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#(she says. hiding the fact that it should’ve been done months ago and it’s been happenening multiple times an hour)
lisbeth-kk · 6 months
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Sherlock fandom
You Weren’t There
He never thought he would get here, doing what Ella wants him to do. Even Sherlock has nudged him in this direction. Gently, without any snark. 
“You’ll feel better, John. And no one has to see it. It’s a matter between you and the past,” Sherlock said softly and kissed his forehead.
So, here he is. Alone in 221B, pen in hand hovering over a sheet of paper. Ready to face and confront his parents, his only weapon a rollerball with black ink.
Mum and Dad
Once, I was your pride and joy. When and why did that change? Was it because of my lack of physical strength as a boy? My empathy for Harry when she came out as a lesbian? Or maybe it had to do with my trust issues. The issues you two are responsible for. Yes, you read that right. You. Both of you.
 I see now that you may have suffered from the same thing, because you never engaged with the other parents. They always thought you were happily married. You were always good at keeping up appearances.
Neither of you liked that I enjoyed music and wanted to learn to play the clarinet. You only allowed it because of my teacher who insisted that I’d join the music group, but you never cared. Not once did you attend a concert. You weren’t there. Never. Not for me. Not for Harry.
You’re both egocentric people who never should’ve had children. My miserable childhood notwithstanding, I’m glad of one thing; my life. Because I’ve finally found someone to love and who loves me in return. I know you won’t approve because it’s a man. The most brilliant, kind, loving, amazing, and extraordinary man who’s ever lived.
Because of your phobia against queerness, and my childish reluctance to disappoint you, I’ve been hiding my true self for decades. I even hurt this man, my Sherlock, for years since I was too afraid to come clean as a bisexual. And that fact haunts me the most. That I’m still having issues with this. I can’t blame you for all of it. I’m a grown man, but bad habits die hard.
This letter is supposed to be closure, a goodbye if you like. I have yet to decide if I want to send it to you. It’s about getting it all out, more for my sake than yours.
We married last month by the way. Harry was there. You weren’t invited. I know you never would’ve come anyway. Besides, I didn’t want you there. 
I’ve always detested weddings were everybody you know and are related to must be invited. Only people we love and care for were present.
You always had high hopes that I would marry when I became a doctor. It would be the perfect façade. Something you could brag about to your colleagues or whomever cared to listen to you.
If you ever get this letter, or if you already know, I bet everything I own that you’ve never mentioned it to anyone. To you, Harry and I are damaged goods. And when I write these words, I realise that I don’t care what you call me anymore, because I’m happy. For the first time in my adult life. Thanks to my husband, Sherlock Holmes.
John
He's mentally exhausted when he’s finished writing, and heads for the bathroom to wash off what feels like grime. The shower is like a cleansing and his entire body is relaxed. A considerable burden has been lifted off his shoulders and all that’s missing for this moment to be perfect is Sherlock.
When he opens the door to the bathroom, Sherlock waits for him with open arms. John’s heart skips a beat and his face lights up with the sight of his husband.
“I’m so proud of you, John,” Sherlock murmurs into John’s hair.
So, he’s read the letter. John left it on the desk for Sherlock to see, and he feels relief wash over him.
“It was easier than anticipated. Something I should’ve done ages ago.”
John cradles Sherlock cheek and locks eyes with him.
“Thank you for caring, for never faltering in your faith in me, for being there, for loving me” John says warmly.
“Always,” Sherlock retorts and kisses John’s palm tenderly before he seeks out John’s lips.
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mothandpidgeon · 1 year
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Aunt Flo's First Visit [pre-outbreak!Joel Miller x f!reader]
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Pairing: pre-outbreak!Joel Miller x f!reader
Summary: After Sarah gets her first period, Joel is determined to be a supportive parent despite the fact that he doesn't know the first thing about menstruation. But when he goes to the pharmacy to shop for supplies, he finds himself in way over his head.
Words: 2k
Rating: G
Warnings: period stuff and everything that comes with it
a/n: This is really fluffy and a little silly. I saw a tik tok by a menstrual product company about a customer trying to find the right thing for his daughter and it just gave me such Joel energy this happened. I haven't finished any fic in MONTHS because I'm working on my book and that's not finished either so it feels really good to complete something. (If you want to keep up with my publishing journey, I'm mainly documenting it here.) Please enjoy.
Also, I challenged myself to write in present tense bc I never do and I really was struggling so pretend the grammar is all correct. Thank you.
Joel knows how to do a lot of things. He can manage a crew, change a flat tire, and build just about anything. He never considered himself smart by the classical definition but he knows how to make a car battery from scratch despite the fact that he got a C in chemistry. 
If somebody had told him a decade ago that he’d one day be paralyzed with fear in the feminine hygiene aisle, he would’ve laughed. But right now, Joel would give all his knowledge along with his left arm if he could just figure out what the hell he ought to buy for his daughter.
He knew this day would come eventually. It’s his own damn fault he never prepared himself. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he must’ve expected Sarah to just know how to handle it. Being a single dad wasn’t a walk in the park but he couldn’t imagine how much harder it would be if Sarah wasn’t so damn self sufficient. Even at 13, she can get herself fed and dressed and off to school without help. Of course she could figure this out on her own.
But Joel was reminded that Sarah’s still just a kid when she finally told him that she’d gotten her period for the very first time. She was so embarrassed to admit it, Joel practically had to drag it out of her. 
He was angry with himself. He should’ve been ready, wished that he knew the right words to say. Joel promised himself he would put things right so she wouldn’t feel like she ever had to hide anything from him. 
That was a lot easier said than done, he realizes now.
Joel stands in the aisle overwhelmed and confused. Boxes and soft packages in friendly, pastel colors stare at him from the shelves. He’s never spent much time with the feminine hygiene products, not unless he was scooting by them to pick up a little carton from the family planning section. He hasn’t bothered to learn about that stuff. Women’s stuff. He’s not disgusted by menstruation, isn’t afraid of it. It’s just one of those things he never had to deal with. 
Without Sarah’s mom, though, he’s had to figure out plenty of girl things. He can remember the lesson on managing Sarah’s curls from the kind woman at the hair salon. Names of Shampoos and oils that felt foreign were now routine and he’s mastered using the combs and clips that looked more intimidating than some of his power tools. But he struggled for a good long while before that kind stylist took pity on him. 
And here he is again, flying blind into the female whirlwind. 
There’s so many options on the shelf. Words like HEAVY and gentle and sport. And the prices. Christ! He thought the hair stuff was expensive.  
Joel’s head is spinning but he has to get it together. He’d vowed long ago that he would be Dad and Mom too. That’s what his daughter deserves. 
Just a year ago, he hovered outside of the dressing room at the mall as Sarah tried on training bras. 
“Did you find one? You were in there for a while,” he said when she emerged.
“Dad,” she replied in that tone she was using more and more often, the one that told him to shut up.
It isn’t the changes to her body that scare him, all of the subtle ways she’s becoming less familiar. His little girl is growing up and he mourns her childhood. It won’t be long before she’s driving, going off to college. Maybe she’ll have a daughter of her own but Joel hopes she’ll wait longer than he did, have a chance to make a life for herself.
Speaking of which, he realizes he’s going to have to sit her down for a real talk about boys next. He better get ready for that one. Explaining where babies come from hadn’t been too difficult. Condoms and venereal diseases are a whole different ball game. Teenage boys are gremlins– he’d know– and Sarah’s so smart and pretty, she’s going to have to be careful. 
Joel doesn’t know how long he’s been staring at the shelves when a woman appears in the aisle, another shopper. She’s got her keys looped around a finger, headed straight for the tampons, her flip flops smacking against the bottoms of her feet. Joel has a box in his hands. He doesn’t even know what he’s picked up, it’s just got the least intimidating packaging and the price is reasonable. He can’t help but catch the woman’s eye and the look she gives him is a little wary. It must be obvious that he’s out of his depths. But she gives a polite, tight lipped smile and proceeds to ignore him as she approaches the pantheon of period products. 
He watches as her eyes dart around the shelves and quickly she makes a selection, plucking up a box clad with pink and purple silhouettes. So easy. Well, it must be easy for her. He wonders how many times she’s visited this part of the pharmacy, if her mother brought her to the store when she was Sarah’s age and showed her all the options. 
His free hand fidgets at his side and he swallows dryly. He feels like an idiot but he reminds himself that he’s got to do this. For Sarah. The woman is already half way back to the end of the aisle by the time he’s found his voice. 
---
“Excuse me, miss. Could I trouble you for a second?” you hear from the man behind you. 
You turn around, confused, but there’s nobody else that he could be talking to. Here you thought you could get in and out quickly. You’re cranky and tired and all day you’ve had toe curling cramps. It hits you like a ton of bricks every month. All you want to do is get home to your couch to watch some crappy reality tv. 
But this lumberjack of a man– broad shoulders wrapped in a flannel shirt– is giving you puppy dog eyes. You’ve never been hit on while holding a box of Tampax Pearl but there’s a first time for everything. 
“I apologize. This is real awkward,” he says, rubbing at the back of his neck with a big hand. “I’m trying to get something for my daughter but I’m a little lost.”
His voice is warm and sweet and he’s handsome as hell but you keep your distance. 
“Didn’t she tell you what to get?” you ask. 
His expression grows even more bashful and his voice lowers. 
“I’m afraid it’s, uh…well, it’s new territory for both of us,” he admits. 
You can’t help the sympathetic smile that forms on your lips. Some poor preteen girl just got welcomed into the cruel arms of womanhood. It will be all downhill from here. Wild mood swings, angry breakouts, blood leaking through her favorite pair of pants. At least, it seems, she’s got her dad on her side. It takes a lot of balls for a guy to pick up a box of tampons let alone stop a stranger and ask for help. 
You’d like to tell him that you’re too busy to help– you can hear your Haagen Dazs calling you all the way from the freezer– but you at least owe it to this kid to help him out. 
“What’ve you got?” you ask, nodding towards the powder blue box in his grasp. It looks so little in his big hand. You walk back towards him and take a look. “Oh. Nice try but I wouldn’t go with that.”
He regards his choice again. It’s kind of adorable, the way the corners of his mouth frown as he squints at the words on the front. “What’s wrong with these?” His words aren’t defensive, he’s genuinely curious. 
“Tampons can be pretty tricky when you’re that age. And those don’t even come with an applicator,” you explain. You remember trying to use a tampon that first time. You’d never put anything up there before and it stung like hell.
“Applicator?” His brows furrow and you can see fear in his brown eyes. 
“So you can put it…in,” you tell him and motion with your finger, jabbing your pointer upwards. 
His cheeks go pink. Ears too. You try to suppress a giggle as his brain short circuits for a second. His throat works as he swallows and places the box back on the shelf— gingerly, like it might explode. 
“Which are the ones that don’t…go inside?” he asks. 
It’s impossible to keep from grinning. 
“Pads,” you say. 
He nods. 
You choose a package and place it in his hands. It’s a multipack, everything from light to heavy, and no wings so she doesn’t feel like she’s wearing a diaper. 
“Try this,” you say. “She might not like them. It takes some trial and error.”
He reads over the circle in the corner that claims it’s 100% Leak Free! You can see he’s still overwhelmed but he’s far less nervous. He really is good looking and you have to wonder how he doesn’t have a woman in his life to help him out.
“This many?” he asks. 
“She might need more.” You shrug. “Just stay away from the scented ones. And you have Tylenol at home?”
“I think so.”
“How about a heating pad?”
He shakes his head. 
“Go get one,” you advise. 
He blows out air and then steels himself with a nod, ready to face the red menace. 
“I’m awfully grateful for your help,” he says and you can tell by the look on his face, he means that. 
You feel your own cheeks heat. 
---
Joel ends up behind her in the checkout line after securing an electric heating pad and grabbing an extra bottle of Motrin. 
“What do you think?” he asks, showing her what he picked.
“Good job,” she tells him. Her smile is tinged with amusement but his chest still swells with pride. Maybe he’s not such a failure of a father after all.
Now that he’s less bewildered, Joel can’t help but notice how pretty this woman is. She’s dressed for comfort without any make up as far as he can tell but that smile and the kindness in her eyes is what does it for him. If they met under different circumstances, maybe he’d try to flirt. Not that he’s had the opportunity to practice recently. It’s for the best, though. There’s absolutely no way the combination of bumbling idiot, single parent, and menstruation makes for a romantic connection. Besides he’s here on an errand for his daughter.
Joel tries to keep his eyes from wandering over her as the teenager behind the register rings her up, the pink box and two bags of M&Ms. She gives Joel one last smile before leaving the store. 
He thought he might feel embarrassed buying nothing but period supplies but he’s too busy thinking about how helpful she was. Sarah would just about die from mortification if he told her a complete stranger gave him a crash course in maxi pads. He chuckles to himself. 
“Hey!” someone calls as Joel approaches his truck.
It’s her, the woman from the pharmacy, crossing the parking lot. Joel smooths his hair.
“These are for her,” she says, handing him one of her bags of candy. “Chocolate helps.”
Joel gives a soft laugh as he weighs the M&Ms in his hand. “That I knew,” he says. 
“And, uh, here,” she tells him, holding out the long receipt. 
Joel takes the paper. On the back she’s scribbled her name and phone number. 
“You know, I don’t know. I just thought– if she has any questions. Or maybe if you do,” she says, shrugging. She’s much less confident now than she was in front of that endless selection of menstrual products. It’s cute and makes Joel feel a little less like an idiot for the way he was fumbling a few minutes ago. 
“I owe you one,” he says.
She shakes her head. “Just be patient,” she warns. “She’s gonna be a bitch but don’t take it personally.”
Joel grins. 
“You’re a good dad,” she tells him and he doesn’t know how to respond to that.
She’s already backing away towards her car and waves again. 
Joel looks at her number, once again finding something he doesn’t know. He’d give his left arm to figure out how soon is too soon to call. 
---
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Paranoid (one-shot)
Synopsis: Loki wasn’t paranoid. I mean, that was before he met the Reader. Ever since then, all day every day he can only think of her, what she’s doing, where she’s going and what’s happening to her. All because she’s a grade A dumb ass.
Pairing: Loki x fem!Reader
Genre: fluff, maybe toiny bit of angst
Warnings: Reader has one brain cell and even that is not used, swearing, a lil bit of sad thoughts and general idiocy.
Word count: 3430
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He was paranoid about her. Always. With every step he took. No exceptions. And it wasn’t how you might think. He’s not paranoid she might find someone better even though he thinks she deserves it. He’s not paranoid to have his heart broken and smashed into pieces because she carries it on velvet palms wherever she goes. No. It’s just that Y/N has quite the knack of getting hurt. And she’s been out on a mission for a month. Without any contact. So it was safe to say Loki was more than worried.
You could say he’s overreacting, but when it comes to his girl, it’s pretty much in the range. In fact, this is the calmest and collected Loki had been during the thirty-two days she was away, all because Y/N was finally coming home, and he could lay his green eyes upon her body to assess the damage.
When they had first met, Loki had had no idea what kind of a tornado he’d let in his life. Even the Black Widow had warned him about the woman before there had been any inclination something more than a friendship could bloom.
“She’s an absolute dumb-ass without a survival instinct,” Nat had said through a laugh, a beer bottle pressed against her rouged lips. “Honestly, I can only hope you two get put together on a mission just so you could see how big of an idiot she is. Bigger than Scott, and that’s saying something.”
In the meantime, Y/N was laughing away, head thrown back and eyes closed. “No,” she’d pointed at the redhead after nearly choking on her coffee as she pressed a tissue against the liquid that had dribbled down her chin. “I do have a survival instinct. I just don’t have a self-preservation instinct.” 
“And what’s the difference?” the Asgardian prince’s black eyebrow rose in question.
“When shit goes down, I do try to, you know, get out in somewhat of a single piece. It’s the before it happens that I don’t do.”
“You mean thinking?”
Y/N clapped her hands in excitement. “Exactly! I don’t do the thinking bit!”
That should’ve been his warning for what kind of chaos she’d bring to his life. 
It started off small with her inability to walk into the adjoined kitchen area without stubbing a toe or bruising the side of her hip against the countertop. Then it evolved into him noticing how Y/N didn’t press the button to release her toast when she thought it was in at prime toastiness level, instead, she grabbed a fork and full-on jammed it down there (DON’T DO THAT), not caring whether she’d get electrocuted or blow out the fuses in the facility. It escalated all the way to her getting trapped in an ex-Hydra base, and her first thought being not to use the window as an escape route, but rather line the sides of the room with explosives and bring the whole floor down while she hid underneath a table. He was genuinely surprised Y/N was still alive. 
But with the chaos also came serenity. She’d sneak into his room with glimmering eyes and a new book in hand, slipping under Loki’s cold sheets to lay against him and explain why the new piece of literature was ‘the actual shit’ and ‘if he didn’t read it right at that moment, she’d gouge his eyes out cause he didn’t deserve them.’
Obviously, they were empty threats, and as Loki rolled the before mentioned green eyes, he’d gently take the book out of her hands while Y/N quickly scurried out of the room to come back five minutes later with two teacups in hand.
Y/N would snuggle up against him and listen to how his voice expertly wove the words into the story, but one time it was different. The day on which the nature of their relationship had flipped upside down, had followed the same routine they’d been having for around three months since they’d become friends, but then not even ten minutes later he felt her wet tongue completely press against his bare shoulder. By that point, after everything she’d done, he didn’t even question it, simply turned the page.
“Did you burn your tongue on the tea, darling?”
“Noube,” she muffled out not letting her tongue off of his chilled skin.
“You know there’s another way I could cool it down.”
“Eah? Ike aht?”
“I could kiss it better.”
Instantly Y/N had peeled herself off from him and stared at the god, the pink muscle hanging out of her mouth like a dog’s on a hot summer day. Loki just stared at the wall. 
He hadn’t meant for those words to escape him; he’d actually always meant to suppress his feelings for the girl until the day the world stopped spinning. In fact, that’s what he’d been doing ever since she’d returned from a mission in East India seven months prior, battered and bruised and his heart had lifted to the heavens at the sight of her simply smiling and breathing.
Loki could hear her swallow harshly, and then she whispered, “don’t offer something you won’t go through with.”
His head snapped to look at her because the tone wasn’t the teasing lilt he’d gotten used to. This woman sitting half-covered by his black bedsheets was no longer the self-assured, confident and no-shit’s-given person he’d grown to love. This woman was looking at him with fear of rejection and yet unmistakable hope in her eyes. 
