. Come, sit, I made pancakes” she turns to pour you a cup of coffee and you corner her against the kitchen island.

“Hi, gorgeous” you mutter against her ear.

“Food’s gonna get cold” she warns you when you kiss her shoulder, hands playing with the hem of her shirt.

“I just need five minutes” you promise, kissing her neck, shoulder, and then her temple. “Wanna practise for wedding night?”

“Yes, but…” she pushes her butt against your front and you think you won, but then she’s making you walk back, looking over her shoulder. “Now I want you to eat”

“I’ll eat you, how about that?”

The way she says your name makes it clear that there’s no room for argument.

“One last thing” you say against her lips, and smile when you catch her breath hitching. “I want my ring back”

“What ring?” she frowns, playing dumb.

“The one you hid. I want to propose too” you say, finally sitting down to eat your food.

“I did no such thing”

“Wanda” you think you’re tone could be more stern if your mouth wasn’t so full of food.

“Fine. I’ll go get it”

“Thanks, babe” you wave your fork in the air and you think she went to get the ring but instead, Wanda drops a heavy binder in front of you, making you jump.

“Jesus, what is that?” you pull it open. It’s full of articles about weddings. Dress, food, decoration, you name it.

“This is like my Pinterest board before Pinterest was even a thing” Wanda says, flipping the pages. “I got into this stage, maybe between fifth and eight grade about my perfect wedding”

“Ok, let’s take a look” you pull her down into your lap, glancing over her shoulder. “Wow, you really thought this through… even the groom, huh?”

There’s a portion of the binder full of celebrity pictures. You’re surprised to see some girls between the men.

“You think you were the first girl I dated?” Wanda elbows you, and you frown.

“I did, actually”

“Interesting. That’s a conversation for later, though” she hurries to say, flipping the pages and showing you the dessert section. “I really want a five tier wedding cake. Each tier a different flavor”

“Ok… back to this girl, or girls you dated…”

“I’d love to get an old, vintage car. Like the one on the Dick Van Dyke show” she keeps muttering, flipping the pages. There’s no way to pull her out of her bride to be mind state, until you get to the next section of the binder and she closes it so fast it traps your hand between the pages.

“Ouch, babe!”

“You can’t look at that”

“Why not? Jesus, I need these hands to operate, ya know?”

“It’s the dress part. I have the perfect dress idea”

“Ok, and?” you frown, pushing the binder away like it personally attacked you.

“It’s bad luck” Wanda jumps from your lap, getting more coffee.

“To see the actual dress, not a concept of it” you say, shrugging your shoulders.

“Still. I wouldn’t want to see your suit before the wedding”

“I was actually considering a dress. What?” you say when you feel Wanda staring. “You say you like me in a dress and it’s a special occassion. I can manage”

“Anything you want is perfect for me, detka” she says, kissing you softly. You think you’ll finally get your chance to spend some time alone when Sparky comes running. “Someone needs a walk”

“Someone needs a fuck” you mutter and Wanda glares. “Fine, I got it. Come here, boy”

As usual, the furball isn’t even peeing. He just wants to snoop around the street and get pets and hugs from whichever neighbor is around.

“Cockblock” you say, pulling out your phone. Jenny promised she’d videocall when Zack was with her so you could tell both about the engagement.

As you go back to your messages, your eyes travel to a different contact.

You honestly hope she doesn’t pick up.

“Romanoff”

“Hey. It’s Y/N”

“I know”

“I wasn’t expecting you to pick up” you stall, kicking yourself over the decision you just made.

“That’s usually what the other person does when someone calls. You ok?”

The way her sarcastic tone drops when she asks if you’re ok eases your nerves. So you take a breath, deciding to just do it.

“I… have some news. That I wanted to tell you myself before Yelena did her usual thing”

“You finally proposed” she says with an even tone. Not happy, but not… indifferent either. Then you hear the rustling of paper and figure she was working. As she puts down the chart she was probably reading, her tone seems warmer, as if she’s listening for real this time. “Congratulations”

“Well, she proposed. It was a surprise, actually. But yeah. I’m getting married. It’s stupid, but like I said, it didn’t sit right with me that Yelena told you instead of me”

“Y/N” she interrupts your rambling and you finally stop talking. “That’s great for you. You are happy, right?”

“Yes, very” you admit in a low voice.

“Then I’m happy too”

“Alright. All good with you?” you say, because it’s been forever since you’ve spoken to her. Natasha’s a bad texter.

“You might hear some breaking news about my clinical trial soon” she says and you can tell she’s smiling.

“I hope the Nobel Prize stays in the family this year”

“Thank you. Take care, ok? And congrats again”

“Bye, Nat” you hang up, staring at your phone for a second. But Sparky is pulling his leash like a maniac and you have to look up. “Settle down, boy”

Of coure, Ekaterina is at the house and he’ is going feral because he knows she’ll give him all the treats he asks, even if Wanda tells her not to.

You’re so caught up in your conversation with Natasha, mainly relieved that it went well, that you forget that’s not really the end of the subject.

“Did you have a good walk?”

“Y-yeah. I was, uh…”

I was calling Natasha to tell her.

But the words get stuck in your throat.

What if she gets mad? Insecure?

Just tell her.

Your phone pulls you out of it and you frown when you see Clint’s name on the screen.

“Hey, Barton” you say, Wanda standing next to you, casually listening.

“Hi. I know it’s your day off but we have a rescue situation down the hikig trail. Can you come in? It looks bad and we’ll probably need a doctor onsite”

“Yeah, send me the location”

“I’ll send someone to pick you up. Your car won’t do in the terrain, and Stark will be sending the helicopter when we get them” he says, voices heard in the background calling for him.

“Well, there goes my morning” you smile, trying to joke with Wanda. But she’s looking over your shoulder, biting her thumb. “Babe?”

“It’s not… dangerous. Right? You’re not going to be going down a cliff or anything” she mutters, hands fidgeting in the way you know she does when she’s nervous.

“It’s fine. I’ll probably just need to be on the helicopter ride back to the ER”

“Please, be careful” she pulls you into a hug, her hand holding on to the back of your neck like you’ll vanish any second now. “If anything happens…”

“It won’t” you promise, rubbing her back.

“Ok. You’re right” she smiles, wiping her eyes before the tears roll.

When you finally leave, guilt weighs you down over how anxious Wanda looks.

—

“They’re down there” Clint points at a cliff.

Well, shit. You are going down a cliff.

“Can’t I just wait for you to pull them up here?” you sigh, looking at the equipment being set up.

“Afraid of heights?”

“No. I kinda promised Wanda I wouldn’t do this” you look at the edge, evaluating the situation. “What were they doing rock climbing here anyway?”

“Yeah, that’s what we’re all wondering too. This is not the place to do it. You know how to handle the ropes?”

“Yeah, my dad liked rock climbing. He thought me some of it, then I worked at a gym during high school”

“Alright. This is why I called. Because you’re the best” he says, inspecting the climbing harness and anchors.

“Nah, it’s because you don’t want to go down there, lazy ass” you wink at him, beginning the descent.

As you reach the two people at the base of the cliff, you’re surprised to hear yelling.

Not from pain, or worry.

No, the woman sounds fucking pissed.

“What on Earth were you thinking, dragging me to this place? Rock climbing for a first date, seriously?”

Oh, yikes.

“Hi there, I’m doctor Y/L/N. We’re getting you out of here”

“My name is Lisa” the woman says, holding on to her left arm. That’s probably broken, you think as you turn to the man.

“And you are…”

“An idiot” Lisa mutters.

An idiot that happens to be in shock from severe pain, scared shitless at almost dying or more likely both.

“Alright, then” as you inspect his pupils, and look for any bleeding or trauma, he finally starts talking.

“I slipped and we… pendulumed into the rock wall. It’s never happened before”

“Did you hit your head?”

“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure both of my legs are broken”

You try not to wince, taking the radio to call for Clint and the Stokes basket.

“I think she just hurt her arm” the man says, but his date doesn’t take it very well.

“Did you say I just hurt my arm? Why don’t I break yours to see if it’s that insignificant”

With a sigh, you sit between them, examining her. Judging by the way he’s ignoring her, the woman’s voice is a lot more uncomfortable than the broken legs.

“Dating sucks. You married?” she says when you answer to her first statement with a noncomittal hum.

“Engaged”

“If he likes stupid outdoor activities, reconsider”

“She likes to garden and bake. I think we’ll be just fine” you smile, giving her something for the pain. If it was up to you, she’d be sedated by now.

Lisa mutters how unfair it is that Andrew (that’s his name) is taken to the hospital first. Thankfully, once the man is lifted, she stays quiet, until it’s her time to go up.

Inmobilizing her arm, you place a triage jacket and hook her to your ropes so the team can pull you up.

It’s going relatively well until Lisa decides to look down, and freak out once again.

“It’s too high, we’re going to die. Take me down, now!”

“Lisa, stop moving” you look at the rope and then up, while Clint is asking through the radio what the hell is happening. “Lisa, stop or you’re going to…”

And just like Andrew said, the ropes losen and she’s penduling straight to the rock. On pure instinct, you pull her rope towards you, and the strenght of the movement drags you until your left side collides with the rock wall.

“Ah, shit, Clint!” you call for him. “We need a little help here”

It takes two of Clint’s guys to secure you again, and they take you up in record time to stop Lisa from another freak out.

The ride to the hospital is silent, as you hold your side, trying to breathe normally.

“Anything broken?” Clint asks and you shake your head no. “Good, Wanda won’t kill me, then”

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Barton” you try to joke.

Still, when you get to the hospital, you walk next to the woman’s stretcher, giving instructions.

“Bishop, handle it” Darcy says, pulling you to another room.

“Hey! What about Andrew?”

“Severely injured right tibia, knee, ankle, and heel. Now you get ready for X-rays and anything else. I don’t want Wanda to kill me”

“Oh, so everyone’s concerned about Wanda, not me” you roll your eyes, but Darcy pats your back, nodding.

“Glad you understand”

Still, there are no broken ribs, no internal injuries. Just a couple of nasty bruises on your hip, leg and arm.

“Good luck explaining that to her” Carol says, examining your X-rays and turning to look at Lisa’s. “This girl got lucky. Won’t need surgery, it was a clean split”

“Don’t use the word lucky or she’ll go off on you. Want any help with Andrew’s surgery?”

“Nope. Go home to your fiancee. She’ll kill me if I keep you here with a bruised side and a hurt shoulder”

“It’s fine” you say, but don’t push it. This is your day off, after all.

And when you’re finally home, the first thing you see is Wanda, running towards you.

“You’re back! I was… are you ok, detka?”

The unshed tears that cloud her vision are enough to make your stomach drop.

If you tell her the truth… if it’s too much for her…

No.

You can keep it to yourself this time. It barely hurts.

“It was nothing, my love. I’m ok”

“Thank God” she sighs against your lips.

This is the second time you’ve lied to her today.

But you hope it’s the last.

—

24 hours and you’ve been on the verge of getting caught a couple of times.

Like when Wanda mentioned you were tossing and complaining while you slept. Because of course, you can’t sleep on your left side like you’re used to.

Or when she asks you to mow the lawn and you can’t think of a good reason to say no. She does buy your excuse that the sun is too intense and you need to use pants and a long sleeve shirt.

And when she’s curious about your next shift and you tell her Fury gave you a couple of days off to celebrate your engagement.

Thankfully, she has to run some errands and you’re more than happy to tag along.

The first stop is at Laura’s office, to go over the final schedule of the book release. Though it appears not much can be done because she’s holding Nathaniel while trying to write an email, his little fingers hovering over the keyboard like it’s his own personal toy.

“Hey! How are the future brides?” she says, standing up. Nathaniel flies to your arms and you catch him, a little grunt leaving your body as he collides with your bruised side.

“Good, just enjoying some time together. I like your new assistant” you say, bouncing him around.

“Oh, I love him so much but I’m in back to back meetings and no one could take care of him today”

“We can” you offer without thinking about it, but then turn to look at Wanda. “Right?”

“Yeah, that would be perfect”

You gather some of his toys, letting him decide which ones to pack for your evening while Wanda and Laura discuss the schedule.

“Oh, by the way. Apparently they could show you around the place either today or until next month. They’re stacked with summer weddings” Laura says, and Wanda looks at you.

“What is it about?”

“Just an inn out of town that I really like… but it’s too soon for wedding venues, we can wait until next month” she says, dismissing the idea.

“Nah, let’s go. I have some time off, we’re both free right now. If we wait another month it might be too late to book it. If we like it” you smile at her.

“Ok, if you’re sure” Wanda says, and even if Nathaniel is trying to pull your ear, you only have eyes for her.

God, she’s gonna look beautiful in a wedding dress.

“You guys are so cute” Laura says, face on her hands as she admires the way you look at each other.

Fortunately, Wanda drives to the inn and you look out the window, Nathaniel interested in the trees and the road ahead.

“I don’t mean to pressure you” Wanda says after you leave the city.

“What do you mean?”

“With a wedding venue, setting a date… we don’t have to do it right away”

“Babe, you have a six inch binder with ideas. I think planning that takes time. It’s fine, I want you to have your dream wedding” you say, relaxing against the seat. It looks like you and Nathaniel are getting lulled by the movement of the car.

“I just want to be married to you” she says and you smile, kissing the back of her hand.

“Me too. And this is the part where you’d say me three, if only you could speak, little Nathaniel”

It’s no wonder Wanda likes the place. In the middle of a hidden forest, the inn has a hall with wooden panels and floor to ceiling windows. There’s a lake surrounding the entire area, a small bridge connecting the garden with the rest of the place.

As soon as he sees the ducks by the lake, Nathaniel goes crazy and you have to take him there. He’s in the akward phase of trying to walk but still waddling, so you end up bent over grabbing his hands while he attempts to steady his steps.

Wanda’s the one asking about all the details, which is probably for the best since you have no idea how to plan a wedding. Still, when you come back from running around between the ducks, the manager is writing down some things.

“How many people are you inviting?” Wanda turns to you.

“Like… 20?”

“Ok, so 100 guests then”

“100? Wands, are you inviting all of Sokovia?” you say, amazed at the fact you’re having a party with that many people.

By the time you’re done with the tour, Nathaniel is fast asleep and Wanda’s holding him while you drive back and she scrolls through some files the manager sent her. Ideas for menus, albums from past weddings… she’s working hard to get you booked, that’s for sure.

“It’s a really beautiful place” you say.

“Expensive, too”

“How much?”

“A bit out of budget” she says, still looking at her phone.

“How out of budget? What’s even our budget?”

“Well, it’s a couple hundred more than I expected. Plus if you’re only inviting a few people maybe I should put more into everything. Or cut down the guest list”

“No, you’ll have your dream wedding, I promise” you say, smiling up at her. “Let’s find a date and book it”

When you get home, Nathaniel is still fast asleep so you take him to your room, arranging pillows around in case he flips over in his sleep. Wanda stays downstairs to get some food, but you look so peaceful after having a hard night that she lets you rest, smiling at how cute you look with Nathaniel snoozing next to you.

The first thing you notice when you wake up is that the baby’s gone.

Clint’s going to kill me comes to mind, and you’re about to jump out of bed, ignoring the pain on your side when Wanda walks in, totally relaxed.

“Baby!”

“What?”

“The other baby! The small one!” you gesture with your hands, still half asleep and looking under the bed.

“Laura picked him up just now, relax” she pulls you down on the bed again, laughing when you rub your eyes. “You know, you look so cute when you’re babysitting. So… strong and soft. Makes me wanna have your babies”

“Oh…” you smile, feeling fuzzy when she kisses the spot behind your ear. “Wanda…”

“Yes, malyshka?”

“Keep going” you’re not thinking at all, not when she bites down the skin of your neck, or when she straddles your lap. The only thing that brings you back to reality is the moment she touches under your shirt, and you wince from the pain. “The kids will be home soon…”

“We can have some time to ourselves” she says, and good God she’s such a good kisser you almost forget why she can’t see you naked right now.

