#it's a funny coincidence that they both have red suits

[unikhroma]

the other day when i was infodumping about crash for like an hour, my friend asked if i've drawn big shot spamton in pinstripe potoroo's suit yet and the answer is now yes !

[takaraphoenix]

A Midsummer Night's Mischief

Tags: m/m, Erica Lives, Boyd Lives, Jackson Doesn't Leave, magic, curses, fluff, m/f

Main Pairing: Derek/Stiles

Side Pairings: Scott/Allison, Boyd/Erica, Jackson/Lydia

Teen Wolf Characters: Mieczysław 'Stiles' Stilinski, Derek Hale, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd III, Isaac Lahey, Jackson Whittemore, Lydia Martin, Scott McCall, Allison Argent

@writersmonth Prompts: fairy + stage

Summary: A traveling production of A Midsummer Night's Dream comes to town. Only that it's all fairies and they leave the town, and the pack, cursed to only tell the truth.

This Fic on FFNet | This Fic on AO3

A Midsummer Night's Mischief

Stiles Summer Stories 2024

It was supposed to be a fun night out for the pack. A traveling production of A Midsummer Night's Dream had come to visit a few days ago and Stiles was eager to see the premiere. When he noticed that Lydia, Allison and Boyd were just as on board with it as him, he decided this should be a whole pack outing. Scott was on board when he saw how much Stiles and Allison were looking forward to it. Isaac seemed indifferent but okay with going. Erica and Jackson were the ones fighting him the most on it, until Stiles used his secret super power – somehow, inexplicably, being able to convince their Alpha to do most reasonable things (not everything, but somehow Stiles was the best at convincing Derek) – and once Derek put his foot down and gave that commanding Alpha growl, Erica and Jackson gave in. And so, that Friday, the pack prettied themselves up to go to the theater.

Stiles loved that, wearing a suit, seeing his pack look all fancy too. Lydia had taken everyone shopping so they would have appropriate attire – even though this wasn't some big theater, it still felt nice, sophisticated in a way they never got to be. Allison looked stunning in her silver dress and Scott had actually run into the entrance door because he had failed to take his eyes off his girlfriend. Lydia wore green, coordinated with Jackson whose dress-shirt matched her dress. Erica's dress was tight, purple and sparkly, while Boyd had a purple handkerchief in his breast pocket to match his girlfriend. Looking at the three couples, Stiles tried not to think about the fact that him and Derek were both wearing red. It wasn't a secret that red was Stiles' favorite color, and of course did the Alpha wear red. Just a coincident. A coincident that made Stiles blush.

It was supposed to be a great night, them just having fun with something different for a change – instead of training or running or fighting monsters or just sitting in the Hale House to watch movies together. Naturally, Stiles didn't get a fun, fancy night with his pack. No, the actors on stage turned out to all be fairies. Seelies and pixies and trickster sprites. The night ended in a magic prank.

By the time the pack was filing back into the Hale House, they were all arguing. The fairy curse was one that made people speak the truth, but not just the truth, an unfiltered truth, because normally, people still had the option to not speak instead of saying the truth. Ironically enough, Stiles was the one the least affected by that curse. He generally didn't lie around the pack anyway because what was the point of lying with a bunch of living lie detectors, and he's never had a brain-to-mouth-filter to begin with. It was his pack who were really suffering.

It had started innocent and funny enough because Scott just started listing every single thing he loved about Allison, like literally every single thing. Which, admittedly, did get annoying by the time they got back home. Then Erica and Boyd started fighting, because Boyd admitted he hated her new shampoo, it made his nose itch, and Erica got upset that he never just said things like this he just smiled and wanted to please his girlfriend. Lydia and Jackson were in a full on discussion about The Notebook, why, Stiles had no idea, those two had a really weird relationship with that movie. Things stopped being funny with Isaac though, because the blonde puppy blurted out that he thought of Derek as a father and that he was so afraid that he shouldn't, that that wasn't how he should look at his Alpha even though Derek was his guardian but Derek was only his guardian because he was his Alpha – and it really hurt Stiles to hear the panic in Isaac's voice.

They were all forced to be brutally honest, even about things they weren't ready to admit. Because on its own, it was nice to hear Isaac admit that, Stiles could even see the pride on Derek's face and it made Stiles feel all fuzzy and warm. Isaac's panic about it had the opposite effect.

"Okay, so we have to figure out what kind of curse this is," Stiles cut through the bickering. "If we do, we can break it. Fairy magic is usually a type of bargain."

And with that, Stiles fell into a rambling rant about fairy magic, culture and bargains. Fascinating topic, he had hyperfixated on it during the summer. He was glad it paid off, as most of his supernatural related hyperfixations did. Yay, his ADHD. He got about two minutes into his rant.

"Stiles," Derek growled. "Shut up."

That didn't just shut Stiles up, it also shut the pack up. They all looked at their Alpha startled. It had been months since Derek last told Stiles to shut up, not since Stiles had joined the pack officially. Because Derek actually valued Stiles' opinions, knew that Stiles usually had the solution to whatever problem there was, heck, the Alpha had even learned how to filter through the rambling for the important information. It wasn't that Stiles was insecure, necessarily, but… he had been told to shut up all his life, he was so used to people being annoyed by his rambling, he was used to it… and now he'd kind of gotten used to the pack actually valuing his opinions and letting him ramble on, even when it was completely random and unrelated, just because they knew he needed to ramble, just because they knew he cared. That was what pack meant. So it hurt, a lot, to hear Derek growl at him again to shut up, like he used to before they were pack.

"Right," Stiles cleared his throat. "Sorry. Focus. I know it's annoying-"

"No," Derek growled again, this time in frustration. "It's not annoying! You're not annoying."

Stiles stared at him in confusion. "Then… why would you tell me to shut up?"

"Because it makes me want to kiss you," Derek ground his teeth together, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked at the floor, away from Stiles. "You're so passionate and enthusiastic and I love the way your interests make your eyes sparkle, it makes them look like liquid amber instead of their warm brown, and when you figure something out and smile I just want to kiss you."

"Oh, finally," Lydia groaned, leaning her head back. "I thought we would have to watch the sad, mutual pining until we graduate high school, this was getting painful to watch."

"Ma—aybe we should leave them to it," Boyd suggested when their Alpha growled. "Let's go, everybody, give our Alphas a little privacy."

"Privacy is overrated I want to see them kiss, babe," Erica pouted.

She still let her boyfriend pull her along though. The pack left the room, Boyd dragging both Erica and Isaac along, while Allison herded Scott and Lydia ustairs, Jackson being the only one who very eagerly fled all on his own muttering about how he so did not need to see this, all of them heading upstairs, until just Derek and Stiles were left. The curse should make Stiles blurt out all kinds of things too, but his brain wasn't working yet, it had come to a full stop. He just stared at Derek.

"Say something," Derek's voice was near pleading. "Anything at all. You're never quiet. You being quiet is unsettling, it… it makes my wolf snarl and want to tear apart whatever made you quiet."

"Right, yeah," Stiles cleared his throat, laughing a little nervously. "I… don't know what to say. You did it, you left me speechless, the impossible feat, I guess…"

"I know," Derek sighed, looking dejected. "You don't feel the same. How could you. You are so amazing, so strong, all the things you went through, as a human, and still you chose the pack, without having any obligations, you chose my pack, and I'm just grateful to have you in it, I don't need more, even if I want it, I understand that you don't… feel that way about me. I threatened you too often, I growl too much, I… half the time, I don't know what I'm doing still, even though I try."

"What," Stiles blinked up at the wolf. "Are you crazy. You try so hard and you improved so much, you became a great Alpha who actually respects his pack and helps them, and if you're lost, you at least learned to ask for help and I'll always be there to help you, Derek, our pack means everything to me. There was never a choice for me, I'm ride or die, you must have noticed that."

"Thank you," Derek whispered, visibly relaxing some. "I don't need you to love me, but I need you in my pack, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Hi, yeah, wait, can we rewind to the bit with the love? What. Wait, there was also a bit about kissing what did that mean, what do you mean?"

"I love you, Stiles," Derek looked at him, unusually vulnerable. "I love you more than I ever thought I could. When you start talking, all I want to do is pull you into a kiss and never let you go again, I want to listen to you for hours just because I love how passionate you are about the topics you're interested in. I love your little fidgeting because it's so cute. I want to run my fingers through your hair, ever since you grew it out, my fingers itch to feel if it's as soft as it looks. I could get lost in your beautiful eyes and count all the shades of Earth and whiskey in them. I want to hold you close and never let you go, I want to lead our pack together, with you."

"That's like… the most words I ever heard you speak in one go," Stiles whispered in awe. "And I am struggling with computing any of them. I mean, you love me?"

"I know," Derek heaved another sad sigh. "You could have someone better, should have someone better. Someone your own age with whom you can be without the fear of your father arresting them. Someone who can… communicate their feelings better…"

"Yeah, no, shut up," Stiles threw his hands up. "First of all, my dad would absolutely not arrest my boyfriend, like, damn mom was seventeen and he was twenty-two when they got together, it would be a total hypocrite move to do that, and it's not like you are a decade older than me or anything. Besides, he absolutely would never arrest someone I love and I love you so much, Derek. I mean, the growling is actually kind of hot if you're not threatening me, but also even the threatening was kind of hot when it involved you pinning me against a wall. I love you, I love how much you're working on yourself, and on the pack, you… you suffered so much, and you lost so much, and you deserve to be happy and I'm so glad that you're actually rebuilding the Hale Pack, rebuilt the Hale House, reclaiming what others took from you. I'm so proud of you and I'm so in love with you."

Derek stared at him warily, like he expected this to be a lie of sorts, before the wolf remembered that what had started this conversation was their inability to lie right now. Stiles swallowed hard, staring at the man he'd been in love with ever since Derek had come running into the hospital to protect Stiles from Peter after the two figured out who the Alpha was.

"I want to kiss you, right now," Derek whispered, yearning in his voice.

Stiles nodded jerkily and walked over to Derek. He rested a hand on the Alpha's cheek before pulling him down into a slow, soft kiss. He gasped at the feeling of Derek's stubble against his skin, the softness and warmth of his lips, the way Derek's tongue slipped into his mouth.

"I love you," Stiles repeated once more, as soon as their kiss broke. "I love you, Derek. Hear me and believe me, okay? You deserve me, if you want me. You deserve to be happy."

Derek made a small, wondrous noise, as though he couldn't understand that this was real. His arms wound around Stiles' waist and for a moment they could enjoy peace. Until the bickering from upstairs got loud enough to remind them that they still had a curse to break and fairies to fight.

~*~ The End ~*~

[leonscape]

on what i observed, based on your typing skills. i think you're right, our typings do KINDA looked similar and and the fact that were both leon stans, which is a coincidence 🤨. (were also yappers through online but not irl?)

looks like leon questioned your sexuality, it's like you're saying leon is an exception for you to think about THOSE kinds of thoughts 🫣. (a certain someone).

and yes i liked the idea of seeing romantic AND sexual relationships MOSTLY through fictional and my fantasies/fake scenarios (other's fantasies too sometimes) but sometimes irl too, as long as im NOT involved in any of those engagements because it feels wrong for me to be included somehow, which is why i think of THOSE kinds of thoughts in 3RD person.

okay i was in confusion of my sexuality right before that...i lost my straightness in 2021 because of some girl online with her angelic singing voice 😭, which is a weird reason- now my sexuality has been questioned...but then maybe i was heteroflexible...but no since it's an offensive term, but then moved to unlabeled since im not sure about my sexuality just yet, also...those women online...both fictional and irl? DANG I FEEL SO ATTRACTED TO THEM THEY ARE SO FINE- yeah i do considered that im not straight anymore since i like both men and women now but THAT doesn't mean im bisexual 👀. now ive slowly discovered the ACE spectrum...i was ONLY aegosexual at first...since it suits my feelings more...but also im not into receiving romance irl, so this adds me being aego aroace (in closet because my sexuality can be confusing to people outside LGBTQ+) , and so yeah this sexuality suits my feeling now and im proud of it, but im a bit conversative irl tho (but i do support tbh).

about me liking BOTH leon AND chevalier, yeah good point...im questioning myself here and looking very shady hahaha 😅, it looks ill be getting a 50/50 treatment here, now im confused on myself, i mean ITS THEIR LOOKS EINEKDMEK- but my reaction of their personalities to these two are different... (and im half colorblind, despite disliking gilbert, idek how do i actually feel about him. tbh, hes just...odd yet a bit scary, also he's a literal red flag and i wouldn't clearly date SOMEONE like HIM).

yeah i went back and forth into liking him or not- also one of the suitors i wouldn't date someone like him irl. his hair cut needs a little trimming and that's it. other than that, he's hot and handsome asf 😏 (i can tolerate his personality).

i like leon's hair too, it clearly suits him and his personality, which it makes sense to me- (he's just so silly 🤭).

i know you can bake, SO LET ME GOBBLE YOUR DESSERTS EJXNEMDK (literally releasing my inner jin- but were far away so i can't 🥲).

YOU CAN BOTH COOK AND BAKE?!? OEDMEKDKEKDN YOU'RE THE STANDARD EKDNEKDKE- like naw im like licht and i may have burn the kitchen when doing that 🥹.

we kinda match since again im a foodie didjekde, i would be eating your food anytime now 😭🫶🏼.

i hate my mind sometimes because it made me kept yapping unnecessary things and let them out through typing 😔.

anyways love you pookie 😘❤️ (platonically).

i don’t understand bi/pan orientations. i struggle to comprehend any attraction. maybe i am also like you but i’m not sure. i know im straight because i am only interested in male partners because i think one day starting a family would be nice. but most of the time i don’t see myself in any relationship because i struggle to find anyone attractive. it’s funny how i found out because i was talking with a friend and she was talking about her crushes. i’ve never had a crush before so i thought i might like girls but no i just don’t like anyone. i realized it was normal to have those types of feelings and gossip about them. but i never had them. so i did what any child in this century would and i googled it. i took a bunch of am i gay quizzes and one of the quizzes actually suggested that i was ace so that’s how i was introduced to the ace community.

if there is a label for what i feel then sure but im ok with just saying im ace. but when it comes to leon i just like the way he makes me feel. i rarely think about him in a sexual way (only when my body says it’s time to ovulate). his looks don’t really register because when i imagine him, he’s a feeling. well that’s how i imagine all my characters, they’re all feelings. but anyways yeah i just like the feeling he gives off.

i like leon’s hair too don’t get me wrong. i want to run my fingers through his hair and pet his mullet 😹

i cook for my family because they’re always so busy so that’s why i can make meals and such. but i think i just like baking better so i am more enthusiastic to share what i bake. i also like talking with the yves blog haha.

it’s okay to yap this is how conversations are supposed to be 😸👍

[unburntdragonqueen]

My opinion on different house of the dragon outfits (women edition) part 6 (finale)

Yes I'm still going I know I'm annoying

Please ignore any typos my first language is not English

.

Baela Targaryen

She only has two dresses I think but this one has definitely got to be my favorite, it reminds me of Laena for some reason, and the pattern is very beautiful it also reminds me of patterns I see in my home country which is funny bc they were in dragonstone and they filmed dragonstone where I'm from so I think even though obviously it has nothing to do with it, it's a cool coincidence, and the color is stunning she looks stunning, I wish they had given a little more to her and Rhaena tho not only did they have no lines or barely any but they also had very simple gowns.

Rating: 8/10

It's okay once again they went for simple gowns for her when I feel like they could have given her more like at least a little more jewelry idk, the wrist and neck details are really pretty.

Rating: 6/10

Rhaena Targaryen

I could literally only find one 🤦‍♀️ but it's a cute one both Baela and Rhaena in this scene did get pretty gowns and since I couldn't find any other dress I only have this I can't really compare, but idk why but I'm obsessed with the contrast of black to red and how there's only small bits of red but they look good and then the gold on the red also gives it a nice touch and maybe unpopular opinion but I love those two little chains

Rating: 7/10

Helaena Targaryen

You can't see it that well in this photo but from what I've seen it's once again very simple dress, they seem to focus those on characters they dont want to pay attention to 🤦‍♀️ but it's very princess like, so it's fitting and that shade of pink is beautiful

Rating: 5.5/10

My girl Helaena deserved better bc the color of this dress is meh, I guess it's gold?? But in my opinion this gold is worse than the gold from that one dress from Rhaenyra that I mentioned, it's mostly the shade of it and the pattern on that shade of gold is also meh I like the little belt looking thingy tho (also wasn't this the same dress she wore on episode 9, like she wore it on episode 8 and 9 or was it just similar??)

Rating: 6/10

I know I know this photo is terrible but I could not find a better one, but this dress I actually liked it, it looked like they actually tried to make something nice for her, the color suits her.

Rating: 7.5/10

Mysaria

This dress looks cheap, again, I know she's not a main character even though they treated her like she was since she for some reason has a character poster, but still they could have tried a little it looks like something that came once again like I said before from one of those sketchy websites, there's honestly not really anything that I really like, maybe the neckline.

Rating: 3/10

Andddd finally the last dress, this is definitely better I don't get why all her dresses are tight fitted but oh well and I know of her nickname but them being all white too, comeeee on lol, but I like the material of this one and the corset (?) and what looks like a necklace but might be part of the dress, it's cute

Rating: 6.5/10

And finally I'm done if I missed any and you want to let me know please do and I guess I will add it lmao

[construingseacats]

Umireread: Legend of the Golden Witch - Chapter 2: Arrival at Rokkenjima

Sat, Oct 4 1986 - 10:30AM

The following contains spoilers for the entirety of Umineko. Please do not read if you are yet to finish it.

I want to quickly take some time at the start of each new chapter to go over any tidbits that arise from the tips/character information.

Getting a proper look at both of them, it’s funny to see how much of Rudolf’s design just feels like an inverted Battler. We have black shoes versus white shoes, a white suit versus a dark one, Battler’s red to Rudolf’s blue… It’s also neat to note that they wear the One Winged Eagle on different sides. While we’ve already established the two are alike and a reflection of Kinzo, it’s neat to see how much Battler tries to go against his father (even if, in the end, they’re very much the same - colours aside, they basically wear the same getup).

I also think there’s a tangible parallel to be made between Battler disowning his parents, and Yasu’s rejection of Kinzo. I don’t think it’s particularly tight at this point in the story, but it’s a similarity between them which I think helps the bond.