Slowly he closed the book, not even caring to mark the page he was left on and put it on the side of the bed before leaning over and without hesitation cupping Y/N’s cheeks and pressing their lips together and they sagged against one another at the euphoric feeling. 
Her hands in his hair felt like paradise as she cradled his head in an attempt to pull him closer, and she gasped when he did slip his tongue in her mouth, eagerly accepting the intrusion. But then she just had to ruin the moment by snorting in his face, though Loki couldn’t hide the smile that appeared on his own.
“What? What’s so funny?”
Y/N scrunched her nose. “Your tongue’s really cold.”
“It did the trick though, right?”
She looked like she was pondering it for a bit, and in the meantime slid her legs up so they were now wrapped around his waist. “Dunno. Might need another treatment. You know, so we’re sure it’s cured.”
He didn’t argue for even a second because Loki couldn’t believe his life at that moment. It was filled with giggles, and short breaths as they stole kisses from one another as much as possible, and soft caresses that sometimes turned into biting fingers that dug in the other’s sides whenever a teasing remark slipped past their swollen lips.
His heart flipped in his chest when Y/N threw her head back in a cackle, exposing her neck to him where he laid loving kisses. 
He’d never been more scared of a feeling.
He was terrified of how easily she’d gotten ahold of his heart.
But fuck him, if Loki didn’t love it and wouldn’t dive headfirst into it again.
Though now, when she’d finally returned home after the mission, he was kind of regretting it as Y/N was being wheeled off the Quin-jet on a gurney, one of the hands that had so tenderly braided his hair just a month ago now limp over the side of the stretcher as the other covered a hole in her side that was oozing blood.
White-hot fury blazed through his veins, as he saw the Captain step down the track and onto the landing pad, though fortunately for the blond super-soldier, the god didn’t get to him as he decided to follow Bruce and Tony who were taking Y/N to the med bay. But even knowing the love of his life was being treated by the best of the best, didn’t pacify him especially when they refused him entry into her room. 
“Loki, Loki, calm down,” Nat, who’d been on the mission with Y/N and Steve, pushed against his chest to keep the god away from busting through the door. “They won’t let anyone in until she’s been stitched up, but it’s nothing big… I mean on her scale. She just decided to be dramatic and passed out on her way back.”
He wanted to fight, he wanted to make each person that stood between them crumble underneath him, but he knew it wouldn’t do him or Y/N any good. Loki huffed, letting his shoulders drop and then pressing his thumb and forefinger against the bridge of his nose. “How bad?”
“Umm, Marrakesh level, so, nothing too lethal.”
“By Valhalla,” Loki dragged a hand across his face. “That woman will kill me one day. Not directly, no, but I’ll have a heart attack just because of her recklessness.”
Nat snorted and crossed her arms. “I did warn you.”
“Not enough.”
“Hey, don’t blame me! You were the one that fell in love with her.”
That Loki didn’t have a comeback for, so instead, he just huffed and plopped down into one of the chairs that lined the wall outside of the med bay.
“Our lives would be quite dull without her though,” Nat said, joining the god on the chairs and releasing a restrained groan, as she shuffled into the seat. She most likely had a dislocated hip but had practically bitten Steve’s head off when he told her to go and get checked. She, just as much as Y/N’s boyfriend, needed to know their firecracker was alright.
“Yeah,” Loki sighed. “If only she had one more brain cell in that head of hers, maybe we could live in somewhat of a peace.”
Not even two minutes later, Tony threw open the doors and allowed them to enter, but by that point, everyone had heard the arrival of their teammates, and they wanted to check on them. For example, Thor wanted to see if Loki had murdered anyone yet, but as it turned out, he didn’t need to worry about that. Instead, he needed to worry about his brother’s girlfriend.
“Loki!” Y/N squealed seeing the raven-haired god come into her hospital room. “That’s ma man!” she said to Bruce, who only rolled his eyes already used to the way the woman was while coming out of it. “It’s ma Loki Loki, bo-boki, Banana-fana fo-foki, Fee-fi-mo-moki, Loki!”
She dramatically pointed at the other god standing beside him.
“Oh, and that’s his brother Thor, Thor, bo-bhor, Banana-fana fo-fohr, Fee-fi-mo-mohr, Thor!” Her hands slapped against her cheeks as she squeezed them and wiggled them up and down making her words shake. “My-y-y-y-y fa-a-a-a-a-a-ce fee-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ls li-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ke cotto-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-n.”
“That’s 'cause you’re high,” Tony said.
Y/N was instantly on it. It was like she was on crack and on steroids and a sugar rush while at the same time doing a hundred miles an hour. “Hello, High. I’m dad.”
Tony looked at the ceiling in despair. “That’s not how that even works.”
“Why’s she like that?” Loki asked sitting down next to Y/N on the bed, who suddenly busied herself with the reflections of the sun the golden cufflinks of his shirt sleeves threw. Especially as his face went to caress her cheek, but she grabbed his wrist in a white-knuckling grip and moved it in certain angles to create reflections on the walls. 
        The billionaire sighed. “We gave her a sedative cause when we started to stitch her up, she woke up and almost kicked Bruce in the nuts, but after a little breakdown of the situation by Steve, it turns out there was some gas involved in the mission, and I guess the combination of the two chemicals have flung her in the stratosphere.”
        That wasn’t a good word, as it turned out it was almost like Bucky’s trigger words, given how Y/N immediately screeched out, “Walking on air, living in the Stratospheeeeeeeeeeeeere!”.
        “Wow,” Nat sighed. “Mutemath would hate her.”
        Y/N stuck her tongue out at the redhead. “You’re mute math, how ‘bout that? No one likes to be name called, you bully.”
        “Yeah, okay,” the redhead chuckled as she patted Y/N’s foot. “You’ll survive. I’m gonna have a nap.” And with that she left limping on her way, Steve following so he could scold her into getting her hip put into place by a professional, not by him or Clint. 
        One by one the rest of the team did as well, knowing that they could rest with easy hearts as Y/N was safe, stitched up and sound. Well, as sound as being completely drugged up could be.
Tony checked her vitals one more time before turning to Loki, who’d refused to leave her on her own, one, because he loved her and wanted to know she was alright, two, because he didn’t trust normal Y/N to not do stupid things, let alone this version. 
“Speaking of naps,” Tony said, “if she doesn’t pass out in the next ten minutes please do your mumbo jumbo and make her. She needs rest. I’ve put in some pain meds with a sleepy side effect, so hopefully, she’ll be out like a light in no time.”
Loki sighed, as he felt Y/N rub her cheek against the silken material of his shirt. “Of course.”
With that, the billionaire left, muttering something about how her generation would be the last generation if they didn’t stop being so stupid. Not that Loki would disagree, his girlfriend being a prime example of that.
Y/N hummed Loki’s name quietly, which made him look down at the love-sick puppy dog eyes she was giving him. A gentle smile appeared on his face.
“Yeah, darling?”
“Mhm,” she hummed, snuggling against his side. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” he muttered, kissing the top of her head. “Do you wanna lay down?”
She scoffed looking up at him and tried to shove him off the bed, confusion riddling his face until Y/N said, “I have a boyfriend who I love very much. I’ll cut you before I sleep with you.”
“Yeah.” Loki groaned standing up. “Alright.” Green seidr appeared to weave around his arms, and with a flick of his fingers, her eyes started to drop closed as she slid down the sheets and snuggled up in the place where Loki had been sitting.
He dragged a hand down his face and huffed, plopping his body in the armchair which was in the room deciding to sleep for a bit until Y/N woke up. Although he was a god and didn’t need as much rest as mortal people did, he’d sure as Hel need all the energy he could gather because once his girlfriend was awake it’d be chaos all over. 
Loki didn’t get much rest though when a light touch on his shoulder disturbed him from his sleep.
Slowly his eyes fluttered open, mouth stretching in a smile as Y/N’s face looked down on him with a happy expression. 
        “Hey there, sleepyhead.”
        “Hello, dove,” he muttered, kissing the inside of her palm. “You up?”
        She nodded, whispering, “Yeah. But do you think you could help me with all these wires? I wanna go to our room.”
        Her words were what hit him, making Loki jump up, realising Y/N was out of the bed when she was supposed to be resting.
        Gingerly, despite all the protests from her mouth, he took her under the legs and put her back in the hospital bed. 
        “But – “
        “I will tie you down here if you try to step out again.” His voice was deep and filled with a threat he fully intended to fulfil, but Y/N in her Y/N fashion just wiggled her eyebrows and Loki handed a carton of juice and stabbed the top with a straw.
        “Kinky. I like it. But let’s leave it for our own private time.”
        Pinching the bridge of his nose had become a motion Loki was now all too familiar with. Not even after all the time, he’d put up Thor’s bullshit had he had to do that. He was quite certain his fingers had left indents on his skin. 
“What happened on the mission?” he asked, placing a pudding cup and a spoon on the nightstand.
“Dude came out of nowhere,” Y/N said sipping on her apple juice. “Like he just appeared behind me and stabbed me in the side. Talk about rude, right.”
“You need to be more careful.”
Y/N raised her eyebrow. “I am careful. ‘S not like I go out to get stabbed on purpose.”
But Loki’s tone had lost all lightness, as she exasperated. “No, I need you to be more careful.”
“I am. I –“ but she didn’t get a chance to finish as Loki racked a frustrated hand through his hair, snapping at her. “No, you’re the most reckless person I’ve ever met and you think getting stabbed and inhaling chemicals is not a big deal, but it is, and I can’t do this anymore… I can’t lose you.”
And although it was said with anger and frustration, Y/N could see the underlying pain and fear. His family had all but abandoned him, and we’re not talking about his biological one. All he had left was Thor, and Loki would never admit it out loud, he dreaded the day his brother would disappear from his life.
“Loki.” She took one of his hands and pressed a kiss to his cold knuckles. “You could never lose me.”
A bitter chuckle settled between them as he looked up at her. “But I could. You’re so carefree and fluttery while doing things that could kill you, it scares me half to death.”
“I know,” she whispered. “But I have to.”
Loki’s eyebrows furrowed. “Why?”
“Because if I don’t all the darkness will just settle on me, and I’ll never be able to get out of it.”
Loki squeezed her hand in encouragement, and after taking a deep breath Y/N elaborated. “I try to ease myself with the thought that I’m saving people, and helping humanity, but at the end of the day, I’m still taking lives. It’s not like they, you know, the bad guys’ think they’re the bad guys. They’re not doing it because they think they’re evil. They’re fighting for what they think is right. That doesn’t mean it is, but we’re all villains in someone else’s stories, and if I start thinking of it, I don’t know if I’ll ever stop.” A shuddery exhale left her lips, and this time it was Loki taking a hold of her hand. “I need to let myself be a bit crazy. Because if I don’t, I don’t know how I’ll go on. I promise I don’t do it because of some wish to get killed in the process. It’s just that… it makes it easier to look at the world, to not think for a moment about the bad.”
“Can you just promise me something?” Loki’s tone was soft as a feather’s touch as he sighed, understanding where she was coming from. More than once his own dark thoughts tended to overcome him, but in his world, it was Y/N who brought in the light to dissipate them. He hadn’t gotten to the point where he could do it himself, so he supposed he had to at least be happy she’d found a way to fight them off herself, even if it made him fear for her.
Y/N nodded. “Anything.”
“Just – just try to think before you do anything.”
That set both of them off into a fit of giggles as she raised their clasped hands and pressed a kiss to his cold one. “I can try.”
“Promise.”
“I promise to try. Though, I’d say don’t get disillusioned. I’m still the same crazy person you met before.”
A soft smile graced Loki’s, face and he brought Y/N’s hand to his lips where he pressed a kiss to her warm skin. “Wouldn’t want it any other way. Though, as much as I doubt, you’ll heed my request, you could do one thing for me?”
“And what’s that?”
 “Stop jamming forks in the toaster.”
“Absolutely not!” she scoffed. “How else am I supposed to get the bread out?”
“You wait for it to be done!”
“It takes too fucking long!”
Although Loki would fight tooth and nail to somehow keep Y/N safe and would use everything in his arsenal to make sure she took care of herself, he’d never change her even if it made him paranoid.
Tags (crossed out wouldn’t take):
Everything tags: @lumelgy @palaiasaurus64​ @supernaturalbaesduh​ @breezy1415 @crazy--me @thatawkwardlittlefangirl​ @sea040561​ @staryeyedgirl​ @deathbyarabbit​ @s-c-a-r-e-d-po-t-t-e-r @reblogger-not-a-blogger @m-a-t-91​ @dalilx​ @i-need-a-hero-i-need-a-loki @maladaptive-ninja-returns​ @averyrogers83​ @in-the-end-im-still-trash​ @gallifreyansass​ @dewy-biitch​ @avxgers​ @unlikelygalaxygiver​ @magicwithaknife​ @ollyoxenfrees​ @bnhvrdy​ @tvwhoresblog @celebsimagines @thatkindofgurl​ @sj-thefan​ @teenwolflover28 @lestersglitterglue​ @im-squished​
Marvel tags: @nerissa98​ @happyseagrill​ @asguardiansoftheavengers​ @crazybutconfidentaf​ @wishingforahome​ @pizzarollpatrol​ @desir-ae​
Hiddles/Loki tags: @marvels-queen-bee @julierousing98 @maggiesimps @horrorx570ximagines​ @luluthegreatandterrible​ @bambamwolf87​ @drakesfiance​ @artbysteph87 @beets1bears1battlestargalactica
A/N: I hope everyone’s staying home and is alright during these crazy times.
I’m back writing for ma boy Loki (I had a dream about that Loki - Tom Hiddles look-alike that is on TikTok that we were cuddling, so I’m on a Loki and Tom lovin’ wave)
P.S. my tags are always open :)
P.S.S. what did ya think?
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itsamejin · 4 years
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easy || jungkook angst/fluff
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Summary: Date you, win a bet, get his rent paid off. Sounds promising enough, right? Jungkook should’ve known that his ambitions would end in disaster, but even if he did, that still wouldn’t have stopped him from pursuing you.
Warning: cursing, crude humor, fuckboy talk
Genre: college!au, fuckboy!au, bet!trope, angst, fluff
Pairing: Jungkook x female!reader
Premise: In which Jungkook accepts a bet from Taehyung to date the first girl that walks into the lecture hall and realizes that he bit off more than he could chew when starts to catch feelings. Now, he has to suffer the consequences of being an idiot.
Commission Request: @altus-gens​
Word Count: 9,203 words
It's not like Jungkook planned to be one of the most sought after person in Yonsei University, but it somehow turned out to be that way. Truthfully, he basks in it, loves that so many people idolize him for doing the bare minimum. He was handsome after all and had a level of charm that surpassed the need to have a good personality. 
He got into such a prestigious school through an athletic scholarship for Taekwondo, managed to convince his professors to pass him when he put in minimal effort, and there was no shortage of girls to call when he was feeling lonely for a night. He was the stereotypical 'it' boy on campus and maybe if he was a little bit smarter, he'd have a better choice of friends than the six idiots he always hangs around with.
"How about this," Taehyung starts, gum in his mouth, "the first girl who walks in, you have to successfully get in her pants."
Jungkook rolls his eyes. They were in a damn lecture hall and yet Taehyung had no shame bringing up sex. Typical.
“This again, bro?” Hoseok sighed. “Aren’t you sick of bribing us to do weird shit for you?”
Taehyung smirked.
“Not at all, actually.”
"For how much?" Namjoon cut in, probably curious for the price point Taehyung would arrange this time. He was fired from his job just a week ago and could really use the money. "I'll do it if it’s enough to pay for my rent this month."
Taehyung scoffs, although knowing full well he could pay for all of the boys’ tuitions combined if he wanted to. He was the resident rich bachelor on campus after all.
"I'll pay it for a full year and your utility bills too if you're really down," Taehyung flaunts. "You just gotta have proof you actually managed to do it."
"Dude that's gross," Seokjin chimes in, "No one wants to send you proof of us doing it with a random girl."
Taehyung shakes his head.
"No, no, no," he says, clicking his tongue. "I phrased it incorrectly. I’m not a fucking pervert."
“You got us fooled,” Jimin mutters. 
Taehyung leans in closer to the six boys and even Jungkook finds himself getting intrigued. Admittedly, he was a little curious considering he hasn't had a proper meal in weeks. He could really use having some extra cash for food without worrying about rent.
"You have to date the girl for like three months," Taehyung says seriously, "and I'll consider that as enough proof that you managed to actually do it since I know you guys are too horny to wait any longer than that to fuck."
They all look at Taehyung in disgust, Jimin even opting to hit him in the back of the head for being so vulgar. To be fair, they were all thinking of accepting Taehyung's bet regardless. It's not like they were new to leading girls on anyway.
"You gotta pay me more than that to fuck just any girl," Yoongi says, yawning in the process. He seemed the least likely to take up Taehyung's offer, but he was still game depending on the person.
"Then how would you feel," Taehyung starts, "if I told you guys that I could get you priority registration for next quarter."
The boys, even the ones who weren't interested, were now listening to Taehyung's every word.
"You mean," Hoseok gulps, "I could finally get that fucking Organic Chemistry class I need to get out of this hell hole?!"
Taehyung shrugs, an ominous smile on his face.
"Just the perk of having parents who have connections," Taehyung replies. “I’ll only accept one of you guys to do it though. I don’t wanna have you all fucking the same girl- that’d be weird.”
Hoseok rolls his eyes.
“Yeah, that’s what’s weird about this,” he grumbles.
“So are you guys in or not?” Taehyung asks, his patience growing thin.
He lays back on his chair, a smoldering look on his face when they all nod. They were desperate for money after all.
"The next girl that walks in will be the subject of this bet and whoever calls dibs on her first will be the one to woo her,” he says with a stretch of his arms. “Good luck boys.”
They all turned to look at the door and Jungkook watches silently as guy after guy walks into the lecture hall. No girl yet. 
Jungkook was hoping, from the bottom of his heart, that no familiar faces would walk in. If he had to deal with a past fling, he’d have to back out immediately. He never dealt with exes very well.
The guys are at the edge of their seats, praying for a cute girl to walk through that didn’t already know about their horrible reputation. They were looking for an easy target, someone that could fall for their charms almost immediately.
And then, you walk in. You were clad in sweats with earphones on, rushing toward the front row seats of the lecture hall. You were chatting with your friends, yawning several times throughout your conversation with them. Jungkook couldn’t help but smirk. There was nothing special about you to point out, in fact, you were just like everyone else. Strangely enough, he found that the most intriguing part about you.