“Wanda” you say, taking her wrists between your hands.

“What is it?” she laughs and your heart drops. “Oh, my God! You got a tattoo, didn’t you? I wanted to draw it if you ever got…”

But then her smile disappears, as soon as your bruises come to view. And she looks up.

You’re expecting her to cry, yell, fuss and ask if you’re ok.

But she glares.

“Explain” she demands, voice shaking with what you assume is rage.

I’m so fucking cooked right now.

“I… went down a cliff” you say, avoiding her stare.

“You what?!”

“Ok, it’s not as bad as it sounds! I went to rescue two people, one freaked out and began to move like crazy. So I kinda crashed against the rocks but it’s just a bruise, it barely hur… ouch, Wanda, what the fuck!” you cry when she pinches your side.

“What? I thought it didn’t hurt” she snaps, climbing off your lap and leaving the room, pissed.

“Hey, love, come back here, Wanda!”

“Trouble in paradise?” Pietro says when you reach the kitchen. He’s eating cereal, smirking like this is funny.

“Shut up, Pietro” you say at the same time as Wanda.

“You can’t keep doing this. Lying to me” Wanda says, crossing her arms.

“I thought… I was protecting you. I didn’t want you to worry” you say, in a low voice. “You looked so scared and anxious and knowing I am causing that just… it makes me feel awful”

“That’s not an excuse to lie. I mean, what else have you been keeping from me?” she throws the question in the air as if it’s just hypothetical, but you shift uncomfortably. “What is it?”

“I… called Natasha a few days ago”

“See ya” Pietro stands up, leaving his cereal in the counter.

“Why?” Wanda says, cornering you against the kitchen island.

“Because, I wanted to tell her about our engagement. I didn’t want Yelena to be the one to break the news. She’s still my friend, Wanda” you try to defend yourself, but it comes of as a stupid excuse.

Such an idiot.

With the worst timing possible, the twins arrive with their grandmother. Thankfully, they’re unaware of the tense atmosphere in the room, but Pietro is talking to Ekaterina outside and you can only imagine what she’s thinking.

You’re not good enough for her.

“Are we still going bowling?” Billy asks, pulling his mom’s hand. Wanda smiles, nodding.

“Of course, my boy”

“You go. I should stay. I’m not… in the mood” you ruffle his hair, walking out of the room and upstairs before Wanda can go after you.

—

The problem has been you, all along. That much is clear. Wanda made a beautiful proposal, forgave your screw ups, welcomed you back into her home and you… you lied.

Multiple times.

I hope Darcy doesn’t mind me moving in with her again.

Even if you fix this, is this how you’ll be your entire life? Is it because your parents never had a real relationship? You have no idea what it’s like to be in a healthy partnership, do you?

A soft knock on the door makes you jump up, and you groan, holding your side.

“Are you ok?” Ekaterina eyes you suspiciously, and you nod, looking away.

Did she stay behind to scold you?

“Yeah, I just had a bit of a… work accident. I’m fine”

“Come downstairs. I made grilled cheese” she says, and it’s not a request. So you follow the woman, preparing yourself for what will probably be a shovel talk.

Or a “my daughter can do better than your sorry ass” talk.

“You should have gone bowling. You love it” you comment, eating a piece of sandwich. Though it’s hard to swallow when you feel the lump on your throat.

“Wanda said you were feeling ill. I don’t like to leave my children alone when they need someone to take care of them” she says.

That almost breaks you.

But you stay silent, eating and avoiding her eyes.

“Talk to me” she asks in a soft voice. And in that moment, you can see how much of her is in Wanda.

The love, the softness, the way to comfort people even when she doesn’t know what’s going on.

“I… my mom used to complain whenever I asked for something. Anything. So I don’t know how… to ask. For help. I’m afraid that if I keep getting hurt or making Wanda worried, she’ll see me as a burden” you confess, still not looking at her.

“That’s not who Wanda is, darling”

“I know, but… doesn’t make it easier. To know someone’s waiting home. Or that someone cares. It’s hard to accept love that’s so… pure” you finally say, feeling lighter.

Because that’s exactly it.

Her love is so perfect and so foreign to you, that it’s hard to take it all in. To not be afraid that it won’t go away.

After all, you almost lost her once.

“I guess you already know why Wanda was so mad at me for these past years” Ekaterina says, sitting down in front of you. “It was a difficult position, to respect her father’s wishes. But I didn’t fight him on it because a part of me was afraid she’d hurt too much. The thing is I underestimated her resilience, like you have no idea. She’s been through so much and yet, she’s still the same loving, kind girl that would bring home birds who couldn’t fly”

“Ah, so she has a thing for wounded animals” you joke, but Ekaterina just smiles.

“She doesn’t need you to protect her, Y/N. She needs you to trust her”

“Right. Since you’re already here and we’re having a heart to heart… I just… I’m proposing to Wanda. I mean, I have the ring. I’ve had it for maybe too long now and of course she asked me first. But still, I’d like to ask for your blessing to ask your daughter to marry me. To be a part of your family”

The woman nods, her slender fingers tapping against her chin, as if considering her options.

“How much do you make in a year?”

“Oh, I… with taxes and everything…”

“I’m kidding” she interrupts and you sigh. Unfortunately for you, Ekaterina delivers her jokes with the same tone she uses to scold anyone in the house. “You have my blessing, dear girl. And you’re already part of the family”

“Thank you”

When the kids return, they’re running to their room to pack a bag.

“Didn’t want them to see how my sister kicks your ass” Pietro comments.

“Appreciate it”

“Mom made uncle Pietro cry!” Billy announces when they come back down. You perk up immediately.

“Really? How come, uncle Pietro? Sore loser?”

“She can be more competitive than mama. But hey, you’re the one marrying her” Pietro slaps your back. “Night”

“Yeah, yeah. Have fun, don’t stay up too late and all that”

“We’ll go find Mom to say goodnight, she’s walking Sparky” Tommy says, hugging you.

Of course, maybe she’s still pissed. Or hurt. You decide to give her some space by going to take a bath. It takes a couple of minutes to get out of your clothes, and when you do, Wanda slides right after you.

“So, this is why you were taking so long in the shower these past few days” she whispers. You don’t dare to look back, so all you do is nod, feeling her fingers going over your bruised skin. “I’m still mad”

“I know, my love. I’m sorry”

“And about that call…”

“It was nothing. Just wanted to share the news” you say, pulling the hand that is closer to you to your lips.

“Ok” Wanda mutters against your shoulder. Her lips make you shiver, so you turn around, kissing her until she’s out of breath.

“Don’t push it. I’m still mad” she reminds you and you laugh.

“Right. Help me wash my hair?”

“Of course, dorogoya” she says, her touch soft and full of love.

When you finish your shower, Wanda walks up to her night stand, and hands you the engagement ring you got her months ago.

“Ask me. Whenever you’re ready, wherever you want to. Because I want to tell you, how much I want to marry you. Spend all our lives together. Taking care of each other”

“I will. Soon” you promise, kissing her forehead.

Truth is, you can’t wait to show her how much her love means to you.

--

It’s been a week that feels like a month.

Aside from endless work, you still have to plan the proposal.

“Why not just dinner?” Darcy says as you look at a map of the city. “A scavanger hunt feels… nerdy. Even for you”

“It’s original. Memorable. The kind of story grandkids never get tired of hearing” you tsk, circling the fair. “This could be clue number four”

“Yeah, but if you’re proposing by the park she’ll have to drive all the way to the other side of town” Darcy points out. “And what about the museum where you had your first date?”

“That’s a dead end” Kate announces, and you both turn to look at her. “It’s closed for rennovation, at least for the rest of the month”

“Great” you sigh, plopping down in the couch. “Back to square one”

“Hide the ring in a kebab” Darcy says but you don’t laugh. “Alright, someone needs to get laid”

That’s the other thing. You’re side barely hurts anymore, but Wanda’s been busy with the book release and whenever you have a free moment, you end up thinking about how to propose.

You’re practically dreaming about engagement rings at this point.

“Look, I’m sure you’ll think of something. Take a break from proposal planning, go out to dinner. Trust me” your friend says after a second. You nod, knowing she’s right.

You’re too in your head.

So, when you get home, the first thing you do is kiss your fiancee, smiling against her lips when she pulls you back for a more passionate greeting.

“Missed you” you say, kissing her temple.

“Well, yeah. When you’re not in the hospital you’re in your head, detka. Everything ok?”

“Oh, yeah” you say, hiding yourself as you check the food in the fridge. “No milk?”

“No, I was thinking of going to the store. Mom took the kids to the movies, they’ll probably have dinner at the mall”

“Well, let’s go then. We’ll eat at that Italian place you like so much” you say, knowing she could also use a break from cooking.

Maybe it’s a gut feeling, but you end up taking the ring with you. Who knows, maybe the perfect chance will come when you least expect it.

Or at least that’s what you hope.

It’s a quiet evening, where you talk about everything. Jenny’s starting college, closer to home than she had expected. She’s planning on visiting you with Zack (who’s always tagging along) and you know he’s going to be trouble once he meets the twins. And Pietro, of course.

Then there’s the issue of the book release and the reading happening at the library.

“You’re going to look so cute reading for all those kids” you smile and she hides her face in her hands, the pasta suddenly forgotten.

“You don’t mean that”

“Hell yeah, I do. Our kids will love bedtime story because of you”

“Kids? Multiple, huh? Mama got to you” she laughs, and you shrug your shoulders.

“You’re very pretty and kind and funny. I want some little Wandas running around the house” you smile, imagining a girl with auburn hair and green eyes. Wanda’s eyes soften at that and your heart beats faster.

Is this it? The moment you’ve been waiting for?

“Can I get you anything else?” the waiter says, and you both jump back, the connection suddenly lost.

“Tiramisu?” you say, looking at Wanda. It’s her favorite, after all.

But she declines and still, you ask it to go, knowing she’ll want something sweet later.

The drive back home is silent. For a moment, you think Wanda might be disappointed, and you wish you had taken out the ring. But then her eyes meet yours, and you see quiet tenderness, her smile giving away how content she feels.

Even if the house is about to be crowded again, you can’t help it when you’re both in the kitchen and she looks so perfect. It starts as a kiss, slow, tender, playful.

But then you remember, it feels like forever since you’ve been between Wanda’s legs. So you kneel, not to propose, but to remind her how much you love her in your mouth.

There’s a soft gasp that leaves her lips when you slide her underwear down. Wanda leans against the kitchen counter, fearing her legs will give in any minute, but you hold her, while your tongue darts out.

It’s like heaven, tasting her. You moan, pulling her close and sinking your hands in her flesh to keep her steady.

And though it’s not the time or place, a part of you wants to look up and ask her to marry you right now, because she looks so good all ruined from your mouth and you want her to think about it everytime she comes undone.

You don’t trust yourself, so you keep quiet as she slides down to sit next to you in the floor of the kitchen, coming down from her high with a smile.

“I could have tiramisu now” she says and you laugh, picking up two forks.

“Before everyone comes back home and ask for a bite” you agree, your arm around her shoulder as you both eat straight out of the container.

“Pietro took the kids to his place for the night after the movie with Mom”

“Are we losing custody?” you joke.

“I think they want to give us some space to be… engaged. I’m not complaining, not after that orgasm” she jokes.

“Did you think I was proposing?” you ask, voice suddenly small.

“For a moment, yeah”

“It’s just… you already saw the ring. Wanda, don’t even deny it, I know you. You opened the box, you’ve seen it”

“Mhm” she tries to hide her smirk by taking another bite.

“I want to surprise you. To make it memorable. I’ll make it soon, I promise” you kiss her temple.

“I said whenever you’re ready. I meant that, detka”

“You done with that?” you gesture to the empty container.

“Yeah, I…”

“Good” you pull her up, making her yelp when she ends up in your arms. “Because I’m not done with you”

—

It’s one of those quiet days. Thursdays, when the week is almost over but people still have to drag themselves to pretend like they’re working instead of dreaming about weekend plans.

Kids are getting restless, with summer fast approaching. School break is in the air, and the twins can feel it.

“Hey, you” Pietro greets his sister.

“Hello, trouble”

“Is that what I am?” he steals a cookie, and Wanda rolls her eyes.

“Stop. They’re for Darcy and Y/N. She still has a shift to get through”

Pietro hums, and gives her a strange look.

Something’s up.

“I’m taking the kids to the mall”

“I’m coming with you. I need to get a present for Laura’s birthday… Pietro? Are you listening to me?” she raises her voice as her brother goes upstairs, ignoring her. “Honestly, what a…”

But someone’s at the door and Wanda’s the only one who’ll go get it, obviously.

“Delivery for Miss Maximoff” a man says, handing over a giant bouquet. Wanda blinks several times, balancing the flowers while signing for the order. “Oh, this card comes with it”

“Thanks” she says, going back inside to read it.

I’d kiss you, but the guard said not to touch the art.

With impeccable timing, you call her.

“What is this?” she says, biting her lip, hands grazing the petals.

“Treasure hunt. Clock is ticking” you joke. There’s nothing that gives away where you are now. It’s definitely not work, as Wanda can’t hear the usual sound of people rushing by and pagers going off. “See you soon, my love”

Art.

Your first date.

Wanda smiles, excited. It’s been forever since she’s gone on an adventure like this. When she walks out of the house, holding on to the first clue, she looks up to find Pietro, Billy and Tommy giggling and looking out their window.

“You knew!” she accuses, crossing her arms.

“Hurry!” Pietro taps his watch. “I promise you, you don’t wanna miss it”

“Kids?” Wanda tilts her head, not the scary tilt; but the loving one only her boys get.

“Nu-uh! It’s a secret!” Billy says. Wanda scoffs, and just smiles.

“Fine. I can solve it like that” she snaps her fingers, getting inside the car.

So, first stop is the museum where you had your first date. But the doors are closed, construction equipment blocking most of the space.

Did she get it wrong?

“Hey. You Wanda?” a man with a yellow vest and helmet approaches her. “Here. Second clue or whatever”

“Oh, thank you!” she says, walking back to the car.

“Oh, shoot! Almost forgot. This too” he hands her a ticket. Well, a piece of paper than resembles a ticket. She stares at it, thinking that he may be giving her his trash.

Either way, she has a clue to descipher.

Some people are worth melting for.

Frozen. Movies. Christmas. The ice rink?

No.

Ice cream.

The parlour by the pier you love so much. That makes more sense, as the ice rink is obviously gone by spring and it’s on the other side of town.

She walks around the pier, feeling a little silly as she looks at the benches, or the lamps, hoping to stumble upon the next clue.

“Would you like to try our special?” the girl behind the counter says once she gets to the ice cream shop.

“What is it?” Wanda says, looking around the board but not finding it.

“Only for today. Chocolate chip ice cream, with strawberry jam and gummies. It’s called the Wanda special”

“Of course, yes. One Wanda special, please” she laughs.

The first time she ordered the exact same thing, you couldn’t stop mentioning the weird combination of gummies and ice cream.

“Comes with the second clue” the girl winks at her. “And your ice cream is already paid for, Miss Maximoff”

“She thought of everything, huh?” Wanda says, impressed.

“She did, it’s so cute. And your ticket for completing the second clue”

So, the other piece of paper wasn’t a mistake. This one has a little drawing in it, but it’s not enough.

Thee will I love, and with thee lead my life

Shakespeare.

So, two possibilities. Either the public library downtown, though you have never been there with her… or Odin Theater in Coulson Park.

Wanda goes with the latter because you went together to a Shakespeare in the Park show. It was during fall, and she remembers your arms around her as you watched the play.

It’s a ten minute drive, but the ice cream gives Wanda a sugar high, and she’s more determined than ever to get to the end of this mystery.

Save for some people and children playing around, the park is pretty much empty. Does she have to look around the place for a hidden card?

A man startles Wanda, and she’s about to hit him with her purse when she notices he’s dressed like one of the actors in the play.

