#class trip gone wrong

[anjuschiffer]

Tick Tock, Time's A Ticking - Chapter 2

3 years...I swear I didn't mean to forget about this fic QQ

-

Tags: @toodaloo-kangaroo @vixen-uchiha @startouchedqueen1318,

-

AO3 | PREV

“We have to help them.” Roy quietly said, his eyes not leaving the screen of the television despite Joker's broadcast already having ended. At that moment, Roy was grateful for not skipping over the international channel as he was skimming through the television to see what was on. The static that followed the broadcast slowly filled the silent room, Roy managing to block out the noise. 

He had decided to drop by Oliver’s to pick up a few things before going onto the road again. Instead, Marinette’s blood-covered face now haunted his mind. 

The way her eyes tried to hide her fear, only to show it the split second before she was thrown to the side. How her lifeless body got ingrained into his memory, replacing the memory of the bubbly girl he just video chatted and had a four hour conversation with just a few days ago. 

They had planned on meeting up tomorrow…

“Roy. You know we can’t just drop-“ Oliver tried to reason. 

“Are you telling me to turn a blind eye from this shi-“

“No, no, no, no.” Oliver walked over to Roy, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I understand the feeling of wanting to go and find her, but we’ve got to remember. Gotham is Batman’s-“

“Who cares if Batman gets pissed at us for going over to help him! Marinette is my friend and I’m willing to fight that bastard if it means saving her!” Roy yelled, not noticing he wasn’t sitting down anymore. “They’re going to need someone with their head still attached to their bodies and you know that.”

Oliver fought back a huff, running a hand through his hair because for once...Roy had a point. 

He couldn’t believe he was doing this. 

When had he gone soft?

“Pack your things. Gonna warm up the zeta tube.”

Oliver watched as Roy nodded and quickly went to grab his things, his demeanor more stern and focus. More so than usual. 

“A friend, huh?”

——

“I know you want to search for her, but head to the cave first,” were the first words that were told towards Jason when he called his brothers as he made his way out one of his bases.  

While he wanted to just go out and kill the asshole of a clown who had dared lay a finger on his sister, he knew he shouldn’t go in blinded by rage.

“Where the fuck is he?” Jason gritted, scanning over Gotham's map displayed on the computer within the Cave once he got there, his eyes darting from corner to corner. Tim’s notes on Joker’s sightings caused his rage to burn even more, taunting him as his head racked no answer on Marinette’s location.

Why couldn’t today be just like any other time they would hunt the clown? Why couldn’t they find him within minutes, just like any other week? 

Why did he have to be two steps ahead of them this time? Why did he have to hide himself completely from the map, disappear without a trace? Why now? 

Dick watched as Jason continued to scowl, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Jason, we’re going to find her. Babs and the girls are already searching for her, Damian’s also helping with the-“

“And what if we don’t?” Jason cut Dick off, his eyes never leaving the screen. “What if we don’t find her in time?”

“We are.” Dick firmly stated, his grip on Jason’s shoulder tightening. “B won’t let that ever happen again. Ever.”

Those words seemed to do something to Jason, Dick feeling him both relax before tensing up.

Thinking that Jason took his words the wrong way, Dick was prepared to say something else when Jason cut him off.

“The fuck are they doing here?” Jason muttered, Dick quickly looking at the screen as well, his eyes narrowing upon seeing an ever so familiar duo wandering through the streets of Gotham. Damn Tim and his cameras picking up on every little thing that happens in Gotham. “Pops is going to kill them if he- and he found them.”

“Think we should-”

“Probably.” Jason said, walking towards his bike, picking up his helmet along the way. “Who knows what Pops might do to them. Oi, Stalker!”

Jason didn’t need to look at Tim’s way to know he was glaring at him. “Keep us updated.”

“We’ll be back with her, Little Wing.” Dick reassured Jason,  grabbing his own keys for his bike. “You know she won’t go down without a fight.”

With the silent agreement between the three brothers, Jason and Dick went off to make sure the intruders of Gotham didn’t get killed the moment B snapped. 

-

“What the hell are you two doing here unannounced?” Batman gritted through his teeth, Oliver trying not to get overwhelmed by his masked rage. Sure, he’s seen Bats pretty pissed, but this was a new level. Then again, he expected this much. 

It was his daughter that was being held captive after all. “This is Gotham, my city, not yours. Get out.”

“We’re here to help.” Roy stepped up, standing between Oliver and Batman. 

“Don’t need your help. Leave.”

“Bruce,” Oliver said softly, slowly approaching Batman, no, Bruce. “It’s going to be fine.”

“It’s not going to if I keep wasting my time having to get you to leave Gotham. You came here unannounced, armed, and undetected until now. What makes you think-”

“It was my decision to drag Oliver into this, Bruce.” Roy cut off. “This isn’t just another kidnapping. This isn’t about any Gothamite. This is about Marinette. 

And she’s not just your daughter, Bruce. 

She’s my friend too.  And I want to help you look for her.”

“I don’t need your help. I need you to leave so that we can-”

“None of you are in your right minds right now and you can use at least one head that isn’t-”

“We can handle this.” Bruce said, his voice booming. “We don’t need outsiders-”

“Marinette went out of her way to pay for my rehabilitation treatment when we met in New York those months ago. ” Roy watched as Bruce stood there silently, as if allowing him to continue. “She was there, by my side when Oliver wasn’t, when Dick couldn’t be…

She would reschedule her meeting with her clientele when it was time for my appointments, talked with me when I would start to back out…she was there…even when I didn’t want her to be there…

She was there every step of the way despite living in Paris -which might remind you is across a whole fucking ocean!” Roy looked Bruce straight in the eyes. “So what kind of friend would I be if I’m not at least trying to help find her?

Is this how I will repay her for all those times she waited outside the rehab center? Outside my operating room?” Roy could hear his voice rise in volume with every word he spoke, but he didn’t care. “My hospital room when I would relapse and be found on a curb? Is this how you want me to repay your daughter for her kindness?

By spitting at it?” Roy waited for an answer, but got none. “So please, let me help you. Let us help you find her, as not only her friend, but also yours.”

Before they could even get an answer from Bruce, they picked up the faint sound of bikes getting closer. 

The three turned as the sound got louder, Roy narrowing his eyes when he saw Dick and Jason get off the bikes and headed towards them.

“This isn’t going to end well, is it?” Oliver murmured, hoping he and Roy would live to see another day. “Think they’re here to help us?”

“Hopefully.” Roy said, “if not, we’re going to have to fight our way in.”

-

The class watched as Joker paced back and forth, his eyes never straying from Marinette.

Adrien had been released shortly after the vile broadcast Joker had done, glaring at the clown as they all awaited for Batman’s appearance.

“I can feel your eyes, blondie.” Joker flatly said, not bothering to turn towards Adrien. “Glare all you want, it’s not going to help you one bit.” Adrien huffed, now turning his attention towards Marinette. 

Her face was covered in dried blood, her hair unruly and her clothes covered in dirt and splotches of blood. New bruises were starting to finally set in, like the one on her temple. Older bruises like the one around her neck were starting to turn a shade darker. Her wrists were red due to being suspended in the air by some chains that looked years too old. The rust slowly chipped off, falling down the floor below. 

She didn’t deserve this, not one bit. Not when she and her family have been helping him ever since he told her about his living situation. 

“This is all Marinette’s fault.” Lila whispered, interrupting his thoughts. “It’s all that-“

“Don’t you dare say that!” Adrien hissed, causing everyone to flinch. They’ve never heard him yell, ever. 

Yes, they’ve heard him raise his voice, but yell? 

It was new…unsettling… “If anything, this is all your fault that we are in this situation! If you hadn’t gone off with your stupid lies on how you were a relative of the Wayne's -which by the way, you aren’t- we wouldn’t be in this mess!”

“My fault?” Lila scoffed, everyone torn between trying to get her to calm down or let her continue. 

After all, some of them still wanted to trust her. Yes, they didn’t fully understand the argument between Lila and the Joker that well, but they were still able to pick up a few English phrases here and there. 

And from what they picked up, Lila had lied to him. And seems like she had lied to them as well… 

What else has she been lying about? “Who was the one who arranged this trip in the first place? Certainly wasn’t me! Last time I heard, it was that bitch’s fault!” Lila failed to see the wide eyes from her classmates and the series of gasps. “It’s because of her that we’re-“

“Shut your mouths!” Joker seethed, glaring at Lila. “Especially you!” 

The classes split like the sea did for Moses when Joker approached them. “To think that I actually bought your words when I should’ve smelled them from a mile away! After all, you stink of lies and misery!”

“What do you know-” Lila started, only to stop when Joker gave her a feral grin.

“Doesn’t take much to recognize a fellow liar. After all, it takes one to know one, sweetheart.” Joker said, leaving the class in turmoil. 

Just as Joker was going to continue to shout at Lila, Marinette began to stir, causing Joker to smile. 

“Rise and shine darling!” Joker grabbed Marinette by her hair, a weak yelp leaving her. “Guess who has to look their best since daddy dearest is taking his sweet time getting what I want?”

-

“-already said she didn’t know.” Tim heard Roy say towards Jason, watching the two set their helmets on the seat of their respective motorbikes. 

As soon as Dick and Jason were able to help Oliver cool off Bruce, Oliver suggested that the five split up and scout the streets to look for the class and Marinette. If they found nothing, everyone had to rendezvous at the Cave. Although, that was better said than done.

Dick was the first to arrive an hour after having separated from the rest, Oliver and Bruce following shortly after. Then half an hour later, Roy and Jason arrived.

“Probably saying it because she’s back with him again.” Jason muttered, taking off his mask as he approached the small group huddled by the debriefing zone. “That or Harley might have had a minor role in this in exchange for something he has.”

Seems like Jason and Roy’s interrogation with Harley wasn’t fruitful. 

Tim and Dick exchanged a glance before looking at Oliver, who shook his head. 

“I’m guessing you found nothing on your end either.” Dick stated, causing Tim to huff in frustration. “Ivy didn’t know anything either when I went to her place, although she did mention Joker being more unhinged than usual.”

“Not surprised.” Oliver said, taking out a vile and placing it on the table. “From what Victor told us, it seems like Joker has been paying visits to Scarecrow again. Something about Scarecrow wanting to test out a new toxin in the making.”

“Cat, know anything about this?” Dick asked through his earpiece, waiting for Selina’s answer. 

As soon as Selina saw that broadcast, she also started to help with the search, bumping into Damian as she looked for the lost kitten. She immediately teamed up with her other beloved kitten, much to his distaste.

“Just learned about this from you guys. What about you, kitten?” Dick heard her ask Damian. “Know anything about this?”

“I told you many times, it’s Robin. And no. I also just found out about this.” 

Dick let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. This wasn’t looking good.

Just as Dick was about to bring up their next phase, the Batcomputer went off, the alert blinking once before opening up a video call. 

“She wasn’t at the Basin.” Steph announced through the live, “then again, I haven’t heard from Cass yet. Perhaps she found something-“

“She’s here.” Cass interrupted. “I found her...doesn’t look good. Going to need medical help.” 

That’s all it took for the family to go into motion, Bruce barking orders, only to be overridden by Oliver.

“Aren’t you forgetting that Joker not only has Mari, but also her entire class?” Oliver challenged. “You can’t just-”

“Marinette-”

“Bruce, I know. We all know.” Oliver cut off. “As much as I want to prioritize Marinette’s rescue, Joker has an entire class hostage as well.” Bruce grumbled. “We don’t have a moment to waste! Let’s move!”

But before they could go, another alert went off on the Batcomputer, making them stop in their tracks.

Without delay, a broadcast started to play.

“Brucie!” Joker’s voice echoed through the Cave. “It’s been an hour!” He sang, the camera following him. “Seeing as you’re taking your precious time getting me Batsy, I thought of getting your precious daughter to help convince you to speed up the process.”

The camera then shifted to what seemed to be a gas chamber, the blue tinted glass making it semi-difficult to see inside. 

But with one shine of light piercing it, anyone would have recognized the person sitting behind the glass.

And everyone in the Cave did; without a second to waste, they ran.

-

Marinette woke up to an aching headache, her head ringing in pain. Just as she managed to open her eyes, she noticed the blue tinted room around her…or rather…the blue tinted glass that separated her from the rest of her class…and Joker. 

Why would-

It didn’t take long for Marinette to figure out where she was. She tried to get up, only to realize her hands and feet were bound to handcuffs behind her and to the floor respectively.

She began to violently shake her hands free, feeling her breaths became slightly uncontrollable when she realized the lack of wiggle room on her ankle.

Seems like she was strapped to her chair. 

She tried to stand up, only to feel the chair pull her down…bastard made the chair weighted…

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Joker sang, standing in front of her. “You’ll just make me want to start the show earlier than when I need to!” He warned her. “Instead, why don’t you greet our viewers!” The clown grinned as he turned his back to her. 

Marinette looked past him, noticing the camera and the guns pointed to her classmates. She noticed as some of them were frozen in fear, others holding in tears of frustration.

This is all my fault. “Marinette, dearest. The viewers are waiting.” He reminded her. “But! If you don’t want to greet them, that’s okay! Why don’t you, instead, remind your father-”

“Why don’t you try to find Batman yourself?” Marinette retorted. “Too lazy to track him down that you resorted to having to have a hostage to make him come to you? 

It’s been, what? 10 years and you have yet to figure out his weakness?” She let out a scoff. “Some villain you are.”

“That wasn’t the correct answer.” Joker sneered, only to grin shortly afterwards. “And for your information, I do know his weakness: you.”

A hiss sparked from the sides of the room, Marinette turning her head, seeing nothing surrounding her. She smelled nothing out of the ordinary, causing her anxiousness to rise. “My, my. For such a smart-mouthed little girl, you’re not exactly the best at connecting the dots, are you?”

“What are you-” Marinette felt her heartbeat pick up the pace, noticing her vision begin to throb. The tips of her hands felt warmer than usual, her feet feeling heavier by the second. 

She tried to hear what Joker was trying to say, but the noise buzzing in her ears made it hard to catch the words. 

She kept picking up small noises around her, making her turn head to see what was causing them, only to find nothing.

She turned her attention back to Joker only to find him gone. But that wasn’t the only thing gone.

She was no longer inside the room, no longer bound by the hands nor feet. 

But despite the lack of restraint, she remained seated as she looked past the camera that was left on. 

There, just feet away from her were her classmates, laying in their own pool of blood…

Adrien’s lifeless eyes looked back at her with tears still in his eyes, his hand reaching out for her…

Then she felt a breath right next to her ear.

“I thought you said you were going to fix everything.” The voice told her, a voice she thought she had long forgotten…a voice that sounded just like Adrien’s, yet…a voice that wasn’t his. 

Chat Blanc… “I thought you still wanted me…

I thought you still needed me…” She felt her heartbeat quicken with each word he spoke. “I thought I was still your partner…” 

The voice made its way in front of her, materializing into the Adrien of her nightmares, his blue eyes looking down on her. “I trusted you, Marinette…so why?” He growled, wrapping his hands around her throat, Marinette feeling his claws dig deep into her skin, feeling it pierce her throat and closing her airway.

“Why did you let me die, My Lady?” She couldn’t hold it in anymore.

She screamed.

-

Everyone watched as Marinette screamed apologies as she tried to kick something away from her, eventually knocking herself over.

What was going on?

She was fine just moments ago.

They watched as she was talking to Joker when she suddenly grew quieter, watching as she looked around, her eyes darting to every corner.

She suddenly looked in their direction with wide eyes and the next, she began to scream and cry hysterically, causing Joker to laugh alongside her agony.

“Oh my! This is better than what I expected!” Joker continued to laugh, turning to face the camera. “But we’re just beginning!” Joker brought over a spinning wheel, several nicknames written on it. “With every ten minutes that Batman isn’t here, I will spin the wheel and see who will be our next vic-”

Suddenly, the lights began to flicker before permanently dimming, Marinette’s screaming still going on in the darkness. “Who goes there?” Joker demanded an answer, his cheerful attitude gone. His eyes scoured the darkness, trying to pick any type of silhouette in the shadows that didn’t belong to his henchmen.

A goon next to the class suddenly dropped to the floor, his gun hitting the floor with a thud. “Show yourself!”

But no one responded. Instead, his henchmen started to fall or disappear one by one, the class huddling closer together as some other them started to fight their assailants in the dark. “Will somebody turn the goddamn lights back on?” Joker spat the order, moving closer to the chamber Marinette was still screaming out of.

Not a second later, they heard glass come crashing down from above them, the class watching Joker got drop kicked by a person half his size. Judging from the sword that pierced Joker’s shoulder, the class knew it wasn’t Batman who attacked the maniacal clown. 

The sound of the breaking glass had signaled more henchmen to appear and soon, the room was soon filled with them and their yells as they fought with the darkness.

“Adrien,” Nino whispered. “Should we-” Adrien shook his head. 

This was new territory, there were guns involved, not magic. He couldn’t just guide his friends to their death. And then there was whatever gas Joker had made Marinette inhale in that chamber…

And then there was that: Marinette…

Before Adrien could figure out what to do next, another masked individual appeared before them, cladded in black with a purple hood and cape. The yellow bat insignia on her uniform allowed her to be trusted.

“You’re going to be okay.” She reassured, then realized that only some of them understood what she said, judging by some of them slightly relaxing their shoulders when she said that. “My name is Spoiler. I’m going to guide you out.” She motioned, only to stop when only one person followed her. “Everyone. I need-”

“We can’t leave Marinette behind.” Adrien spoke up, some of the others nodding in response. “She sacrificed herself for our safety. We need to-” 

“My job is to help you guys escape,” Spoiler shared, “I need to-”

“We need to get you out of here before we can start saving your friend.” A voice spoke up, the class turning to see yet another vigilante, but this time, she was older than them and in what seemed to be in a spandex outfit. “Your hesitation is risking her safety.”

“Catwoman!” Spoiler hissed. “But, she’s right.” She sighed. “Once you’re all safe, we can start working on rescuing your friend until our backup arrives. So, please…follow me.”

That seemed to convince everyone as they soon followed Spoiler out of the warehouse.

The minute they were out, the class stood face to face with blaring lights and multiple paramedics rushing to their sides. Multiple voices asked them rapid questions in English, overwhelming the Parisian class. But one broody voice stood out among all of them.

A voice that questioned Spoiler, not them.

“Where’s Marinette?” Batman asked, only for five others joining their small rendezvous.

“Is she okay?” The red haired asked, Adrien wondering where he had seen him before.

Spoiler pursed her lips, her mouth opening and closing like a gaping fish. The red haired grabbed her by her shoulders. “Tell us!”

“She’s inhaled Scarecrow’s latest fear toxin…” she spilled, freeing herself from the red hair’s grasp. “And it seems to be more potent than his previous one.” She reported to the group.

“How so?” Batman asked.

“It took seconds for her to become insane and start to hallucinate compared to his previous dose that took a minute…we need to get her out of there before it does any permanent damage to her.”

-

Roy knew what to expect the moment they arrived at the Funhouse, yet he wasn’t prepared to hear what had happened to Marinette through Steph’s report.

Whatever plan they had spoken of beforehand was soon forgotten and the orders for him to come back fell on deaf ears as he ran into the Funhouse. 

He ran past aisles of towering boxes and past the mobs of henchmen that Black Bat and Catwoman were holding off with ease. He saw as Tim joined her, allowing Roy to continue to search for Marinette.

With each stride he took, the louder her screams got and the heavier his anxiety grew.

By the time he got to where she was, he froze.

Marinette had managed to free her legs from her restraints and was kicking the air, screaming apologies to Adrien as she moved her head from side to side, as if avoiding something.

While he couldn’t see her face that well, he knew they were probably drenched in tears and covered in purpling bruises left from Joker’s manhandling.

“What the hell are you doing Harper?” Damian’s yells snapped him from his thoughts. “Help her!”

“Come on Roy,” Jason’s voice came from behind, a slap on his back causing him to step forward. “She needs us.”

That’s all he needed to rush to Marinette once again, helping Jason analyze the chamber, finding the keypad to operate it. 

While Jason tried to stop the gas, Roy tried to break the glass but to no avail.

“I’ve got it!” Jason yelled, prompting Roy to help him open the chamber’s doors, causing Marinette’s already loud screams to become louder. 

They approached her with caution, Jason going over to try and prop her upright when he locked eyes with her. 

Her screams came to a stop before she started screaming again.

“Stay away!” She yelled, trying to create distance between them. “Don’t come here!”

“Marinette, it’s me.” Jason tried to tell her, but he knew she wasn’t able to hear him. “It’s me, Jay.” He tried once again only for Marinette to plead for mercy. “Roy, administer the temporary antidote.” Jason stood up and took a few steps back. “I have a clown to fight.”

Roy watched as he got out the chamber and disappeared from his sight, hearing bullets whiz with screams following shortly after.. 

Ignoring the mayhem outside the chamber, Roy took out a pouch he had on him and quickly prepared the injection.

He twisted the needle to the barrel and measured the dosage from the vial Bruce had given to him before they left the Cave. Once he withdrew the appropriate amount, he flicked the barrel to let out some air before pressing the plunger to get rid of all the air. 

He turned his attention to the now cowering Marinette, her screams now quiet prayers of pleads as she kept Roy in her vision. 

“Marinette, I’m here to help you.” Roy softly spoke, seeing her eyes dart from him to the needle in his hand. “I just need-”

“No!” She screamed, “stay away!” She began to kick again. “Stay away!”

Seems like he had no other choice.

He pulled the chair closer to him and pinned her down with his spare hand, making sure to at least stop her from flailing around too much.

Her screams grew louder the minute the needle pierced her skin and Roy administered the antidote. Slowly, Marinette’s screams grew quieter and were replaced by shuddering breaths. After a few seconds, they turned into wails and sobs.

Without a minute to spare, Roy worked on releasing her hands and brought her close to him, cradling her cold body to him. 

He brushed her hair away from her sticky face, his heart churned at the bruises scattered around her face and the dried blood on her lips. 

He held in a sob as she grasped onto him tighter, her trembling not stopping. 

“You’re going to be okay, Marinette.” Roy whispered soft reassurances as he stroked her hair, wanting to take all her pain away and fear that very second. 

She didn’t deserve this, not her… “You’re safe now Marinette.

You’re safe.”

NEXT

[ravensuperr]

DPx DC Prompt-Alternate Dimension Shenanigans

So instead of the usual Casper High field trip trope in the Danny Phantom fandom, imagine this time it’s Damian Wayne’s class that ends up stuck in the Infinite Realms.

Here’s how it plays out:

Damian’s class is on the way back from an overnight field trip to Washington, D.C. Everything's fine—until they stop at a rest area. The bus driver goes off to handle his business, comes back, and they get back on the road.

Then… a portal opens out of nowhere.

They don’t even have time to react. The bus gets pulled in. When they try to turn around, the portal’s already gone.

Enter: Danny Phantom.

He’s just gotten back from visiting either Pandora (weekly chat) or Frostbite (med checkup) when he stumbles on a confused group of teens, their teacher, and a parked bus in the middle of the Infinite Realms.

He blinks.

Mr. Carter (the teacher): “Our driver stopped at a rest stop—standard procedure. Then this portal opened up out of nowhere. We couldn’t stop in time. It just… sucked us in. When we tried to turn around, it was gone.”

Danny: “Ah. Natural portal. Those usually happen to planes, not buses… though, now that I think about it, ground traffic’s not unheard of. Shouldn’t have said that out loud.”

Damian (irritated): “Where exactly are we?”

Danny: “You’re in the Infinite Realm.”

Camila (raising an eyebrow): “So… another dimension?”

Zane (grinning): “Wait, does this count for my bingo card? ‘Accidentally ending up in another dimension’ was my free square.”

Priya: “Are we in space? Or some alien planet?”

Danny: “Nope. Think bigger.”

He gestures to the eerie green sky swirling above them.

Danny: “The Infinite Realm is like... glue. The glue that holds everything together. Every timeline, every dimension, every kind of power—magic, science, tech—they all touch the Infinite Realm. This place connects them all.”

Emily (deadpan): “Freaky. Multiversal glue vibes.”

Suddenly, one of the students blurts out:

Mason: “How did you die?”

The whole class turns to stare.

Mason (shrugging): “Come on—tell me you’re not curious too.”

Danny (calmly): “Okay, so, it’s super rude to ask a ghost how they died unless you’re family or really close. It’s kinda taboo.”

Leo: “Fine, then… who’s your favorite Justice League member?”

Danny (without missing a beat): “Martian Manhunter.”

Zane: “Why?”

Danny: “Because I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up… and I love space.”

Damian (pinching the bridge of his nose): “Does anyone have a question that’ll help us get home?”

Nina (class rep): “Yeah—how are you getting us back?”

Danny: “There’s a powerful artifact that can return you to your dimension. I just need to make sure none of you wander off or tick off any local ghosts. Not all of them are thrilled to see humans here.”

Camila: “So you can take us back to Gotham?”

Danny: “Sure. Where exactly is that in the U.S.?”

Class (in unison): “…Are you serious?”

Danny: “I know it’s where Batman and his birds live. I just don’t know where it is on a map. Also, I failed geography. And I’m dead.”

Emily: “New Jersey. Gotham’s in New Jersey.”

Danny: “Cool. Everyone back on the bus. First stop: Pandora.”

Priya: “Wait—Pandora? As in Pandora’s Box?”

Danny: “Yep. She’s real. She’s super protective of it. Someone stole it once—I helped her get it back. She’s chill now. I’m going to ask her if you can hang out in her realm while I talk to two people: Frostbite and Clockwork. I need to make sure I don’t accidentally drop you off in the wrong Gotham.”

Zane: “There’s a wrong Gotham?!”

Danny: “This place touches every timeline. You don’t think there’s a version of Gotham where Batman is a vampire or something? Multiverse roulette isn’t fun.”

Class (collectively): “Yeah. No more questions.”

Camila (genuinely): “Wait—we don’t even know your name. We feel kinda rude calling you Ghost Boy.”

Danny (blinks): “Oh. Right. Just call me Phantom.”

Damian (dryly): “Just Phantom? Not your real name?”

Danny: “Not telling you that. That’s basically the same as asking how I died. Still rude.”

Mason: “If I die, can I change my name?”

Danny: “Yeah. You can go by whatever name you want. You’re dead. There are no rules.”

Leo: “What if someone’s, like, gay or bi or trans? Does that matter?”

Danny: “Dude, we’re dead. We’ve got Pride flags engraved into dimension gates. Trans? Cool. Bi? Great. Ace? Valid. Nobody cares. You’re free to be whoever you are.”

Priya: “Okay but… what if someone was transitioning when they died?”

Danny: “Then the gender they identified as is the one they get. Period. No exceptions.”

Zane: “...So it’s like actual equality?”

Danny: “Yeah. Ghost society’s not perfect, but nobody here’s getting judged for who they are. You’ll probably see two ghost guys kissing before lunchtime.”

Mason: “Wait. Have you met Death?”

Danny: “Twice.”

Class: “…What?”

Danny: “Yeah. They go by Jeff.”

Class (blinking): “Jeff?”

Danny: “Says it sounds like Death. Duh.”

Damian (deadpan, to himself): “I need a week off school. Maybe two.”

Damian (out loud): “What about things like Time? Dreams? Are they ghosts, too?”

Danny (nodding): “They’re called never-born ghosts. They weren’t alive and then dead—they exist because of human concepts. Like Time? His name’s Clockwork. Depending on your religion, you’ve probably heard of him under a different name. Same ghost. Different culture.”

[snoopyracing]

forever and always — ln4

part two of champagne coast pairing: lando norris x reader word count: 10k warnings: swearing and alcohol use includes: 100% pure fluff summary: life with lando after the italy trip or lando and you get your happily ever after.

masterlist

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Life at the moment couldn’t be greater for you. You’d just gone on the most amazing week-long trip to Italy and in the process managed to upgrade your best friend into your boyfriend. You couldn’t truly ask for more, except for the screaming baby on the plane to give it a rest. Even in first class the baby’s incessant cries could be heard and you wanted to slap yourself for not remembering to pack your headphones into your carry-on. 

You glance over at your boyfriend who’s sat in the spacious seat next to you. “We should have just flown private like you wanted.” You were trying to not have Lando spend any more unnecessary money on you then needed, lord knows how much he spent on you this past week. You’d told yourself that you could survive a commercial flight, it was only three hours back to London. You do it for work and when you visit Lando in Monaco, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. Well, at least that’s what you thought a couple hours ago. 

“What I wanted was to stay in Italy for another week.” His large hand finds yours and your fingers intertwine. “But I know my working girl has responsibilities and deadlines to meet and money to make and all that kind of stuff.” He lifts your intertwined hands up to his lips and presses a chaste kiss to the back of your hand, the simple gesture sending an eruption of butterflies through your stomach. 

“Yeah well someone’s got to bring home the bacon in this relationship.” You joke, like Lando wasn’t bringing home a modest 30 million a year. 

“Well, racing isn’t gonna last forever, so I am gonna eventually need you to be my sugar mommy.” 

“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” Your teasing causes a pink tint to spread across the apples of Lando’s cheeks and it makes you giggle at how easily you can get him riled up. 

He slides down in his seat, trying to make himself seem smaller, all while still anchoring himself to you by his hand. “Nothing wrong with liking to be taken care of.” Lando has never not been vocal (at least with you) about how he in all honesty likes to be babied. 

Sure, he loves taking care of you, but sometimes he just wants the woman he loves (you) to take care of him. Even before you two got together you were the person who would look after him after a particular shit race weekend and when he would visit you back in London he always seemed to just be able to let his walls down and be vulnerable with you. 

“I like that you need me.” You state, which has Lando feeling even more warm and gushy inside. 

“Never not gonna need you. You know that right? You’re stuck with me.” And Lando means every word that slips out of his mouth. He doesn’t know what he’d do without you in his life. For so many years you were his everything and now that he fully has every part of you he can’t imagine letting you go.

Your eyes soften at the man you love. There isn’t anyone else you’d rather endure this plane ride from hell with. Yet, with all the love you have for him, you can’t help but poke fun at him. “Unfortunately.” You say with a cheesy grin on your face. 

“You love me.” Lando pushes back. 

“Unfor-“ 

Lando interrupts you before you can push his buttons even more. “Wait, do you hear that?” 

Your eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, your head glancing around the cabin to try and figure out what he’s talking about. “Hear what?” 

“Exactly.” 

And that’s when you realize that there is nothing to hear, because the baby had stopped crying. You think you’d forgotten what quiet was for a moment and to finally have it back was pure bliss. Though the little slice of silence lasts for a few short moments because as the plane begins its descent the change in air pressure has the baby crying once more. “Well, at least we know we are almost home!” You say trying to be positive. 

“We could have still been in Italy.” Lando groans. 

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Adjusting to life back in London was a little harder than you thought it was going to be. It helped that you had Lando with you this week, but you wished so badly to be back in Italy. The Thames couldn’t hold a candle to the Mediterranean Sea and you could only dream that you would wake up to the calming lull of the waves and not construction and sirens. And while you were slowly adjusting it seemed like Lando wasn’t at all.

When Lando was back in London for work he usually just stayed with you or Max, so Lando staying at your place wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but him not letting Max or his family know that he was back home was out of the ordinary. After the third day of Lando being a hermit in your apartment all day while you were at work you finally confronted him about it. 

“Lan, I’m home!” You called out as you kicked off the world's most uncomfortable heels, your feet silently thanking you as they felt the cool flooring beneath them. 

“Kitchen!” You hear him holler back and by the smoke free air you’d have to conclude that he wasn’t trying to cook you dinner. Instead you find him standing at the counter in the middle of making himself a cup of tea. Your hands sneak around his waist, resting your head on his muscular back. A content sigh escapes past his mouth and you feel his free hand settle on your arm. 

“Hi baby. How was work?” 

“Very long and tiring. I’m glad to be home.” You reply before placing a kiss on his shoulder. 

Lando says nothing as he moves to grab your arm, leading you towards the couch. And by some miracle he sets his cup of tea down on the coffee table spill free while he pulls you into his side as you two plop down. “Missed you while you were gone.” His words are slightly mumbled as he plants a kiss onto the top of your head. 

Moments later his phone buzzes and your eyes can’t help but glance at the screen as he pulls it out of his sweatpants pocket. You barely see the contact name of your shared friend across the screen before he’s locking his phone and sliding it back into his pocket. 

“Lando.” His fingers ghost up and down your arm as he hums in response. “Why have you been ignoring Max?” You weren’t trying to pry into his business, but what you were saying was true. You’d seen the unread texts and for Lando to ignore his best friend, especially when he was back in England, was very out of character for him. 

His movements halted and you can hear the gears in his pretty little head turning. “I’m not ignoring him.” 

You shift on the couch so you can properly look at him. “Lando. You’ve been holed up in my apartment ever since we got back. What’s going on? You ignore Max’s texts to make plans. I see the missed calls from your parents. Are you second guessing things or do you not want people to know about us?” 

Lando’s eyes nearly bulge out his head at your suggestions and he’s reaching out for your hands faster than lightning. “Oh god no. God. No no no. Never in a million years would I not want to be with you.” 

“Then what is going on?” Your eyes soften at the man you love as you try to understand what’s going on in his head. 

“It’s quite selfish of me.” He finally admits with his head hung low while you rub your thumb across his knuckles, encouraging him to continue. “I know this sounds ridiculous, but I don’t want to have to share you with anyone quite yet. You going to work I can handle, but god we haven’t even gotten to really spend time together as a couple. Summer break is going to be over very soon and then that’s a whole nother beast we have to figure out and I know I’m very in my head about all of this but I just want you to myself for as long as I can. I don’t want other people’s opinions about you or our relationship to be all over the internet either. God why am I so in my head?” . 

Your heart swells at Lando’s words and while you understand how he feels, you know you’ve got to talk some sense into him as well. “I get it. We’ve been living in our own bubble this past week and now it’s even better that we’re together. It’s like the real world and reality are out to get us, but baby that’s life. And really I don’t give a fuck what anyone on the internet says about me or us because they’ve been saying stuff for years. It’s not anything new– I know what’s real between us and that’s all that matters to me and it should to you also.” 

You give his hands a reassuring squeeze, trying to convey just how serious you were about all of this. 

“Plus, I’m not worried one bit about once you start racing again, sure I’ll miss you when I can’t come with you, but we’ll make it work. What I am worried about though is you isolating yourself. I love that you love spending time with me, but Lan you gotta not let the anxiety of life get into your way. Even with this crazy life that you live you’re lucky enough to have people who care deeply about you and the rare occasion that you aren’t in England for more than a day or work and you chose to ignore them is not good for you. So take your phone out and tell Max that we’ll be over at his place Friday.” 

Lando sighs as he internalizes your words. Everything you had said was right. You always know how to get into his head and talk him off his anxiety induced edge. He can’t recall how many times you’d been there for him during a bad race weekend— granted this was nothing like that, but nonetheless he knows he can always confide in you and that you’ll always be there with love and the right words to say. 

And like the obedient boyfriend he is– he slips his phone out of his pocket and quickly sends Max a text. “Why not Saturday? Don’t you work Friday?” He asks. 

You shrug your shoulders at him like it was no big deal. “I got Friday off and we have other plans for Saturday.” 

“With your friends?” 

“No. We are having dinner with your family. I’ve been texting your Mom occasionally ever since we got back. Someone had to let her know her son was still alive.” 

Lando’s cheeks turn red in shame, he’s a known certified Momma’s boy and he knows his Mother was probably worried sick about him these past couple days. “I’ve always said she likes you more than me.” 

“Yeah well I actually respond to her messages.” You tease as you tuck yourself into Lando’s side, the couch pulling you in deeper. 

Silence fills the room for a few moments and it’s tranquil– golden hour cascading through your floor to ceiling windows as the two of you cuddle up on the couch, the feeling of Lando’s fingers running up and down your back as you listen to his steady heartbeat. 

“Thank you.” Lando is the one to break the silence, his voice soft and meaningful. You hum in response, waiting for him to continue. “Thanks for getting me out of my head. You’re my person, you know that? Don’t know what I’d do without you.” 