"Nope, nope, nope," Jimin shakes his head repeatedly. "Can't, won't, never will. Sorry, Tae."
They all stare at him in confusion.
"What the fuck, what's wrong with her?" Yoongi asks, crossing his arms over his chest. Jimin faces away from you, not wanting to look at you any longer.
"No, nothing," there seems to be a blush forming on his face. He was hiding something.
“Bullshit,” Taehyung furrows his brows. “Bro, if she’s crazy and one of us gets our dick bitten off, we’re all blaming you, so spit it out.”
Jimin just sighs.
"She's been giving me Professor Kwon’s notes for the past few weeks,” he starts, much to the confusion of his friends. “Her name is [Y/N]. It'll be really mean if I go after her, especially since she and I are kind of friends. Plus, I really need to pass this class. I failed last quarter..."
The boys groan. Jimin was no fun.
"She's not my type so I don't think I could really get into it either," Seokjin states, no longer interested in the prize after Jimin’s confession. He’s been banking off of your notes from him too. 
"Aren’t we all old enough to know not to mess with people’s feelings?" Hoseok sighs.
They roll their eyes at Hoseok’s statement. Who was he trying to fool with the nice guy act? He probably fooled around with girls just as much as the other guys did.
"Yeah, I’m backing out," Yoongi agrees, "and she hates me so there's that."
They all look at him questioningly and he puts his hands up in the air from their gazes.
"What? I just realized who she’s talking to down there.”
He pointed at a girl discreetly, but no one seemed to recognize her.
“Her friend and I dated,” Yoongi continues, “and I broke up with her over text and blocked her without letting her respond. That whole friend group is pretty much pissed at me. I'd rather not have to deal with them again."
The guys look disapprovingly at him. Breaking up over text was harsh, but probably not the worst thing Yoongi has done to his exes.
"You're actually a piece of shit," Namjoon sighs. "I really do need my rent paid though..."
Jungkook nods in agreement. It's been almost impossible to balance Taekwondo practices, college papers, and working a part-time job all at once. If he could somehow find a way to quit his job for a while and get priority registration for classes, then he doesn't mind getting his hands a little dirty in the process. Plus, you were cute enough and he's sure you weren't too difficult to befriend as long as he doesn't mention Yoongi in any conversations.
"I'm in," Jungkook chides, finally saying something after such a long period of silence.
They all look at him with disbelief in their eyes. Jungkook was never the one to partake in Taehyung's bets. In fact, he was the one usually ridiculing them for participating. He must have been really desperate if he was willing to do it.
"I mean, it's all yours if you want," Namjoon replies, "I don't wanna turn it into a competition.”
“Don’t worry dude,” Jungkook fist bumps Namjoon, “I’ll quit my job and refer you for it.”
They nod at each other as if they were on the same wavelength. 
“I knew I could rely on you,” Namjoon says, faking tears from his eyes. The boys groan in response.
“Alright,” Taehyung claps his hands. “In exchange for providing me some mindless entertainment and going out with [Y/N], you will get your rent paid for the rest of the year and get early registration for next quarter. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.”
Jimin shakes his head.
“I don’t know about this, guys...”
Jungkook doesn’t hear him and instead takes one last look at you. You catch him in the corner of your eye and you can’t help but feel flustered at his serious expression. 
“Should be easy enough,” he mutters to himself and turns his gaze back onto his friend.
“So we have a deal?” Taehyung asks.
He smirks, shaking the outreached hand Taehyung held out for him. He steals another glance at you and he finds you staring right back. He gives you a wink.
“Deal.”
Jungkook slid into the seat next to yours in the campus canteen, his eyes filled with determination. His posture was laid-back, but it was a little too obvious that he was trying to act like he didn’t care.
“Hi,” he greets you in a breathy tone- girls loved it when he spoke with his breathy tone.
“Hi?”
You’d been sensing that someone was staring at you during the lecture, but you thought that was just the paranoia that came from being near such an intimidating group of guys. Turns out, you should always trust your instincts.
Jungkook had a boyish grin on his face that made you want to smile back but also stare at him in disgust.
“I heard you help Jimin with Professor Kwon’s notes,” he whispers mischievously. “I’m struggling myself, actually...”
Not really, but you know. This was the easiest tactic to approach you- tackle your similarities. You nod understandingly at his words, not quite getting that he was flirting with you.
“Yeah I can send you the Google Drive folder,” you comply, taking your phone out. “But you can’t let Professor Kwon know or else he’ll flip out. He doesn’t want people to have the notes for some odd reason...”
You trail off but Jungkook just scoffs. You seemed clueless.
“That’s not what I necessarily meant,” he says, a little shy this time. “I need a tutor.”
You furrow your brows at him.
“Yeah, you’re gonna have to pay me for that,” you say seriously. The last time you offered to tutor someone for free, they ended up blaming you for their failing grade and screaming about it all over social media. You needed money to compensate for that emotional trauma. “Microeconomics is hard to teach.”
“Well thankfully I’m a good student,” Jungkook teases. You stare at him with a deadpan face.
“You wouldn’t need my help if you were a good student,” you say blankly, standing up from your seat. “My hourly rate is 20,000 Won. Take it or leave it.”
Jungkook’s eye twitched. He had to spend his money to get Taehyung’s money? Well, the payout would be worth it in the end anyway. He reaches out a hand to you.
“If you’d have me,” he says cheekily, looking up at you. You take his hand in yours and maybe for a second you felt your heart skip a beat, but that was soon over when you let go of him.
“You have sweaty hands,” you say straightforwardly. You wipe your hand on your shirt and he coughs awkwardly at how unresponsive you truly were. Didn’t Jimin say you were a nice person? 
You take your barely-touched lunch tray and walk away from his pensive figure.
“Wait, can I get your number?” he yells. You don’t look back.
“Alright, whatever,” he mumbles to himself. “I’ll just ask Jimin, I guess.”
Without even a second glance, you disappear from his sight. He sits back on his chair, heaving out a deep sigh. Sure, this wasn’t the first girl that didn’t care much for his advances, but you didn’t even crack a smile or anything. This is going to be harder than he thought...
“She hates me,” Jungkook whines to Seokjin as they walked down the university halls to their next shared class. “Yesterday, I went up to her to get her number and I left with a fucking debt. Does that make any sense?”
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have taken on the bet,” Seokjin yawned. “Namjoon would have wooed her with his poetry by now or some shit.”
Jungkook rolls his eyes.
“Yeah, I’m sure she’s interested in a dude who can’t even put on a hat without causing an earthquake.”
Seokjin smacked him on the back.
“At least he’d have the guts to say no to having a fucking tutor,” Seokjin replies. “You dug your own grave, man. Now roll around in it.”
“Do you want me to succeed or not?” 
“I want you to not be a fucking dumbass, Jungkook,” Seokjin sighs. “Do you really wanna make your reputation worse than it already is?”
Just as Jungkook was about to reply, he catches a glimpse of you walking farther ahead in the university courtyard. You were a bit far but he’s sure he could make it if he hurries. He smacks the binder he held in his right hand onto Seokjin’s chest.
“Yo, can you cover for me,” he asks hastily and Seokjin stares at him with a concerned gaze. He watches as Jungkook takes off his backpack and leaves it on the ground. Jungkook looked about ready to break out in a sprint.
“What the fuck, why?” Seokjin questions.
“Just tell the TA I’m out for a bit,” he says in response, already running ahead to catch up to you. “I’m winning this fucking bet or I’ll die trying.”
Jin stands still, mouth agape. Jungkook really left him with his backpack and binder just to talk to you. He shakes his head. ‘I need to make new friends,’ he thought to himself, picking up the discarded backpack and walking in the direction of the class Jungkook was planning to be late to.
You were walking with your earphones on, not noticing someone sprinting at you in record speed. You only turn your music off when Jungkook stops in front of you, his hands on his knees. He was panting heavily.
“Hey,” he says through deep breaths. You nod at him awkwardly.
“Why are you running?”
“I wanted to... catch up to you... and I thought... you were closer... but the run here... took... fucking... forever,” he says breathlessly. “Water. I need water.”
You take out a bottle from your tote bag hastily, handing it to him. He took it into his hands, grazing your fingers a bit. As he was about to start chugging it, you halted him.
“Waterfall,” you say curtly- you were still planning to drink out of it later after all. 
He nods in response, a drop of sweat cascading the side of his neck. After he was done, there was practically no water left anyway. ‘I’m gonna have to refill it myself,’ you thought begrudgingly. You stuff it back into your bag and wait until his breaths become more even.
“A bit out of shape, huh?”
He scoffs and gives you a glare, clearly offended.
“I actually have a Taekwondo scholarship, you know that? I just wasn’t warmed up and I’m naturally sweaty so it’s not like-”
You laugh a little.
“I’m joking,” you say, a smile adorning your face. He feels his face turn red and he can’t help but purse his lips out of embarrassment. Jeon Jungkook couldn’t take a fucking joke.
“O-oh,” he says shyly, avoiding your gaze. Why was he acting more like an idiot than usual? You hear the chiming bells of the university tower and stare at your phone to check the time.
“Don’t you have a class?” you ask him. His eyes widen and soon he was dashing off again. He turns around mid-run, jogging backward to face you.
“My number is 06-1313-9197,” he yells, loud enough for the other late students in the courtyard to hear. Most of them roll their eyes, knowing that Jungkook was flirting with another girl yet again. You’re embarrassed by the amount of attention he’s getting, but punch his number on your phone anyway.
“Text me,” he shouts. “I’ll always respond to you.”
Now it was your turn to be flustered.
"That’s wrong,” you say, reaching over to Jungkook’s notebook and marking a large ‘X’ on his paper. “You’re not supposed to apply that function for this problem...”
Jungkook stared at you with a tired face. He didn’t think he was too bad at the mathematical aspect of Microeconomics, but it seemed like it was your life’s mission to make him look like an idiot. Of course, you caught every mistake that he made- even the ones he made on purpose just to see if you were really paying attention to his work and not bamboozling him.
“My bad,” he mutters, copying down the same problem on a different sheet of paper. He didn’t even get a chance to make a move on you today- not like he could make any big developments in the campus library anyway.
“Is it like this?” he asks, tilting his notebook to face you. You take a hard look at it and nod.
“Yeah, just make sure you know the difference between these two formulas, or else you’ll mess up on the midterm,” you say thoughtfully.
This was your fourth or fifth tutoring session by now? Truth be told he wasn’t really counting. Each moment he spent with you kind of blended together and he didn’t quite know if that was a bad thing or not.
“You know you’re not even struggling,” you say, your nose buried deep in your textbook. “It’s not like you’re completely clueless like Jimin. It seems like you’re wasting money on stuff you already know.”
Jungkook laughs heartily, getting shushed by the people around him. He really was stupid, wasn’t he?
“Yeah, well, it was just an excuse to hang out with the pretty girl in class, you know?” he says as nonchalantly as he could. You stare at him for a second and he swears he feels his body freeze over. If looks could kill...
You just shook your head with a click of your tongue and got back to reading.
“The pretty girl in class is most definitely not me,” you grumble. “If you wanted, I could’ve given you Soobin’s number without all the added hassle of you trying to come talk to me-”
“Woah, woah, woah,” Jungkook stops you from saying anything else. He looked worriedly at your face. “I don’t even know who the hell Soobin is, why would I want her number?”
You look at him and finally, you chuckle. ‘She really does have a nice smile,’ Jungkook thought to himself. It would be nice if he could make you laugh more often and not just on rare occasions like this.
“You’re saying you don’t know Yoongi’s ex?” you tease slightly. You were finally letting your guard down with him and Jungkook smirked. One wall down, another million more to go.
“Bold of you to assume that I know any of Yoongi’s exes,” he says and you scoff. “He’s an asshole when it comes to dating.”
You roll your eyes.
“Isn’t that your whole friend group?”
He pouts. You knew of his reputation after all. Jungkook thought he could get away playing a nice boy act, but it didn't seem possible considering your knowledge of him. A little white lie couldn’t hurt in the end.
“Not me,” he replies. “I choose my relationships pretty carefully.”
You take a glance at him before jotting down a few more words in your notebook.
“Well,” you start off, a little shy to admit what you were about to say, “I guess we both have that in common.”
He tilts his head rather cutely out of confusion.
“What do you mean?”
You cough awkwardly, adjusting yourself on one of the library’s notoriously squeaky seats.
“I’ve never really had a boyfriend before,” you say quietly. His eyes bulge out from their sockets.
“You’re lying.”
“No, I’m not,” you say, a hint of amusement in your voice.
“Like, you’ve never been on a date or what?”
“I have,” you say hesitantly. “I’ve been on a few but they just never led into anything serious. I was pretty focused on studying in high school so there weren’t really any opportunities to get involved with someone. Plus, the guys who pursued me weren’t very... attractive.”
Jungkook laughs loudly again, much to the dismay of the other students in the library. He liked that you didn’t beat around the bush- it was easier to talk to you that way.
“And me?” he asks teasingly, laying his head on his arm that was atop the desk. He looks up at you with that boyish grin of his that gave you small butterflies in your stomach. You stare back at him, but only for a second. You ignore his watchful gaze and continue to flip through your textbook, trying to find the passage you last read. He keeps his eyes locked on you and you just couldn’t resist.
“What about you?” you ask, feigning ignorance.
“Am I attractive?” he replies as bluntly as he could. You stop your movements and he chuckles.
“You’re... cute,” you settle on that word. Cute. It was safe enough to not be misinterpreted too much. He sits up straight with a satisfied smirk. He takes his pen and draws a heart on the side of your notebook. He winks at you when you stare back at him, puzzled by his actions.
“You are too.”
“Tell me you’re lying,” Soobin whines disappointingly, shaking your shoulders. You were trying to eat lunch undisturbed in one of the campus cafes but your two friends seem hell-bent on making you suffer. “There’s no way you’re friends with Jungkook.”
You sigh, attempting to rid yourself of Soobin’s grasp but to no avail.
“He’s an asshole, [Y/N],” Gaeun sighs disappointingly. “I thought you were a feminist, why the fuck do you even tolerate him?”
You glare at her for a split second before going back to prying Soobin off you.
“Jungkook has no respect for women or himself. It shows in how many shitty friends he has,” Soobin chants, still clearly bitter that Yoongi dumped her.
You shake your head, rolling your shoulders back when she finally lets go of you.
“Jungkook’s not even as bad as you guys describe him,” you reply. “He’s actually been really sweet.”
The girls take a glance at each other and burst in a fit of laughter.
“You must be out of your damn mind,” Gaeun cries. You cower slightly at their words. It’s not like you said anything that controversial, did you?
Soobin slaps Gaeun on the shoulder when she realizes how your face had soured. It wasn’t right to judge you for your choice of friends so harshly, no matter how horrid said person was.
“As long as it doesn’t go past friends,” she says soothingly, but that only made you feel worse.
“Why?” you ask a little hesitantly. “Does Jungkook sleep around?”
Gaeun nods, a worrying glimpse in her eyes.
“He's not exactly the type to kiss and stay...”
You nod understandingly. You weren’t too clueless to believe Jungkook when he said he was “careful” on who he dated. As long as you knew the boundaries that came with being his tutor, everything should be fine... right?
“Don’t worry guys,” you say with determination. “I’m not the type to get played-”
“Of course you are!” Gaeun sighed. “Guys gravitate towards girls like you who lack experience. Jungkook’s a fucking weirdo, of course, he’s gonna try and-”
“[Y/N]!” a shout from across the cafe screams. That distracted you from the various insults Gaeun was spewing from her mouth. You get that she was being critical of Jungkook, but did she have to speak ill of you too?
You look around and catch Jungkook waving frantically at you. He stops at your table and takes a mere glance at your friends before setting his focus on you. 
“Do you have time to help me out today? One of the papers for my writing class-”
“You tutor him in writing now, too?!” Soobin exclaimed, mouth agape. “[Y/N], what the fuck.”
You try to ignore your friend’s overreaction, a little disheartened when Jungkook looked hurt at their words. He had started to shy away from them as if he didn’t feel welcomed.
“Nevermind, I’ll just ask you later-”
“Actually,” you say standing up. “I’m free now.”
The two girls look back and forth between you and Jungkook, noticing the stars in your eyes when you looked at him. They did not like the thought of you two together at all.
“But [Y/N]-” 
You ignored their words and start to walk away, hoping Jungkook would come catch up to you. You didn’t quite know why their insistence on him being a bad person had made your blood boil. It wasn’t like you weren’t aware of his flirtatious tendencies, but hearing from your friends that you shouldn’t pursue a guy that you liked-
You stopped in your tracks and feel heat climb up your face. Like.
No way you admitted that just now. There’s no possible way you actually like-
“Hey, wait up,” Jungkook pants, his hand touching your shoulder. “Why do you walk so fast for-”
He sees your shocked face and turns you towards him, his hands on your shoulder similar to how Soobin had shaken you just earlier. Except this time, it felt comforting. It made your whole body feel warm as if you were coated with a weighted blanket. Was he always this gorgeous?
“What’s wrong?” he asks, inspecting your face closely. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”
“N-nothing,” you swipe his hands away and rush out the door of the cafe. He smirks at how flustered you look, maybe he did have an effect on you after all.
Jungkook takes a last glimpse at the two girls who sat in their seats, staring at him disapprovingly. He raised an eyebrow at them and shoved his hands in the pocket of his jeans, following after you. ‘They’ll try to get in the way,’ Jungkook thought to himself, ‘but they’re already too late.’
The girls clenched their fist out of annoyance. He was definitely trying to get on their nerves.
“There’s something strange about what’s happening,” Gaeun mutters.
“They’re up to something,” Soobin agrees. “I don’t trust him at all.”
It’s been a week since you last spoke to your friends, not really wanting to read the messages they bombarded you with about how you should stay for away from Jungkook. It was hard to take any of their advice seriously when they were just badmouthing him without reason. They based all their opinions on him from rumors around the school and Soobin always felt the need to compare him to Yoongi even though they both had very different personalities. Well, at least to you they seemed very different.
Frankly, you were sick of their nagging and just turned off notifications from that group chat altogether. Instead of sitting next to them during Microeconomics, you opted to sit with Jungkook in the back of the lecture hall instead of at the front with them. Jungkook had abandoned his own rowdy friend group to sit with you and flashed them quick smirks and winks whenever they’d stare at him. 
Slowly, Jungkook had started to become a constant in your day to day life. You walked to class with him, ate with him, played video games with him. It was sort of strange how used to you were of his presence, like you had known him your whole life. Jungkook snaps you out of your thoughts when he starts humming a little tune.