It’s very funny how Hideyoshi’s entry makes reference to the Ushiromiya family having “spiteful” genes. Yasu to a T there.

Also, I kind of noticed it in Chapter 1, but what is up with Kyrie’s cheese cutter pattern on her shirt? I think I just thought it was a decorative pattern when I first read this, but it’s absolutely just a ton of diamond holes showing off her side. I’ve seen Jojo characters with more realistic outfits than this.

Anyway, onto the actual story - first thing of note is how much they’re pushing George as being “good with kids”, when it’s Battler who actually gets Maria and is able to play around with her. George seems good with kids in a traditional sense, but Battler is the one that Maria’s actually having fun with. It paints a pretty fascinating picture of Yasu’s mental state when this is framed through her authorship.

I already got into it in Chapter 1, but Rosa is definitely being framed quite positively this early on. No further points to make, just acknowledging it.

There’s a discussion of being a womaniser on a genetic level which, as always, is a fun little nod to Kinzo and his past antics. Honestly at this point it’s a fair assumption that any reference to genetic or family traits is directly referencing something from Kinzo’s past.

Ah, the wilting rose scene. I was definitely of the mindset of “who cares what the child thinks about a stupid rose” during my initial read, but this time around… I kind of can’t help but wonder if Maria is implanting herself on the rose? The feelings of being abnormal - or worse than others - in a blooming sea of conformity. If that’s the case, there’s no wonder that she ends up caring so much about it, and wanting to see it prosper - as a proxy of herself.

This ties back into the “narrative keeps saying George is good with kids”, but there’s an awful lot of writing here where a character will do something and then other characters (and the narrative itself) spends some time commending them for it. Through the lens of Yasu’s writing and reflecting the beliefs that societal normativity have implanted in her, that these things are good not because she admires these traits but because she’s expected to - it’s interesting. Without that perspective, which you won’t have without already knowing the story back to front? It’s really suffocating.

Fun little thing in the english translation - when Kanon appears, there’s a small pause in the dialogue before referring to him as “...a slender boy”. That doesn’t seem to be there in the Japanese, so it’s not intentional, but I’m glad to see subtle gender commentary by sheer coincidence.

Ah, first reference to furniture. Can’t wait for the narrative to rip my heart out with this as we go through with the understanding of what seeing themselves as “less than human” really entails.

You can honestly read this both ways as Yasu being taken aback by her crush’s forwardness, or just the general surprise of being helped after a life that has done nothing but beat her down. I think I’m leaning slightly towards the latter here purely on personal preference, since adding that bittersweet element to this scene makes it hurt in all the right ways.

You know, I’m torn between deciding whether the constant pauses are Yasu trying to keep up a “cool, mysterious boy” facade as Kanon, or whether her brain is just going “oh… hot boy…” constantly and causing her to stutter.

Oh, Battler just helped pick up some heavy bags and got physically close? Okay, yeah, absolutely the latter. Yasu’s “HOT BOY” thoughts are going haywire right now.

Yeah, I’m sure you did keep going over “big and strong” Battler in your mind.

This scene is really just oozing with the feel of a self-indulgent self-insert fanfic. I’m not even kidding, you could have this scene almost 1 for 1 with an author as Kanon and a celebrity crush of their choice as Battler. No dialogue changes necessary. Again, one of those things that you could never catch the first time round, but seems blatantly obvious on a re-read.

Very funny to see Jessica deflecting on the matter of Kinzo and then laughing at “I hope he doesn’t come out of the study again”. You don’t really think about it the first time round, but man is she bad at lying. I like seeing her make humour out of it as a coping mechanism, that’s quite endearing.

I’d forgotten how merciless Eva was from the beginning. I don’t necessarily think that she’s getting particularly good characterisation out of it, but she’s probably the adult making the biggest impression on the reader at this point. I can’t help but wonder how Eva would be portrayed in a Forgery penned by Ange.

Shannon is really being pushed as meek at this point. We’ve gone from self-indulgent fanfic to effectively vent art. I wonder how Yasu felt writing herself as flawed and having other characters chastise her for it.

Oh neat, we have our first scene of Yasu talking to themselves. It’s interesting how we go for misdirection from the get-go by having Genji appear as well in the scene - I’m sure plenty of other writers attempting to do something like this would have started out by just showing Kanon and Shannon by themselves the first few times, and working up to showing them with other unreliable sources. Ryukishi really went for the kill here.

That said, it’s interesting how Genji doesn’t actually talk to Kanon in this scene - you can quite easily read this as Yasu arguing in her own head while Genji talks to her, oblivious of what her internal dialogue is actually saying. I wonder if this will stay consistent throughout - I think I remember scenes where the servants address both Shannon and Kanon, but it’ll be interesting to see which ones are necessarily fantasy and which ones could actually play out in reality.

He sure does, Kumasawa.

End of Chapter.

[violetrainbow412-blog]

Spider... woman? [P.P]

⚠SPIDERMAN NO WAY HOME SPOILERS ⚠

Andrew Garfield!Peter Parker x reader

MASTERLIST

Word count: 2.1k

A/N: This is something that makes a bit of reference to the history of Spidergwen in the comics (it is basically that, actually) and although I know that there are some with this theme, I don't intend to copy anything.

Any resemblance to other works is a mere coincidence.

And sorry for the mistakes, English is not my first language (If you notice any that I didn't correct and that the translator put it wrong, please let me know)

"Thanks for the food, by the way"

"Sure" exclaimed the man next to you, shrugging "After all between spiders we help each other, right?" he tried to joke to lighten the mood. A day had already passed since you had fallen into that strange world, not knowing what to do or where to go, until finally, your spider-sense had guided you to the man with whom you were talking.

The man had repeated a thousand times that his name was Peter Parker and you had doubted it until he saw him throw cobwebs and fight like only Spiderman could, then you had no choice but to believe him. He had been very nice to you and had helped you a lot, from getting you some food to explaining a little about what was going on (or at least what he believed was going on).

"You know, I saw on the news something about a place to help the needy or something," you started to say, rubbing your hands together to try and get a little warm. The suit was icy “I think I should go check, it's a few blocks from here. At least we would have a place to sleep,” you murmured and the man nodded softly. Despite what was happening you tried to stay optimistic.

"Are you going to swing over there?"

"Yeah, I don't think New Yorkers like to see a girl dressed like the man they hate," you laughed bitterly. Although your suit did not have the characteristic red and blue colors if it had some details that alluded to your arachnid powers "I'll be back soon, I promise" you said with a sealed-lip smile.

"I will be here. Be careful"

After putting on the mask, you threw a spider web towards a building and began to walk on the roofs of the buildings, immersed in your thoughts. It did not take you more than a few minutes to travel to the place (apparently called F.E.A.S.T.) and before entering to say something you decided that the best thing would be to go back with him to inform him and thus enter the two at the same time.

You were happy to finally have found something good for you because you felt that somehow you could repay the support that Peter had given you. He was an older man, but that was not why he stopped being funny, kind, and above all brave.

"I found it!" you said with a smile, as you took off your hood and mask. But there was no longer a trace of him "Peter?"

Suddenly he saw a coppery glow on the other side of the ceiling where you were standing and instinctively you got into the attack position. As you got closer, your arachnid sense stabbed like crazy and that made you feel even more nervous and scared. You realized that it was a kind of portal and apparently your partner was crossing it, so you did not want to be left behind.

With your heart beating like crazy you crossed the circular area with a little jump and once there all eyes were focused on you. They were two teenagers, those you had seen on television, an old woman, your partner and...

"Peter?"

You had frozen in place, being able to pronounce only the name of the boy in front of you. You knew him, but it had been so many years since you had seen his face that you were afraid you were hallucinating. And apparently, you weren't the only one who had turned completely pale.

"Do you know each other?" you listened, but honestly your mind could not formulate an answer. Everything had been so strange since your appearance in that world, but this was just the icing on the cake. You silently walked up to him and he did the same, both of you fearing that the other was just a figment of your imagination. You carefully reached out your hand in his direction and when you finally reached his cheek, you felt like you stopped breathing for a second. It was him; he was real and he was in front of you.

"You... is it really you?" he asked in a small voice. His chest rose and fell unevenly.

You looked into his eyes, his beautiful chocolate eyes… and they hadn't changed one bit.

"What the hell is happening here?" said an angry voice behind you. It was the brunette girl you had seen on television “Who are you? What were you doing with him?” she asked seriously, pointing to the first Peter you had encountered.

You looked at all the people in the room, you looked at yourself, and finally, you looked at the man in front of you.

That was going to be a pretty long night.

"This is sooo weird," you whispered, feeling your heart rate completely accelerate.

You and Peter had both talked to the girl named MJ and her friend Ned, telling their respective stories and listening to them explain the situation you were in, as well as why the three of you had been thrown from their universe into that chaotic world.

"You... Do you have wizards and stuff in your world?" she asked her and you laughed softly, while you shook your head. The situation wasn't the best, both of you knew it, but you couldn't help but feel like a schoolgirl in love. m

After listening to the boy's story, you realized that he was definitely not your Peter Parker (at least not the version you knew) and you were not his Y/N either. And that wasn't even remotely possible because both versions of you were dead.

You had lost Peter in a fight after one of his experiments failed and he turned into a giant lizard. He, on his part, hadn't been able to save you from a horrible fall caused by one of the villains in his world. For years you had tried to take the blame for what you had done, feeling miserable every day for murdering your best friend, and when you thought you were finally over it… well, you were done there.

"So... it turns out that we don't know each other, but actually we do" she started to say, looking at you with some nervousness.

"Well, I suppose there shouldn't be many differences between you and my Peter, right?" you smiled My Peter, you said, and it sounded so special coming out of your mouth "Although well, he wasn’t a superhero"

"Y/N either" he smiled as he got a little closer to you "She was very... special and loving, but she wasn’t bitten by a spider"

"She was lucky" you joked and he smiled again. The tension between you could almost touch and try as you might, you couldn't take your eyes off him, nor he from you.

A short silence invaded you and with fear of being rejected you tried to take his hand, to which he responded almost instantly.

"Is there a villain in your world?" he asked softly, returning your thought to the threat you were about to face. You were so excited to have a subject physically identical to your late best friend that you had forgotten the real reason for your stay there.

“Apparently not” you replied “The only villain who knows my identity is a huge bald guy named the Kingpin and he honestly doesn't have a great superpower. Not really any superpower” you exclaimed, remembering the mobster who continually made your life miserable “And yours?”

"It's Max, the electricity boy, and the giant lizard," he murmured. Hearing the mention of the lizard you felt guilt invading you again.

"We will have to try," you said into the air, lost in the memories of the night Peter had appeared in reptile form, the same night he had died in your arms until the boy gave your hand a slight squeeze and began to run your thumb across the back of it.

It was strange to feel so much familiarity with a type completely unknown to you. Well, maybe emotionally unfamiliar, because from the little scar on his cheek to his thin lips he was the same man you had loved for years.

"I like your suit" he complimented you, trying to create a conversation, and you replied with a smile "It is different from the one I know, but it fits you very well"

"Yours is pretty too" you replied and now it was his turn to smile.

Both of you fell silent, gazing at your joined hands, while you mentally searched for the right words. You wanted to say so many things and there was so little time.

"Y/N"

"Yes?"

"Maybe I'll sound very strange and I don't want to sound like an idiot" he began to tell you "I don't want to make you uncomfortable either, because you don't really know me or at least this version of me, but... I'm getting off-topic" he admitted and you smiled with a little nostalgia. He was identical to your boy. "There is something I always wanted to tell you, well, tell her and... I don't know, I wanted to know if I can tell you" she exclaimed shyly "I don't know if we're going to die by facing all these villains together and alone. I wanted... well, you know, to feel that somehow, she knows it”

"Sure, whatever" you answered immediately. Your body leaned a little more in his direction, turning the distance between you into an intimate moment.

It took him a moment to gather the courage to speak to you, but you didn't push him and just kept you watching him. More than watching him, you were admiring him. You admired him with a curiosity of what he was about to tell you.

"That just... I'm so sorry for what happened" he started to say, not daring to look at you. Her gaze was on the floor. “Every day I asked myself how things would be if I had saved you. If I could have done more for you. Because... you can't imagine how difficult and hard life is without you here. It hurts to wake up and no longer see your face and have to pretend that everything is fine. So… I don't know, I wanted you to know that I always miss you and that I…” his voice cracked a bit and he finally looked up at you. His eyes were crystallized and it was inevitable for you to feel the urge to cry too “that I loved you as you can't imagine. And that I will continue to love you. Forever” he finished. You didn't give him time to say anything else, because you wrapped your arms around his neck and wrapped him in a strong hug. If there was one thing to admit, it was that his arms still felt just as safe and familiar.

You didn't answer anything because you felt like you would ruin the moment if you said something, so you just kept holding it firmly while you felt a couple of tears soak through your suit. Maybe that wasn't the way both of you had expected to meet, but telling you that was an unimaginable break for his heart. And hugging him like you did bring comfort to yours.

"Peter and Y/N, we..." you heard someone say. They were the boy who had opened the portals "Huh, sorry to interrupt"

"No, you're not interrupting," he rushed to say, wiping the trail of tears from his cheeks. "What's wrong?"

“We have to go, I think we know where Peter is. Our Peter” he clarified and you smiled.

"Then let's go there," you said with determination. The boy nodded and decided to go ahead to leave you alone, so you could finish whatever it was you were doing. You looked at Peter and smiled at him “I promise we'll end this conversation later. I… also have many things to say to you”

"Yes, of course" he was quick to say. Now it was he who placed his hand on your cheek "Thank you for listening to me"

"Don't even thank me,” you replied kindly, placing your hand over his. For a split second, you felt like he would close the distance between you with a kiss, but sadly he didn't. He just kept looking at you, like he still didn't quite believe you were there.

"We have to go"

"I know" you replied a little disappointed, as both of you stood up. You dared to give him a second hug that he replied with pleasure "Promise that you will be careful"

"Same here" he murmured with a smile that then turned into a kiss on the top of your head. You watched him again and finally decided to walk through the door, hoping you could be of help to the catastrophe you were about to face.

But after all, it was about not just one, but three spidermen who would fight alongside you. And you were totally sure that you would make the best team.

TAG LIST: @aleksanderblack-blog @fictionalcharactersworld @falcvns @navs-bhat @myalupinblack @bohologyc @itszero16 @fortheloveofaqueenfan @secretsthathauntus @queenofnightdreamland @siriuslyfearless @darkestbeforethedawn16 @srhxpci @gossamer19 @valliantllamasandwich @scandalous-chaos @bisexualdragongirl @archangelaurii @Monoleil @stilesks @annika0-o @iovesvck @mads-weasley @idli-dosa @thxtmarvelchick @lrpau @beiroviski @lionsmessis @thebrookemalfoy @agnesamarantheastwood @infectedtee @codyfernmorelikedaddyfern @tasmwhore @nightfurya @wintersoeldiers @1-800-smartbish @vanessalenrie @mooniefoot @madeofkay @uwiuwi @mssbridgerton @gayforjohansson @morganaah

If you want to appear in my taglist, click HERE (And if you want to be removed send a message)

[dreamcatcherrs]

august - ranboo x reader

+ disclaimer! I don't know if ranboo actually has a cat :)

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: ranboo x f!reader

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: ranboo can’t help but to blush every time you look at him, not realising that he was falling even harder for you than he realised.

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 1.478

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: none :)

song recommendation: august - taylor swift

the first time he’d spotted you was in science class, near the end of the school year. that one time you looked up and smiled at him because of something stupid he’d said to his friend, that you for some reason found funny - he couldn’t stop thinking of that smile for the rest of the day. the image of you stuck in his head.

the next time he saw you was in p.e. you were wearing those pretty red sports shorts that you always wore, but he for some reason had never noticed until now. and whenever you’d walk or run past him, the smell of vanilla would follow behind you, filling his nostrils with the scent, and it felt heavenly. from that day on, he decided that he really liked the smell of vanilla.

weeks went by before you first talked to him. you were sat behind him and had poked his shoulder to ask him if he had a spare pencil for you to borrow. he breathed in, eyes wide from surprise. were you talking to him? it was only when you tilted your head to the side with a playful smile on your face that he realised he’d been zoned out, completely forgetting that he had to respond.

“uh- yeah, sure.” he’d fumbled with his backpack, trying to fish out his pencil case only to remember… he didn't have one. he moved his hands back again, looking back up at you as you leaned over the table with a patient smile on your face. “uhm… actually, I don't have one either.”

that made you laugh, and he was just confused, cheeks turning red in embarrassment. “well, I guess I can't really complain about that,” you giggled, brushing a strand of hair out of your face. “I’m y/n, by the way. we have science together, I just don't think we ever got the chance to talk.” he grabbed the hand you’d put out to shake, staring into your bright eyes as you shook his hand. were there stars in your eyes? it looked like there was a whole other universe in there.

“I guess not-”

“hey, you two. eyes up here.” mr. jefferson, you douche-

“sorry mr. jefferson!” you apologised, before turning to send him a playful smile. as if you two had a secret that no one else knew about. he wondered if that smile was always able to get you out of trouble. he thought about it for a while as mr. jefferson explained the different historic sculptures, and then came to the conclusion, that no one could be mad at a person with such a smile for very long.

“aww, you never told me you had a kitty!”

he threw his backpack onto the arm chair in his living room, letting out an exasperated sigh as you followed behind him, or rather, followed his cat behind him. he turned around to see you crouched down beside his cat, softly petting it  with the cutest smile on your face.

“yeah. pretty cute, right?” he joined you by petting the purring creature, heart bubbling with how cute the sight in front of him was. he wasn't just talking about the cat.

“well, should we get started?” you asked, shrugging your own backpack off and getting out a small notebook. he’d noticed you wrote in it a couple of times during the class before.

you’d both been assigned for a science project together - what a coincidence. he wasn't complaining though - not at all. you’d had fun times together in class since, now being sat beside each other. you’d gone to his place to put in some extra work ethic. “you’re lucky I actually like science! then we’ll get some work done.”

you plopped down on his couch, taking in the comfiness for a moment, before fishing out your computer. “are you implying something?” you giggled at his question, lifting a finger at him.