The sun filtering into the room makes the golden brown flecks in his eyes pop even more and you can’t believe that this beautiful and caring man that you’ve had in your life for so long is now actually yours and that maybe if you would have opened your eyes sooner you could have had him this way for even longer. 

“I love you.” 

Lando’s face erupts into a smile and you can’t help but lean into his hand as it moves to cup your face. 

“I love you too.” 

He leans in for a kiss and when your lips meet you swear it’s like you're kissing him for the first time again. There’s something so enthralling and intoxicating about kissing Lando and you pray it’s something you never grow tired of. 

“Can you really blame me though, for wanting to stay locked away with my sexy, stunning, intelligent, caring, and breathtaking girlfriend?” Lando states as you two resume your prior positions on the couch, soaking in this serene evening together. 

“Wow, that's a lot of adjectives.” You reply as a slight giggle escapes from you. 

“I can name some more if you’d like.” 

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Friday comes in the blink of an eye and before you know it you’re standing next to Lando as he knocks on the door to Max’s apartment. The solid white door swings open and there stands Max with a mischievous look on his face. 

“Thought you two had fucked off and decided to move to Italy.” 

“It’s still a possibility.” Lando states as he walks in behind you. 

“Don’t be bitter because you weren’t invited Fewtrell.” You chime in. 

The three of you settle in the living room and it reminds you of old times before Lando moved to Monaco. When you’d all be gathered at someone’s place and life seemed simpler. Things have changed drastically since then, but you know you’ll always have these two annoying guys in your life. 

“I’m not bitter. I’ve third wheeled enough in our friendship to know when I’m not wanted.” Max is chomping at the bit to know what went down on your trip and if nothing had he thinks his two best friends may have one collective brain cell that they share between them. “Soooo. How was Italy? Romantic?” 

Your eyes quickly dart over to Lando who’s seated in one of the chairs slightly to your left, while Max is sitting on the couch opposite of the one you’re residing on. Max was clearly digging for information and according to someone else in your friend group, Max had a large amount of money that he had bet on the two of you coming back from Italy and being together. So Lando and you had decided to make Max work for his prize– nothing like a little lying and mental warfare while spending time with friends right? You see that mischievous look in Lando’s eyes and then he open’s that pretty little mouth of his. 

“Did you know pizza was apparently invented in Naples?” 

Max furrows his eyebrows at Lando, surprised at the fact that was what came out of his mouth. “I didn’t.” 

“Yeah. Think we ate our body weight in pizza this past week. Gonna have to hit the training hard before the season starts back up.” Lando is acting too nonchalant about the trip and you can tell Max is listening for any little slip up. 

“Hmm is that so?” Max glances over in your direction and you know your next in line for his interrogation. “Y/N.” 

“Max.” 

“How was Italy?” 

“It was great. We ate lots of good food, went sightseeing, went to the beach, and relaxed. Everything you’d do on a trip to Italy.” 

Max still isn’t satisfied with anyone’s answer. To him there was just no way that something didn’t happen between you two on that trip and he was going to get the truth out even if it killed him. “Nothing exciting happened?” 

You shrug your shoulders as you glance over at Lando– wanting him to take the reins on this one. You can see the gears turning in his head all the while Max is getting antsier by the second waiting for someone to respond. 

“Well, Y/N did meet a guy.” 

There’s a shocked look on both Max’s face and yours at Lando’s words. Even with your little plan in place you didn’t think Lando was going to say that or honestly bring up that night ever again, but he did and he’s thrown Max for a loop at the same time. 

“You met a guy?” Max asks you. He isn’t sure if he heard Lando right and he’s really starting to wonder how this trip could have gone this horribly wrong. 

“Yeah. We went out to a bar one night and I started talking to this guy. He was really nice and happened to be from London. He’s my most recent follow on insta if you want to see what he’s like. His name is Harry.” You hadn’t bothered to unfollow him and at this moment you guess it was a good thing you hadn’t. 

Max thinks the world is ending right here in his apartment. How could his best friends be so fucking stupid? How could they go on a trip by themselves and not see how utterly in love they were with each other? 

He pulls up your instagram and finds the guy's account– sure he’s attractive, but there’s never going to be the connection there that Lando and you have. Anyone with two working eyes and a brain could see that and as Max locks his phone and tosses it on the couch cushion beside him he thinks he should make an appointment for both Lando and you to go see an optometrist and neurologist. 

“He seems like a nice lad.” Max had given up. If anything did happen you two were clearly dead set on not giving it up, so he’d try again another day. If Max knew one thing it was that consistency was key and being annoying about his best friends being in love was one thing he will always be consistent about. 

“Yeah I think he’d fit in really well with our friend group.” The look on Max’s face is nothing shy of disgust and out of the corner of your eye you can see Lando fighting back his laughter. You know if you fully look at Lando that you’ll break so you focus on Max who seems to be going through the five stages of grief.

“Right. Well Lando I’ve got a couple things I need to go over with you for Quadrant. Let me go get my laptop real quick.” Max has no issue with changing the subject at this point— the mere idea of that guy joining your friend group was completely out of the question. 

Once Max was out of earshot you immediately turned your attention to Lando. 

“Oh he’s absolutely fuming.” Lando states, his voice slightly higher from trying to suppress his laughter. You can feel the giggles rising from within you and it’s like in school when you aren’t supposed to be laughing, but everything is way more funny because of it. It’s not even that funny of a situation, but Lando and you are nearly beside yourselves over it. 

Before you both completely lose it Max waltzes back into the living room with his laptop in hand. The two of them go over clothing ideas and mockups for sometime while you calm yourself and scroll through your phone. 

“Ok one last thing- the redesign for the website. I’ll send the test link to your phone and see if there’s anything you want to look different on the mobile site.” 

Lando pats his pockets and realizes he forgot his phone in the car. “Shit. Hey baby can you please run to the car and grab my phone.” He’s tossing the car keys to you and you’re catching them before Max can get his brain and his mouth to work fast enough. 

“Sorry! What?!” 

You stand there confused, Lando’s keys jingling in your hands. 

“What’s wrong?” Lando asks. 

Max doesn’t know what to think at the moment. “You just called Y/N baby!“ 

In all honesty Lando didn’t even realize the term of endearment had slipped past his tongue and from the way you reacted it seems you didn’t either. But Lando and you share a knowing look and instead of panicking you decide to just run with the situation.

Lando scoffs, like Max had just suggested the most outrageous thing. “No I didn’t” 

“Yes you did!” Max’s eyes look like they are about ready to bulge out of his head as he speaks. 

“Max he literally didn’t. I think I would know if Lando called me baby.” 

“Stop gaslighting me!” Max knows what he heard, he’s not stupid or crazy like the two of you are making it seem. His eyes dart back and forth between Lando and you, trying to see if he can read your faces, but it’s useless. 

“Alright well I’ll be right back. Lando maybe try to calm Max down.” You state before swiftly leaving Max’s apartment before you break character. 

While you’re gone Max doubles down on his interrogation of Lando, but all Lando does is deny deny deny. His PR training coming in handy at this moment in time. It doesn’t take long for you to get back and when you hand Lando his phone and keys Lando can’t help but fan the fire some more by intentionally letting that little four letter word slide right off his tongue. 

“Thank you baby.” His hand lingers on yours for way longer than need be. The simple skim of his fingers across your skin sends a shiver up your spine. You don’t even get time to respond to Lando before Max’s big mouth is hollering once more. 

“I know I’m not going crazy. I heard that clear as day! Now would you two quit fucking with my head and tell me you finally opened your eyes.” 

There’s an unspoken agreement between Lando and you as you shift your gaze towards him, a shrug of the shoulders and both of you knowing that if you continued to screw with Max he’d probably start to make your lives hell. So, you take a seat on the arm of the chair that Lando is still residing in and like a magnet he’s snaking his arm around your waist–pulling you closer to him. 

Max sits there eyeing the both of you, your current positions tell him nothing, as your closeness and touching was nothing out of the ordinary for you two, but it’s what comes out of Lando’s mouth seconds later that has Max’s eyes as wide as saucers. 

“Better call Ed and let him know he owes you some money.” 

He knows what that means and has clearly been waiting for it to happen, but actually knowing now has him somehow not believing that Lando is telling the truth. “Are you guys fucking with me again or is this for real?” 

“What you want me to physically tell you that Y/N and I are together? That we finally realized that we’ve been in love with each other for an unreasonably long time and made everyone close to us crazy for years?” 

Max sits there dumbfounded, for someone who had been wanting to finally hear this news he just can’t believe it had finally happened. “Well yeah I guess.” He watches his best friends as their hands intertwine and when they look at each other he can see the love radiating between them. 

It had always been there– the love, but there was something different between them now that they’ve become partners like the missing pieces of the puzzle had finally slotted into place. He’s happy that his best friends finally have each other in the way they were meant to and perhaps that he has a little more money in his pocket. “Alright well now can you actually tell me how Italy was?” 

“Well first of all. It wasn’t just you and our other friends that were annoying about us. I think everyone in Italy thought we were a couple before we even realized how we actually felt.” And so you tell Max all about Italy and how special it is to the two of you now. 

“See now why couldn’t you have just told me all of this in the beginning instead of fucking with me?” Max exclaims. 

“Well that’s no fun is it?” Lando rebuttals. “Think about how funny of a story that will be to tell at our wedding one day?” 

You feel your heart start to rabidly race and a heat spread throughout your body at Lando mentioning your wedding. You guys had only really been together for like a week and he’s already casually mentioning marrying you? You weren’t trying to freak out, but what the fuck? Your ears are ringing and it’s like your mind has left your body for a second, but the one thing that brings you back to Earth is the feeling of Lando’s hand squeezing yours. 

When you look down at him and he looks at you with those pretty eyes that seem to be an enigma of colors and that smile of his that could make you feel better even on the shittiest of days you just somehow know that he is the man you’re going to marry. You couldn’t imagine yourself marrying anyone but him. And yes it’s early, way too early to be thinking about marriage in this relationship, but if Lando asked you in a couple months to get married during the Las Vegas GP by some Elvis impersonator in a little church on the strip– you’d say yes in a heartbeat. 

“Well as long as I’m your best man.” Max states. 

��Who else would it be?”  

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

The three hour drive from London to Lando’s childhood home the following day is spent trying to figure out how you should announce to his family that you two are together. You’d gone over every scenario, but they either seemed too awkward or just unnecessary. 

“We could just say ‘hey we are in love and in a relationship’ as soon as we walk into the door.” Lando suggests. 

“Do we even really have to tell them?” You counter, knowing you are both totally overthinking this situation. “I mean couldn’t we just let them find out through social media or something?” 

Lando scoffs at your suggestion and he doesn’t even have to speak for you to know that your idea wouldn’t work with his family, especially his Mother. Cisca would never let you both hear the end of her finding out about you two over social media, especially when she’s been not so shy about expressing how she felt about you two. 

The English countryside passes by in a blur as you stare out the car window, you’d given up on figuring out ideas and decided to enjoy the view and the feeling of Land’s hand in yours as you continued the journey. 

“If my family didn’t know that you were coming I could have just called and said I was bringing my girlfriend home for them to meet.” Lando states from the driver's side. Now it’s your turn to scoff, but Lando doesn’t seem to be backing off the idea. “Seriously, we could surprise them.” 

“Lando, that's not a good idea. You’re gonna be in deep shit with your Mom.” 

“I’ll just call and say that you aren’t coming and that there’s someone that I’ve been wanting them to meet for awhile.” He thinks there’s nothing wrong with his plan, but you know he’s gonna get his ass chewed out by his Mother. You love Lando dearly, but he’s also stubborn and sometimes you have to just let him learn his lesson. You can’t even tell him it'll be your funeral before you hear the phone ringing. Cisca picks up rather quickly and you decide to keep quiet in the passenger seat. 

“Hello darling. Are you guys almost here?” Her voice echoes through the luxurious car. 

“Yeah we’ve got a little under an hour left.” 

“I can’t wait to see you and Y/N. Can she hear me? Hello my love! I’ve got a little gift for you when you guys get here. I saw it when I was out shopping the other day and I just thought of you instantly.” 

You want to speak up, already feeling the guilt creep in over this and Lando hasn’t even opened his big mouth to speak yet. You look over at him with pleading eyes, trying to convey just how much he shouldn’t do this, but he’s waving you off and you know this is when Lando has signed his death certificate. 

“About that. So Y/N isn’t coming to dinner. There’s actually someone else that I’ve been wanting you to meet.” 

There’s silence on the other end for some time and anyone would think Cisca had hung up or the line had disconnected, but the call time on the screen keeps going. “Mum are you still there?” Lando finally breaks the deafening silence. 

“Am I on speakerphone?” She replies and you know Lando is about ready to get yelled at. If there was one thing you knew about Lando’s Mother, it was that she didn’t play around when it came to you, especially if it involved Lando. 

“No.” Lando says confidently like her voice wasn’t echoing throughout the car. 

“I know I raised you better than this Lando. Y/N and I have been talking and she literally planned for all of us to have dinner. For you to uninvite her and then decide to bring some random girl in her place is absolutely horrible Lando. She said you guys had a wonderful time on your trip and that you had been staying at her place this week so I don’t know what is going on, but this better be a joke. If it’s not you’d better pray that you don’t lose the one person who cares so deeply about you. I’m so disappointed in you son, but we will talk more when you get here. Oh and hopefully the girl you decided to bring likes my roast dinner. I know it’s Y/N’s favorite meal I make so I was going to surprise her with it. Anyways I’ll see you in a little bit.” 

There’s no goodbye’s exchanged or time for Lando to reply, just Cisca hanging up on her son and then music that was playing before the call filling the air once again. You so badly want to tell Lando that you told him so, but from the blank look on his face and the thousand yard stare he’s got going on, you think perhaps that wouldn’t help the situation any. 

“I should have listened to you.” He finally says, the stupidity of his idea fully sinking in now that his Mother reprimanded him over the phone.   

You shrug your shoulders at him, fully knowing he should have, but not wanting to rub it in his face. “Hopefully once she sees me your wrongs will be forgiven.” 

“God, we can only hope.” 

By the time you pull into the driveway Lando’s already thought of ten different ways his Mother could kill him and when he’s getting out of the car and heading up to the front door he’s thought of eleven. Usually his family would be opening the door to greet them by the time they pulled into the driveway, today was a different story. The decadent smell of his Mom’s cooking hits both of you in the face as soon as you enter the house and you’re so glad you’re actually here and not back at home like you were supposedly meant to be.

“Mum! I’m home!” Lando hollers. 

“In the kitchen.” 

So you slowly traipse behind Lando towards the kitchen, letting him be the one to greet his Mom. He stops just past the doorway, his Mom standing at the counter peeling potatoes, while you’re slightly hidden behind him. “Smells amazing.” He figures starting out with a compliment wouldn’t hurt his situation any.

“Thank you.” 

You can’t exactly see Cisca, but you know just from the tone of her voice and the fact that she doesn’t have her son wrapped up in her arms right now tells you she’s still upset with him. The sound of the peeler against the potatoes is getting more rapid and aggressive– you’re thankful to not be a potato right now. You can slightly see her over Lando’s shoulder and she’s still got her back turned to you both still as she speaks once again. 

“Are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?” 

Lando steps to the side, nudging you to step into his previous spot. You know Cisca will be thrilled when she sees you, but you’re still a little nervous after seeing the ever apparent cold shoulder that she’s giving Lando right now. You hear the peeling stop as you step into the kitchen and when Cisca turns around to see the supposed mystery girl, the peeler drops to the ground with a clang. 

“Y/N! Oh my darling!” A look of shock, excitement, happiness, and slight confusion washes over her face as she’s practically running towards you and wrapping you up in her arms. “What are you doing here? Lando said you weren’t coming?” She pulls back from the hug and just stares at you, like she’s trying to figure out if you’re actually here. 

“Surprise!” You say with a smile. 

She looks back and forth between you and Lando, who unbestowed to you has the biggest grin on his face. And then like a switch that was flipped her jaw drops and she grabs your shoulders like she’s afraid you’ll run away. “Wait a minute.” 

You feel Lando delicately place his hand on the small of your back as he moves right up against you. “Mum can you stop hogging my girlfriend please.” And you can hear the smile on Lando’s face as he speaks. 

The look on Cisca’s face you would have thought Lando had just won the driver’s championship. “Oh my god finally! My love I’m so happy you’re here. If it hadn’t been you that I saw when I turned around I think I would have had to knock some sense into my hard headed son.” She’s wrapping you up in another bone crushing hug and it’s one of the best feelings in the world to be embraced by someone who truly cares about you. 

“Well to be fair I think we both needed some sense knocked into us a long time ago.” You joke as Cisca finally frees you. 

“Yes, but this is how it was clearly meant to be. I’d always said you two were meant for each other and that one day eventually you’d open your eyes and hearts and realize that your other half had been with you all along.” 

You can see tears start to well up in her eyes.

“God I’m just so happy that you’re here. My heart broke when Lando had said you weren’t coming, but now it’s like it’s been mended. You’re the person for my Lando and I knew that from the first time I met you all those years ago Y/N. You’ve made him so incredibly happy and always been there for him during the extreme lows and highs, but as much as you're his person he’s just as much as yours. I’ve never seen him act like he does with someone like he does with you. I saw that love in his eyes that only a Mother can see the first time he brought you home. He may not have realized it, but I did.” 

Now you’re feeling the tears start to well up in your eyes and it’s only a matter of time before Cisca has got you in her embrace again. 

“Where’s the love for your own son?” Lando asks jokingly as he watches the two most important women in his life. 

“My own son wouldn’t have played with my emotions like you did earlier.” Cisca fires back, before heading back to her previous task.

Lando and you sit down at the small table in the kitchen while Cisca resumes peeling the potatoes. “I told him not to do it.” You say just to finally get in your I told you so.

“And that’s why you’re my favorite!” Cisca chimes in. 

Lando groans, but it’s all an act because there’s nothing that makes his insides turn to mush more than you being so loved and getting along so well with his family. “Maybe I actually shouldn’t have brought you.” 

You know he’s joking, but he earns a full name shout and a look from his Mom that only Mom’s can do. Which in turn emits a giggle from you and to Lando anything is worth getting to hear that melodic sound bless his ears, even getting scolded by his Mother. 

Dinner is spent filling in the rest of his family and both Lando and you somewhat get made fun of as his family points out all the times you two were so blind about how you felt about each other. Then to no one’s surprise Cisca begins to get emotional again as you’re talking to her about Italy. And not soon after Lando says the one thing again that makes your heart skip a beat and your body run hot. 

“Alright Mum save those tears for the wedding.” 

You laugh it off and allow for Cisca’s animated reaction to allow no one to focus on how flustered Lando’s words have you. It was one thing to talk with Max about it, if anything you were sure Max had mentioned (more like teased) you two about getting married many times before. But to just so openly mention it, even if he was just messing around, to his family had your head spinning and the butterflies in your stomach ready to burst out like some sick gory horror movie. 

You had always been close with the Norris family ever since Lando and you had become friends, but there was something about their not so shocked reaction (besides Cisca) that had you wondering if they had just always expected Lando and you to end up together. For you two to get married and grow old together. That the idea of it being anyone other than you had never crossed their minds. So that when Lando does casually mention it during dinner it’s like yeah of course you two would get married? Why wouldn’t you? It’s not until people begin getting up from the table that you come back to reality and out of your head. 

Once the mess from dinner is cleaned up you find yourself looking at all the photos across the house. Picture frames filled with childhood photos and family portraits scattered on shelves, tables, and walls. You’ve seen them all before, each one with a story that’s been told you were sure to anyone who visited the Norris household. Pictures of Lando as a child were your favorite to look at, especially when you see just how tiny he was as a kid. Cute little innocent Lando who had to be velcroed to his karting seat and went up against kids three times his size.

As you continue to look through the pictures your mind begins to think about the future and you can’t help but wonder if your kids would be small like him or when they inevitably started karting if they too would have to be velcroed to their seat. If there was one thing you knew for sure it was that you hoped they would have Lando’s pretty eyes and curly brown hair. God you hoped they wouldn’t inherit his big head. 

Then it’s like reality hits you in the face and you realize just how insane you’re being at the moment. You have to remind yourself once again that you two haven’t been together even a month yet, perhaps thinking about your future children is a little premature. But then you remember Lando mentioning you two getting married multiple times already, so you tell yourself your thoughts aren’t as bad as you made them out to be. 

Moments later a familiar pair of strong arms snake their way around your waist and some unruly curls tickle your neck as Lando rests his chin on your shoulder. He’d been admiring you from the doorway for some time before he finally couldn’t resist not clinging onto you somehow. You feel yourself start to melt into his embrace and before you know it you’re leaning back into him, his arms secured around your midsection as both of you now look at the various photos. “You know you were a pretty cute kid.” 

Lando hums in response, his lips pressing a chaste kiss to your neck as he tries to stop himself from thinking about how much he’d love to have mini versions of you two running around. Not right now of course, but god some years from now he could imagine it clear as day. He hoped they would be little spitting images of you, that he’d hear your laughter in little kid form and know that when he came home from a bad race weekend that he’d have the most important people in his life waiting there for him. He’d always figured he’d eventually settle down and have a family, but now that you’re in his life there’s not a doubt in his mind.

While Lando was thinking the same thoughts you had minutes ago an unfamiliar picture on the wall catches your attention. “Is that one new?” You question, breaking Lando out of his thoughts. 

His eyes follow to where your finger is pointing and sure enough it is. In fact it’s a picture he didn’t even know existed. “Mum must have taken it and decided it was worthy of a place on the picture wall.” Lando mumbles. 

“It is a good picture though.” 

The picture in question? The two of you after the Belgium Grand Prix weeks ago. The race didn’t go the way Lando wanted it to at all. Yet, even with the disappointment from the race it was like when he saw you afterwards none of that shit mattered. He knew he was going to get to spend a week with you in Italy and at the end of the day he knew you’d always be there for him. 

To anyone else looking at the picture they would have thought you two were together, but at the point in time you two were still hard headed dumbasses. He remembers posing for the picture with you, but the angle this one is taken at he knows his Mother must have taken it from behind the scenes. She’d caught him looking at you with the biggest heart eyes mankind has ever seen and a smile that only radiates one thing– love. 

Night time was fast approaching and as everyone retired for the night you found yourself in Lando’s childhood bedroom. It still had its boyish charm with trophies and medals lining the walls next to posters of past racing legends. There wasn’t really anything that had changed since the last time you had stepped foot in his room, it was almost like a time capsule from the last moment in time that Lando still lived at home. 

As you take a seat on the twin bed you glance over at the one thing you loved to tease him about and when you see a bare wall where it should be you’re shocked. A freshly showered Lando walks into the room seconds after you’d spotted the missing piece of history. 

“You took down the Alex poster?!” You bombard him as soon as your eyes land on him. 

Lando furrows his eyebrows as he looks over to the spot where the infamous poster once resided. “Yeah.” He says, like it’s no big deal. 

“Why?!” 

Lando’s confused as to why you’re so distraught over him taking down the poster, but he entertains your inquiry. “Maybe because I didn’t want a poster of Alex Albon, who is my co-worker, staring me down while I fuck my girlfriend.” He teases as he saunters towards the way too small bed. 

You know what you’re planning on saying will get Lando riled up and so you say it with confidence. “Well thats what I was planning on looking at while you fucked me.” 

Lando hates how much of a tease you are and how easily you can press his buttons. He thinks he might need to teach you a lesson and in a flash he’s hovering over you with your hands pinned above your head. “You really know what to say to get me going, don't you love?” 

“Yeah but you love it.” 

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

two years later

The salty sea air fills your nostrils as you walk along the beach holding the hand of the man you love. It had been an amazing week in the country you both hold to your hearts so dearly and tonight was the last night before you both had to go back to reality once more. Lando had suggested taking a walk after dinner and you were never one to pass up admiring the natural beauty that Italy has to offer. The lounge chairs and umbrellas were long gone from the beach and all that was left was the lulling waves and a picturesque sunset over the coastline. 

“I’m glad we were able to come back here.” You state as you lean your head on Lando’s shoulder. 

“Me too. It’s been too long.” 

And it truly had, the two of you hadn’t been back to Italy since the first time years ago. Since then the two of you had moved into a beautiful place in Monaco, Lando had two constructors championships and a driver’s championship under his belt, and you had been dominating your new job– quickly moving your way up the ladder. You were both thriving and it seemed like to you life couldn’t get any better than it was right now. 

Lando on the other hand somewhat felt the same. He’d accomplished so many things in the last couple years, but there was something that just didn’t feel complete in his life. And that something was burning a hole in his pants pocket. He’d won both championships, traveled the world more times than he could count, he’s lived a thousand lives it seems, but none of them would ever feel complete until he made you his wife. 

He’d known very early on that he was going to marry you, but the timing never seemed right and it was something he didn’t want to mess up. In all honesty he’d had the ring for over a year and how you hadn’t found it while living together he didn’t know, but the fact that you hadn’t was a sign to him that this is how it was meant to happen. 

You two had been talking about wanting to go back to Italy since what seemed like the day you got back the first time, but it seemed like something was always popping up or you had plans to go to someplace else. So when your schedules lined up and nothing else had been planned Lando knew this was when it was going to happen. 

He’d talked it over with Max trying to create some elaborate plan, but in the end they both agreed that something lowkey and more sentimental would be the best option. So now here he is minutes away from asking the love of his life to be his forever and she has no idea. He seems to be slyly checking his pocket every chance he can get to make sure the ring is still there and each time he feels it he thinks his dinner is about ready to come back up. 

When you ask him to take some pictures of you with the sunset he knows this is the moment. He actually does take a couple pictures of you just as like a moments before kind of thing, but when you turn your back to him he tosses the phone in the sand and grabs that little black box from his pocket. His heart feels like it’s about ready to beat out of his chest and he thinks he’s experiencing more adrenaline now than he ever has while racing. He gets down on one knee and his hands are trembling so bad he can barely open the box to display the ring. This is what he’s been planning for what seems like years, yet in the moment he’s so fucking nervous he can’t even think straight. 

“Oh my god!” 

He hadn’t even looked up at you yet before you had turned around and saw the scene in front of you. Your voice snaps him out of his anxiety induced trance and when he sees the woman he loves standing in front of him on the verge of tears he knows this is meant to be. 

“Y/N Y/L/N. I’ve known I wanted to marry you since practically the first week of our relationship, but I’ve loved you knowingly and unknowingly for what seems like a lifetime. You’re my sun, my moon, and my stars. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t acknowledge just how insanely lucky I am to have you in my life and for you to be mine. You love me when I’m happy, when I’m sad, and even when I’m a little bit of an ass.” 

He pauses trying to calm himself. 

“God, you’ve supported me through my worst times in racing and during my absolute best times. You’re my best friend, my soulmate, my lover, you’re everything I’d ever need in life wrapped up into one extraordinary woman. I’ve done so many things in life and accomplished so many things, but my life isn’t complete until I make you my wife. I’ve never loved someone like you and I never plan on loving anyone but you. You’re it for me, you’re the person I want to grow old and grey with. So Y/N, will you make me the happiest man on Earth and marry me?” 

There’s tears streaming down your face and Lando manages to let some of his own fall as he professes his love to you in the most vulnerable way possible. You feel like you’re not even in your body at the moment, but you drop to your knees and grab Lando’s face in your hands, pulling him into the most passionate and loving kiss you two had ever shared. To hear the man you love with every fiber of your being talk about you like that is a moment you’ll never forget. When you pull away you look down at the breathtaking ring that’s residing in the box being held by a still shaky Lando. 

“Yes, I’ll marry you.” You say breathlessly. 

“Yes?” Lando can’t believe the words he’s hearing. 

A huge smile stretches across your face, of course Lando doesn’t believe you. “Yes!” 

In an instant the ring is out of the box and being slid onto your ring finger. It’s even more gorgeous on and as you stare at your hand you really can’t believe you’re engaged. Lando’s pulling you into another breathtaking kiss and you realize you’re kissing your fiance which makes you feel even more giddy. 

“I love you so much.” Lando says as he stares deeply into your eyes, his hand gently cupping your cheek. 

“I love you more.” You counter back. 

“Impossible.” 

As you two walk back to the villa you’re both still on cloud nine, but it doesn’t stop either of you from being your cheeky selves. “Y/N Norris does have a nice ring to it doesn’t it?” 

You give him a tight lipped smile. “This is awkward… I thought you’d be taking my last name.” 

Lando lets out a laugh, pulling you tighter into his side. “Honestly I’ll do whatever you want my love.” 

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

a year later 

The wedding was planned rather quickly, the both of you almost considering just getting eloped, but you knew you’d want the memories and stories to tell. So, you planned a wedding with just your families and close friends to attend. 

The ceremony itself was beautiful and you couldn’t have asked for it to be any more romantic or sentimental. Tears were shed by both Lando and you and the crowd during your vows. The way Lando talked about you and expressed just how much he loved you let you know you had made the right choice in marrying him. 

The reception on the other hand was what seemed to be the party of the century. You had ditched your long elegant wedding gown for a much shorter white dress. While Lando ditched his suit jacket and had opted to roll up his sleeves and unbutton the top buttons on his shirt which had you feeling feral. You’re husband was looking hot as fuck and you couldn’t wait to have some alone time with him. 

As the two of you sat at the wedding party table you heard the clinking of silverware on a champagne flute. To your right stood Max Fewtrell with his glass held high and everyone’s eyes on him. “Excuse me everyone, but as the best man I’m required to give a speech, so here goes nothing.” He shoots a wink towards Lando and you and you’re scared for what’s about to come out his mouth. “Well let me just start off by saying, I think we all figured this day would eventually come, but for a while we didn’t think it ever would. I mean I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people be more in love with each other for years and not realize it and deny it!” 

The crowd laughs and you feel your cheeks turn pink at the teasing, choosing to hide your face in Lando’s neck for a moment while Max continues. 

“There was a time where we all went on a group trip to Greece and mind you there was a group of us and Lando and Y/N acted like no one else existed. They’d go off and do their own thing, leaving everyone else behind, and this was probably a good year before they finally opened their eyes. Then when they went to Italy together by themselves and made it seem like it wasn’t a big deal, when it was all Lando could literally talk about the week leading up to it. Luckily they came back and realized how in love they were with each other, because I know I can speak for myself and everyone in this room when I say we all would have had to knock some sense into you if you hadn’t.” 

More laughter fills the air and both Lando and you have a little red tint to your cheeks, which you both blame on the alcohol. 

“Anyways, I’m so happy that my two best friends have each other in the way they were intended to. You two are my favorite example of love and I hope I can make another speech at your fiftieth wedding anniversary.” Max raises his glass in a toast. “Here’s to the happy couple. May your love last a million lifetimes.” 

The crowd erupts into applause and hoots and hollers as Max sits back down in his chair. Lando presses a quick kiss to your temple before quickly getting up from his chair, repeating the actions of Max’s glass clinking. You look up at him confused, but he just shoots you a smile before speaking. 

“First of all thank you all for coming to celebrate me marrying a woman who’s way out of my league. Secondly, thank you Max for that lovely speech.”

Laughter and cheers fill the air once again and then there’s some commotion in the background somewhere. Then you see two guys wheeling a projector screen to the middle of the room where everyone can see it. 

“Um, I’ve got a little something for my amazing wife that I’ve been working on for years and actually I had been working on it unknowingly for years before that. Anyways, let me stop rambling and show you.” Lando sits back down in his chair next to you as the lights dim and before you can ask him what’s going on his pretty little face pops up on the screen. 

“Hi baby! Over the years of us being together I’ve been capturing pictures and videos of you. Which is nothing new, we are always taking pictures and stuff, but these ones are special. These are pictures and videos that you’ve never seen. Instead of me explaining just let me show you. I love you so much and I want everyone to see the extraordinary woman I’ve married. I want everyone to see you how I see you.”

The screen fades to black and then pictures of you begin to pop up, ones that you didn’t even know existed. You’re so used to Lando having his camera out that you never thought to think of the ones he didn’t show you. Pictures of you in your pajamas making breakfast to you in your work attire to you all glammed up for a gala. Videos of you singing in the car, laughing, and just existing. Birthdays, trips, everything you could imagine someone could capture. Then you realize some of these pictures and videos are from before you two even got together from when you were still friends. 

It makes your heart swell to know Lando’s been capturing you in such a loving way since basically the beginning of you two knowing each other. You don’t even realize your crying until you feel Lando gently wiping away your tears. If someone would have told you years ago before you two went to Italy that you’d be here today married to Lando and crying over the most beautiful thing he’s ever given you, you would have laughed in their face. You look into your husband’s eyes and you know that there’s not another human being on this planet that could love you like he loves you. There’s a permanent place for him in your heart now and deep down you think there always has been. He’s your person and you're his and sure it may have taken you guys awhile to get here, but everything happens for a reason and you know you two were meant to be here at this moment right now. 

“You’re mine forever you know that right? I love you so much it hurts.” You tell him as the video ends and the guests also wipe their tears. 

Lando grabs your hands in his, his thumb rubbing over your knuckles. “Forever and always, baby.” 

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

five years later 

A little girl with a mop of brown curls and laughter that resembles her Mother plays in the sand with her Father by her side. “Daddy!” She screeches looking up at him with eyes that mirror his– pretty blue like the water. The waves keep inching closer and closer to the sandcastle they’re building and the little girl is worried their hard work will be washed away any minute now. “I know my love. We should have listened to Mommy and built it further up.” 

“Mommy know’s everything.” She states matter of factly. 

The man lets out a laugh. “That she does.” 

A baby lays on his Mother’s chest as they both lounge under an umbrella. The woman watches her husband and daughter lovingly as they play in the sand. She catches her husband's eye and he flashes her a smile that even after all these years makes butterflies erupt in her stomach. 

Later after a day spent at the beach they’re both carrying a sleeping child back to the villa, their world in their arms. Finally when both kids are sound asleep in their beds the adults find themselves sitting outback with an all too familiar scenery around them. The man leaves for a brief second and while he’s gone the woman watches her babies through the baby monitor, her heart swelling over the fact that she made them with the love of her life. 

When he returns he has something hidden behind his back and with a raised eyebrow from his wife he reveals an old favorite of theirs. 

“The trip wouldn’t be complete without this now would it?” He says as he sits down next to her. 

“God we haven’t had this in forever.” She says as she takes the glass of pink moscato from him. 

“Just a man after your heart.” 

She laughs at her husband's antics. “You’ve already got it darling.” 

[seaborgium-dazies]

think of me ♡mdni

walking in on mha boys masturbating pt.2

🌊: deku, bakugo

Deku:

You noticed that deku wasn't on top of his game 30 minutes into class. He kept drifting off and looking around the room in a panicked manner and when you tried to help him by whispering what the teacher just said he looked even worse.

Deku looked uncharacteristically lost, he kept squirming in his seat and he looked a little flushed too. So naturally you tried to convinced him to go get some rest. You assured him that you'd give him the notes as soon as he felt better. You pushed your worries away as he took you up on your idea. Still, dekus behavior was more than odd.

You bought some chicken soup after class, copied your notes and even drew a silly doodle on a sticky note, to cheer him up. So you continued your usual after class routine; you walked to dekus dorm room and pushed the door open.

Dekus was laying between a mess of sheets and blankets, his shirt bunched up and most of his body visible. You saw the gentle yet precise movement of his hand against his cock. His thumb massaging the tip, which was a beautiful shade of pink. Dekus eyes were shut and his lips were contorted in a breathy moan.

And as if that hadn't given you enough reason to gasp, the fact that you heard your name fall from his lips, definetly did.

This mix of lust and adoration was so raunchy that you let out an audible gasp, which made dekus eyes shoot open.

It took a hot minute for deku to cover up and stop rambling as if his life depended on it. You took your sweet time coming down from that shock as well. You were both left speechless and furiously blushing, unsure how to proceed.

Finally, you put the soup down next to his bed, feeling like the sun was shining from within you.