He draws a heart in the corner of your notes- which you find he has a habit of doing whenever he wanted to say something stupid.
“I don’t get what he’s saying,” he pouts cutely. “It’s like he’s speaking a foreign language.”
You shake your head, not paying him any mind.
“Well maybe if you actually paid attention,” you mutter softly. He scoots closer to you and you feel yourself stiffen.
“But you’re tutoring me later on anyway,” he says teasingly. “I get more bang for my buck if I know less.”
“Bang for my buck,” you scoff. “Who even says that anymore?”
He points at himself nonchalantly and you can’t help but crack a smile as you continue to focus on the professor’s words. You don’t even cower under his gaze like you usually do when he stares at you with those puppy dog eyes.
“What do you want?” you ask, finally caving when Professor Kwon adjusted something in his PowerPoint slides. He smiles.
“I want to hold your hand,” Jungkook replies and you could feel your palms clam up. His flirtatious comments increased as time passed and you didn’t really quite know whether he was just teasing you or if he was genuinely interested in you. You weren’t very good at taking a hint.
“I’m writing right now...” you reply, slightly skipping a beat in your note-taking. He really was the ultimate distraction, wasn’t he?
Jungkook pouts sadly, but you can tell an idea pops up in his mind when his eyes start to glimmer. He sits his hand on your thigh and you jolt back from the touch of his hand on the material of your jeans. He pulls away slightly, scared that he had made you uncomfortable.
“I just want to put my arm around you,” he asks innocently. “Are you okay with that?”
You calm yourself down and nod. For goodness sake, you weren’t a child- why did a hand on your thigh make you so nervous for?!
“Yeah,” you say, a little more confident despite your nerves. “Go ahead.”
He smiles softly at you and connects his hand to your waist, pulling you a little closer to him. It was comforting, not at all meant to be more than just a public display of affection. He finds himself getting lost in the lecture along with you, his hand playing with a loose thread on your shirt through it all. He didn’t even look at his friends who were teasing him on the other side of the class or your own friends shooting daggers into his being.
At that moment, it was you, him, and Professor Kwon giving out a lecture that had half of the students already asleep. He smiled at how diligently you worked and how your breath would quicken when Professor Kwon switched the slides without a warning. It was the little idiosyncrasies like this that caught his attention, the kind of things that made him wonder where you’d been all his life.
The smile on Jungkook’s face disappeared when he came to that realization.
Fuck.
Jungkook rolls around the grass while you sit on the picnic blanket you two had set up. Midterms were over and grades would soon be announced. He wanted a much-needed distraction from the monotony of constant studying and you had suggested a small picnic in a nearby park. Of course, he agreed. 
“We’re free,” he groans. “Finally free.”
Jungkook stares hungrily at the assortment of food you had laid out for the two of you. He tries to reach a hand out to grab a bottle of lemonade but ultimately fails in the end. You giggle at his silliness, popping a grape in your mouth.
“You’re welcome by the way,” you say jokingly. “Don’t think you could’ve done it without me.”
He sits up to face you, bowing deeply as if you were a traditional empress.
“Thank you,” he says, imitating a Joseon accent. He was watching far too many historical dramas recently.
“You’re embarrassing me,” you say, attempting to straighten him out. “Sit up.”
He complies, only after a few pulls from you, with a toothy grin on his face.
“Seriously, I don’t think I could have gone through the first few weeks of Professor Kwon’s class without your notes,” he sighs, opening his mouth to signal that he wanted to be fed. You roll your eyes but placed a grape between his teeth anyway.
“You have hands, you should know how to use them,” you mumble shyly.
You move to take another grape for yourself, but he grabs your wrist before you could. He intertwines his fingers into yours.
“Why should I when my hands are holding yours~,” he says in a sing-song voice. It made you want to throw up at how cheesy he was, but you couldn’t help but laugh along as he cringed at his own words. When was it so normal for him to hold your hands like this?
“You can’t go one sentence without flirting, can you?” you sigh, feigning annoyance.
“Not when it comes to you,” he replies, but you could feel sincerity laced between his laughter. “I can’t resist flirting when it makes you all giggly like this.”
You purse your lips to prevent yourself from smiling too brightly. Jungkook and you were somewhat past the point of being just friends by now, but you were too much of a coward to label what you had with him. What if there was a chance that he was just leading you on?
Jungkook saw your furrowed brows. He rubbed circles on your hands with his thumbs to ease you.
“Am I making you uncomfortable?” he asks softly, about to let go.
“No-” you say a little too quickly, clasping him closer to you. Your faces were inches apart now, much nearer than they were before.
“D-don’t,” you attempt to say but you’re tongue tangled as you looked at his lips. He certainly does have nice lips...
“Don’t what?” he asks in a lowly voice. You start to look around you- anywhere that wasn’t him. The park was relatively empty but it still felt embarrassing to say anything too loud.
“D-don’t let me go,” you say, your eyes on the picnic blanket rather than on him. His gaze was too intense to look at. Jungkook feels his heart clench. You were cute, too cute. 
He shouldn’t be feeling this attached to you, but he couldn’t help it. Everything you did, every word that came out of your mouth- it had him wanting more from you than he could possibly handle. It was dangerous to feel this way.
“Why don’t you want me to let you go?” he asks nervously. He too was anxious for the answer. If you were to confess to Jungkook right now, he’d get the first part of the bet done, but there’d be no turning back after your confession. He would have to lie to you from now on. 
Jungkook closed his eyes, chanting to himself that it’s okay to like you for a little while, just as long as he doesn’t get too attached in the end. He needed the money, he really did.
“Because,” you start off with a sigh, staring at him now with glossy eyes. “I like you.”
Jungkook feels like he could do ten backflips in one go and it wouldn’t even drain him of energy. The smile on his face was huge, his eyes curling into that half-moon shape that made you swoon. 
Jungkook was relieved and if the boys asked, it was because he’d only have to date you for three months. He’d die before he’d admit to them that he caught feelings because Taehyung, as generous as he was with his bets, would never give Jungkook the money unless he cleanly broke up with you. It was one of his unspoken rules.
“I like you too.”
You smile at him and he can’t help but pull you close, his lips hovering over yours.
“Can I?”
You nod.
His lips graze yours slightly but he pushes a bit closer when he feels you lean into his touch. He kisses you again, and again, and again, but you pull away when his tongue had started to prod at your lips. Your face was flushed,  embarrassed to be doing this in such a public place.
“Maybe later?” you say, panting slightly. He gives you a cheeky grin and nods.
“At my place?” he asks with a wink.
You hesitate, letting go of his arms, twiddling with your fingers. You wanted to set clear labels on what your relationship was. You didn't want to accidentally get caught up in a friends-with-benefits situation and be all shocked when Jungkook ends up breaking your heart.
“So we’re dating now, right?” you ask cautiously, looking at him with a worried glint in your eyes. 
Jungkook’s mouth opens to speak but no words come out. He thinks a little harder about the whole situation... He was getting good grades, spending some quality time with a girl he’s clearly attracted to, and having his rent paid off all in one? He was killing three birds with one stone. It shouldn’t be too big of a problem to catch feelings for now, right? It’s not like any of his relationships lasted longer than a couple of months anyway.
He nods, cupping your face lightly.
“Yeah,” he hesitates. “We’re dating.”
Jungkook wasn’t aware, as he gives you another light peck, that it wasn’t possible to have his cake and eat it too.
It happens naturally. You coming in and out of his apartment that he shared with his friends, you tangling your legs with his underneath the sheets of his bed. It was hard to imagine a life where you didn’t wake up with him by your side. You were so wrapped up in his touch, so wrapped up in the sweet words he would whisper into your ears, that you spent most of your time with him. 
You weren’t really up to date with your friends anymore and he didn’t really hang out with his either. Jungkook shared an apartment with Seokjin and Hoseok, and so the only contact he had with the other boys was when they visited those two. He should’ve known to take you back home when all the boys bombarded into his living room, where you sat with him watching TV. 
“The lovebirds are at it again,” Taehyung coos, a mysterious glint in his eyes. “The honeymoon stage hasn’t passed quite yet, has it?”
Jungkook chucks one of the sofa’s throw pillows at his friend, obviously annoyed. What the fuck did Taehyung think he was doing?
“Quit it,” he mutters. You were sitting next to Jungkook, his arm around your shoulder protectively
“Why?” Yoongi yawns. “Anyone can see how incredibly in love you two are.”
You didn’t quite like the smirk he gave the two of you. This didn’t feel like regular teasing... it felt like he knew something that you weren't aware of. It made you curl your toes out of fear.
“Guys,” Jimin says calmly. “Stop it.”
The boys shrug their shoulders as if they said nothing wrong.
“We’re just pointing out how cute they are together,” Taehyung noted, “It’s not like we’re lying to her or anything-”
“Yeah, or leading her on or anything like that-”
“I think I should go,” you say hurriedly, uncomfortable at how tense the atmosphere was. Jungkook was clenching his fists, about ready to start a fight any second. Knowing his strength, you didn’t want anyone to walk around with a bruised eye because you couldn’t handle a few jokes- if that’s what Taehyung and Yoongi think they’re making. Harmless jokes.
“I’ll take you home,” Jungkook announces, standing up with you. Namjoon pulls him down back on the couch.
“Let someone else take her,” he says sternly. “We need to talk.”
Jungkook was about to protest until you spoke up.
“I can get home by myself just fine.”
“Hoseok and I can take you,” Seokjin insists, pulling the unassuming man up with him. “We don’t mind.”
Hoseok gives you a lopsided smile and you return an equally awkward one.
“Okay, that’s settled,” you say, clapping your hands. You walk over to Jungkook. “I’ll text you later okay?”
He nods, grabbing your hand and kissing it lightly. Yoongi scoffs and Taehyung glares at Jungkook. The dirty glances they were giving each other... You didn’t like it at all.
“Let me know when you get home, okay?”
“Okay.”
The walk to your apartment was unnecessarily awkward, Hoseok and Seokjin were talking too much and you talked too little. You tried to respond to their every quip, but you weren’t in the mood for chatting after that whole mess.
“You okay, [Y/N]?” Hoseok asks worriedly. “Don’t think too much about what those idiots said back there, they’re like that all the time.”
You nod, keeping your eyes on the ground. There was something chipping away at the back of your mind, something you wanted to get out of your chest.
“Would you say Jungkook and Yoongi act similarly?” you hesitate to say, “like with relationships?”
The two boys exchanged nervous glances at each other.
“Well, it depends,” Seokjin starts, choosing his words specifically. “What about relationships specifically?”
“Does he...,” you start off, not knowing the right phrase without sounding too harsh, “play around with girls? Like how Yoongi played around with Soobin?”
Hoseok looked at you with a raised brow.
“Who’s Soobin?” he asks before getting punched in the arm by Seokjin. “What the fuck bro!”
Seokjin clears his throat.
“What Hoseok meant to say,” he starts, glaring at his friend a little too harshly, “is that Yoongi never really introduces us to his girlfriends. You, on the other hand, are one of the few girls Jungkook actually took the time to invite over.”
“Yeah,” Hoseok chimes in. “He’s not exactly the most chivalrous, but he wouldn’t ghost someone like Yoongi did.”
Somehow their words weren’t enough to satisfy you. There was still something off in the conversation that transpired between the three boys- as if they were all keeping something from you. You stopped abruptly in front of your apartment complex, finally making eye-contact with the two boys.
“Do you think...” you start, a slight quiver in your voice, “that Jungkook is cheating on me?”
The two boys let out a deep breath that you didn’t even notice they were holding and laughed joyously together. They cackled as if what you said was the funniest thing they had ever heard in their life. Seokjin wipes a stray tear from his eye.
“Y-you think Jungkook’s cheating on you?!”
You nod, a little embarrassed at their reaction. Hoseok shakes his head, sighing out of his laughter.
“Trust me,” Hoseok starts, his breath evening out. “Jungkook would never cheat on you.”
You start to giggle along with them until a serious look suddenly takes over Seokjin’s features. He faces you fully.
“But listen [Y/N],” he starts. “If Jungkook hurts you, just know that he does love you. Like, undeniably. He does.”
“And we’re not just saying that as his friends either,” Hoseok continues. “We know how he’s like and we can tell that he really does like you.”
You smile at the two, feeling a small sense of comfort at their words.
“Thank you, guys. I mean it.”
They pat you on the back.
“Anything for Jungkook’s girlfriend.”
You walk through the campus cafeteria, eyes searching for a free table that you can sit alone in. Jungkook had Taekwondo practice so there would be no lovey-dovey feeding time with him. 
He’s been a lot tenser since the living room incident (which was already a week ago) and it seemed like he got more agitated as the days passed. Not towards you directly, but he’d always mutter slight insults whenever Yoongi or Taehyung passed by. It made you worried that you had done something to possibly drive a wrench into their relationship without even knowing it.
‘Whatever,’ you thought, ‘I’ll talk about it with him when he comes over later.’
You aren’t able to find a seat, though, when you feel dainty fingers wrap around  your elbow to pull you back lightly.
“[Y/N],” Gaeun says in a low voice. “We need to talk.”
It wasn’t like you had been ignoring them deliberately, though that was definitely the case at the start. You just couldn’t find the time to really hang out with them as much as you used to since you were with Jungkook most of the time. It was like that too when Gaeun and Soobin were in relationships, so you never really felt bad about doing it yourself.
“Yeah sure. I miss you guys,” you smile at her, but she doesn’t return it back.
“Come with me.”
Gaeun leads you to a table near the back of the room, where Soobin was sat up against the wall with her own tray of food. You sit down in front of her and Gaeun takes the seat next to Soobin.
“Good, you’re here,” Soobin says, apprehension laced in her voice. “We need to talk about Jungkook.”
You roll your eyes.
“Not this again-”
“[Y/N],” Gaeun warns. “Listen.”
You keep quiet, a little intimidated of how scary their expressions were.
“It’s all a bet,” Soobin says sternly.
You furrow your brows at her. She tends to speak vaguely when you needed her to be specific the most.
“What?”
“It’s a bet, [Y/N],” Gaeun repeats for her. “Jungkook’s only dating you because Taehyung said he’d pay his rent off if he did.”
You clench your fist on the table. How could they sit there and spew lies so easily?
“What are you guys-”
“Those dicks do this all the time,” Soobin rambles. “They play stupid games with girls just to fucking break their hearts later on and-”
“I don’t believe you,” you say confidently. “Jungkook would never do that to me. Besides-”
Gaeun didn’t even wait until you stopped talking to play a recording on her phone. The voices were familiar enough to recognize.
“So you’re telling me that Jungkook’s just fucking around with [Y/N] because he wants priority registration? You have to be fucking joking...”
You could tell from the sound of the person’s voice that it was Soobin. It sounded like she was putting on her clothes.
“Of course not. He’s doing it for priority registration and his rent getting paid for the rest of the year. I’m not joking when I say Tae goes big with his bets. He likes to flex his money on us like that.”
Your jaw drops at the sound of the man’s voice. It was Yoongi. You were sure of it.
“And you guys don’t feel bad? Like at all?”
“Why should we? Jungkook’s planning to break up with her next week anyway so she doesn’t catch feelings for too long. It’s not like they were gonna last past the three-month deal...”
Gaeun paused the recording when she sees you bite your lip so harshly that blood starts to surface. This didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel real.
“I hooked up with him last weekend,” Soobin admits, shame written all over her face. “He was spewing stuff about Jungkook spending all his time with you and not really hanging out with the boys like he used to.”
“You still hook up with Yoongi? After all he did to you?” you ask, not meaning to come off aggressive but undoubtedly did.
“Look,” Gauen starts, taking the heat off of Soobin. “She was just drunk and looking to have fun. I was with her that night and I was talking to Namjoon. He...”
Gaeun trailed off, but you were sick of it. Sick of being kept in the dark from something you should’ve known all along.
“What?”
“H-he told me that all the boys were getting tired of him playing around with you,” she says, twiddling with her fingers. “He’s supposed to break up with you today. Some of the guys think he’s just prolonging it to fuck with you and they’re getting really annoyed-”
You bite back the tears threatening to spill over any minute now.
“Hoseok and Seokjin told me to trust Jungkook. They said he wouldn’t hurt me-”
“Did they also tell you that their rent gets paid too if Jungkook pulled through with the bet?” Soobin replies angrily. “Because they live together, don’t they?”
You open your mouth but no sound comes out- just a small whimper. Your lips start to quiver and you bite your lip again to calm yourself down. When you had collected your thoughts, you glared up at the two girls.
“And you didn’t tell me this earlier?”
Soobin scoffed.
“You were fucking ignoring us too, how were we supposed to tell you?”
“Still it wouldn’t have killed you to-”
“Don’t take your anger out on us,” Gaeun warns, her finger pointing at you. “Jungkook is the one to blame. We told you from the start that he was bad news.”
You pursed your lips and Gaeun put her finger down, feeling guilty that she lashed out on you when obviously you were just processing the information.
“Hey, I’m sorry-”
“Why me?” you ask with teary eyes. “What did I even do to them to deserve this?” 
They glance over at each other for a long while before Soobin breaks the silence. You had the right to know, but at the same time, they knew it would break you.
“It’s a sick game that they play where they just choose someone randomly...” Soobin starts off gently handing off the next few words to Gaeun, “and you were just the first girl to walk into Professor Kwon’s lecture hall. He thought you’d be...”
“Easy,” Soobin finished.
Just as they predicted, you had burst out in tears.
Jungkook opens the door to your apartment, using the spare key you had given him a month earlier since he tended to visit often. It was more convenient that way. 
He was freshly out of his Taekwondo garb, still sweaty, but otherwise clean from taking a shower at the campus gym. He found it strange at how dark the room was, but he knew you were on the couch from the noticeable lump of a blanket on it.
All Jungkook wanted was to cuddle with you and fall asleep in your arms after such a harrowing day. Lord knows he needs your warmth right now.
He smiled as he made his way towards you, but stops in his tracks when you sit up from where you laid. He couldn’t quite see you in the darkness so he walked to the light switch to turn the lights on. His heart broke at the sight of you.
Tears stained your cheeks, your eyes red and puffy from all the crying. You looked a mess and his blood boiled at the thought of someone hurting you. 
“What happened?” he asked, rushing over to you and cupping your face in his hands. You push him away.
“You don’t have to act anymore,” you say softly. “I can handle it.”
He looks at you with furrowed brows.
“What are you talking about-”
“I get that you really need the money,” you say through bated breaths, “I get that financially, it would have really helped, but did you really have to hurt me to do that?”