“that I do all of the work in science class while you sit and stare at me? yes.”

a wave of heat flooded over him, cheeks and ears turning red and his palms sweating up. was it that obvious?

you patted the spot on the couch beside you for him to sit down, a small smile etched onto your face. he did so, finding a comfortable way to sit in before looking over at your computer screen. you turned you head to him, scooting closer when you noticed he could barely see your screen. as if that would help his sweaty armpits and rosy cheeks…

“okay, do you remember our lesson about polar and non-polar electronegativity?” his face was blank. the words were foreign to him. was that the day you wore that pink lipstick? or did he just think that because he thought it looked so good on you?

you rolled your eyes playfully at his lack of response, proceeding to point at the screen and explain to him what it means. he listened to start off with, but then soon realised that his thoughts had drifted off to another place, eyes gazing over to look at you instead of the screen. and instead of listening, he started thinking about the way your lips moved - how cute and perfect they were. and how much he wanted to kiss them.

he lost his train of thought when you turned your head to him again, a frown on your face when noticing how lost in thought he was, clearly not paying attention, yet your look of disbelief quickly turned into a surprised expression. was he looking at you?

“you’re not listening.”

he looked bewildered for a moment, but quickly managed to clear his throat awkwardly, eyes turning to the screen again. “sorry.”

you began to explain again, and this time he only glanced over at you once when... was that blush on your cheeks?

the first time he kissed you was one month later, summer break. you were at the local park, basking in the rays of sun as the summer was soon to end. the smell of freshly mowed grass was all that filled your nostrils, and the fresh breeze every now and then was enough to keep you from melting under the heat of the sun.

you were sat at a nice waterfall, your backs turned towards it as you ate the sandwiches you had just bought. the sound of water trickling out of the different places on the statue was pleasant for your ears, peaceful really.

he’d gone to push his longer hair out of his face, and then rest his hand beside him, in the middle of the two of you. but instead of meeting a cold surface, his hand met your soft one, that was already resting right where he was about to put his hand.

he heard you gasp softly, head turning to look down at your hands. he looked back at you with wide eyes, which you quickly returned when realizing what had happened, a rosy colour spreading over your cheeks. and right then, he couldn’t help himself. he knew you hadn’t known each other for that long, but he knew you. and he for sure knew that he liked you.

as your eyes stared into his, head slightly leaning in, he kissed you. soft and sweet and short, and when he pulled back again, your eyes were closed and you didn’t look displeased at all. and that’s when he knew, you liked him, too.

“ranboo, I swear, if you rest your arm on my head one more time!”

he laughed at your small threat, removing his arm from its comfortable place on the top of your head. he ruffled your hair, just to annoy you, with a playful smirk on his face. you pouted at him, fixing your hair again and softly shoving at his chest.

“fine~ I’ll stop. you’re just so short, it’s hard not to,” he giggled, patting the top of your head lightly as he smiled down at you brightly.

“maybe you should just be shorter. then I won't have to get on my toes all the time to kiss you.” you crossed your arms, staring up at him with a smirk on your face.

he shrugged. “nah. I kinda like seeing you struggle with that.”

you rolled your eyes and let out a low grumble, acting like a kid who was just told they weren't allowed any candy. before you knew it, a dandelion was pushed back into your hair, followed suit by a quick peck on your cheek. your lips parted in surprise, eyes staring up at him again, before reaching your hand up to gently touch the flower, a small smile spreading across your face.

“now,” he started, leaning down to intertwine his fingers with yours. “shall we go out to enjoy the last day of august?”

_____________________________________

tag list✰

@zayenz @terribletoothbat @0t0n1n @0125cm @yukiuheh @shinee-is-5-forever @regularnoceur @b01nk-b0w@christhebish@nutritious-emo-crackkk@bookishreid@giavanna-707 @reddiesmcdonalds@cosmins@vixxzial@autumnpleaves@paradigmax@meaganjm@shiningsunrises@moralofwalls@username1212131@gxldentaestuff@innitdream @televisionpresent38 @bubblyanis@zurami @highoffhockey @popinjaytaylor@196os@livsbaby@doubts-of-gold@bunlina@retrav @mcyt-is-my-life@aleaisntcreative @my-shitpost-of-writing @my-shitpost-of-writing @clownsdrowning @pissbabywastaken@shiningsunrises @tie-dyed-dumbass @death-by-rats@simpfordraco @bippity-boppity-boopa@neongreendaydreams  @vibin-by-myself@littlepotatos0w0@christhebish @pipp-poppz@btsiguess-kpop@prettysmallfries@hiyoko-kos@kenmxskitten@fudrudy@weepingartanimespy@rhino-zucchini@goldenstarofthunderclan@melonmarz@ubeicecreamisthebest@polaroidinurroom @ady-yoo@isimpforeveryone@edenhollandd@ineedtogetoutofhere@glitter-night @hamilsandersfam@mothheart-witch @wrong-exit@trashcanfullofdork  @hellfirepheonixx @marshmallow-babe@isimpforeveryone @ky50621 @randomcloud@wormie4k@dinonuggies50  @p4rty-t4ttoos@aspenthegremlin@book-of-anarchy @jeyacore @thetattooink@gogywasfound@millavalntyne@junob1ade@ubeicecreamisthebest@karida @i-have-paws-love@drvgonraja@eatasslikegrass@creamofweep@venusomega@lunarfedora@rowe-n @wreny24 @vincent-stargogh @floatingplanets​ @vernon-dursley​ @childhoodgrunge​ @fivxss @hexagonclash​ @crazyjuls12​ @littlebabysandboxburritos @shifted-dreams@lenamarie666 @reinyrei @sozvuchiy @weaslvy-mxlfoy​ @aiofheavenandhell​ @honeyglaazed @carisle-mikealson​ @ineedtogetoutofhere​ @twist3dtinkerbell @cracraforfandoms@angel-dazey @leia-starly @smiithys​ @squiddyyyy​

[amazonworrier]

Not sure if you are taking prompts but I saw your reblog so I am shooting my shot. Quinntana for kissing prompt 4 or 5 please :D

I am today! Trying to break out of a writing slump, so thank you for your help 😊 I don’t love number five for them so let’s go with four…

The wedding isn’t their first kiss.

It stands to reason that it wouldn’t be, given Quinn is easily one of the most attractive people Santana’s ever laid eyes on outside of her own reflection. If Santana were being totally honest with herself, she probably wouldn’t have minded if Quinn was her first real kiss. Period. But, you know, some lesbians take years to realise they aren’t straight, and with Quinn being a diehard Christian too, they were pretty much hanging out in opposite closets for a few years there. Besides, Brittany transferred to McKinley pretty early on in sophomore year and- Well, everyone knows that side of the story. She doesn’t have any regrets.

So, they don’t kiss at any parties in freshman year because Quinn’s too religious to drink and too straight to experiment sober. Then sophomore year Quinn stops partying altogether because she gets pregnant - also a very straight move. Junior year she knifes Santana in the back on day one, so even if Santana weren’t totally hung up on Brittany by then, the odds of getting her mack on with Quinn were decidedly low. Maybe if she’d been single in senior year, and skank Quinn knew how to shower… but she wasn’t, and Quinn didn’t, so that was that. The bottom line is, they didn’t kiss in high school. No matter whether Santana thought about it or not.

But they do kiss before the wedding, and it’s all Rachel Berry’s fault.

See, they were supposed to just be in New York to shop. Kurt calling while they were there was a total coincidence, but both Quinn and Santana figured if they were ever gonna redeem themselves for years of tormenting Rachel, making a concerted effort to stop her from getting naked in front of some weirdo film geek’s camera would be a good start. And hey, if it didn’t work, at least they’d get a funny story out of it.

The problem is that absence really does make the heart grow fonder, and neither of them remember quite how f*cking annoying Rachel can be until they’re already halfway through dinner. It’s the longest three hours of Santana’s life.

“Was she always that exhausting?”

Quinn slumps down on the king bed in their hotel room, sighing into the pillow. It’s a lavish suite, paid for courtesy of Mrs Fabray and her neverending guilt over having kicked Quinn out that one time. Unfortunately, her guilt doesn’t quite stretch to covering two beds, but it sure as hell still beats some crappy old couch in Bushwick.

“Yes,” Santana tosses her jacket aside, heading straight for the mini bar, “You just couldn’t look past your Berry-boner long enough to see it.”

“That’s disgusting” Quinn rolls her eyes, reaching for the first drink Santana offers. “And completely untrue.”

“Sure it is.”

It’s not long at all before they’re both totally hammered, and it takes even less time for them to start reminiscing.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Quinn raises a finger to Santana’s lips, effectively shushing her. “Mike Chang? How did I not know this?!”

They’re sitting cross-legged on the bed, surrounded by countless empty cans and bottles. Quinn’s other hand has been resting idly on Santana’s thigh for a while now, but she hasn’t said anything. She’s not sure why.

“It’s no big deal,” Santana chuckles, pouring them both another glass of cheap red. “It was him or Puckerman. Mike’s lips looked softer.”

They are, of course, discussing their first kiss.

Quinn pauses, lips teasing the rim of her glass. “Mine was Tina.”

“Tina?” Santana chokes on her drink, “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“It was an accident,” Quinn shrugs.

And, in all her bewilderment over the when and the where, Santana only gets so far as to ask, “How do you kiss a girl by accid-” before she’s accidentally throwing what’s left of her wine all over them both.

“Shit,” she leans forward, rubbing frantically at the rapidly forming stain on Quinn’s new designer dress. That thing nearly cost her an organ.

“Stop,” Quinn catches her arm, “There’s no point.”

But Santana persists, swaying unsteadily as she works to remove the damage done with little more than her bare hands, and sheer force of will. She shakes Quinn off in a huff, “Sit still.”

So caught up in the mess is she, that Santana barely registers how close they are until she feels a puff of Quinn’s breath hit her cheek. It strikes Santana like a splash of cold water, and she falters in surprise, shuffling back on the bed into safer space.

The problem is that they really are drunk, and there’s nothing graceful about Santana’s movements whatsoever anymore. She stumbles back, only to have her ass land firmly on her empty glass of all places. It’s a comedy of errors that follows, Santana’s body flying all over the place in what can only be described as a dizzying blur, until she ultimately finds her mouth falling forward to land on Quinn’s waiting lips.

Seriously, it sounds ridiculous, but that’s exactly what happened.

“Ah,” Santana topples back again, heat rising to her cheeks. “Sorry, I-”

But Quinn doesn’t give her a chance to explain. She’s already lunging forward, hand closing around the back of Santana’s neck to reel her in, and connecting their lips once more in a searing kiss.

Perhaps in spite of herself- No, definitely in spite of herself, Santana is the first to pull back. Breathless, and gasping for air.

“So,” a wary smirk teases at the corner her lips, “That’s how you accidentally kiss a girl.”

Quinn’s eyes darken, voice thick, as she lifts a hand to trace the smug outline of Santana’s mouth with her thumb. “Who said this time was an accident?”

The wedding isn’t even close to their first kiss.

With any luck, it won’t be their last either.

[d-targaryenshoe]

Dangerous Game • Samuel García

Word Count: 1122

Summary: Being invited to a party at your ex fling his house never ends different.

"Wait, you're telling me I left Lu and Nadia in New York for a fucking stupid towel party!" You yelled at Ander who was standing next to Omar and another guy.

"It's just a party? and you love party's, calm down and have fun." Ander placed the cigarette in his mouth before he blew the smoke in your face. "Maybe that'll help."

"Fuck you, and who the fuck are you, hm?" You glared at the guy that stood next to Omar with a blue towel around his waist. "Because I haven't seen you before."

"Patrick Blanco Commerford, the girl with the short haircut and purple towel is my twin sister, Ari, and the girl with the shoulder-length hair and black towel is Mencia, my other sister, and you are?"

"Me? I'm y/n, and I already know a nickname for you, what about 'Wannabe Ken'?" You slightly inspected him with your eyes before you patted his cheek and smiled sarcastically. "Just stay out of my lane, Omar, you have a sec?"

"I- Sure? Yeah, come on." He opened the door to an empty room before closing it behind the two of you. "You okay? Ander already knew you wouldn't like the idea of this."

"Did he? Well, that's sweet of him. I'm in the house of Samuel García, the boy I screwed before I graduated and left to New York, now I'm here and freaking out." You walked from side to side in the room, rubbing your forehead.

You heard a knock on the door but Omar held his hand up towards you, walking towards the door. "Move on, this room's taken."

"Hey, boy, it's not because I'm one of the new rich girls that you can start to become the ruler of the fun, eh, joder." The door was opened as a girl with a silver bathing suit and a black towel walked in. "Wow, ur a sight for sore eyes."

"Mencia wasn't it? Hate to break it to you but I and my friend were actually having a conversation, so have a good night?" You waved your hand in her face, turning your back towards her.

"Go on then, I won't gossip about it, I'm a good listener." She shrugged, adjusting the towel around her body. "No? Okay. Omar, what's Mrs. Fine, her secret?"

"She's y/n, the girl that screwed Samuel before graduation in the showers to be more exact, then she left to New York, now my friend is here and losing her shit." Omar shrugged, getting a shove in the arm from you. "It's the talk of the whole school, y/n/n."

"OH SHIT, YOU'RE THE SNACK THAT OUR SHORT BOY IS SIMPING OVER?!" Mencia let out a loud laugh, clapping her hands. "Oh I'm so happy I came to this party."

"This chick I swe- cariño, do you have anything strong in here? I need my alter ego to come out." You sighed, looking at the boy in front of you that strolled over to the desk, grabbing a bottle of whiskey.

"Whiskey? that's not smart, eh, Omar, she might as well end up somewhere she doesn't want to be." Mencia chuckled, dancing to the music that was playing behind the door. "But you're a free person eh? Go for it."

"That's what I thought as well." You took the bottle before placing it to your lips and swallowing the strong liquid, before Mencia grabbed it away, spilling some on your chest. "Excuse me?"

"Keep some for the other people, you drunkard." Mencia winked at you, opening the door and holding out her hand to you. "This good stuff already working?"

You huffed at her, glancing at Omar as he shrugged and slightly smirked at you, nodding at the door.

You sighed before placing your hand into her hand, letting her lead you towards the living room where everyone was dancing, standing in the middle of the room, she started to move her hips to the tempo of the song, pointing her fingers at you.

"Start dancing, fucking hell, have some fun." Mencia walked closer to you, taking hold of your hands and noticing your body was starting to move to the beat of the reggaeton song. "That's what I was talking about."

You started to get in your own bubble, moving your body to the beat of the music and stealing a person's red cup of strong liquid.

"Y/n?" A voice spoke up from behind you but it didn't make any sense as you kept dancing and the booze was raising to your head. "Y/n, hey."

Turning around you saw Samuel frowning at you with a towel around his waist and a slight change in his appearance.

"Samu! Nice to see you again eh? We're not wearing much, the coincidence, huh?" You laughed, taking his hand and placing it on your hip as you kept dancing.

"Y/n, what are you doing here?" Samuel twirled you around as you made him do so. "Shouldn't you be in New York?"

You stopped dancing and placed a finger on his lips, using your devilish smile on him, which always worked. "You're a big mouth now eh? I kinda like it, as in really really like it."

Samuel shook his head, removing his hand from your hip, rubbing his face. "You're drunk, you're fucking wasted."

You threw the red empty cup to the floor, crushing it with your pointy stiletto shoes, moving your head next to his ear. "I may be drunk, but that doesn't mean that I don't wanna fuck you."

"And then leave right after? Like last year? No, gracias." He kneeled to grab the red cup but you were quicker as you placed your heel over it, making him stare up at you. "Seriously?"

"I know you want to undress me like you did a year ago, lay me down like used to do, talk about your childhood with me as we're both catching our breath." You whispered, fiddling with the towel around his waist. "If it's worth it, i'll stay for as long college allows me to."

"That's funny, we know you won't." Samuel pushed your hands of his waist.

"A week then, 7 days will that work for our favorite waiter?" You sighed, walking closer to the García boy, placing your hand on the side of his neck. "Yes, no? Maybe?"

"Aye Samu, don't make the girl wait, eh? I'll gladly show her how we girls have a good time." Mencia held up her fingers as a peace sign, snorting at Samuel's face.

"You shouldn't have come back." He whispered, grabbing your hand and walking towards his room.

Seems like you were indeed gonna end up there again.

[margarethx]

“The boat is a metaphor”

I know that there were a lot of jokes after the montage in episode 5 of tfatws when Sam and Bucky were fixing the boat about how “the boat is a metaphor! :D”. And, you know, Sambucky is a ship... and it’s a boat. A boat, a ship? Get it? Okay, it’s funny. Sue me!

But if you think about it outside of a basic pun... the boat actually is a metaphor. I don’t know how much of the “hidden” meaning was intentional and how much is just a nice coincidence that adds to the interpretation, because it makes sense... but it’s still there.

----- --- -----

1) Sam and Bucky have been arguing with each other for three episodes and couldn’t really cooperate, because there was always something standing between them. They worked together, but it was hard. Meanwhile, in episode 5 Bucky finally admitts that they are partners and that he’d be there if Sam calls him. Them fixing the boat corresponds directly with them fixing their relationship (whatever it is). It seems trivial, but that’s what happened. Bucky only said sorry once the job was done.

2) Also... The boat only started working again when a lot of people put their collective efforts to fix it. Sam and Bucky also started be a real team only when they started cooperating. When Sam admitted that he sometimes needs help and when Bucky saw that he has made mistakes in their relationship.

3) It’s basically Sam inviting Bucky to his life. This boat is full of his memories. He spent his childhood there. There are pictures of his family on the walls. No one else was ever so close to really knowing Sam as a person, even Steve.

4) Sam’s name was not in Bucky’s notebook (and I’m still kind of salty about it), but fixing the boat was obviously his way of making amends and “doing the work”. Not just for the Winter Soldier’s actions, but for everything that happened between them in the last weeks. He did something for Sam and now they both feel better.

5) It’s more vaguely related to the boat, but there are a lot of scenes showing Bucky using his metal arm to fix things. (For a moment let me put aside the glaring fact that he only did that after Sam pointed out that it’s something he can do.) It’s not the same arm he had as an assassin, but it’s obvious that he still had issues with it, hiding it from other people, because he kind of viewed it as a weapon. With Sam, on the boat, he doesn’t hurt anyone with his arm, but fixes things and the prosthetic is visible all the time. (His superstrenght is also used to make something better, not for destruction.)