"You know I can't hear you if you call out to me like that, next time try my phone instead"

Bakugo:

You were sparring with bakugo when he stormed off after defeating you once more. He left you lying on the floor, huffing and puffing, massaging your shoulder as you tried to collect yourself. Due to this intense sparring session you were utterly spent and you couldn't help but wonder how bakugo had enough energy left to power walk away from you. He mumbled something about taking a shower and before you could process his words he was already gone.

When you were discharged from training you noticed that some piece of metal was lying around where you and bakugo had sparred. It was the same shade as his bracers and some screwdrivers were also laying around in the general vicinity. Did it fall off? Or did he take it off intentionally? Either way, you should probably return it.

You were standing in front of his room and when you didn't hear the shower running you figured you'd be in the clear. You couldn't have been more wrong.

When you opened the door you saw bakugo sprawled out on his bed, a white towel beneath him. While his body was still glistening with drops of water, his eyes were clenched shut and his fist was moving up and down his cock at a fast pace. His lips were slightly parted and he held something against his face, inhaling deeply. You recognized the color immediately - bakugo took your clothes?!

You were so shocked the metal fell out of your hands and landed on the floor of his dorm. Bakugos eyes shot open and you saw a brief look of shame turn into anger.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Bakugos voice was accompanied by the throw of a pillow which you masterfully dodged. In the span of seconds he covered himself up and you started furiously apologizing, tripping over your words.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to! I thought- because the shower wasn't running- I should've knocked; really- I just came to bring- return this"

You went to hand it to him but placed it on his bed instead. As you met his intense gaze both of your breaths hitched and you realized that there really was no going back.

The romantic tension that both of you tried so hard to hide upwards to that moment was unavoidable after this incident.

"Let me just-"

In your shocked daze you reached over his body to grab your clothing off of his bed and bolted out of his room.

©️ seaborgium-dazies 2025

do not steal, translate, reupload or edit.

[egcdeath]

off the beaten path

pairing: patrick zweig x reader

summary: what could go wrong with a non-refundable honeymoon and a broken engagement?

warnings: MATURE (mentions of sex but no sex scenes), exes to lovers, idiots to lovers angst, fluff, there was only one bed MULTIPLE times, jealousy!! (like a lot), slow burn, no use of y/n, so much use of the word fuck, a little toxicity, some facts about landmarks are inaccurate for the plot, lots of arguing and making up, miscommunication, seasickness, patrick & reader kinda have no social awareness, a lot of hotels and buses, alcohol, hurt/comfort, happy ending.

word count: 18.4k

author’s note: this was so much longer than i expected it to be, but i loved writing it so so much and i'm gonna be sad to see this pairing go! also, a special thank you to the tour website whose itinerary i used for their trip. i hope you enjoy!

JFK AIRPORT

You scrolled endlessly on your phone as you sat at your gate, trying your hardest to fight off the combination of sleepiness and anxiety that had been slowly creeping up on you for the past hour.  

You should be happy—excited to spend the next month of your life traveling throughout Europe on the trip that you had dreamt about since you were a child. Instead, you were filled with dread at the prospect of your quickly approaching trip, leaving your leg bouncing and your eyes flitting between the device in your hands and the entrance of the gate, anxiously anticipating the arrival of a man that you really really did not want to see. 

Once it was announced that first class was boarding, you quickly hopped out of your uncomfortable seat, hoping that if you boarded quick enough, you might be able to miss your unwanted companion. As you stood in line, you tried your best to be casual about your endlessly swiveling head and wondered if it was too late to simply call the whole thing off. 

Boarding had gone smoothly enough, and as you settled into your seat, you still hadn’t seen any sign of your former fiancé. For a second, a spark of hope lit up in you. Maybe you’d get to experience Europe without that pest in your ear after all. Maybe you could even arrange a friend to come fly out and be with you for a few days, or find someone to have a romantic summer fling with. 

But just as soon as your hope arrived, it departed with the sound of a familiar voice walking down the aisle and directly towards you.

“They wouldn’t let me switch my seat.”

You couldn’t believe that those were the choice of words the man you’d intended to spend the rest of your life with had decided to start with. After months of radio silence. No apologies, no awkward small talk, no sugar-coated words about your situation, just a complaint about the conditions the two of you would be in for the next eight hours. Classic Patrick. 

“That’s too bad,” you replied, already annoyed by his presence. You had underestimated how much of a challenge this trip was going to be, solely based on the speed at which your negative feelings had come to the surface. 

“Yeah, no shit,” he muttered under his own breath, putting some luggage into the overhead bin above your seats. 

“You’re the one who insisted we still go,” you argued, not wanting him to get the last word—even if his last words were meant to be a snarky comment to himself more than anything else. 

“The hotels, tours, and all the other tickets were non-refundable!” he argued right back to you. 

“So?” you shot back like a petulant child. 

“So I didn’t want to waste your money.”

“Oh, how considerate,” you scoffed sarcastically before beginning once more. “You’re rich! You don’t even have to be here!” 

“Just because my family is comfortable doesn’t mean I want to waste my money.”

You openly rolled your eyes at his words. Comfortable was the understatement of the century. “So you didn’t actually want to waste my money. You didn’t want to waste your own.”

“Why can’t it be both?” he asked, sounding exasperated by your line of thinking. You hated when he did that. You kind of hated most things he did now. Maybe you just hated him. 

“I never said it can’t be both, I just think you should stop trying to act like you’re so charitable for doing me a favor. As if our relationship wasn’t filled with me doing you favors.”

“Do you really want to be having this conversation right now?” he asked. 

“Sorry, you’re right. We have the next thirty-five days to talk about it.”

The two of you sighed in a synchronized breath at the mention of the amount of time you had to spend together. You hated that the two of you were still in rhythm after everything you’d been through. Or maybe you just hated Patrick. 

“Who plans a thirty-five day honeymoon anyway?” he huffed. 

“Us, apparently. I mean, you were all for it, what? A few months ago?”

“Only because you wanted it.

“Oh, how could I forget. The ever-charitable Patrick Zweig. Taking a month-long break from hitting balls to be with me. I’m forever in your debt,” you mocked with a dramatic hand to your forehead. “At this rate, you’re gonna send me a list of all of the nice things you’ve ever done for me. What do you want me to say? Thank you for doing the bare minimum as a boyfriend?”

“Fiancé,” he corrected you, earning a very nasty side eye from you in the process of doing so. 

You were beginning to get dirty looks from your fellow first class passengers, which temporarily shut the both of you up. It was never a good idea to piss off people on a plane. You didn’t want to end up on the no-fly list just because you couldn’t bite your tongue around your ex. 

“Remember when you said we could still be friends after this?” Patrick spoke once more after your moment of silence. 

“Of course I remember, but you stopped that from happening when you…” your voice trailed off as you made eye contact with a very displeased looking middle aged woman “Whatever. Let’s just… try to get through this flight. And try not to make any more of a scene.”

“Fine,” he replied, shrugging in your peripheral vision. 

“Fine,” you said back, not wanting him to have the last word.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“That thing where you think you win every argument just because you said the last thing.”

“I’m not doing that,” you lied. “You think you know me so well.”

A familiar agitated smile broke out on his face, something that you unfortunately missed seeing. “I do know you well, though. I see right through you.”

“You actually don’t, though.”

“I do,” he insisted, the smirk creeping onto his face telling you that he knew you were actively proving his point. 

“Not really,” you dismissed and attempted to casually pull the headphones that were currently sitting on your neck up to cover your ears. You were always grateful to have noise-canceling headphones when you were traveling, but they were coming particularly in handy for you to win this argument. You tried to hide your self-satisfied smirk as you pressed play on your phone, but you could instantly tell that you were failing. 

When you looked back up, Patrick was clearly saying words to you that you weren’t able to hear. Knowing him, he was probably saying something along the lines of, “Real mature.” 

The truth was that he wanted the last word more than you did–which made it particularly rewarding when you gestured to your headphones before throwing your hands out in a shrug to indicate to him that you couldn’t hear him.

Your vacation was already off to a chaotic start. You couldn’t help but fear what the next thirty-five days would be like. 

BARCELONA, SPAIN

Despite the flight only being eight hours long, you were absolutely exhausted by the time that you checked into your hotel room. So exhausted that you failed to remember to request to switch rooms to one with two beds rather than one.

This predicament only came to the forefront of your mind once you and Patrick had already swiped into the room, suitcases lying on the floor and one king-sized mattress presented in front of you. 

“Should I go back down to the front desk?” he asked as he looked from you to the bed. 

“I’m too tired to get a new room,” you replied. You could handle one night next to your ex. You’d slept in a bed together for years. Granted, during those years you were also sleeping together, but this wasn’t all that different. 

“Fine. Don’t complain if I hog blankets, then.”

“Fine,” you replied. “Just stay on your side of the bed.”

You shucked your backpack from your shoulders and walked over to what was typically the side of the bed where you slept when the two of you had been a couple. Not wasting any time to get ready for bed, you began to take off your clothes and search for your pajamas. Once you glanced over your shoulder, you were quite displeased to find Patrick rather openly ogling at you. 

“Stop looking at me,” you demanded.

“What? It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” He said with a smirk. 

“You’re such a creep,” you muttered, throwing on an old shirt and crawling into bed. 

As you laid in bed and texted your friends and family that you’d arrived at your hotel safely, you took a peek of your own at your former partner as he got ready for bed. He seemed to be going with his classic bedtime attire of just boxers. Bold move. 

Your eyes were momentarily stuck on his abs and enticing happy trail. You’d planned your trip during Patrick’s off season while he was training for his upcoming season, so you were pleasantly unsurprised that he was in such good shape. Your breath caught for a second as you thought about the rest of him, and you desperately tried to repress the low, fiery feeling rising in your stomach. 

“And I’m the creep?” he asked with a laugh, pulling you away from your objectification as he got into bed next to you. 

“Yeah,” you replied, as if you hadn’t just given him the same treatment he’d given you. 

“Well… like what you see?”

You scoffed at his audacity, though you did like what you saw. “I’m not fucking you. Goodnight.”

You hit the light on your nightstand and you swore you heard a quiet sound of disappointment come from Patrick. Bastard.

You turned your back to him and closed your eyes, finding that sleep took you under surprisingly easily.

When you woke up in the morning, you were greeted by a far too familiar feeling. Despite your request for Patrick to stay on his side of the bed, the slow, steady breaths being breathed into your ear and the solid wall of body behind you indicated that he had not only traveled into your space over the course of the night, but was actively spooning you. 

You were shocked to find that you didn’t necessarily mind it. Yes, you were mad at Patrick for everything that had gone down between you, and because he was such a pain in the ass, but you also hadn’t realized just how much you missed being held. Particularly, how much you missed being held by him. 

The more alert you became, the more you realized that you couldn’t really move. Despite that, you found that you didn’t really want to move. Sure, you were beginning to get uncomfortably hot, and yes, you could feel Patrick’s morning wood pressing against your ass, but none of it was particularly unpleasant. 

Part of you wondered if your trip would go differently than you expected. Regardless of how you acted towards one another, you clearly both missed each other. 

Your shrill phone alarm suddenly went off, startling Patrick awake behind you. 

“Mmm, fuck, sorry,” he sleepily slurred as he rolled away from you. You turned over to look at his tired face, eyes still lidded and speckled face looking far softer than you remembered. 

Out of the blue, he opened his eyes, catching you in the act of looking at him with barely-concealed affection. Before he could make some sort of snarky comment, he shot out of bed, adjusted his boxers, and made an urgent beeline towards the bathroom. All of which would’ve been far funnier if his actions hadn’t been disrupted by the loud message ping of his cellphone. 

You weighed out your options. You were curious about what was waiting for him on his phone, but you weren’t sure that you’d have time to properly snoop. As if the universe was listening to your thoughts, the sound of the shower began, telling you that you had all the time that you needed to do some adequate investigation. 

You wondered who was texting Patrick so early in the morning. Knowing him, it was probably his mother, checking in to make sure he made it to his destination safely. You were sure that whatever message she left would also be inquiring about you. She’d always had a bit of a soft spot for you, especially compared to some of the other people that Patrick had brought home. That, of course, was an observation shared to you from Patrick, so you couldn’t be sure how much of it was flattery compared to truth. 

Regardless, her fondness for you had carried into the end of your relationship, with her occasionally messaging or calling you to make sure that you were still doing well, and more importantly, to check in on the status of your relationship. 

Much like you and your friends, she’d been holding out hope that your relationship may repair itself. With you and Patrick being as passionate as the two of you were, you were no strangers to seemingly serious arguments that resolved themselves in a matter of days. While calling off a wedding was far more drastic than any of your other disputes had been, after being together for years, it was hard to imagine a world where the two of you weren’t a couple. 

But his call never came. You didn’t hear an apology or explanation or even an excuse from Patrick—just a suggestion of when you should pick up the items you’d left at his place.

You hated to admit it, but there was a naïve part of you that was still holding out hope that this trip would be exactly what you needed to reconcile. And maybe that naïeve part of you was less delusional than you might’ve originally thought. Surely cuddling into the morning and Patrick’s poorly hidden morning wood were signs that this vacation was already going in the right direction. Maybe being in such close proximity was exactly the push you needed to get your relationship back on track. 

After a halfhearted internal debate, you grabbed his phone from the night stand on his side of the bed. Attempting the passcode he’d been using while you were together—the digits of your birthday—you were pleased to find that the password hadn’t changed and that you were granted access into his phone. What you weren’t expecting to see was Tinder on the homepage of his cracked device. 

You paused for a moment and attempted to reason with yourself. Your former fiancé probably didn’t even use the app. He’d likely been pressured by his rebound-obsessed friends to download it, and hadn’t even opened the app since setting up his profile. Besides, you didn’t get on his phone to see what new apps he’d downloaded, you were snooping to see what his mom had to say about you. 

When you opened his messages app, your mouth promptly fell open in shock. Patrick had always been loyal to you—at least to your knowledge—while the two of you were together. Seeing him be so openly flirtatious and suggestive with an attractive woman that you hadn’t ever heard of was more than jarring. 

Your stomach churned as you scrolled through the conversation, flirty messages and images from both sides that left little to the imagination disturbing you in a way that you hadn’t ever realized was possible. 

In the midst of your distraught state, you nearly missed the background noise of the shower coming to a halt, informing you that your time snooping had come to an end. 

You set his phone back down where you’d found it and desperately tried to push down the bile in your throat that was tasting more and more like jealousy and anger by the second. 

You knew it was irrational for you to be feeling this way, considering that the two of you had been broken up for a few months. Nothing legally or morally tied the two of you together anymore, but that didn’t make you feel any less unsettled by what you’d just seen. 

It was just that… you weren’t sure you’d ever be able to fully move on from Patrick. He’d been part of your life for so long, and the way things ended had been so abrupt that it almost didn’t feel real. Even if you did move on, it was going to take you more than three months to do so. It wasn’t fair that Patrick’s name seemed to pop up every week in your therapy sessions, while he was sending pictures of himself in gray sweatpants to random hot women. 

You wanted to shrink into the mattress and never come back up. You wanted to yell at Patrick the moment he stepped out of the bathroom. You wanted to turn on your side and wail dramatically, at least until all of your big feelings felt a little smaller. 

But you were in Europe on vacation. You were on vacation, damnit, and you weren’t going to let one mildly disturbing text thread ruin your entire experience. Better yet, if Patrick was already moving on, there was no reason that you shouldn’t do the same.

You told yourself this as you rolled out of bed and dug in your suitcase, pulling out a sundress that had driven Patrick wild in the past. While you may have packed it with less than realistic expectations, your goal was far more grounded now. 

Both of you could play this game. 

You stepped out of the bathroom fully dressed after a shower of your own and instantly registered the almost cartoonish look he was giving you. You guessed that some things never changed, even when the two of you had decided to actively pursue other people. 

“The tour guide said to meet in the lobby soon, so I’m gonna head down,” you explained, not giving him a second look as you began to search for your purse. 

“The tour doesn’t start for another half hour?” he replied, sitting up from where he was laying on the bed. 

“Well I wanna socialize with the people we’re gonna be traveling through Europe with,” you said a little snappily, still a little perturbed about what you’d found on his phone earlier. You conveniently left out the fact that you wanted to scope out any potential summer flings. 

“I’ll come with you,” he insisted.

“You really don’t have to. Remember, this isn’t actually a honeymoon,” you slipped on some comfortable shoes and headed to the door. “I’ll see you around.”

You were probably being far more rude than you really needed to be, but your anger had only intensified as you showered and put on makeup. At this point, you were fully pissed—even if you didn’t have the right to be. 

You made small talk with the people you met in the lobby as they began to filter into the room, and tried your absolute best to dispel the anger that was flowing through your veins. That proved harder than you anticipated, as Patrick was one of the last people to join you all in the lobby, and for the life of you, you couldn’t stop imagining him sitting in your shared hotel room and sexting his mystery girl. 

Luckily, you couldn’t dwell on that ugly thought for too long, as your tour began soon after. Your friendly guide took your group around the city, explaining rather riveting information about the landmarks you visited and the city itself.

After being dismissed for a quick break, you found yourself sitting on a bench and chatting with a man in your group. He wasn’t really your type, but he was extremely conventionally attractive, and from the peripheral glances you caught of Patrick, you could tell that he wasn’t exactly pleased with what was going on.

While making him jealous, or annoyed, or whatever it was that he was feeling, wasn’t your expressed goal, it did feel nice to give him a taste of his own medicine. What felt less nice was glancing over and catching him typing on his phone furiously. You could only imagine whose boobs were on the other end of the line. 

Reacting out of a bit of desperation and frustration, you began to play things up. You leaned over more to show off more cleavage, laughed a little harder at jokes that weren’t all that funny, and set a scandalous hand on his arm. You were determined to have that vacation fling now, and you were going to get it by any means necessary. 

You laid it on thick for the rest of the afternoon, sitting next to him during lunch and flirting casually with him as your group walked through Park Güell. 

You wondered if he noticed you throwing glances in Patrick’s direction after every interaction. You hoped that he didn’t. 

It felt good to be getting even with Patrick—but not as good as you expected it to feel. The realization sunk in as a portion of your group visited a bar that was apparently very popular with the locals. Or at least, that’s what a very handsome man purred into your ear after sitting down next to you at the bar.

You’d been keeping an eye on Patrick as he socialized with a couple that he’d been talking to for the majority of your day, but you almost instantly lost track of him as you became consumed with this handsome stranger. 

Everything happened in a bit of a blur—one moment you’d been nursing a Marianito, and the next you were holding the hand of a man whose name you couldn’t remember as he led you to his apartment. 

By the time you’d left his apartment, you were nothing short of a mess. You were pretty sure that the only way you could’ve been more obvious about what had just happened to you was if you had the words “JUST HAD SEX” written across your forehead—and with the way the people in your hotel elevator were looking at you, you couldn’t be completely sure that those words weren’t on your face. 

You made it back to your room safely, quietly opening the door and doing your best not to make too much noise, since at this hour, Patrick was surely asleep. 

It did feel weird to be going back to his bed less than an hour after you’d been with another man, but you couldn’t necessarily say you felt bad. Patrick had started it, and you simply finished it off. If he didn’t have any issues with seeing other people, there was no reason for you to have an issue with it either. 

Your efforts to be quiet had proved themselves to be for naught, as Patrick was very clearly wide awake, sitting up in bed and already looking at you disapprovingly. 

You weren’t sure what possessed you to speak, rather than ignoring his presence and heading straight to the shower, but your mouth was open before you could stop yourself. 

“Were you just gonna wait here until I got back, like I’m a kid who just snuck out or something?” you asked in disbelief, partially annoyed because of his action, but more ashamed to have been caught in such a state. It couldn’t have been more obvious to Patrick what you’d just done, considering that he’d seen you in a similar state hundreds of times. 

“Baby, we are on a whole different, unfamiliar continent,” his tone was condescending and cold and it made you want to crawl out of your skin. “Why wouldn’t I wait to make sure you got back safely?”

“Don’t call me pet names. And I would’ve been fine. We were just at the bar,” you lied. Going to the apartment of a random man you just met probably wasn’t your brightest idea, but you made it out alive, and that was what mattered. 

“Huh. The bar?” he smirked at you in a way that screamed that he was pissed, without really having to say a word. 

“Yes, I- what does it matter to you anyway?” you hoped that the question would be enough to get you out of the situation. If you were going to argue, you at least wanted to argue after you were showered and in pajamas.

“What does it matter to me if you fucked someone else?” he asked, sounding like he was in complete disbelief. 

“Yeah, Patrick. Why does it matter if I fucked someone else? We’re not together anymore. Did you forget? I mean, it seemed pretty obvious to you when you stopped speaking to me completely a few months ago.”

“Please, enlighten me. What did I have to speak to you about?” 

“I don’t know! Maybe an ‘are you okay?’ would’ve been nice. Or something. Anything, really. We were together for six fucking years and you just dropped me like I was dirt!”

“I…” he trailed off, catching you by surprise. He almost always had a quick clever response that managed to piss you off in a way no one else ever could, so seeing him not knowing what to say next caught you off guard. “If our relationship meant that much to you, why were you all over that guy? I mean, seriously. I’ve never seen anything so desperate. You were practically rubbing yourself on him in the park like a bitch in heat.”

Contempt dripped from his words. You had never been so enraged.

“Are you joking?” you laughed out of sheer anger. “Patrick, you started it! How many Tinder girls have you seen since we broke up? And don’t you dare fucking lie to me. I saw everything you’ve been sending to Amelia. Amelia, I’m so lonely. Amelia, I’m so horny. Amelia, I love you so much,” you mocked.

“You went through my phone?” he asked in disbelief, not even bothering to address the rest of your statement. “Fuck. You’re unbelievable.”

“I’m unbelievable? How long did it even take you before we split for you to start seeing other people? I mean, knowing you, you were probably just waiting for the day we broke up to go get your dick wet.”

“That’s not true, and you know it,” for a second, he looked genuinely wounded—something you were only able to recognize after years of being in a relationship with the man. You didn’t like that you were actively hurting him, but he’d been inflicting pain on you from the moment you broke up.

“Fine,” you conceded on that front, knowing that he was right. It wasn’t completely true. If you hadn’t gone through his phone, you never would’ve guessed that he had already moved on. “But you’ve still been seeing other people.”

“We’ve been broken up for months now,” he replied, as if that was supposed to make things any better or more reasonable. 

“Then why do you care so much about me having sex with someone else? It’s fine when you do it, but suddenly it’s an issue for me?” 

Patrick’s face immediately paled. “You really fucked him?”

“Well, yeah,” you paused. “Well, not who you’re thinking of.”

“You fucked someone else?!” The hurt and disbelief buried under his words made your stomach churn. “You were flirting with that other douchebag all day, I don’t-“

“You’re acting like I’m some whore for reacting to something that you did first!” you cut him off. 

“And you’re acting like I wanted to get rid of you this whole time!” he shot back out at you. 

“Clearly you fucking did,” you hissed. 

“Fuck you,” he huffed. 

“Fuck you,” you shot right back. “I’m leaving.”

“Good,” Patrick replied with a shrug as if he didn’t care, although you were very sure that he cared. “Go run back to your little fuck buddy.”

“Yeah, maybe I will,” you replied as you gathered your items back into your suitcase. “He was better than you, by the way.”

“Yeah, I bet,” he said snarkily as he watched you pack up your items. Luckily, you didn’t have much to pack up and were already heading towards the door. 

“He had a bigger dick, too,” you said as you swung open the hotel room door, fully satisfied with a lie that you knew would bother Patrick. 

While leaving your hotel room seemed like a wonderful idea in the moment, as you went down the elevator, you started to realize that you really did not have many options for where you’d sleep that night. 

You figured your best bet was the hotel lobby. Maybe you could pretend to be someone who’d drank too much and passed out on the first floor before you made it up to your room. You sat down in a comfortable looking chair and grabbed your keycard—in case anyone asked you to verify who you were—then set a floppy hat on your head to cover your face from the bright hotel lobby lights while you attempted to sleep. 

Sleep was already going to be difficult to accomplish, thanks to the argument that you were certainly going to be ruminating on for days to come. That was only made more difficult by the uncomfortable seating and position you’d found yourself in. Somehow, you managed to fall asleep, being woken up by a hotel employee and a friend you’d made from your tour group.

“Long night, huh?” she asked you with a playful smirk. 

“Mm, something like that,” you mumbled sleepily. 

“Well, you can sleep on the coach. It just got here, so we’ll have the best pick of seats. C’mon,” she extended her hand out to you and you gladly took it, in desperate need of something grounding. 

You dozed off on the coach once you’d gotten settled, headphones securely on your ears and sunglasses covering your closed eyes. You were vaguely aware of people boarding the vehicle around you, but didn’t pay much mind to anything. Eventually, you heard the faint sound of someone taking attendance of the people on the bus, followed by the commotion of someone getting on the bus late. 

Something compelled you to open up your eyes, and when you did, you were displeased to find that Patrick was the source of all of the drama. Likely thing for him to be. He scrambled down the aisle, looking desperately for empty seats. To your own horror, you realized that the seat next to you was vacant, and perhaps the only vacant seat on the entire coach. 

As if your minds were connected, you watched Patrick face that very same dilemma as he eventually decided to sit down in the only empty seat, right next to you. 

Neither of you said anything at first, not addressing your blowout argument the previous night, or your awkward current situation. 

“You look like shit,” Patrick finally said as the bus took off. 

“Thanks,” you replied, mentally preparing yourself for a continuation of the argument you’d had just a few hours ago. It was only a matter of time before he brought up your promiscuity or started blatantly texting his Tinderella. 

But none of that ever came. In fact, he just looked a little sad. It was weird to see Patrick so openly defeated. He was always one to put on a smirk or a challenging smile when you argued, letting the façade fall once he was alone, or once the two of you finally discussed what the issue was like adults.

You weren’t sure that you liked it. You preferred annoying asshole Patrick to sad, moping Patrick. 

“You look like shit, too,” you added. “Which is crazy, since you had access to a shower and I didn’t.”

“And whose fault is that?” he asked, looking at you with the slightest hint of that devious smile. You had to fight the slightest inkling of a smile on your own face. 

You felt ridiculous knowing that your mood was still being influenced by your former partner. Even when he was insulting you. Even after he’d spent the night arguing with you. Even after you’d slept with someone else. Even after the two of you had a messy split. 

You still loved him. 

“Yours, mostly,” you shrugged and put your headphones back on. 

PARIS, FRANCE

Despite your brief conversation on the bus, you and Patrick didn’t speak to each other for the entirety of your commute. Although you clearly cared about him, it didn’t change the fact that he had upset and hurt you deeply. And even as upset as you were, you knew that you’d hurt him just as badly. 

You had a particular dread for what awaited you in France, knowing that this part of the tour was very couples-activity heavy. When you’d scheduled your trip, this aspect of the tour felt like a major selling point. The two of you always seemed to be falling more in love with each other, and having a candlelit dinner by the Eiffel Tower felt like an exciting way to kick off your marriage. 

Now, you just felt like an idiot.

The two of you did your absolute best to avoid getting paired up with each other for all of the activities that you could. You found yourself spending most of your time with a solo traveler who was close in age to you. She made a surprisingly fun companion to your cheese and wine taste test, popping cubes of fragrant cheese into your mouth and making a competition out of who could detect the most accurate notes in your wine. 

While you found luck in your first few activities, you weren’t so lucky when it came to an evening ride of the Roue de Paris. Whether it was fate or just bad luck, after the pair in front of you had dipped out of line for reasons unknown to you, you had the shocking realization that Patrick had been in between them the whole time. So much for meeting new people on the massive ferris wheel. 

You tried to look busy so he wouldn’t notice that you noticed, and did your best to think of some sort of game plan. Although you’d essentially been giving each other the silent treatment in the hours leading up to this moment, you’d caught Patrick looking at you multiple times throughout the day—something you only noticed because you’d been looking at him as well. 

After a moment, the two of you were let into an empty passenger car. Sitting across from one another, it was hard to ignore the very obvious elephants in the room, but that didn’t mean you wouldn’t try. 

At first, you simply looked out the window, not saying a single word as the ferris wheel began to move. 

“You should put that safety belt on, just in case,” Patrick commented from his side of the car, pulling his eyes away from the window to look at you. 

“I doubt anything will happen,” you shrugged. “It’s fine.”

He eyed you suspiciously for a moment, before leaning over and strapping you in anyway. Your breath caught in your throat, his simple action putting you into serious psychological pain. It wasn’t lost on you how much Patrick liked to take care of you. It was far more obvious when the two of you were dating, with him covering the bills for dates and doing your laundry for you. It had been so ironic to you at the time, how a man who could barely take care of himself always went out of his way to make sure that you were going to be okay. 

Now, his small act of kindness just made your stomach turn. But it wasn’t like you could express any of those feelings. 

“Thanks,” was all that you managed before looking out of the window once more. 

An awkward, heavy silence filled the passenger car once more as the ride began to take the two of you higher. 

“The view is so beautiful,” you commented, unable to remain silent anymore and hoping that your words were neutral enough not to stir any pots. 

“Yeah, it’s really nice,” his gaze remained fixed out the window, before he looked at you once more as if there were words on the tip of his tongue. 

“I honestly don’t know how we managed to get in line in time to see the sunset,” you continued with your boring, neutral small talk. 

“I’m glad we did. This is the perfect spot to watch it.”

“Yeah,” you agreed, continuing to look out the window instead of at the man across from you. “It’s so pretty tonight, too.”

“It is,” he agreed. 

The two of you sat in silence again, only the sound of a soft whirring filling your ears. Then suddenly, all at once, the whirring stopped—and so did your passenger car. 

“Are we stuck?” you asked, looking out nervously at the very tall height that the two of you were currently definitely stuck at. 

“We can’t be. It’ll probably start back up in a second.”

It didn’t start back up in a second. In fact, after a series of announcements in French, an announcement in English suddenly declared that it would be at least an hour before the ride could be fixed. 

At the sound of the announcement, both you and Patrick sighed aloud, still synchronized even after everything you’d been through. 

“Maybe this is a sign,” Patrick piped up. 

“What are you talking about?” you laughed at him, hoping desperately that this didn’t mean that he wanted to continue arguing with you. You genuinely did not have it in you to do so again. You also didn’t have it in you to sleep in another hotel lobby. 

“Well, I’ve been wanting to talk to you all day,” he confessed. 

“Is that why you were staring at me all day?” you teased, a weak, slightly hopeful smile creeping onto your face. 

“I was looking at you because I could feel you staring at me,” he clarified, as if he was setting the record straight. “I don’t want things to be like this between us anymore.”

“Yeah?” you asked, the pit of nerves in your stomach tightening at wherever he was going with his spiel. The anticipation of his words alone made you nauseous. 

“So I think that we should talk about last night,” he suggested. 

That was exactly what you didn’t want to hear him say. You had barely processed the argument yourself, let alone think about anything else that you had to say to Patrick that didn’t involve trying to hurt him as much as he hurt you. 

“We don’t have to. It’s fine. The past is in the past,” you dismissed. 

“It’s not fine, though. Not really,” he countered, all earnestness. You didn’t detect any harshness to his words or any blood in the water that indicated to you that he wanted to do anything more than have an honest conversation with you. “I was so out of line. I can’t- I don’t want you to think that I really believe the things I said about you.”

“Patrick, please…” you trailed off, hoping that he would understand that you didn’t really want to talk about this. Though, you were relieved to learn that he’d only said those things out of the heat of the moment. 

“No,” he stood his ground. “We need to talk about this if we ever want our relationship to improve.”

“Fine,” you gave in. “But you start, so I can collect my thoughts.”

“Of course,” he leaned forward so he could get a better look at you, and you were immediately drawn into some intense eye contact with him. “I’m sorry for acting like a dick yesterday. I shouldn’t have treated you the way I did, and I really shouldn’t have let you leave our hotel room. That was really stupid of me. I worried about you for the rest of the night and spent the morning looking for you.”

This was surprising information to you. While you did find it to be a bit of a dick move that Patrick would just let you leave like that after lecturing you about being unsafe in a new country, you hadn’t realized that he’d been late to boarding the coach because he’d been searching for you. You could only imagine the sick feeling he had as he realized he couldn’t find you anywhere. 

“I’m sorry for what I said, too. Insulting you for trying to move on was really unfair of me. I was just… hurt, I guess. When I don’t even have the right to be.”

“You do, a little. We were together for a really long time, so it’s gonna feel weird that we’re starting to see other people,” you shrugged. “That was an excellent apology, that I accept, by the way.”

“Thank you. I really got a chance to practice my apology skills with the last woman I was with,” he explained. You tried to repress the feeling of jealousy that was already bubbling up in your stomach at the mention of another woman. 

“Yeah?” you asked, hoping that he didn’t notice the brief twitch of your eye.

“Yeah. She’s super opinionated and outspoken, so we would butt heads a lot. But that was always something I really liked about her. That, and her magnificent ass.”

Finally, it occurred to you that he was talking about you. You rolled your eyes and shook your head, despite the fact that you were secretly very flattered by the way he was speaking about you. “Ew. Shut up,” you laughed. 

“Well, if you’re done objectifying me, I would love to apologize to you too.”

“All done objectifying you. For now, at least. Go ahead.”

You were a little nervous about the words that were about to come out of your mouth. You just had so much to say, and you weren’t sure that it was all going to come out correctly. 

“I’m sorry for the things I said last night. I genuinely did not mean what I said, I just got caught up in the moment. And I’m really sorry for going through your phone, because that’s seriously none of my business. It was such an unnecessary violation of trust, and I understand if you’re still pissed at me for that. And it was really ridiculous for me to overreact the way that I did over you seeing someone else, because again, it’s really not my business. I feel like I’m kinda the worst,” you confessed. 

“You’re not the worst,” he countered. 

“Fine, I guess. Maybe you just bring the worst out in me,” you joked, trying to lighten the mood slightly. 

“That sounds more accurate. We bring out the worst in each other.”

“Right. That’s why we’re such a good pair,” you paused, then corrected yourself. “Of friends.”

“Is that what we are now?”

“I never said we were good friends.”

“Frenemies?”

“Something like that,” you said, before the familiar whirring sound of the ferris wheel began once more. 

“Huh. Who would’ve thought that the only thing the wheel needed to function was an apology to each other?”

“You’re so annoying,” you laughed and shook your head. “How are we gonna make it through the rest of this trip?”

LONDON, ENGLAND

Your final few days in France had been made far less awkward by your conversation on the ferris wheel. Deciding to fully embrace the couples activities the tour had reserved for you, the two of you were having a good time re-establishing your friendship. 

Your trip to London had gone mostly without a hitch, with your group arriving in the city in the evening and immediately checking in to your hotel. At this point, you had given up on even attempting to get separate beds. It seemed like every morning now you woke up cuddling with Patrick, but you weren’t necessarily mad at the unintentional intimacy. 

In some ways, your relationship was beginning to feel similar to how it felt before the two of you broke up. While you were sure that things wouldn’t be exactly the same—especially since you still hadn’t addressed the elephant in the room that was your breakup—it was nice to return to the comfort you’d found in your relationship with Patrick. 

Like clockwork, the morning after your arrival in London, you woke up with Patrick pressed up against your back, nose buried in your hair. As he woke up, he pressed a gentle kiss to your hairline out of what you were sure was just habit rather than genuine affection. 

“Morning,” he greeted you groggily, rolling away from your side. 

“Morning,” you replied, turning to face him. You ran a hand through his messy morning hair and looked at him fondly. It was taking far more self control than you had to not lean over and kiss him. “What time is it?” you asked, in part to distract yourself, but also because the digital clock was on his side of the bed. 

“It’s…” he trailed off as he went to read the time. “Oh shit, we’re gonna be late.”

“What?” you asked, shooting up from your relaxed position. 

“It’s 8:25,” he explained, already rolling out of bed. 

In a rush, the two of you got dressed in record time, making it down to the lobby in the five minutes that you had to make it on time. You shared a high-five in the lobby, and tried your best not to dwell on how the simple action felt far more domestic than it needed to. 