Jungkook’s breathing stopped. Everything was happening too quickly, his world crashing down when you uttered those words. He knew what this meant, knew that now you would see past his lies. Jungkook couldn’t have you finding out this way. 
He kneeled in front of you, attempting to wipe away the tears from your eyes but you push him off.
“[Y/N] no-”
“It could’ve been anyone,” you whimper, trying to look up at the ceiling to prevent any more tears from falling down. “Anyone could’ve walked through that door and you would’ve been okay with it.”
“That’s not true-” he interjects but you stop him.
“A-and you flirted with me all the time ‘cause you knew that I wasn’t used to it,” you say, your voice quivering. “You took advantage of me.”
Jungkook shakes his head rapidly, eyes pleading for you to let him speak. It hurt seeing you refuse to even look at him, to have your eyes so filled with sadness because of what he did to you. He fucked up, he fucked up so bad.
“No, you have to listen-”
“They told me not to trust you,” you whimper somberly. “They told me and I didn’t believe them because I... I was delusional or something. I thought that someone like you could actually like someone like me-”
His heart broke. It wasn’t you that didn’t deserve him. It was him. All him.
“Please don’t say that-”
“Did you come here to seal the deal? To finally break up with me?” you ask sadly. “Are you happy you’ll get the classes you want next quarter, Jungkook?”
He clenches his teeth. Jungkook knows you’re mad, knows you have a right to be, but it feels like he’s being cornered by you. Why won’t you give him the chance to speak?
“[Y/N], no,” he says sternly, “You have to trust me when I say that it went past just a bet. I like you. Genuinely, I like you.”
There was no point in lying any longer. You deserved to know the truth, but he needed you to know all of it- not just the information your friends cherry-picked to fit their narrative. He tried to speak again, but you wouldn’t let him.
“How could you,” you whimper. “How could someone be so cruel?”
Jungkook’s heart breaks at the words. He should’ve seen this coming. How could he delude himself into thinking he’d be okay if you find out- that he’d be fine seeing you heartbroken? He was disgusted with himself.
“I’m sorry [Y/N],” he whispers. “I’m so sorry.”
You shake your head, your vision getting blurry from the tears. He clasps your hands in his, knowing that it used to soothe you whenever you felt worried over something, but you just wailed harder at his touch. He didn’t know what to do, he didn't even know where to start.
“Stop pretending like you care,” you cry. “Please. It hurts.”
“It was a bet,” he admits and he breaths through the words to prevent himself from getting too emotional, “but I promise that my feelings are genuine. You have to trust me.”
“Trust you?” you ask crudely.
You stare at him, slowing your breaths to ease the crying. There was a certain emptiness in your gaze and it scared him. It was awfully frightening having you looking at him with a certain animosity that was not there before. Like he was a stranger.
“I can’t do that anymore, Jungkook,” you say softly, “because I hate you.”
A/N: Gasp A double update?! Say it isn’t so... I had so much fun writing this!!! Probably one of my favorite fics I’ve written in a while because I love this trope. How do y’all feel about Jungkook? Forgive or forget? Let me know!! Thank you @altus-gens​ for requesting this story, I hope you like it :)
Please leave any comment, critiques, or just random thoughts about my story! I’m planning my murder mystery series rn and I’m so excited (I might... do an album giveaway along with it...) I really love the direction I’m taking this blog in and I hope you guys are excited for the stories to come~~ 
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soulmate-game · 3 years
Text
Well, here is the stupid thing I was alluding to. It’s mostly a filler chapter, but yeah.
Harley’s Plea for Help, Chapter 3
“Well, that took a while,” a relatively deep female voice smoothly drawled. The plants placed right next to the window pulled away, no longer blocking the pathway inside. The two figures who were perched right outside the windowsill took the invitation and climbed inside, the shorter of the two looking at the woman who had spoken and smiling widely.
“Auntie Ivy!” Marinette happily exclaimed, making the redhead across from her grin back.
“That’s me. It sure is nice to actually see you in person, little Marigold,” she held out her arms for a hug, which Marinette instantly ran in to accept. “Video calls are never quite enough, are they? You’re so tiny! Are you sure you eat alright?”
“Auntie Ivyyyyyy,” Marinette whined, knowing full well that Ivy was just teasing her.
“So, what took you all so long?” Ivy asked Red Hood, even as she kept her arms wrapped around her soon-to-be daughter in law. “Usually you bats are all about getting back on the streets to punch people, we didn’t think you’d be bringing her in at almost one in the morning.”
Hood shrugged, thumbs hooked in his pockets. “Your little garden fairy nearly gave us the slip. Went straight out the back exit instead of doin’ anything showy like we half expected and we almost missed her.”
“I stopped as soon as I noticed who they were, I swear!” Marinette pulled away from Ivy, holding her hands up in mock surrender. “I didn’t expect Momma to send them to babysit me before our first full day being in Gotham. In hindsight, though, I really should have.”
“Yeah, you should’ve,” Ivy agreed with a smirk, ruffling Marinette’s hair and making her pigtails go a little crooked. “And I know for a fact that you’ve done some stunts off your balcony back in Paris, so at least I know you can be responsible and hold yourself back from doing the same here. Must get that from me, because we both know it doesn’t come from Harley.”
Marinette and Hood both had to laugh at that. Being responsible was definitely not a trait that Marinette could have inherited from anybody in her family tree, that was for sure.
“Are ya makin’ fun of me in front of my daughter?” the comically scandalized voice announced the arrival of one Harley Quinn, who walked into the room in white onesie pajamas with a poker print on them. All of the “joker” cards were crossed out heavily with red sharpie, and a few of them had black-sharpie devil horns and handlebar mustaches vandalizing them. Marinette even caught one such card with a googly eye on it, the matching eye having fallen off and leaving only a small circle of since-dried hot glue where it used to be. “If you guys are gonna be that way, fine! Ivy dyes her hair!”
“No she doesn’t,” Marinette deadpanned, clearly fighting against a giant grin. The corners of her lips gave her away, they never stopped twitching with repressed mirth. “But you do. I got the pictures to prove—- aah!” Harley tackled her daughter to the ground, attacking her with tickles immediately.
“Take it back! My hair is naturally blond!”
“Yeah, naturally— hahahahaha! Sandy blonde! You— hahaha! Have just as much brown— stop I can’t breathe! hahahaha!— as yellow!”
“Hmph,” Harley finally backed off, crossing her eyes and looking away from Marinette with an exaggerated pout. “How dare you reveal my darkest secret?”
“I was a natural redhead even before I got my powers,” was all Ivy had to say, looking all too amused at this turn of events. “Your original costume completely covered your hair.”
“Don’t worry, Harley,” Red Hood butted in, reminding the three girls that he was still here. His tone suggested that he was definitely smiling under his helmet. “We found out about your hair dye years ago.”
“I just cover up the brown parts! It’s not like I’m changin’ much,” she argued before standing up again. “Thanks for gettin’ my cupcake back safely, little birdie. Oh, that's right! I made cupcakes! Hang on, lemme grab one for your trip back!” with that, she span on her heels and ran back further into the apartment. Marinette dashed over to Hood, immediately shoving him to the window.
“Quick, save yourself! Momma can’t bake for her life!” she whispered urgently. “I’ll say you were called away for an emergency, just hurry!”
“It’s not even a lie, getting away from Harley’s baking is an emergency,” Ivy agreed, waving as the vigilante took their advice and fled. It was only three seconds later that Harley slid back into the room, nearly falling due to the feet of her onesie having pretty much zero friction. Her face immediately fell when she saw that her victim was gone, leaving her standing there with a cupcake that was about twice as much frosting as actual cake, covered in sprinkles like a kid’s craft project that was smothered in glitter. The frosting was also shapeless, just heaped on the cake like a half-melted scoop of ice cream. She sighed in despair.
“There goes my chance of giving a bat diabetes. You guys warned him, didn’t ya?”
They both nodded shamelessly. “We’re not that cruel, Harley,” Ivy defended, getting up from her spot on her cushioned armchair and wrapping an arm around her fiance’s waist before she kissed the top of her head gently. “Hood got our little Marigold back safe and sound, and he’s even started a garden at his apartment. He doesn’t deserve to be poisoned by you.”
“I thought you said he got a single cactus at the flea market last month,” Harley deadpanned, making Ivy shrug.
“Might as well be a garden for him, and it’s something he’s not likely to kill so that’s a plus to me. He’s actually taking really good care of the little baby.”
“Speaking of garden!” Marinette gently took the sad excuse of a pastry away from her mom and sat it down on a side table before ushering both of them over to the living room and onto the sofa. “My garden back home is growing so big, I don’t think I can keep everything much longer. I barely have room to walk on the terrace, with all the vines and leaves and branches. Got any ideas of what I can do?”
“Of course! Do you have pictures, Marigold?”
—*—*—*—*—*
Slipping back through her hotel window at six in the morning was risky, since it involved climbing the wall and hoping nobody saw, but her classmates were so unpredictable that it was the only way she could be sure nobody would find out that she had violated curfew and snuck out. Of course, having Red Robin waiting outside her mom’s apartment’s terrace to escort her back helped. At least she knew that no street cams would record her comings or goings, and his grappling hook made the whole scale-the-hotel-wall business much more efficient.
Once she was inside, she sighed happily. “Thanks, now—“ her apology was cut off as Red Robin held up a finger to tell her to wait.
“Hold that thought, be right back. Don’t move.”
Thinking, rightfully, that something was wrong, Marinette obeyed. She watched Red Robin leap off of her hotel balcony and disappear into the streets. Immediately, she began a search to make sure her room had been left untampered— everything important had been packed in the backpack that she had taken to her mom’s place, but still. Could never be too careful. By the time she finished checking for bugs or any signs of snooping, Red Robin landed back on her balcony.
“Here we go.”
Turning to face him, Marinette opened her mouth to ask what the problem had been— only to tear up a little and walk over to the vigilante.
“Oh, my hero. Truly, my one and only savior. Knight in shining red Kevlar. I’m running on two hours of sleep and you have read my mind!” The pigtailed drama queen eagerly took the coffee that he offered her, and he sipped from a larger cup that looked like he had grabbed it from the same place. Marinette almost instantly sighed in gratitude when the hot drink lightly scalded her tongue. This. This was the elixir of life.
To his credit, Red Robin was able to restrain himself to merely an amused smirk. Probably because he was running on just as little sleep as she was. “Sorry it’s only a small, I figured it was best to have something you could finish quickly and easily hide the evidence for. If you need more caffeine, I happen to know that Wayne Enterprises has a very good coffee shop in their main hall. You’ll be touring there today, right?” He asked, taking another sip as he waited for the answer that he already knew.
Marinette nodded absently, drinking in the euphoria of her coffee as she tried to both savor it yet finish it as quickly as safely possible. When she came up for air, she said; “Yeah, that’s right. We’re touring Wayne Enterprises for most of the day, having lunch there, and leaving for dinner after the tour. Then we have a visit to the Gotham Museum of Fine Art, and we’ll stay there until about eight-thirty before heading back to the hotel.”
Red Robin nodded, then turned and looked out the window at the slowly rising sun. Sunrise was always a bit later in Gotham, partly because of the abundance of high-rises and partly because of the thick cloud cover and ever-present fog on the edges of the city making everything seem darker than it should have been. He had to be at work soon himself, which is why he had been chosen to escort her to the hotel in the first place, but that meant that he had to be heading off.
“Alright. We arranged for a bodyguard we trust to keep an eye on your class during the WE tour, but he doesn't know who you are or that we’re the ones who asked. We’re still in the process of arranging someone to shadow you after the tour, but we’ll tell you about that once it’s solidified. Until then, follow the usual self-defense procedures if you suspect anyone of following you. You have the panic button we gave you?”
Marinette nodded, gulping down the last of her coffee and carefully putting it in her room’s tiny trash can. “Got it. Thanks, again. Seriously,” she met his eyes— or, probably did since they were hidden behind that weird white film that the whole Batfam had covering the eyeholes of their masks. “I mean it. For listening to me, for listening to Mom. It means a lot. I’ll keep the panic button on me, and I’ll use it if I think I can’t handle a situation on my own. I’ll cooperate with the people you get to watch over the class, and I’ll do my best to not get into any trouble. No promises, but I’ll do my best,” she maintained eye contact until Red Robin nodded, hiding his expression behind his coffee cup. After a second, he cleared his throat.
“Well then. We’ll contact you once we have anything to say about your intel. Until then, I gotta go. And by the way?”
Marinette tilted her head curiously as Red Robin paused for just a moment on her balcony railing, aiming a smirk back at her. “Yeah?”
“Welcome to Gotham.”
And if she couldn’t help but smile widely as he grappled off into the fog-veiled sunrise? Well, only she had to know. She wasted no time closing and locking the glass balcony door, and pulling the curtains over it completely. Once that was done, she couldn’t help but do a little shimmy of Joy. She was caffeinated, she met Auntie Ivy in person for the first time, she got to sleep next to her momma— and she was in Gotham! Technically her hometown— or town she was conceived in? Didn’t matter. Point was, even with the chaos and dark energy clouding the very air, she couldn’t help but feel like she belonged in that city. Like that was where she was always meant to end up, where she could thrive and the environment that she was made to thrive in. The environment that she was born to start fixing.
She beamed at herself in her bathroom mirror as she gave herself one more once-over. Yeah, so far her visit to Gotham was going much better than she could have hoped. Now, she just had to make sure it stayed that way.
Three businesslike raps sounded against the door to her room, just in time for Marinette to feed Tikki one more cookie and straighten her purse on her shoulder. Madame Mendelieve’s voice called out from the other side of the door in her usual no-nonsense bark;
“Dupain-Cheng! Room check! It’s time to get up, we’re meeting down in the lobby in ten minutes.”
Marinette ran up to the door, not quite able to contain her energy, and swung it open with her trademark large, beaming smile.
“Way ahead of you, Madame Mendelieve!”
Her science teacher blinked, adjusting her glasses on her nose as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing.
“Ah. You’re already awake and ready?”
Marinette giggled and nodded. “Yup! I was so excited for the tour that I could barely sleep! Does the hotel breakfast include free coffee?”
—*—*—*—*—*
The hotel breakfast did, in fact, include coffee. What it did not include, however, was free coffee that Marinette could reasonably stomach. Especially after the heaven in a cup that Red Robin had gotten for her earlier, the watered down motor oil in the hotel lobby had been unbearable. She had barely managed two sips before regretfully throwing the rest away. Which is what brought her to stand in line at the very same coffee shop that Red Robin had mentioned was in the main hall of Wayne Enterprises, as the rest of her class mingled and waited for their teachers to check their tour group in and their tour guide to arrive.
“Hmm. Sorry, this is my first time ordering here,” she apologized when she reached the counter, gaining a slight lopsided grin from the barista at the register. “Um, I usually like strong coffee, with a lot of caffeine, but I also like something sweet. I don’t need anything too complicated though, do you have any recommendations?”
The barista gave her a customer service smile that seemed just a tad softer at the edges than usual. “Sure! So, we can add an extra shot or two of espresso to any of our drinks, to make it stronger and give it an extra kick. If you’re looking for good sweet flavors, the classics are our white chocolate or caramel. But we also have a seasonal syrup right now that I personally love, which is our cinnamon butterscotch. Did you wanna try that?”
Marinette smiled widely. “That sounds delicious! Then, if I could have your largest size café latte, hot, with… two extra shots and that syrup? Does that sound good?”
The barista actually let loose a soft laugh, already keying in the order. “If you’re a coffee lover and a sweet tooth at the same time, then you’ll love it. If not, come back during your tour’s lunch break and I’ll make you something else.”
Marinette made a little more small talk as she handed over the proper cash for the order, and grabbed her drink after just another minute’s wait. She turned around, taking a sip of the unsurprisingly heavenly coffee and started off to join her class.
Only to realize none of them were where she had left them. She sighed, starting to reach into her purse to see if anyone had texted her about where they were going, but a heavy presence stopped her. She could feel him approaching from in front of her, slightly to her right, but she couldn’t hear him at all. On guard, she straightened up and turned to observe the potential threat.
A security guard. Marinette blinked, running over what she had been told earlier that morning. Was he..?
He seemed to notice her instinctually defensive posture because he raised his hands to show he meant no harm. “Sorry, didn’t mean to catch you off guard,” he apologized. “I’m the guard that was assigned to your tour group. I offered to stay behind until you got your coffee while the rest of your group went ahead and got the run-down on all the boring rules and whatnot of the tour. Figured you’d already know everything they had to say anyway, you’re the class president right?”
Marinette relaxed her posture, nodding and sending the man a relieved smile. “Yeah, that’s right. Well, that explains why they left without me then. Usually Madame Mendelieve is strict about following rules though, how’d you convince her to go on without me?”
The man chuckled, jerking his head to show that she should follow him as he began to lead the way to a side door. Marinette kept her guard up just in case, but wasn’t too worried. If nothing else, she was still in the middle of a super crowded building and the other security guards around didn’t seem concerned. She could easily yell for help if she needed to.
“Well, can’t you tell it was my devilish charm?” He teased, grinning. He waited until she rolled her eyes to continue; “but really, I’m like a second tour guide. She made me show a lotta proof that I’m actually assigned to you guys and not just faking it, not that I can blame her. Eventually she saw the logic in my suggestion and agreed. See, there they are,” he pointed casually ahead of them in the large side hallway they had entered. Sure enough, near the end of the hallway was her class at what looked to be the tail-end of a standard rules-and-guidelines speech from the tour guide. “By the way,” the guard spoke up again, holding his hand out. “My name’s Jason. You’ll be seeing me more often, since I’m supposed to guard you guys for all of your visits to the Tower. Call me if you need help with anything, ‘kay kid?”
Marinette grinned, now positive that this guy really was the guard that Red Robin had said was assigned to her class. She switched the hand she was holding her coffee in so that she could properly grab Jason’s hand for a shake.
“Got it, Monsieur Jason. Let’s both hope I don’t end up needing your help though, I think that would be easier on both of us,” she joked, earning a chuckle from the large man. And— yeah, now that she was relaxed, he really was big, wasn’t he? Then again, Marinette didn’t always realize when people were a bit larger or more buff than they should be. Living with her dad had seriously skewed her perception of the normal size of an adult male (which, she learned when she was seven, most definitely was not almost seven feet tall and muscled enough to make a pro wrestler jealous). But she would like to think she had gotten better in that aspect, and Jason was definitely a big guy. A little over six feet tall, she thought, and though the guard outfit hid a good portion of his physique, she could tell he carried enough muscle to do serious damage if he wanted to.