6) Bucky also said that he had a moment of peace in Wakanda and he lost it. When he turned Zemo over and asked for a suit it was a little bit like closing a chapter. But this is his new place where he can just do whatever and feel safe. And the new chapter literally started with him lifting a heavy part of the boat to help (and show off in front of) Sam.

7) The boat is obviously a parallel to the shield. Sam wants Sarah to keep the boat against her wishes, because it’s the legacy of his parents and something from the past that is important to him. (It’s also something they argue about and Sam doesn’t fully understand Sarah’s point of view.) Bucky wants Sam to keep the shield, because it’s the legacy of his friend and something from the past that is important to him. (It’s also something they argue about and Bucky doesn’t fully understand Sam’s point of view.) They all mostly solve these issues at the end.

8) Speaking of Sam’s parents... The boat is literally named Paul & Darlene. Come on. It’s a “ship” named after people in love. Sam’s parents must have spent a lot of time there, working together, doing repairs, teasing each other, arguing and apologizing, hiding there to have a moment of privacy, sharing glances over the engine. Now Sam is doing the same things with his parner... Not to repeat myself, but: come on!

9) It’s a detail that I probably care about too much, but the haul of the boat is painted dark blue and red. So do with that what you want.

--- ----- ---

So yes. In conclusion: the boat is a metaphor. It’s something important from the past that causes conflict. It’s a safe place for one of the characters who invites another character to be there (and to become a part of the family in the process). It’s something built out of love that now needs to be fixed. And it’s only fixed once two people can finally get it together, accept help, and cooperate.

I rest my case :>

[chelleztjs18]

Lost in Assistance - Ch. 10

Elizabeth Olsen x Fem!Reader.

GIF: I do not own this GIF.

Summary: Y/n is a professional celebrity's personal assistant in Hollywood got hired with two years contract to be the assistant of the famous and talented Elizabeth Olsen / Lizzie by her manager. Both Y/n and Lizzie hate each other since day one, and they have mutual friend. One is as stubborn as the other, will Y/n stay when Lizzie gives attitudes and tries her best to make her quit before the contract ends?

Warning: fluff, angst, smut (in future chapters), swearing words ( +18 only)

I do not own any pictures, name, brand, song titles or anything that I used in this story.

All chapters

The three of you are finally back at the hotel. As soon as you got there, you went to your room to get ready. So is Lizzie in hers. When you are ready, you go right away to the girls’ room. You knocked on the door, and for some reason you slightly wish that Lizzie’s face would slowly show up as the door is opening but like usual it was Aubrey’s smile the first thing you see. “Hey.” Aubrey moves to the side as she opens the door wider for you to come in. “Hey Aubrey.” You unconsciously smiled in slight disappointment.

You do not mind at all that it's always Aubrey who opens the door for you. She is your good friend, really. You just start to think why is it always Aubrey? Is it just a coincidence or not really? Does she hate you so much that she is avoiding you at all cost? Oh well, why does it matter anyway? Why did you wish it was Lizzie who opens the door for you just now? There’s nothing special to it. The hatred is mutual. You were probably just concerned about her anyway after seeing her cry, you think it’s just a normal nice gesture if you are wondering how she was doing.  but again it’s none of your business. Your mind juggling all of those thoughts in such a short time triggers a quick rush in your mind.

Your eyes secretly look for Lizzie. You try to do it in the most subtle way so Aubrey won’t notice while both of you walk to the living room and sit down on the couch. “She is inside, still getting ready, Y/n.” Aubrey told you as if she can read your mind. “Huh?” Surprised with her statement just now, you got caught off guard and that was all you can say. You curse yourself in your mind for being too obvious.

“I know those eyes,y/n. You can’t lie to me. Your eyes’ movement. You were searching for her.” Aubrey teased with a knowing smile. “No, I wasn’t!” You denied instantly. “Yes you were, Y/n.” She convinced you in a playful tone. “No,I wasn’t!” You shout in a whisper. You feel warm on your cheeks and ears. “Okay, y/n. You were not.” She agreed in a playful sarcasm. “Tell that to your blushing cheeks.” She mumbles under her breath and rolls her eyes at the same time.

“What Aubrey?” You asked. “Oh nothing.” She smiled.

Aubrey slouch on the couch yet you sit next to her awkwardly straight up with your hands keep tapping your knees like they are a set of percussion. “So, how is she doing? Do you think she already feels better?” Your voice is almost like a whisper when you ask her as you don’t want Lizzie to hear it.

“Hmm. Care much, are you Ms. Y/L/N?” Once again, She always finds the chance to tease you about Lizzie. “Seriously? I asked just because that’s the right thing to do as a human being towards another.” You lifted an eyebrow as you tackled her tease once more. “You know what? Just forget I asked.” You added with a discomfort tone.

Aubrey giggled. “Geez, I was just joking. I think she’s feeling better but she still hates you.” She answered as she tried to hold a laugh teasing you. “Well, that, I don’t need to ask you, I already know. The whole world knows how much she hates me.” You shook your head. She giggles.

“So you are coming with us right?” You asked the girl next to you. “Nuh-uh. I’m not coming. I need to take a break from both of you and your arguments.” the brunette answers while her eyes locked on the TV. “Ouch. Are we that annoying?” You put your hand on your chest and act like you are hurt by what she said. “You guys are not annoying, I love both of you. You guys are just too funny for me to watch but I can’t say anything yet because both of you are too stubborn to listen to me and that’s annoying.” She said nonchalantly with a small smirk.

“What’s too funny about it? And what can’t you say yet? Tell me.” You jokingly push her shoulder. “Oh nothing. I have my own theory, you’ll know it next time.” She patched a meaningful smile. “Oh yeah? Probably a stupid theory?” You jokingly make fun of her. “Whatever y/n.” She giggles.

“Hey, y/n. I just want to say sorry. Honestly, I was the one who gave Lizzie the idea of giving you hell when you are working with her but I didn’t know it was you until she told me your name. Please don’t hate me.” Aubrey’s face showed remorse. “So, you are the one that makes my life a hell? Wow Aubrey. Thanks.” You said it in a playful tone.

“So you are not mad at me?” Aubrey looks relieved. “Nah,it’s okay. I figured anyway. You are forgiven.” You winked at her. “Gosh, y/n I thought you were serious.” She giggles. 

Lizzie comes out to the living room. “What are you giggling about Aubrey?” Then she notices you are there. “Oh.” That was all she said before she went back into the bedroom. A few minutes later, you notice that both of you need to leave not to be late. “Ms. Olsen, we have to go now. We can’t be late.” You told her from the living room. “Gosh y/n, Okay! Okay!.” She let out a harsh breath as she came out. “Bye Aubrey, I’ll see you later.” Lizzie yells as she walks out the suite room. You stand up, wave goodbye at Aubrey, and follow her .

_____

Both sitting on each side of the back seat, the car ride without Aubrey was silent. Just pure silence but you both taking turns on getting caught stealing glances at each other. You really don’t know why you have the urge to ask how she is doing while you know she for sure is not comfortable if you ask her that. You are just her assistant and her personal life is definitely none of your business.  Luckily, you both finally arrived at the location.

The photoshoot starts right away after her make up and wardrobe is ready. Everything is going well with the photoshoot until the last session with the last wardrobe, Sophie who is incharge of makeup and wardrobe had to leave early for a family emergency. Thank goodness, it is the last session, Lizzie just has to change to the last dress, do some shots and they can call it a day. Sophie asked if you can help with the last dress as she showed you which one and said you can just hang the dress once Lizzie’s done and you have no problem with it.

You wait for Lizzie outside the changing room to make sure everything is okay. You heard her softly grunts and curse under her breath. “Ms. Olsen, are you okay?” You heard other soft grunts. “I’m okay. Can you call Sophie please?” Lizzie asked, not knowing that the french lady already left. “Um, she left. She’s not here. Do you need help?”

“What do you mean she left?” She asked in surprise and confusion. “Yeah, she has a family emergency.” You explained. “I need help with the dress.” She asked from the other side of the wall. “I can help you.”

“No, not you. Is there somebody else who can help me?” She asked in a slightly irritated tone. “Yes, there’s Stefan, Andre, Antoine, Oh and there’s Claude.” You named all the crews that’s there who happen to be all males. “I meant a female one, y/n.” She opened the door a little, peek through the small open space and asked in annoyance.

“Yes, Her name is y/n. The only female here besides you.” You answered in a flat sarcastic tone, in emotionless face expression. “Like it or not, I'm the only one to help you.” You shrugged your shoulders. “Fine.” She groans and lets you in while trying her best to cover her body shyly. 

“Y/n, look the other way. Don't look over here.” She demanded. “How am I gonna help you if I have to look away?” You furrowed your eyebrows. She is in this red see-through sheer dress with some floral laces on some body parts that need to be covered with it but on the upper body part it looks like a beautiful corset. She turned around, her back facing you with the dress unzipped leaving her bareback exposed. You can see from the mirror in front of her, both of her hands crossed in front of her dress covered breast to hold the dress so as not to fall. She lowered her head, her face facing down.

The curve line from the back of her neck to her bareback with no bra straps whatsoever yet slightly covered with some strains of her long blonde hair was visible to you, the zipper slider body was way low on her lowest back, almost to her natural perfect size buttocks with the line of her g-string peeking out a little bit. Her peach-cream with a light hint of tanned skin colors look so flawless. Too perfect that no pores are visible.

You swallow your nervous feeling down, try hard to stop staring before she pulls her head up. No, you definitely don’t want her to notice that. “Okay,so you just need me to zip this up right?” You clear your throat. “Uh y-yeah.” You notice that she sounds nervous. 

“Okay. I’ll zip it up. Just pull the rest of your hair up so it won’t get caught in the zipper.” “She nodded, and her right hand grabbed the rest of her hair. The dress is slim-fitted, perfectly designed for her heavenly figure. You tried to pull the zip up by the pull tab but it was a little difficult to do, so you pulled it by the slider body. You tried to get a grip of it, your index finger is between her body and the dress. The tightness of the dress makes the tip of your finger slightly touch her skin. Both of you were surprised by it. You noticed her body jolted even in the very slightest movements when she felt the tip of your finger touch her skin.

You try to ignore the awkward feelings in the air, and you pull the zipper up slowly because you are afraid to ruin the dress. The room fell silent. The silence breaks down all barriers and makes you able to hear her breath hitch softly right when the tip of your finger lands on her bareskin slowly brushes her skin from the lowest part of her back slide up to the bottom of her back neck between her shoulders along her spine. Your eyes follow the zipper up and you lift your head higher to find her reflection in the mirror, her eyes closed and her lips slightly open as she slowly exhales.

“Uh-It’s all zipped up now.” You see her in the mirror standing there beautifully in the dress. She lifts up her head but as soon as her gaze locks with yours, she awkwardly turns her head sideways instantly. Meanwhile you are still hypnotized with the beauty in front of you.

“Take a picture. It will last longer.” Her voice brought you back to your consciousness. “I’m sorry?” You asked as you tried to recall what she was saying, unfortunately you didn’t pay attention at all. “I said, take a picture. It will last longer.” She repeated in annoyance.

“Oh. Uh, N-No, thank you. I’m good.” You answered quickly to hide your nervousness then you realized you picked the worst answer. You internally screamed at yourself for choosing such an answer but oh well, it is what it is. She was chagrined when you answered nonchalantly. She then walked out of the changing room and continued with the photoshoot.

As luck would have it, someone came to cover Sophie and help with the rest so both of you won’t have to deal with another insanely awkward encounter like earlier in the changing room.

______

Both of you are on the way back to the hotel now. After what happened in the changing room, it’s even more awkward to sit with her in the back seat even though there’s enough space in the middle space between you two. You tried to get busy to distract yourself, checking out work related things in your phone or notes and also answered a work call. You are talking french on the phone, Lizzie figured it’s from the magazine company. Lizzie took the chance that was laid in front of her to give yet another glance at you while you weren’t paying attention. 

Every single glance she threw seems to move up slowly. From your crossed leg then to your thigh and she noticed you are wearing ripped distressed jeans that show some part of your skin with your right hand on it. She glances again at your slender fingers with your polished short but not too short nails. She then realized she might glance too long (or more like staring). Mercifully, you still don’t notice what she’s doing.

She finally regains control of herself and stops herself from stealing glances at you then turns her head to watch the street of Paris through the window but that doesn’t stop her wondering what is happening with her at this moment. The more she wonders the more she gets irritated because she can’t figure it out.

Ch. 11

Taglist: @madamevirgo , @musicinourlips​ (Let me know if you want to be added in the tag list.)

[rumpsalt]

Please tell me about your Plastic Man x Riddler crackship. Please, I never knew I needed this.

of course!

It originally stemmed from this pannel from the 2018 Plastic Man comics where Plas works at a strip club:

So I, naturally figured "this is silly, what if I made them interact"

but then the more I looked into their characters I noticed the more that they kind of complimented one another, in personality and traits. them being two characters that were never really ever given substantial love interests that cared about them, I immediately latched onto the idea of the two of them. Superficially with this "complimentary" thing, I thought it was a funny coincidence that their suit colour schemes are complimentary. Red and green. Yellow and purple.

if we move on to the personalities/ story lines:

- both have been known to do detective work & with Eel's criminal background and Ed's skill for private investigator type jobs, it's a big potential bonding point

- sometimes Eel is easily impressed, or at least expresses awe more freely & Edward absolutely loves having his ego stroked, Eel would do that constantly

- in most "rehabilitation" comics with Ed, he's often babysat and not taken seriously, but Eel isn't someone that'd treat him that way

- both are eccentric in their actions & expressions of self and I think that'd blend nicely

- they both have generally pathetic love lives and I think it'd be funny to see them fumble around each other

- in most situations (the 2018 Plas comic mostly) Eel denies himself worthy of being with someone because of what he's done & who he was in the past, but with Eddie, he still may feel that way but it doesn't really matter because they've both done bad things and deserve one another & can potentially hold one another in line at least to an extent

- between Plastic Man's constant dumb jokes & puns and the Riddler's riddles I just feel like they'd click

- this one's kinda loose, but I feel like their relationship wouldn't be inhibiting at all to either of them, because Eel really wouldn't care what Eddie does unless people are getting hurt and Ed's (mostly) a fairly harmless villian + even if he's a "hero" Eel's more of a vigilante, and he's still greedy, and you know that if money's involved in something he's gonna end up stealing some just because that's who he is

- they're both clearly bisexual, come on

also to add, not really a reason I've come to ship them, but I have a little headcanon that Eel would buy Eddie a bunch of little puzzle and riddle books, like sudoku, crosswords, cryptograms & forensic mysteries and such, and Eddie really appreciates the gesture, but he flies through them like crazy

for the most part that's what I based them off of ! it's kinda hard to get my exact thoughts to words, and not all of them are there, but in general that's what it is!

I'm sorry it's so long & I infodumped so much, but, truly thank you for asking!! I appreciate it & I'm glad to hear you like it ! 😁👍

If you have any more questions, I'm open to answering/explaining :)

[gureishi]

gold rush

✧ — Summary: A chance encounter at the bar where you work. But is anything ever really a coincidence?

✧ — Pairing: Saeyoung x Reader

✧ — Rating: T (light cursing, bar setting)

✧ — A/N: This is probably as close as I’ll get to writing an AU. The way the characters are meeting is a little bit different, but we all know where they’re going to end up. This fic is set two weeks before the start of Deep Story.

chapter one

It was the beginning of a summer sunset—all reds and pinks and white hot light streaming through the windows and making you dizzy—when you saw him.

You didn’t believe in love at first sight or even fortuitous encounters. You thought coincidences were nothing more than accidents and miracles were just funny little bursts of brain chemicals.

And you weren’t interested in meeting anyone new. Your feet ached and your eyes felt heavy; you wanted an ice cold beer or a hot shower or maybe just a nap. But time twisted that day: worlds collided and the sun shone extra bright and your weary mind lit up in a way you’d never be able to explain.

You were standing by the bar when it happened. You had a faded blue rag in your hand, with which you were halfheartedly polishing a wine glass. The bartender (a friend, sort of) was telling you a story and you were gazing longingly at the door. A few more hours, you thought, until you’d leave—till you’d walk down the street with its overflowing trash cans and broken sidewalk, around the corner with its group of old men blaring music through their speakers, and home.

And as you stared at the door, it swung open—almost as if you’d compelled it with your yearning. You sighed and looked down at the wine glass in your hand, because it was slow today and on slow days, customers always wanted to talk.

You didn’t want to talk to anyone. You had no patience for conversation about the heat or somebody’s kids or their upcoming vacation. You wanted to lie on the floor of your bedroom in your underwear and stare at the ceiling fan till you stopped thinking about anything at all.

“Hey,” the bartender said (and her voice was a little too loud, like always, but you put on your best listening face for her). “Look at him.”

You didn’t roll your eyes, though you wanted to. She was younger than you and still found everything interesting—and ultimately you appreciated that about her. Instead, you tilted your head and peered through your lashes at the man by the door.

Ah, you thought (wildly, without knowing why). There he is.

He looked like the sort of person who never quite belonged.

He stood a little bit stiffly, his hands in his pockets—and then he waved at one of your coworkers and smiled, and all at once he seemed to fit in, after all. You didn’t know what to make of it.

“Cute,” the bartender whispered (standing on tiptoe to lean over the bar). “Don’t you think?”

“Oh,” you said, keeping your voice level. “Is he?”

You were a terrible liar. Your skin was screaming and your heart was racing; you felt as though you’d had the wind knocked out of you. The man strode casually across the bar and slid into a chair at one of the high-top tables, and you studied him. The bartender had called him cute, and your unsteady heart seemed to agree—but you weren’t even sure if it was true.

He wasn’t necessarily traditionally attractive. He was neither tall nor well-dressed: he wore jeans and a t-shirt that were both several sizes too big for him, and he had oversized headphones dangling around his neck. 

But his hair was a striking shade of red that you’d never seen before—it made you think fleetingly of childhood days playing under a sizzling sun and the sweet taste of lemonade. He wore glasses that suited his soft features, and behind them his eyes were startlingly gold. He looked up and your thoughts scrambled; you felt, for a moment, like you were swimming through thick liquid.

The bartender sighed, stirring your strange vortex of feelings.

“He sat at a table,” she said. “So he’s yours, not mine.”