“All days are nights to see till I see thee, and I see you in my dreams” he recites, bowing before her.

Wanda looks at him, frowning. Sleep? Dreams? Is she supposed to go back home, to your room?

“I see you…” the man says, hoping that helps.

“I. See. U. Oh! ICU! The hospital!” Wanda claps, happy that she got it.

“Milady” he hands over another piece of the ticket, and Wanda rushes to her car.

You’re at the hospital, she knows that. So this must be the last stop.

Of course. This is where you took her when Billy hurt his arm, and that was the start of your relationship.

“Miss Maximoff!” the receptionist calls for her as she runs past the front desk, eager to find you. “Doctor Y/L/N is…”

“Hold your horses, Maximoff” Darcy calls for her. “She’s not here”

“This isn’t the end?” Wanda’s shoulders drop.

“Relax. This is the last one” Darcy smiles, handing over the last piece of the ticket.

Wanda takes it, pulling out the rest of the paper and rearranging it.

The ferris wheel.

“Thanks, Darcy!” she hugs the brunette, and though Darcy makes a goblin like noise, she smiles at Wanda’s excitement.

“They’re both so corny, ugh” she mumbles as Wanda leaves the hospital.

The sun is starting to set, but Wanda makes it in record time. Pushing past people who are waiting around for their turn to get on a ride or try their luck with a game, she finally gets to the ferris wheel, though there’s no line and it seems pretty empty.

“Excuse me” she says to a man standing next to it. “I’m looking for…”

“Oh, you’re her. Yeah, finally” he pushes a few buttons, and the wheel begins to turn, until the only occupied passenger car stops.

“Just in time, my love” you smile, standing up and offering your hand.

“You’re absolutely insane” she laughs, sitting next to you and looking out as you begin to go up, stopping when you have the best view of the city.

“Crazy for you” you kiss her temple. “Did you have fun?”

“Yes. I loved the Wanda special. And the guy dressed up in the park. Very theatrical” she holds your hand. “You didn’t have to do all this”

“Well, you only propose once. Hopefully” you grimace, but she laughs, kissing you softly. “Alright, you better look over there or you’ll miss it”

“Miss what?”

Now that it’s darker, Wanda can make out some stars and the crescent moon. And then, fireworks lighting up the sky.

The crowd below you gasps and point up, admiring the show.

“That’s so…”

Wanda turns to look at you, and her hand flies to her mouth when she sees you holding out the ring

“Wanda… will you”

“Yes”

“Let me ask. Please” you roll your eyes. She makes a motion as if sealing her lips. “Alright, then. Wanda, love of my life. We’ve been through so much together. But the truth is… I want more. The rest of my life, loving you, caring for you. All of it. And so, I ask. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

“Yes, of course I will!” she laughs, launching herself into your arms. The passenger car sways and you almost drop the ring.

“Babe, ok, thanks for the enthusiasm but we’re up in the air here”

“Sorry” she says, wiping the tears. “I’d love to finally put on my engagement ring”

“I’ve waited for so long…” you smile, sliding it in. “Perfect”

“Can’t think of a better word to describe this day” she smiles, climbing into your lap and kissing you harder.

Neither one notices the wheel turning again until you’re back at the bottom.

“Give us ten more minutes” you say to the guy, handing over some money. “I’m not done with my fiancee just yet”

And with fireworks, the stars and Wanda in your arms, everything in the world is right.

[lixzey]

must be love

james potter x best friend!reader

info: childhood best friends to lovers, use of y/n, reader lowkey doesn't like lily because of a few factors (#1 her being friends severus, #2 james liking her) unrequited love for a bit, head injury for this one, pining, jealousy, dumbass james, use of a nickname (james calls her bonbon, bon for short. it's an inside joke between them that i'm going to explain deeper into the story.), etc.

author's note ! - okay, so this is a rewrite. i edited a lot in this first chap, plus added a few bits here and there. i plan to post the next few chapters later this week after i get my lab work done (in prep for surgery, unfortunately). anyway, i hope you guys enjoy this as much as i love this story.

if anyone wants to be added to the new taglist specifically for this fic alone, leave me a message <3

playlist if anyone wants to check it out:

September 25, 1975

How did the two of you end up in this predicament, sprinting like wanted convicts through the halls of Hogwarts, you may ask? Simple. A prank, specifically on a certain Slytherin that harboured a hatred that could fuel a muggle car if converted into gasoline.

“Really, Y/n?” Lily Evans hissed from across your seat at the Gryffindor table. “Sev hasn't done anything to you!”

The crime? Exploding dinner, as you and James had jinxed Severus Snape's food to blow up in his face, which ended up with mash and gravy dripping all over the place. The boy turned bright red, humiliated, yet again by the people that he despised the most.

You couldn't stop yourself from laughing, the sounds of your giggles infected James, who sat beside you as he admired his work.

You rolled your eyes, dismissing the redheaded girl off with a wave of your hand. “Come on, Evans, it's just some harmless fun! Lighten up, will you?” To be honest, you were tempted to clap back about her friend being a saint. Severus Snape was far from that. He was no better than what Lily Evans was painting you and your friends to be.

Lily scoffed, emerald green eyes blazing in annoyance. “Lighten up? Lighten up? You try having food explode in your face in front of the whole student body!” She snapped, slamming her hands against the wooden table, earning looks from everyone inside of the Great Hall.

“Jamie?” You whispered, meeting his hazel gaze. “Time to run?”

At her words, Severus Snape's head snapped up, fury visible in his dark eyes as he abruptly stood up with a tight grip on his wand.

James nodded, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Yep, let's go.” He said, offering a hand out for you to take as he stood up from his seat.

“Come back here, Potter!” Snape's voice boomed across the chatter-filled Hall as you and James made a run for it.

The two of you bolted through the castle, desperately looking for a place to hide from the Slytherin's wrath, and McGonagall's as well. There was no doubt that this little stunt of yours would earn another weeks worth of detention. Barely even a month into your fifth year, you and James have already gotten two weeks of detention respectively.

“Over here, Jamie!” You called over your shoulder, beckoning him over as you jerked your head in the direction of the broom closet just a few feet away. “Come on, quick!”

The second the two of you reached the broom closet, you quickly dove inside and pulled James in after you, closing the door shut just as Snape stormed past your hiding spot, probably assuming that it was a couple trying to make out, as broom closets have been a popular spot to do so. 

As soon as the Slytherin's angry ranting faded into the distance, the two of you collapsed against the wall as you tried to catch your breath.

“Wow, that was close,” James panted, his glasses fogging up with every breath he took inside of the enclosed space. 

“Totally worth it though.” You chuckled, cheeks flushed from running through the castle like a track star in a marathon. “Did you see his face? Hilarious! I knew referencing a muggle science experiment would be amazing.”

“It was brilliant!” James grinned, cupping your face in his hands. “You, my darling best friend, are brilliant!”

“I know, I know.” You laughed, taking the praise to heart. “I'm pretty amazing, y'know? Now get off, your breath stinks.”

James pulled his hands away from your face, feigning hurt. “It does not!”

You giggled, tucking behind a strand of your hair behind your ear. “It does, in fact, stink.”

James let out an exaggerated gasp. “You take that back!”

You and James have been friends since the two of you were six. He's meant the absolute world to you ever since he saved you from playground bullies. 

You had been happily playing alone on one of the swings in the neighborhood playground when a group of older boys approached you and started teasing you, their taunts ringing in your ears as you tried not to burst out crying.

“Look at the buck-toothed beaver!” One of the boys jeered, pointing and laughing at your crooked teeth. They kept on teasing you, making mean faces and calling you all sorts of names, like carrot muncher and bunny rabbit.

You covered your mouth as tears threatened to spill from your eyes. Just as you were about to give up and go home, you felt a pair of hands grip your shoulders from behind. You jumped, startled by the sudden touch before turning around to see who it was. Part of you wanted it to be your mother while the other felt comforted just by the tingling warmth that suddenly erupted from your belly. 

Standing before you was a boy your age, with messy black hair that stuck weirdly in every different direction and bright hazel eyes under round spectacles. “Oi, leave her alone, you lot!" He shouted, his voice echoing through the playground, as if he had swallowed a microphone or something. 

“Go on, get lost!” The raven-haired boy demanded, pushing the older boy in the middle away. “I said get lost, you gits!” He yelled again, the air around him humming with unfamiliar energy. 

The older boys scowled, surprised by the younger boy's outburst, before turning away and leaving the two of you alone.

“Are you alright?” The raven-haired boy asked, turning to face you with a worried expression.

“Uh-huh,” You mumbled, avoiding the boy’s gaze. “I'm..uh, yeah…I’m alright, thanks.

“You can take your hand off your mouth now, you know? They’re gone.”

You eyed him hesitantly, doubting his intentions. “No.” You shook your head, clasping another hand over your mouth. 

“Don’t worry, I won’t make fun of you.” He gave you an assuring smile, offering his hand out. “I’m James, by the way. James Potter.”

You stared at his hand as if he had some sort of disease. “I'm Y/n L/n." You muttered, still avoiding his gaze while wishing the ground would swallow you up whole.

“Nice to meet you, Y/n.” James grinned, his hazel eyes bright and kind. “You know, you shouldn't let those idiots get to you,” He said, taking a step closer. His voice was surprisingly gentle, and for a moment, you were almost tempted to look up at him. “They're just gits, jealous gits.”

“Thanks, James,” You forced a smile, meeting his gaze for the first time. His eyes were bright and curious, and you found yourself lost in them for a moment. You couldn't help but be a little more at ease around him.

“No problem,” James chuckled before sitting on the swing next to you. “So, what are you doing out here all alone on a Saturday afternoon?”

You shrugged, averting your gaze. “I…uh…” You hesitated, hoping that he wouldn’t think of you as weird. “I don't really have any friends, they think I’m a tad bit peculiar.”

James raised an eyebrow. “Well, you've got one now,” He nudged you playfully, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Now, what do you like to do for fun?”

Ever since that day, the two of you have become inseparable. You were the Bonnie to his Clyde, the peanut butter to his jelly, the yin to his yang, the gold to his red. You were the best of friends, always there for each other through thick and thin.

Growing up, you both shared everything, from secrets to dreams and ambitions. James was always there for you, and you for him. You were comfortable with him, like he was the other half of your entire being. He protected you from bullies and made sure you were always happy and you did the same. The only thing that ever mattered to the both of you was being by each other’s sides, you were stuck together like glue and everyone in your neighborhood knew that if they saw one of you, the other wasn't too far behind.

When you were eight, you realized that you loved James—more than just as a friend. A simple crush that blossomed into something greater. Your parents had their suspicions, the way you looked at James was already a dead giveaway—you looked at him like he was the only person in the whole world—but he was always oblivious; he was far more interested in going on adventures with you or obsessing over Quidditch than ever noticing the way you look at him. You were perfectly content with that, but everything started to change when you and James received your Hogwarts letters in the spring of 1971. 

You and James had playdates where you'd dress up to have dance parties or tea parties, have adventures in their large orchard, and so much more. James would talk endlessly about Quidditch, which you were never really interested in but you’d listen to him nonetheless. You would ramble about your favorite things, and James would listen with a huge smile on his face at your enthusiasm. You’ve spent so much time with James that your parents had to literally pry the both of you away from each other at the end of the day, much to your and James’ parents’ amusement.

Of course, you and James were still the best of friends but with the addition of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Despite that, you knew that no one can ever replace you in James’ heart.

The two of you were ecstatic when you were both sorted into Gryffindor. You and James have been dreaming about setting foot at Hogwarts and learning more about magic since the two of you were nine. Both of you had lots of plans for the next seven years, like wreaking havoc inside the halls of the castle, finding secret passageways, and so much more. James wanted to be on the Quidditch team and someday hoped that he would become captain—which, he actually achieved not so long ago—while you just wanted to be at the top of your class, to become a prefect, and hopefully get the position of Head Girl in your seventh year despite it being a long shot given your detention record from first year.

You had the next seven years mapped out, hoping that you and James could still spend as much time as when you were kids despite your studies and everything else in between, but that wasn’t the case when a certain emerald-eyed redhead came into the picture.

James was absolutely smitten with Lily Evans, a muggle-born witch in your year and house.

Smart, beautiful, amazing Lily. 

You watched from the sidelines as James constantly tried to get Lily's attention and impress her with his Quidditch skills and charming personality, which always ends up failing because she despised him for bullying her best friend, Severus Snape, and his, in her words, ego the size of the black lake.

You were nowhere near competing with her and you couldn’t blame James for taking a liking to the feisty redhead. Lily was intelligent, kind, gorgeous, and probably made of angel dust. She's just so remarkably perfect, always Lily this and Lily that, and it hurt like a thousand stabs to the chest. Despite that, you still supported James, helping him think of ways to win Lily, even if it broke your heart in the process.

You sighed, snapping yourself out of your trance. Silence enveloped the two of you,  the only thing you could hear being James’ obnoxious breathing.

“I think the coast is clear,” You whispered, standing up and cracking the door to take a peek outside.

“Is it?” James asked, leaning over you. “We should’ve brought the map with us.” 

You turned to look at him, your face a mere inch away from his. For James, it was probably nothing, just close proximity inside a cramped broom closet with his best friend, but for you? Merlin, it made your heart beat like crazy and made your stomach do somersaults simultaneously. 

“Look at you,” James chuckled, looking down at you with a smirk that annoyed the shit out of you. “You're tiny compared to me.”

Damn it, James. Stop messing with my head, you big oaf! 

You quickly brushed the feeling of a million butterflies fluttering like crazy inside of your stomach aside before pushing James away from you. “Right, uh, yes...we should've brought it before we jumped into this. Where’s the map anyway?”

Before James could utter a reply, the door opened behind you, making you stumble back and fall onto your arse. You looked up to see Sirius peering over you.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Sirius smirked, eyeing you and James suggestively. “Have I interrupted something?”

“Shut up, Sirius,” You hissed, glaring at the prat you unfortunately call a friend. “It’s not like that, you dirty minded prick!”

“Well, can you blame me? This particular spot's a favourite—”

“It's not my fault you didn't knock, sweetheart.” Sirius grinned, looking like the smug bastard that he is. “At least you've—”

“Ugh, please don't talk about your disgusting shagging habits.” You grimaced as the image of Sirius' bare arse came into your head. A week ago, you had the unfortunate luck of walking in on Sirius shagging some Ravenclaw in the dorm that he shared with James, Remus, and Peter. “I still haven't recovered from that incident!”

“Nope, stop right there,” You fake-gagged, clutching your stomach to emphasize your point. “Oh, Merlin, I think I'm going to be sick.”

“Ha-ha, drama queen,” Sirius chuckled before turning to face James. “Anyway, what are you two doing here?” He asked, raising an eyebrow as James helped you back to your feet.

“Just taking a little breather,” James replied, a smirk playing on his lips. “You know—”

“I will physically hurt you if you finish that sentence, James Fleamont Potter.” You growled, glaring at him, which effectively shut him up. Gods, why are boys so annoying? Well, even though they're annoying pricks, you'd still prefer it over anything else.

“You’re lucky I was the one who found you and not Snape or Minnie,” Sirius shrugged, opening the map to show the retreating figures of the Slytherin along with Professor McGonagall. “She was fuming, you know, and Snape was suggesting a whole lot of bollocks.”

“That greasy git,” You scowled, rolling your eyes at the mental image of Severus Snape complaining like a child to the head of Gryffindor house. You then shot a playful glare at James as the two of you stepped out of the broom closet, pinching his arm in the process. “This is all your fault.” 

“Oi, that hurt!” James whined, rubbing the spot you dug your nails into. “That's gonna leave a mark, y'know?”

“Don't care.” You grumbled before snatching the map out of Sirius' hold and stomping forward, leaving the boys behind.

Sirius snickered. “Oooh, she's mad.”