Your tour began not too long after that, getting your day off to a strong start. Your day of exploring London was by far your busiest. You were sure that you’d accumulated thousands of steps as you went between large museums, beautiful parks, and massive landmarks. By the time that you returned to your hotel room, you were pretty sure that your legs were mush. 

You returned earlier than Patrick, who had gone out to a gastropub with a group of tourists in your group that he got along well with. You took this as an opportunity to have some alone time, taking a long and steaming hot shower, frolicking around the room in a soft hotel robe, and watching a movie while you waited for your room service to arrive. 

After you’d thoroughly enjoyed your alone time, finishing off your room service and opting to scroll on your phone, the door cracked open and Patrick strolled in. 

“Looks like you made yourself right at home,” he observed. 

“I had to after today’s tour. So much walking,” you groaned. 

“It wasn’t all that bad,” he shrugged, sitting down next to you in bed. 

“Well, not all of us are professional athletes,” you laughed. “How was the pub?”

“Fun. It’d be better if you came.”

“I’m sorry, I was exhausted,” you sighed. “You could’ve stayed in with me and had a spa day.”

“We can have a spa day anywhere. We can have a spa day right now.”

“Mm, I’m all spa’d out. But the water pressure in the shower is excellent, so you should definitely check that out.”

“I will in a little bit,” he said. “Did you try out the actual spa here?”

“They were closed when I checked, which really sucks, since I was in desperate need of a massage.”

“Do you still want one?” Patrick asked. 

“Yeah. I’ll probably try to stop by when they’re open tomorrow and get one.”

“No, I mean, do you want a massage now?” he added. 

It had been a long time since Patrick had offered you a massage—or to put his hands on you in any capacity—but you remembered him being criminally talented at giving them. You also remembered his massages usually making for great foreplay that left your knees weak and your brain a pile of jelly, but that clearly wouldn’t be the case now, and you needed to get your head out of the gutter. 

“I mean, sure. That would be nice,” you tried not to sound too excited, though the prospect of a massage from him sounded very, very nice. 

While the prospect of a massage sounded nice, the actual massage was heavenly. You were sure that years of having personal trainers and physical therapists work knots out of his body had made him an expert at finding knots and kinks in your own, which was now leaving you sighing happily as he ran his hands over your back. 

You tried your best to ignore the dull, fiery feeling growing in your lower stomach that was surely a result of experiencing a type of intimacy that you hadn’t in quite some time. As you let out an involuntary soft sound at a particular knot being rubbed out of your shoulder, you wondered if this massage was affecting him nearly as much as it was affecting you.

You promptly received an answer to this question when something hard and phallic brushed up against your leg. You turned your head to glance back at Patrick, and his face immediately grew red. 

“Sorry. I can stop, if you want. It just happened because of the noises you’re making and- whatever. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Part of you felt a little satisfied knowing that you still had that type of impact on him. It gave you a tiny glimmer of hope to know that you were still, at the least, physically attracted to one another. 

“It’s fine. I’ll shut up.”

“You don’t have to. I want this to be as relaxing as possible for you.”

“Well you’re doing a great job, if you couldn’t tell from all of the moaning and groaning on my end.”

You both somehow made it through the rest of the massage without spilling all over the bed, but as you melted into the bed, feeling every muscle in your body relaxed from your excellent massage, you couldn’t help but note the suspiciously long time Patrick was spending in the shower. And maybe it was just your imagination, but if you listened hard enough, you swore you could hear the sound of a soft chanting of your name coming from the other side of the bathroom door. 

While part of you regretted not suggesting that the two of you help each other out with your mutual problems, you were pretty sure that it was for the best. You genuinely didn’t know where the two of you stood, as far as your relationship went. Hooking up would surely further complicate an already complicated situation, since you were pretty sure that ex-fiancés didn’t typically sleep together. But then again, ex-fiancés also didn’t usually go on a honeymoon despite not being together. Your complicated feelings on the matter only further proved to you that you made the right choice by not giving in to your baser desires. 

By the time Patrick joined you in bed, you were already half asleep. Yet, even in your delirious state, you didn’t miss the way he came up behind you, pulling you into a loving embrace. It brought warmth to your chest to know that he couldn’t even wait for your automatic sleep routine to hold you, and that he felt the need to take matters into his own hands. 

You were pretty sure that exes didn’t do that either. 

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS 

You didn’t know what you expected from your first ferry ride, but being face deep in a barf bag while soothing circles were rubbed into your back was certainly not it. 

Given that you weren’t a frequent rider of large vessels on bodies of water, you had no clue going into the ride that things would go so sideways so quickly for you. If anything, you thought you might have the opportunity to stare peacefully out into the water, or to force Patrick to take a few cute pictures of you. Unfortunately, you were currently doing neither of those things—and it didn’t seem like you’d be doing them any time soon. 

You heaved once more, now almost totally sure that you had nothing left to give. Patrick continued to hold your hair out of your face with one hand and use his other to comfortingly rub your back, not at all fazed by your sickness. If you weren’t currently fighting off another wave of nausea and didn’t have the taste of bile lingering in your mouth, you probably could’ve kissed the man. 

Once your brain finally told you the coast was clear, you leaned your head back and took several deep, gasping breaths of air. 

“You alright, honey?” he asked you, and you didn’t even have the strength—physical or mental—to correct his use of a pet name. 

“I could be better,” you replied, pinching the bridge of your nose as you tilted your head back. “There’s medicine for this, right?”

“Yeah. Let me go see if I can find some.”

As you fought off a war of nausea and headache that was currently beating you on all fronts, you could faintly hear the sound of Patrick asking the people around you if they had any medicine for motion sickness. He eventually returned after what felt like a lifetime, but was probably more like a few minutes, carrying a bottle of Dramamine. 

He helped you take the pill, putting it in your mouth then holding a bottle of water up to your lips to help you swallow it. The action felt oddly romantic, though it was more of a matter of practicality compared to anything else. You were clearly not in a stable enough space to get the pill down on your own, so his assistance wasn’t really anything for you to be over analyzing. 

“Look at you, keeping that down,” he teased, running his hand up and down your arm. The motion was soothing, a bit of bodily comfort amongst a plethora of other awful physical pains you were experiencing. “You’re doing great.”

His soft caresses turned into a full-blown hug, with Patrick pulling you into a tight embrace. While the action itself was rather cute—especially since it seemed to be completely impulsive on his part—it instantly brought on a new wave of nausea. 

“Pat?” you squeaked. 

“Yeah?” he asked. 

“You’re sweet. But if we stay like this, I am going to be sick all over you.”

He pulled away from you with concern, careful not to move too quickly to set off another bout of sickness. While he let go of your body, he continued to hold your hand, as if he were attempting to ground you. With how anxious he was looking, he might’ve been trying to ground himself as well. 

It was cute seeing him so worried about you. You tried your best not to read too much into it, and luckily, your slowly fading nausea was the perfect distraction from doing so. 

“Thank you for the drugs. It was fun watching you scramble all around asking people for help. You’re such a good…” you paused, not really knowing what you were or what to say. “Ex.”

Now wasn’t exactly the ideal time to have the, ‘what are we?’ conversation, but Patrick didn’t seem to mind. And if he did mind, he was doing a damn good job at hiding it. 

“Only the best for my ex.” Maybe you’d just been imaging it, but you swore you sensed a bit of hesitation on his end as he called you his ex. Admittedly, it would be significantly easier for both of you to be calling each other spouses, or even partners. But alas, you weren’t either of those things to each other anymore. 

As if you’d read each other's minds, the two of you quickly moved on from that conversation. 

After you’d arrived and gotten settled into Amsterdam, you set off to explore the city. When presented with a few options of things to do, Patrick insisted that the two of you go on a bike tour, much to your own chagrin. As much as you weren’t sure your legs could handle any more strenuous physical activity, you’d known that Patrick had wanted to take this bike tour since your trip was an actual honeymoon. Who were you to deny him of that?

As the two of you toured the very beautiful city, Patrick made sure to make a show out of his biking skills. While he was no professional cyclist, he certainly had the ego of one—which translated to him going a little too hard at times and nearly falling off of his bike more than once. 

Each time he almost fell, you found yourself also almost falling, the onset of laughter at the ridiculous man riding next to you nearly being too much to handle. Without fail, every time the two of you did your almost falling, then break into a howling laughter routine, you were given dirty looks by your fellow tour mates. Unfortunately, that only made the situation funnier to you and Patrick. 

By the time the tour had wrapped, it was clear that everyone was sick and tired of you. But at least this time, the people around you were sick of the girlish giggles Patrick pulled from you, rather than the rude words he provoked you into saying, like he’d done on the plane. 

It was refreshing to be spending time with him like this. In the time that you’d been so upset about your break up, you forgot about just how good it felt to be around Patrick when your relationship was going well. 

It was also nice to be spending some alone time with him, away from the rest of your tour group. As the two of you looked at strange knick-knacks in an antique store, you realized just how much you missed being alone with him. While it was nice that the two of you had made friends within your group, your dynamic as a duo was obviously something really special. Maybe that’s why the two of you had been together for so long. 

You spent the majority of the afternoon doubled over in laughter, playfully teasing Patrick, or being on the receiving end of subtle, gentle touches. As you really began to think about it, this day of travel had been your favorite—by a long shot. It also happened to be the day that felt most like one from a honeymoon.

Although it had already been clear to you for some time that you still had feelings for Patrick, the day you had spent together had completely sealed the deal. Once Patrick had surprised you with a beautiful bouquet of flowers over dinner, you’d only been more sure that you were sick with love for your ex.

It was a small miracle that you’d rounded out the day without confessing your feelings, particularly since you ended the evening with a movie playing on the television of your hotel room that the two of you barely paid attention to, as Patrick held you and talked about some of the things you’d missed while the two of you were separated. 

In the morning, you woke up to the soft sound of chatter, rather than your loud alarm clock or the sound of deep breaths in the shell of your ear. 

From what you could faintly make out from the words and the lack of a warm body beside you, Patrick was on the phone with his mother. You wanted to feel bad for eavesdropping, especially since you’d just had an argument with Patrick over your snooping habit just over a week ago, but it was far too difficult not to listen in. 

“I’m glad you liked the picture,” you made out from the muffled words behind the doorway. You were sure he was referencing the selfie the two of you took in front of Big Ben a few days ago. You also liked the photo a lot, with the two of you looking particularly good and particularly happy. You’d also taken a more baity photo of him kissing your cheek, specifically to send to his mother who he knew would be overjoyed to see you. While Patrick had explained the idea behind the picture as his mom simply wanting to see you, you knew the more accurate statement is that his mom wanted to see the two of you together. 

After a beat, there was a soft chuckle. “No, we’re not back together. No mom, there’s no ‘yet.’ I know. I’m an idiot, I know- aren’t you supposed to take your child’s side? Well, I don’t know if you know this, but we never ended up getting married, so no, she’s not your daughter. How could she possibly be your favorite child! We just talked about this. I’m gonna hang up. I’m serious. Alright. Love you, bye.”

When Patrick returned, you were already sitting up in bed. 

“Can you tell your mom I say hi next time?” you asked with a cheeky grin on your face, still coming off of the high that was the romantic outing you’d had the day prior. 

“I’m sure she’d love to hear that,” he replied, getting back into bed beside you. “She probably wants to hear from you more than she wants to hear from me.”

You laughed and shook your head, not bothering to argue with his words since you both knew they were pretty accurate. 

“I mean, I’m sure she’ll be inviting you to Thanksgiving and Christmas long after we’ve moved on with other people and have our own families.”

Your heart dropped to your stomach. You were sure of it. You thought you could genuinely feel the movement of your most vital organ slowly sinking into a pit of stomach acid. 

You tried not to let your smile falter, considering that Patrick was looking right at you with a sweet look of his own plastered on his face. You wondered if this was some sort of test, to gauge how you felt after a day of rekindling the love the two of you thought had burnt out. 

Or maybe, more realistically, he’d already come to accept the reality that you’d been stalling on accepting: your relationship was truly over. One fun day wouldn’t change the fact that your wedding had been called off, and that the two of you said things to each other that would alter the foundations of any solid relationship for years to come. 

Your heart was such a traitor. She refused to accept the simple fact that Patrick wanted to move on, and that your relationship was a thing of the past. Maybe, if you couldn’t convince your heart to accept that truth, you might be able to force your brain to. 

“And I’ll still be accepting that invitation, thank you very much,” you stated, trying to sound confident in your words. “In the meantime, let’s get ready before we miss this bus. You can tell me what your mom’s menu is gonna look like this year on our ride over.”

SOMEWHERE IN CENTRAL GERMANY

It was stupid for you to be torn up the way that you were over just a few simple words, but the more you thought about it, the worse you felt. 

In reality, it wasn’t just what Patrick had said to you in the hotel room. It was the fact that he’d been actively trying to move on with other people since who knew when, and the way he seemed to frequently verbally reiterate the fact that your relationship was over. By holding out hope that you might somehow be able to repair your relationship, you were being much more naïve than you even realized. 

You felt stupid. But you also felt confused, because as much as Patrick swore he was over you, and pursued other people, he was also far too comfortable acting like nothing had changed between you two. After all, he was the one flirting with you, and trying to attach himself at the hip to you as you traveled. He was the one who always managed to end up spooning you over the course of the night and woke up kissing whatever part of your body he was closest to. For god's sake, he’d just told you yesterday about how he’d searched high and low to find a bouquet of flowers that he thought you would genuinely like. And most damningly, you hadn’t forgotten the look of hurt on his face when he found out that you had slept with someone else. That wasn’t the behavior of someone who was over their partner.

To say you were receiving mixed messages was a complete understatement. You couldn’t understand how it was possible that the man who was currently leaning against you very affectionately, despite being on a cramped bus, was also totally over you and wanted to move on.

You didn’t know what you wanted to do about the situation, but you were sure that you couldn’t keep going like this. 

Your bus stopped somewhere in Germany for the evening, letting you all out to have dinner and do some light sightseeing before regrouping in the morning and heading to Prague. Somehow, that translated to going to a bar to try out German beer for you, Patrick, and a few of the friends you’d made while traveling. 

After a brief intermission of checking into your hotel room, your small group met up in the lobby, then set off to find a bar. 

Drinking while you were feeling a little upset probably wasn’t your brightest idea. The speed and volume at which you were consuming alcohol was a little concerning, but not nearly as concerning as how much Patrick was drinking. Eventually, even in your drunken state, you realized that you should probably slow down—if nothing else, to take care of him. 

But the two of you continued on, going from bar to bar, getting drunk at a level that probably would’ve been acceptable when you were younger, but was certainly going to take a major toll on you now. 

Forgetting about the repercussions of the future, you two were having a great time. Despite you being out with a group, it felt a little bit like the two of you were in your own little bubble. Nothing else in the world seemed to matter as the two of you took shots and danced together. Not the people around you, not the fact that you had to be up early the next morning to make it onto your coach, not even the fact that Patrick had implied that the two of you would move on and have families with other people only a few days ago. 

By the time that the rest of your group had called it quits, explaining that they wanted to be up and functional in time for your ride the next morning, you and Patrick were still in your own little world. It was only after you’d shared a few drunk cigarettes that the two of you decided that the fun should end, and that it was time to head back to your hotel. 

Unfortunately for you, midway through your trek back home, your drinking buddy had given up on walking, leaving you tasked with literally dragging him all the way back to your hotel. While a sober version of yourself would’ve been annoyed by the inconvenience, all you could really think about was how nice it was to have his body so close to yours.

After a tumultuous journey back, the two of you finally made it back to your hotel room. You had only been in the room for a matter of seconds before Patrick collapsed onto the bed and let out a loud sigh of relief, followed by an even louder yawn, as if he was the one who had just carried you down the road.

It was annoyingly endearing. 

You had half the mind to at least get somewhat ready before getting into bed, shedding your outermost layer of clothing before joining Patrick in bed. 

“Thank you,” he said to you once you laid down next to him. 

“Mhm,” you hummed, your head still pleasantly buzzing from the alcohol. “But I’m never doing that again.”

“Aww, why? We had so much fun,” he practically whined. “I always have so much fun when we’re together.”

“I had fun, but you’re so heavy. You’d never guess it. All those muscles,” in the midst of your complaining, you reached over to grab his bicep to demonstrate his point. 

He laughed, which made you laugh, though you didn’t exactly know what you were laughing at. Then, out of the blue, he randomly said your name in a very serious tone. 

“Can you help me with something?” he asked, sounding very genuine and giving you a look that you couldn’t quite place in your drunken state. 

“Anything,” you replied earnestly and meant it. You would probably do literally anything that he asked you to do at that moment. Move a mountain? You’d start pushing. Marry him? You’d wake up an officiant and come up with vows on the spot. Help him hide a body? You were sure you could find a shovel somewhere.

“Can you help me get my shoes off?” he lifted a foot as he spoke to demonstrate his point, a little pout on his lips. You were a little disappointed that he hadn’t asked you for anything else, but you also weren’t quite sure what it was that you wanted him to ask you for. 

You groaned playfully, a long and drawn out sound that you hoped would communicate that you were exhausted after dragging him through the city and comfortable where you were laying. Still, you leaned over and untied his shoes before gently slipping them off. When you looked back up at Patrick, his pants were newly half undone and halfway off, but it looked as if he had given up fully taking his pants off. 

“Need help with that too?” you asked, though you were already working on slipping the article of clothing off of his legs.

Though you tried to push the thought out of your mind, you couldn’t help but recall a similar night the two of you shared several years ago. Your relationship was still relatively new, but you were already very obviously in love. So in love that you’d gone out of your way to set up a surprise party to celebrate a particularly successful tennis match, decorating your apartment with photos of him with trophies and other tennis paraphernalia and inviting as many of his close friends that you could track down. Still riding the high of winning and his all-consuming adoration of you, Patrick had partied a little too hard, leaving you in charge of tucking him in at the end of the night. 

After bringing him a glass of water, the man snuggled into your sheets and slurred out a comment about how they smelled like you. You felt your cheeks warm as he continued on in a disjointed ramble, talking about how much he appreciated you and how no one had ever gone out of their way to make him feel like that before. He ended his monologue with a request for you to help him take his clothes off, and you happily obliged. It was tender and far more intimate than you’d expected, and ended in a drawn out kiss that left you giggling as you told Patrick that he tasted like Smirnoff Ice. 

Even as inebriated as you currently were, the nostalgia made you feel a little dizzy. 

By the time you’d finished helping him get his pants off, Patrick had clearly given up on getting his shirt off, too. Once again, you moved your hands up his body and helped him out with the piece of fabric. 

“Look at that. All ready for bed,” you commented, setting a hand on his bare chest. The small action made your heart soar, and you promptly decided that it was probably better for you to avoid touching him altogether. 

“My watch?” Patrick asked, lifting his wrist up to show you the accessory. 

“You can take your watch off yourself,” you replied, leaning back into bed and finally laying down. 

“Fine.”

“Night, Patty,” you said, reaching over to turn out the bedside lamp. 

“Wait,” he paused pensively, as if he was digging deep in the recesses of his mind to conjure up what he was about to say. “A kiss?”

“Patrick!” you gasped, sounding far more scandalized by the proposition than you actually were. Of course you would give him a kiss, you just weren’t sure you were ready to open up that can of worms, especially after you’d had a minor crisis at the realization that he genuinely wanted to move on.

“No goodnight kiss? C’mon. Fully commit to tucking me in,” Patrick insisted, as if it was the most logical thing ever. As if either of you had the self control to not let something as simple as a kiss spiral out of control. 

“Fine,” you sighed before pressing a gentle peck to his forehead, figuring that was the safest place to do so. A forehead kiss was about as platonic as it got with you.  “Sweet dreams.”

“Thank you,” he said, rather sweetly as his eyes shut. “Love you.”

Those words instantly gave you pause, causing you to suddenly feel very alert and very sober.

“Sorry, what did you just say?”

“I said I love you?” Patrick repeated, looking at you with confusion. “What?”

“Nothing,” though it was very much not nothing. In fact, if his confession was true, it would change everything. “Go to bed.”

“Wait, what?” Patrick grabbed your arm, looking very worried in the low light of the room. “You’re mad. You’re mad that I love you?”

You didn’t even know how you were supposed to react to that admission. While it had been exactly what you’d been dying to hear from him for months, it only further complicated your already very complicated situation.

“I’m not mad, I’m… I’m just tired. Let’s go to sleep, okay?”

Your explanation seemed to placate Patrick enough to let it go and go to sleep. He shuffled around to get comfortable behind you, before pulling you in to hold you as he’d done for the entirety of the trip. Except, tonight, it didn’t feel quite right. The mixture of his frequent rejections of you, paired with his casual confession that he still loved you made your head spin. 

The following morning, you woke up with a pounding in your head and a gross taste in your mouth—only one of which, you could fully attribute to the drinking you’d done last night. You clumsily reached for your phone, and found yourself pleasantly surprised to find an announcement about the delay of the next bus you would be getting on. 

You got out of bed with a grunt, your entire body aching with the reminder of having to drag Patrick through the city last night. Somehow, the sore muscles didn’t hurt nearly as much compared to the memory of being told that Patrick still loved you. 

You slowly paced back and forth around your hotel room, desperately trying to organize your racing thoughts. Did Patrick actually mean what he said last night? Or had been caught up in the heat of the moment? If anything, the latter seemed more likely, since he’d been very obviously trying to distance himself from you. But had he really been distancing himself from you, or just talking about distancing himself from you? If his care for you on the ferry had been any indication of how he really felt about you, it was possible that his drunken words were more honest than you were trying to convince yourself that they were. 

Finally, you decided to stop annoying the person staying in the room under you with your increasingly frantic pacing, and to go outside to walk. Some fresh air would be good for you anyway. 

“Where’re you going?” a muffled voice, heavy with sleep asked. You paused the tying of your shoes to look over at the bed, where Patrick was currently squinting at you.  

“I’m just going for a walk,” you told him. “Go back to sleep. The coach is coming late.”

“Wait for me. I’ll come with you.”

That was probably the last thing you needed or wanted. After all, the whole purpose of your walk was to help you sort out your thoughts about Patrick. To say he wasn’t a welcome addition to your trip was an understatement.

“Okay,” you said anyway, against your better judgment. It seemed like you hadn’t been using much of your judgment at all on this trip. What was one more poor decision on top of a series of poor decisions?

You watched him get ready from where you were sitting, quietly impressed with his ability to get up and be functional despite surely being just as hungover—if not more—than you. He also seemed wholly unaffected by the conversation you’d had last night, which was something that you certainly couldn’t say for yourself. 

With sunglasses perched on your nose and the weight of your entire relationship placed on your shoulders, the two of you headed out into the city, walking on the same sidewalks that you’d practically carried Patrick down the previous night. 

“Last night was fun,” Patrick commented, making small talk with you as you began to head down the street. 

“Some parts,” you agreed, hoping that he’d recall you grunting as you lugged him down the street, rather than your shock when he told you that he still loved you. 

“I honestly don’t remember most of the night,” Patrick said with a chuckle that almost sounded a little forced. You couldn’t be sure if he was being honest or searching for a cop out for the things he’d told you before you went to sleep, but you weren’t sure that it really mattered.

“Unfortunately, I do,” you replied. 

“Oh no. I hope I wasn’t too much of a pain.”

“You were like, slightly above average in terms of being a pain. Nothing I’m not used to.” You figured that maybe you could banter your way out of this situation. Perhaps if you just pretended that everything was okay, things would magically become okay.

But that didn’t feel alright. In fact, it wasn’t alright. If you ever wanted to improve your relationship with Patrick, you had to stop beating around the bush with him. You were both adults. You’d been together for years, yet you felt like you wasted far too much time not being straightforward with your thoughts and feelings. If there was going to be a next time for the two of you, you wanted things to be different. 

“You did say something kinda interesting last night, though.” While it had been easy to talk up a big game in your head, you immediately regretted the words that came out of your mouth. Regardless, it was too late for you to back out. 

Patrick laughed nervously before asking, “what?”

“You just… you kinda told me you still have feelings for me, or whatever. I just think, maybe we should talk about it. Or at least talk about us.”

The man next to you paled at your words. Your regret for bringing the topic up immediately grew exponentially. 

“I don’t think there’s anything to talk about,” Patrick said, though he was lying through his teeth and both of you knew it. You wanted to approach this topic with civility and an open mind, but his blatant lie was making that a rather difficult task.

“Are you kidding? We’ve been tip-toeing around it this entire trip.”

“We’re broken up. You called off our wedding. I don’t think it gets any more straightforward than that,” he dismissed with a gross simplification of the state of your relationship.

“That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it. And even if it was, all I said was that I didn't think I was ready to get married. You put the final nail in the coffin when you told me you fell out of love with me. But I don’t know how I’m supposed to interpret you not being in love with me anymore when you still act the way that you act with me.”

You could tell the direction this conversation was going, your discussion quickly veering into argument territory as Patrick began to invade your space as he always did when you argued. 

“And how exactly do I act with you?” he challenged, though you were sure he knew exactly what you were talking about.  

“Do you want me to give you a list or something?” you asked, his anger becoming contagious.

“Sure, why not,” he said drily. 

“Fine. Let’s start with the cuddling, then. Please enlighten me, do you know any exes who spoon regularly? I mean, I certainly don’t. I don’t even touch my friends like that. So I don’t know what that really makes us. Or maybe how jealous you got when you saw me with someone else. I really can’t think of any sort of platonic explanation for that, and trust me, I’ve tried. And while we’re at it, I guess I should mention those showers. I respect the hell out of your faith in the thickness of these hotel walls, but I actually can hear you moaning my name while you’re in there. I’m honestly a little flattered, but I’m mostly confused.”

“Like you’re not doing the same,” Patrick scoffed. You knew him well enough to recognize that he was masking his true feelings with hostility, and though you wanted to engage in an actual conversation with him, you weren’t sure you would be able to take the high road in this conversation.

“Sure, but I’m not the one in denial of what’s going on here!”

“I’m not in denial. Have you ever considered that maybe I want to move on?”

“Do you, though?” you asked, pausing on the sidewalk.

“Clearly, I do,” he stopped right along with you, now really getting in your face.

“Clearly,” you repeated with a laugh. “Maybe you should start acting like it.”

“Maybe you should stop clinging to the past.”

His piercing gaze was unwavering as he waited to read your reaction. You knew how he liked to play this game, looking for an indication of any sort of weakness from you. You refused to give him that, though his words cut deep. 

“Okay,” you said calmly, though you were very much not feeling calm on the inside. “Well, thanks for letting me know how you really feel. Or how you think you feel. I don’t really know anymore. And I don’t think you know either.”

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC

If you had known that telling Patrick that he drunkenly confessed to loving you would’ve broken the already very delicate relationship the two of you had built back up, you never would’ve said anything at all. As it turned out, having some of Patrick was better than not having him at all.

The contempt he now felt for you had become so strong that he didn’t even seem to be able to look at you. He sat next to a different person on the bus to Prague, not even sparing you a glance. When you arrived at the hotel, he made it a point to ask for separate rooms—something the two of you hadn’t done the entirety of your trip. As your tour began, he seemed to make a strong effort to separate himself from you, standing in the back of your group when you were in the front and vice versa. 

Usually, even after your worst arguments, you’d been able to find the time to talk out your feelings, but now it seemed like Patrick couldn’t even find it in himself to give you that.

You wanted to be mad at Patrick too. You were mad at him. But you missed him more than you were angry with him, and you yearned to be with him, no matter how crazy his constant antics drove you. 

Part of you felt frustrated that your relationship had become so cyclical since your breakup. You weren’t sure you could handle another cycle of fighting to the point of real anger, then making up with your relationship still a little more strained than it was in the past. You just wanted Patrick. Why did things have to be any more complicated than that? 

You desperately clung on to any bits of hope that your relationship might persist, coming out of this argument altered, but still existing. You snuck peeks at Patrick while you toured a beautiful castle and tried to bite your tongue until you stopped thinking of how badly you wanted to grab him and joke about his home looking like that castle. You wondered if he wanted to put your initials on a lock and put it on a bridge as much as you did. You wished you could ask him if he missed the warm body in bed beside him the way you did. 

But every time you looked at him, he was pointedly not looking at you. As your group paused on the bridge to allow couples the time to make their own locks, Patrick didn’t even spare a glance in your direction. You were sure that even if he did miss you in bed, or wherever else, he would never tell you about it. 

You didn’t want it to be over—but you couldn’t keep clinging to hope that it wasn’t. 

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Getting to view the breathtaking scenery of the Swiss Alps as you sat on a cable car had been a dream of yours for years. What wasn’t included in that dream was dodging the glare of your ex-fiancé as the two of you sat in silence on that very gondola. 

Unluckily for the two of you, you were stuck together for the afternoon. Private skiing lessons in the Swiss Alps sounded like a great, even romantic, idea while you were planning the trip, but it was far from romantic now. 

The two of you stood on opposite sides of your instructor, the tension between you so thick that in the midst of his safety spiel, he paused to ask if everything was okay between you. After a stilted reply of yes, your instructor looked at you both skeptically before carrying on. 

Seeing as Patrick was an athlete who spent his childhood school breaks in Aspen, he was pretty decent at skiing already. Far better than you, a novice who was moving a little bit like a giraffe standing on its feet for the first time. 

While it wasn’t your first time skiing—that had been on a family vacation you’d tagged along on with the Zweigs—you certainly were not experienced enough to be keeping up with Patrick, who had the experience and the ego to give even your instructor a run for his money. 

It was entertaining to watch him in his element, his competitive side coming out despite the fact there was no competition anywhere to be found. He was significantly faster than you wherever you went, and skied with a confidence that you doubted you would ever be able to exhibit. In the past, this behavior may have been slightly endearing to you, but right now, it was mostly a little annoying. 

You and your instructor stood above Patrick, watching him effortlessly glide down the mountain in front of you. If you weren’t so agitated, you might actually have been impressed. As if your instructor was actively reading your mind, he leaned over to say something to you. 

“I think he’s trying to impress you,” he said quietly, though the subject of your conversation was an entire slope away. 

You nearly choked on your own saliva at the observation. “No way.”

“What do you mean no way?” he laughed. “Trust me, I’ve been doing this for years, and I’ve seen it all. Couples, crushes, friends, coworkers. I know posturing when I see it.”

“Trust me, he could care less.”

He looked at you with a doubting squint.  “Why don’t we go down there and ask him?”

“Absolutely not,” you laughed. The thought of asking Patrick anything after the interactions you’d had seemed absolutely ridiculous. At this point, you wouldn’t even ask him what time it was. 

“Sorry. Let me rephrase that. That was me telling you that it’s time for you to go down the slope.”

You looked downhill at where you needed to go, noting that it was far steeper than what you’d been practicing on leading up to this point. You had been looking for an excuse to stall going down it, but now that your instructor had said something about that, you couldn’t not go.

After taking a deep breath, you began to go down. Gaining a bit of speed, you also found yourself growing slightly more confident, closing your eyes and feeling the cold air press against your body. While you were enjoying your speed at first, it was quickly growing out of hand, and you began to panic as you realized just how fast you were going. Desperately trying to pull your skis into a V shape to slow down, you were horrified at the realization that you were far too late, and actively heading towards a cluster of trees. You didn’t know what to do other than to accept your fate, and everything had happened so fast anyway that you found yourself tumbling into a tree, a searing pain on your ankle and tailbone as you laid out on the rocky ground.

Everything felt like it was moving slowly and quickly at the same time. One second, you were alone in the snow, and the next, Patrick and your ski instructor were hovering over you, goggles on their foreheads as they looked at you with concern.

“Are you okay?” you were finally able to make out once the slight ringing in your ears had ceased. 

“Did you see how hard she crashed? Of course she isn’t fucking okay,” Patrick’s voice huffed, though slightly muffled from your helmet covering your ears.

“My ankle,” you said, as if that gave them enough context. You wondered if they could see the tears beginning to pool under your goggles. The pair looked at your limb, though with your snowsuit covering it, they really couldn’t see much. 

“Can you walk?” your instructor asked you. 

“I haven’t tried, but I’m gonna go with no.”

“We’re gonna have someone check you out. Don’t worry, they’ll be here soon,” your ski instructor told you. You blinked a few times and mustered all the strength you could to nod. 

The longer you sat, the more you began to realize how badly everything hurt. From your head down to your surely swollen ankle, you weren’t feeling too hot. You closed your eyes, suddenly feeling very exhausted. Maybe a quick little nap was exactly what you needed to feel a little better.

“Hey, don’t do that. You hit your head pretty hard when you fell, so you might have a concussion.”

“I don’t, I’m just tired,” you explained, though you didn’t know for a fact that it was true. In fact, with the pounding in your head, you more likely than not had a mild concussion. 

“Well, you kinda have to stay awake,” Patrick told you, though he surely knew it was easier said than done. You were surprised when you felt his gloved hand take yours and squeezed your hand softly. “Hey, why don’t you tell us a story?” he suggested, clearly just trying to keep you awake.

“Do you wanna hear the story about how he proposed to me?” you asked the instructor. You weren’t sure why that was the first thing to pop into your head, but it was a long enough story to keep you awake until help arrived. You wished your goggles were slightly less tinted, so you could at least see the scandalized expression Patrick was probably making. You loved when you made him react like that, since the roles were usually reversed. 

“Well, yeah. Of course,” your instructor responded with a hint of a laugh. “You guys are engaged?” he directed towards Patrick.

“This is our honeymoon,” you replied before Patrick had an opportunity to respond. You wished you could see the confused look that your instructor was surely making.

“So what happened?”

“When he proposed?” you asked to clarify. 

“...Sure.”

“Well, for a little context, Patrick here is a professional tennis player. He’s really good too. So given my athletic ability, as you got to see today, I never really played with him. Like, he would always ask me to just play a fun, quick little round and I would always tell him no. Mostly because I knew he would crush me. I did play a little bit back in the day, but I was nowhere near his level. I mostly preferred to be on the sideline while we dated. I mean, I came to every single one of his games. I’m pretty sure my office introduced remote work to us because of me, since I was traveling all the time to see him.

“Anyway, one day, after a day of buttering me up, and I mean, he was really laying it on thick. I don’t know how I didn’t think something was up,” you laughed as you recalled the day, how Patrick had scheduled a nail appointment for you, then wined and dined you during a very romantic midday picnic. “But he asked me to play a little bit of tennis with him. I think I just thought he spent the day buttering me up so that I would play tennis with him, not that I would agree to marry him, but I digress. 

“We get to the tennis court and Patrick’s nervous like I’ve never seen him. He was a little jittery all day, but this was a different beast. Looking back, I really don’t understand why. He should’ve known I was going to say yes. Anyway, we’re playing, and somehow I win, even though I’m extremely rusty and have absolutely awful form. Obviously I knew Patrick threw the match for me, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t gonna gloat at him. 

“So I’m doing my victory spiel and I walk over to his side of the court, where he’s digging in his bag. He’s so quiet, which should’ve been a sign that something was up, and I’m thinking he’s about to pull out more tennis balls and tell me we’re doing a rematch, so he can really crush me. Instead, he pulls out a box and gets down on one knee. He gives me a speech about how he didn’t care if he never won another game of tennis in his life, because as long as we were together, he was a winner. It was really sweet. Obviously I said yes.”

You finally looked over at Patrick, though you couldn’t perfectly read his expression through the darkened lens of your goggles. You wondered if he felt any of the same feelings that were currently simmering in your own chest. Though, you didn’t get to stew too long, as help arrived just as your story came to a close. 

You were taken to an infirmary and given a series of tests, some to see the state of your head and other to see how the rest of your body was doing. Surprisingly, you made it out without too much serious damage. Your ankle was sprained, but nothing that would make it take too long to heal. You had a concussion, which surprised you, given your ability to recall so many details earlier in the day, but it was a very mild one. At least you’d made it back into your hotel in one piece. 

You really just wanted to relax for the rest of the evening, and you had plans to do exactly that, when there was suddenly a soft rapping at your door. 