With a wave, she left him to join her class and sipped at her latte. She had figured that the Bat Clan’s criteria for civilians that they would put to guard her class had to be high, but now she had to wonder just how high. Most police officers or security guards were fit, sure, but not like Jason. Casting a quick glance back at him, she confirmed that he had quite a few faded but visible scars. Again, more than your average officer even for Gotham. Who had they tasked with her class’ safety, exactly?
An elbow in her side distracted her from her thoughts, forcing her to blink and stop her cup from going back to her lips. The grin of none other than Adrien Agreste greeted her when she snapped out of her own head long enough to pay attention to her surroundings. He jerked his head to indicate that the class was already starting to move off.
“Come on, Mari or you’ll get left behind again,” he teased. She grinned back at him, rolling her eyes but falling into step beside him as they followed at the back of their class. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were gonna marry that coffee. You haven’t zoned out that badly in years,” his tone was light and cheery, but Marinette didn’t miss the concern in his emerald eyes. She sighed, gently bumping her shoulders against his in silent reassurance.
“I’m fine. Just didn’t get much sleep last night, that’s all. But this really is good coffee. Elixir of the gods,” then, just to provoke him, she took a giant gulp of the still steaming hot drink. Adrien grimaced in pained sympathy even though Marinette didn’t seem affected at all.
“Oww, Marineeeeeeeeeette,” he whined. “Don’t do that, my throat hurts just watching you guzzle hot coffee like that,” he complained, rubbing at his neck to make his point clear.
“Wimp,” she teased, unrepentant. Adrien just groaned dramatically.
“I’m not a wimp, you’re just concerningly used to burning your throat from the inside out,” he accused. “Anyway, how’d it go?” He was being deliberately vague, but it was obvious to her what he meant. He was only one she had told about visiting her mom, after all, just in case she needed a quick getaway.
In fact, he was the only one of her friends that she had even told about her biological parents. Alix knew too, but only because of time shenanigans. Marinette was fine with it now, but still.
“It went great,” she smiled widely at him, keeping her voice low but casual. “If I have a chance, I’ll introduce you sometime during the trip. I have a feeling you’ll love Auntie Selina, but I have to meet her first. All I have so far are stories.”
“Fair enough,” Adrien agreed easily. “But you don’t have to, you know that right? I’d love to meet your family, but I’m also fine just being your pseudo-brother like I have been up until now. I know it might be a bit… uncomfortable, for you.”
“Nah,” Marinette shrugged. “Nerve wracking, maybe. But that’s also about half the things that I do in my life period, anxiety is no joke. I’ll catastrophize for a while, but I know you’ll love them and they’ll love you.”
“Sounds like they have paw-some taste,” he didn’t even miss a beat with his puns, earning a playful glare for his efforts.
“Never mind. You’re a heathen. Disowned. Who are you?”
“Mariiiiii,” he whined, causing them both to laugh for a while before focusing on the tour.
So far, so good, Marinette thought.
—*—*—*—*—*
Part 1 Part 2
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ptergwen · 4 years
Text
from one kid to another
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w/c: 6.0k
warnings: mentions of drinking, lots of swearing, implied smut, and angst at times
summary: it was a mistake, a beautiful one that you didn’t make on your own
a/n: this genuinely is my favorite thing i’ve ever written :,) i say that a lot but this time i mean it, it’s really special i think and i so so so hope y’all do too <3 enjoy my loves
-
there’s only one thing in life that testing positive for is actually positive.
depending on the situation, obviously. yours isn’t ideal, or planned or a blessing or whatever people say. it’s a gigantic mistake that you didn’t realize you made until a minute ago.
you’d noticed something was wrong when your time of the month came and all you experienced was the symptoms. cramps, cravings, everything except your actual period. as everyone is pretty much taught to do, you ran to the closest drug store for a pregnancy test. what the hell else could it be? you messed around a few weeks ago, so there’s a possibility.
your heart felt like it was going to explode out of your chest the whole time you waited for the results. you’d thought of calling tom over for support, but there are a couple of reasons why you couldn’t do that. you realized you made the right decision when your timer for the test went off.
two red lines. you’re pregnant. you’re pregnant, and your best fucking friend is the father.
where do you go from here?
the test falls from your hand and hits the floor with a mocking clank. you slide down until your back is against the bathtub. well, you’re fucked. what an ironic word choice.
the fact that you aren’t ready in the slightest to be a parent when you’re still growing up yourself is one thing. it’s another that this could ruin the most important relationship you’ve ever had.
no, tom won’t be mad. he’s never once fought with or even raised his voice at you. in your times of need, he’s been the one to uplift you and kiss your puffy cheeks dry. no matter how he takes this, you know it won’t be out on you. he is half responsible.
but, with how you left things the last time you spoke, you’re not sure you’ll be able to get past it.
tom is alarmingly good at hiding how he truly feels. you always tease him that it’s because he’s a gemini. he’ll come back with shut up, i’m an actor and stick his nose in the air to give you the full image. in all seriousness, it does take a toll on how well he can communicate.
you’ve seen it in small ways, like when he brings you along for press days and uses unenthusiastic smiles to cover up his yawns. how he’ll be polite in a conversation with people he’d rather not speak to, then mumble about it once you’re home. he tries to put forward the “appealing” parts of himself even though he’s more than them.
tom’s biggest communication issue is that he’s been in love with you since year nine and hasn’t said a word about it. you’ve yet to figure that one out.
you two became friends while tom was starring in billy elliot. his schedule was so scattered between shows and school, so he struggled to balance both. he often had to stay late for extra help on the lessons. you’d also been there a few times. you worked better in the classroom, and he was grateful he didn’t have to be alone with the teacher.
most kids made fun of tom for his interest in theater, to his face and behind his back. not you. you thought it was just incredible that someone in your own classes worked at the west end. you’d told him on your way home one night.
he’d heard you before he saw you. “you’re tom, right?” you asked from behind him, the two of you making your way through the hall. the question sounded friendly, and it wasn’t every day kids were nice to him. tom stopped walking so you could catch up. “yes, and you are?” you gave him a small smile, books clutched to your chest. he instantly returned it.
“y/n. i heard you’re in billy elliot?” you laughed at your understatement, then corrected yourself. “that you are billy elliot, i mean. that’s so cool.” “oh, i am. thank you,” he chuckled back, a full grin taking over his face. you were both walking again, you by tom’s side. “i was hoping to come see you soon.” your voice got quieter as you told him, like you were nervous.
tom never had much luck with girls, not at this point in his life. this was an opportunity to change that. at the very least, to make a new friend. he offered something you said yes to without a beat of hesitation. “what if i got you the tickets?”
from then on, you began talking during class and not only when it ended. tom really knew how to keep the conversation going, telling story after story that left you laughing so much your teacher would shush you. you’d eventually moved to hangouts at either of your houses. harrison came into the mix at some point, the three of you forming your own group.
the difference between tom and harrison was that while harrison linked with other girls, tom was only interested in you. he’d gotten a crush on you pretty fast, if he was being honest. it might have been your shared sense of humor or the way you said his name.
thomas, when he was being cheeky. tommy, which took the place of a pet name. even regular tom. that might have been his favorite. he loved how it rolled off your tongue. he loved, and still loves, you.
you’d gone to all of tom’s performances you possibly could, the ones for school theater included. you also gave him the push to take his talents to hollywood. tom was afraid he wasn’t cut out for the big screen, that he needed more practice and experience first. you told him that if this was what he wanted to do, he had to start somewhere. why wait?
tom then landed his first movie role in the impossible at the age of fifteen. he’d received tons of praise and almost gotten nominated for an academy award, all because you convinced him to audition. you played a huge part in keeping him grounded when he was between films, and caught him up on whatever schoolwork he’d missed.
you practically zoomed to tom’s house when he was announced as the next spider-man. you’d been constantly refreshing every social media platform marvel was on since tom became a finalist for the part. that process was probably the most difficult experience he’s ever gone through. you’d know, having heard all about it from tom.
the two of you celebrated along with the rest of tom’s family that night. you kept giving him little proud of you squeezes on his shoulder or knee. tom is eternally indebted to you for being the most supportive of everything he does.
he of course sends the support right back. although he went down the movie star path, acting wasn’t for you. you’d gone off to university and studied hard as hell and aced all your shit. tom quizzed you on material whenever you needed. he wanted to help you somehow, and this was all you’d let him do.
he’d offered to pay off your loans and any other expenses necessary because he had the money to do that now. you refused every single time, not trying to become dependent on him. he admired your drive, yet hated it at the same time. everything you’d done for him, it was his turn to be the caretaker. it should’ve been.
whenever tom wrapped filming for the holidays and came back home, you were always preparing for final exams. he kept you company, content with simply being in your presence. you typed away on your keyboard and read over notes until your eyes burned. tom occasionally brought you snacks, tea, asked how you were and what he could do.
sometimes, he would have to cut your study time short. he’d say it wasn’t healthy or you were overdoing it and to come relax with him for a bit. other times, tom let you be. he didn’t want to get in the way of your already stressful assignments. those were the nights you’d fall asleep in front of your laptop. drool on your chin, hunched over at your desk.
tom made sure to tuck you in, press a light kiss to whatever part of your face wasn’t covered in spit, then let himself out. he knew where your spare key was, so he used that. you’d wake up to a “Fell asleep studying again. Rest today x” text the next morning.
when it came time for you to graduate, tom was on the first flight there. it was during another round of reshoots for chaos walking. he respectfully told doug that he’d have to work around his schedule or replace him, which couldn’t be done so late into filming. tom didn’t care that it made him seem like a prick. he was getting to you no matter what he had to do.
he’d earned plenty of stares and whispers from people as he took his seat in the crowd. he was a proper celebrity now, so he expected it. his solution was to ignore everything and chat with your family about how proud they were of you, tom the most. he saw you go from a kid attempting algebra equations to an adult at her uni graduation. you’ve really grown up together.
it was why he teared up hearing them call your name, seeing you beam as you walked across the stage. your mom grabbed his hand and nodded at him, like she could tell exactly what was going through his head.
you ran right up to tom after the ceremony was over, leaping into his arms. he let out a couple of chuckles as he spun you around. “i didn’t think you’d make it,” you’d admitted, happy yet sad tears in your eyes. tom put you down so he could pull you in for a real hug. “i’ll always be wherever you are, y/n,” he said into your ear, rocking you while you gripped at his suit collar.
flash forward to a year later, your career is finally taking off, tom’s is flourishing like it has been for years, and you’re pregnant with his child. you’re trying to recall the series of events that led you to this moment.
you were both drunk, blackout drunk because the only reason you remember sleeping together is that you woke up naked in the same bed. harrison’s bed.
he threw a housewarming party for himself, having recently moved out of tom’s and the other boys’ place. the three of them, sam, and you were all in attendance, along with a lot of others you hadn’t met.
neither you nor tom could figure out where he knew all those people from. he’d clinged to you two for the most part, more so you now with tom usually away. they could have been from work. harrison is breaking into the business himself, small roles here and there. tom actually met him in your school’s theater program, then he introduced him to you, ten years ago already.
sam entertained himself by making concoctions with the snacks harrison set out. harry got together a playlist for the party. harrison and tuwaine struck up a conversation with some of harrison’s actor friends. that left you and tom alone, out of stuff to do, and with one way to fix it.
“drink?” tom had asked you, a smirk playing on his lips. “love one,” you hummed back and set off for the kitchen. the two of you raided harrison’s liquor cabinet, grabbing his biggest bottle of wine. he’d dumbly pointed it out during the house tour he gave you before the other guests arrived.
you were about to search for glasses, but tom’s fingers threaded through yours. he gently tugged you away and nodded behind him. “let’s bring this upstairs. seems much more fun there,” he’d murmured over the music, a grin breaking across your face.
tom is big on clubbing and socializing, however, you aren’t. he comes up with ways to get you out of these events, just in case.
“we can break in harrison’s bed for him,” you said as a completely harmless joke, no intentions of that becoming your reality later on. spoiler alert: it did. “and how are we gonna do that?” tom quirked a suggestive eyebrow and breathed out a laugh as you dragged him towards the stairs. despite yourself, you’d giggled at his words.
not one drink in either of you yet, and you were stumbling and cracking up as you ran upstairs. you’d pulled tom by your still attached hands into what you remembered as harrison’s room. tom shut the door, locked it, saying under his breath that would be a “convenient investment” for him to make as well.
he took out a bottle opener that he must have put in his pocket at some point and got to work on your wine, you getting comfortable on the new mattress. the two of you passed it to the other after every sip, tom licking the taste of your lip gloss off his own lips every so often.
the equivalent of three drinks in, you were making out. both of you were just tipsy at this point, tom holding you by your hips as you lied down, your legs around his waist. god, he could’ve done this sober. he’d dreamed about kissing you, really kissing you since he was fourteen. you’d always felt like you two had something more. ah, there it was.
halfway through the bottle got you past the next two bases, and you were ready for the fourth and ultimate one by the time you shook the last few drops onto the tip of your tongue. tom groaned at the sight of that, drawing your half naked body in closer to his.
you two had forgotten to use protection in each of your drunken states. without a doubt, you both would’ve agreed to a condom had your minds not been everywhere but where they should have.
you’d woken up first the morning after, panic immediately coursing through your veins thicker than blood. a fully nude and sleeping tom had you in his embrace, arms secured around your middle, facing you. you gasped when you made the connection, loudly enough to wake tom up. his long eyelashes tickled your face, a confused pout on his lips. uh... um...
“did we fucking...” you trailed off, no words to describe whatever unfolded. “fuck?” tom finished for you. a very blunt explanation, but true nevertheless. “looks like it,” he rasped, pout changing into a smile. your face fell at the vague memories of how you spent your night.
you definitely wanted to do it. just, he’s your best friend, who’s seen you at your least sexy moments over the years. when you were sick, had breakdowns from stress, you name literally anything, tom was there. it took one bottle of cheap wine for him to forget that?
the real answer was no. tom is entirely in love with you, for a decade at that. you were beginning to discover you feel the same, only you had no idea he already loves you. you’d assumed this was meant to be merely a hookup. from the frown your face held, he’d thought you were regretting it. oh, were you both so wrong.
“um... we don’t have to talk about it,” tom told you halfheartedly, under the impression that’s what you preferred. you physically felt yourself get weaker in tom’s strong arms. he’s not interested. “yeah, that’s probably for the best. i...” you were lying. his heart shrunk, shriveled up inside his chest. she doesn’t love me like that.
“you have to go. aren’t you behind on some emails?” tom hoped you didn’t hear his voice strain from the tears pushing at his eyes. “right. almost forgot, thanks.” you’d plastered on a smile, slipping out of his grasp. a tear rolled down his cheek, so he wiped it away before you noticed. you’d already gotten out of the bed and begun picking your clothes up off the floor.
“i’ll drive you home, then.” he rolled on to his other side, you thought so he could give you privacy to change. it was that, and also because he was crying. he couldn’t hold it in. tom is naturally an emotional person. imagine finding out the love you’ve had almost half your life is unreciprocated. it’s soul crushing.
you two found harrison snoring and on top of tuwaine as you left the house. no silly remarks or shared glances for the first time in ten years. tom couldn’t muster anything up, and you felt numb.
the drive was painful. you’d said your goodbyes after tom pulled up to the curb, which held an odd weight to them. once you were out of the car, a sob wracked through him, banging on the steering wheel and not giving a shit about the loud horn going off. you collapsed face first onto your bed. hours passed by while you stared at nothing and contemplated everything.
since it happened, you haven’t spoken much. small talk over text every few days or so, both of you pretending things are normal for the other’s sake. about a month later, today, is when you found out you’re pregnant.
there’s no use wallowing in any of this. you need to figure out your next move, one that should probably involve tom. first, you want to talk to someone else. you want other opinions and a voice in your head that isn’t your own. harrison gets a text from you saying to come over now, the now in all caps. he does.
you let him in after the second knock, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. however torn you are, you must look it. shirt balled in your fists, lip quivering. he keeps his eyes on yours as he steps inside, pushing the door shut behind him. this is all becoming too real. “y/n, are you okay?”
you’re about to cry in three, two...
“haz, i fucked up,” you choke out, tears unable to stay at bay. he takes you into his arms for a hug. half your face is hidden in his shoulder, hands clutching at his back. he lets you cry it out, holding you until your heavy breathing steadies. “what’s happened?” harrison asks quietly, both of you leaving the hug.
“if- if i tell you, you can’t freak out. you can’t tell anyone else, either,” you instruct, searching his eyes for certainty that he won’t under any circumstances. “i won’t, y/n/n,” he assures you and puts an encouraging hand on your arm. your heart pounding abnormally fast, you spit it out. your first time saying it aloud. “i’m pregnant.”
harrison flinches and doesn’t even try to conceal it. he takes his hand off of you, worry swimming across his features. he blinks at you, unsure of what to say. you’d react the same way, maybe worse, so you don’t blame him. a discussion you, him, and tom had a couple years back replays in his mind.
the three of you were talking about your futures, seeing as you were close to living them. when tom asked you two where you stood on having your own families, you didn’t hesitate to answer. “nope, the factory is closed for a long ass time.” until you were in your thirties, you aimed to focus on yourself. harrison distinctly remembered because of how you phrased it.
“you’re... you... wow,” is all he replies with. you head over to the couch, more tears welling up in your eyes. do the pregnancy hormones act up this early? harrison follows you over and sits down next to you with an awkward clearing of his throat. “do you want to be pregnant?” he has to ask because he’s not sure if he should congratulate you or what.
“i don’t know,” you answer honestly, voice airy. your eyes are fixed on the wall in front of you. you haven’t given yourself time to think about it. there are so many reasons you don’t, and a single one you do. “do you, um, know who the dad is?” harrison glances over at you. “yeah.” your voice cracks. you’re both afraid for him to ask what he does next.
he shifts so he’s sitting up. “can i know?” a sniffle passing through you, you finally look at him. “it’s tom,” you say it before you lose the nerve to. harrison’s face doesn’t change this time. he isn’t surprised you and tom went there. he’d seen your friendship growing into more the older you all got. what he can’t believe is where it took you.
his best friend pregnant, and his other best friend responsible for it.
“when did you...” “at your party,” you explain, bringing your legs up so they’re criss cross on the couch. “i thought you were gone a little too long.” he says that to try cheering you up. you appreciate the effort, but it doesn’t work. you’re not in a joking mood. he’ll stick to the main issue. “so, have you told him?”