“You think?” James rolled his eyes at his friend before running after you, Sirius following closely behind. “Oh, come on, don’t be mad at me, bon,”  He murmured as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “Let’s go cause some more trouble, yeah?”

Unable to be mad at him for long, you sighed. “You're lucky that you're my best friend, Potter.” You then shook your head as a yawn escaped your lips before resting your head on James' shoulder. “Nah, let’s head back to the common room. I’m a bit tired after all that running.”

“Fine, party pooper,” James teased, ruffling your hair. “You heard the boss, Padfoot, off to the common room.”

“Aye, aye, captain!” Sirius gave a small salute, causing a chuckle to escape your lips as the three of you made your way towards the common room.

You couldn’t help but smile as the familiar warmth of the Gryffindor common room greeted you, the smell of butterbeer and crackling fire filling your nostrils in a comforting way.

As you made your way inside, your eyes landed on Remus, who was sitting on one of the soft couches by the fire. “Remus!” You called, causing the boy's head to snap in the direction of your voice, A smile making its way back to your face as you approached. 

“Y/n,” Remus smiled as he met your gaze. “Heard you and Prongs had put on quite the show?”

Before you could even form a word or comprehend what was happening, a quaffle came flying in your direction and hitting you hard in the head, knocking you down face first onto the cold stone floor.

Remus was the first to come to your aid. He quickly turned you on your back, his silhouette blurry as the pain started to consume you. “Merlin, are you alright?”

“Ow...” You managed to say before your eyes started to feel heavy, darkness enveloping you by the second.

“Oh shit, Y/n!” James yelled, rushing to your side and pulling you into his arms, worry creeping onto his face. “Hey, hey, keep your eyes open for me, yeah?”

“Damn it, McLaggen! You fucking idiot! Look at what you did!” You heard Sirius growl at the person who threw the quaffle—McLaggen, apparently. That stupid, fucker.

“James, we have to take her to the Hospital Wing!” Remus insisted, his voice cracking with worry. “Who knows what damage that hit could have done.”

“Hey, bon, hey, look at me.” James whispered, his voice growing terrified with every passing moment. “C'mon, open your eyes now for me, love.”

Such pretty eyes. You thought as the view of James’ face slowly grew dark because of the hit you took. “I....I....I love you, Jamie.” You managed to whisper before everything went pitch black.

[namiusedbubble]

The Truth Is Out

Fandom: Superman 2025 Pairing: Clark Kent x Reader. Reader is ... unhinged, to say the least. Disclaimer: This is more crack-fic-leaning at the moment, but it was fun to write so I might continue it into a fluffier/smuttier version at some point :) Warning, 'you' are an insane, DC-typical conspiracy theorist who might need a therapist and a nap.

You weren't a reporter. Well, not really, anyway.

Sure, you might have called yourself an "independent investigative journalist" on your blog, but even you had to admit to yourself that was mostly a cover for being a chronically online, overly caffeinated, severely under-qualified public nuisance with an unquenchable curiosity.

But that didn't stop you from marching into the Daily Planet building every few weeks with a manilla folder full of highly urgent documents and a series of pictures that might have been drones or pigeons depending on the lighting and whether you believed pigeons were LuthorCorp drones in disguise that week.

And to be fair ... you weren't always wrong.

Yes, you once tried to expose a “psychic lizard operating beneath City Hall” (he turned out to be a man named Dave who just liked heat lamps), but you were also the first to link Lex Luthor's subsidiary funding to those blackout tests. You had sources. You had gut instinct.

And lately, all that instinct was telling you was;

"There's something weird about Clark Kent."

It started, like most rabbit holes did, with a single throwaway comment.

You had arrived at the Planet's bullpen during a particularly frantic Tuesday, fresh off a two-day coffee binge and holding a folder labeled "IS SUPERMAN JUST A REALLY SEXY GOVERNMENT DRONE?" that you'd worked really hard on. You had the proof to back it up, of course. Mostly comments from the shady chatrooms you frequented in search of truth, but still.

Lois Lane had waved you off with a snort. Jimmy Olsen had rolled his eyes and snickered into his mug when you started your presentation.

But Clark? He'd smiled at you - smiled, the bastard - and said, "Well, I doubt Superman wants all the credit."

You blinked. "What?"

He pushed his glasses up, flustered. "Nothing! I just mean, he's not really the type to seek praise."

"How would you know what type he is?" you ask immediately.

Clark paused.

There was a moment, a flicker, where he looked like a man who had just realized the dog buried the murder weapon in the neighbor’s yard.

“I've interviewed him,” he offered weakly.

You squinted at him. Hard. “Huh. That's odd, because Superman isn't known to give interviews to anyone ... except you, apparently. Convenient.”

Then you left without another word.

And Clark Kent. mild-mannered, six-foot-something, supposedly normal, watched you go like a man watching a bomb disappear into a haystack.

Over the next two weeks, you developed a theory.

It wasn't solid, exactly. At least not yet. But you were convinced of it and once you were locked on? Not even Superman could stop that truth-seeking missile.

You started to notice that Clark Kent was always conveniently around right before a Superman sighting, and he was never in the office when Superman was saving the day. He stammered like a man with too many secrets and stood like someone who didn't know how to make himself smaller but wanted to.

And the glasses? Now that you were really looking at him, you realised you’d seen better disguises at the Target around Halloween.

So you did what any semi-insane journalist would do.

You tried to catch him in the act.

First, you followed him around Metropolis under the guise of "working on a community piece". You'd drop heavy objects near him, just to see if he'd catch them before they hit the ground. You'd yell things like "Help, help, my foot is stuck in the storm drain!" even though you were the one who shimmied it in there seconds earlier.

Clark helped every time, but slowly. Awkwardly. Like a man trying too hard to seem average while definitely holding back.

One afternoon, you threw yourself in front of a busy intersection with a box full of life-like plush kittens when Clark yanked you back by the collar with a startled, "Are you insane?!"

You blinked and looked up at him still holding the back of your shirt, his breath steady. You narrowed your eyes. "... Maybe I am, but you're suspiciously fast."

"I jog a lot."

"Right. With lightning reflexes?"

"It's a brisk jog."

You stared at each other.

Then Clark sighed, deep, world-weary, with the resigned air of a man who once tried to hold off a meteor with a garbage can lid, and let go of you.

“I have to get back to work,” he muttered.

“Sure. But I’m watching you.”

It escalated after that.

You started tagging your blog posts with #Kentspiracy and began carrying around a clipboard labeled Daily Observations: 'Clark K. Possible Alien Life Form??'

You never said anything out loud. But every time he spoke, you’d jot something down with a thoughtful nod.

Clark tried to ignore it. He really did. But when you came into the office and pointedly offered him a lead-lined cup of coffee, and he didn't immediately drop it, you knew. And he knew you knew because you wrote 'Strong grip confirmed: possible steel composite skeletal structure?' in red pen.

Lois choked on her coffee.

You weren’t cruel. You weren’t even mean. But you were relentless.

You wanted the truth, and you were pretty sure the truth was that Clark Kent, a man who wore beige cardigans and stuttered through interviews, was secretly the hottest alien on earth.

You didn’t want to out him. Not really. You just ... wanted him to say it. To you. And only you.

So when the opportunity to confirm what you already knew finally came about in the form of rooftop access to the city's tallest building? Well ... you took it.

You stood on the edge of the building. Not close enough to fall before it was time, but close enough that someone had called the cops. Someone was trying to talk you down, assuming you were troubled, or unwell, but you were fine. Better than fine, actually, because now you'd have proof of your theory. Clark would get off work in five minutes, walk past this building, see the commotion, and he'd have no choice but to step in and rescue you.

So you waited.

And when the alarm on your watch started beeping? You jumped.

You barely had time to regret your, admittedly, batshit insane plan before the wind rushing against your face abruptly stopped, replaced by the feeling of two strong arms wrapping around your legs and back until you were upright, pressed against something blue and solid, and most importantly, not falling to your death.

When you were gently placed back on ground level, you finally looked up, and sure enough, there he was. Superman, in the flesh, exactly where you knew Clark Kent should be.

He looked like a statue of a god someone had sculpted to look worried. Cape billowing. Eyes glowing. Jaw clenched.

“Are you okay?” he asked, already scanning you for injuries.

You crossed your arms. “Are you?”

He hesitated. “What?”

You stepped forward, lowered your voice so none of the other onlookers could hear you. “Tell Clark I said hi.”

The next day, Clark Kent showed up at your apartment with a coffee and the look of a man who hadn’t slept in years.

You let him in.

Said nothing.

He stared at the floor for a long time. “I didn’t want you to find out like that.”

You raised a brow. “So you admit it.”

“Yes.”

There was silence after that. You stepped closer to him, slowly, but he didn't move away. And with your hand resting gently on his chest, you said, quiet, serious;

“You owe me an exclusive.”

His breath caught, and then he smiled.

Soft. Real. Like the first time he’d finally stopped hiding.

“I owe you a lot more than that.”

[v4mp1r1cs]

Could you do 'first time' headcanons for doing the ahem..deed with Chuuya? X

˙⋆✮ First time headcanons with Chuuya! 𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

Warnings: 18+ NSFW, mostly gn!reader I think but it does go into f!reader at a few points, explicit language, Virgin!reader, explicit descriptions of sexual acts, implications of sexual acts, MINORS DNI !!

A/N: Thanks so much for being my first req anon!! I wasn't sure whether you wanted first time in general or just first time with Chuu so I went for reader being a virgin, sorry if that's not what you meant! Loved doing this tho it was so much fun so thank youu ♡

✮ Since it’s your first time, he’d be so gentle, making sure you’re comfortable and getting pleasure from what he’s doing. He wants you to feel safe and able to voice your needs and what he should or shouldn't do. Chuuya just wants to be a safe space for you, so you can fall apart beneath him in a way you enjoy. 

✮ He’s an intensely passionate lover, meaning he may struggle at times to contain just how much he desires you, leading to him getting carried away at times. He’s apologetic afterwards and would always stop if you’d asked, but he fails to hide the tiny smirk on his face knowing it was him that brought you to the height of pleasure so many times. 

✮ During your first night together I think he’d try to exercise a fair amount of restraint, not wanting to overwhelm you when the experience is quite new to you. Unless you asked him to stop holding back, then it’s an entirely different story. 

✮ His foreplay is insane. I’ll die on the hill that Chuuya is an obscene munch and derives so much pleasure from getting you off, both with his hands and his tongue, but he can’t deny watching you squirm and cry out when he tastes you for the first time makes him feel almost euphoric. He’ll stretch you out so good on his fingers you’ll be soaked and writhing by the time he finally fucks you. 

✮ More on the fact he gets off on your pleasure, hearing you moaning out for him, especially his name, turns him on so bad. Every whine and shaky breath does not go unheard by him, and it spurs him on just that little bit more every time. 

✮ I think he’s relatively vanilla, like he’s not without some kinks which can dip into kind of freaky at times but overall I hc him as pretty tame. Especially on your first time though he’d dial it down to a minimum so just to keep it easy and intimate for a first experience. 

✮ Hugely intimate. He’s unbelievably romantic in everything to do with your relationship anyway, therefore it’s not a surprise that for your first time especially, he makes a lot of time and goes the entire nine yards with the classic rose petals on the bed, candles ect. He knows he can be really fast paced and with his demanding work life, quickies become a weekly ritual a lot of the time, however he wants so badly to make you feel appreciated and treasured, so you understand through gentle caresses and whispered words that he cares. 

✮ Three words. French dirty talk. I know it’s technically a fan hc HOWEVER there is actual reason behind it so I’m going with it. Chuuya would be all sweet, dishing out lines like “une si bonne fille pour moi”, “continue à te cambrer comme ça, merde, tu as un goût tellement bon” and “Putain, magnifique, tu me fais me sentir si bien que je vais te ruiner jusqu'à ce que ta chatte se souvienne de ma forme.” (used google translate for this, sorry to any french ppl if it’s wrong) 

✮ He knows his strength quite well, so controlling his pace doesn’t pose too much of an issue on your first time, especially considering the combined atmosphere of intimacy and tenderness that’s been established would put him in the kind of more slow paced, gentle mindset anyway. However the second you beg him for more, he’s all sloppy open mouthed kisses and pounding you into the bed like it’s done him a disservice. His stamina also reflects this, he can go for literal hours without needing a break, he’ll read your body to know when you’re getting worn out though, he doesn’t want to push you too far over your limits.

✮ Marker. When you wake up the next morning, expect to see millions of angry red marks across your entire body, hickies covering every inch of bare skin from your neck and collarbone to the inside of your thighs. Bite marks scattered across your skin and finger shaped bruises splayed out on your hips. That doesn’t mean he goes without though, Chuuya’s back is lined with flaming red lines and potentially dried blood where your fingernails have clawed into his muscles alongside a few bite marks in the junction between his neck and shoulder. 

✮ Absolute king of aftercare, doesn’t give a fuck about how tired he is, you’re probably worse off knowing his stamina, runs a bath with about a million expensive salts and oils or at least a shower if you just want to sleep. He makes sure there’s a drink on your nightstand too. He’ll give you one of his shirts to wear and won’t let you go for the rest of the night, arms wound tight around you. 

Thanks for reading!! Hope you enjoyed and all likes/reblogs r appreciated love u all ! ♡

[prettyboystories]

Katsuki // Courting Troubles

Pairing: (omega) Katsuki Bakugō x (alpha) Reader Summary: Bakugō and Reader are dumb little teenagers courting for the first time and neither can get the hint A/N: I thought this would be a simple, silly, fun little piece to write and instead it’s been giving me a hard time for a week… enjoy! Warnings: a/b/o, miscommunication (not serious though), innocent biting 5k words

Katsuki resisted the urge to comb his hand through his hair. He didn’t want to mess it up and the product in it would make it feel shitty anyway.

The gel was new and supposedly made specifically for the kind of hair texture he had. It was sticky and unpleasant on his head but he liked the way it made his hair look. Maybe you would too.

No one had commented on his hair yet today which Katsuki supposed he was glad about. His classmates would only have been obnoxious if they thought he was actually trying something with his appearance. He was, but that was besides the point.

But it did make him worry that perhaps the change wasn’t visible. He could have sworn his hair looked softer than usual. It wasn’t. His hair actually usually had a nice texture to it. It just looked spiky. Now if you ran your hand through it it would probably be a bit less pleasant. 

Would Katsuki enjoy it if you ran your hand through his hair? He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had done that. But now wasn’t the time to think about that as you sat in your seat in class behind him and gave him a smile. 

You and Katsuki had been friends for a while now and it was something he greatly treasured. He didn’t like to admit it but making friends was hard, especially non-annoying ones and ones with whom he didn’t feel the instinctive urge to push them away.

You were a great friend. You were dependable and he could relax around you. But he had a feeling the two of you had been dancing around each other for these past couple of months, like there was something else brewing. He hoped there was.

It’s not like Katsuki would mind if your relationship stayed platonic but he did really want something to signify that he was important to you, more important than others and courting was perfect for that. You guys could hash out the details after you’d established interest in pursuing him.

“You look different today, Bakugō,” he heard you say and Katsuki’s eyes lit up as his thoughts came back to reality. You had noticed! “Did you do something to your hair?”

“No,” he heard himself say with a snort before he could process what he was doing. “It’s probably just the humidity or something.”

“Oh okay.”

Katsuki pressed his lips together as he turned back around. What did he just- what was that? Had he seriously just chickened out? That wasn’t like him.

You had noticed. But you hadn’t called it nice or anything. It was just different. 

Maybe it was good he’d denied trying anything but he grimaced at his efforts going to waste. This one was on him though. The whole purpose was to make you understand that he wanted to put effort into this relationship and nudge it in a different direction. But he’d been distracted and slunk into familiar patterns of denial when the spotlight fell on him, despite the fact that he’d been trying to attract it.

Next time he’d make sure to control his response.

//

You were facing a bit of a dilemma.