You got up, and with help from the crutches you were provided, you hobbled to the door and opened it. On the other side was Patrick, who you were both surprised and unsurprised to see. 

“Hey. I got your room number from the front desk,” Patrick told you. “Do you mind if I come in?”

“Sure, but I’m probably going to sleep soon,” with some effort, you sidestepped the doorway to let him in.

“Do you need anything? Want anything?” he asked as he made himself at home in your room, evaluating what you already had. 

“I’m good, I think.”

“How’re you feeling? They wouldn’t let me see you at the infirmary.”

“I’ve been better,” you shrugged, sitting down on the foot of your bed to take some pressure off of your aching ankle. 

“I bet. Are you icing that?” he asked, gesturing to your most obvious injury. 

“I haven’t been able to make it out to the ice machine,” you confessed, though the doctor had suggested ice for the inflammation. 

“Let me go grab some for you,” he said before disappearing out into the hallway. Once he left, you laid back in bed, letting out a sigh of relief at how much better being flat felt. 

You’d be lying if you said you didn’t like being taken care of this way. It seemed like no matter how bad things got between the two of you, you would always care for one another in some capacity. You wondered what had gone through Patrick’s mind when he saw you hurt yourself. You wondered if that changed anything in the way he felt about you. 

He knocked on the door once more to tell you he was back, though the door was already unlocked. 

“If there’s anything else you need, I mean anything at all, just call me. I’m just down the hall from you,” he told you as he bagged up the ice he retrieved. 

He sat down on the foot of the bed, where you’d previously been sitting, and tenderly set the bag of ice on your ankle, clearly not wanting to hurt you any more than you were already hurt. He looked at you a little sadly before standing back up, not wanting to linger in your presence too long. 

“I’ll let you get some sleep,” he explained, already turning to head towards the door. 

“Thanks, Patrick,” you paused, looking for any other words you had for him. “Good night.”

“Night.”

SOMEWHERE IN ITALY

The next few days in Switzerland had been extremely boring. Due to doctor’s orders, you mainly stayed in bed, avoiding screens by reading books, and looking out the window to view the mountains that you were currently missing. 

Although you had to miss a lot of the fun your tour was going on, like a cheese and chocolate tour, you somehow still received an anonymous delivery of cheeses and chocolates—though, you were pretty sure you knew who was responsible for that. 

Patrick didn’t seem like he wanted to overstep any boundaries, which you respected, though you really could’ve used some company whose ear you could talk off. Hell, you’d even take another nasty argument over the resounding silence of your room. 

Luckily for you, by the time your group was traveling once again, you were starting to feel slightly better, concussion and ankle-wise. Though, your head was starting to hurt from listening to a person at the front of the bus go on about how much they needed the bus to pull over somewhere. 

After a period of incessant complaining from someone on your bus, the vehicle finally came to a stop at a small rest stop in the middle of the Italian countryside. 

Not willing to pass up an opportunity to stretch your legs, you got off at the stop, briefly stopping inside the building to look at what they had to offer before stepping behind the building, watching the wind blow through the overgrown weeds. 

Your attempt at enjoying the quiet, idyllic countryside was disturbed when you were joined by a smoking companion. 

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” he said. 

Before you could stop it, a sad smile appeared on your face. The two of you hadn’t spoken since your brief conversation in your hotel room, despite the mystery snack deliveries and the promise of coming if you called.

“I’ve been worried about you,” he said plainly.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” you dismissed. 

“You’ve spent the last few days all alone in a room with a concussion.”

“It’s mild.”

“You fucked up your ankle.”

“It’s healing. It’s not all that bad.”

“Well, I’ve been worried anyway,” he passed you his partially smoked cigarette and you took a drag from it, though you were sure that was one of the things you shouldn’t be doing with a concussion. 

“Thanks, I guess.” you said. “So is this just a wellness check, or…?”

“No, well, yes. Obviously I was worried about you physically, but I also was wondering about how you were in general.”

It was strange to see him clumsily mince his words, given how bold he usually was.

“Oh? What changed between here and Germany?”

“What changed? What changed was that I watched you almost die.”

You laughed aloud at his over dramatization of the event. “Patrick, I did not almost die.”

“How would I have known that? I just saw you flying downhill out of control and crashing and it terrified me. I couldn’t imagine a world without you in it.”

You weren’t sure how you were supposed to interpret his words, especially after the wild ride you’d been on throughout the trip. You weren’t sure you could handle another emotional bait and switch. 

“Pat, maybe we should talk about this later. The bus is probably taking off soon.”

“No,” he stopped you with a hand on your arm, calling you back with a desperation you hadn’t seen in him in a long time. “I don’t want to waste another second without you.”

“Okay,” you said, though you weren’t sure that you should buy into it yet. “Go ahead, then.”

“I can’t keep pretending that I don’t want you or don’t want to be with you,” he confessed, which genuinely took you by surprise. With the way he’d been dodging your attempts at building a connection, you certainly didn’t think he’d tell you something like that. 

“Then why have you been pretending?” you asked, hoping that your somewhat harsh words didn’t betray your genuine curiosity behind his behavior. 

“I don’t know,” he said. It was a terrible, unsatisfying answer. One that didn’t explain a single reason behind his behavior. “I guess I just can’t wrap my head around the idea that anyone would want to keep me around long-term.”

You looked at him with shock in your eyes, your mouth slightly agape at the confession. You couldn’t imagine Patrick, overconfident, bold, and self-assured, who you’d been dating for years, not feeling secure in your relationship–to the point where he’d been actively trying to push you away out of anticipating how you’d feel about him.

“When you told me you weren’t ready to be with me, it just confirmed everything I’d been worried about—that one day you would wake up next to me and realize that I wasn’t the guy you wanted. I guess it just happened sooner than I anticipated.”

You almost couldn’t believe what you were hearing. “If you felt like that, then why’d you tell me you weren’t in love with me anymore?”

“I thought if you were gonna leave me anyway, I might as well beat you to the punch.”

You were giving it your all to keep it together at this point, feeling slightly vindicated to know that Patrick was lying about no longer loving you, but mostly devastated that your whole relationship had been uprooted over an assumption that Patrick had made about you. 

“I… I don’t even know what to say,” you looked out into the grass, then back at Patrick. “I wish you’d stop assuming that you know what I want all the time.”

“Hey you two, last call for the coach,” your tour guide suddenly interrupted, looking very obviously annoyed that the two of you were holding the bus up. 

“Sorry. We’ll head back now,” you apologized to the guide. “We’ll continue this conversation later?” you directed towards Patrick. 

“Yeah,” he agreed. 

VENICE, ITALY

Putting a hold on your conversation probably wasn’t the wisest idea you’d ever had, considering that your next few days in Italy were set to be your busiest this far. 

Between gondola rides on different boats and exploring historic palaces, the two of you didn’t have much time to stop and have as serious of a talk as you wanted to have. Even if you did somehow manage to pick up where you’d left off, there were so many people around you that it didn’t even feel worth it. 

Luckily for you, your hotel had a private beach attached to it, and as you spent your evening by the beach, watching the sun go down, you were pleased to find that you were joined by familiar company. 

At first, Patrick didn’t say anything as he sat down on the same chair next to you. The two of you enjoyed the serene sunset and privacy that the beach afforded you in silence, though you were sure that things wouldn’t stay that way for long. 

“I love you, you know?” he finally piped up, breaking the silence with a very bold declaration. 

You looked at him calmly, though you weren’t feeling very calm on the inside. You’d been waiting to hear those words from him from the moment that the two of you broke up. You weren’t sure how you were supposed to react to it now, though the confession was better late than never. 

“I love you too. I never stopped,” you told him simply, as if the realization that you were stuck on him hadn’t been haunting you for months now.

“I never did, either. It was cruel of me to ever tell you that I did.”

You nodded in agreement, wondering if Patrick would ever understand the full extent of the damage his words had done to you. “It was, but I understand where you were coming from. If I had known that you didn’t think I was going to stick around, I would’ve gone about what I did differently,” you began to explain. “I think it came across as me not wanting to marry you at all. Of course I wanted to marry you. There was just so much else going on in my life then that the timing didn’t feel right.”

“But the timing might be right someday?” Patrick asked, a hopeful lilt in his voice. 

“The timing will be right someday. Maybe sooner than either of us know,” you shot him a wink, then broke into a grin as he pulled you into a firm, loving embrace. 

ATHENS, GREECE 

The rest of your time in Italy mainly consisted of making up for lost time, with the two of you partaking in far more PDA than what was ever necessary and thoroughly documenting your time abroad together as a couple. 

Thanks to your injury, you were slightly slower than the rest of your group. But that certainly didn’t stop Patrick from lagging along with you, letting you lean on him for support when you needed it and pausing to sit and take breaks with you whenever you noticed that walking was taking too much of a toll on you.

It was nice to be back with him, to not have to feel stupid for feeling what you felt or feel the pressure of knowing that you should probably be trying to move on. The only unfortunate part was how little time the two of you had left on vacation, with you heading home after spending a few days in Athens. If only the two of you had been upfront about your feelings earlier, then you could’ve been having as great of a time as you were having now during your entire trip. 

The two of you briefly floated the idea of having somewhat of a shotgun wedding, but scrapped it after realizing that you would prefer to have your family and friends there to celebrate with you. After all, many of them had been on the emotional rollercoaster that was your relationship right along with you. 

For the time being, the two of you were perfectly content with being together, and knowing that neither of you had any intentions of leaving. 

Somehow, that made your last few days of vacation feel infinitely better. 

ATHENS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

You scrolled endlessly on your phone, sending out a few messages to friends and family to let them know that you were heading back home. While you typically felt a few nerves before boarding a plane anywhere, you couldn’t help but feel a renewed sense of excitement, both at the thought of being able to go back home and sleep in your own bed, and at the potential your newly reformed relationship had. 

Your scrolling was interrupted by Patrick’s presence, carrying a coffee and a breakfast sandwich in his hands with a slightly goofy look on his face. 

“Sorry for taking so long. I think everyone and their mother wanted coffee today,” he explained as he sat down, passing you your items as he got comfortable next to you. 

“No worries. I’m just glad you were running late to grab us breakfast, instead of trying to switch our seats like last time.”

The two of you shared a laugh before Patrick said, “That feels like a lifetime ago.”

“It basically was,” you dismissed. 

Once it was announced that your group was boarding, the two of you stood up quickly, attempting to gather your bearings before getting on the plane. 

“‘Till next time, Europe,” you bid the country goodbye as the two of you made your way to the line. 

“Should we come back to Europe? I was thinking our next honeymoon should be somewhere else. Maybe Bali.”

“Oooh, Bali sounds nice. I think anywhere warm and with a beach is good,” you explained, though you really didn’t care where you went, as long as Patrick was there by your side.

[ruggiezz]

— EMBARASSING THINGS THEY DID IN THE PAST : twisted wonderland

[synopsis] embarassing things they did when they were younger that now haunt them whenever they are trying to sleep

[characters] deuce, cater, trey (+chenya), leona, ruggie, jack, malleus

[extra] my last 3 posts are literally so unserious, so here's another one, for the funsies (ily guys)

★﹕DEUCE SPADE

When he was in elementary school, he would chat with his friends while waiting for his mom to come pick him up and take him home. That particular day, his mom was late, and 6-year-old Deuce freaked out. He was convinced that his mom didn't love him anymore, and that's why he wouldn't pick him up—that he was going to be homeless and would have to live on the streets in a cardboard box. He even started crying, which made his friends cry. They started saying goodbye to Deuce because how were they going to see him again if his mom wouldn't bring him to school?

Anyways, his mom came to pick him up 10 minutes later.

★﹕CATER DIAMOND

Back then when he actually tried to make friends whenever he moved schools, he had a huge crush on one of his classmates. One day, he overheard his crush talking about how they "would love to be with someone who loves nature as much as them". Cater wanted to impress his crush so badly that he made a Magicam post with him posing next to random trees and captioned it with "I love nature so much omg😍".

The photo is still out there on the internet because he forgot the password for the account, and the idea of someone from NRC finding the account terrifies him.

★﹕TREY CLOVER (+CHENYA)

Another one that takes place in elementary school. Trey and Chenya were walking around the city after classes when they spotted an electricity pylon. They thought it was the Eiffel Tower (the equivalent of it in Twisted Wonderland), and they got all excited about it, so they came back with Trey's parents so they could take a picture of them next to it.

Their parents bring up the topic from time to time just to laugh at their innocence back then.

★﹕LEONA KINGSCHOLAR

When he was a little kid, he had a nightmare where he was being chased. He was tossing around the bed, mumbling while sleeping. Falena was walking around the halls when he heard noises from Leona's room, and when he saw him clearly having a nightmare, he tried to wake him up. Leona got so startled that he screamed and kicked his older brother in the face.

Sometimes he remembers when he's about to fall asleep, and suddenly his sleepiness is gone from how much he cringed.

★﹕RUGGIE BUCCHI

He needed money, so he decided to work as a party mascot. It went well the first couple of times; it paid well, until he had to work at this particular kids party. The parents told Ruggie to walk down the stairs, greet the kid, wish him a happy birthday, and then just stand there to greet the children whenever they talked to him. Keep in mind that he couldn't see well in the mascot suit. So when Ruggie tried to walk down the stairs, he tripped and fell. The suit's head fell off, and there was just silence for around ten seconds, then the kids started crying. They thought their favorite character had just died right in front of them.

The birthday boy was inconsolable. Needless to say, Ruggie didn't get paid, and his party mascot careed ended that day.

★﹕JACK HOWL

It happened when his parents weren't home. His younger siblings were playing around with paint, and they asked him if they could paint his face. Jack said yes because it was harmless and would wash off, right? Wrong, it was permanent paint.

He had an important exam the next day, so he just showed up to school with his face looking like a kid painting that parents would display on the fridge door. Jack had to go to school like that for three days.

★﹕MALLEUS DRACONIA

Malleus has known Lilia for as long as he can remember; he basically raised him. One day, he had the genius idea to copy his hair. He waited for a moment when he was left unsupervised (in Lilia's defense, Malleus faked being asleep), grabbed some scissors, and cut his own bangs. It was awful; it looked like how you would think a little kid would cut their hair. He was so proud of himself until Lilia saw it. To little Malleus dismay, Lilia laughed his ass off, and whenever his laughter would stop, he would look at Malleus and start laughing again.

He got so upset he burned Lilia's bangs off.

[marauder-misprint]

Faking it

Sirius Black x fem!reader

3k words

cw: fluff

People were only mildly surprised when you started to date Sirius. He had started flirting with you in Charms. And then in Astronomy and Ancient Runes. Which turned into whenever and wherever he saw you in the castle. You had never thought much of it, knowing full well that Sirius flirted with a lot of girls. It wasn’t until he asked you to accompany him to Hogsmeade that it hit you: He hadn’t been flirting with anyone else for at least a week, only you. Everyone else saw it coming, but you were blindsided.

When the first date went well, you still played it low, not believing that Sirius could commit to one person. With more dates and continued flirting, you two became official. You had been convinced that maybe you could be enough for him. After a month of being official, it was everyone else who was fully surprised. Sirius never stayed with one girl so long. It stroked your pride that of all the girls at Hogwarts, you were the one who got him to stick around for a while. 

For a time, you two were inseparable. Always cozied up to each other before and after classes. Always taking trips to Hogsmeade, just the two of you. Snogging in a corner, away from the prying eye.

You thought everything was fine over the Christmas break. You made time to see each other, you going to the Potters’, where he was staying. Nothing anyone said or did hinted at anything being amiss, except for a single glance shared between SIrius and James a few minutes before midnight on New Year’s Eve. You brushed it off as overthinking what was likely a trick of the light. 

The ride back to Hogwarts was fine. As was the Welcome Back feast. Everything was fine. You weren’t as attached at the hip, but you figured that was healthy, being comfortable in your relationship and being your own people. Yes, that was good and everything was fine. 

Until you heard him flirting with another girl a few weeks into the spring term. Your heart sank and shattered. You watched her twirl her hair and giggle. He gave her his award-winning smile. She leaned up and kissed his cheek. He had no negative reaction, no “I have a girlfriend.” The hollow, empty feeling of disbelief sank into your chest as you turned and walked away. You skipped dinner to be in your room. You sobbed.

The next day, you broke up with Sirius at breakfast. You approached him and ripped off the bandaid.

“Sirius, congrats, you’re free to see other girls, like you so apparently want to. We’re over.”

You walk away before more tears can fall. You leave the table of Gryffindors utterly confused. Sirius and James had discussed your relationship over the break, which had resulted in James telling him that it was his first long relationship so he would have adjustments to make if he wanted it to last. Sirius had been under the impression that everything was still going good between you. After you ended it, he just sat at the table, staring at where you had stood and delivered the blow.

“Pads? You okay?” Remus asked.

He didn’t respond. He didn’t know what he did wrong, where it went wrong. The girl he had worked so hard to get was gone and he didn’t know why. He couldn’t focus at all in class that day.

You, on the other hand, put all of your energy into class and Quidditch. You volunteered to help tutor some first years in Transfiguration. You made yourself busy. You seemed to be everywhere, doing everything. You gave yourself no time to think about Sirius.

During the next Quidditch match, you scored 90% of your house’s points. Even if your seeker hadn’t caught the snitch, you would’ve won. You received top grades on every test and essay you turned in. You were constantly smiling and laughing, always surrounded by your other friends.

While you were a shining beacon, Sirius fell deep into himself, far more quiet and reserved than he had ever been. 

Sirius almost dropped Quidditch. He was finding it hard to drag himself to practice. If he didn’t have James, he probably would have. He couldn’t bring himself to study or do homework so his test grades weren’t as good as they could’ve been, and without Remus, his essays wouldn’t have been handed in. His mind was constantly on you. He didn’t understand and he wanted to. He needed to. 

How did you not miss him like he missed you? How were you able to end it and act like nothing had happened? What had happened?

What he didn’t see was what you didn’t allow anyone else to see: you crying in the shower, crying with your curtains closed and a silencing charm cast on your bed, crying in a secluded corner of the library. You felt so broken inside, but somehow that fueled you to do better, be better. You’d make Sirius regret breaking your heart. You had been the girl to tie down the Sirius Black for six months. And you were the one to end it, in the eyes of everyone. You hadn’t told anyone about the girl you saw him flirting with and it seemed that he didn’t tell anyone either. He was allowing everyone to see you as the girl who tamed Sirius and then left him. 

It’s Remus who approaches you in the library during one of the days when the tears fell on their own accord down your face. You had been studying all day. Your books piled around you and various homework assignments scattered around the table. You were trying to crank out several subjects at once in some sort of roundtable system. Remus sat across from you, not saying anything. It takes you a few minutes to realize someone had joined you. You sniffle as you finally look up at him

“Oh… hey Remus.” Your voice is weak from crying and not speaking for several hours.

“Hey,” he whispers. He wasn’t expecting you to be crying and it threw him off. His original interrogation plan had to be scrapped. After a moment, he asks, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just peachy,” you answer with another sniffle.

There’s a beat of silence. 

“What do you want, Remus?”

He flinches at the expected sharpness in your voice. He fiddles with the cuffs of his sweater.

“Well, I had wanted to talk to you about Sirius.”

You put your quill down with a sigh and look at him. Your eyes are puffy and slightly bloodshot. Your face is patchy with splotches from on-and-off crying. Overall, you look exhausted. 

“What about him?” you ask, your voice firm yet tired.

“What happened?”

You scoff. “I broke up with him because he broke my heart.”

Remus leans forward over the table.

“What did he do?” He sounds so concerned and his face shows just that.

You just sigh. 

“What did Sirius do?” he repeats.

“He was flirting with another girl. And then when she kissed him, he didn’t do anything.”

“When was this?” His brows furrowed over his honey brown eyes. This was obviously new news to him.

“The day before I ended it.” You pause for a moment, debating how much of your thoughts you should share. “I knew it was going downhill. He was getting distant. Tired of me. I just caught him indulging himself in secret so I figured why not free him to do as he wants, since it’s clearly not me anymore.”

Remus leans back and crosses his arms. His contemplative expression has you furrowing your brows. You look at all of your homework spread out around you. You wish it wasn’t so messy so you could quickly clean up and leave Remus and the library. Remus was still figuring out what to say, trying to see how your version of events compared with SIrius’. 

“If you ‘freed’ him as you say, why has he been moping around the common room then?”

You roll your eyes. “I don’t know and it’s not really any of my business anymore, now is it?”

“I think it is.”

You purse your lips and send Remus a scalding look.

“I’m just saying…” He leans forward again. “Sirius wasn’t, isn’t tired of you.”

“Then who was the girl?”

Remus shrugs as he stands up.

“I’ll see what he knows about that. Talk to him, yeah?” He waits a moment for you to give a response, which you don’t give. “Give the poor sod something. He really is moping.”

After Remus leaves, you slowly put away your things. You didn’t feel like working anymore. Some small part of you was glad to know that Sirius was missing you, that he wasn’t happy to be single. But Remus’ visit felt like salt in the wound for some reason. You could feel the need to sob building in your chest and it wasn’t the kind of crying that you could do in the library. You retreat to your dorm, which is thankfully empty. You sink to the floor as you feel the wave of sadness overwhelm you. 

A hint of crimson under your bed catches your eye and you reach to pull out whatever it is. You wail a sob when you realize it’s Sirius’ sweater, the one he had given you over Christmas break at the Potters’ house. You had goosebumps up and down your arms as you sat next to him on their couch. It didn’t take Sirius long to notice and he disappeared momentarily, only to come back with the sweater. He gave it to you without a word. He just smiled as you pulled it on and brought the sleeves up to sniff it. What kind of girlfriend would you be if you didn’t enjoy his smell? You bring the sweater in your hands up to your nose. It’s more faint now, but it still smells like him. The smell brings you back to a different day over break.

•••

You had been laying in his lap in the conservatory, in the sweater and under a blanket. James was elsewhere; you think he said he would be writing to Remus, Peter and others if you needed him, but you knew Sirius had asked for some alone time with you so he was getting out of the way. Sirius was twirling strands of your hair around his fingers as he studied your face.

“What’s on your mind, love?” he had asked, voice soft.  

“Just thinkin’ ‘bout how perfect this feels,” you said. You smiled up at him. “I’d like to bottle how I feel right now so I can feel it when I’m feeling low.”

He leaned down and kissed your forehead. His curls that fell forward tickled your face. 

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll remind you how it feels.”

“You’re not that part I’m worried about. The coziest. The comfort. The snow!”

Sirius looked up and appeared shocked to see that it had been snowing. He had been so focused on you that he hadn’t noticed. 

“I’ll find a way to make it snow for you on the summer solstice if that’s what you want.”

You smiled wider and shook your head. “There are more simple things you can do to make me smile, you goof.”

“Yeah? Like what?” he teased.

“Kiss me.”

And then he did just that. You had adjusted so he wasn’t at such an odd angle. It was a soft and gentle kiss that was followed by him peppering your face with kisses. As much as you had wanted to, you both knew you couldn’t snog at that moment. The door was cracked open and James or his parents could enter at any moment. 

•••

As you inhale again, you decide that you should talk to Sirius. Maybe, just maybe, you had been too hasty in breaking up with him. Maybe it wasn’t too late to fix things. Especially if Remus had been honest in saying he was moping around the common room all day. You wipe your eyes and put on a brave face before heading to dinner. 

---

Remus leans toward Sirius as the dark haired boy glowered at the mashed potatoes on his plate during dinner.

“She’s broken up about it too,” Remus says, his voice low so only Sirius could hear him.

Sirius looks to where you are sitting, animatedly telling a story to your friends.

“Doesn’t appear that way.”

“It’s an act,” Remus says. “Found her crying in the library today.”

Sirius gives him a disbelieving look.

“Yeah? And how do you know it’s about me?”

“I asked,” he answers, rolling his eyes. “She said you broke her heart.”

“What?” Sirius gasped.

Remus nods, shoveling food into his mouth. Sirius watches him, waiting for more information. 

Remus swallowed. “Something about you distancing yourself and then flirting and kissing another girl.”

Sirius shakes his head as he looks down at his plate again. He mutters “no” over and over to himself. He thinks back to when you broke up with him and the days leading up to it.

“It was that ballsy third year!” Sirius exclaims, his head snapping up. “Little bitch was flirting with me, not the other way around! I was trying to let her down easy! Moony!”

“I’m not the one who needs to hear about that.”

They both look in your direction. You had finished whatever story you had been telling and now are watching the boy across from you with a smile on your face. The smile Sirius had grown to love seeing on your face, especially when he was the one who caused it. Remus looks back at Sirius.

“Talk to her. She just thinks you betrayed her trust.”

“What would I even say?”

“The truth, Pads. Tell her the truth.”

---

You wait until the next day to talk to Sirius. However, now that you actually want to find him, you swear he’s nowhere to be found. You check all of his usual spots, each empty. What’s even more frustrating is you’ve found Remus, James and Peter. You don’t talk to them, but why can’t you find Sirius? You want to scream. 

Giving up, you go sit outside the castle. It is too cold to comfortably sit outside for too long being that it wasn’t quite spring yet. You welcome the cold air. It feels nice against the heat of frustration from failing to find Sirius. You start to walk the perimeter of the castle, unsure if you wanted to keep moving or sit on one of the stone benches. After days of crying from sadness, you almost find it comical to want to cry out of frustration. It feels like a completely different kind of emotion and for a moment, you honestly debate screaming. It would be cathartic, but it would draw attention. You could find somewhere less public to scream. 

You nearly jump out of your skin when you hear your name. You turn around to see the very person you had been searching for. He is properly dressed to be spending time outdoors with his thick robes, gloves and scarf. 

“Sirius!” you say. “Can we talk?”

He blinks at you. “I was going to ask the same thing… Oh, you must be freezing, love.”

He walks toward you, unties his scarf and wraps it around your neck. Out of habit, you lift part of it to your nose and inhale deeply. His scent is enough to warm you from the chill, not even considering his gesture or his residual warmth on the fabric. 

“I wanted to say I’m sorry,” you say after a moment. He was looking at you with a softness in his eyes that you didn’t see often. “I shouldn’t have ended things so abruptly.”

You cock your head to the side as he chuckles at that. 

“If what Remus told me is true, you had reason to be pissed. But I wish you would’ve talked to me first.” He gives you a sympathetic smile that confuses you. “I would have explained.”

“What explanation do you have for flirting with someone?” you ask, words coming out choked. After wanting to talk to him so badly, you didn’t think getting the words out would be so difficult.

“Let’s sit, yeah?” he says, taking your hand and leading you to one of the stone benches against the castle. “I wasn’t the one flirting. Some third year came up to me and started chatting me up.”

“But I heard you?” 

“You heard me being polite, trying to let her down easy. I was honestly so… so… baffled? Godsmacked? Confused. Floored. When she kissed me. I couldn’t react right away. And am I right to assume that’s all you saw?”

You nod, considering what he was saying and the truth to it.

He nods as well. “Then you didn’t hear her saying that she shouldn’t go around kissing guys with girlfriends whom they love very much.”

Your eyes go wide.

“You… love me?” you breathe.

He gives your hands a squeeze. You look down at them, having not realized that he was still holding them, and then you look back at Sirius. He’s already looking at you with kindness in his grey eyes. 

“I do. I love you so much.” He pauses for a moment. “This isn’t the circumstances I had planned on telling you… Was hoping for something a bit more romantic.”

You laugh, shaking your head. 

“If you love me so much, would you consider taking me back?” you ask softly. You hope you sound as hopeful as you are. 

“If you promise to talk to me, hell, argue with me, when something’s wrong.”

You nod with a smile. “Yes. I would rather argue with you for days than relive the pain I put us through.”

“Put us through? You seemed pretty happy without me…”

You put a hand on Sirius’ cheek.

“Darling, I was faking it. There are a lot of places in the castle to cry in private.”

“Well, then, here’s to not being miserable anymore?” he asks.

“Here’s to trusting each other and loving each other,” you say before gently placing a kiss on his cheek. 

[firingstars]

neighborly advice | ch. 10 [FINAL]

bucky barnes x reader

summary: you and bucky finally discuss what your relationship is.

warnings: 18+, mdni, smut, oral (male receiving), riding, language, bucky's kinda? submissive, angst, fluff, happy ending! yippee!, no use of y/n, alternating pov's, bucky briefly gets in his head with the self loathing, he stalks for like two seconds, peter is your best friend now!

word count: 7.8k

a/n: its over :') what am i to DOOOOOOOO i will miss this characterization of reader i thought she was so funny lmfao idk if anyone does this but i legit made myself giggle more than a few times

previous chapter | masterlist

Bucky couldn’t bring himself to approach her in the upcoming days. He was home, and realized quickly that he shouldn’t be avoiding the apartment he paid for to hide in the compound because he was afraid of a little confrontation. Or rejection, actually. Bucky was very clearly hellbent on the fact that this was a rejection waiting to happen.

Even when he was in his apartment, he stayed silent. He didn’t want her to know he was home. He knew it was foolish, stupid, that he was just delaying the inevitable, but he couldn’t help himself. Bucky was at a loss.

It wasn’t difficult for Bucky to find out that she had finally gotten a new lab and new sponsor– both of which were long term commitments written out by contract that would not be broken any time soon. It also wasn’t that hard to find out that Peter was her only teammate helping her work on her technology. 

How close were the two of them able to get in his absence? They had to be close enough, he realized, for her to have gone out drinking with the guy then bring him home.

Bucky didn’t even want to imagine what happened once they crossed the threshold of her apartment door. Did anything else happen where he couldn’t hear? Did things progress quickly between the two of them? Was there someone else that she looked at with that fond smile and sparkling eyes that he adored?

Bucky was never an insecure man. Though he had baggage and some self loathing issues, he had no issue with himself in terms of appearance. Sam never stopped reminding him, either. Yet, this boy, this other man seemed to fit her side much better.

Another university student, much closer to age to her than he would ever be. This kid understood technology, and the two of them would be able to bond over their shared love of science on a level that he wouldn’t be able to converse with her on. Peter looked softer, kinder, and seemed much more gentle than he could ever be. Bucky even looked into Peter’s background, just to make sure that he wasn’t secretly a criminal. Bucky’s heart dropped when he realized he couldn’t even hate the kid. There was nothing that he had done wrong in his entire life.

So, Bucky watched from afar. He felt like some sort of fucking stalker doing this, but he couldn’t help himself. If she was happy with someone else, then who was he to deny her of that happiness? He watched as the two of them would grab lunch together in between research and classes. He felt every inch of pain radiate through his body when she would laugh at something that kid said, and hate seeing the smile on her face– hate that it wasn’t him that she was smiling for.

Peter was a stable choice for her, Bucky decided on his own. Perhaps it would be better for her to find someone normal, he thought. Someone that wouldn’t leave her behind for days to weeks at a time because the world needed him, when all he wanted to do was stay by her side. Bucky realized that he wouldn’t be able to provide her the stability that she deserved, no matter how hard he would try to provide it to her. 

“So your boyfriend–”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“So your not-boyfriend, hot neighbor that you’re sleeping with goes on business trips that call for absolute silence, and you’re still pining for him? Am I getting this right?” Peter asked you with a raised eyebrow.

You let out a deep sigh, burying your face in your hands. “You make it sound so bad.”

“I’m not gonna lie… I think that’s kinda bad. Really bad,” Peter said, giving you a look from across the lab table. You groaned deeply.

“Why did I even ask you for advice if you were just gonna point out the obvious?” you asked him with a frown.

“Well, hold on. I’m still trying to process this,” Peter said quickly, crossing his arms over his chest as he sat up straight on the lab stool. “Have you tried texting him first? Calling him?”

“I mean– I did. The other day,” you admit– because you did. You texted him in the middle of the day, hoping that wherever he was the sun was also out. It wasn’t anything large or grand, but just a simple question.

Are you doing okay?

Your phone alerted you that your message was not delivered almost immediately. Multiple scenarios were running through your mind at the time. Maybe his phone was dead or turned off. Dead, since Bucky’s possibly always on the move during his missions. Turned off so there would be no signal interference, or maybe someone was tracking his phone and he needed to go off the radar.

Or maybe, he blocked your number. He didn’t want to talk to you anymore. 

You didn’t even think of the possibility that he was dead somewhere. It was the most unlikely scenario to you. Bucky, in all his glory and strength, couldn’t die. Maybe he would sustain one bad injury every once in a while, but the super soldier was resilient. 

You were more than certain that he blocked you.

“And what? Nothing in return?”

“He can’t have his phone with him during these… business deals…” you said slowly, trying to find the right words to describe his job. Honestly, you might be making Bucky sound like even more of an asshole by not being truthful about his job, but you can’t just expose him like that. 

“Right… Why? Did he ever say that? Tell you why he can’t?”

“It’s sensitive information that he deals with.” You shrug, trying to seem nonchalant about the fact the man you have a crush on has a metal arm, and was recently a wanted criminal all over the world. 

“Do you realize how insane you sound?” Peter asked, giving you a look of concern.

“Yes! Okay, God– Can you be better at girl talk? Why do all guys try to solve the issue at hand when girls complain? I just want you to listen to me, agree that it’s a problem, and then whine with me!” you exclaimed at him. 

“I’ve never had girl talk before, so I’m also learning the fundamentals on how this works,” he quickly said. 

“Did MJ not ever complain to you about issues she had with her friends?” you frowned at him.

“Well, MJ was kinda a self made loner,” Peter said, a small smile coming onto his face as he recalled memories of his maybe-ex-girlfriend. “She became friends with my best friend because I introduced them. Otherwise, it was just the three of us together. She didn’t really have other friends to complain about.”

“Why don’t you get Dr. Strange to undo the spell he did?” you sighed, running your hand through your hair.

“Because it would destroy the multiverse. Weren’t you listening when I told you?” Peter asked, frowning.

“I mean, I was, but I still think you’re full of shit,” you tell him. “Come in here with the suit on and then I might believe you.”

Peter sighed deeply and rolled his eyes, but there’s a smile on his face. 

The two of you had gotten especially close after that night you went drinking. He crashed on your sofa after you dragged him up the five flights of stairs, and thankfully did not throw up everywhere. When you woke up, he seemed to remember what he had told you the night before and looked absolutely horrified that you knew his ‘secret.’ 

After telling him that you didn’t really believe a drunk man’s words, he ended up confessing to you about the whole situation. You’d be lying if you said you understood everything right away. The multiverse? Different versions of him coming to Earth, along with other enemies that were going to threaten the collapse of all universes?

Then again, you remember Thanos and being snapped out of existence, so maybe it wasn’t such a far fetched story in the end. 

Either way, it seemed like a weight had been lifted from Peter’s shoulders after he confessed it to you– to somebody. You still weren’t sure if you believed it, but the look of desperation on his face was enough for you to tell him that you were someone that wouldn’t forget him. He cried that morning, saying that he’d felt so alone for so long.

You felt a sort of kinship with the guy.

“How many times have you contacted him since he left?” Peter asked, bringing you out of your thoughts.

“Just… once,” you muttered, looking away. You can feel the weight of Peter’s eyes on you, taking in the two words that you managed to force out.

“Are you sure that you like him?” 

“I don’t like your accusatory tone right now, Parker,” you said, head turning to look at him again. The boy raises an eyebrow at you, waiting for you to explain yourself. You sigh deeply. “I– I’m not his girlfriend, you know? What if I’m clingy about it? If I start texting him all the time when he’s gone, then what does that look like? What if I bother him?”

Peter sighed deeply. “I honestly don’t even know what to say about this. I’m bad at relationships, but this just seems messy in a way that I can’t help.”

“Ugh,” you groaned, dropping your head onto the lab table. 

At the very least, finally being able to talk to someone about all of this made your shoulders feel lighter. Peter, despite his comments, had no judgement in his eyes. Honestly, you think he’s just worried for you. Which, you can’t even be mad about. If this were someone else’s situation, you would be reacting the same exact way that Peter was.

“Alright, let’s go,” he said with a sigh, standing up.

“Where?” you asked with a sad frown.