Yours, huh? You felt vaguely nauseous.

Without a word, you grabbed a big bottle of water from the bin by the bar. Something seemed to have shifted inside you: it was the feeling of seeing the bus pull up when you’ve waited forever—the feeling of an eternity of biding your time coming to an end.

You had no idea why you felt that way.

You paused to check on a couple sitting in a booth as you made your way across the bar, but they didn’t spare you so much as a glance; they were staring silently into each other’s eyes, hands clasped on top of the table. And the man in the corner wasn’t looking at you—he was typing something on his phone, fingers moving so fast you swore they were blurry.

“Hey,” you said when you reached him. His fingers didn’t stop moving when he looked up at you—but your eyes met, and he smiled.

“Hi,” he replied (still typing). His voice was not at all what you’d expected: much brighter and more musical. He cocked his head to the side as though he were drinking you in, and you had the eerie sensation that he was reading your mind.

“Been here before?” you asked (knowing he hadn’t). He set his phone down and drummed his fingers against the table like he couldn’t quite sit still.

“Yeah,” he said. “You don’t remember me?” 

Liar, you thought. You took in his earnest expression: trust me eyes and a proud sort of smile. He wanted you to play along.

“Right,” you said, hands on your hips. “Didn’t I kick you out of here before?”

His eyes widened: a remarkable imitation of innocence.

“Me?” he trilled, sounding only mildly curious. “Impossible.” 

A lock of his hair fell over his forehead and you felt a fleeting urge to brush it away.

“I could do it again,” you said instead, raising your eyebrows. He looked you up and down (the back of your neck burned), and then he grinned.

“You win!” he exclaimed, bouncing in his seat. It was weird, you thought, that he was so excited not to have fooled you—but there was something about his almost childlike exuberance that made you feel pleasantly squirmy.

“Obviously,” you said. “I wouldn’t have forgotten you.”

You hadn’t meant to be so honest, but the words slipped out on their own—and you watched, horrified and delighted, as he flushed a funny shade of fuchsia.

“Really?” he asked, giggling (actually giggling). “Me, specifically?”

It would have been easy to say something biting, but you found that you didn’t want to.

“You, specifically,” you said.

And for an instant, his boldness seemed to slip away: his eyes softened and his hands stilled, and you saw another person entirely. It was someone somber and small—someone who’d been waiting to be told you, specifically for a very long time.

Your heart contracted.

Oh, you thought. Me too.

But the moment had already passed. He was grinning again, his eyes glittering. He winked roguishly, leaning forward.

“Whatever you say, babe.”

Oh, what was happening to you?

You glanced around the room: two other tables seemed to have materialized while you were talking to him. In a voice you hoped was level, you asked him what he wanted (just a soda), and then you slipped away to greet the new groups of people. In your peripheral vision, you saw him pulling a laptop out of his bag.

The sun had mostly set by the time you made it back to the bar. You could hear him in the corner, typing away.

The bartender caught your eye and beamed.

“What was that?”

You tried to avoid her gaze. 

“What was what?” You put the drinks on a tray.

She rolled her eyes dramatically as though she thought you were being incredibly difficult (and perhaps you were).

“You,” she said, laughing away your attempted ignorance. “Leaning all over the table and making puppy dog eyes.”

“I didn’t do that.” Did you?

“I felt like a real voyeur, watching you just now,” she said. She tossed her hair and you knew that she was teasing, but you still felt a little bit anxious. There was clearly something wrong with you.

“I hope you enjoyed it,” you told her drily. She waved you away; the ice was already melting in the drinks—and her laughter mingled with the sound of muted pop music drumming over the speakers as you strode back into the bustle of the bar.

You dropped drinks at your new tables first, and then you checked in on the couple in the booth (they were making out now, her legs in his lap). You knew that you were stalling.

But you didn’t trust yourself to go back to his table: you didn’t know what you’d do or say. It had been a long, hot summer—a long, dreary year. These days, nothing made you nervous—but the redhead typing furiously in the corner knocked you off balance.

When there was truly nothing left to do but return to him, you made your way across the room (too fast; too slow). You arrived at his side and your heart fluttered. His eyes were trained on his screen.

“I’m back,” you said, and your voice came out perky and loud. He looked up, then, his eyes taking a moment to refocus. Whatever he was doing, it seemed to require a lot of concentration.

Curious, you tried to peek at his screen, but he’d angled it so you couldn’t see. You wondered if he’d done that on purpose.

“Thank god,” he said, grinning crookedly. “I was lost without you.”

You set the glass, which was wet with condensation, on the slightly sticky wooden table. You should’ve brought a napkin or something.

“Are you sure you don’t want something stronger?” you asked, arching your eyebrows. You didn’t say the next part—why come to a bar just to drink Dr. Pepper?—but his smile widened, and for the second time you got the sense that he knew just what you were thinking.

“I don’t drink alcohol,” he said, flicking the wrapper off the straw and taking a sip. He drank soda, you thought, the way college kids drank liquor: hungrily. “You wanna know why I’m here,” he added. His eyes were piercing.

You gestured at his laptop (wondering what sort of program he could possibly be running to make it hum like that).

“I could take a wild guess and say that you’re working.”

He laughed.

“You get me.”

“What are you working on?” Again, you tried to peek at his computer; this time he shut it with a firm snap. Then he leaned in conspiratorially, his eyes twinkling.

“If I told you,” he whispered in a voice that dripped with provocation, “then I’d have to kill you.”

God. You should have expected no less. You rolled your eyes and crossed your arms; the Bond act did nothing for you.

“Sure,” you muttered. “That’s what they all say.” 

He paused, taking in your defensive posture—and then he burst out laughing. You'd gone from charmed to annoyed in a heartbeat—and now the ringing sound of his laugher was melting the tension from your shoulders. You weren’t sure what to make of it.

“Do you, uh…” he stammered breathlessly, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “Do you get that a lot?”

“It’s a vibe,” you told him. “Guys who think they’re cooler and more interesting than they really are.” Oh, you didn’t mean to antagonize him—but something about the way he was looking at you egged you on. He rested his chin on his hand and you couldn’t help noticing the thin white scars that dappled his fingers. Huh.

“So you think I think I think I’m interesting?” He was looking in your eyes again. Your knees felt weak.

“I think I…have other tables,” you said. And it was true: it was fully dark out now, and people were trickling in, looking around expectantly for someone to pay attention to them. You needed a break from him or you’d drown (oh, but there was a part of you that wanted to pull up a chair and stare at him till he looked away).

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said. You couldn’t put your finger on why, but it sounded like a challenge.

You smiled because you didn’t know what to say. Talking to him was like skating on the surface of a pond that had just iced over: thrilling and precarious. You darted away (and by the time you’d made it to the other side of the bar, his eyes were back on his screen). It was louder in here now; you couldn’t hear him typing anymore.

You quickly checked on the couple in the corner (still ignoring you) and then greeted two large groups of people around your own age. One was friendly and probably already drunk (they ordered a round of shots); the other was stiff and rude. You suppressed a sigh as all eight of them ordered drinks that weren’t on the menu; as soon as they’d sent you away, they called you back to make several changes (because people like that always did).

Martini with a twist, not a gin fizz, you chanted in your mind as you shimmied through the crowd of people who’d gathered around the bar. Your mind was tired and hazy (and the man in the corner wasn’t helping; all your nerves seemed to be firing randomly, making your skin feel too tight).

You typed the order into the POS, trying to ignore the redhead in your peripheral vision; his table was just an arm’s length away. The bar was getting noisier now, and the familiar cacophony of music and voices soothed you and made you sleepy.

And then, in the midst of the sea of sounds: “Hey.”

You felt his eyes on you at the same time you heard his voice. You turned to see him watching you, your heart doing a little dance behind your ribs.

“What’s up?”

He smiled lazily and rested his chin on his hands.

“Don’t forget the martini,” he said.

For a moment, you stared at him—and then it dawned on you. Martini with a twist, not a gin fizz. You’d definitely just put the order in wrong.

“How’d you know that?” you asked, eyeing him suspiciously. His face gave nothing away.

“How’d I know the order, or how’d I know you’d forget it?”

“Either,” you said (giving in, leaning on his table). “Both.”

“I’m a good listener.” His grin was too big (almost wicked): he was enjoying this. “I’m a good watcher, too.”

And that did seem to be the case. His penetrating eyes seemed to take in everything: a whisper of someone’s hair against their skin; a brush of fingertips beneath a table. You wondered what exactly he saw when he looked at you; you wondered what he’d say if you asked.

“Thanks,” you said. “Can you just hang out here all night and do my thinking for me?”

“I wish,” he muttered, sounding a little bit awkward. You got the sense that he meant it. You were starting to form a response when the bartender caught your eye—and you sighed, remembering that you needed to intercept her before she made the wrong drink.

“I’ve gotta—”

“Go,” he said.

You slipped from his side back into the crowd, but your thoughts seemed to have gotten stuck. You heard his voice in your mind as you spoke to the bartender; you imagined he was watching you as you ran some drinks (but you checked, and his eyes were glued to his screen).

The friendly drunk girls called you over and convinced you to do a shot with them (which wasn’t really allowed, but nobody followed that particular rule). The rude table complained that the music was too loud and the AC was too high. The couple in the booth finally asked for their bill.

Time—too much time—passed before you found yourself free again. You paid out the clingy couple and turned to face the dimly lit room, and your heart skipped a beat.

Your redhead was standing, tapping his fingers idly against the table.

“You’re leaving?” You darted to his side, relieved you’d caught him—anxious that he’d almost left without saying goodbye. “You gonna disappear into the night and never return or something?”

He grinned, but his cheeks were pink. He picked up on your sincerity whether you wanted him to or not.

“I’m going to the other side of the universe,” he said. He was slinging his bag over his shoulder, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He’d left a wad of cash on the table (it looked like way too much). “If I don’t get lost in space, I’ll be back for you.”

The bottoms of your feet tingled. It felt strangely intimate to be standing face-to-face like this.

“What’s your name?” you asked. “So I don’t forget you this time.” You winked, because you wanted him to think you meant it lightly—but something dark passed across his expression anyway. That scared him, you thought. He’s afraid of being—

But he was already smiling wider; the moment of solemnity was gone before you could acknowledge it.

“If I told you,” he said, “I’d have to—”

“I’m leaving!” you declared, turning away from him with as much flair as you could muster. He cackled, and then his hand shot out and closed around your wrist.

Time had been moving in strange swirls and eddies all night; now, it stopped altogether.

“Oh,” he said. “Uh.”

His hand fell as you turned to face him. He hadn’t meant to touch you, you thought: he’d done it impulsively, instinctively—and something had snapped. A line had been crossed. His face was very red.

“Seven,” he said, his voice sounding hoarse and weak, like he’d just been burned. “You can call me Seven.”

“Like the number?”

“Yeah,” he muttered. “That way every time you count you’ll remember who I am.”

You would’ve rolled your eyes if anyone else had said something like that to you—but he stood so awkwardly and spoke so earnestly that you thought he might actually have meant it.

“I count a lot,” you told him. “I hope you’re prepared to be on my mind at least once an hour.”

He smiled and leaned forward and for a single, wild moment you thought he was going to kiss you.

Instead, he whispered in your ear. His breath gave you goosebumps.

“You’re the one who should be prepared,” he said. “Once I’m in your mind, you won’t be able to get rid of me.”

Before you could respond, he’d pulled back; he was retreating, lifting a hand and giving you an energetic wave.

“Bye, then,” he trilled. And then he said your name.

You were quite sure you’d never mentioned it.

“Oh—” you started to say—but the door chimed, and he was gone. 

It was over.

Rocking back on your heels, you looked wearily around the bar. Everything was normal: the chattering of people and the beat of a song that had already played three times that night. It was almost as if nothing had happened.

But you couldn’t forget.

You went through the motions, because you had to: you spoke to people and brought drinks and cleared tables and thought about bright golden eyes. More people gathered around the bar, but the tables cleared out quickly—and you dutifully wiped them down and blew out all the little candles and imagined you were anywhere but there. You counted money with stiff fingers and collected your cash tips and bid goodbye to the bartender and wondered if it was still hot out.

It turned out that it was.

You nudged open the door with your hip and the heat hit you like the big, dangerous ocean waves you’d only ever seen in pictures. It was late (early, even) and the street was nearly empty; another bar across the street buzzed vaguely and the air shimmered with late night summer wetness. Wishing you were already home, you ran a sticky hand through your hair and turned the corner onto a street that you knew was always empty.

Except it wasn’t. 

Someone was there.

Oh, you thought (frantically, irrationally). It’s him. 

You could barely make out the figure in the darkness, but he was the same general shape as your mysterious redhead. He was the right height, and his hair was wild, and—

Your heart raced. Had he waited for you after all?

But then the figure stepped forward and the streetlight shone in his eyes. They were the color of a clear sea after a storm.

You cursed yourself for hoping; you felt as though you’d been sucked dry. The stranger looked just enough like your redhead, but also altogether different: his hair was bright white and he stood perfectly still, like a predator lurking in the shadows.

And for no good reason, you had the sense that you were meant to be the prey.

The man smiled—almost a smile, one corner of his lips quirking upward. You wanted to say something (what?), but he was already turning away. He walked slowly, like he wasn’t in any hurry—but two steps were enough: he disappeared into the darkness on the other side of the streetlamp.

You were left alone with the tingling in your toes and the feeling that you had been caught.

A coincidence, you told yourself firmly (but you retraced your steps, deciding it would be safest to take another route home). Or maybe just my imagination.

You turned onto your block and unlocked the front door to your building and squinted against the fluorescent lighting. The people around you, you thought, believed in fate and miracles because these things made them feel better about their otherwise ordinary lives. But you didn’t agree: time marched endlessly forward, and there was nothing to be done about it.

Oh, and yet—

You pushed open the door to your apartment (dark and hot as always), kicking off your shoes and fumbling for the light. You knew better than to believe in the things that made your friends pretend that life was softer and sparklier than it really was. You did.

But the air tasted different now. You knew it—irrevocably, inexplicably—whether you wanted to believe it or not. 

Tonight, around sunset, everything had changed.

[a-lockman5]

Things were different now Pt. 3 - Happy to Help {Devi and Paxton}

A/n: as usual, I don’t own these characters, but I love them. This continues to follow the timeline I initially wrote so it does not coincide with season 2 at all. Paxton is a 17 year old with feelings, not a 10 year old before puberty… I hate proofreading so if it’s awful, apologies. Umm… so sorry it’s a year late.. and honestly, I kinda hate parts of it, but here we are nonetheless. Hope you like it!

Warnings: fluff, angst, phobias, I think that’s it.

Part one, Part two

Don’t forget to check out my Masterlist!

“Hey, baby,” Ben greeted her in a sing-song voice.

“Morning, Ben,” Devi replied as Ben laid a kiss to her cheek, and took the seat next to her.

“Why didn’t you come by for breakfast this morning?” he asked.

Devi felt her eyes grow wide momentarily. She had been going to Ben’s for breakfast before school all last week, telling her mom they were studying. It wasn’t a formal date though, and she hadn’t thought to plan an excuse. “Uh…” she scrambled, feeling the room close in as people filled the desks behind and on her other side. “I’m not feeling well,” she lied. “I overslept.”

She averted her gaze from Ben to dig a pencil out of her backpack from where it sat on the floor to her right. When she tried to unzip her pencil holder though, it got stuck and she flung it, one-handed, onto the floor. As she reached down to grab it, the person sitting next to her reached down to help too, and when she looked up, Paxton was grinning back at her.

“Morning, Vishwakumar. Long time, no see.”

Devi tried to swallow past a large lump in her throat. “Morning, Paxton,” she returned hesitantly, noting his hair was still damp and that it added curl to his hair that usually he used product to tame.

Devi had her first swim lesson with Paxton that morning before school. It’s not that she was hiding it from Ben, her boyfriend. It was just that she didn’t feel ready to tell him about it… so yeah, she was hiding it from him. Not because of Paxton though! She was hiding it because of her.

Not even Devi’s mom knew how afraid she was of being in the water since her paralysis was triggered. Prior to that, she loved swimming. It was the only sport she was at all inclined to and she even considered trying out for team sophomore year until she went crazy and lost her legs.

She tried to move past it. Well, kind of. Her physical therapist thought aquatic therapy may help strengthen and facilitate the functional return of her legs. Instead, it resulted in her screaming and hyperventilating in Dan’s arms as he struggled to get her back to the lift out of the pool. Devi begged Dan not to tell her mom about her newfound fear and promised she would discuss it with Dr. Ryan. Her physical therapist agreed, and Devi never mentioned it to anyone again. Until Paxton.

“You want to swim?” He repeated back, puzzled as they sat on the couch in the garage. “I’ve seen you swim.”

“When?”

“Your freshman year…” he trailed off as realization dawned on him.

Devi didn’t know Paxton had any idea who she was until she propositioned him at the beginning of school this year. He remembered her from the year before? He remembered her before she lost her legs?

“Yeah… I haven’t been able to since…”

“So when you fell in the pool at Gross’s party…?” Paxton filled the silence for her.

“I’m really glad you pulled me out otherwise it would have gotten way more embarrassing,” she admitted.

She saw his jaw clench before his next question, “Why didn’t your friends help you?”

“Um…” she took a deep breath to muster the courage up to tell him, “they don’t know… nobody knows.”

And then he gave her that same deep, calculated look. The look he gave her when they were in his car so many weeks ago. The look he gave her before they kissed. Before he kissed her.

He agreed instantly after that. And things went mildly well that morning. She wasn’t able to get in the water, so instead, she sat next to the edge of the pool and watched Paxton swim for awhile and then they talked.

She was surprised by how patient Paxton had been with her especially since she dragged him out of bed earlier than necessary. He told her it was a process though, and he agreed to help her through it. Her heart felt full when he said that. She probably would have read too far into it in the past, but things were different now.

Devi knew she would have to tell Ben eventually that she was spending so much time with Paxton, but she just didn’t want him to overreact. He knew how much she had pined for Paxton before they started dating, and even though she and Paxton were friends only now, it wouldn’t change the threat he posed in her boyfriend’s mind.

you and PHY seem awfully chummy - Fab

Devi looked over her shoulder at her friends after reading Fabiola’s text message. Both Fab and Eleanor were giving her pretty pointed looks, and Devi just responded with a grimace and raised eyebrows. This whole friends thing sounded so easy with Paxton when they were sitting on his couch in the middle of the night. No one else was around, no one could pass judgment. Things were going to be a little harder in practice.