You and Bakugō were friends, really good friends, which was great of course! But it also meant that any casual forms of courting attempts kind of went out the window. You could hardly ask him to get food when you guys literally ate together every lunch period and stopped to get dinner after internships at various restaurants you liked.

Compliments were out of the question too. You’d experienced second hand how volatile Bakugō’s reactions were when someone tried to call him cute and that probably extended to other appearance based compliments as well. But you complimented his skill plenty already so that would hardly do it. 

Then there was gifting. And you really wanted to give Bakugō something of yours, something scented. But you were pretty sure that was too bold since you hadn’t actually indicated your interest yet. You had to give Bakugō the opportunity to establish boundaries first. As far as you knew you were his first alpha friend and you didn’t want to make things awkward if he felt weird about being forced to reject you.

You really weren’t sure whether courting and mating were things Bakugō even thought about, nor if he was attracted to alpha, or anyone for that matter. But you did know that the two of you were close, that you hoped to stay close and that your compatible biologies could mean a lot of comfort you could share, platonic or otherwise, if you could build that kind of trust.

Fortunately there was one thing you were pretty sure Bakugō was attracted to and that was skill and strength. 

//

Katsuki took another look at himself in the mirror. 

He knew he looked good of course. He had a nice face, objectively speaking. And his figure didn’t hurt either - a slim waist and a nicely shaped butt.

You had invited him to do some independent training today which meant he could put some effort into his clothing beyond the standard issue sports uniform the school provided.

He’d kept the uniform but let the jacket open with a black crop top underneath, showing off his waist and the hint of abs he’d managed to work toward without compromising on his diet and hydration.

There was a pair of shorts hidden somewhere in his closet that did wonders for his butt which according to plenty of trashy magazines was ‘the male omega’s best asset’ and would surely have you thinking in very specific terms if you had any libido whatsoever. 

But Katsuki wouldn’t stoop that low. He didn’t really want any of that yet anyway and he definitely didn’t want an alpha that only cared about a hole for their rut. Not that he thought you’d be like that.

He had, however, added the thinnest of eye liners, less even than he used underneath his hero mask, to highlight his sharp eyes. You’d said you liked their colour once so it surely couldn’t hurt to draw some attention to them…

What the actual fuck was he doing?

This was ridiculous! Katsuki Bakugō didn’t need to make himself all pretty to appeal to some stupid alpha who couldn’t tell an attractive omega unless he paraded around in revealing clothing and painted his face.

But… how would you know you stood a chance with him if he seemed too unapproachable? No, the right alpha should try regardless! Although of course he didn’t want you to disrespect his lack of interest… but he didn’t lack interest! Not that he was desperate or anything. He was just a normal amount of interested.

“You look really motivated today, Bakugō!” your voice tore him out of his thoughts and he whipped away from his reflection. “That’s great. I’m in need of some good exercise today.”

…

Motivated. 

He looked motivated!? He was standing before you, all dolled up like this, and you thought he looked motivated! Stupid, stupid, dense, blind alpha.

“Yeah, I’ll crush you,” he replied with a familiar sneer, taking off his shoes and socks and stepping onto the training mat.

“I look forward to seeing you try,” you countered with a smirk that made Katsuki’s heart flutter.

Sparring was familiar even if this was possibly the first time you two were doing it without teacher supervision. It was brutal and energetic and all-out, because that’s just how you and Katsuki were. But by the fourth round it was also… playful?

Katsuki kept catching himself having to bite back giggles as you pushed at each other, muscles too weak and thoughts too slow by now to put the proper effort in so it felt more like rolling around on the mats together than proper sparring.

That’s what had made Katsuki weak. He thought of what this would look like from the outside, an alpha and an omega tumbling around, laughing and barely trying to one up each other. 

It made him think. Maybe you wouldn’t mind? Maybe you’d like it even if he turned the sparring into something more innocent and fun. It was a little bold admittedly and you’d never done something like this before but you were basically going in that direction already so he might as well-

When you were above him, Katsuki dared a little bite, just on the shoulder, covered by a shirt because Katsuki didn’t dare to actually touch skin yet.

You stilled above him before pushing your head back to look at him, stared at him wide-eyed for a moment and opened and closed your mouth, making Katsuki worry that perhaps you’d disliked the affection after all. Had he overstepped?

“Are you okay?” you asked after a moment, throwing him off-track. Was he okay? Were you? He was the one who had just bitten you!

He nodded dumbly and expressed his own concern, prompting you to relax and nod, giving him a reassuring smile and sitting up, helping him up as well and scooting back, putting some distance between the two of you. Katsuki’s heart sank.

“We should probably take a break,” you chuckled and he nodded although he felt like he wasn’t in on the joke.

He pulled his legs in, sitting crisscrossed. He supposed he was glad you hadn’t taken offence but he was disappointed, honestly. He liked it. It was a spur of the moment decision but now he wanted to do it again. It had been strangely satisfying to nip at your skin even if he couldn’t fully feel it and now he really wanted to know what it would feel like for you to return the affectionate gesture.

But of course, he couldn’t. You hadn’t exactly reacted positively to it. He thought you were close enough for a bit of roughhousing but clearly you still thought it was strange coming from him somehow or were uncomfortable with it in general.

Or you were subtly rejecting him, Katsuki’s mind unhelpfully supplied. But roughhousing wasn’t a strictly romantic activity… It should have been fine.

//

You sat back, honestly a little panicked. 

The sparring had been fun, at least you had thought so. You’d been about to pat yourself on the back for the idea. You could suggest to Bakugō to make this a regular occurrence, you’d show off your skill and appropriately acknowledge his, maybe you’d see him in more of his casual workout clothing… but then he’d bitten you. 

It had been a small, unsure thing and hadn’t even hit skin but it was a bite alright, and from the limited experience you had, it was the kind of unsure bite that signalled that the omega felt uncomfortable and wanted to keep you at a distance.

You felt bad. Both because you’d drawn such a reaction from your friend but also because it must have been instinctive on his part and he probably felt really embarrassed by it now, judging by the way he was sitting rigidly with his legs tucked close. It made sense. You didn’t know Bakugō to be particularly comfortable with the expression of his secondary gender, voluntary or not.

You were a little confused too. You’d been above him, sure, but Bakugō could definitely hold his own against you. Maybe his discomfort had just been subtly building while you’d been none the wiser, indulging in the fun of playing with your friend.

“Bakugō-”

“I’m sorry!” he forced out like it tasted bad on his tongue and you smiled with a shake of your head.

“It’s fine,” you assured him. “I didn’t mind. I was just caught off guard. It’s not something you need to apologise for.”

He blinked and studied you for a moment before a pretty blush settled over his cheeks. He was probably still embarrassed that his instincts had made him act that way. You half expected him to chew you out for your compassion.

“So… what are your thoughts on doing that again?”

“Really?” you asked, relieved that he’d liked the sparring after all. He’d only gotten a bit overwhelmed but it had still been a positive experience overall. “I’d love that! Whenever you want.”

The colour on Bakugō’s cheeks deepened but he nodded, straightening his legs out. “Sure, whatever. I’ll, uh, sometime.”

//

Katsuki was in a much better mood all week. Of course his first two attempts hadn’t worked. He was a pretty omega but you weren’t a superficial alpha! He was always pretty, not just with soft-looking hair and a crop top so he couldn’t rely on his looks to convey the message. Actions had worked much better.

So after his semi-successful, if awkward, biting attempt he’d formulated a new plan. 

He wasn’t like a lot of more traditional omega in many regards. He was loud and abrasive, he liked to make his opinions known. He liked complaining and his future career was the single most important thing on his mind.

And while the alpha he liked would hardly be old-fashioned enough to expect him to be some meek little thing, he did want them to know that he could make a lovely partner too. He wasn’t just thorns and needles.

That’s where his personal curry roux came into play. It was a recipe he’d been perfecting for a year now and if there was any dish that could make an alpha fall in love with him and declare right then and there that they wanted to mate him for his cooking skill alone, it would be his curry rice.

Hence why he was currently standing over the stove, stirring the roux he’d been storing in the fridge together with the tofu and vegetables that were already simmering in the pot. 

He knew your morning routine. You’d already passed him once and bid him a good morning and in five minutes you’d be back through the common room and he could strike.

The moment he saw you come through the door he blurted: “I made breakfast.”

You blinked, caught in the middle of the doorway, and slowly closed the door before taking your shoes off and neatly placing them on the rack.

You approached him and gave him a cautious smile before looking over at the counter and seeing that he had in fact placed two plates and did in fact mean ‘I made breakfast for the both of us’.

“You cooked for me?” you asked and stared at him with widened eyes. He was delighted at how pleasantly surprised you looked.

‘Yes,’ he wanted to say. ‘It’s one of my favourite recipes and I thought you might like it.’

“I made extra,” is what came out instead and Katsuki cursed himself in his head.

And I thought of you. And I thought of you. At least add an ‘and I thought of you’! But he couldn’t bring himself to say the words, only shoving the plate further towards you as you had yet to accept it.

-

“Oh gods, Bakugō, this is amazing,” you said when you two finally sat to eat. “I’m so happy you made extra.”

Katsuki smiled. He knew his cooking was good of course but it was still nice to have it acknowledged by his friend and the alpha he liked.

“It’s just cooking. Only idiots can’t cook,” he said with a shrug and kind of wanted to curse himself but couldn’t quite bring himself to when you only grinned at him. But then you got a thoughtful look on your face and he tensed.

“I could help you next time, if you don’t mind,” you said and Katsuki wanted to bristle, just a little bit. Stupid alpha, just accept the nice thing I’m doing for you. “Cut vegetables or something. You know, to prove I’m not an idiot… and to get to enjoy your cooking more often.”

You were probably joking but Katsuki supposed he was pleased that you wanted to taste his cooking more. He also couldn’t come up with a good, non-rude way to tell you to stay out of his kitchen and let him do his thing. Maybe doing something like that together could be nice? It would certainly be good practice for if you guys ever lived together…

A blush fired up on Katsuki’s cheeks and he shoved food in his mouth to distract himself from the thought.

“Just eat your food,” he mumbled around his spoon.

//

You couldn’t do it any longer. As you’d expected, Bakugō didn’t get the hint. You kept inviting him to hangout, whether to spar or to get food, and he kept acting as he always did, neither rejecting you nor indicating that he was amenable to your actions.

It made sense, of course. None of these things were necessarily out of the box for the two of you. But it did mean that you had to go straight for the kill after all.

The good thing was, in these past few weeks your friendship had grown. Bakugō seemed more comfortable around you, showing off makeup looks and hairstyles and asking your opinion on them, wearing clothing he liked to your sparring even if it was more revealing or tight and the kind you thought an omega might feel more uneasy wearing around an alpha friend, and to top it all off, cooking his fucking fantastic cooking for you. Well, you got the leftovers but semantics. 

The point was, the two of you were close and he considered you a safe presence, safe enough even to talk about his nest with you!

He’d complained a few days ago how hard it was to find any comfortable black clothing in nesting supply stores. Getting it there was important apparently because most standard clothing stores were filled with ‘shitty blended fabrics’ but nesting supply stores tended to be full of soft colours, pastels, black almost only present in leather but Bakugō couldn’t stand the feel of leather on his skin! He much preferred 100% cotton.

You had filed all that info away… for future reference and not even three days after, it had come in useful.

You were out shopping with Mina when you’d seen it, a thick black hoodie with an orange rim. It was perfect. It screamed Bakugō. So much so that when Mina caught you staring at it she’d started uncontrollably snickering and you’d had to elbow her and growl a ‘shut up’ before grabbing it from the hanger and trying it on.

You’d been wearing it to sleep and planning to give it to Bakugō when it was properly scented but opportunity had struck earlier than expected when your loud friend stomped into the common room, angry and clearly stressed, discarding an old piece of fabric in the bin.

“Bakugō?” you called out and caught his attention. But even for you he couldn’t soften his gaze right now. “What’s wrong?”

“My fucking nest is what’s wrong,” he growled. “This week has been fucking stressful but all my best nesting material is in the washing machine and my favourite blanket is fucking unusable at this point.”

You perked up and immediately rushed to your room to retrieve the Baku-hoodie from your bed, instructing him to wait for you.

You were a little nervous but it was fine. If he didn’t want a courting gift he could always reject it. The two of you would talk about it, clear the air, you’d make sure he knew there were zero hard feelings or expectations and you’d continue as always… hopefully.

“It’s 100% cotton,” you told him immediately when you came back and held out the hoodie for him. “It might be a bit big on you but you can wear it I think. Or just put it in your nest, you know. It doesn’t have any hard bits or plastic.”

Bakugō stared at you and then the hoodie for a few moments before practically ripping the piece of clothing from your hands and holding it close, stomping back up the stairs with the newly acquired piece for his nest. You could hardly contain your grin at how enthusiastically and Bakugō-like he’d accepted your courting gift.

//

Supposedly things were going well. 

You and Katsuki now regularly met up for sparring outside of class and every now and then he snuck a bite or two in. You had yet to return one of your own but that was fine. Alpha bites were sometimes seen as more serious and less playful so you were probably right to be cautious. You still reacted surprised and asked for breaks when Katsuki bit you which made things fucking awkward for him but you were getting more relaxed so it was probably fine. He knew you to be more forward than that but this was the first time either of you were doing things like these so it was probably to be expected. And he kind of secretly hoped it meant you had a crush on him and that was why you were more awkward than usual.

He also cooked for you regularly now and basked in the praise you kept sending his way when he did. He’d managed to manoeuvre you to help with setting the table and doing the dishes instead of interfering with his cooking, too, so things on that front were perfect!

But you still weren’t taking the next step…

You tended to be the one to invite him to spar and on days where he didn’t have the time or energy to cook you always seemed eager to invite him to one of his favourite restaurants instead. You also praised him a lot, whether on his grades, a combat manoeuvre he’d been having trouble with or his cooking.

He’d thought that meant you were working up to finally start courting him but he was kind of running out of patience because you were sure taking your damn time! And then there were the doubts because of course technically all those could still just mean you were growing closer as friends. Fuck.

Now could he technically be the one to start the courting? Yes, of course he could. In fact, if you were really as good an alpha as he thought you were, you’d be happy for him to court you… but that was what people would expect of him, wasn’t it? That he’d be all aggressive, even about something as important and gentle as courting. 

And Katsuki despised how predictable people thought he was and he didn’t want you to agree. He really didn’t want a future filled with jokes about how of course your omega couldn’t wait and had to take matters into his own hands.

And also, well, he didn’t like to admit it, even to himself, but Katsuki was a sucker for romance manga, one of the few things his sire had tried to push on him because of his secondary gender that he actually liked. And he didn’t like the ones with the super meek omega of course but, well, damn it, he just wanted to be the one to get courted, okay? To hell with whether it was stereotypical or not. His brain could shut the fuck up about that. He wanted to be courted by the alpha he liked like the pretty omega in his romance books were and he would get his cute courting!

Ugh. Being courted was hard.

And on top of that, he’d just had to give back the most comfortable fucking hoodie he’d ever held in his life. 

It had been invaluable for his much needed nesting time. It was perfect and it smelled of you and it was soft and black and orange and perfect. But he’d cuddled up to it so thoroughly and worn it for days whenever he was in his room that it had quickly lost your scent on it and was only half as good now.

It was still pretty great though and Katsuki envied you for the piece of clothing. He’d never seen you in it before but, to be fair, he mostly only ever saw you in your school or sports uniform anyway. 

But you’d given it away pretty easily. Maybe there was a way he could sneak it once it had your scent on it again? Would it be too forward to ask for it again sometime when he was stressed again?

You know what? Fuck if it was too forward. 

Yes, Katsuki wanted to get a cute courting. He would get a cute courting. But he would get it his way. This whole subtle dropping of signals wasn’t working for him and he finally wanted the freedom to ask you to bite him and hand over your clothing whenever he wanted it, damn it!