“To the deli. I realize that girl talk makes me hungry.”

You let out a scoff at that, but move to grab your things as well. You shove some notebooks into your bag as well as a couple of other trinkets that you’ll work on at home tonight, and you pick up your phone. You swallow as you tap on the screen, watching it come to life.

You can’t hide the disappointment on your face.

No new notifications.

Your phone gets shoved to the deepest part of your bookbag as you follow Peter out the door. You have no appetite to eat. You haven’t had an appetite the past four weeks at all. You know that Peter would break down your apartment door if you didn’t join him to eat at least once a day whenever you guys were together– which was almost every single day at this point. You were certain that you saw his face more than you saw your own in a mirror. 

“What if he hates me?” you suddenly asked him.

“Oh my God. Please, no more,” he begged you, sincere.

Peter walked you back to your apartment after the two of you ate at the deli. The sun was going down, and it was a common occurrence for him to bring you home on the late nights that you guys worked together.

“Spider-Man things,” he said with a shrug. “I feel better knowing that you got home safe.”

“Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, huh?” you chuckled as you got up to the fifth floor. You’re unlocking the door when Peter grabs your arm, stopping you.

“You said your neighbor isn’t home, right?” he asked, frowning.

“He normally texts me when he is,” you nod. “Which he hasn’t.”

“I can hear movement on the inside of his apartment,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper as he stared at Bucky’s door. You pause, trying to focus on your own hearing. You don’t hear jack shit. You turn back to him with a frown of your own, and he lets out a deep sigh. “Spidey senses.”

“Spidey senses,” you repeat, your voice dry. “What’s next? You're gonna tell me the deli meat was two hours from expiring because of Spidey taste buds?”

“Okay, founder of regenerative nanotechnological medicine, I’m sorry that I don’t have long scientific names to explain what my abilities are!” he hissed at you.

“It’s just a little hard to believe that you’re fucking Spider-Man when you refuse to stick onto the wall like a spider!” you hiss back. You’re not even sure why the two of you are whispering. Bucky isn’t here.

“Oh my God, is that what it’ll take for you to believe me? For me to hang upside down on the ceiling?” 

“Wouldn’t that make you Batman?” you asked, fighting a grin.

“HA! HA!” he laughed sarcastically at you, with just those two syllables. 

You’re about to burst out into real laughter when the door beside yours opens. You both freeze, turning to the door. Your mouth falls agape, staring. Bucky’s there, staring right back at you– staring at where Peter has a hand on your arm.

“Buck–”

“Your boyfriend is the Winter fucking Soldier?” Peter asked, cutting you off. Your head whips over to him now, eyes wide in panic and shock.

“What the fuck! Keep your voice down!” you whisper-shout at him. “How the hell do you know that–”

“Holy shit! You got a vibranium arm now, too? I thought King T’Challa hated you,” Peter continued, ignoring you to stare at Bucky’s metal arm. 

You’re staring at him, more confusion painting your features as you do. Then, Peter turns to face you, pointing at Bucky.

“I fought him, as Spider-Man. Do you remember that Sokovia Accords bullshit? I was on Iron Man’s side,” he quickly tells you, and there's a notable excitement in his voice. “I was like, fifteen years old, and he punched me real hard a couple times. Steve, too. I had a black eye for like, two weeks.”

You take a deep breath, your mind spinning. “Peter. What the fuck ar you talking about?”

“Don’t Peter me!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands up. “You made him seem like such an asshole, ignoring your texts for a business trip? You could’ve just said it was the Winter Soldier and I would’ve understood why he has to fucking ignore you when he’s on those so-called business trips!” 

“Peter–”

“You texted me?” Bucky asked, his voice soft, cutting the two of you off. Your breath hitches as you turn to look at him again, and you nod wordlessly. Bucky blinks at you, eyebrows furrowing. “My phone… is in the ocean, somewhere. I have a new number– just got a new phone the other day.”

“See!?” Peter exclaimed. “The Winter Soldier– oh my God. You’re insufferable, you know that? You really could’ve just said it was him–”

“You’re so fucking loud, we’re in the middle of the hallway, Parker,” you hissed, pushing your door open to shove Peter inside. “Why don’t you just announce his identity to the rest of the damn building?”

“Sorry, Sergeant!” Peter called out to him from inside your apartment. Then, he takes the door from you, and gently pushes you further into the hall while taking your bag and keys from you. “You go talk to him though. I’ll work on the regenerative piece.”

Then, he’s closing your own door in your face, leaving you in the hallway with Bucky still staring at you. Your mind is still spinning at how fast everything just happened, the amount of information that was just thrown at you, and you bury your face in your hands. You take a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. 

“Do you want to come inside?” Bucky suddenly asked, his voice still soft. You lift your face out of your hands to look at him. He’s already opened the door wider for you to come in, and stepped to the side as well.

He looks… exhausted. It’s not the same sort of tired that he usually looks when he comes back from a mission, either. This is different. It makes your chest hurt to see him like this. 

“Yeah,” you breathe, and move to enter his apartment.

You can’t help but feel a bit awkward in his apartment. You’re not sure why. The air is different for some reason. Tense. You try to be natural, moving towards his couch like you always do, and sit down. You try not to notice the way that he’s basically dragging his feet to join you, avoiding your eyes. 

“I’m sorry about… him. Peter, I mean,” you finally speak, clearing your throat. Your leg is bouncing up and down, your throat feels like it’s about to close in on you, and your hands are becoming clammy. 

Bucky’s quiet. He’s leaned forward, elbows on his knees, flesh and metal fingers interlaced tightly. His gaze is trained on the wall, the coffee table, his feet. Everywhere but you. You begin to feel a bit restless. 

“I didn’t– I didn’t tell him anything about you like that. I mean, I talked about you to him, but I didn’t tell him who you were. I was talking about us, and how worried I was that you were gone and that I haven’t heard from you in a while– I never said that you were an asshole,” you quickly said, and you feel like you’re rambling. Your voice dies out on your tongue as you stare at your own fidgeting hands.

“You told him that I was your boyfriend?” Bucky asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He’s still not looking at you. Your heart quickens in your chest. Did he hate it? Hate the idea of it?

“No!” you exclaimed immediately, feeling your face turn red with embarrassment. “I said you were my neighbor and we had something going on and that I wouldn’t mind if you became my boyfriend but I– I didn’t say…”

A strange silence fell between the two of you. You didn’t necessarily feel uncomfortable, but you would be lying if you said that you felt comfortable, too. This was the longest that you had ever been in Bucky’s presence and he hadn’t looked at you. You were used to being under his constant watch, every movement and shift of your body being quietly recorded into his head.

“Bucky?” you whispered, swallowing thickly. “Was… Did the mission go well?” 

You can’t think of any other reason for him to be acting like this, truthfully. Something must have happened for him to be acting like this.  He said he got a new phone the other day, meaning that he was home. He was home, and he just didn’t want to see you. You lived right next to him, and you didn’t even know he was there. 

“Are you hurt anywhere?” you tried next. Your eyes scanned his body. You didn’t see any wounds on him, but then again he had already been home for a couple of days. He would have already healed all the minor injuries.

You felt like you were talking to a wall. There was no response from him. He didn’t even move to indicate that he had heard your words. Nothing about this was natural or normal behavior. You wanted to be upset that he didn’t let you know that he was here– ask why he didn’t think to contact you immediately.

But you didn’t have that right to demand that from him.

So, you sat there silently. Waiting. You watched him carefully. The only telltale sign that he was even here in front of you was the slight movement in his chest to let you know that he was breathing. Every second that passed felt like an hour in the room. Yet, you decided you would hold on, and patiently sit there until he gathered his thoughts to be able to speak to you.

“I thought you and that kid were involved.”

You recoiled at his words, eyebrows furrowing. “Peter?”

“I saw you both. Saw you bring him to your apartment when he was drunk,” he confessed, burying his face in his hands. “I thought you replaced me while I was gone, so I didn’t want to bother you. Then today, I heard you two talking outside– and I just… I wanted to see your face.”

“Wait,” you said, blinking. “You avoided me because you were jealous?”

“I thought you were dating him, doll. Not just jealous,” he corrected, sighing deeply.

“Dating– in just three weeks?” you asked, even more confused. “We’ve been seeing each other for almost much longer than that, and we aren’t even official–”

“That’s why!” he exclaimed, finally turning to look at you. “That is exactly why!”

“There’s no way you’re trying to say that I deserve better. Are you?” you ask, eyebrows raised. The way Bucky’s jaw clenched told you all that you needed to know. “Bucky. Are you serious?’

“He’s a good kid,” he dismissed, looking down. “Smart. Bright future. A bit of a tragic past, but you seem to attract people that are mildly to severely depressed anyways–”

“You did a background check on him?” you cut him off, eyes wide.

“I needed to make sure that he wasn’t a psychopath with mental issues that would kill you!”

“Do you hear yourself right now?” you asked.

“Yes, so that’s what I’m saying– he would be a much better fit. He helps you with your research and he’s apparently fucking Spider-Man which has yet to be proven–”

“I’m not attracted to him! Did you not hear any of that conversation out there? I talk about you to him. Extensively! He listens to me complain and whine about the fact that I miss you!” 

“That doesn’t change the fact that he is a much better choice!”

“Is that what you want? You want me to walk out of here and choose somebody else?!” you demanded, standing up. You were heading towards the door, trying to prove your point when he grabbed your arm, forcing you to stop. 

“No! I don’t! Why would I ever want that?!” Bucky shouted back at you. He looked scandalized, as if you’d asked him to wear a maid costume in the middle of Central Park.

“Then what do you want?!”

“You! I want you!”

“I’m yours, Bucky! I’m already yours, what don’t you understand?!”

“What– just like that?” 

“Yes, just like that!”

“Fine!” he scoffed.

“Fine!” you mocked.

The exchange happened so fast, so quick. You two were staring at each other, breathing heavily. Then, he released your arm, dragging a hand down his face in frustration as he took a deep, controlled breath. His eyebrows were pinched close together as he tried to gather himself.

“This isn’t how I wanted this to go,” he murmured.

“How you wanted what to go?” you frowned. “Your self deprecating, loathing speech or this stupid argument?”

“Well, I didn’t want either of these to happen at all, but that’s not what I’m talking about,” Bucky sighed, shaking his head as he dropped his hands to his sides. “I… God. I just– I missed you.”

“And I missed you,” you said, your body relaxing from tension you didn’t know you were holding. 

Bucky clenched his jaw, and swallowed. “You weren’t mine. Officially, at least. So if you found someone else while I was gone, then I figured that I couldn’t have a say in it. That it was my fault for just… disappearing this time for three, four weeks.”

“The way I looked at it,” you sighed, “I couldn’t be mad that you didn’t tell me anything. I figured the silence was for your safety.”

“Yours, actually,” he shook his head. “There was a possibility of my phone getting tracked, and I didn’t want anyone being able to get back to you. Which is why my phone ended up in the ocean– it was compromised. Took the battery out and removed the SIM and threw everything out after shattering it.”

“But other than that?” you asked softly, feeling worry course through your veins. “You’re okay?”

“Mission’s over. Chapter closed,” he reported, letting out a breath. “Minor injuries, but nothing that hasn’t already gone away. I’ll be home for a while. Nothing’s on the books right now.”

You nodded slowly, sighing in relief. That was all you wanted– not him staying home, but just knowing that he was safe. 

“And… us,” you said softly. “What about us? Where do we go from here? Because I really don’t know if I can handle another month of silence like this. I’m not asking for daily updates or classified information. I just want to know that you’re alive, Bucky.”

“I can do that,” he quickly said, hands reaching for you. They rested on your arms, and his eyes locked with yours. “We can get encrypted phones that send scrambled data so even if there were someone trying to track messages, they wouldn’t be able to trace ours– no one would be able to get to you. I already have a few people keeping an eye on a couple of your lines to ensure your safety, and will have them report to me if there’s a flag somewhere.”

You blinked. “What– Right now?”

Bucky paused, his mouth falling open briefly he closed his eyes tight. “I… also needed to make sure you were safe while I was gone. My line of work isn’t the best thing, doll. I might be doing good things, but there are some fucked up people that would do anything to stop me and the people I work with.”

“No, I mean… We’re not even… together. Why would you go that far for me?”

“So?” he frowned at you. “You’re important to me. I don’t want anything to happen to you regardless.”

“Bucky, how deep are your feelings for me?” you asked, your heart pounding in your chest.

“Doll, I’m falling so hard for you and I never want to stop,” he answered immediately. “I think you’re it for me.”

“And you were going to let me go?”

“I just want you to be happy. With or without me– and with what I do for work, I can’t blame you if you end up choosing to walk away from me. I know you plan for the future, and everything you do is carefully thought out. I just… I don’t want to hold you back from anything.” 

You were at a loss for words. He was sincere. Both the tone of his voice and the look on his face let you know that. You couldn’t even conjure up a simple sentence to reply to his confession– the feelings that you wanted to hear from him. So, you reached for him instead. You pulled him down to you, angling your head up towards him into a devastating kiss. He reciprocated immediately.

You missed him so much.

One arm wrapped around your waist, the other one snaking up your back to have his hand cradle your neck to deepen the kiss as he held you even tighter to him. You sighed against him, and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into your lips. 

“Doll? Does this mean–”

“You’re mine, Sarge,” you confirmed, a little breathless. “Lost your chance to get rid of me.”

“Wouldn’t ever dream of it,” he chuckled, a smile ghosting on his lips as he caught you in another kiss. 

You both tumbled into his bedroom, clothes being haphazardly shed as you two made your way there. His shirt came off first. Yours followed quickly after. While you undid the ties of his sweatpants and began to shove them down his legs for him to step out of, Bucky unclasped your bra and threw the underwear somewhere off to the side that you weren’t even sure that you would find later. Your jeans came off last, and you were thankful you wore something baggier today to be able to shimmy off easily. 

Your hands ran all over his body, feeling for any cuts, maybe any swelling. To your relief, you saw none. You squeezed his sides experimentally to test if he would flinch slightly under your grasp, and quietly thanked every deity out there when he didn’t react. 

He laid you down onto the bed, only for you to use every ounce of your own strength to flip the two of you over. You straddled him now, but did not sit fully on top of him. You simply hovered, keeping your weight off of him.

“What are you doing, baby?” he chuckled, hands resting on your thighs.

“I’m still mad,” you said with a fake, deep sigh. A hand rested on his neck, then slowly trailed down to his collarbone. “I don’t really think you get to touch me tonight.”

“No?” he asked, eyebrow raising.

“No,” you echoed, a small smile playing on your lips as your hand continued its journey down his sternum, moving to feel the ripples of his abdomen under your fingertips. You hummed in approval, stopping at the waistband of his briefs. “If you touch me, I might just pack up and leave. Go back home. Peter’s waiting for me, after all. We were supposed to finish the antiseptic release component of our second prototype for the regenerative nanotech. I’ll probably just send him home early and use that vibrator that you hate so much.”

“You’ll be the death of me,” he whispered. Your hand moved slowly, just ghosting over the length of him. He was already hard.

“You always get so excited for me, so easily,” you murmured, more to yourself than to him.

“What can I say? You have that effect on me,” he grunted, his hips bucking up to meet your hand. Your other hand moved, pressing against his thigh. 

“Nuh uh,” you clicked your tongue at him. He groaned, closing his eyes tight. 

“Doll.”

“Just relax, Sarge. Let me take care of you for once. The mission was long, right? I made you stressed out and jealous, right? I wanna show you how much I really like you,” you hummed, grinning at him. 

Bucky let out a shaky breath, “You said no touching?”

“No touching,” you confirmed.

“Fuck,” he grunted, removing his hands from your thighs. You beamed at him, pressing your hand against his length fully now. At the same time, you pressed your chest against his as your lips attached to skin where his neck met his shoulder. Bucky let out a soft groan, moving his head to the side to grant you more access to him. 

You had to admit, this was different. You hadn’t expected him to let you just take over like this without a fight. All the other times you spent with Bucky, he never gave you the impression that he would want to be in this position. Maybe today was just a special day. 

You left a dark bruise on his neck. Happy with your work, you gave him another one on his collarbone, and another one on his chest. Then, you slipped your hand under the waistband of his underwear to touch him directly. Bucky moaned softly at the first contact, eyes closing shut as you took him in your hand, slowly spreading the precum from the tip of his cock down the sides and starting a lazy pace. 

He was so pretty like this. You never really had the chance to admire him while he was in such a vulnerable state. Bucky was always so focused on you, getting you to be in this kind of headspace. You could see why. You could get addicted to seeing him like this.

You moved once more, kissing lower and lower. 

“Buck, help,” you murmured, tugging on his briefs with your free hand. He opened his eyes to look down at you, where you were. His eyes went wide, just slightly.

“Jesus, doll,” he moaned. “You gonna suck me off?”

You gave him a nonchalant shrug. “Wanna taste.”

“Shit,” Bucky whispered, but lifted his hips up slightly for you to help remove the last piece of clothing off of his body. The thick length of him hit his stomach with a soft thud, and you stared for just a moment, feeling your stomach jump at the sight. Your own walls clenched over nothing, but you ignored it for now. 

You reached for him once more, holding him at the base loosely. You watched him as you licked a thin strip up from the base of his cock all the way up to the tip, seeing his eyes close tight, watching him fist the sheets by his side. Then, you licked up the cum that had leaked out as you had stroked him earlier. You moaned at the saltiness of him– he tasted exactly like you thought he would.

His chest was falling and rising at a faster rate now.

Bucky’s jaw clenched as your lips closed around the tip of him, and he swallowed thickly as you started to take him in deeper. You may have been way over your head. You thought you knew the length and size of him from him being inside of you multiple times, but fuck he was large. You opened your mouth wide to take him in, your jaw already beginning to ache as you sucked your cheeks in to create a seal.

When you finally fit him, you started to move, bobbing your head up and down while keeping your tongue flat against him.

“You’re so good, sweetheart,” he praised from above you, his voice coming out as a wrecked noise.

You hummed from beneath him, his hips jolting in response to the vibration. The tip of him hit the back of your throat, and you choked, freezing in place as you tried to calm yourself down. Bucky, on the other hand, reacted positively to the feeling of being in your throat. His thighs clenched under your hands and his abs tensed. 

You forced your throat to relax, and you reached for one of his hands. You could feel the hesitation when you touched him, but he allowed you to guide him to your head– and he weaved his fingers through your hair as you took him deeper into your mouth. Your eyes prickled with tears that ran down the sides of your cheeks, but you couldn’t seem to care with the reactions that he was giving you.

“Oh, fuck!” Bucky moaned out your name, his hand tightening around your hair as he pushed. You moaned into him, eyes falling shut as you kept moving. You didn’t want to stop, not when he was this responsive. He was damn near trembling underneath you, moaning like you’d never heard before. You were high on endorphins and he hadn’t even touched you yet. 

Then, you felt it. The jump and twitch in his cock that you often felt inside of you– the telltale sign that he was going to cum. You heard the broken moan fall from his lips next, another indicator. You wanted it. You wanted to taste all of him.

“I can’t– Shit– Baby, I’m gonna cum,” he warned you, his voice coming out broken and desperate. You moaned around him, trying to tell him that it was okay and to please cum. You weren’t sure if it was the vibration from your throat or if he understood, but he was moaning your name a moment later.

You always loved the feel of him filling you up to the brim. This was a different feeling, and you loved it all the same. The salty bitterness of it was delightful, and you swallowed up every drop greedily. It came out in thick, hot spurts, filling your mouth so full that you thought you were going to leak out from the corners of your lips.

When you finally released Bucky from your mouth, he looked down at you, breathless. 

“You okay?” you asked, your voice coming out slightly hoarse from having him in your throat. Bucky stared at you for a few moments before you were both sitting up. 

You were pulled into his lap, legs on either side of his hips, his mouth on yours. If he cared about tasting his own release, he didn’t voice it. His tongue was on yours, licking into your mouth like a man on a mission.

“Gotta be inside you, doll. Please? Let me touch you now?” he begged, kissing down your neck. A shiver ran down your body at the sound of his voice. He was so needy.

“Wanna ride you,” you told him, reaching between your bodies to feel him– he was already hard again, as if he didn’t just release a fat load into your mouth. His refractory period was always short.

You pushed against his chest next, his back hitting the headboard as you quickly moved. You took off the final piece of clothing that separated the two of you, discarding your underwear somewhere to the side. Bucky groaned at the sight of your pussy glistening, exposed to him. 

You positioned yourself over him, both of you letting out a soft moan as you let him slide against your folds, wetting him with your own juices for a few moments. His hands rested on your hips as you did, but he took no charge in moving you. You finally shifted properly, catching the tip of him in your entrance, slowly sinking down on him.

You hadn’t had him in a month. 

The stretch was delicious, your eyes falling shut, your moan mixing with his as your forehead rested against Bucky’s. His hands tightened on your hips, letting you know how much he was being affected by just the feel of you surrounding him like this. He waited for you to be ready, to move first. 

You grinded against him experimentally, whimpering at the feeling. Then, you started. You lifted your hips, then slammed back down onto him. You watched as his head hit back against the headrest, his eyes closing shut as you fucked yourself on his cock.

“You feel so good,” you whispered, your head dropping onto his shoulder.

“Yeah? Let me make you feel better, baby,” he grunted. “Let me fuck you even better.”

You weren’t the most athletic person ever. Your thighs were beginning to burn, your legs were getting tired, your core was getting sore– and you wanted Bucky to fuck you. But you wanted to watch him like this just a little bit longer. 

“Mm… Not yet,” you said, letting out a breathy giggle as you ground your hips against his again. 

“Fuck,” he groaned, leaning his head against yours. He started rubbing circles into your hips with his thumbs, trying to coax you as you continued to ride him. “Come on, baby. I know you love it when I fuck you– when I play with your clit and press against your stomach. You want me to do that for you? I’ll fuck you through your orgasm, make you cum again and again for me. It’ll feel so good, doll.”

You whimpered at his words, eyes rolling back. You were breaking. You did want that. 

“I’ll put a pillow under your hips, too. It’ll let me hit inside you deeper. You always ask for me to go deeper, don’t you?” he continued, voice low and lips close to your ear. “Always want me so hard and deep– never fast. Just always wanting to feel all of me.”

“Bucky,” you moaned, gripping onto his forearms.

“Just let me know when, pretty girl. Tell me when, and I’ll take such good care of you,” he promised, squeezing your hip again. 

You let out another breathy moan, contemplating your options, recognizing your burning hips… Then nodded. A moment later, you were on your back with a pillow folded in half under your hips– and Bucky snapped his hips into you with enough force to move the bed a couple inches. 

“There you go,” Bucky whispered, eyes roaming all over your figure as he set a slow, yet punishing pace. He fulfilled everything he said he would. 

His fingers were dancing on your clit, another hand was pressed against your abdomen, he was fucking into you hard and deep– everything to make you fall apart as quickly as possible on his cock.

“It’s too much,” you gasped, eyes falling shut.

Bucky chuckled from above you. “Too much? You wanted this, doll. Do you want me to stop?”

You shook your head violently, unable to find the words. You gripped at the pillows at your head, feeling the thread within you begin to pull taut as Bucky continued to play your body like a well tuned instrument. At this point, he might as well be a master at your body. 

Bucky knew your body better than you knew it. 

You didn’t even need to tell him that you were about to cum– he was already moving faster, trying to get you to the end quicker. He never stopped fucking you as your body tensed under his. Bucky moaned, hips stuttering as your walls clenched and fluttered over his cock deliciously.

“Bucky, please,” you moaned, grabbing at him as your hips moved to meet with his. “More–!”

“Don’t worry, doll. I’m not finished with you yet,” he whispered, his voice thick with need. 

“Personally, I think it would be smarter for both of you to just move to the compound. Safer, too,” Sam said as he helped carry the last of the boxes into the truck downstairs. 

“And see you every single day? No,” Bucky said, crossing his arms. 

“The new apartment is closer to the lab, anyways,” you said, smiling at Sam. “Bigger place than either of these spaces, so it’ll be good!”

“Which means you won’t have to bring work home then,” Peter said, sounding hopeful.

You made a face at that. “If anything, I think I might end up at the lab earlier and later because I live closer.”

“Peter, change the codes in the lab every once in a while,” Bucky told him. You froze. Peter nodded immediately. “Don’t let her do that.”

Neither man would listen to your protest as Bucky escorted you into his car– Steve’s old car. Both Peter and Sam piled into the back as Bucky got into the driver’s seat, the moving truck driver following behind you guys as you moved to your new apartment.

The space was definitely bigger, and it was a nicer place. You found out there were some great financial benefits to whatever mission Bucky had last went on, and even more financial benefits that Bucky hadn’t even touched that the Wakandans had given him when he had left their kingdom to come back to the states. You had originally protested the idea of using the savings, but he insisted, saying that he didn’t have anything to spend it on to begin with and there was nothing more that he wanted but to spend it on you.

Besides that, the two of you were already living together already. If you weren’t at his place, he was at yours. There was no logical reason for the two of you to be paying for two apartments at this point, so you looked for a bigger space. One that would allow you to be able to do some work from home if you ever ended up without a lab, and a space for Bucky to be able to have some peace and quiet away from the world that he lived in.

Sam and Peter were here just to help bring boxes up to your new place, which had an elevator. Most of these boxes were yours, anyway. Other than the couch, coffee table, and the bed, all of the furniture was yours.

It took the two of you the entire weekend to unpack, and another weekend to decorate . 

“This is why I didn’t decorate before. Takes too damn long,” he murmured.

“Is that it, or you just didn’t know what to add?” you asked with a grin. 

You didn’t want to make the space look like a museum, but you wanted to bring back pieces that you thought Bucky would appreciate. You had an old record player that was rigged up in a way to be able to play both old record vinyls and connect to bluetooth, as well as forties vinyl records to match it. You included a copy of The Hobbit on the bookshelf next to your textbooks. There were some plants around as well, something to brighten up the space and give Bucky something to do and take care of when you were at the lab. 

As you placed the last picture on the wall– memorabilia of Captain America– you felt Bucky’s arms slide around your waist. Then, his lips were pressing against your shoulder, your neck, and your cheek. 

“Hi,” you hummed, leaning into his touch.

“Hey,” he whispered back. 

You paused at the tone of his voice, and turned in his arms. Your eyebrows furrowed in worry when you saw his face. His eyes were glassy, his own eyebrows knitted together as well.

“Buck?” you asked, holding his face in your hands. “What’s going on?”

“I love you.” 

If he wasn’t already holding you, you were sure you would have fallen over at his confession. Fainted even. However, there was still something else to address at this moment.

“You’re crying because you love me?” you asked, blinking. The confusion must have been evident on your face because he let out a soft laugh, shaking his head.

“No, doll. I'm crying because I’m happy. Overwhelmed. I didn’t think that I would be able to get this in my life. Get someone like you,” he said, smiling. A tear slipped down his cheek, colliding with your thumb. “I feel so damn lucky to have you in my arms every day. I just… I love you so much. You don’t know how much I love you. I think I’ll spend the rest of our lives together trying to prove how much I love you.”

You let out a soft sigh, eyes scanning his face. You smiled back at him, feeling your own emotions begin to get the better of you.

“I love you, too, Bucky,” you grinned at him. “Thank you for taking care of me when I was drunk that night.”

Bucky rolled his eyes at your words, then pushed his forehead against yours. “You are an awful drunk, you know that?”

“Can’t be too bad though, since you fell for me,” you giggled, pressing a kiss to his lips. 

Bucky scoffed, “Yeah, sure. That’s what made me fall for you.”

“Looks like I can’t go out drinking anymore. Wouldn’t want more people falling for me,” you joked.

“Mm… Let them fall, doll,” Bucky hummed. “Doesn’t matter. I’m never letting you leave my side.”

masterlist

taglist: @iyskgd @falconxsoldier @1967barracuda @retrxgreyde @lemonpiegurl @lokiofasgard616 @local-crazy @tor-tor8 @shortandb1tchy @mxgcalvi @dixondystopia @thesmolishbean @againnagainnagainn @im-feeling-blue-today @theycallmemaniac @sebastians-love @oliviamitchy @angelli14

please let me know if you would like to be added to a general bucky taglist for when i post other fics for him :)

[demie90s]

Zumba Queen

MASTERLIST | MORE

UConn x ꜰᴇᴍ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:During a chill team trip to the mall, reader mysteriously disappears—until Geno and the squad hear loud music coming from upstairs and find her leading a full-on Zumba class.

ɢᴇɴʀᴇ:Crack fic, comedy, team chaos, reader is unserious

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ:Swearing, secondhand embarrassment, Geno does a forced two-step

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: ~0.4k

ᴠɪʙᴇ: “Where’s Y/N?” “WOO! LET’S GO, MARY BETH!” She’s doing Zumba with retired gym teachers and they adore her. Geno’s traumatized. Reader is thriving.

We were supposed to be bonding. Team trip. Little group outing. Something chill—mall stroll, food court snacks, maybe matching hoodies if Nika felt cute enough.

But of course, I disappeared.

One second we were walking past the pretzel stand. Next thing you know, I was gone.

“Where’s Y/N?” Geno asked, looking around like I’d wandered off in a storm.

“Wasn’t she right behind us?” Azzi said.

“She said she was thirsty,” Caroline muttered. “I think she lied.”

Then—before anyone could even panic—someone screamed across the second floor.

“YEAH LET’S GO, BABY! SHOW ’EM MARY BETH!”

Everyone froze. Eyes slowly drifted toward the railing above the escalator. And there I was.

In the middle of a mall Zumba class. Surrounded by a dozen elderly women in pastel tracksuits and orthopedic sneakers. Leading like I was born to do it. Arms up, hips going, shouting things like “Y’ALL FEEL THAT HEAT?! WOO! ACTIVE BODY, ACTIVE MIND!” while “Let’s Get Loud” blasted from a Bluetooth speaker.

The seniors? Eating it up. Sweating. Smiling. Following my every move like I was Beyoncé and this was opening night.

The team? Horrified.

“I’m gonna pretend I don’t know her,” KK mumbled, phone already out to record.

“Why is she so good at that?” Ice asked, genuinely impressed.

“She’s so unserious,” Nika said.

Geno just pinched the bridge of his nose. “We’re not bringing her next time.”

And me? I didn’t even notice them watching.

Too busy living my best life with Dolores, Ruth, and Mary Beth, screaming “VIBE CHECK!” while clapping above my head like I was on a Zumba world tour.

Geno stormed up to the railing like he was gonna fix something.

“Y/N!” he yelled, loud as hell. “Let’s go! What the hell is this?”

I whipped around mid-hip swivel, sweatband crooked, whole chest heaving like I just got done with a set in a championship game. I spotted him over the top of the speaker and lit up.

“COACH!” I hollered. “WE MOVING OUR BODIES FOR JOINT HEALTH! WOOO!”

The class cheered. Dolores fist-pumped. Geno blinked like he forgot how to process information.

Azzi leaned over the railing, half laughing, half mortified. “Coach, I think they love her.”

“They do,” Nika said, still filming. “They’d fight us to keep her.”

And they weren’t wrong.

Because when Geno actually started marching toward the group like he was gonna pull me mid-lunge, Mary Beth stepped forward. Little pink headband, purple tracksuit, arms out like a damn bodyguard.

“She’s our instructor,” she said. “Give us five more minutes.”

Geno looked at her, then looked at me.

I just clapped to the beat and yelled, “COME ON COACH, DO A LITTLE TWO STEP! SHOW ’EM WHAT YOU GOT!”

The entire circle of elders turned to him. Waiting. Expectant. Terrifying. And Geno? This grown man? This Hall of Fame coach? He did it.

One half-assed two-step. Shoulders stiff. Jaw clenched. Eyes dead.

KK collapsed against the railing.

“I’m crying,” she said. “I’m actually crying.”

Azzi covered her face. “We are never going to another mall again.”

But I? I was thriving. Sweatband on. Heart full. Surrounded by old ladies screaming “GO Y/N GO Y/N” as I hit a final pose with Mary Beth.

And when Geno finally dragged me out, all I said was:

“Y’all got next week without me. They already booked me for Thursdays.”

[chrissssssmut]

CLASSROOM 3-B PART 1

Vampire Ahn Yujin x Male Reader

It started with Lee Jiwon.

One day, she was there, laughing with her friends, tying her hair into a neat ponytail. The next day, she was gone. No message. No explanation. Just an empty seat by the window that no one dared to look at for too long.

The teachers told us not to worry. “She must have transferred schools,” they said. “Maybe a family emergency.” But no one had seen her leave. No one had heard from her since.

Then Kim Haneul disappeared.

By the third missing student, panic set in. Police officers swarmed our classroom, questioning us one by one. Had we noticed anything strange? Had they mentioned anything before they left?

I had no answers. None of us did.

And then it kept happening.

Every week, a girl from our class vanished.

The empty desks grew, the halls of our school became quieter. The teachers stopped calling roll. Nobody wanted to acknowledge the truth—our class was shrinking, and no one knew why.

At first, I convinced myself it was just a coincidence. Maybe they all had reasons to leave, reasons we just didn’t understand. But then I started noticing things. Small, unsettling things.

The missing girls all had one thing in common: before they vanished, they had all spent time with Ahn Yujin.

I didn’t want to believe it. Yujin was… different, yes. She had a presence that was both alluring and unnerving, like a beautiful statue that felt just a little too real. She was quiet but never shy, confident but never loud. She had this way of looking at you, as if she knew something you didn’t.

I had always liked her. Maybe that was why I ignored the signs at first.

But then I started piecing things together.

There was the way the missing girls were always last seen with her. The way she never seemed concerned, even when the rest of us were terrified. And then there was the strangest part—Yujin never ate at school.

Ever.

Lunch breaks, class parties, snack time—she always smiled and said she wasn’t hungry.

That alone wasn’t damning, but then I overheard a conversation between two teachers.

“She’s never sick, have you noticed?”

“She has perfect attendance, too.”

“And she doesn’t go on school trips. Not once in three years.”

I had never thought about it before. But once I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

That’s when I decided to investigate.

I started retracing the missing girls’ last known whereabouts. Checking places they used to go. Looking through old messages, old photos. And a pattern emerged.

They had all gone somewhere before they disappeared.

Somewhere after school.

Yujin’s house.

That’s how I found myself standing in front of her home late one evening, my hands clenched into fists, my heart pounding so loudly I thought she might hear it from inside.

Her house was nothing like I expected. No eerie mansion, no gothic towers—just a regular two-story house at the end of a quiet street. But something about it felt wrong.

The windows were too dark. The air too still.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

The front door was unlocked.

That should have been my first warning.

The second was the silence. No hum of a fridge, no distant sound of a television. Just stillness, pressing against my skin like a heavy fog.

And then, the third warning—

I found their things.

A dimly lit room at the end of the hall. Lockers stacked against the walls, each containing something chillingly familiar.

Jiwon’s school bag.

Haneul’s sweater.

and many other more things that definitely did not belong to Yujin.

A metallic smell clung to the air. A faint, sickly-sweet scent.

I turned to leave.

SLAM.

The door shut behind me.

The lock clicked.

And then I felt it—a presence. Cold. Watching.

I turned around slowly, my pulse thudding in my ears.

Ahn Yujin stood in the shadows, red eyes glowing like embers.

“You weren’t supposed to see this,” she murmured.

Her voice was calm, almost gentle. But there was something underneath it. Something dark.

“Yujin,” I breathed, my throat dry. “What did you do to them?”

She stepped closer.

“Why are you here?” she asked instead, tilting her head.

My feet refused to move. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to run, but I knew—I knew—I wouldn’t get far.

“I had to know the truth,” I said.

Yujin sighed, almost disappointed. “I liked you,” she admitted. “You were different. Curious. Kind.”

She was right in front of me now. Close enough for me to see the way her pupils dilated, the way her fangs glinted in the dim light.

“You should’ve just stayed ignorant.”

And then she was on me.

I barely had time to struggle before I felt it—her fangs sinking into my neck, piercing my skin.