“clearly not,” you scoff, not at him but at what you two have gotten yourselves into. “y/n... i think you should tell him,” harrison sighs out, then adds, “whether you keep it or not.” “why? that would ruin everything, it already has.” you’re getting angry now, which plunges you into angry crying, voice unsteady as you go on.
“the last time i saw tom was that night, and i guess it meant more to me than it did to him because we haven’t talked about it at all. he didn’t want to.” you swipe the back of your hand across your eyes, gaze stern compared to harrison’s soft one.
he drapes an arm around your shoulders, you curling into him with another sniffle. he doesn’t say anything for a minute, then he tries again. “i know you, y/n, and i know tom. you’ll kill yourselves not talking about this.” he’s right, no shit he is. avoiding telling tom how you feel, and your pregnancy on top of that, it’s eating you up inside. it’s swallowing you whole.
“what if he doesn’t want to be a dad? or- or i’m a shit mum?” you croak out, your doubts getting the best of you. “i can barely take care of myself. what am i supposed to do with a baby?” you’re leaning forward with your hands pressing into your temples. harrison’s hand moves to your upper back. “i- i don’t think i should have them. i... we can’t,” you conclude.
“tom loves kids,” he gives you a gentle reminder. “why would his own be the exception?” another good point, yet you still have rebuttles. “right, he’s a godfather and he’s really good with them and all that, but i’m not the right person, and it’s a terrible time,” you tell him all at once, in a rush to get your words out before harrison’s sway you.
“he’s never around, i’m doing my own stuff. we’re not meant for this.” you lift your head out of your hands and sit back on the couch. harrison returns his hands to his lap. he’s frowning at you, which you see from the corner of your eye. “i’m not going to force you to have the baby. just saying you have options.”
yeah, really shitty ones.
“either way, talk to tom.” harrison says this more like a demand so you’ll take his advice into actual consideration. “at least about the hookup.” your teeth sink into your lower lip, eyes watering for the nth time already.
you have no choice because he’s right again. you’ll never move on from what happened unless you and tom address it.
the next morning, you do what harrison told you to and invite tom over. he replied saying he was on his way maybe a minute later. he’s nervous to see you because yeah, but more so looking forward since it’s been so long. you’re so nauseous you barely have room for nerves. it’s morning sickness with a hint anxiety.
it feels almost normal when he first gets here, no how’ve you been and what are you up to these days? being as close as you and tom are, you’re not capable of such a dry conversation. personally, you still feel uneasy while he recounts a golfing incident him and harry got into the other day. you know something he doesn’t.
“when i tell you we flew, we flew,” tom makes a pushing forward motion with both hands. “right into the tree. i think harry, like, dented part of his face.” he lets out a breathy laugh, you forcing out one of your own. you’d be more interested without the fact that you’re expecting a child, his child, at the back of your mind.
tom exhales, shifting to face you on your couch. it’s funny how different things were when you and harrison sat in these same spots yesterday. so much has and is about to change.
“they had to send another golf cart to come get us. it was wild.” “it sounds wild,” you hollowly agree. he can tell you’re not too invested in hearing about harry’s terrible driving skills, so he changes the subject. “anyway, harrison told me he came over last night?” your stomach drops, heat coming over your whole body.
“did... did he say why?” you murmur with a look of urgency in your eyes. tom shrugs a shoulder, and casually. there’s no way he knows. “no, was he supposed to?” his tone stays playful, which you can thankfully tell. that puts you more at ease. “no. no, never mind. i would’ve asked you to come, but...” you’re searching through your catalog of excuses.
thank god tom says something else because you can’t find a good one. “it’s alright. i actually, um, had a work call.” a small smile spreads across his face, a proud one. intrigued, you raise both eyebrows. “what’d you talk about?” tom twiddles with his fingers in his lap. “i’ve been offered an audition for this really amazing film. everything works out, it’ll be huge for me.”
you’re smiling back this time, putting a hand over one of his. “woah, that’s incredible. i’m so happy for you, tom.” you lock your fingers with his from the back of his hand. he looks down at them, humbly shaking his head. “when is it?” “a few weeks from today. it films in brazil...”
oh. you can’t tell him now. it’s not worth him missing out on a milestone in his career for a baby you’re not sure you should have. that would be so unfair of you to ask. what are you going to do, not support his dreams for the first time in a literal decade? and, you’d call yourself his best friend through it all?
you guess this also means the way you feel about tom is one sided. he’s okay with leaving you after the most intimate moment you two have ever shared. you’ll dance around it the rest of your lives. better yet, act like the night never even happened. that’s not so easy to do when you’ve got a permanent reminder of it.
the thought makes you sick to your stomach. so sick, you could...
while tom is talking more about what the audition entails, you suddenly bolt up from the couch. you run for the bathroom, a hand cupped over your mouth. his face twists up in confusion from your disappearance. tom calls, “y/n/n?” out to you, but you can’t respond because your head is in the toilet. he rushes in when he hears you retching.
he gets onto the floor with you. you’re bent over, puking your guts out, back in another place where your life changed forever less than twenty four hours ago. tom pulls your hair out of your face and into a makeshift ponytail with one hand, his other on your back. that’s all you have in you. you stay over the toilet just to be sure.
saliva drips from your mouth, making you cough roughly, the sound echoing. tom moves so he’s next to you, keeping his hand in your hair and not caring one bit about the smell because he loves you and he’s utterly concerned about what he witnessed.
“love, are you sick?” he coos, searching for your eyes. they water from the intensity of everything. “morning sickness,” you answer without thinking first. shit. shit, shit, shit. it came out of you like more vomit, word vomit. there’s no going back now.
tom lets go of your hair with his eyes still on yours. his hand on your back then leaves you, fingers trailing down your body as they go. “morning sickness,” he repeats, putting it together. “you’re pregnant?” guilt taking over your features, you sit across from tom. you’re once again leaning against the bathtub, him against the counter.
“this isn’t how i wanted you to find out,” you admit and bring your knees up to your chest. “i took a test yesterday. it was positive.” your arms wrap around your legs, you now tearing up because tom figured it out. a shaky breath passes his lips. “i haven’t gone to my doctor or anything yet, but i-“
“are you keeping the baby?” tom cuts in. not to judge you for your choice, to find out what the fuck is going on before he travels across the world. you tighten your arms around yourself, grabbing your wrist. “i haven’t decided.” he gives you an understanding nod and reaches out for you. you dodge him. he might not want to do that after what you say next.
“tom, i... there’s more,” you whimper out. “yeah. i’m... i’m listening,” tom croaks, unable to hold in his infinite amount of emotions for a multitude of reasons. he’s losing you a second time. more tears spill from your eyes as you break the news, the news that will destroy what he’s been working towards his entire life.
“the baby is yours.” his face relaxes, looking almost relieved when you confess it. “when we slept together, uh,” you’re sure it’s obvious enough that you don’t have to go over the details. he’s tearing up himself. you reluctantly continue. “if you still want to audition, i get it. we don’t have to do this.”
“fuck the audition. fuck the whole movie. all of my movies, really,” tom surprises you by blurting out. he moves in until your legs are touching. “i’m staying. even if you don’t have the baby, i have to be here.” you watch in disbelief as he wipes away what are actually happy tears. “really? i was scared you’d resent me for it, or hate me even,” you mumble to him.
“y/n, what? why would i ever do that?” tom places a hand on your cheek, touch gentle and filled with love. you part your legs so he can be closer to you. he takes the space between them, thumb brushing over your skin. “i didn’t think you’d want to deal with all of this. i thought that night was only a hookup for you.” your voice wobbles under his gaze.
“no, are you kidding? i thought that’s what you thought.” he’s smiling now, eyes twinkling along with it. what he’s been meaning to tell you since you were only kids finally comes out. “i’ve loved you as long as i’ve known you, y/n. i always imagined myself doing this with you.” his words draw a quiet laugh from you, a happy one. “i know we were drunk, but i meant it all.”
the sincerity in his voice, the warmth in his eyes, they make you cry all over again. you’re getting used to it.
“i love you, tom,” you lean into him with a sniffle and a grin, his forehead now resting on yours, using his thumb to catch one of your tears. “i really do.” “i love you forever. i always have,” tom speaks lowly, breath fanning across your face. your hands grab at his shoulders. “so, you’ll stay? you’ll do this with me?” he reminds you of what he said before, this time a promise.
“forever.”
-
you ended up having the baby, and tom held your hand through the entire labor. nikki was holding his other hand, your mom holding your other hand. harrison had originally been in the room as well. when you started to push, he got freaked out and had to leave. your support system remained strong either way.
despite his repulsion of your daughter’s birth, you and tom decided to make harrison her godfather. he eventually became the godfather of your other two children also, which you had a few years later.
tom took a paternity leave from the industry so he could be with you and jamie. he’d also used his time off to propose to you, something else he fantasized about since year eleven in school. it wasn’t anything too grand because the whole world was already buzzing about you two, and a big gesture felt too impersonal with everything you’d been through together.
he did it in the form of passing a note, something you often did in class to avoid being scolded by your teacher for talking. the note came with a pencil to check off either the yes or no box, “will you marry me?” written above them. anyone else would have found it so unromantic, but you giggled as you checked off yes before your lips crashed into his smiling ones.
you were married shortly after the proposal, jamie as your flower girl and all your friends and family in attendance.
to do what he loved and stay with the people he loved, tom created his own version of hollywood in london. he took it upon himself to assemble a team and make a production company. harry behind the camera, harrison and tuwaine in the films, and tom either starring alongside them or directing. they give so many young actors tons of opportunities.
you eventually went back to work, too. it was like you’d never left, coworkers offering endless hugs and going over what you missed, not that you struggled getting into it. tom was there to celebrate every promotion, every compliment from your boss, every part of your life. jamie was also there, then liam and lucy.
all three of them are running around the house right now, putting on shoes and collecting their supplies for school. you take a sip of the orange juice liam didn’t finish with a lighthearted eye roll. tom chuckles as he passes you in the kitchen, getting the kids’ lunchboxes for them to minimize the chaos.
“you have that pitch meeting today, right?” he slips his hands through the lunchbox handles and walks over to you. “mhm,” you hum, mouth full with juice. his lips press to your temple, giving your waist a one handed squeeze. “you’ll smash it. always do.” “thanks, tommy.” putting down the cup, you reach up to button whatever parts of his shirt he didn’t have time to.
“aren’t you doing a casting? for the new script they sent?” you wonder aloud and smooth down the cotton material. “me and harry. should be interesting,” he remarks, you giving him a quick kiss back on his chin. they tend to have their artistic differences. “good luck with that. you do drop off, i’ll do pick up?” you pat one of the lunchboxes around his arms.
“deal.” tom goes in for a kiss on your lips, then a chorus of dad, we have to go led by jamie rings through the house. with a knowing smile, you push at his chest. “see you later. love you.” “love you, holland,” he bites back a grin of his own. his last name, now yours, suits you perfectly.
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Text
It’s very ambiguous
Pairing: Loki x reader (gender neutral)
Summary: You have finally come to age; your soulmate mark draws itself in your skin. You can't figure out who it connects you with, but, oh dear, you can only hope and wish it is to him. But Loki won't make it easy for you to find out. Will you both overcome the pride and fear that would involve your love?
Word count: 4.6 K
Warnings: a bit of angst. (English is not my mother tongue and it’s my first time writing fanfiction in english, so forgive me if there’s any errors, and feel free to correct them!)
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Sighing at your reflection, you stared for the Norns know how long to the fresh image that drew itself in the side of your abdomen.
You thanked it was easy to hide; saving you endless mockery from your friends if they saw that. The vivid portrayal of who you loved the most, in the most ambiguous drawing you could’ve ever gotten. How ironic.
What the Heavens would that mean, you asked yourself at least five times until the impatient knocking on the bathroom door pulled you out of your thoughts.
“Hurry up, we’re late”, said Sif. You knew she was already all dressed up for the Ball, and she would kill you, seeing you were still on your robes. You opened the bathroom door slowly, with burrowed frows. You couldn’t hide it, as much as you tried to. “Oh, for God’s sa…” she started complaining, but stopped as soon as she realized you were in a terrible state of mind.
“I got it”, you explained after she made you get out of the bathroom and sat you on the edge of the bed. “I got the mark. Impossible to guess”.
“Don’t worry about it, you’ll know who they is when the time is right”, said she, comforting you and eyeing the outfit you’d chosen earlier. “But crytime is over. Guess what time it is now. Yes, you guessed right. The Ball”.
The last thing you wanted to do in that moment was to dance; or to stay in a chair drinking wine the entirety of the night, for that matter. You didn’t need another reminder of your frustrated attempts at making him notice you. And you knew he wasn’t the one (if he were your soulmate, it would’ve already happened years; no, decades ago). But you still couldn’t help but falling in love at every little smirk, every little comment, every little thing he did. Dear, you were lost, completely gone in love.
That’s why you knew you wouldn’t find your soulmate for a long, long time. At least not until your crush for Loki had finally gone away.
“I’d rather stay”, you stated, and she rolled her eyes.
“Well, I want to go, and I can’t go alone. Please, at least do it for me”.
“Why would you want to go? Ever since we’re on age of being asked to dance, we have only gotten invitations from… well, anyone except them. And in the Balls we can’t even be their friends”.
“We can be friends, if they talk to us first we can talk back”.
“Yeah, we could, but they don’t talk first. They never do”.
Both of you were completely lost for the princes. But, unlike you, Sif had a chance with Thor. She was graceful, divine, a wonderful woman; a whole Goddess, an amazing warrior. There was no question Thor would sooner or later find love in her friend. But you… why would a prince like Loki lay his eyes on you? Romantically, he never showed a single trace of interest in anyone, much less someone in his friendgroup. You were the closest to him, yet he never said a thing.
He probably knew you drooled over him. He must have noticed how you looked at him in the library when he read to you, how you always defended him from everyone else’s mockery, how you intentionally pretended like you didn’t know any better in spells so that he could help you out. How your heartbeat raced when he fell asleep on your lap. He must have noticed, yet he said nothing.
She finally managed to convince you to go, with the condition that if you weren’t asked to dance at all, or even talk, you’d go back to your manor early.
You got in your best clothes, and undressing the best attitude possible, you both arrived at the palace and entered the ballroom as quick as your feet let you. The ambient was marvelous. Subtle lighting, most of them by candles. The golden details that characterized Asgard so well were everywhere. Both King and Queen were sat in their thrones, waiting patiently for the rest of the royal family to arrive before giving the annual speech and getting the party started.
“Do you think they’re not coming?” asked Sif as you got comfortable in your seats, eyeing the entrances.
“They can’t miss it, they’re sort of the hosts”, you said, “but… well, I don’t know. The other day after training, Thor mentioned something about this year being particularly difficult for them”, you added in such a low whisper that Sif had to pull closer.
“What did he say? He didn’t mention anything to me”, she whispered back. You two looked like you were merely gossiping, if it weren’t for the lack of giggling that would usually follow.
“He said… he said something along the lines of ‘we’re expected so much more than before in these dances, they’re more than just for fun now’, and, Sif, I think he meant…”, but she abruptly interrupted you.
“Courting? Oh, for the Norns, they’re not expected to choose a partner now, so soon, aren’t they?”.
“Soon? Sif, they’re already at each other’s throats for who’s becoming King, and they have been for a while”.
“They’re not exactly competing, anyways. You don’t have to worry about this. It’s not like Loki’s the one winning” said she, earning a subtle kick in the leg. “Auch!”.
“Would you stop being so hard on him?”.
“You know I’m right!”. 
“You know it hurts him. If you think so, at least keep it to yourself, Sif”.
You could’ve kept lecturing her if it weren’t for the sarcastic clapping of the Queen upon seeing the arrival of her sons. You read the ‘you’re late!’ on her lips and the apologetic looks on their faces. But nothing of that distracted you from admiring how marvelous Loki could get sometimes. Just when you thought he couldn't look any better, he outdid himself. You let out a sigh and Sif laughed.
“You’re staring”.
“And rightfully so. Look at him”.
But no matter how much you looked at him for the whole evening, you couldn’t get even a gaze from him. He didn’t even eyed you from the distance. You would’ve even gotten actually mad at him if it weren’t for the fact that he wasn’t looking anywhere. He didn’t seem like he was avoiding you; he was actively staring at the floor, with the saddest look on his face. And Thor looked pissed off.
“There’s a story in there and I will ask for as many details as possible once Loki spills the beans to you”, said Sif, elbowing you.
“I don’t think he will. Look, it looks like more than a fight. He looks so upset”.
You could only wish you were brave enough to break the stupid rule of the royals approach first so you could take his hand tightly and comfort him in whatever he was going through. As you always did. As he always let you.
The music played for three hours. Everyone was on their feet, dancing away, drinking away and chatting away, as one should in a Ball dance. Everyone except you and certain dark prince you didn’t even bother staring at anymore. You gave up looking for his attention an hour after the dance properly started, and it did nothing good to your pride to have been trying for that long anyways.
Sif got her chance, of course. Thor took his time, but after long he gave up with whatever quarrel he was having with his brother and approached her decisively. You were past pissed. Disappointed. After another sip of your wine, you couldn’t resist and stole a glance to Loki’s seat. To your surprise, you met his gaze. The God of Mischief was staring at you, and he apparently has been for Gods know how long. He quickly dropped his head and went back to looking at the floor, now with a completely red face.
You soon realized he was even more upset than before, as he watched Thor and Sif dance. And then you understood. Everything fell into place. Of course. Of course he liked Sif. Who wouldn’t. That’s why he fought with Thor. That’s why he was so worked up. You didn’t even need to read his mind to confirm it. 
You waited, still holding your eyes on him. You waited for another half an hour, but your patience was already on thin ice and he didn’t look like he would do anything more, anyways. So you did what you should’ve done hours ago. You got up and left.
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“No, brother, you can go, I’ll let Mother know I’m staying”, said Loki from his room.
He could hear Thor’s patience shatter in pieces from the other side of the door.
“Don’t be ridiculous, we can’t miss the Ball. Father will kill you”.
“It’s not my problem”.
“I think it is quite your problem, brother”. Loki sighed. He wasn’t in the mood for his mockery. Thor sensed it and lowered his tone of voice, insisting. “Tell me what it is, Loki. I promise I’ll try to help out”.
But he only scoffed and locked the door, to start pacing around the room, feeding his anxiety even more. He covered his arm with his palm and tried his best to make it go away. It’s just an accidental illusion. I’m making it out of nervousness. I need to make it go away, he kept saying under his breath. But it didn’t go away. It wasn’t an illusion.