//

Katsuki stomped into the common room where you were reading. Mina and Kirishima were there too but he could handle them. Those two wouldn’t give him too much trouble and knew to not show him if they judged him for what he was about to do. Not like he cared what they thought.

“Are you not going to try and court me?” he asked, standing in front of you and staring you down, hands on his hips, making sure that his expression was stern and not pouty, the way he felt.

Embarrassment immediately tried to bubble up but Katsuki refused to let it come to the surface. No, he refused to be embarrassed even if you turned him down… he just really, really hoped you wouldn’t.

You gave him a bewildered look and then looked at Mina and Kirishima for a moment before refocusing on Katsuki and gently pulling him down next to you as you put your book to the side.

“I… tried to?” you offered quietly with a confused chuckle. “You rejected me?”

“Huh?” he gave his intelligent response and saw relief flood your features as you beamed at him.

“But if you want to take that back-”

“Take what back?” he demanded. 

“Did you not like the gift? Or… did you not get that it was supposed to be a courting gift? It was scented and for your nest… but I suppose I didn’t say it was a courting gift.”

Katsuki could hear Mina’s snickers from the other couch as he tried to think back to- he wanted the couch to swallow him whole. Had he seriously returned a courting gift, washed and everything? Fucking hell. Why wouldn’t you say it was a courting gift!?

He grabbed your hand and started dragging you upstairs.

You shushed Mina when she whistled and said to ‘go get it’. Katsuki didn’t analyse what or which one of them she meant by that as he made you open the door to your dorm room before storming in.

“Where is it?” he demanded as you followed him in, shutting the door behind the two of you.

“Where’s what?” you asked though with the grin on your lips he couldn’t tell whether you were serious or not. It didn’t matter at the moment.

“My courting gift. Where’s my hoodie?”

It landed in his arms the moment he turned around and he brought his face to it but made a noise of discontent, pushing it right back into your arms.

“Smells like detergent,” he complained. ‘Doesn’t smell like you,’ he meant.

“Well, you’re the one who washed it,” you teased but were happy to take off your shirt and slip the hoodie on before pulling Katsuki into a hug so he could get the scent from the source.

“You technically still have to officially accept my courting,” you mused as you held him. “But can I take it that I’m not being rejected then?”

“Stupid alpha,” Katsuki grumbled, burying his face in the crook of your neck. “Bite me.”

“Hey, what did I do now?” you laughed but Katsuki shook his head firmly. No more time for misunderstandings.

“No, literally, bite me.”

“Huh!?” You pushed him back by the shoulders to read his expression. “Isn’t it a bit early for that?”

Huh? Why would it be early for that? He’d been doing that for- oh, for fuck’s- oh. Katsuki wanted to get annoyed at you for misinterpreting the way he’d been biting you but the embarrassment at what you thought he’d just demanded instead took over.

“Not like that!” he growled out before nipping at your shoulder, the way he’d done that first time.

He watched how the gears in your head turned before a blush of your own spread over your cheeks.

“Oh,” you said sheepishly, now the one to hide your face in his shoulder. “Stupid…”

He wanted to question you when he felt a bite to his shoulder through fabric. It felt… a little weird to be honest, not like he’d hoped it would. If anything, it kind of felt antagonistic, not loving or intimate. Had his beloved romance manga lied to him?

Then you pulled his shirt to the side so you could place a little bite on the exposed skin and Katsuki shuddered, his heart fluttering at the gentle and intimate sensation. Oh.

But Katsuki was done feeling embarrassed about this.

“Again,” he demanded and smiled as he felt you grin against his skin and place another bite.

[twst-drabbles]

Leona 30

Summary: Leona has decided that his napping spot will be on your head. Made for an interesting walking exercise, at least.

You have little clue to the thought process that goes through this sand creature, if he has any at all. What you do know are his habits, and the one most set in stone is his love for the sun. Loves to bask in it in the same way Malleus does, though would try and kick him off the ledge whenever he sees him in the same vicinity. Not even in the same spot as the sand spirit, Leona just sees Malleus soaking in the sun and it's on sight for him.

At least all it takes is a lifting of your eyebrow to get him to stop. He gets up and goes elsewhere.

Sometimes you have to snatch Malleus out of the air when Leona leaves and hold him like a pocket warmer. Troublemakers, the lot of 'em. But hey, least your reflexes are getting scarily good.

Anyways, you have also taken to soaking in the sun. You kinda needed to after that very long period of just holing yourself up in your home. Though when outside is too muggy and hot for you to handle, you sunbath underneath the window, with a beanbag chair pulled under you. Does look awkward since it's right in front of your stairs, but anybody that judges isn't worth looking at or talking to.

And, before you know it, Leona has decided to materialize his sand self right on top of your head. Little limbs lazily tapping on your forehead, tail swishing back and forth against the back of your head. You got up, since you do have food to make, but Leona refused to move an inch.

"Leona," you gently tapped where you think the side of his face is, "get on the ledge, I have things to do, a stomach to fill."

Leona gave a big snort, dusting your finger in sand, some even finding its way under your fingernail. Made your hand twitch and your lips tighten. You quickly squished Leona flat under your palm. Just a fast little press like one would do a stress ball and he honked.

There was a low growl, but still he did not move.

"Guess you're staying up there huh? Well, don't blame me if you fall off. I'm not catching you." You do want to see him fall on flat surfaces again. Creatures like him don't really get hurt by normal means, so if you wanted to, you could just throw him to a wall and watch him stick there. He makes a fun wet sand thud every time he doesn't land gracefully. Just, a real heavy sound out of a creature so tiny. It's funny to you.

But, you're not Cheka, and you are pretty hungry, so you straightened your back and carefully walked to the kitchen. With Leona now on your head until…well probably the rest of the day considering how long his naps are, it made you aware how weird it is to move about the kitchen. You can't bend over so you had to settle for carefully kneeling down, which made pulling out pots, pans and ingredients from the bottom cabinets more of a chore, but wasn't impossible.

Having Leona on your head also made you aware just how…sharp you moved around the house, especially when you're on a task of any kind. When you went to grab the spices, you turned a little too quickly, causing Leona to slip and grip your ear. You caught him before his weight could yank it, and rather than get fed up and go nap somewhere else, he shuffled back up on your head.

"Why my head?" You asked no one, and it's not like you're gonna do anything about this.

So, you had to force yourself to move slower. To…act like Idia, in a way. A ghost in your own kitchen, because anything faster than ghost speed will send Leona flying. And that comes with a thirty percent chance of him deciding to sand your head and that's…not a nice thought.

This did cause you to change from using the stove to using the oven. Didn't exactly want to risk Leona falling into the pot or pan while you're over it. And hey, all this kneeling and bending of the legs is getting your exercise in.

As soon you closed the oven and you stood up, you caught your reflection in the window leading to the backyard. Leona still on your head, though not exactly dozing away. Probably wasn't napping at all. His eyes were open, though not wide with attention. He was looking at you. A soft focus, one you've spotted a couple of times when he gazed at Cheka when he thought no one was looking.

Wonder how long he's been like that. The entire time, perhaps?

…well, hopefully Leona doesn't make this a habit. As nice as this is, you don't think this will be good for your neck in the long run.

That and you don't want him to grow possessive with your head. One can spoil him, but always be mindful how one spoils him.

[gorgeous777]

Hiii!! I loved the last fic so here's another request if you dont mindd!!

So severus and professor! Reader where there's a staff party one night and she ends up drunk and all clingy on him (much to the amusement of everyone else), hes both annoyed and flustered? He tries to make she sober up but blushes so hard when she's basically hanging onto him? anyways she ends up falling asleep in his quarters and the next day a few students see her sneak out of his room?😭😭

you can decide how long you want it to be but basically the students start making up rumors and they're forced into situations that eventually make them realise their feelings for each other?

Thanks and I love your works!!!💕

Thank you so much! Send as many as you want ♡

Ridiculous, Severus Snape x Fem. Reader

A/N: This one is a little on the longer side. As always, not proofread or edited

Enjoy!

__________________________

Staff parties were always loads of fun. You couldn’t think of a single time you attended one and it wasn't great. For a while now, you'd been harboring feelings for Severus. You kept it to yourself, however as that was never gonna happen. The man barely showed any emotion as it was, and if he had any semblance of feelings in return, you'd know by now. Right? Unfortunately for you though, you were a loud mouth when drunk. So you avoided drinking to the point of intoxication at the parties. It wasn't so bad, you were saving yourself some shame. Pride too, even if just a little.

There was another party tonight. It was for Minerva's birthday. And naturally, you were attending. As was every other member of faculty. If there was one thing in the world that woman loved, it was fire whiskey. Knowing that, you went out and got her the biggest bottle you could possibly find. When you got to the room the party was being held there, nearly everyone had already arrived. There was lots of laughter and the sound of music played in the background of it. You were met with big smiles and joyful greetings. After all the formalities, the first gift Minerva outwardly opened was the fire whiskey.

Which was fine, until she insisted you have the first drink with her since you were the one to get it. Just a little of that and you'd be running your mouth faster than you could with your feet. Refusal was redundant as she didn't let you turn her down. Begrudgingly, you chugged a mug with her. The liquid set your throat ablaze and turned your insides into an inferno. You smacked your lips harshly, shaking your head.

"Oh Minnie, that was a horrible idea. I hope you know that"

"Nonsense. Drinking is all in good fun in good company. Have more."

"What?! No I couldn--" Before you could finish your sentence, she had already taken your mug and filled it back up along with her own. Your shoulders slupped as she handed it back to you.

"Drink"

"I really-" You cut yourself off with a sigh. "Oh what the hell. It's your birthday. Let's do it"

Minerva laughed, "Wonderful!"

With that being said, the two of you downed your mugs once again in seconds flat. You shook your head again, letting out a groan. When you opened your eyes and opened them wide. Your head was absolutely on fire. You shot up out of your seat, looked around, and then grinned like a mad man.

"Alright! Happy birthday Minnie! Who's next?!"

That got laughs from everyone. As the night progressed, everyone got hammered. Everyone but Severus, that was. He had never been one for drinking, and had somehow gotten away with nursing a mug over halfway full all night. Only taking tiny sips here and there. Now everyone was cracking jokes and telling stories. You at some point, had gotten up to get another glass of something. As long as it had alcohol in it, it was good enough for you. And then your eyes landed on Severus. Ever the wall flower, pretending to sip his drink while silently glaring at Merlin knows what.

The chuckle that left you was utterly horrible. Devious, drunk and shameless. You could practically see the hearts in your eyes. You sauntered (stumbled) over to the brooding man, a ridiculous smirk upon your lips. He glanced your way just in time to see you coming his way and dead panned.

"Sevy~" You called in a sing-song voice, "Hi~"

He gave you a 'what the fuck did you just call me?' look, but you were far too gone to give a damn. With a thump too hard for comfort, you pressed yourself to the wall next to him, just as he was doing. Face to face. One sober one fucked all the way up.

"Whacha up to over here? Playing the lone wolf act, hmmm?"

He eyed you up and down, noting your very clear drunken state. Drumming his fingers along his mug once, he decided to indulge in the conversation.

"Yes.. Much more than I could say for you. You seem to be in... very high spirits tonight"

"Oh yeah" You laughed, your grin turning into a dopey, toothy smile, "Having loads of fun. But don't think I didn't notice you Mister~" You point a finger at him, wagging it, "Acting all mysterious and sexy as ever~"

He arched an eyebrow at you. You were seriously drunk. He let out a tiny, inaudible scoff.

"Seems you've had better time than let on.."

You let out another, louder, obnoxious laugh. "Maybe you just have that effect on me"

"...Certainly." He remarked, sarcastically, but you were drunk enough to convince yourself he wasn't being as such.

"See? I knew you knew. You're wayyyy too smart to not know. Here! I'll go get us some more to drink!"

Just as quickly as you started to bubble away, he grabbed your arm and forced you into a halt. You stumbled a bit, looking back and up at the taller man. Then it clicked he was actually touching you and your eyes blew.

"Perhaps.. Not"

"No it's fine I--"

You attempted to walk away but instead he put you back against the wall. Shame? Gone. Pride? Nonexistent. Ovaries? The widest they'd been awake in years. The shock was everything but temporary and quickly turned into something much worse. A flustered, drunk bold giggle left you.

"My my Sev! I had no idea you liked me that much"

You lazily wrapped your arms around his neck, pressed your chest to his. He man went rigid, which you did not pick up on at all. By now others had noticed what was happening between you and him, and were heavily amused. Making jokes about how you were finally making a move. But, your focus was stuck on Severus, so all of that went unnoticed by you.

"It's okay, I like you too!"

The poor man's palms so clammy they were practically dripping. He placed them on your hips, firmly trying to put distance between the two of you. You however, took that as him playing into it and pushed back against his hands. A softer giggle left you and you let your head roll on to his shoulder.

"I didn't know you liked touchy. Maybe I should hug you more often"

As if things couldn't get any worse for him, his face was bright red. You were unbelievably close. Pressed up against him entirely. And if this man was anything, it was touch starved. Desperately, pathetically touch starved. Without another word, he pried you off of him and started to lead you to the door. That got the two of you several cat calls and woops, which only irritated him further. On the way out, you managed to snag a full mug and drank half of it before he noticed. Instantly he snatched it from you, looking like he was ten seconds away from murdering you.

"Heyyy" you whined, stumbling and reaching for the mug back. It didn't take much for him to keep it from you, rather just holding it up in the air, "Give it backkk"

"Absolutely not. You've had enough alcohol to last more than a lifetime."

You let out another whine. "Nuh-uh! Just a little more!"

He set the mug down on the floor and continued to hurriedly rush you down the corridors. That alcohol though, had set in much quicker than anticipated and halfway to your chambers you could barely keep yourself up, let alone walk. So, once again, you were clinging to him. Only harder this time. He couldn't Apparate into your chambers either. He didn't know what was inside them, or how the furniture was arranged.

Looking at the logistics of it, that could end horribly for one if not both of you. He couldn't take you their either, not with you in this state. Left without a choice, he took to the second best and closest place: his chambers. When you got there, you were still all kinds of happy-drunk. You stumbled out of his arms while he shut the door. That caused him to panic a little.

"Oh wow! It's so cool in here!"

You stumbled again and nearly fell, but he caught you just in time. Now, he was in full blown panic mode.

"Enough, you ridiculous woman."

He hissed through gritted teeth. He then forced you into the bedroom, but you didn't put up much of a fight this time. He gently as he could through flustered anger, sat you on the bed. You laughed again.

"You're not trying to shag me are you Sevy? Because if you are~" you said in a sing-song voice, "you can~"

"For Salazar's sake woman get ahold of yourself" He snapped, kneeling before you.

"Okay!" You wrapped your arms around yourself and flopped back on the bed. He grumbled something about you being ridiculous. Your eyes wandered the room freely, that being too much of a distraction to notice that Severus was taking the shoes off your feet. He was gentle about it too, careful as if you were made of porcelain. When he rose back to his feet to leave the room, you were quick to grab his hand and yank him down on to the bed with him. Wasting no further time, you cuddled up to him.

His heart was about to beat out of his chest. This was happening. You were practically on top of him. Slack and comfortable as if this were completely normal. So, so close. He could feel every rise and fall of your chest. The warmth of your body melting into his. Your scent taking over his nose. You let out a sigh, shifting to get more comfortable.

"This is nice Sev. I love you"

He froze momentarily at your brazen declaration. You.. loved him? No. No, you didn't mean that. Couldn't mean it even. You were drunk. Even so, an ache formed in his chest. A strong one that he felt nearly every time he looked at you. After a few beats, he very slowly wrapped an arm around your shoulders. The security of his hold knocked you out almost instantly. He muttered something, but you didn't catch all of it before you fully drifted.

"...ove you too,"

In the morning when you woke, your head was throbbing painfully hard. You let out a small groan, attempting to sit up. But, you stopped almost immediately at realizing the weight around you. Your body tensed. Severus. It was Severus. You were still pressed up to his chest, laying on it. He had both arms wrapped securely around your torso and his face buried in your hair. He was so warm. And you could feel his breathing matched with your own. Slow, deep. Breathing you in and out. You could even hear his heartbeat, given your ear was pressed to his chest.