A sharp pain, like fire, followed by something strange, something intoxicating. My head spun. My body shivered. It was like drowning in warmth, like falling into something I wasn’t meant to feel.

She pulled away suddenly, breath shaky. Her eyes were wide, her expression dazed.

“…You taste different.”

Her grip on me tightened.

I gasped, my vision swimming. “W-What…?”

Her lips parted slightly, as if she were trying to understand something herself.

Then she whispered, “I can’t let you go.”

Something in her voice sent a shiver down my spine.

My body felt weak, but I moved. My elbow jabbed into her ribs, enough to make her stumble back.

I bolted.

I barely made it three steps before I was yanked back.

Her strength was unreal. Inhuman. She threw me against the lockers like I was nothing. Metal bent under my weight, pain shooting up my spine.

I tried to crawl away, reaching for the door, but she was already there, watching me struggle.

Her expression was unreadable.

I lunged again, a last-ditch attempt at the window—

She caught my wrist.

Effortlessly.

My heart sank.

Yujin pulled me in, crushing me against her body. I could feel her breath against my neck, her voice a whisper, almost… sad.

“Don’t fight me,” she murmured. “You’ll only make it worse.”

I thrashed, punching, kicking, anything—

But her grip never loosened.

It was over.

Her lips brushed against my skin again, fangs teasing before she bit down—this time, slower. Deeper.

And suddenly, I felt my body give in.

My limbs grew heavy. My fight… disappeared.

My eyes fluttered shut as a strange, blissful numbness took over.

And then I heard her voice, soft and possessive.

“You’re mine now.”

And I knew I had lost.

[leilaniluvss]

𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤! 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐱 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐓𝐖: 𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐍, 𝐒𝐌𝐔𝐓, 𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐒𝐀𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐄, 𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆, 𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐄𝐗, 𝐂𝐎𝐖𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋, 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘, 𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐌, 𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆

Btw this is my first time writing and everything so sorry of this sucks btw

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿, you always been treated wrong by sasuke ever since pre-school it all started over a stupid joke. “Forehead girl, Forehead girl!” The class then starts to laugh at sasuke towards you causing you to run out the class. You even heard the teacher snicker. But you never thought it could get worse from there. Your books would start missing, Notes would be ripped, Certain school supplies would be gone. Small things started to turn into big things. You’ll never forget how 3rd grade you had your first friend but he was a male.

The little boy name was Micheal. “Why are you sitting by yourself?” You turn to him and simply respond shrugging your shoulders “Don’t nobody wanna be friend cause they make fun of my forehead and laugh at me.” Micheal then lift up his hand putting it on your forehead. “I think it’s pretty” He said looking up smiling at me. I then just sit there looking at him. “Wanna be best friends?” I then just nod my head deciding to trust him. From that day on bonds were made. He was always there for you, He stood up to Sasuke when no once couldn’t, He helped you throughout times your struggle. Until one faithful day a person caused your bonds to break. Running into the lunchroom you hear people enchanting the word “FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!” Ruining into the crowd your jaw drops seeing Micheal snd Sasuke fighting. And oh boy did Micheal got the shit beaten out of him. Sasuke then gets up his punches still connecting to Micheal face his nose was bloody, mouth bleeding, he then proceeds to start kicking him in the gut. I then stand there horrified at the scene until security guards break up the fight. You go immediately visit Micheal at the hospital but wasn’t welcomed. “Im sorry Y/n but I-i can’t be befriends with you anymore not after what happened.” Meanwhile hearing the argument between you and Micheal Sasuke stands next to the door smirking to yourself. Without your Best friend by your side you were left alone AGAIN. When you took it up with the principal at the parents teacher conference nothing really got resolved his family seemed to have their ways causing the bullying to continue on.

But the last final straw was when your mom had passed away after that Y/n was never seen from again. Until she goes to a new high school called Konoha high school, but this school is expensive to be in so the only way Y/n had get in was because the principal felt guilty and was able to convince the rich school as to why you could go. And without having to pay for anything you was able to get in. When you took a tour around the school you could see why it was popular and expensive it had dorms, sports, trips and many more.

This could be a new start you thought yourself. "I've already made a new friends started classes yet!" Sakura laughed.

"Really??" You asked. If Sakura was making friends this quickly, maybe it would be okay for you. “Yeah you’ll eventually meet them to like Ino, tenten, Hinata,Temari, They’re really helpful and on the cheer team!”

“Cheer team?” I asked curiously. “Could I try out?” Sakura nods her head. “It’s a long list and hard try outs but I’ll add you, you could probably be co captain if you do well, so just meet me after school for the tryouts.” She then goes on snd starts talking about other boys

"Yeah! And there's sooo many cute guys here! Like Sasuke, Naruto,Shikamaru, Choji, although Sai is straight up fugly."

"Wait wait wait- did you just say sasuke?” Your thoughts ran in circle thinking about him of seeing him after all these years. “He’s so handsome but IVE never date him tho HES just a red flag.” Sakura said getting back to the point. “Anyway do you know him or something?” She asked curiously. I then take a deep breathe explaining what happend between me and him when we was little. “Oh Im sorry that happend to you he could really be a big ass jerk sometimes.” She said comforting me.

“I did what?” A deep slant voice said. Your stomach dropped hearing the voice after many years. As you turned around to look at him he grown more better. His hair strands was more black and longer, He had muscles and broad shoulders, and he was much more taller than you. He looked at you in a moment before scanning and after his eyes widen seeing me. He then smirks, “Yo long time no see Y/n.” You chuckled nervously looking at him. “Yeah long time no see to you to sasuke.” With the tension in the between YALL 3 he apologizes for what happened and offer for me to hang with him at lunch and sakura I was hesitant at first but then agreed.

At lunch Sakura leaded you to there table as you sat down with your tray of food. You at there nervously until Sakura came with you just by looking at you she could tell your nervousness and was there to comfort you. As you sat down People at the table started laughing at you. Sakura whipped her head at them snapping at them. “What’s so funny?” They then pointed to your seat and when you got up it was a big red spot on your skirt. You gasp horribly getting up out of your seat running off. Sasuke snickered. “Always running off like a pussycat.” Sakura then runs after me. “Hey hey it’s ok calm down” other girls then came in running after me. “Oh and by the way Thats tenten with the two buns, Temari is with the blonde pigtails and ini is with the blonde ponytail and and Hinata is with the purple hair.

“By the way did you sign up to have dorms cause if you did they said for the schedule you have it with us” Temari speaks. “Yeah I signed up but I don’t know where the dorms are actually.” They then grab me showing me to dorms basically welcoming me into their friend group. Now to explain the side of these dorms we have boys and girls. We then walk into the big dorms while we look on the other side we see that the boy sides is well very dirty. Ten ten chuckles nervously. “DONT mind that side Thats where sasuke, Naruto, shikamaru, and chino stay at.” They then grab me introducing me to my dorm room. “So who will be my dorm mate?” Sakura then squeals “I’ll be your roommate!” She then shows me our dorms. “Sorry if you don’t like it I think I kinda over decorated it.”

“No no it’s fine.” I said looking at the room. But because it’s after school Sakura decided to take me out to cheer tryouts. Of course Hinata and the rest of them are on the cheer team.

Sasuke Uchiha.

Even from across the gym, you could feel his piercing onyx eyes on you, as if he’d already recognized you despite the years that had passed. His expression was unreadable, but you could practically sense the simmering arrogance radiating from him.

The memories hit you like a wave. Sasuke had made your life hell when you were kids, teasing you relentlessly. He’d mocked everything about you—your clothes, your voice, even your dreams. It wasn’t just childish teasing; his words had cut deep. You thought you’d left all of that behind when you moved, but here he was, as smug and intimidating as ever.

“Earth to Y/n,” Sakura’s voice snapped you out of your thoughts. She followed your gaze to the basketball team, where Sasuke was now laughing with Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji. “Oh. Yeah, he’s still as much of a jerk as ever. Don’t let him get to you.”

You nodded, shaking off the uneasy feeling and focusing on the tryouts. You were determined to nail this.

The basketball team was mid-practice when Sasuke finally looked over at the cheer tryouts. He recognized you immediately, even though it had been years. You looked… different now. More confident. Stronger. He couldn’t explain why seeing you here irked him so much.

“Yo, Sasuke,” Naruto called, tossing him the ball. “You good?”

“Hn,” Sasuke grunted, brushing it off. But his eyes flicked back to you, watching as you executed a perfect tumbling pass, your hair catching the light.

Naruto followed his gaze and grinned. “Oh, is that [Name]? Sakura’s friend? She just transferred here, right? She’s cute.”

Sasuke scowled, gripping the ball tighter. “Tch. She’s nothing special.”

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. “You don’t sound convinced.”

“Drop it,” Sasuke snapped, shoving past them to make a layup. But even as he practiced, his mind kept drifting back to you.

By the time tryouts were over, you were exhausted but exhilarated. You’d made it onto the squad, and your friends were cheering you on.

“Congrats!” Temari said, slinging an arm around your shoulders. “We’re gonna dominate this season.”

As you all walked out of the gym, you felt a presence behind you. Turning around, you found Sasuke leaning casually against the wall, his dark eyes fixed on you.

“Didn’t think I’d see you here pussycat,” he said, his voice smooth but laced with something you couldn’t quite place.

Your heart sank. “Sasuke.”

He smirked, that same infuriating smirk you remembered from years ago. “Still as annoying as ever, huh? Thought you’d finally crawl back to whatever hole you came from.”

Your hands clenched into fists, but Sakura stepped in before you could say anything. “Back off, Sasuke,” she said sharply. “She doesn’t have time for your crap.”

“Relax, I was just saying hi,” Sasuke said, his smirk widening as he pushed off the wall and walked away.

You watched him go, your chest tightening with frustration. It was clear that Sasuke hadn’t changed one bit.

But this time, you weren’t a scared kid anymore. If he thought he could walk all over you like before, he was in for a rude awakening.

As Sasuke walked away, he felt the corner of his mouth twitch into a smirk, though his mind was anything but calm. You. Of all people, you were back in his life. And, worse, you weren’t the meek, easily-flustered little girl he used to toy with for fun. No, this new version of you—confident, beautiful, and unapologetically fiery—was different.

It pissed him off.

What makes her think she can waltz in here like she owns the place? he thought, his fists tightening in his pockets. He could still hear Sakura’s sharp tone defending you, and it made his blood boil. You didn’t need her protection. If anything, you needed to be reminded of your place.

When Sasuke reached the locker room, his teammates were already there, laughing and joking, but their chatter blurred into white noise. He leaned against the cool metal of the lockers, his head tipped back, eyes closing as frustration gnawed at him. But beneath the irritation, there was something darker—a sense of possession he couldn’t shake.

She thinks she’s untouchable now, doesn’t she? The thought made his lips curl into a sneer.

Images of you flashed in his mind, unbidden and vivid. That cheer uniform hugging your curves, the determined glint in your eyes as you performed—too confident for your own good. You weren’t the girl he used to knock down with a few harsh words. No, you’d grown up into someone more… challenging.

And he hated how much he wanted to break that confidence.

What would it take to see her crack? The idea gripped him, spiraling into something darker. Maybe he’d pull you aside after practice, just the two of you, his words sharp and biting until you finally dropped that fiery attitude. He’d corner you in the empty halls, his presence looming until you couldn’t look him in the eye, and then—then you’d realize you hadn’t outgrown him, not really.

He imagined the way your breath would hitch if he leaned too close, his voice low and taunting as he whispered things only he could say to you. The way you’d look at him, defiant at first, but eventually… You’d understand you were his to torment. His to claim.

His jaw clenched, and he slammed a fist into the locker, the metallic clang silencing the room.

“Damn, Sasuke, what’s your problem?” Naruto asked, eyeing him warily from across the room.

“Nothing,” Sasuke snapped, his voice cold.

“Yeah, right. You’ve been acting weird since [Name] showed up,” Naruto continued, undeterred. “What, still holding a grudge? Or…” His grin widened. “You’re into her, aren’t you?”

Sasuke’s glare could’ve frozen fire. “Shut up, idiot.”

Naruto laughed, but Shikamaru raised an eyebrow from his spot on the bench. “You know, if you’re this worked up, maybe she’s the one getting under your skin this time.”

That comment earned a snarl. Sasuke shoved past them, heading straight for the showers, the cold spray doing little to cool the heat coursing through him.

I’ll remind her who I am, he thought darkly, his lips curving into a cruel smirk as water dripped down his face. She might think she’s untouchable now, but I’ll fix that.

The game was far from over. And Sasuke always won.

The weekend rolled in with bright skies and an air of excitement. You were out on the campus lawn with your friend group, laughing and chatting as you enjoyed the rare break from classes and cheer practice. Sakura, Temari, TenTen, and Hinata surrounded you, their energy infectious as they talked about their upcoming plans.

But what made the day even better was your boyfriend, Kaito. He was sweet, charming, and attentive in a way that made you feel cherished—a stark contrast to certain people you’d rather not think about. Kaito had been quick to approach you when you transferred, drawn to your wit and personality. It didn’t take long for the two of you to hit it off. Now, here you were, sitting next to him with his arm draped casually over your shoulder, his easy smile making your cheeks warm.

“You’re lucky,” Temari teased with a smirk, nudging your side. “Kaito’s got half the school crushing on him, and he’s here doting on you.”

You laughed, leaning into his warmth. “Well, what can I say? Guess I’m just lucky.”

Across the campus, Sasuke stood with his own group, his sharp eyes locked on you. Naruto was busy teasing Hinata, who had wandered over to join him, while Shikamaru had his arm slung lazily around Temari. Choji was munching on chips as usual, and TenTen was laughing about something with Neji.

But Sasuke? His mood was dark.

“Damn,” Naruto said, elbowing Sasuke. “You’ve been staring at her all afternoon. You’re gonna burn a hole through her or something.”

“Shut up, Naruto,” Sasuke growled, but his glare didn’t waver. The sight of Kaito sitting so close to you, his hand on your shoulder like he had any right to touch you—it made his blood boil.

Shikamaru, leaning against a tree, raised an eyebrow. “You’re sulking because she’s got a boyfriend, huh? Thought you didn’t care about her.”

“I don’t,” Sasuke snapped. His fist clenched, though, betraying his calm tone. “But she’s making a fool of herself with that guy. He’s not good enough for her.”

Shikamaru smirked, clearly amused. “And who is? You?”

“Tch.” Sasuke turned away, his jaw tightening. “Forget it.”

Later that afternoon, you excused yourself from the group to grab a water bottle from the vending machines near the gym. The hallways were quiet, the distant echoes of basketball practice barely audible. You were about to turn the corner when a hand grabbed your wrist and yanked you into an empty hallway.

“Hey—what the hell?” you yelped, your heart racing until you saw who it was.

Sasuke.

His dark eyes bore into yours, his grip firm but not painful. The air between you felt heavy, his towering presence pinning you in place.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, his voice low and sharp.

You yanked your arm free, glaring up at him. “What are you talking about?”

“That guy.” His words were practically spat out. “Kaito. You think he actually cares about you?”

You scoffed, crossing your arms. “And what would you know about it, Sasuke? You don’t know him, and you sure as hell don’t know me anymore.”

His smirk was anything but friendly. “Oh, I know you, [Name]. Better than he does. Better than he ever will.”

“Get over yourself,” you snapped, stepping back. But he followed, his presence overwhelming.

“You’re playing a dangerous game,” he murmured, his tone dark and possessive. “You think Kaito’s gonna protect you? Keep you safe?”

“I don’t need anyone to protect me,” you shot back. “Least of all you.”

His smirk faltered, replaced by something colder. “Just remember this, [Name]. If he screws up, I’ll be there. And don’t think for a second I’ll let you forget who you belong to.”

You felt your blood boil. “I don’t belong to anyone, least of all you, Sasuke. So stay out of my life.”

You shoved past him, your heart pounding as you hurried down the hall. Sasuke returned to the court, his mood even darker than before. Naruto was the first to notice.

“What’s with you now?” he asked, dribbling the ball lazily.

Sasuke leaned against the wall, his eyes narrowing. “She’s wasting her time with that idiot. I don’t get what she sees in him.”

“You’re jealous,” Shikamaru said simply, his tone bored but amused.

“I’m not jealous,” Sasuke bit out.

“Yeah, sure,” Naruto said with a grin. “That’s why you’re acting like someone stole your favorite toy.”

Sasuke glared at him, but Shikamaru only smirked. “If you’re so bothered by it, why don’t you just tell her how you feel?”

Sasuke scoffed, running a hand through his hair.

“None of your business,” Sasuke muttered.

“You’re acting like a psycho,” Shikamaru said, not bothering to sugarcoat it. “You want her? Fine. But this whole ‘bully her until she comes running’ thing isn’t gonna work.”

Sasuke’s smirk was sharp, dangerous. “She’ll come around.”

“And if she doesn’t?” Naruto pressed, genuinely curious.

Sasuke’s eyes darkened, his voice low and venomous. “Then I’ll make her.”

The room fell silent, his words lingering like a threat. Sasuke leaned back, arms crossed as his teammates exchanged wary glances. No one dared to challenge him, not when his mind was set.

Because when Sasuke Uchiha wanted something, he always got it.

The energy in the gymnasium reached a fever pitch as students from both schools filled the bleachers for homecoming. The court gleamed under the bright lights, the cheers of the crowd blending into an electrifying roar. It was basketball players against basketball players, cheerleaders against cheerleaders, and everyone was here to win.

The home team’s basketball lineup was stacked: Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, Neji, and Kiba. Each of them wore determined expressions as they warmed up on the court, the pride of their school riding on their shoulders.

The cheer squad, led by you, was just as ready. Alongside you were Sakura, Temari, Hinata, TenTen, Ino, and Karin, all dressed in matching uniforms that sparkled in the gym lights. The six of you had been practicing nonstop for weeks, and now it was time to show off your hard work. The first half of the basketball game was intense. Sasuke led the charge with sharp precision, his movements fluid and calculated as he dominated the court. Naruto’s energy was infectious, his quick passes and layups keeping the crowd on their feet. Shikamaru’s strategic plays, Kiba’s aggressive defense, Neji’s perfect aim, and Choji’s sheer power kept the opposing team on their toes.

Every time one of them scored, you and the cheer squad erupted into choreographed chants and routines, pumping up the crowd with your high-flying stunts and sharp moves.

The rival cheer squad was just as fierce, matching your energy with routines of their own. But the moment came for the halftime cheer battle, and the gym fell silent with anticipation.

The rival squad went first, nailing a routine filled with flips, basket tosses, and tight formations that left the crowd roaring.

But when it was your turn, you and your squad brought the fire. From the moment the music started, you hit every move with precision. Temari and Sakura nailed their tumbling passes, Hinata’s flyer stunts were flawless, and TenTen’s powerful jumps drew cheers from the crowd. You and Ino closed the routine with a jaw-dropping stunt, hitting the perfect scorpion pose at the peak of a basket toss.

When your routine ended, the crowd erupted into deafening cheers, and it was clear your squad had stolen the show.

“Hell yeah!” Naruto yelled from the bench, pumping his fist in the air.

“Of course, we crushed them,” Temari said confidently, high-fiving you as you returned to the sidelines.

Everything was perfect. Or so you thought. As you grabbed a water bottle, laughing with your friends about your routine, your eyes scanned the gym for your boyfriend, Kaito. But what you saw made your stomach drop.

Kaito was standing near the bleachers with one of the rival team’s cheerleaders, a girl in a red and black uniform. They were laughing together, her hand resting on his chest in a way that made your skin crawl.

And then he kissed her.

Your bottle slipped from your hand, clattering to the floor. The noise drew the attention of your friends, who followed your gaze.

“No way,” Ino whispered, her jaw dropping.

“That bastard,” Temari hissed, her eyes narrowing.

Sakura’s hand flew to her mouth. “I can’t believe him.”

Even Hinata, usually so kind and quiet, frowned deeply. “How could he do that to you?”

On the court, Sasuke had seen the whole thing. His dark eyes narrowed as he tracked the scene, his grip on the basketball tightening.

“Looks like Kaito’s showing his true colors,” Shikamaru said lazily, though his sharp gaze lingered on you.

Naruto’s brows furrowed. “What the hell? That’s messed up. Poor [Name].”

Kiba growled under his breath. “She doesn’t deserve that.”

Sasuke said nothing, but the dark look in his eyes spoke volumes. He wasn’t angry for you—no, it was more selfish than that. He was furious that Kaito had dared to think he could have you in the first place. Despite the betrayal, the halftime performance couldn’t wait. You wiped your eyes quickly, forcing yourself to focus as the music started. Your movements were sharp, your smile forced but unshaken as you executed the routine perfectly.

Sakura placed a hand on your shoulder as you transitioned to the next formation, her eyes full of silent support. Temari took the lead on a tumbling pass, her fierce energy spurring the crowd into cheers. Ino and Hinata executed their stunts flawlessly, while TenTen added a powerful jump combination that brought the house down.

You finished the routine with a show-stopping pyramid, standing tall at the top despite the ache in your chest.

The crowd erupted into applause, and as you climbed down, Temari whispered, “You’re stronger than this, [Name]. Don’t let him see you break.”

You nodded, your resolve hardening. The boys returned to the court, their energy even fiercer than before. Sasuke played like a man possessed, his movements sharp and unforgiving as he dominated the court. Every time he scored, his dark eyes flicked to you, as if silently daring you to look away.

Naruto matched his energy, his usual playful demeanor replaced by a fiery determination. Kiba and Neji locked down the rival team’s offense, while Choji and Shikamaru coordinated flawless plays.

The game ended with an overwhelming victory for your team, and the gym erupted into cheers.

As you packed up with your friends, you felt a dark presence behind you. Turning, you saw Sasuke, his smirk sharp and his gaze heavy.

“Kaito’s a waste of time,” he said, his voice low so only you could hear. “You know that now, don’t you?”

You glared at him, your voice steady despite the storm inside you. “It’s none of your business, Sasuke.”

He stepped closer, his smirk deepening. “You’ll see, princess. You’ll forget about him soon enough.”

And with that, he walked away, leaving you with more questions than answers.

The weekend had finally arrived, and for once, the group chat was blowing up with excitement. After the chaos of homecoming—the cheer battle, the drama with Kaito, and the aftermath of the game—you and your friends decided it was time for a girls’ day. No boys, no distractions, just you, Sakura, Temari, Ino, Hinata, Karin, and TenTen enjoying each other’s company.

The plan was simple: brunch, shopping, and an all-night movie marathon back at the dorms. The café was warm and cozy, the scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods filling the air as you all gathered around a large corner table.

“I’m still pissed about Kaito,” Temari said bluntly, stabbing her fork into a stack of pancakes. “Seriously, what kind of idiot cheats during homecoming? In front of half the school, no less.”

You sighed, swirling your straw in your iced coffee. “I’d rather not talk about him, honestly. I’m over it.”

“Good,” Ino said with a flip of her hair. “Because he’s not worth your time. If you ask me, he was holding you back anyway.”

“I agree,” Hinata said softly, offering you a kind smile. “You deserve someone who respects you.”

“Or no one at all!” Karin added with a smirk. “Who needs guys, anyway? They’re all trouble.”

“Speak for yourself,” Sakura teased, leaning back in her chair. “Some of us have boyfriends who aren’t jerks.”

“Yeah, how’s Mr. Random these days?” Temari asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sakura laughed. “He’s fine, thanks for asking. But let’s not make this about me. What’s our shopping plan?” The mall was buzzing with life, and the seven of you wasted no time diving into your favorite stores.

“Try this on!” Ino exclaimed, holding up a sparkly dress in your direction.

“Absolutely not,” you said, laughing as she shoved it into your arms anyway.

Temari and TenTen were busy sorting through racks of jackets, debating the merits of leather versus denim, while Karin inspected a display of sunglasses.

Hinata, ever the quiet one, was browsing through a rack of cozy sweaters, her cheeks pink from all the attention she kept drawing.

“Sasuke’s going to lose his mind when he sees you in this,” Sakura whispered to you with a sly grin as you held up a fitted outfit in the mirror.

You rolled your eyes. “I’m not dressing for him.”

“Uh-huh, sure you’re not,” Ino teased, nudging you.

“Leave her alone,” Hinata said gently, though her smile was teasing. “Let her have fun without thinking about him for once.”

You appreciated the support, even if the thought of Sasuke had been lingering in the back of your mind. He’d been acting stranger than usual lately, and the tension between you two was undeniable. By the time you returned to the dorms, your arms were full of shopping bags, and everyone was buzzing with excitement for the movie marathon.

Temari and TenTen set up snacks, a mix of popcorn, chips, and candy spread across the coffee table. Karin queued up the movies, while Hinata and Ino fussed over blankets and pillows, making the space as comfortable as possible.

“Alright,” Sakura said, plopping onto the couch with a tub of ice cream. “What are we watching first?”

“Something scary,” Temari suggested, her grin mischievous.

“No way!” Hinata protested, clutching a pillow to her chest.

“How about a rom-com?” Ino suggested, earning groans from half the group.

In the end, you settled on an action-packed blockbuster, complete with explosions and dramatic one-liners. The room was filled with laughter and playful banter as you all got comfortable, the stress of the past week melting away. Somewhere between the second and third movie, the conversation shifted.

“Do you ever think about what life would’ve been like if we weren’t all so… competitive?” Sakura asked, her voice soft.

Temari snorted. “Boring, that’s for sure.”

“I like the way things are now,” TenTen said, stretching. “We might argue sometimes, but we’ve got each other’s backs.”

Karin nodded. “Yeah. Even when things suck—like [Name] dealing with Kaito—we stick together.”

You smiled, warmth blooming in your chest. “I couldn’t ask for better friends.”

Hinata reached over to squeeze your hand. “And we’ll always be here for you.”

As the night wore on, you felt lighter than you had in weeks. The drama with Kaito, the tension with Sasuke—it all seemed so far away when you were surrounded by your friends.

Whatever challenges lay ahead, you knew you wouldn’t face them alone. The next day you actually decide to go with Sakura idea with changing yourself

Sakura, Ino, and Temari had practically dragged you into their rooms earlier, determined to give you a “makeover.”

“Okay, this is perfect,” Temari said, holding up a black halter crop top and a pair of low-rise jeans with a statement belt.

“Add these,” Ino said, handing over a pair of silver hoop earrings, a Dior necklace, and sleek sunglasses.

“And don’t forget the Prada bag!” Sakura chimed in, holding up a chic black purse.

“You have to wear these heels too,” Hinata said shyly, placing strappy black stilettos at your feet.

You stared at the collection of clothes and accessories, feeling both nervous and excited. “Are you sure about this?”

“Stop doubting yourself!” Ino said, practically shoving you toward the bathroom. “Trust us—you’ll look incredible.”

When you finally stepped out of the bathroom, the girls’ reactions were instantaneous.

“Holy crap,” Temari said, giving an impressed whistle.

“Shut up, you look like a celebrity,” Sakura said, her eyes wide with approval.

“Seriously, [Name],” Ino added, a grin spreading across her face. “You’re going to make jaws drop.”

You turned to the mirror, and your breath hitched. The sleek black halter top paired perfectly with the low-rise jeans, accentuating your curves without overdoing it. The accessories tied everything together, giving the outfit a polished, glamorous look, and the strappy heels added just the right amount of height.

For the first time in a while, you felt bold, confident—unstoppable.

“Okay,” you said with a shy smile, “you win. I love it.” Walking into school that day felt like something out of a dream. The moment you stepped into the main building, the atmosphere shifted. Heads turned, conversations paused, and a ripple of whispers followed your every step.

“Is that [Name]?” someone murmured.

“Damn, she looks so good,” another voice said.

You kept your head high, the confidence from your new look radiating with every step. It wasn’t about the attention—it was about how you felt. And for the first time in a long while, you felt completely in control.

When you met up with your cheer squad in the courtyard, their reactions were just as enthusiastic.

“You actually did it!” Sakura exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. “I told you you’d look amazing.”

“You’re killing it,” Karin said, adjusting her own sunglasses.

“Everyone’s talking about you,” Temari said with a smirk.

Hinata blushed, offering you a soft smile. “You look… stunning.”

TenTen nodded in agreement. “This is a total power move. I’m here for it.”

As the girls hyped you up, you couldn’t help but smile. For the first time, you felt like you were exactly where you belonged—confident, carefree, and surrounded by the best friends you could ever ask for. new outfit, it was like the air shifted. Every hallway you entered became unnervingly quiet as heads turned and eyes followed your every step. You were oblivious to it all, smiling and waving at familiar faces as you made your way to class, but the boys? They weren’t subtle.

“Yo, [Name]!” Kiba’s voice rang out behind you as you reached for your locker. You turned, surprised to see him practically jogging toward you with a cocky grin on his face.

“You look… different today,” he said, his eyes roaming your outfit unapologetically. “I like it. Maybe you’d let me take you out sometime?” The day had started like any other: tense, unpredictable, and exhausting. Ever since you had transferred to Konoha High, it had been like living in a nightmare, and the devil running it all was Sasuke Uchiha. He wasn’t just the school’s star athlete or the handsome boy every girl fawned over—he was untouchable. The heir to the Uchiha family, the wealthiest and most dangerous mafia in the region, Sasuke owned the school. Literally.

It started small—your textbooks disappearing, your locker being tampered with. Then it escalated. Falsely being accused of cheating on a major test, only for the principal to call you into his office, pretending to be “concerned” while Sasuke stood smugly behind him.

“I saw her,” Sasuke had said, his tone calm but full of venom. “She had notes hidden in her lap. I figured someone like her wouldn’t be smart enough to pass on her own.”

Your protests had fallen on deaf ears, and while you weren’t formally punished, the damage to your reputation was done. Sasuke always made sure of it.

You blinked at him, confused. “Take me out? Like, to lunch?”

Kiba chuckled, stepping closer, his tone dropping to something lower. “Sure, lunch… or whatever else you’d like.”

“Oh! Um, thanks, but I think I’m okay,” you replied, smiling politely but completely missing his insinuation.

Before Kiba could press further, Sai appeared, sliding in smoothly with his usual unreadable smirk. “Kiba, you’re coming on too strong,” Sai said, his voice calm but condescending.

“Mind your business,” Kiba snapped, glaring at him.

Sai ignored him, his sharp gaze fixed on you. “Don’t let him bother you, [Name]. You look stunning today. Really… captivating.” His words made your stomach twist, though you couldn’t place why.

“Oh, um, thank you, Sai,” you mumbled, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Why don’t I walk you to class?” Sai offered, taking a step closer.

“I was talking to her first!” Kiba cut in, stepping between you and Sai.

The two boys squared off, each sizing the other up like you were some kind of prize to be won. You took a step back, unsure how to handle the sudden tension. Now, you were standing in one of the school’s storage closets, the faint scent of cleaning supplies and dust filling your nose. The problem? You hadn’t willingly walked in here.

It had been another one of Sasuke’s “games.” He’d cornered you during lunch, his dark eyes gleaming with malicious amusement.

“What do you want?” you’d demanded, clutching your tray tightly.

“To talk,” he had said smoothly before leaning closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “In private.”

You had tried to refuse, but it didn’t matter. Within moments, he’d dragged you down an empty hallway, ignoring your protests and shoving you into the closet. The sound of the lock clicking into place sent a wave of panic through you.

“Sasuke!” you yelled, pounding on the door. “Let me out!”

On the other side, you could hear his deep chuckle, full of mockery.

“Not until you say ‘please,’” he taunted.

“I’m serious! This isn’t funny!”

“Oh, but it is,” he replied, his voice dripping with condescension. “You’ve been walking around like you own the place lately, acting like you’re untouchable. I think you need a reminder of who’s really in charge here.”

Your hands balled into fists, tears of frustration prickling at your eyes. “What is wrong with you? Why do you keep doing this to me?”

There was a brief pause before he spoke again, his tone colder this time. “Because I can. And because you need to learn that no one crosses an Uchiha.”

You slumped against the door, the weight of his words sinking in. There was no point in fighting him. No matter how much you wanted to report him, no one would believe you. The teachers, the principal—even the other students—they were all under his family’s thumb. Eventually, he opened the door, his smirk as sharp as a knife. You tried to shove past him, but he grabbed your arm, pulling you back into the room.

“Not so fast,” he said, his voice low and threatening. “You think you can just walk away?”

“Let me go,” you snapped, trying to wrench your arm free, but his grip was ironclad.

He stepped closer, his dark eyes boring into yours. “You’re so naive, you know that? Always acting like you’re better than me. Like you don’t notice the way people look at you.”

You froze as his free hand brushed against your waist, his touch lingering for far too long.

“Stop it,” you said, your voice trembling.

“Why?” he asked, leaning in so his breath tickled your ear. “You don’t seem to mind when other guys look at you. Or is it just me you have a problem with?”

Your stomach twisted in disgust as his hand moved up to your chin, forcing you to meet his gaze. “You’re pathetic,” he said, though his tone was almost… possessive. “Thinking you can escape me. Thinking you can avoid me.”

He finally released you, but not before brushing his fingers along your jaw. “Get used to it, [Name]. No one’s going to save you from me.” By the time you escaped his grip, you were trembling, anger and humiliation boiling inside you. But as you made your way to class, it was obvious nothing would change.

When you told Sakura and the others what had happened, they listened with concern but eventually fell silent, exchanging nervous glances.

“What?” you asked, your voice breaking.

“It’s not that we don’t believe you,” Sakura said carefully, her eyes flickering to the side. “It’s just… it’s Sasuke. He gets away with everything.”

“Why doesn’t anyone do anything about it?”

“Because they’re scared,” Hinata whispered, her voice barely audible. “His family… they have too much power. Even the police don’t interfere with them.”

You wanted to scream, to cry, but you didn’t. Instead, you steeled yourself, determined not to let him break you.

But Sasuke wasn’t done. He never was. It wasn’t just the bullying. It was the way he always seemed to be watching you, his dark gaze following your every move. The way he’d corner you in empty hallways, his hands brushing against you as he whispered cruel taunts in your ear.

“You’re too soft,” he’d say, his tone mocking. “You’ll never survive here without me.”

You hated him. But more than that, you hated how powerless you felt.

Because in this school, Sasuke Uchiha wasn’t just a bully. He was a king. And no one defied him without paying the price.

The venue was breathtaking—an opulent mansion owned by the family of one of Sasuke’s basketball teammates. It wasn’t just any house; it was the kind of place you’d only see in movies. Ornate chandeliers lit the massive hallways, and floor-to-ceiling windows gave a view of the sprawling backyard, complete with a pool glowing under string lights. Music pulsed through the walls, heavy bass vibrating in the air, blending with the hum of laughter and conversation.

You arrived with your group of friends, feeling both excited and a little nervous. Parties like this weren’t your usual scene, but after much begging and coaxing from Sakura and Temari, you’d finally agreed.

“C’mon, you deserve to have fun!” Sakura had said earlier, practically dragging you out of your dorm room. “It’ll be good for you to let loose for once!”

And so, here you were, standing just inside the mansion’s grand entrance, your outfit—chosen with the help of your friends—turning heads as soon as you walked in. The black romper hugged your figure in all the right places, and the strappy heels accentuated your legs. Your long hair fell in loose waves down your back, catching the light every time you moved.

“You look so hot tonight,” Temari whispered, leaning in with a grin as she linked her arm with yours. “Every guy here is going to be all over you.”

You laughed nervously. “Let’s hope not.”

But even as you said it, you could feel eyes on you—lingering stares from guys scattered throughout the room. You tried to focus on your friends instead. The night started off lighthearted. Drinks were poured, laughter filled the air, and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Sakura found her boyfriend almost immediately, pulling him into a kiss before disappearing into the crowd with him. Temari and Hinata were quick to drag you toward the bar, where a line of colorful cocktails was set up.

“You have to try this one,” Temari said, handing you a drink with a mischievous smile. “It’s sweet, but it’ll hit you later if you’re not careful.”

“Should I be worried?” you asked, eyeing the drink suspiciously.

“Only if you’re a lightweight,” she teased.