Fortunately, class was pretty uneventful. Mr. Shapiro started a new unit, they went over the lesson, and they were dismissed. Devi gathered her things quickly and hurried out of the room without waiting for her friends, her boyfriend, or Paxton. Of course, Paxton was her friend, so she didn’t know why she listed him in his own category.

“Hey,” the object of her musings appeared beside her locker.

Devi jumped at the sound of his voice, but managed to somewhat recover. “Hey, what’s good, playa?”

Paxton smirked at her with warm eyes. “Just wanted to check on you now that it’s been a couple hours.”

“Oh! Honestly, I feel good. Watching you actually helps me calm down,” she said before realizing how it sounded. “I mean, not that I just watch you, but I mean, watching you swim… it’s nice to see how you glide through the water… it’s like a white noise machine.”

“Right,” Paxton replied slowly after a beat. “Well you should come by today after school. I have an idea.”

She nodded as he walked away down the hall. Before Devi’s imagination could get the better of her though, her friends replaced Paxton in her line of vision.

“What is going on?” Fabiola asked bluntly.

“Yeah, are you and Paxton hooking up behind Ben’s back?”

“What? Of course not!” Devi was outraged. How could they think she would do that? “Paxton is my friend.”

“Since when?”

“Yeah, last thing we knew, you went there for dinner for his sister and it got hella weird,” Eleanor added. “What gives?”

Devi had not shared the one on one conversations she and Paxton had with her friends. Sure, the initial apology after dinner would probably be okay. Having a drink with Paxton in the garage at 2 o’clock in the morning after catching him in his underwear with an erection? No, there was no good way to relay that encounter.

“Um..” Devi hesitated. She couldn’t tell them the truth now after hiding her fear for so long, and then telling Paxton before telling them. They’d think she was a bad friend. “I’m tutoring him,” she lied. “Yeah, he’s got to get his grades up to meet the minimum for Stanford swimming to offer him a scholarship so I’m helping him.”

“Does Ben know?” Eleanor asked as Devi’s phone pinged in her pocket.

She pulled her phone out and read the message from Paxton, don’t forget to bring your suit ;), and she felt her cheeks heat up. “No,” she told Eleanor absentmindedly. “No, he doesn’t know.”

“Well, are you going to tell him?” Fabiola prodded.

Devi shook herself out of her daze and really heard her friends’ questions. “No, not right now. You guys know he would freak out if he knew Paxton and I were spending time together no matter how platonic. I’ll tell him eventually but everything is still so new, I don’t want to wreck it.”

Her friends’ judgment was evident, but Devi couldn’t let that bother her. Paxton was helping her confront one of her deepest fears, and she didn’t need to feel guilty about that. Instead, she chose to focus on making the most of her time with Paxton and enjoying their friendship while hopefully ridding her of her phobia.

Devi knocked briefly before letting herself into the Hall-Yoshida garage. It was empty and so she dropped her bag and plopped down onto the couch. It was almost funny, Devi thought. Things were so different now. A few months ago, she was terrified entering this space. She’d freaked, cut her leg open and bolted. Even the last time she’d been here, she’d tried to quietly reflect and calm her nerves after having one of her sexual fantasies manifest in the form of actually seeing Paxton Hall-Yoshida in his underwear with a boner. Now, she just comes right in and —

“Make yourself at home,” Paxton’s voice broke her from her thoughts.

She intended to make a sarcastic retort, but was caught off guard by him being in swim trunks already, and not the tight spandex trunks he wore for the swim team. No, these were normal, red and black trunks. They were entirely less revealing, outside of showing off his muscled chest, but they weren’t a uniform. Something about Paxton being voluntarily half naked and not bleeding from the hand had Devi looking at him dumbly from across the room.

“Devi, you good?” He asked cautiously, coming to sit next to her.

Her gaze trailed down from his collarbone to his pecs, to his abs, to his… her eyes grew wide as she realized she was openly ogling him. She snapped her eyes back to his to find him grinning at her.

“Everything okay?” He asked again. She nodded dumbly in response. “Good. Why don’t you go change? I have an idea that may work to start.”

“Okay, I’ll go change in the bathroom and meet you back here?”

“Nah, just come out to the back yard.”

Completely disrobed in the bathroom, Devi had another decision to make. Two suits. She brought two bathing suits with her both that morning and in the afternoon. She hadn’t even bothered to change before class that morning because just entering the aquatic center was enough to bring her near hyperventilation. She couldn’t do that again, and to be fair, if Paxton had a pool, it was news to Devi. And she asked him to help her swim. If that’s what she really wanted, then she needed to trust Paxton and let him help her. That meant she had to choose: black, Speedo one-piece or bubble gum pink bikini?

“Why’d you even bring both, Devi?” She asked her reflection.

She wasn’t sure she was ready to answer that question. She knew things were different now. She was dating Ben, and Paxton was her friend. That was her choice… it was just a much easier choice to make when she and Paxton weren’t speaking to each other. If she was honest, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Paxton since their middle of the night encounter last week. He was right when he said they had come a long way. She had come a long way, becoming more comfortable around him, and seeing him on an equal level versus the Adonis pedestal she placed him on in the past. Then he became real.

Paxton became more than the unattainable sex god that riddled her darkest fantasies. He became someone she could talk with, laugh with, open up to. He became her friend. Her friend that was still a sex god that riddled her darkest fantasies… these were the thoughts that had her leaning toward the far more revealing bikini for their lesson that afternoon.

She had a boyfriend though, a boyfriend she very much liked. Sure, she and Ben were unkind to each other in the past. He had routinely referred to her by a boy’s name, called her unfuckable, and yeah, he started the rumor that she faked her paralysis freshman year. She played her own role in their antagonistic relationship though, and all that was behind them anyway. Ever since his party, Ben had been much nicer to her. Of course, that was including when he tried to kiss her while still dating Shira… but obviously, that was because he had feelings for her that when he was sober, he wasn’t ready to confront yet. He had been there for her like no one else had. He deserved a good girlfriend. That was Devi’s last thought on the subject before donning the black athletic one piece.

The first thing Devi saw when she stepped onto the patio made her heart catch in her throat. A hot tub. It was too big. It was too much. Too much. She couldn’t get in a hot tub. It was already way too hot, Devi thought, feeling the air get thicker around her. Her throat felt constricted and she wondered how anyone was as able to breathe in these conditions. It felt impossible.

“Devi! Are you okay?” She heard Paxton ask faintly.

Her head began shaking back and forth frantically, but she didn’t feel like she was the one controlling it. Instead, it was moving of its own accord, and her voice didn’t sound like her own when she said, “I can’t get in the hot tub.”

Two strong hands grasped her waist and physically turned her so her back was to the offending item. It was then she saw Paxton. His eyes searched hers desperately before a hand came to cradle her face. She immediately felt herself relax into his touch just enough that she could take a breath.

“Hey, you’re okay. I got you,” he cooed. “I know you’re not ready for that, and that’s okay. Just take a deep breath.”

She still felt like she was gulping for air, but her body melted into his as he pulled her in for a hug. They just stood like that until she could regain control of her breathing. When she did, Paxton gently released her and Devi was honestly surprised by how disappointed she was to not be in his arms any longer.

“You good?” He asked cautiously. She nodded sheepishly. “Cool. Let’s get away from this so you can see what I have set up for you.”

She nodded again and let him take her hand to lead her deeper into the backyard. When she saw it, she couldn’t believe the relief that flooded her.

“A slip n slide?” She huffed out.

“A slip n slide!” He dropped her hand to raise his arms victoriously. “I looked up some stuff about phobias and I think it’ll help. It’s called exposure treatment. We’ll start slow and work your way up.”

“You researched phobias?”

“Well, yeah,” he nodded. “And I’ll be here for you the whole time.”

Devi felt herself smile. Paxton really took the time to try to figure out how to help her. No throwing her in the deep end of the pool, but actually holding her hand through this. Being by her side while they figured it out together. She couldn’t believe how lucky she felt to have him in her life at that moment.

It wasn’t a very fancy slip n side, most likely he’d had it in the shed since he and Becca were kids. It was still in good shape though and he’d placed it over a decline at the end that allowed for pooling of water. He had the hose running and ready, but when they stepped up to the start, it became infinitely more intimidating.

As though he could sense her apprehension, Paxton said, “how about I go first, and then you can try?”

She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat in order to respond. When she wasn’t successful, she nodded. Paxton gave her a weak grin, and reached out to squeeze her shoulder. It was probably a measure of reassurance, and it worked for a moment, but the minute his touch was gone, her nerves settled in again.

“Okay, so you want to get a running start so you go faster through the slide,” he told her, taking four to five steps back. “You ready?”

“Ready,” she choked out after a beat of silence.

Paxton took off, and dove smoothly onto the track. Devi felt her anxiety melt away as he slid down the track on his stomach. It was almost like watching his perfect strokes through the water, and something about watching him made her forget her fear. Then he crashed into the small wading pool at the end of the slide, and just like that Devi’s breath was stuck in her throat again, and it felt like a bucket of ice water was dumped over her head.

When Paxton stood up, he immediately sought her gaze for eye contact. Just as quickly, he seemed to notice how her panic rose again.

“Devi,” he called down to her. “You can do this, okay? Don’t think about the water, just focus on me.” She could feel how wide her eyes were and her mouth was starting to dry out as it hung open, but Paxton’s encouragement started to wear her down when he said, “Come to me, Devi. I got you.”

She took a steadying breath and barely nodded before stepping a few paces back like Paxton had. Paxton continued to cheer her on and beckon her to his open arms as she fought her body to cooperate with her. Finally, after another deep breath, Devi let out a guttural scream, her war cry, and ran toward the slide. She slid onto her stomach much like Paxton had and did not have the good sense to close her mouth until it was filled with hose water. It got her choked up again and it was difficult to catch her breath, but just as quickly as she started, she was plunged into the wading pool. Before she had a chance to panic-swallow more water, Paxton’s strong arms hauled her to a standing position and she collided with his chest in a tight hug.

“You did it!” He whispered triumphantly. “You did great, I’m so proud of you.”

“I did it,” she breathed, arms clutched tightly around his shoulders as though he would disappear if she let go. “I did it,” she repeated, a tear slipping down her cheek.

Devi and Paxton worked with the slip n slide for three more weeks, and it was amazing how quickly she was improving. Each time, Paxton was there to catch her at the end of the slide, and she grew more confident with each trip.

“So do you have plans this weekend?” Paxton asked, passing her a towel.

“Probably just studying for the history test,” she replied, drying her hair gently.

“With Gross?”

They hadn’t talked about Ben at all during their sessions. She had also skirted the issue of spending so much time with Paxton by telling her boyfriend that she’d been assigned a new student to tutor. She didn’t tell him it was Paxton. Things had been calm the last few weeks despite how crazy the first months of the semester had been. If she was honest, she hadn’t spent much time with or thought much about Ben that week at all. Things were going so well with Paxton and their sessions that she spent most of her time looking forward to the next time she’d be in his backyard in her bathing suit.

“Uh.. I don’t know. Probably him, Fab, and Eleanor, I guess,” she told him. “Or by myself. I don’t really have anything planned.”

“Would you…” he trailed off quietly before finding his voice again. “Would you maybe want to study here… with me?”

Devi felt herself smile. “Sure, I mean, my friends think I’m tutoring you anyway so that would make sense.”

“What?”

She breathed through another smile at how his brow furrowed, but rolled her eyes at herself before answering him. “I had to have a reason for why we’re talking so much more at school… so I told them I was tutoring you.”

Paxton’s head dropped as he huffed out a laugh. “You’re really good at lying, huh?”

“No! I just… get nervous about how people will react to stuff so sometimes it’s just easier to say something else.”

He nodded. “Well, you better tutor me then. ‘Cause if I fail this test, your whole story falls apart,” he said taking a step closer to her.

“Maybe you just don’t listen to me,” she grinned.

He took another step forward, this time into her personal space. “Impossible,” he countered, “have you met you?”

Devi’s smile grew before she realized how close Paxton really was to her. It wasn’t his actual proximity. They’d been closer physically than ever in these recent weeks, but something felt different that time. She could feel the heat radiating off of him and there was electricity in the air. He seemed to feel it too, and shook himself free before taking the towel back from her. That only allowed him to take in the full view of her from top to bottom, forcing Devi to close her eyes so she didn’t feel the full force of his gaze.

She heard Paxton swallow, then clear his throat, and then he took a step back. Devi chose then to meet his gaze, and found the same calculating look she’d now seen a total of three times. He had a depth she hadn’t previously credited him with. Now that she’d seen it, it was hard to ignore.

“Uh.. yeah, I think we could study together.”

Paxton grinned crookedly at her. “Cool,” he licked his lips before changing the subject. “Why don’t you go ahead and change, and then I’ll take you home.”

“That’s okay, I can I walk.” Devi said quickly. “I mean, I’d like to walk. Helps me clear my head.”

“Oh.. okay.”

Devi didn’t feel like she took another breath until she was shut in the bathroom of the Hall-Yoshida residence. Was Paxton really flirting with her? Did he really check her out like she thought he had? She’d been so wrong about so many of their encounters in the past, but… he did kiss her. Paxton Hall Yoshida was her first kiss and it was only a couple months ago. Maybe he really liked her. Maybe they —

A text message on her phone cut off her internal rambling. When she read it, her breath caught in her throat again:

Why are you at Paxton’s?

Fuck. Ben.

How could she forget about Ben? Here she was going down the Paxton rabbit hole again when she had Ben, her actual boyfriend. Things were different now though. She wasn’t sure exactly when they changed, but she knew they had.

She quickly typed out a response and then changed into her dry clothes.

***

“So Paxton is the student you’re tutoring?

“Uh.. yeah, kinda,” Devi told Ben. “Paxton is my friend, but I am helping him study.” It wasn’t technically a lie anymore now that they’d made plans for Saturday.

“Anything else you want to tell me?”

“What are you accusing me of, Ben?”

“Obviously, I’m the only one committed to this relationship. You’re still just drooling over some dick that wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole.”

Devi scoffed, as the wind left her sails. She knew Ben would be hurt, and she expected him to be jealous that she was spending time with Paxton. She didn’t expect him to say Paxton wouldn’t want anything to do with her. She didn’t expect him to imply that she wasn’t good enough for Paxton. Like Ben was doing her some great, big favor by dating her. Once a UN, always a UN, she guessed.

“You know, I came here ready to explain myself, ready to apologize. Maybe you’re right though. Maybe you’re the only one committed to this relationship. God knows, I don’t want to be in a relationship where it’s okay to talk to me like that.”

Ben’s eyes widened, and Devi watched the color drain from his face. “No, Devi, I didn’t mean” —

“You didn’t mean to, not accuse me of cheating on you, but instead, accuse me of so desperately wanting to cheat on you that I would be the lap dog to a different guy?”

Devi really thought Ben deserved an explanation. That was why she went to his house. She realized though, she didn’t owe him anything. Ben had been the constant ignition to Devi’s insecurities. She thought that would stop when they became boyfriend and girlfriend, but no. Instead, he wanted to keep them together by making her feel unwanted by anyone else. She knew better though.

“Devi” —

“You are seriously the textbook ‘nice guy,’ aren’t you?” She air quoted. “Well, I don’t need any of that. I think we’re done here.”

Ben is canceled.

Devi felt oddly satisfied when she sent the text to Fabiola and Eleanor. She thought she would feel guilty after their encounter, but honestly, she felt liberated. Ben had been there for her when no one else was, and he showed that he cared about her. Still, when confronted with the idea that she may want to spend time with someone else, he immediately turned on her. Red flag. Big red flag.

Her friends immediately made plans to have a sleepover at Eleanor’s the following night. They wanted all the details. When Devi happily supplied them, they encouraged her as enthusiastically as she expected.

“Yes, girl,” Eleanor cried, giving her snaps when she told them she wouldn’t let Ben talk to her that way.

“You’re a strong, independent woman, and you don’t need some small little white boy trying to keep you down,” Fabiola bolstered.

“Thanks, guys. That brings me to my next problem though.” And for the first time, she told her friends about when she and Paxton kissed, how her mom had yelled at them the next day and called Paxton stupid, and how he’d left her a voicemail because he’d come to see her while she was in Malibu with her family. They were shocked to say the least.

“So what’s your problem?”

“Wondering exactly how long the pole is that Paxton would touch you with?” Eleanor asked suggestively.

Nope, that is definitely not the issue, Devi thought as she recalled seeing Paxton in his underwear. No, she knew exactly how big a tent that pole could support. The question was, was she misinterpreting their relationship?

“No… I mean, do you think he could like me?”

“Well, he definitely liked you enough to kiss you, but you also chose Ben over him,” Fabiola recapped. “That’s a tough blow.”

“But he wants to spend time with Devi anyway,” Eleanor argued. “I mean, you guys have study sessions almost every afternoon.”

“Right,” Devi trailed off as she considered her encounters with Paxton since she and Ben started dating. How he’d been respectful of her relationship, never once putting Ben down or asking why she had decided to go out with him. She thought about what a good friend he’d been of late with their sessions. She thought about how close she felt to him, and how she wasn’t exaggerating their closeness like she had at the beginning of the school year. She didn’t need to dress up or fabricate the things he said or did to her anymore. Everything was really happening.

“Do you want us to come tomorrow and assess the situation?”

Devi considered Eleanor’s offer, but finally shook her head. “No, I think this is one I have to sort out myself.”

***

“Alright, who coined the term ‘Cold War’ in the British press in October 1954?” Devi asked, looking up at her companion.

“I don’t know… Russia?”

Her eyes narrowed. “No, George Orwell. You’re right, my reputation as a nerd and the best tutor in school is on the line.”

“Shut up, this stuff’s hard. We’re not all Devi Vishwakumar,” he bumped her with his elbow.

“You’re smart too though. How did you know all that stuff about Hinduism or phobias?”

“That’s different. That’s interesting stuff.”

Devi felt her cheeks heat up, and chose to stare at her textbook. Would Paxton find those things interesting if they weren’t directly related to her? Was it his way of saying that she was interesting or important to him? She chanced a glance toward him to see him was also very deliberately staring at his book. She briefly wondered why before he looked up sharply and slapped his knee.