Slowly, you let the tension leave your body. This was real. As in it was actually happening. You had thought last night was all just a drunken hallucination. A dream. Something, anything but real. Heat rushed harshly to your cheeks. He was sober that entire time too. Merlin you had made the biggest fool of yourself. Carefully, you pulled yourself from his hold. He stirred a bit, but luckily didn't wake. You stood and looked at him a moment. It was odd, seeing him so peaceful. Still, not a sight you'd ever forget. In a good way. Forcing yourself to tear your gaze away from him, you let your gaze sweep the floor for your shoes.

They were placed neatly at the foot of the bed. An ache twisted at your chest. Must he be so wonderful? Silently, you picked up your shoes and crept out of his chambers. Once out in the corridor, you let out a heavy sigh, leaning against the wall. Sneaking out was way less stressful in your youth. You took a glance around the corridor, only to be met with the shocked faces of several students.

Oh no.

You looked down at yourself. This wasn't good. You just snuck out of his chambers, mid day, with your shoes in hand. In front of at least five kids. This was bad this was really, really bad. You gave the students a guilty smile before bolting. As quickly as your feet to take you, you rushed back to your own chambers. If only the ground would open up and swallow you whole. Then all your problems would be solved. That same day, the rumors started. That you were shagging him. That you were secretly a couple. And many more. Since that night, you had been avoiding Severus at all costs. Eating meals as early as you could and leaving the Great Hall before he got there. Not going to the dungeons whatsoever. Only taking night shift on nights he wasn't scheduled.

Making new routes around the corridors to be opposite of his. If what had happened wasn't shaming enough then the rumors were the cherry on top. And they only got worse as more time passed. Come the second week of your disappearing act, Severus had decided that he'd had enough of it. He wasn't going to just let you ignore him forever. Not after that. Another evening of eating dinner early and leaving as quickly as possible, he had shown up. Just as you had made your plate. Seeing him, your face when pale, then red. Nope. You couldn't do it. You just couldn't. Abandoning your food, you stood up abruptly and fled the hall.

He followed after you of course.

"Y/N." He called, sounding furious.

"Not now! I'm-" You look back at him briefly, seeing his anger and panicking harder, "very busy!"

You called back, speeding up. He was faster, however, and caught up to you rather quickly. To prevent you from escaping, he caught your wrist in his hand. You froze, looking at him with wide eyes. It was silent in the empty corridor, if only for a second.

"Look, I'm really sorry. I know what I did was totally unprofessional and weird. I was really drunk, which is not a good excuse I know but I-"

"Have you any idea what you've done to me?" He cut you off. Your expression fell into concern.

"..What?"

He clenched his jaw, letting out a growl of frustration.

"Inflicting such a burden upon me, and then vanishing." As he spoke. he started to slowly back you up to the wall, looking down at you menacingly. "I did not take you for a cruel woman. But if that you are, understand this: I am not to be forsaken."

Your back hit the stone wall softly, and a small gasp parted your lips. His face was only inches from yours. He planted his hand on the wall beside of your head.

"If games are what you seek, then seek them elsewhere."

His glare was intense. You felt a bit helpless, and confused. You stuttered as you spoke, "Games? I don't- What games?"

"Don't pretend a fool now. It is far too late for that."

His other hand slammed down on the other side of the wall next to your hand, caging you into him. You swallowed thickly.

"I.. I'm sorry if I've.. Offended you. I didn't mean it. Any of it. Not that I didn't mean what I said, only that I didn't mean to say it. I-It's just that, when I'm drunk, I can't keep my mouth shut. I'm sorry, Severus."

You avoided his gaze as you spoke, your own eyes glued to the minimal space between his feet and yours. He was silent. Nothing came from him other than his harsh glare. You lifted your head, mouth open to speak. But before you could utter a single slayable, his lips came crashing down into yours. Shock struck you harder than a bludger. Though, it wore off at lightening speed. You melted into him, letting your arms encircle his neck. His hands moved from the wall to your hips, holding you to him. The kiss lasted several long, slow and tender moments.

He practically tasted of yearning. Lips moving with your own in sync you thought only existed in stupid muggle romance books. Softly, but not sans pent up energy. When you finally parted, the eye contact was heavy. For the first time, you saw clear emotion behind his eyes. Love, teetering on the edge of heartbreak, should you turn him away. You were the one to break the silence.

"I... Not forsaken. Not by a long shot."

He let out a tiny huff of air, as if he'd been holding it in awaiting your answer. He dipped his head down, pressing his forehead to yours.

"Good."

[thirstkanaphan]

I am thoroughly entertained by everything going on with Yungi atm, which I would largely characterise as: 1. Mingi trying on "liking his friend a normal amount" for size 2. Yunho not handling it well At All 3. Mingi turning around approximately every 3-5 business weeks to go "Guys I really think liking Yunho a normal amount is not for me..." Anyway, how would you characterise the current state of Yungi affairs? And what are your hopes for rest of tour behaviour? What new depths of stage-related insanity do you think they'll have for us? Will they achieve "grinding on each other in the club? again...?

Like you, I am riveted by this season of Yungi TV:

Yunho goes out of his way to tease Mingi during pre-recorded or unscripted content OR drops details about their off-camera activities together. Mingi will try give as good as he gets.

Yunho always, ALWAYS laughs at Mingi's silly jokes. He'll also "yes, and" Mingi more than any other member. Mingi also laughs harder than anyone at Yunho's goofy behavior.

Yunho has been bringing up Mingi during his lives more often, usually prompted by ATINY.

They have developed a new concert ritual of flirtatiously dancing together during the Lemon Drop stage. In the absence of the Youth stage or performances like Dancing Like Butterfly Wings, which encouraged cute interactions between the two, Yunho and Mingi still find their way to each other. I think they just really enjoy dancing together.

They mention each other in interviews, prompted and unprompted.

The Lemon Drop MV was nuts. They didn't have to go that hard.

Mingi remains his usual devoted self, albeit I take your point that he seems less clingy and possessive over Yunho's attention.

I've heard from a few people who speculated that they seem to prefer their hang-outs to be unrecorded, which I respect. However, a keen eye can detect when they've been out and about together on tour.

We are about to get their date for the Artist+ show. The trailer hints at there being some candid conversations...

I will add that in terms of shipping, Yungi has replaced WooSan on the AO3 HOT 100 charts, making their debut at #99 (Matz moved up 20 spots to #41). What this tells me is that more people are finding their relationship/dynamic compelling and worth investing their creative time and efforts.

On one hand, I am surprised about WooSan since we haven't had this much fan-service from them since Bouncy era; yet, perhaps they are too established relationship for fic writers who enjoy a bit of tension, uncertainty, pining, and slow burn in their romance (hence, Matz remains the top-ranked pair).

KQ has obviously reversed its stance on unit pairs, as we've seen across the board, from dance challenges to unit PCs to unit fan-signs.

I don't necessarily think Yungi are acting a certain way purely for fan-service. The way they behave actually feels more "authentic" to best friends who like to tease and annoy each other.

I mentioned in a recent piece of meta about what attracts me to this pair:

I don't know how to explain it properly yet, but it's something to do with Mingi's radical vulnerability and prioritization of Yunho mixed with Yunho's clear struggle with just how much he relies on Mingi (he also craves his attention, but resents appearing dependent on anything).

To echo your first few points, I agree that Yunho's been way more playful and forward towards Mingi since their recent cb (he basically devoted the entire ANEWZ segment to teasing Mingi).

Despite all the teasing, this comeback period has also been extremely good for Mingi. He's had a ton of solo schedules and variety show appearances with other members where he is the clear standout. His charisma and ability to build chemistry with anyone has increased his domestic popularity AND he's the clear MVP of the North American tour. The members have no problem playfully poking fun at him on stage, which he takes with characteristic good humor, but it's also clear that he is in full possession and recognition of his on-stage power.

Is Yunho's recent behavior in response to seeing his friend begin to outpace him in this arena? Yunho is not a cruel person, but he is perceptive. His pigtail-pulling suggests a desire to hold Mingi's attention because our attention is on Mingi, and our eyes will follow his gaze back to Yunho.

I'm also reflecting on some recent meta about Yunho and how he's clearly set out a new track for himself as an actor and soloist (OSTs, fashion editorials, dramas, movie). While some have observed that this tour sidelines him, he clearly has taken his destiny into his own hands. He may now feel more emboldened to reveal parts of himself that he may have previously suppressed to maintain the perfect idol persona. He is sillier, spicier, sassier, sexier and more openly affectionate with his closest friend.

Who knows!

As for what to expect on the rest of the tour?

Hopefully more Lemon Drop interactions, but really...the main event is Mingi's birthday coming up on 8/9. His birthday will happen during the LA concert so I'm looking forward to a reprise of what we got last summer:

And then stay tuned for the date episode of their docuseries, because I will probably lose my mind.

[erbiumspectrum]

Nuclear magnetic resonance – you are also a sample

Part 1: The Physics

AKA how does NMR even work? Hell if I know. It’s insanely complicated, I can tell you that, and the fact that someone figured it out at all keeps blowing my mind. But the fact that someone figured out how to use it in the “real world”? That’s just beyond me. Propaganda I am not falling for: that the “M” in “MRI” stands for “magnetic” and not “magical”.

Anyway. Let me try to make it simple for you.

Nuclear. The small yet mighty proton.

There’s a whole bunch of atomic nuclei that can be useful to the NMR experiment, but the most common one is the hydrogen nucleus, so let’s focus on it here as well. The good news is the hydrogen nucleus is remarkably simple: it’s just a single proton.

Among the proton’s properties two are of interest to us: electric charge and spin. That’s because together they make the proton act a bit like a teeny tiny bar magnet, which in turn means that it will interact with magnetic fields. From a physics POV spin is a vector, so you can imagine it as an arrow whose tip is pointing to the “north pole” of the proton. Spin doesn’t mean the proton is actually spinning on its axis and you don’t want to get me started on that.[1]

Magnetic. Shit gets serious.

Let’s say you take a proton like some quantum god and put it in a magnetic field. It’s homogenous because we want physicists to be happy. What happens is our proton wants to align itself with the field, but because it acts as if it was spinning, it experiences a force that keeps tilting it. As a result, it begins to precess about the field lines – its arrow draws a cone in space. (The Earth is doing the same thing, so you better enjoy the North Star while it’s still in the north!)

The really cool thing is the frequency of this precession depends on the strength of the magnetic field and the type of nucleus that’s precessing. In the magnetic fields most commonly created in NMR experiments the frequency at which protons precess falls within the range of radio frequencies. Isn’t it incredible?

Resonance. Kicking protons for fun and science.

It turns out that if you fire a radio pulse at the right angle and of the same frequency that protons precess at, you can knock them down a little. That’s resonance. You may think it’s mean to bully them like that, but they always pick themselves up afterwards – and send a precious signal in the process.

In fact, this step in particular is- Oof. Whew. Let’s say I went for some major simplifications. I’d love to talk about the whole thing in more detail, but then this post would go on forever and everyone would cry. There’ll be links below for the curious. There’s no need to torture yourselves, though! We can just move on.

Part 2: The Chemistry

If you’ve read my proton post,[2] then you may already know where I’m going with this. NMR is important in chemistry, because we’ve learnt how to utilize the fact that protons precess in external magnetic fields. How so?

I said in the previous part that the frequency of precession depends on the nucleus and on the strength of the magnetic field. Of course, we have this external magnetic field created by our apparatus, but that’s not the whole story. Let’s look at some molecule; ethanol is the classic example. You probably know what it looks like- Is the structure of ethanol common knowledge? Years of studying chemistry have irreparably skewed my perception. Don’t go to uni kids. And don’t drink ethanol. Anyway, here’s ethanol:

We have all these hydrogen atoms here, whose nuclei give us the signal we’re interested in, but their electronic surroundings are a bit different. Every atom in this molecule contains electrons – electrically charged particles – in motion around their respective nuclei. And remember: a charge in motion creates a magnetic field. Every electron in this molecule creates its own magnetic field which adds up to the machine’s magnetic field. As a result, the strength of the total magnetic field varies from point to point within the molecule and depends on the immediate environment.

But because protons precess in proportion to the magnetic field they “feel”, groups of protons in this molecule will precess at different frequencies and therefore send different signals after being “knocked down”. These signals give us information on the molecular structure of whatever sample we pop into the NMR spectrometer. NMR is thus an organic chemist’s best friend, along with chloroform or whatever these guys like to sniff when students aren’t around, and its importance in organic chemistry can’t be overstated.

Part 3: The Biology

“But, Lena,” you might say, “you hate ochem. Why are you so excited about NMR?” Well, first of all, NMR spectroscopy is still spectroscopy, and spectroscopy is cool as fuck. The physics behind its various types is mindblowing, no matter what kind of sample gets zapped with electromagnetic radiation in the end.

But before I move on to my second point, it’s time to explain the title of this post at last: yes, you are also a sample. See, NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) are actually the same thing (the latter rightly used to be called NMRI – nuclear magnetic resonance imaging – but doctors had to drop the nuclear part because Americans got scared).

Look: the doctor puts you in the tube of the MRI scanner. The scanner creates the magnetic field that almost makes your protons align (because in fact, they begin to precess). Then, a radio frequency pulse is emitted which kicks down your poor protons. They bravely get back up and emit signals that a computer turns into something we can analyze (an image of your internal organs in the case of MRI). It’s exactly the same thing that happens when a chemist puts their sample in an NMR spectrometer (only in the end they get a spectrum instead of an image). MRI works the same way as NMR – it’s just that during an MRI procedure you are the sample.

Which brings me directly to the aforementioned second argument for why I’m into NMR.

If you’ve ever had an MRI scan, you most likely got an injection right before the procedure. You might remember that injection was a contrast agent. Contrast agents are substances, chemical compounds, that alter the time it takes your protons to pick themselves up after the radio pulse knocks them over. We use them to get better images of the examined organs.

There are different types of contrast agents, but a very common group is lanthanide coordination compounds, primarily gadolinium compounds. This is shamelessly self-indulgent, but lanthanide coordination chemistry is what I do… My thesis supervisor’s team – and, by extension, I as well – study this kind of compounds. Not their biological function (that’s for biologists to play with) but their chemical properties, but nevertheless NMR/MRI is always in the back of my mind. And who knows, maybe one day one of the molecules we study and describe will turn out to be an amazing new contrast agent :) (she said, like a delusional moron).

[1] Here's my post on the electron where you can see what happens when I do get started on this topic.

[2] And here's the proton post!

Links and further reading

You're free to hmu and ask me anything that might've come up while you were reading this post, but also here are some great (and detailed) resources:

physicshigh.com: amazing videos, probably the easiest, clearest explanation I've ever seen that actually covers all the details

How MRI Works - Part 1 - NMR Basics: great animations, skips some details but includes a tad more math

if you're very ambitious: Spin Dynamics: Basics of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance by Malcolm H. Levitt. Proceed at your own risk though. Shit's crazy

for Polish speakers: Podstawy spektroskopii molekularnej Z. Kęckiego. Miejscami bywa wymagający ale jest bez porównania prostszy od Levitta

This is kind of random but have you ever heard the sounds an MRI makes while it's running? There are those coils that produce the magnetic field and they're to blame. The sounds can be so distressing to some patients that sometimes they start to panic and the procedure has to be stopped. I've had two MRI scans in my life and found those bizarre sounds oddly fascinating. Google them if you're interested and don't get anxiety over strange noises :)

Also: tagging my beloved sibling in STEM @studyblr-perhaps . Misa, you asked me to tag you when I write another post of this kind and I remembered :)

[obvious-captain-rogers]

WIP Wednesday: Robby and Carter being BrothersTM

John was pulled awake by a hand on his shoulder and he didn’t even have to glance at the bedside clock to know that it was too damn early for that sort of shit. He squinted into the hazy early morning light to see Michael standing there. “What the actual fuck, Michael?” John groaned and he buried his face into the pillow.