The first sip was surprisingly good, and before you knew it, you were halfway through your second glass. The alcohol loosened your nerves, making it easier to join in the fun. The girls dragged you onto the dance floor, where the music thumped loudly, and the energy was contagious.

Tenten twirled you around, laughing as you stumbled slightly in your heels. “You’re getting the hang of this!” she said.

“Barely,” you replied, giggling.

The group danced together, your movements syncing with the rhythm of the music. You felt free, the worries of the week melting away as you lost yourself in the moment.

But across the room, someone else was watching.

Sasuke stood with his group near the bar, a drink in hand. His dark eyes followed your every move, narrowing slightly when he noticed the way other guys were starting to notice you too. He didn’t say anything, but his grip on his glass tightened.

Naruto nudged him. “You okay, man? You’ve been staring over there for a while.”

Sasuke didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he downed the rest of his drink and set the glass on the counter with more force than necessary. “I’ll be fine,” he muttered, though his gaze never left you. As the night wore on, your friends began to leave one by one. Temari and Hinata left first, with Naruto and Shikamaru escorting them out. Tenten left with Neji shortly after, and Sakura had long since disappeared with her boyfriend.

“I’ll be fine,” you assured them when they asked if you wanted to leave too.

But now, as the crowd thinned and the music softened, you realized you were alone.

Or so you thought.

Sasuke appeared beside you, his presence suffocating as he leaned in close. “Looks like it’s just us now.”

His words sent a chill dowon your spine, and you suddenly felt very aware of how vulnerable you were.

“Get off me sasuke!” With your friends now gone from the party you were now vulnerable to sasuke and he took this time to make his full move on you. Getting tired of you fighting agasint him he smacks so hard that your head whipped back to two sides you then look at him with teary eyes terrified of him. That was moment he realized how much control he had of you. And how innocent you were.

“Just wait until we get into in my dorm Im gonna ruin you.” He says darkly chuckling to himself.

You are now currently in sasuke dorm His hands are on your waist, pressing you agasint the wall with no way out. You try to protest but kisses you immediately with tongue causing tension to rise he presses you into the wall further after he finishes kissing you salvia breaks apart with your heaving breathing. God he just wants to ruin. He then grabs the back of your hair gripping it tightly. “Im going to lift you up on my shoulders and if you try anything it won’t end well for you. “

You whimper in response not knowing what to say he took that as you responding and lift your legs up on his shoulders. He takes off your red lace panties tucking them in his pockets. “We’re gonna fall!-“ he then uses he left arm grabbing my mother closing my mouth shut. He then presses his mouth up to your cunt his tongue wrapping around clit you immediately let out a small moan and whimper. You never touched yourself so this new feeling felt intense.

Letting he left hand go off your mouth he starts kneading both of your breasts adding more pleasure. He continues to suck and lick at your clit skillfully. Your breath catches in your throat swallowing a lump in your throat, your head starts to fall back into the wall gripping on sasuke’s hair. It feels so good. Way too good. Tears start to well up in your eyes. “Sasuke T-to much-“ Your voice is weak as you protest. “Well Thats just to bad.” He then uses his finger against your hole, twisting it until it pushes your velvet walls. He then hums lapping at your clit, sloppily pressing his tongue on your clit dragging upwards before moving his tongue side to side across your bud. Sasuke then starts sloppily using his finger in your hole pressing against your g spot.

You start to let out incoherent moans and cries. “P-please it’s to much!” Sasuke then looks up at you for a second. “Can’t even speak correctly I must be eating you out to good.” He then stoops eating you out using his fingers for your hole. His fingers then start pounding into your hole relentlessly the heel of his hand slapping against your clit. You then feel something way intense. Too intense. You then feel you a knot coming into your stomach and your toes curling. “It hurts sasuke.” He then looks up at you again. “Your to tight just calm down.” He then uses his fingers to rub at your clit. And your mouth forms into an O shape letting out loud moans.

Your pleasure then builds up stacks of build unfold by itself. You cum hard. Nasty wet squelches could be heard around the room. Your now letting out broken moans and cries. Without stopping he then puts his mouth back on your clit still fingering hard he then curls his fingers into your g-spot. You sob, his pace being non persistent and mean, bullying you past your organisms. And you start to tremble heavily. “P/please Sasuke Im sorry just stop please-!” You cry desperately as his fingers curl into you harder his tongue slurping on your clit. You feel something deep inside you snap. You then let out a scream. You then feel something warm. You then look down on sasuke face in horror.

You squirted. Sasuke then speaks and laughs at your pathetic state did you just squirt? (Name).” Too out breath to say nothing you just stare at him with swelling eyes. He then drops you off his shoulders with your legs so wobbly he then pushes you on the bed harshly back hitting the bed. He then grabs one of your legs putting it on his shoulders “W-wait! I’ve never done this before.” He then takes off his clothes revealing his toned body. He pumps himself a few times. You then look at with tear filled eyes. “I-it won’t fit” You whimper. Sasuke just grins down and laugh at you.

“Then I’ll make it fit.” Beige surging his hips forward. He then bottoms you out in one go, his groan drowned out by your louder whines. Your previous orgasms let him slip right in, but damnit your walls hugged and squeezed him so tight, too much for him not to snap his hips forward. Your mouth gapes at his harsh rhythm creating a sloppy and nasty sound in the room that just drives him to fuck you harder and faster. Your insides felt so full that you could burst. His cock is doing nothing but spitting you apart in a way it got your brain melting into a putty. With your eyes getting watery as it is. Beautiful noises coming out of so loudly that sasuke had to bend down and shut you up himself squeezed your cheeks so hard your cheeks started looking like a red tomato. He then lets go kissing you sloppily a mess of salvia from both tongues disconnecting Sasuke then grabs a bouncing tit squeezes hard while he still kept you face upturned to his, calling you degrading words while his hand was rubbing on your clit again. “You don’t want this but you’re being a crybaby creaming around me.” He said looking at your teary eyes.

He can feel himself bump into your cervix, He then looks back up to look at your face to see that yiur eyes had permanently rolled back of your head, your tongue out and drooling. God he wanna stay in this moment forever. Sasuke then engrave the image of you in the back of his mind immediately throwing his head back with a loud moan, the rough rutting of his hips having your hand to try and push him off weakly when your insides throbbed, incoherent babbles then come out of your mouth about a organism. “Yeah? Gonna cum again crybaby?” He rasps out, gathers your wrists tight in one hand as he fucked you hard and rough with everything he had, delirious in his own upcoming high. “Cmon crybaby cum all over my cock. Fuuuckkk-“

You couldn’t even form words, you just came seconds after with your back curling off thr bed, dumb squeals and cries muffled by sasuke hand. The bed creaking and headboard hitting the wall so aggressively. His hand pushing you roughly on the in the pillow, a spew of curses leaving his lips out of pure bliss HES feeling right now. He panted out like a a dog, still cumming lazily rocking shallow thrusts into you, blobs of white overflowing around the edges and dribbling in a puddle under your ass. He finally pulls out. He then lets out a laugh at your fucked out expression. He leaned then licking your neck and kissing it. You then let out a whimper.

You tried to get up but he pushes you back down. “Lay back down you’re not going anywhere looking like that.” With no energy left you just do as he says. Immediately falling asleep in his arms.

[hellfirenacht]

Anomaly Part 3

Summary: You can talk to anyone in school with no problem. At least, anyone who’s not named Eddie Munson.

Tags: Anxious-ish!Reader but not shy, one sided pining, no use of y/n, fem!reader, one sided enemies to lovers, fem!reader

2.4k Words

Part 1, Part 2, Master List

Miles Cooper was still at school the following week, which meant that he was given no consequences for what had happened to you or for blaming Eddie. 

Eddie couldn’t even say he was surprised by this point. If Eddie really had been the one to trip you up, he was sure he’d get suspended or even expelled. It was so close to the end of the year and he could feel that Higgins was looking for any reason to keep him from walking across that stage to get his diploma. 

You hadn’t shown up on Monday. Not that it mattered to Eddie either way, you two didn’t even know each other. But you had cleared his name. That was the thought that kept buzzing around his brain like a mosquito that he just couldn’t swat. Despite the glares and the snide remarks, you had gone out of your way to make sure that he didn’t get in trouble for something he didn’t do, which is more than what he could say for a lot of people at this school.

He had to give you credit for that at least. Not many people outside of his small friend circle would stick up for him like that. 

With work and band practice, it was easy to forget about you until Wednesday when you showed up to English class with a thick white cast around your wrist and arm. Shit, your fall really had done a number on you. You were struggling with juggling your books and they fell off your desk with a clatter, and you thanked the girl next to you for helping you pick them up. 

Eddie would like to think he was above eavesdropping and gossip, but he’d be wrong. 

“What happened?” The girl- Sarah- asked. 

“I face planted on the bleachers at the pep rally.” you said, taking your seat again. “One minute I was trying to get down, and the next I’m getting elbowed and my arm hurt.” 

“I heard someone pushed you” 

Eddie heard that emphasis on someone and gripped his pencil, hearing the subtle sound of wood splintering against his thumb. This was not the time to make a scene. 

“No one pushed me. Miles elbowed me and I fell.” you said firmly. 

You were still defending him, Eddie wasn’t sure how to feel. 

“If you’re gonna spread rumors, could you do me a favor and make it sound more interesting?” You continued, “Like, start telling people that I dived off the bleachers to distract everyone that Miles shit himself.”

Eddie snorted loudly before he could stop himself. He slammed his hand pencil down on the table and covered his mouth. Dammit, why did you have to be funny?

Sarah laughed, much less obnoxiously and agreed before asking to sign your cast. You must be covered in signatures now, as you seemed to be friends with everyone. 

Everyone except him. 

Not that it mattered. 

It was nice and all that you saved him from getting in trouble, but it’s not like you two were ever going to be friends, no matter how funny you were. 

Class started and Eddie spent the rest of class doodling and barely paying attention to the teacher. This was usually how his school days went. Yeah, he had been trying harder in the past two years to graduate and pass his classes but some days his brain just refused to focus on anything important. 

The bell rang and Eddie took his sweet time getting his things together. Next period was his favorite- lunch. 

“Shit.” He heard you mumble as you tried to wrangle your books with one arm. He knew there was a rule about not being allowed to carry around a backpack but, shit, Eddie would have thought you’d get some help. Shouldn’t one of those many signatures be offering to carry your books? 

Obviously not, as you finally managed to tuck your notebook under your arm. You looked flustered, and hot in the face. Your brows were furrowed in concentration and you finally let out a loud groan as your papers went flying everywhere as students for the next class started coming in. 

It was pathetic, and Eddie couldn’t exactly leave you stranded. You cleared his name, so at least he could try and help you out right now. Maybe he’d even figure out what your problem with him was. 

“Here.” Eddie said and grabbed the papers closest to him and picked up your binder before you could stop him. 

Normally when Eddie looked at you, you’d turn your nose up at him and look away. This time, he found himself giving you direct eye contact. Your eyes were wide with surprise that he had stepped in to help, followed by more frustration. 

“Thanks.” you said shortly. 

“Need help getting to the lunch room?” Eddie asked. He’d wait for you to say no, to tell him to get out of your face, and he can walk away with a clear conscience that at least he tried. 

You were staring at him as if he were some sort of alien who had just asked you why the sky wasn’t orange. Yeah ok, he could take the hint. 

“Yes.” 

The word sounded choked out, as if the single syllable was a struggle to say. But you had said it, and Eddie was a man of his word, even though he hadn’t promised you anything. 

Eddie stacked your notebook and binder on top of his. You were still staring at him as if you couldn’t believe he was talking to you. Eddie couldn’t really believe it himself. 

He’d do this small favor for you as a thanks, and then you two could go back to ignoring each other. 

“Lead the way.” He said, offering up his best impression of his dad’s smile. If he was lucky (which Eddie never was) then maybe some of his dad’s Munson Magic might rub off on him enough so that you’d at least relax a little. 

You only nodded and led him out of the classroom. 

You didn’t like the cast and it’s off-putting stark white bandages. You wanted to choose a different color- maybe red or black or even that weird obnoxious toxic green that was offered to you. But your mom decided that white would be better because it would make it easier to sign, so white it was. 

Your parents at least took pity on you Monday, letting you stay home to wallow in embarrassment that you had broken your wrist and fractured your arm in front of all of your classmates. Tuesday they released you back to school, but you had instead skipped getting on the bus (because you could not drive one-handed) and played hooky at the local library. It’s not like anyone would care that someone your age was skipping school. 

Wednesday came, and you forced yourself onto the bus, the first time you had used it since moving to Hawkins. The ride was bumpy and long, and your walkman ran out of batteries halfway to school. 

It wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be. A few people came up and signed your cast, some asking what happened. You just told them the same thing, that Miles elbowed you and you fell. It wasn’t as exciting as the idea of the school Freak attacking you, but you weren’t about to get Eddie involved in something that he had nothing to do with. You were just going to ignore the fact that Eddie had been the reason you were heading in that direction anyway. 

English class rolled around, and you spent most of it poking the inside of your cast with your pencil, trying to scratch an itch that just wouldn’t go away. It was bad enough that you had fucked up your dominant arm, but this was actually Hell. 

When the bell rang, everyone else seemed to be in a huge rush to get out of the classroom. Everyone but Eddie. Obviously. Because of course the one person you were trying to avoid was now slinking around you. 

Your long weekend, you had done your best to try and not think about him. You could handle falling in front of everyone else in school, but with Eddie it was different. Your stomach twisted as you remembered how he had yelled as you fell next to him and how he had looked at you as you had ignored your stinging arm as you ran out of the gym to clear his name. 

It was bad enough he had heard you make a poor joke out of context, you weren’t going to throw him under the bus either. 

“Need help getting to the lunch room?”

Your face was already hot with the embarrassment of not being able to carry your own books. Your backpack had ripped the second you got off the bus, and you lost your math homework to a puddle. You hated that he was still here to begin with, was breaking your wrist already not enough pain and suffering? 

You were staring at him. Fuck- dammit- shit say something back-

“Yes.” 

The word almost got stuck in your throat. The only reason it came out was that as painful and embarrassing as this moment was, what Stacy would do to you if she found out you said no would be far worse. 

Eddie dropped your books on top of his, and gave you a smile that looked so forced that you couldn’t stand to look at him. Was this being done just out of pity? You’d run for the hills if he wasn’t holding you binder hostage. 

You led him through the hallway, and towards your locker. “I need to put some things up.” you said, and he followed you. 

The hallway was already mostly clear, and so no one seemed to pay you much mind. You weren’t sure what the rumor mill would churn out with Eddie carrying your books, but did it even matter? Two more months and you’d be out of this school and none of these people would matter. 

No one except the young man following behind you. 

Eddie dutifully held your books as you put them away. The door to your locker stopped you from seeing his face, which seemed like the perfect time to take the foot out of your mouth that had been there since the pep rally. 

“...I’m... uh... I’m sorry for what I said on Friday.” you started, pretending to rifle through a folder. “About you being in a cult. It was a stupid joke and I shouldn’t have said it.”

Eddie was quiet for a moment, and you felt your whole body tense up as you waited for him to say anything. 

“Yeah we uh.. We aren’t big on sacrificing in Hellfire.” he said carefully. “Had to stop that with the club budget cuts.” 

You had to bite the inside of your cheek and close your eyes tight to keep from laughing. You covered it up with a cough. “Yeah uh... sounds like that’d be a lot of paperwork.” 

You took a slow and deep breath before closing your locker to look at him. He was smiling at you, a far less forced one than before. It was almost the same smile he gave his friends when he didn’t know you were looking. 

It wasn’t much, but it didn’t stop the butterflies from exploding in your chest. You should see a doctor about that. 

“Oh yeah, tons.” Eddie said. “And with all the letters we get about our club being associated with the Devil it was just a bureaucratic headache.”

I know that if I could just talk to him one then I’d be fine. You had told yourself that every single day since these pesky little feelings emerged. Maybe you had been right. The two of you made your way to the cafeteria. 

“You’re just some nerds playing with dice.” you said, and realize that could be taken the wrong way. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’ve also... played board games.” 

God you were acting like a total airhead. Board games? Really? You were acting like your brain was broken rather than your wrist. 

You felt Eddie’s eyes on you, and saw how he also looked unsure about your answer. Whatever was going through his head, he brushed aside. 

“I should also thank you for clearing my name.” he said, changing the subject. “You came running out of the gym and saved my ass.” 

“I wasn’t going to let someone get in trouble just because I fell!” It was the most assured thing you had ever said to Eddie.

“Well, either way I’d say you’re my hero.” Eddie said. “I’m pretty sure if you hadn’t come running to my rescue I’d probably be expelled by now, and then who would be around to corrupt the youth of Hawkins?” 

Hero. Eddie called you his hero. You felt your body buzzing with an energy that you were not in a place to use. 

You two were in the cafeteria now, and you led Eddie over to where Stacy was sitting. Stacy, being the queen of subtlety that she was, was openly gawking at the sight of the two of you together. 

She was giving you a look, and that look said that the second that Eddie was out of earshot you would be giving her a play by play of every single second of this interaction. 

Eddie dropped your books on the table by Stacy.

“Hi, Eddie!” she said in a perky voice. You wanted to kick her, and shot her a warning look which she ignored. “Will you be dining with us today?” 

You wanted to rip your hair out. 

“As much as I would love to spend my lunch period with you two ladies, I’m afraid my freshmen wouldn’t survive out there in the wild without me.” Eddie gave a dramatic bow. 

“Thank you. For helping me.” you said stiffly. Being on the receiving end of Eddie’s theatrics was making your brain blow a fuse. 

Eddie gave you a nod and sauntered off to his usual table where he was immediately hounded by his friends for being seen with you. You wondered what they were thinking. Did you look weird next to Eddie? Were they judging you for not being part of their group?

“Stop drooling.” Stacy said. “Talk.”

I have never broken a bone and have done minimal googling.

Also these chapters are getting longer dammit. This is supposed to be the easy stuff to wright UGH. Also tell me if there's something you wanna see with this, because I'm winging it like I do with all my writing lol

Tag List: @eddiemunsonfuxks @kirsteng42 @strangereads @pedroschka @generoustrashpeach

@sheneedsrocknroll92 @cyanfairywren @crocworkships @tomtomslongdong @aphrogeneias

@ghcstpyre @totheforestandtheocean @stevekeeryswife @dreamyyy222222 @ajnerdess

@sp1dyb0y1008 @projectcampbell @emxxblog @thebadbatchfan

@transparentenemypenguin @ghoulsgraveyard @spread-the-hope @exploding-bonbon @paleidiot

@2spock @c14r3v1b3srs @yujyujj @saramelaniemoon @morganlolitta

@veemoon @mrsrdlw @eddieheart @bambibiest @mylovelycrazyworld

@sassidykassidy @cultish-corner @thedoubleexposurephotography @bambibiest @wheels-of-despair

[yeonmuse]

CHROME HEARTS DONT BREAK : SMAU

ᥫ᭡ f!reader x nishimura riki ── 𝒢enre. Uni au. fluff, angst non idol enha. feats. ot7 [reqs are closed] ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓁ibrary 🎨

SYNOPSIS ; Niki finds himself yearning for the new girl in his art class. Only problem is she’s far too lost in her art to even realize he exists, she expects nothing but perfection in her life and he’s the missing piece of the puzzle thats all but the perfect fit. No matter how clear she makes it that she wants absolutely nothing to do with him he’s persistent in trying to get her to loosen up.

( This is part of the Enhypen University Event )

FORESHADOW: THE BORDER CARNIVAL

ᥫ᭡ f!reader x ot7 enha ── 𝒢enre. missing au. suspense, non idol enha. feats. ot7 [reqs are closed] ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓁ibrary 🎠

SYNOPSIS ; Since the age of 6 she’s been plagued with lucid dreams and haunted by faces she’s never seen other than in nightmares. Now she’s fully grown and the night terrors have returned this time worse than ever. What happens when her dreams lead her to a sketchy carnival that she believes houses seven boys that had gone missing 5 years prior. Eventually she finds her own fate intertwined with the fate of the seven victims. The only way to free herself is to lead them home and end the century long reign of the Border Carnival.

DECELIS ACADEMY: BLOODBOUND

𖤓 reader x yang jungwon ── 𝒢enre. angst. fluff, non idol vamp enha. [reqs are closed] ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓁ibrary ⚰️

SYNOPSIS ; Yang Jungwon has stood by her side from the age of six to the night of her eternal age ceremony. He has spent nearly her entire life reassuring her that her time would come, that she would possess her vampiric abilities soon enough, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. Her lack in vampiric traits cause a ripple in their friendship, her father is withholding secrets from her and she slowly begins to lose a sense of self, but maybe with Jungwons help she can find out who she is truly meant to be in this life.

AVALON : SMAU

ᥫ᭡ f!reader x park jongseong ── 𝒢enre. Uni au. fluff, non idol enha. feats. ot7 [reqs are closed] ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓁ibrary 🎸

SYNOPSIS ; Jays favorite guitar gets stolen, breaking his heart and forcing him to to buy a new guitar from the music store downtown. While on a search for a new set of strings he has a chance encounter with one of the stores employees and finds there’s more to her that meets the eye. Eventually his visits to the store become more frequent as he now spends most of his time trying to convince her to join his band. Though things only grow complicated when old flames return and drive a distance between the two of them once he finally gets closer to her heart.

(This is part of the Enhypen University Event )

SUMMER SERENADE

ᥫ᭡ f!reader x ot7 enha ── 𝒢enre. summer au. fluff, non idol enha. feats. ot7 [reqs are closed until previous reqs are fulfilled] ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓁ibrary ⛱️

SYNOPSIS ; Her summer is turned completely upside down when she decides to apply for a job at Orange Flower Resort. What was meant to be a simple lifeguard job turns into something much more complicated when the resorts richest bachelors have their eyes now set on her. Seven bachelors who test their fate with a game of rock paper scissors every day just to determine who spends their day with her.

FLOWERS IN THE GARDEN : SMAU

ᥫ᭡ f!reader x kim sunoo ── 𝒢enre. Uni au. fluff, non idol enha. feats. ot7 [reqs] ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓁ibrary 🌺

SYNOPSIS ; Kim Sunoo never expected that babysitting Layla during Jakes absence would lead him to falling for a beautiful girl with a love for flowers and animals. Now he finds himself going to the park everyday just to see her, ultimately getting himself caught up in a minor lie which he’s forced to keep up with until Jake returns home from his trip and he’s forced to come clean to her.

( This is part of the Enhypen University Event )

HER SWEET KISS : SMAU

ᥫ᭡ f!reader x sim jaeyun ── 𝒢enre. Uni au. fluff, non idol enha. feats. ot7 [reqs are closed] ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓁ibrary 💋

SYNOPSIS ; Sim Jaeyun has had a crush on her since the start of the semester, first time he met her he had been working a late shift at the cafe and she’d came inside and kept him company. The two had talked all night watching the rain tap at the window and eventually her weekly visits had become s routine. Jakes kind and welcoming smiles eventually turned into adorning stares and daydreaming of what it’d be like for his lips to rest on hers. The gods seem to answer his prayers and provide him the perfect chance to make his move when he attends the spring carnival and spots her at kissing booth. Her kiss is absolutely intoxicating and leaves him thinking about her even more than he had been before.

(This is part of the Enhypen University Event )

LIMERENCE

ᥫ᭡ f!reader x nishimura riki ── 𝒢enre. angst. fluff, non idol enha. feats. ot7 [reqs are closed] ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓁ibrary 🎐

SYNOPSIS ; Processing the move from Japan to Korea was hard enough on him, though processing the move from Korea, back to Japan was a lot rougher. Amongst struggling to find his own identity Niki is also forced to deal with newfound feelings for the country girl who’s parents owned a hot spring nearby. To make matters worse? She absolutely hates his guts

CRUEL INTENTIONS

ྀི park sunghoon x f!reader x sim jaeyun ── ɢenre.. melodrama, suggestive, non idol enha. feats. ot7 [reqs are closed] ᝰ.ᐟ my 𝓁ibrary ⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺

SYNOPSIS ; Her life takes a melancholic turn when she loses her mother, causing her to spiral completely. In a desperate attempt to numb herself she turns to parties, weed and alcohol which does nothing more than get her into trouble and tarnish her families reputation. Her inconsideration for others and irresponsibility earns her three new roommates, a father and two brothers — two brothers whom which she becomes the pawn of. Sim Jaeyun and his brother Sunghoon; the two are polar opposites, Jakes more into sports and books and Sunghoon is more into fast cars and nights out. Despite how different they are, they both have one thing in common — neither of them plan on losing this bet. Stakes are high as the first one to get her into their bed wins the others most prized possesion, but will either of them succeed?

MY NAVIGATION. LEADS TO MY FULL LIBRARY

JOIN THE ENHA WRITERS/FANFICTION COMMUNITY [ HERE ]

[ladykailitha]

Season 1 AU. After the events at the Byers house, during that time when Nancy has broken up with him, Steve decides he's turned over a new leaf and so must everyone else. Nicole, Carol, Tommy H. He catches Tommy getting into a fight with one of Eddie's sheep and tells him to knock it off.

Eddie who was about to come in swinging is impressed. And maybe develops a little crush on new Steve.

Steve starts becoming a hard ass on and off the court, pushing his friends to be better people and in Tommy's case a better player. The coaches at first tell Steve to go easy on the team, but when they start seeing the results, they back off and let him at it.

He pushes Tommy to get counseling from Ms Kelly for his anger issues. And it works.

So Steve starts branching out and targeting other bullies and not just his friends.

He breaks up what he will later learn was a deal gone wrong between Eddie and a football player, causing Eddie to blurt "Marry me!"

Steve laughs and tells him to buy him dinner first.

Eddie is mortified. And all the Corroded Coffin boys make fun of him for it.

But Steve starts popping up wherever Eddie is and his poor little cynical heart can't handle it.

Steve is being nicer to people. Including a certain blonde trumpet player in Mrs Click's class. He tells her he has a problem remembering names, but asks her for help in the class (he lost his study buddy, Nancy and picks Robin.)

Now Steve can't be everywhere and so the bullies start being more slick about it. Taunts and sneers. Hip checks and "accidental" tripping.

But one of these bullies target Gareth, a freshman. One of the varsity basketball players, a senior.

So Steve challenges the guy to a game of one on one. If this dude loses, he'll give up his place as captain and make it Steve. If Steve loses, he'll give up basketball and his one man mission to stop the bullying.

Nancy who was in the hall at the time turns to one of her friends and asks her if that was as hot as she thought it was it. The other girl can only nod.

Everyone shows up to this game. And the bully is confident. There is no way that this scrawny little junior is going to best him.

Only for Steve to win.

Everyone is stunned.

Afterwards, Eddie asks if that date was still on the table. Steve laughs and says he'd been waiting all month for Eddie to ask.

Nancy who was one her way to ask Steve to take her back, is upset when she overhears this conversation. She lost her chance with Steve.

Which of course changes season 2 because now that King Steve is king for a different reason, Billy's antics get shut down fast. Not just by Steve, but Carol and Tommy, too.

The possibilities are juicy on how else it changes things.

*ETA: Story here.

[flkwh0re]

Babysitter

Warnings: Mommy kink (W), age gap, slight pervy Wanda, Masturbation, Somno, slight Dubcon, cheating (Wanda cheats on Vision), little fluffy! (please tell me if i left some warnings out!!)

Wc: 1.6k

A/n: If you don’t like this idc :) just scroll or block me if you don’t like this content!

part two here

——————————⧗ᗢ——————————

You had been babysitting the Maximoff twins since you were in high school, but now being in college you were hardly ever able to. That was until Wanda found out you were home for a few days and sent you a text asking if you didn't mind to watch the boys for the evening while her and her husband went out for dinner.

You never liked Jarvis, he would always give you weird looks when Wanda was around you. You had noticed a change in Wanda's demeanor towards you when you came home again a couple months ago. You just brushed it off as him being weird, but you were completely wrong.

Little did you know Wanda had not been able to get you out of her mind, she would catch herself thinking about you at all points of the day. She thought it was just because she missed you, but when she found herself with her fingers buried in her pussy, holding her phone displaying a picture of yourself you had posted on Instagram. It felt so wrong, but oh so right.

You hesitantly rung the doorbell, waiting for someone to answer the door. You never understood your shyness around Wanda, you thought it was some silly little teenage girl crush. It most definitely wasn't as it strengthened in you adulthood.

"Hi sweetheart!" Wanda greeted happily, pulling you into a hug. The smell of her perfume crowded your senses, making you feel weak. "Ugh, I've missed you so much!" She placing a little kiss on your forehead, a tint of pink gracing you cheeks. "I've missed you too, Wanda."

She brought you to the living room, and made some little small talk with you while she waited for Jarvis. She asked you all about your second year in college, the trips you had taken, your friends, and lots more. Wanda just loved hearing you talk about things you do, and things you loved.

You were interrupted by Jarvis' trudge down the stairs. "Darling, are you ready?" He said smugly, giving you a look. "Yes, let me call the boys down. Y/n there's chicken nuggets in the freezer, you can fix them for them. Kitchen is yours so you fix whatever you want, house too. Once the boys are asleep feel free to do whatever, just don't destroy the house." She send you a little wink, and you nodded your head.

"Boys!" She called out to her twin boys, and they came running out of their room. "Tommy, Billy. Mommy and daddy are going out tonight, be on your best behavior for Y/n." The two boys nodded eagerly, excited for their evening with you. Wanda said her goodbyes to you as Jarvis stood annoyed and impatient. Once they had left you turned to the boys, "Who's ready for some fun!?"

Wanda and Jarvis had been gone for an hour now, Tommy and Billy were eating their dinner while you prepared yours. They excited to finish, because you promised if they did you'd all play on their shared playstation for a few hours.

After you all had finished, you played until it was time for them to go to bed. Their protest made you giggle as you drug them up to bed. "Sorry boys, but your mom would kill me if you weren't in bed on time." They both groaned, but still complied nonetheless.

You walked back down to the living room, curling up on the couch taking your laptop out of your bag, hoping to get some work done for your classes. You didn't know you'd wind up clutching onto a blanket coated in Wanda's sent, your nimble fingers rubbing your clit. The tips of your fingers prod at your aching hole, as you imagined Wanda's fingers buried deep inside you.

The sudden sound of the door opening, sent you into a panic. You pulled your hand out, trying to readjust the blanket as best as possible. You get on your phone and scroll through TikTok trying to seem as normal as possible. "Hey sweetheart we're back." Wanda said as Jarvis walked off. "Hi Wanda, give me just a second and I'll be out of your hair.”

"Oh Y/n why don't you spend the night, it's too late for a girl your age to be out this late." She insisted. "Wanda I'm not a little girl anymore." You chuckled, walking into the hallway by the door where Wanda stood. "Oh but you are, you're my little girl." Wanda said, your face heating up.

"W-wanda I-" She cut you off by placing a her finger on your lips. "Shh, let mommy do the thinking. Stay the night, and once Jarvis goes to bed I'll come back to you." She husk in your ear, her hand snaking around your front. "But Wanda, h-he's your husband.. you’re married." She laughed, "You don't think I'm aware? He's not been much of onefor years, and I can't get my mind off you. I need you sweet girl, please let mommy have you."

You hesitate, but nod your head. Her hand slips underneath your shirt, groping at your tits. "We have time for a little fun real quick." She whispered into your ear, the sultry tone in her voice makes you shiver. Her hand runs down your body and slips into your pants, rubbing your slit through your panties. She gasp as she feels how wet you are, "You're so wet detka, what were you doing? Tell mommy."

"I-I was on your couch, t-touching myself." You whimpered out, any dignity you had was now gone. Her fingers slip into your panties, rubbing your swollen clit. She sucks lightly on your neck, leaving little marks on your delicate skin.

Her slender fingers plunge into your aching cunt, thrusting steadily in and out of you. You try your best to choke back your moans, but you accidentally let a loud moan slip past your lips. Wanda quickly brought her hand to your mouth, covering it. "Shh be a good girl for mommy, we don't want my husband to catch us now do we?" You shake your head, indicating a desperate no.

Your legs begin to buckle, as your orgasm crashes through. Muffled moans escape your throat, as Wanda fucks you through your orgasm. The hand on your mouth retracts as she helps your regain composure. You watch her as she sucks your slick off her fingers, moaning around the digits as she savors your taste.

"I can't wait to taste you for real baby." Wanda says excitedly, as she pulls you into a kiss. "Alright, let's get you to bed. I'll be back down in about an hour.” She says as she leads you to the spare room.

You tried your best to get a little sleep, and right before Wanda came in you managed to doze off. She smiled at your sleeping state, pulling the sheets of your body. She softly moves your body so she can remove your shorts and panties. A groan escapes her lips at you still dripping cunt.

She places her head between your legs, dropping soft kisses on you thighs. Her tongue licking soft licks on your swollen clit, running down to your hole prodding at it. It wasn't until Wanda harshly sucked on your clit, that you began to stir awake. Little whimpers and moans escaped your sleepy self, thighs softly clamping around Wanda's head.

"You taste so good detka," she whispered into your pussy, the vibration of her voice making you whimper even more. She loved how vocal you were, how sensitive and reactive you were. She hasn't had sex like this ever, Jarvis could never truly give her pleasure.

She slipped her digits into your cunt. "Oh fuck mommy!" You moaned at the sudden fullness. You loved feeling so desperate and weak for Wanda, and she loved it too. "Fuck! 'M gonna cum mommy!" Groans and cries left you as she fucked you hard through the ecstatic orgasm.

She straddled her bare pussy on yours, rutting it against yours. "Mm no mommy, 'm too tired. Please st-stop." You begged her, but the thrust of her hips quickened. "No detka, mommy wants to cum. Help make mommy cum."

Her slick mixed with yours, her pussy rubbing on your own sensitive one made you feel crazy. "Fuck sweetheart, mommy's gonna cum! Cum with mommy." With her demand, cum gushed from you leaking onto her pussy, mixing with her own cum.

"Good girl, mommy's so proud of you." She said, placing a soft kiss on your lips. "You think you can give mommy one more? I wanna ride your face." You nodded sloppily.

She slipped off your body, straddling your face. Her slick cunt making contact with your lips. Your tongue slipped past your lips, licking a bold stripe on her pussy. "Fuck, just like that detka."

You swap from weakly licking and sucking on her core, you tried your best but you were so week from your previous orgasms you couldn't keep a steady pace. Wanda pitied you and ordered you to stick your tongue out, grinding her cunt on it. Getting just enough friction to cum. Her cum dripped down your throat, you had never tasted someone as good as her.

"You did so good for me baby, such a good good girl!" Wanda praised. "Thank you mommy." You weakly squeaked.

Wanda laid down next to you, pulling your smaller body into her. Kiss your lips softly, then your forehead. Wanda knew she had to do something about Jarvis, she just had to make you hers so bad! She'd do whatever she had to, just to keep you for herself.

masterlist

[sparrowssally]

Headcanons about what Fourteen does once he moves in with Donna’s family

Gets bored after approx 48 hours and decides he’s going to get a job to “help support the family”. Donna has to bail him out of a job interview gone wrong when he keeps trying to insist he has “900 years of on-the-job experience” and tells him to just rest for awhile.

After a week of Rose begging him to take just a short, secret trip in the TARDIS—just so she can really know what Mars looks like for her class project—the Doctor sneaks her out and they fly off in the TARDIS. Donna can’t even find it in herself to be mad anymore when she looks in Wilf’s telescope and sees her daughter smiling in the door of the TARDIS with the Doctor standing proudly behind her, as they fly home.

To give him something to do, Donna decides to give the Doctor the weekly shopping list to pick up at the store…until he starts calling her every other minute asking “but what kind of ice cream do you want?” “I dunno, just pick one” “DONNA THERE ARE 20 DIFFERENT FLAVORS”

The Doctor uses the sonic to renovate the shed to make it bigger on the inside, and one time Donna goes out to get him for dinner and promptly screams as she falls into the massive swimming pool right inside the door, as the Doctor sits in a lounge chair sipping a glass of wine and laughing at her