“I guess we have a lot to get through then if we’re going to save your rep. Better get to it.”

“Yeah… for sure,” she said slowly before continuing to quiz him.

A couple hours, some poptarts and pizza rolls later, they had significantly improved Paxton’s knowledge of the subject matter. They both were thrilled with his progress.

“Okay, let’s come full circle,” Devi said. “Who coined the term ‘Cold War?’”

“George Orwell… in the British press… in 1954,” he finished sitting back in his chair confidently.

“Yes! Good job, dude. You picked up on this stuff, no problem!” She smiled.

“Well, you’re a good teacher,” he smiled back, leaning forward.

“You’re a good student,” she told him, biting her bottom lip and leaning forward towards him.

Paxton glanced at her lips briefly before licking his own. She thought, this was it. He was going to kiss her. Instead, Paxton blinked, his eyes staying closed a little longer than normal, and sighed before scooting his chair away from the table.

“Uh.. my parents won’t be home from work for a few hours, and Becca is at a friend’s house if you want to hangout some more,” he suggested, rubbing the back of his neck. “We could drag the slip n slide out?”

Devi smiled. “Umm… I think I’m ready for the next challenge.”

“Yeah?” Paxton asked disbelievingly. “You sure?”

“Yeah, I want to try.”

“Alright,” he smiled with a nod. “I’ll get changed and we’ll head out there.”

Once Devi was closed in the bathroom again, she pulled her suit out of her bag. Pink bikini, don’t fail me now.

After a quick change, and plucking any stray hairs, Devi opened the bathroom door to see Paxton waiting on the other side. Her confidence faltered as he took in her appearance. His brow nearly disappeared into his hairline, and she noticed him swallow before exhaling slowly.

“Is this okay?” She asked.

“Yeah. Yeah, totally okay,” he responded, finally meeting her eye. “I, uh, wanted to walk you out so we could avoid as strong a reaction as last time… We’re in this together, right?”

She nodded, appreciating his support. Together.

It seemed like such a good idea before. Before she was standing in front of a large container filled with water. Water that she would have to submerge herself in.

Already drowning in her own fear, Devi didn’t hear Paxton talking to her until she felt him take her hand.

“Hey, Devi,” he called, waving his other hand in her face. “Can you hear me?”

She blinked longer than usual to clear her head before finding his gaze again. “Yeah, sorry. I was just spiraling.”

“Listen, you don’t have to do this right now. There’s no pressure, okay?”

“I know,” she nodded, licking her lips apprehensively. “I want to do this. You won’t leave me, right?”

He smiled. “We’re in this together, Vishwakumar.”

With that, she carefully made her way up the steps, and stepped into the hot water. Paxton held her hand the whole way. The best part of using the hot tub? The heat further distracted her from her fear that she didn’t even realize Paxton was touching her for a moment. It wasn’t until she was sitting down and should have been relaxing that her anxiety began to spike again.

“Hey, breathe, okay? I’m right here,” Paxton’s hand slipped from hers to wrap around her shoulders.

Without thinking, without meaning to, Devi dropped her head into the crook of Paxton’s neck. Her arms clung to his waist desperately, willing her breathing to level out. She felt Paxton’s other arm come around to encircle her, and it had the very calming effect she assumed he intended. As her breathing returned to a normal pace, Devi found she felt almost sleepy. She felt warm, not because of the water, but inside. It was like her body was humming, like everything was fuzzy. She let out a deep sigh of relief, and felt Paxton shift slightly against her.

“Are you okay?” He whispered. She wondered if he could feel how peaceful things were in that moment. No, he probably just wanted to make sure she hadn’t passed out.

“Yeah,” she breathed. “This helps.”

“Yeah? Like watching me helps?”

“I can’t explain it, and I know it doesn’t make any sense especially because I’m such a disaster when we talk,” she rambled before taking a steadying breath, “but watching you, touching you, calms me down.”

Paxton took a shaky breath, and Devi pulled back slightly to look at him. His eyes were closed, cheeks flushed. She loved seeing him like this. Vulnerable, as though she affected him as much as he affected her. This time, she thought, I’ll kiss him.

Before Devi could lean forward, Paxton abruptly put space between them. One hand remained on her shoulder, but his head was hanging his eyes were closed.

“Devi,” he started before letting out a long sigh, “I am trying so hard. I mean, I love spending time with you and I want to be here for you. I want to be a good friend to you, but you’re killing me.”

“What?”

“You have a boyfriend,” he replied emphatically. “I don’t really know why, but you do. And all this,” he gestured between them, “feels a lot like cheating, and I’m not down for it.”

“Oh, no, no, no, no,” the words came tumbling out, “no, no, no. No, that’s on me. Paxton” —

“Devi, I like you,” he cut her off. “Not in the ‘I want to reinstate our sex agreement’ way, but like, I really like you. I hate studying! But you make it fun. I love the way you spit out that first five thoughts that pop into your head at any given moment. I love that you trust me to tell me your deepest fear that no one else knows, and I love that we’ve been able to work through it together. I don’t know if I can do this anymore though.”

“Sorry I didn’t interrupt, you really seemed like you were on a roll, but,” she paused to take another deep breath, “I don’t… have a boyfriend anymore.”

“What?”

“Things are different now. I broke up with Ben two days ago, and… I really like you too. I never wanted just sex from you. I just never thought we’d be here right now.”

“You don’t have a boyfriend?”

She shook her head, shyly looking down at the water. Her bottom lip found it’s way between her teeth, barely suppressing her smile. She felt his hand slip from her shoulder and snake it’s way around her waist. She looked up as he pulled her body into his so close that their breath mingled.

“Should we make another toast?” She asked nervously.

His forehead pressed against hers as he laughed. When he regained his composure, he looked in her eyes warmly. “Later.”

And for the second time, Paxton Hall-Yoshida’s lips were on hers, and it. was. electric. Somehow, it was even better than the first time. She felt everything else melt away, and it was just the two of them floating through space. Nothing else mattered for that moment. She wasn’t sure when she ended up in his lap, but she wound her arms around his neck all the same before her hands found his curly hair. Under other circumstances, she may have worried that her own hair had become so frizzy that he wouldn’t find her attractive. She realized though, she didn’t have to worry about that. No, as Paxton gripped her hips tighter, she knew very well that he was attracted to her.

This was everything she ever wanted, except it was better. Paxton’s hand came up to cradle her face as his tongue massaged hers in a way that made her spine tingle. Devi was so engrossed in having the greatest moment of her life, she didn’t hear the back door open.

“Wooooo!” Becca hollered as they jumped apart. “Finally!”

“Becca, get out of here!” Paxton yelled, splashing his sister. She laughed, making a comment about being safe as she went back inside.

“So… your sister’s home,” Devi said. They sat awkwardly for a moment before both breaking into a fit of laughter.

“Yeah, mood ruined, I guess.”

“Well, I know one thing: this is the happiest I’ve felt in any body of water in a year.”

He huffed out a laugh, eyes finding his lap before meeting her gaze again. “Happy to help.”

<< Part 2

[stylistiquements]

There was the silence and there were the stars | Corpse husband x reader -Among Us AU

Among us AU : There was something. Something in the silence and the harsh coldness -that only space was capable of- that turned your brain into a sarcastic and bored mess. Maybe that’s why you found yourself so interested by any sabotage pulled on the crewmates, maybe that’s what made him so interesting to witness. He was different from the rest of you. Different to an extend you were about to understand.

❚ Word count : 4.2k ❚ Warning : A bit angsty but you will get that fluffity fluff and touch starve feeling you require I promise ; swearing ❚ Note : there will be no mention of death or killing as it is basically a real life Among us, just some shenanigans. Y/C : your/color

A/N : This little thing was inspired by -⭐️ anon. It was a fun thing to write even though it took me way too long because I asked my brain “sir may I pls have the focus capacity I need” and brain said no (: so yeah, this is litteraly just me ranting n complaining about space. This is a bit angsty but as what if is way too happy for me that was a nice opportunity. I hope you won’t mind and appreciate it anyway. As always just let me know. As it’s my first time writing like a one shot thingy I’m really curious to know. Also it’s supposed to be proofread but if you find any mistake just take ur glasses off. Thanks. Enjoy the wild ride. 

You met him again. He was fixing wires while you were downloading some files on the computer. Difficulties happened regularly around here; various oddities that occurred from time to time, sometimes a few times a day. It would go from doors closing mysteriously to no electricity, you never knew which one it would be. Those inconveniences used to draw a smile on your lips, a grin you tried your best to hide from everyone else. The sound of the urging siren resounded in your head like a call, reviving the last spared spark left in your brain. At this point, you were pretty sure it was one of your crewmates’ doing, too many coincidences for any other options to be left. You didn’t mind though. The game started months ago but still amused you to this day. 

He never let a word escape his mouth. To your awareness, no one knew anything about him, no one had ever heard the sound of his voice which you could only dare to imagine since the two of you met. It felt silly, you fabricated this voice inside your head, a half-finished melody you played to keep your mind busy. It would have sounded just as an old piano would. So slightly out of tune that maybe, if you didn’t care enough or wished for it not to be true, you wouldn’t even notice. 

You called him black. It resonated with the color of his suit and the darkness that emanated from his soul. Not that he looked like a mischievous character, but rather like someone who would have been gnawed by life for years. A shade that reminded you of the bittersweet feeling 4 AM forced you to taste. Describing that presentiment was a challenge you couldn’t take. It was one of those things that had to be felt, not narrated. 

Shit.

He caught you staring again. How could you look any other way? There was something with him that appealed to you, that pulled your eyes toward his direction every time. Probably only a peak of unwarranted curiosity you couldn’t really be blamed for, probably the oh-so mysterious aura that floated so carelessly around him. He always had this way of sneaking in and out, just as if he was nothing but his own shadow. 

Yet, being near him was easy. Silence only felt comfortable when he was in your surroundings. The whole world stopped existing -and it had in fact since the first day you two met.

He had dark charcoal hair which fell so perfectly in curly strands around the two horns that crowned over his head. Paired with two ruby hued eyes, he truly was a sight for sore eyes. A wicked and breathtaking beauty, so unique it gave you the impression that he wasn’t even human. 

He used to hop in a vent after finishing his tasks. As if his true home was there; a secret hideout for him and him only. You didn’t even know it was a thing before you watched it with your own eyes. Who wouldn’t blame him. If you could have escaped that warmth deprived place too, even for 5 minutes, you would have. 

That’s why you never asked any question about it nor tried to investigate further. Being stuck in space was only a kid’s fantasy, nothing a fully conscious adult would inflict to themselves. Which, in itself, was pretty much self-explanatory about everyone’s mental condition in here.

It was also a pre-established rule, no questions. No one ever expressed it out loud, but you would have to be a fool not to guess it. Every crewmate grew accustomed to the deadly silence only space had to offer. A giant timeless hole where nothing really happened. With nothing but the smell of technology and the constant purr of engines as the only distractions left. See, living in a spaceship was no ordinary lifestyle : days and nights melted into each other until it became nothing but a groundless concept. The crewmates perceived it as comforting for some reason. You used to shrug it off, no questions. How unethical would you be to disturb their peace? 

If you had to be honest, you would probably say that you felt bad for Black. Nothing like pity, but being alone in this stark and brutal silence for this long must have been pretty life-consuming. That’s why, even though it made your cheeks and the tip of your ears flame up in a raw and unforgivable tint of pink, you always kept looking into his eyes for one more second after he noticed you. Just to be sure he knew that he wasn’t alone in this shit hole. You stared into the depth of those ruby eyes, hunting for silent answers to questions you weren’t even sure of in the first place. He never quivered, only stood motionless until his task was completed. Just locking the eye contact. After that, he always ran away as silently as he existed. Leaving your head disturbingly empty. 

Every single time. 

Something changed one day. You were about to prepare some test samples when it happened. He jumped off a vent and you followed his movements from the corner of your eyes, too distracted to remember about the task that was assigned to you. He ran to the door and proceeded to shut it. Within the last second, the one that always lasted hours, he put an index in front of his mouth. Silently asking for you not to say a word. And before the steel door could obstruct your vision completely, you noticed a smile on his lips. A smile that made the whole spaceship turn inside out, draining the blood out of your body in a painstaking, almost sore way. There you stood, intoxicated by stupefaction and trapped as a cat. 

Black mutated you into a self-depreciating joke : in here, you were only interestied in the impostor. The only one who made your day a little better was the one giving nightmares to the others. 

It was him, from the beginning. It was him and he smiled. A grin that twinkled maliciously from his lips to his eyes, wounding your heart in an insoluble way. It made every prejudice you had about him crumble : he was no longer that miserable existence you sensed he was but a quiescent sun that could radiate all around him once unleashed into the world. How did he do that? How could he be both the tunnel and the light at the end of it?

When red came to the rescue, she described you with a glare. She judged you in the not-so-pleasant way. You could always count on those glares to know their opinions about you. Because their judgment would have to be expressed one way or another. She thought you looked suspicious, with your half poured concoction into a hand and the rest of it in the other, just staring blankly into the void. You wouldn’t blame her for that. 

It stuck with you for days, filling your empty mind with the sight of a smile that could no longer be experienced. The scene shamelessly repeated itself in your mind until it became nothing but a progression of disassembled images, forcing you to taste the astonishment over and over again. The problem was, you hadn’t seen him for days. And, even though you wanted to know what happened, you couldn’t ask. That was the rule. 

What would you say anyway ? Black is the imposter and I watched him close medbay’s door ? Yeah, I don’t think so. You should have stopped him in the first place -and you would have if you weren’t just mesmerized.

So, you took each day -or night … or piece of time, whatever you wanted to call it since it was no longer existent- with composure. Forcing yourself to do any task with a meticulousness that didn’t look like you. Just to make sure your brain was busy enough not to think about it or him. Being trapped in a place and being trapped in your own mind are two different wrestles, yet in here those two intertwined perfectly. Just like the rest of it, it didn’t even make any sense : the guy smiled at you for ten seconds and here you were, an absolute clutter of questions and recollection. You were probably just too bored and he, as always, was the perfect distraction. That must have been it, right?

You walked in admin. Your heart skipped a beat before your eyes could process who stood in front of them. 

Look what the cat dragged in. 

His hair twirled flawlessly above his face, almost hiding a grimace that indicated so transparently his mind. You leaned against the door frame and crossed your arms, unabashedly watching him as he swiped his card frantically while sighting heavily every time that “bip” of failure rang. 

Eventually, he looked at you with an expression you couldn’t quite read. You tried anyway, staring at him as if he was some sort of work of art that needed to be decrypted. From the way his chest moved heavily under the pressure of the irritation to the way his glowing eyes witnessed you. This expression on his face gave him a funny look, a scowl which made the laugh that tickled your throat hard to hold back. 

“Y-you have to do it slower. Otherwise, it won’t work” you stuttered. “I guess it’s harder since …” 

You walked to him carefully, so carefully you forgot your words. Just as if he was a wild animal who could run away if scared. Making sure no step would fall out of line. He was so close, so close, maybe if you tried to catch him this time he would stop running away. 

“Since it’s not my job, right ? Is that what you were about to say ?” he asked with a low voice, a voice you would have never dared to picture for him. Not the broken tone you pictured but a melody so sweet and so unique it felt like it was made just for your ears to enjoy, taunting you to dive into his mind.

“Do you need help” ? 

“I- hum- You’re not supposed to help me, you know ?” he stuttered, visibly amused, judging by the way his eyes wrinkled under his smile. 

“Are you gonna lock me in the room once again ?” He shook his head as a chuckle escaped from his lips. “Then who cares” you finally breathed.  

Your fingers brushed against his warm skin as you grabbed the card. You tried to appear unbothered, hoping so intensely for the swipe to be a first try success. That way, maybe he wouldn’t notice the way you breathed heavily under the weight of your pounding heart. But those red eyes piercing through the depth of your soul were hardly bearable for those like you who suffered from unbeknownst afflictions. 

You grew aware of his every move, the way those eyes fell on you, the perfume that emanated from his skin, the sound of his slow yet noticeable respiration.

You gave him his card back and he captured your fingers in the palm of his hand, making it impossible for you to escape his grip. Hiding those blushing cheeks from a sight that seemed to see everything was a defiance only the proudest people would be capable of. It wasn’t your case, but you counted on preserving the last sane cells left in your body. 

“Your secret is safe with me.” You whispered, avoiding any eye contact.

“I know that.”

 A simple answer that would never be enough to satisfy you. Yet, before you could review the best option of an answer, he left. Just as he always did, he walked away silently -still this time it seemed to last an eternity- while you just stood there inertly as you watched his black silhouette disappear into the endless gray hallways. 

You finally caught the breath you had been holding this whole time. Leaning over, you observed your reflection into the screen of the digital tablet as you rubbed your hands together, hoping for that strange spike of electricity that ran through your fingers to fade away quickly. A mess.

“There you are, Corpse” green said as he sat cross-legged in black’s secret place “I’ve been looking for you.”

Corpse was the name green chose for Black, feeling like it would be the most suitable image for the one who always worked in the shadow. Not the most refined nickname, yet black ironically related to that. Silent as a Corpse, he thought. A level of sarcasm that amused him and which probably led to him immediately falling in love with it. 

Corpse observed the little sprout on the top of Green’s head. It floated lightly and followed his every move. What a little freak. Just a thing deprived of any sort of self consciousness, out of this world just like he felt he was. Corpse remained fixated on it, hoping he could get as self-aware as it was. The last impromptu reunion he had with you was nothing he had planned, nothing that should have happened. He wouldn’t exactly call it a mistake and still, he had no one else but him to blame.

“Did something happened with y/c ? You seem a little flustered.” Green asked, pulling Corpse out of his overflowed mind. 

“I don’t know, I think I kinda fucked up.” He replied with a shrug. “I’ve been spotted.”

“Was it really a mistake ?”

Green was the only one who was granted with the privilege of learning how to understand Corpse. Because, deep inside, they grew up to be the same kind : the kind that didn’t belong here. Two sides of the same coin. 

Green’s social intelligence, on the other hand, Black didn’t like it that much. Thanks to that guy, he would be able to work comfortably in the darkness, where no one could see him, but it also meant that he saw clearly what was going through Corpse’s mind. Actually, it didn’t take him too long. 