“Come on, we’re going for a game,” Michael said and he prodded at John’s shoulder again.

“Do we have to do it at the ass-crack of dawn?” John grumbled and he lifted his chin just enough to glare at Michael to properly show how much he Did Not Want To Do This Right Now.

“You want a bunch of pre-teens heckling you when you lose?” Michael asked archly and then ruffled John’s hair just to be extra annoying. “Come on. I’ll buy you a coffee.”

“That’s the least of what you’re gonna do for this,” John muttered mutinously as he dragged himself from the warm comfort of bed to change his clothes and go play basketball with his brother.

“Jake going to tag along?” John asked around a yawn once he and Michael were bundled into Michael’s battered Corolla hatchback. His brother had dated Jake’s mom for nearly two years when he and Jack had been broken up. He was a good kid and John had been fond of him. Or maybe it was just nice to not be the youngest for once.

“Nope,” Michael said though there was fond warmth in his eyes at the mention of his not-quite-stepson. “Thought you and I could use a minute to really talk.” John’s brow furrowed at that, unsure of what Michael meant, but he didn’t continue so John figured he was mostly okay.

Them playing against one another was really just an over-glorified free throw practice with some brotherly shoving just for the fun of it. John had just snatched the ball from Robby’s hands and was lining up a perfect three pointer when Michael decided it was time for them to talk. “Seems like you and Pope have gotten close.” John cringed halfway through his follow-through and the shot clattered the backboard before bouncing off to the side.

“You know, intentionally throwing me off my shot is cheating,” John said flatly as Michael went to retrieve the ball.

“You weren’t going to make it anyways,” Michael laughed as he scooped the ball up. He bounced it a few times thoughtfully before tossing it John’s way to let him try again. John lined it up and it sank through with a satisfying swish. “And you didn’t answer the question.”

John felt his face get warm as he moved to grab up the ball, bouncing it as he thought through what he wanted to say. “I like him.” He shrugged and tossed the ball to Michael. “I’m assuming that Jack doesn’t like that.”

“Jack’s got nothing to do with it,” Michael said and then grimaced. “Jack didn’t put me up to talking to you about this,” he amended before taking a shot. It bounced off the rim and John caught it. “Look, kiddo, I care about both of you. I don’t want you both to rush into something you’re not ready for and get hurt.”

“And you get to decide what I’m ready for?” John asked angrily, his temper piqued at the implication that he didn’t know what he wanted.

“That’s not what I said,” Michael said and his voice had that parental edge to it that was familiar throughout John’s childhood. When the parents were too busy to give a shit and Michael had been the one to help sort out Becca and Bobby and John’s squabbles, no preference between them three of them even with Bobby being sick. A lump formed in John’s throat and he turned the basketball in his hands. “He lives in Oceanside and you live in Chicago,” Michael pointed out reasonably. “How would you even make it work?”

“I don’t know,” John admitted petulantly. “I didn’t even think he liked me like that.” John shrugged and he bounced the ball to Michael.

“Johnny,” Michael said and he waited until John was looking at him. “I haven’t seen Pope so at ease with anyone other than Jack before. I think that says enough.” He bounced the ball back towards John with a small smile on his face. “If you really want to try and make this work, you’re going to have to talk to him. Lay it all out there and open yourself up to getting hurt.” He gave John a knowing look that had him squirming a little.

“And Jack…?” John faltered. Jack had been a part of John’s life since he was a teenager. It wasn’t that they truly didn’t get along, the whole thing more performative than anything, but John didn’t want that to change.

“If you’re serious about this,” Michael said sternly, “then I will talk to Jack.” John brightened a little but Michael gave him a nonindulgent look. “But you better mean it, John. I’m not taking the hit for you if you’re just going to fuck around with him.”

[puzzledcretin]

Writing exercise #12

Day twelve of putting spotify on shuffle and writing something based off the song.

Today's song is: Come and Get Your Love by Redbone

Post game Date Everything with Dunk. I love Dunk, my silly man. Please, enjoy. I take a bow.

Word Count: 688

When you woke up late that morning, you didn’t really expect to hear music blaring from your work out room. Ever since you had realized Skylar, your house has been a whole lot of silence. It seemed as though the world was giving you another break, not that you spent a majority of time in your house anymore anyways. You were always trying a new adventure, visiting the people who had once just been objects in your home.

Today, you had planned on just a lazy day. No need to do anything but just sit around and enjoy the quiet, maybe watch a new show that Telly recommended or browse the internet. But, whoever was in your work out room was intent on not letting you do that. 

With a groan, you pushed yourself out of bed. With one hand, you pulled open the curtains behind your bed and took in the gloomy, rainy day. It brought with it a different kind of peace, one that made you want to curl up in bed again and maybe fall back asleep. 

Instead of entertaining those thoughts, you made your way to the doorway to your bedroom and looked across the landing. The door to the work out room was closed and you couldn’t see any shadows lurking beneath the other side. With a few steps, you brought your ear up to the door to get a listen. You could hear the treadmill going, and along with it a voice that didn’t seem too focused on carrying a tune.

Pushing the door open, you lean against the door frame as you take in the sight of your favorite jock running along the track with this concentrated look on his face. 

“‘Cause you’re fine, and you’re mine, and ya’ look so divine!” 

You found yourself laughing, which drew attention away from the song. He turned his head and a big grin grew up immediately on his lips. He pressed a few buttons and the treadmill came to a halt, allowing Dunk to safely step off before he opened his arms to you. 

“Hey, hey, hey! How’s my favorite sports buddy!” Dunk shouted over the music as he made his way over to you, wrapping his big arms around you. You’re quick to hug back, not willing to leave him hanging no matter how sweaty he was. 

“Hey! I didn’t know you were coming over! Don’t you have a game today?” You asked, arching your brow as you watched him. Right as you did so, a bright flash struck outside followed by the loud crack off thunder. 

“Ah, decided to cancel it. Weather didn’t seem too good today,” He joked, “So, I decided to come visit! See if you wanted to get a work out in,” 

You absolutely did not. Sleep was still trying to call to you, pulling at your mind. But with a reluctant smile, you nodded your head. 

“You know what? I think that’s just what I need.” 

Dunk threw his arms up in celebration and pulled his phone from his pocket, pushing the volume up more. 

“Today, we’re going to do something new. You ever dance?” He asked, taking a step back to stretch his arms. You would’ve left to change, but instead, you just followed his motions to stretch your own body out. 

“No, I was never much of a dancer,” You admitted, but like always, Dunk meets you with that wide, open grin. 

“Me neither! We can try it together.”

With the music blaring, the two of you found a sloppy rhythm with your feet. Neither one of you seemed to hold a talent for this activity, but you found you didn’t care because laughing along with someone you love was just so much more fun. As the music played, you found yourself drifting closer to Dunk and he found himself drifting closer as well. It wasn’t long before dancing was forgotten and replaced with your favorite kind of exercise on the yoga mat.

Despite not wanting to move around that day, you realized you felt more relaxed after a thorough workout than you did before.

[greghousescane]

𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙢 ❀

gregory house x reader alt. this might be the only chance he gets

╰ fluff

cw. lowercase intended, house being house, implied driving under the influence, reader likes tulips, bambi!reader might turn it into a series :3

it was dark, the lights dimmed down in the lab while you finished getting the last of your things ready. being on house’s team wasn’t easy— not for foreman, not for chase, not for cameron, and certainly not for you. honestly, it wasn’t easy for anyone.

but there was something about him. his aura, his attitude, that scruffy, sardonic charm. who wouldn’t find it attractive? he had his problems, sure. his issues. but who didn’t?

“you know you don’t get paid overtime, bambi?”

his deep voice sliced through the silence— and your spiraling thoughts. you turned to face him. he was leaning against the doorframe, cane firm in hand as usual. in the low lighting, his five-o’clock shadow was more defined, and the plum-colored bags under his eyes looked heavier than ever.

“i know. just getting ready to leave,” you smiled softly. it would be a lie to say you weren’t tired— of course you were. you were a doctor, after all.

“plus… you’re here too,” you added with a shrug, raising a brow as you slung your bag over your shoulder.

“i’m everywhere,” he grinned, that sly smirk tugging at his lips— the smirk that made you roll your eyes. not out of annoyance, though. more like… fondness.

“do you ever go out and have fun?” you asked, stepping away from the lab counters and toward him, where he still lounged in the doorway like some morally ambiguous gargoyle.

“is the holy trinity fun?”

the question made you tilt your head, brows furrowing in confusion. it wasn’t unusual for house to speak in what you could only describe as… grump-coded riddles. at this point, you didn’t even need to ask what he meant—he always answered himself anyway.

“whiskey. vicodin. hookers.”

you stared at him flatly. “that is… certainly not fun.”

you huffed, somewhere between judgment and resignation.

“and what could be fun for you, bambi? knitting? scrapbooking?”

well, now you were definitely not going to admit that both of those sounded… actually kind of fun. very you-coded, tragically.

“no,” you shot back, lifting your chin a little. “i mean going out for coffee or dinner like a normal human being in society?”

“wilson and dinner sounds like a free therapy session where i’m the therapist,” house chuckled. it was a quiet laugh— rare, and more sincere than his usual brand of sarcasm-laced scoffing.

“well, maybe you should go with someone else.”

he quirked both brows, hiding a flicker of surprise behind a small, bitter laugh.

“you telling me you want to go to dinner, bambi?”

“what are you— behind on charity work? go donate to kids in africa—”

well, that certainly wasn’t kind. but then again… it was house. it could be worse. it was always capable of being worse.

“i’m not doing any charity work, house.” you pursed your lips, already tired of his verbal gymnastics.

“sure you aren’t, kid. you want fun? go to a frat house.”

“…i don’t like parties,” you replied simply, voice even.

“look— i’ve been through this with cameron, with— whatever. stop playing fix-it-felix—”

“i’m not trying to fix you. i don’t want to fix you.”

you cut him off, your voice sharper than you expected. your lips pulled into a frown, but it wasn’t anger, not really. it was closer to… disappointment. maybe even pity. and that made you feel worse.

but then— shockingly— house went quiet. no sarcastic clapback, no snide remark, no dramatic eye-roll.

just… silence.

“look— i think the only person who can fix you is you,” you said gently. “i’m just saying… you should be with someone who supports that. not necessarily me,” you added, voice softening with a quiet sigh.

“nobody’s perfect, greg. and nothing’s ever linear. it really just depends on how much you’re willing to devote to yourself.”

his lips parted slightly. then again. and again. but no sound came out.

for once in a blue moon, gregory house looked— stunned.

“if you ever want to try— coffee, or anything— you know where to find me.”

you offered a soft smile, your eyes blinking slow in that warm, quietly reassuring way that had always seemed to bother him more than it should’ve.

and with that, you slipped past him, your shoulder brushing his just enough to ground the moment in reality.

“goodnight, house.”

now, house was hard to knock out of his grumpy, emotionally-walled-up equilibrium. but after an hour of sitting in his office, your words echoing in his brain like a really bad schizophrenic episode— he just couldn’t take it.

even after a glass of whiskey.

even after two vicodins.

even after almost hiring a hooker.

still, he couldn’t shut you out.

that’s how he found himself at your desk, tearing through your things with a desperation so feral it was borderline animalistic. papers flying. trinkets crashing against the wall. receipts scattering like snow. what was he even trying to find?

he didn’t know.

not really.

his mind was spiraling. his hands were frantic. he just needed something. something solid, something that proved this wasn’t just another moment of almost-caring that would fade with the drugs.

and then— sitting there in your squeaky, worn-out office chair— it hit him.

harder than a car. harder than a truck. harder than a train. hell, even harder than a plane crash.

the realization.

sad.

frightening.

gut-twisting.

this might be the only chance he has.

“tulips. i need tulips,” he panted— reeking of whiskey, helmet still on, pain in his thigh nearly unbearable.

“sorry, sir, we’ve been closed for an—”

“i’ll pay double.” he cut her off, popping a stray vicodin that had been marinating in the bottom of his jean pocket.

“sir—”

he hobbled inside anyway, ignoring the closed sign on the window and the dimmed lights. honestly, he was lucky someone was even here at this hour— some poor woman, probably the owner, who looked both alarmed and unsure whether to call security or social services.

his hand dug into his back pocket as he shifted, wincing, trying to dig deeper. finally, he pulled out a crumpled ten, a fifty, and six slightly ripped ones, like a man trying to bribe the universe.

“this— this, and… half a vicodin—” he almost pleaded.

sure, he was tipsy. sure, he probably smelled like a drunk homeless man with a death wish.

but he was trying. in the worst way he knew how.

the woman behind the counter— visibly exhausted, mascara smudged like battle paint— rubbed a hand down her face with a long-suffering sigh. she didn’t need this. if she wanted him out fast, she’d have to serve him. otherwise, she’d either be stuck babysitting him all night or calling the cops, and honestly, she wasn’t in the mood to fill out paperwork.

“how many?”

“i don’t know— one?!” he furrowed his brows. god. when was the last time he’d bought flowers? it had to be before the leg. before everything.

“is it for a girlfriend?”

“no— yes— whatever. it’s not for me—”

and that was all she needed. no more questions. she quietly began wrapping up eight tulips in soft brown paper, tying it off with a light ribbon like it meant something.

and to house… it did.

“just— take it for free, okay?”

her voice was tired, but not unkind. maybe she saw the look in his eyes. maybe she’d seen it before.

his rough hand closed around the delicate bouquet— a contrast so sharp it almost hurt to look at. crinkled ribbon against calloused fingers. petals brushing knuckles scarred by years of pushing people away.

he stuffed most of the loose bills back into his back pocket, not bothering to count them, then turned on his heel and rushed out into the night again.

the knock on your apartment door was probably loud enough to wake up the whole fourth floor.

house stood there, debating every decision that had led to this moment. he thought about turning back. about sobering up. about thinking it through.

but he knew himself too well.

if he left now, he’d go home. he’d spiral. he’d convince himself you deserved someone better— someone younger, someone whole. someone without a cane, a chronic addiction to pain meds, and the emotional stability of a sleep-deprived bear with a god complex.

but before he could chicken out, the light birch door creaked open.

you stood there— sleeping mask pushed up on your forehead, hair frizzy, eyes still puffy and blinking against the living room light. you rubbed at them lazily, voice low and hoarse with sleep.

“house?..” you mumbled, confused and soft, your body swaying slightly in the doorway.

“you forgot a file,” he blurted.

which, in hindsight, was probably the stupidest lie he could’ve come up with—and stupid was so not his brand.

he had intended to use the file you left on your desk as an excuse to come by, but somewhere in his whirlwind of tulip-seeking chaos and internal panic… he’d forgotten it. completely.

“oh…” you murmured, still half-asleep, not yet awake enough to question it.

before the silence could stretch or the lie could unravel in your sleepy haze, the slightly soggy bouquet of tulips was suddenly shoved in front of your face.

“found them. keep them. or throw them away. not like i care,” he grumbled, eyes darting anywhere but your face.

your hands slowly reached out to take the tulips, fingers brushing the paper. you blinked a few times, trying to decipher if this was just a very vivid dream—or if gregory house was actually standing outside your apartment door at precisely 3:24 a.m.

“…f’me?” you mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

“—anyway, bye.”

he grunted, already turning around, limping down the hallway with the grace of a man who’d just thrown emotional dynamite and was now fleeing the scene.

you stood there in stunned silence, door half-closed, tulips clutched to your chest like they might vanish.

and then—another knock. fast. urgent. familiar.

you reopened the door.

there he was again.

helmet slightly askew. breathing uneven. eyes avoiding yours like they might burn.

“…i’m not good at this,” he said, voice low. raw. nothing like the man who’d just shoved flowers in your face and bolted.