What was the surprise when he realized it was you who lived rent-free in his thoughts? See, in Corpse’s eyes you were different from the others : too conscious about the reality that happened before yours eyes. It made you interesting to observe. What a delightful sight it was to watch you rolling your eyes in your crewmates’ face, to notice the serious look you had when you were focused on a task, the way your eyes sparkled every time a new sabotage was made. He wouldn’t track you, yet he would never resist a peek once your paths crossed. It happened often, more than you actually realized.

Yet, Corpse was no fool. You and him never belonged together. You were destined to a bright destiny and he was the obscurity. That’s why he was more than careful not to get too close, not to see his bare mind get burnt under the exposition of those peculiar feelings in the pit of his stomach. 

That’s why his previous reaction made no sense to him. But what could he say? You took him aback when those words were directed at him. You made his short-circuited brain unable to be sensible anymore. He just wanted to know what your touch would feel like under his fingers. Why was his skin blazing with electricity now ?

Corpse swallowed it all. From the blossoming feeling inside his body and mind to the warmth and the softness of your skin. He couldn’t feel that way. “I’m not really sure.” he finally said, as honest as he could be with himself. 

He would spend his next few days planning with Green, cornering you to a small part of his brain. You couldn’t be there, you had no right to be. The game was progressing faster than they anticipated it. It made him thrilled, accepting the challenge no one but the two of them could bear. 

However, a new unwanted seed grew into his mind. The idea that, maybe, you were only by his side in this game. That, maybe he would never be able to witness your existence in the real world.

“Have you ever noticed how weird the stars look sometimes ?” Corpse asked as he joined navigation. You jumped and your mind turned into a scattered place stuck between a task you battled to achieve and the proximity left between the two of you. Your heart beat in rhythm with his echoing, never ending footsteps. Still you had, indeed, noticed. “It’s like they’re not even real” you answered with a smile that made your voice higher. A melodic lift that betrayed your intention of ever finishing your job. 

When you finally looked at him, his lips moved into a satisfied curve. Shivers tickled your arms and your neck. Maybe because he was just standing so perfectly still in front of the glass window. So perfectly still that, among all those celestial bodies, he appeared to be the most beautiful one.  “Mind keeping me company for a bit?” Your mouth betrayed you when the question escaped your grip. But Corpse snorted faintly and shook his head.

“From all the people in here you want to spend time with me ? That’s probably not your wisest decision.” He said as he tried to muffle a high pitch laugh with a hand that covered his mouth.

See, that’s the words he had been afraid of since the first time he saw you. The words he would have to turn into derision since he knew he would have no strength to refuse. Yet, you stood there with those glimmering eyes and those eyebrows that arched in a strange manner, cutting every single inch of air out of his lungs. Even if he wanted to say no -and he should- he wouldn’t have been able to.

It was never meant to happen, not judging by your two so hostily opposed nature. Fuck that shit. Who cared about that speech when you were here and you were so beautiful?

You moved closer to him, a strenuous and slow tense that shouldn’t be disregarded. You’ve had seen the same scenery for months yet never it made you feel the same way as you did at that very moment. Because those balls of lights floating into the void shimmered in his ruby hued iris just as a dozen of fireflies would. He made your world a little blurry, narrowed to his presence at your side.

“You forgave me really easily the last time we met.” He noticed. “That’s a little sus if you asked me.”

“Well, what can I say ? You’re the only distraction I have left, so I’m not really in the position to hold grudges.” You shrugged sarcastically. 

“You’re really funny, I have to concede that” he said as his smile made its way to his eyes. 

Your brutally honest words intertwined with his chuckles and crewmates never heard the spaceship as lively as that time. That time when you got to discover who Corpse really was. A man who hid his blooming existence behind a silence.

“Why did you stay silent this whole time ?” You dared to ask before the silence fell upon the two of you, a silence that maybe you wouldn’t be able to endure this time.

“Because I never wanted to lie”

“I- ...hum- there’s really nothing I could say against that, right ?”

With every grin, every chuckle, every abrupt eye contact, your proximity kept embedding his mind a little deeper until you stole the stars’ show completely. It’s no good, you held his breath hostage when he realized he could feel the warmth stemming out of your skin. So tempted to get closer and witness it with further clearness. 

Thus, he lifted a hand that starved connection. He tried to close the gap between your two touches so prudently, so discreetly that you didn’t even notice. A touch, that would go beyond his movement, more like a proof he needed to make sure someone like you really existed in a shithole like this.  

He was so close. 

Yet, the alarm rang before he could embrace the object of his desire. “Better check that out quickly” you said with a sigh. Somehow, it felt peculiar just knowing that, this time, you were the one running away. A sense of some sort of joke played by space. As if space hadn’t done enough. When Green cut the communication, he couldn’t realize -If only he knew the double meaning of that sabotage. Ah, the irony of it all. 

“I’ll see you soon” Corpse informed you, more of a promise than a farewell and he stayed there long enough, staring numbly at his hand.

You ran until the communication room, holding this bittersweet feeling on the tip of your tongue. You tried to swallow it and almost found yourself praying that no one would arrive before you could. This way, maybe your fugue would make more sense. 

Blue was already sitting on the floor, trying to find the good frequencies. “I’m already on it.” she said on a plain, monotone voice. Of course, she fucking would be. 

Now what was left to do ? Corpse was probably already gone and-and the silence … the silence had returned. A dead, cold, cruel silence. It tested out your nerves, built up some pressure down your throat that made keeping your composure barely possible. Corpse slipped between your fingers again. The game was no longer a funny and pleasant diversion from the plain, austere daily life you had. You grew tired of that cat and mouse game. You just wanted him.

After going back to the oh-so empty navigation room, you completed your tasks. And you were finally done. You wandered around for hours, days -who knows-, searching for a purpose. 

The game was coming to an end, you could feel it. Something in the air changed, it became dryer than ever. Unbearable on your skin that ached for something you couldn’t apprehend. The crewmates were agitated, everyone kept running around day and night just to make sure the last tasks would be completed as soon as possible. New difficulties were triggered almost as soon as the last ones ended. Chaos. 

Just as if he wasn’t ready to end the game so soon, as if he didn’t want to get the hell out of this place as much as you did. From time to time, you almost found yourself eager to ignore the alarm. Taunting him one last time by neglecting his call. 

Maybe that way he would show up, maybe that way he would stay with you. Yeah, maybe that way he would stop being nothing but an ephemeral being that almost made you wonder if you finally gave up on your mind to the silence. Because at that moment he only felt like a chimera your brain created to protect you. Because you were just so fucking bored.  

You gave up on that idea, turning on the CCTV as you sighed. Just to see more colorful suits running around, trying to hold their shit together for what appeared to be the ultimate hour. Despite all the sabotages, it seemed like your number made your strength. You imagined Corpse’s face, probably piqued. A dark frown covering his pretty eyes. It made your lips twitch for a second. Who knew it would end this way ? Definitely not you. 

Yet that amused smile faded away when you heard the familiar sound of the door closing, locking you in yet another time. You rolled your eyes and turned around, unprepared to witness who locked themselves with you. His body laid against the door, guarding it as his chest moved frenetically under the weight of his rushing breath. 

“This is the end” he whispered frantically under his breath. He doesn’t look as worried as you thought he would, but it didn’t matter. You moved impulsively toward him, never stopping until he snaked a hand around your waist and slipped the other one in your back. That way, this time, there were no escape. 

He let his head rest in the hollow of your neck, soaking the divine and comforting warmth you had to offer. His warm breath on your skin sent shivers through your body which responded by squeezing him a little tighter, holding him as close to your heart as humanly possible. You could feel his, beating so fast.

“This is the end.” His whisper grounded on your skin. 

He lifted his head to dive into your eyes with the same sweet smile you offered him. The one which expressed the happiness, the relievment it felt to embrace him. 

“If it were for you, I would do it all over again.” You said, pressing your forehead against his, sharing a breath as you closed your eyes. One last attempt to memorize everything about him. You sensed his smile, so wide you didn’t even have to look at it to see. He left a trail of kisses on your cheeks and your hand wandered in his hair as a faint gasp escaped your lips.

Corpse looked back at you. And then, as his thumb drew light circles on your cheek. With glowing eyes that translated all the adoration he felt for you, he whispered “Maybe it was just meant to be”. And then, he closed the distance between the two of you, brushing your lips softly at first before capturing them completely once he was sure you felt the same way as he did. A kiss that tasted like 4AM and home. 

“I’ll find my way back to you, my love. I’ll find you in the real world.” He promised.

[lunarrin]

Twisted Wonderland Theory! May have future spoilers so please skip this post if you don’t want to risk getting spoiled.

I accidentally posted this before it was finished before, that’s why this might seem like a repeated post, whoops sorry. Edit: Also I tumblr keeps on messing up the format and making me edit it again ;-;

Anyways, It seems like a bunch of people are interested in learning more about this theory circulating among JPN twisted wonderland fans so here I am to display the possible evidence/hints. I had to use google translate to look at some of their claims and although it’s easy to just confirm on your own the claims I have to admit I couldn’t list some of their claims simply because I couldn’t understand what they were saying. Please keep in mind this is only a speculation and has no in-game proof or foreshadowing that I’ve seen at the very least proving it, so take it with a grain of salt. Now, onto the theory!

The Ace Betrayal Theory

This theory concerns our beloved Ace Trappola and concerning “coincidences” that point to Ace possible betraying us in the future. If you would like to look at the twitter posts yourself, search up エース 裏切り説し on twitter.

So first of all, the first thing that may point at things being not what they seem, or at least that something is wrong is the Heartslabyul dorm main characters. There are 5 main characters from the Heartslabyul dorm and in terms of cards it seems a bit odd that there is no sign of a joker within the dorm, of course you could chalk it up to Riddle being the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland so he doesn’t count as a “Heart”. With the “heart” suit being represented by Ace and Riddle, is it possible one of them could also represent the joker? In this case, when I say “joker” I don’t mean they’re gonna be like “surprise I’m actually a joker not a heart suit!” I more so mean that one of them will like a wild card. Given that Riddle already had his episode, and Ace’s status proven by the twisted wonderland opening to be a main character, could we say that Ace could be the “joker” of the dorm in a way? The wild card? Of course this point is based on perspective, if you exclude Riddle from being counted as a “Heart” suit then the dorm is fine, but if you count him as someone representing the “Heart” suit then the repetition seems odd.

There is one main concerning part of this theory that surely would be difficult to pass of as mere coincidence, and it’s Ace’s last name, “Trappola”.

In Italian is means  “trap/pitfall(a possible danger)".  

And Ace is the only dorm member to not have his suit somewhere in his last name, instead he has Trappola, a Venetian trick-taking card game where the Ace is the most powerful card. (Funny enough, it seems like the Deuce is the second most powerful in terms of points alone) And it’s no news to anyone who’s read Ace’s profile that he enjoys card games doesn’t he? What’s a trick-taking card game? It’s a tile based game where each round is called a “trick” and in Trappola, your goal is to take/win the trick. Funny thing is, in Trappola specifically, it seems like the player is awarded bonus points for taking a trick(s) with a Deuce.

There is also another trick-taking, or more so, trick-avoiding game called “Hearts” where you try to have the least amount of points by the end of the game. You get points by wining hearts in tricks in which the amount of points lost depends on the the specific card, with the ace of hearts giving the most points (something you do not want). A fan interpreted this in terms of twisted wonderland to be another pointer for Ace betraying the group just as the Ace of hearts in the game in a way betrays you because it gives you the most points, I personally feel like this is a stretch? But I listed it anyways in case you wanted to know.

Edit: It has been brought to my attention that the Red Queen and Jack of Hearts are from Alice through the Looking Glass and not Alice in Wonderland so the next point does not hold as much ground anymore, but I’ll leave it here anyways

Then there is Ace's similarity or possible link to a character within Alice in Wonderland, being the Jack/Knave of Hearts, who betrays the Red Queen (whom he was previous lovers with, and in general close to the Red Queen). Both Ace and Jack(or the Knave of hearts) have a heart on or around their left eye (our right). Both Jack and Ace steal a tart from the Red Queen (Queen of Hearts (Riddle) in Ace's case). Next, Both betray the Red Queen/Queen of Hearts respectively at one point (Jack tries to kill the Red Queen while Ace tries to take Riddle’s dorm leader position).Off topic coincidence, there is an otome game where the Jack of Hearts is named "Ace". Now this point’s coincidences seem difficult to be just “coincidences” but at the same time you could also say that Ace’s role as the Jack of Hearts has already ended since he has already had his failed attempt at overthrowing Riddle. The concerning part of this link though is that the Jack of hearts tried to kill the person they were at least it seemed to be very close to and at least loyal to (when in actually he hated her) while Ace himself wasn't very close to Riddle at that point, but who is Ace close to and loyal(?) to? MC and the gang ;-; But still take this possibility as a grain of salt.

Of course, we know Ace’s name isn’t Jack, or at least, hopefully he doesn’t pull a “Ace is not my true name at all! Instead I’m also named Jack/Knave!”. But he does have a older brother who once went to the same school, could it be that Ace’s brother is named Jack/Knave? We don’t know much about his brother besides it seems like he was rather relevant as he led a parade that is shown in a picture in one of the halls of the school and that he’s good at card tricks. And similiar to how the Red Queen and the Queen of Hearts are different, the Knave of hearts and the Red knight could also be different, with the Knave of Hearts and the Red knight being Ace’s brother and him. Still, we need more info to see how relevant Ace’s brother is in all of this.

Next we have the Twisted Wonderland Opening Movie, which has proven to spoil/hint at plot lines before with Azul as the opening movie teases Azul’s overblot form as well as his child self photos. Now in the opening a fan has noted that every character so far that has been seen alone (besides the part where they have the character’s names and dorms, this part (because Kalim appears and the dorm leaders have to be alone)

Every character that has appeared alone or a bit during the opening so far has overbloted, Jamil, Leona, (and we can guess Malleus and Idia will overblot). While every other character has been introduced with someone alongside them, for example, Epel only appears with Rook, Floyd only appears with Jade, Jack only appears with Ruggie, and the Diasomnia group(minus Malleus) only appear with each other. But who else appears by them self? Our boy Ace.

And Deuce who the OP proves alongside Ace has the same amount of relevance is introduced alongside Cater and Trey

Now for Ace to overblot, it probably means he’s gonna do something villainous like I don’t know, betray the group?

Now here’s the thing, does Ace’s character/personality have the potential to be evil/betray us? Yes, 100 times yes. This is the man who went up to us in the prologue and acted all nice and everything explaining the Great Seven, only to laugh (maniacally?) at our misery and ignorance claiming to have only visited us to mess with us and essentially mock us. If Deuce is the person who could and would (if you pissed him off) physically beat you to death, then Ace is the person to psychologically and emotionally torment/manipulate you, oh and verbal abuse too, he’s good at that. One thing I personally find very concerning about Ace is his hobby of card tricks, like aren’t you guys based off of cards? Are you trying to tell me Ace is good at manipulating/messing with people? 

Like we’ve seen Ace be good at acting and lying on two separate occasions in the story, one with us in the beginning, two with the guard at the underwater museum. In his personal stories, for example in the ‘A Kouhai This Honest’ story, Trey comments on how Ace did indeed have ulterior motives to helping Trey besides just wanting a cherry pie as Ace was trying to fish possible test questions out from Trey. This is their conversation:

Ace: “To collect information, I’m carrying all this heavy stuff~ Beside, Trey-senpai you too… You knew from the beginning I wouldn’t carry all this stuff for a pie with lots of cherry on it “

Trey: “ You… could it be you were lying about liking cherries too?”

Ace: “ That’s the truth. I learnt that from my big brother. “When you’re lying mix a bit of truth in it” he said”

And with the ‘Tch, I Got Found Out’ personal story he tries to take the profit all for himself:

Ruggie:  “ But anyway, isn’t it fine in the end? It wraps up without sensei knowing so your mark doesn’t get affected Anyway, I’m also… wait, Ace-kun!? Where are you going with that bag? That’s the mandragoras to be sold to the ghosts. Don’t just take it like that!”

Ace: “ Tch, I got found out. I thought I could sneak off with it while you two aren’t looking at me ”

Ruggie:  “ You were planning to slip out and take the pay all for yourself huh? What an impudent first year”

Jamil:  “ When I thought you were being all meek…You sure are bold”

Ace: ”Hehe, I’ll take that as a praise, senpais ♪ “

It clear to see Ace at times schemes for his own benefit, whether that is taking advantage of his senpais or other people, Ace will lie and pretend to be innocent while carrying out his ulterior motives. Funny how his big brother taught him that.

On another note, Ace has the uncanny ability of being able to copy what he sees, from his brother’s card tricks, to how to speak hedgehog from seeing Rook just say the phrase once, from quickly learning how to extract um, something from mandragoras and doing it very efficiently. Perhaps will his unique magic be a copy magic, maybe copying the unique magic of others? If so, that sounds like an ability that could build up blot fast if he uses it willy-nilly. (it also sounds OP)

All in all, it seems like Ace really does have the potential to be the villain at one point (even though almost all of them are villains lol).

One more thing pointing to a possible Ace betrayal in the future is kinda a stretch in my opinion, but I will list it anyways because it’s coincidences are a bit unnerving. It has to do with birth month flowers and the Dahlia, a flower which can symbolise “Warning someone about a potential betrayal” and Dahlia is the birth flower of August, what month comes right after August? September, the birth month of both Ace and Jamil. Guess what? Jamil betrayed Kalim in the story.

Well, that’s it for the evidence at least I found people using for the Ace betrayal theory, some of it is a stretch and some of it’s is concerning if it was a mere “coincidence”. I hope you enjoyed reading this, regardless if in the end you believe in this theory or not. I personally love this theory because I love the thought of Ace getting more development in the future, also the fan art people make for this theory is great. For example, the twitter account  @GPs_ac has a piece of fan art of the ace betrayal theory and it’s great.

Also If Ace does betray us, I want to see Deuce beat him into the ground ahahaha... (I still love you Ace but I will be hurt if you do betray us, this is why I stan Deuce lol)

Turns out MC can’t trust anyone but Deuce, because Grim is probably gonna overblot and Ace might betray.

Also, fun fact. The Ace of Spades symbolises death

Haha very funny Disney, making our lovable no braincells duo represent death

Anyways feel free to comment your thoughts on the theory!