“Oh, FOR THE NINE REALMS”, he kicked his chair as a sudden burst of anger ate him alive.
“Loki, let me in!”, insisted Thor. “I’m going in”.
“You can’t help me”.
“I might, if you just tell me what is it. You love the dances. Come on”.
“I do love dances, Thor, I’m not particularly fond of the weight this one has on us; not this year” he growled from the floor, knees on his chest. “Not with what I had planned, I can’t do it now” he whispered. Thor pretended like he didn’t listen to that last bit.
Loki had been circling around the idea of asking you to dance for the last few months. It was all he wanted; to caress your hand and gently hold you by the waist, to move at the pace of the music, to feel your heart on his chest, his rising heartbeat with every breath you took. He wanted you, and if that wasn’t possible (and he was sure it wasn’t) he wanted to dance with you all night long.
But now, he would have to court you and marry you if he did. And, of course, it was what he wanted. It was definitely all he wanted. But he knew you wouldn’t. And he wouldn’t risk your beautiful friendship over anything in the world. What if he lost you forever? He could never bring himself to lose you, in any form or way.
“Brother, let me in. Or get out of the room. We’re late”.
“You’re late, Thor. Must I repeat myself? I’m not going”.
“I’m kicking the door”.
Loki sighed, and waited to hear Thor’s intense footsteps get closer and closer to the door to open it just in time and see him land on his face. Thor got up off the floor with blood on his nose.
“It combines with your crimson cape, brother, no need to worry” said Loki mockingly.
But Thor paid little attention to his silvertongue. Instead, his eyes were fixed on his arm. Then, he understood exactly why he was acting so terrified. Loki covered his arm as soon as he realized, mortified, but it was now too late and Thor had already seen it.
“Do you need any other reason to invite them to dance with you?”, he said with a grin of pride.
“It's not them. I’m certain”.
“How are you so certain? It’s such an ambiguous drawing, and you haven’t seen theirs!”.
“They doesn’t even have a soulmate mark yet. They told me the other day”.
“You didn’t have one at that time either, it must have changed. Come on”.
Loki sighed and put on a long sleeved outfit, while letting Thor rant about how much he was sure you’d reciprocate his feelings. And Loki couldn’t say anything against it, because it would only bring ruin to everyone; to spill the obvious secret that haunted him everyday.
The fact that you lusted over Thor.
And it hurted him like anything else, because he knew even though you didn’t say anything. He knew he was the lesser prince. The one that gets looked over. The shadow in his brother’s spotlight. The always-prince, never-King. It hurted like Hell.
But there was nothing he could do about it. And now he had a mark that linked him to the Norns know who, but he only had eyes for you.
Because you were always there. You were the one to defend him against his own insecurities, and everyone else’s accusations. The one to laugh the loudest at his jokes, the one to hold him the tightest when you were in fear, the one to call him first to anything. And you were perfect. But you, for obvious reasons, didn’t think the same of him. You thought the world of him, but not in the way he wished.
And he wouldn’t even get to see you happy from someone else’s love, because his brother didn’t even have eyes for you. The idiot of Thor could not see your brightness, and Loki wondered how could anyone not fall in love with you.
“You need to try, Loki, you’ll never know if you don’t risk a little”.
“A little? To you this is a little? Do you have any idea what would happen to me if I lost them forever? If the person that I love the most leaves me because I just decided to stop hiding my feelings?”, yelled Loki, completely angered.
“Ah, there it is. If I decided to stop hiding my feelings”, repeated Thor, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.
“What is that supposed to mean?!”.
“You are afraid; so incredibly afraid of letting anyone know you fully. That is your problem, Loki. They’ll accept you no matter what, because they already know you. You think you’re hiding, well, you’re not so good with this little lie of yours”, said finally Thor, tired of biting his tongue about it.
“You know nothing about their feelings”.
“I know enough”.
“Believe me, you don’t. And you don’t get to say a word about my love life, or anything about this situation, for that matter. You don’t get to make light of my situation, as you do with everything regarding me. Now, leave. Me. Alone”.
They continued fighting about it until one of their tutors had enough of their unpunctuality and came to look for them. Both entered the ballroom still highly upset at each other and said nothing about it all night. Frigga knew exactly what they were talking about, and didn’t make too much of a fuss about the delay in their arrival.
Loki tried to not look at you in the entirety of the night; avoided all the eye contact he could with anyone, specially you. He was too afraid you’d choose that exact time to practice your special abilities at mind reading (since you’ve done this at previous dances, when Loki didn’t approach you), and if he didn’t see you, you couldn’t do it. Because if you dared reading his mind you’d only find yourself. And in those little moments he got to glance at you, while you were distracted with something else, he sank in sadness, because all he wanted was to embrace you and dance with you. You looked as fantastic as you always were and more. You looked especially excellent. And it didn’t go unnoticed to him that you looked annoyed. From the eye-sided glances he got to steal from you, he saw you staring at the seat he and his brother were in. You were expectant. You wanted to be taken out to dance. And Loki’s suspicions about your crush on Thor only got reassured when he asked Sif for a dance and you looked the most annoyed you’d ever looked in ages.
You left the dance early. After about ten minutes Loki decided to go after you. Outside of the ballroom you could still be a friend; that was the whole point of swallowing his feelings. He wandered the palace until he heard fireballs collapsing against the huge walls of your typical training spot, but he lingered his entrance to observe you in an incredibly angry state of your magic.
“You’ll set the palace on fire” said a gut-wrenching familiar voice. Of course Thor was there. Of course Thor would get earlier to comfort you in something that he destroyed.
“Then so be it”, you answered with a crack in your voice. Loki didn’t mean to invade your privacy, but he couldn’t help himself but to listen.
“I know why you’re upset. Believe me, it upsets me too”.
“You have no idea what upsets me”, you answered, and Thor chuckled. Loki could sense that Thor was thinking about how similar you and Loki were. You threw another fireball against the wall.
“Let me guess”.
“Enlighten me, your majesty”.
“You didn’t get to dance with the man you like”.
“You know nothing about the man I like”.
“When will you all stop treating me as if I were blind? Come on, why won’t you tell me? I’m your friend. I know you’re burning up in love and you still think you don’t have a chance because… because what? Because he’s the prince of Asgard?” said Thor. You stopped your magic and stared at him with teary eyes.
“Because the prince of Asgard I love, is in love with Sif. And there’s nothing I can do about it” you answered. Loki’s heart broke. Hearing you admit your raw feelings to Thor that way, and Thor not even understanding you were talking about him.
“What makes you think he’s in love with Sif?!” insisted, still clueless.
But Loki didn’t need to hear any more of that. He ran through the halls of the palace until he got to lock himself in his room.
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“What makes you think he’s in love with Sif?!”, Thor asked, and you scoffed. You lowered your gaze to the floor, trying to make the tears go unnoticed. They didn’t, and Thor hugged you tightly.
Thor was almost like a brother to you. You grew up together, but it was more than that. You were always for each other. He never had to ask about your love for Loki, he always knew. And you never had to ask about his crush in Sif; it was transparent. So you both supported each other. You didn’t even bother telling him how she felt about him, it was bound to happen. Now, you and Loki, on the other hand…
“He is, you can’t deny it”.
“I’m denying it, I assure you”. You wiped your tears away and touched your mark over your clothes. He smiled. “You got the mark, didn’t you?”.
“Yeah”.
“What is it?”.
“Ugh, it doesn’t matter. Maybe I should just forget him and start looking for my soulmate. If the mark showed up today, then it must be for something. There has to be a reason”. Thor nodded, still smiling. “What are you so happy about, dumbass? My heart’s broken".
“Nothing. You keep on looking. Can I see it?”, said he, patting your back.
“It’s too ambiguous, you won’t guess it”.
“So I expected”.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Do you know anything?”.
“Nothing whatsoever”.
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You got in your fighting position. Loki bent down in his seat, focusing on the next fight. He was sure you’d win; he has been teaching you new moves and you completely mastered them. And your rival didn’t know any better, anyways.
One kick from your opponent; you avoided it and threw a punch. Another kick. Another punch. The rival grabbed your leg, making you lose your balance and almost fall down, but you used that impulse to push him away and get him to the ground. He got up and started using magic. A blue light shone around him and started getting closer to your feet. You closed your eyes and focused intensely; soon, water drops started emerging from the tips of your fingers. They quickly transformed into a stream of water that wrapped your opponent from head to toes, making his electricity magic attack him, instead of you. Loki smiled.
Your rival pushed further his strength and one of the electrified waterjets hit your leg. You fell to the ground with a scream. It hurted, a lot. Loki gasped and Thor had to grab his shoulder to remind him it was just a training fight. For his tranquility, you got up on your feet soon and started using your magic again.
An aura of sparks and wind formed around you while you closed your fists, extremely concentrated. Your opponent waited without attacking, but behind the shield of his armour. Loki saw Thor smile proudly; this was the part he taught you. For your fire side of your powers, Thor was the one to train you thoroughly. Loki sighed, frustrated because you haven’t yet shown what Loki had taught you with such enthusiasm. He still observed you with attention.
“This part is awesome, look, brother”, whispered Thor in his ear, which only made him angrier.
“I’m sure it is. They is awesome. And wait until you see what I taught them”. Thor chuckled.
“No need for jealousy, Loki. They’s all yours”. Loki rolled his eyes and directed his attention to the fight again.
The sparks and wind grew bigger and bigger around you, circling your whole body. Once the sparks became fire, you directed your whole energy to your opponent, sending him against the wall. If it weren’t for the gigant fire-proof shield, he would’ve gotten completely roasted.
You put your guard down, and as you did so, the wind and fire around you dispersed. Loki got to see you again once the magic flew down, and realized you had your clothes slightly lifted up. He tried not to look out of respect, but Thor gasped, and that drew his attention directly to what surprised his brother. And it did not disappoint. Loki’s chest got as tight as it has ever been. His breathing became irregular and unsteady, and his face got completely red. You didn’t notice your shirt had lifted up, so you didn’t realize what was going on. You got closer to your defeated rival and shaked his hand.
“You win. I see you’ve been well trained”, he said.
“I have”, you answered, and directed your gaze to the princes who were watching the fight. You walked closer to them to chatter, as you always did, but Loki got up fast and ran out of the training room. Thor told you to follow him, and Loki heard your footsteps behind him for the entirety of the hall, until you two got to the gardens.
Loki was shaking. He didn’t want you to be there. He didn’t want you to see him that vulnerable. And you knew it, so you didn’t get closer than two meters apart.
“Loki”, you said after a while, behind his back. “What’s wrong?”.
He turned around, face still red. He was usually cold, but at that moment he was burning up inside and out. Maybe he was burning out of love for you. Maybe out of anger, for being so pessimistic and making himself a martyr when his brother was clearly right. Maybe out of rage to himself, for waiting so long to make a move and losing so much time lost in his own head. But you were still standing there, concerned. And he had to say something, because you still didn’t know anything.
“I saw your mark”, he stated. Now you were the one with the red face.
“Oh… I, I don’t, uh…”, you stuttered, and he got closer to you. He grabbed both of your hands and you looked at him in the eyes, clueless. “I try not to give it that much attention”.
“Why?”, he asked. “It’s your soulmate. The person you’ll love the most”.
“I already love someone” you said, in a burst of confidence. Loki swallowed in nervousness. Your hands started to get sweaty. “I… ugh. Sorry. I don’t want to say…”.
“Who? Tell me, I’m your best friend”.
“I don’t want you to be”, you finally said. “It’s you, Loki. It’s always been you. I don’t care about this stupid soulmate mark, because I know I’m in love with you and I always have been”.
Loki stayed silent, which only made your anxiety increase. He finally looked at you in the eyes and formed a subtle smile.
“I thought you loved Thor”.
“What? Why would I…?”.
“I heard you after the Ball; you said the prince you love was in love with Sif”.
“Yeah, you”.
“I’m… what? I’m not… I’m not in love with Sif, darling”.
Your heart stirred, and you weren’t sure if it was because of the pet name he just gave you, or the fact that you got it all wrong. He wasn’t in love with Sif?
“I’m sorry, did we both think…?”.
“We’re idiots, apparently”.
You both laughed. That was it; that cotidianity, that normality that felt, even in the most embarrassing and intense moments, completely fine. Because you were, before anything, friends.
You hugged him. He returned the hug and caressed your neck and back with one hand. You felt his heartbeat rise, and from that position, he whispered in your ear with that beautifully deep and raspy voice; “I saw your mark”.
“I don’t care about it. I don’t want to ruin our friendship, ignore my feelings if necessary. But my heart only beats for you”, you whispered back. He sank his nose on the crook of your neck and felt his mouth form a smile against your skin. You shivered and felt warmth in your stomach.
“I don’t want to ignore your feelings”.
“I love you”, you said once again, regretting it in that instant. You couldn't stop your words from falling out of your mouth. You felt like you sounded desperate.
“I love you too, my dear”.
You, in shock, looked at him in the eyes. He kept smiling, and putting a strand of your hair behind an ear, placed a small kiss on your red cheek.
“I don’t know what to do next. I like being your friend”, you said. “And I don’t think we’re meant to be. I got a mark, and you haven’t, so it’s obvious we won’t end up together anyways. And I want you by my side for all my life; even if it’s just as a friend, you know? I don’t want to lose you”. Loki chuckled at your rant. “What?”.
“What makes you think I didn’t get my mark yet?”.
“Well, I… I don’t know. Did you?”.
“Yes”.
“What does it look like?”.
He smiled.
“It’s very ambiguous”, said he, sarcastically.
“Hard to guess, is it?” you chuckled, realizing what was going on. Loki lifted his sleeve, uncovering an identical soulmate mark to yours.
“Hard to guess, yet so obvious”, he said. He grabbed your waist and neck and both melted in a long, desired kiss. You sank your fingers in his hair, caressing his scalp. “Yours?”
“It’s very ambiguous too, you know?”.
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Summary: On her summer break from college, Y/N embarks on an affair with Lee Bodecker. But she realizes that not all that drips from his lips is honey.
Pairing: Lee Bodecker x reader
Warning: Age gap, language, angst, cheating, sexual content, unprotected sex (pls wrap it before you tap it, this work is fiction 😤), some dark Lee.
SMUT—18+ ONLY
Word Count: 5.7k NOT PROOFREAD. ( Comments, tips & suggestions are greatly appreciated!)
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1962
She waited. Body plush on the bed donning the new satin burgundy lingerie Lee had gifted her. The only light in the room was coming from the lamp on her end of the table and she was grateful for it.With the curtains drawn, the room was dim and it depicted the mood she’d been in for the past week.
She should’ve loathed him, shouldn’t even have shown up to see him. But it would be the last time she would do so and she’d put her pride aside to be engrossed in him one last time. She would cherish the moment, cling to him like she never had before because she really would miss him. She knew she’d miss him terribly. Being far away from him would crush her heart, but she hoped the distance would alleviate the guilt.
What they were doing was so wrong. A betrayal that had her aching every single time they met and the following days she would wallow in guilt. Yet she’d do it all over again that one day of the week, at times even more, come back to the same room to be at his disposal. To be taken by him, pushed into the bed by his weight and fucked into a puddy mess.
She had deceived all those around her. So seemingly innocent with the way she carried herself in a manner that would never raise questions, that would never place faults on her family. With her pretty hair, the curl of her lashes and bright eyes she was the epitome of what all the girls in the town wanted to be. The daughter of the undersheriff of Knockemstiff provided her family with admiration from those in the town, it placed her family on a pedestal. It provided her with a fine education outside of her town in a nice college.
She should have been different, should have never involved herself in such destructive behavior. Actions that could very well place her family in an uncomfortable and embarrassing situation.
Her family, friends and especially Lee’s wife, Jane—they were all victims. Y/N couldn’t believe she had let things get so far with Lee. That she could ever betray her family by sleeping with one of their closest friends, her father’s boss.
She felt despicable, skin crawling as she felt herself get hot with shame all over again. It was a never ending cycle of self-hatred. It was especially so when she thought of Lee’s two children that her eyes were brimming with tears. She huffed as she thought that her last evening with Lee seemed to already be going downhill with the inundation of thoughts drowning her, never leaving her alone.
Her and the sheriff. They were forbidden fruit—they had sinned far greater than anybody. Betrayed those around them when they succumbed to their sweet desires.
Yet even with clear awareness of what she was doing, of what her actions could mean for those she was closest to she still went about doing it. Still found herself waiting for Lee Bodecker every Friday evening in the rundown motel minutes away from their families.
She deduced that it must have been her age, still young and lacking experience in many areas of her life. Lee had given her something she had never experienced before—exhilarating excitement. A type of excitement that kept her up most nights, thinking of how their next meeting would be like. What he would do to her next. It was the sneaking around, the long glances and especially the hours spent in room 505. A week ago, she had felt utter bliss being with him. Looked forward to falling into his arms, create crescent moons on his back with her nails and press their lips together in a matter only both knew how to.
She loved the domineering way he walked into their room with his dark leather jacket and sheriff’s uniform. The badge always seemed to do it for her. She was putty in his hands. Always.
She was so young next to him and had learned too much from him in such a short time as if she was his student. She learned what it meant to have her toes curling in pure content, to have her mouth hang open with no sounds coming out because the pleasure was that good. She couldn’t be blamed for putting herself in such a sinful disposition, he had unearthed a whole different side of life for her. The intimacy she had never experienced with anybody else. It was why she kept coming back.
Lee was far older than she was. A husband, father of two children and the town’s most important asset—the sheriff. Everything about him screamed authority. The way he walked into a room and without uttering a single word he’d command everybody’s attention. It was how he’d gotten to her so easily.
She’d grown up before his very eyes; transformed into a young woman and he had taken notice. How couldn’t he? She was so pretty. He didn’t feel an ounce of guilt as he took her and not even afterwards when they both went back to their respective families. He couldn’t feel the guilt when he was so utterly engulfed in her. When all he could think of was how her hair smelled like strawberries, how her small hands grabbed tufts of his hair all the meanwhile her legs wrapped around him. He was delirious with lust, seeing her and her only.
Y/N was on break from college and had more time to visit her father at the station. She’d drop off lunch a few times a week for him and when her father was out of his office to tend to last minute duties, Y/N would knock on Lee’s office and offer him her father’s lunch. It was kind of her, the way she thought of him. It was then when those kind gestures began to build on him, a type of effect that snowballed into yearning to have her.
Maybe it had been her velvety voice or the way she seemed to carry herself with such quiet elegance and a feel of serene ambiance. The clothes she wore were perfectly stitched for her. Bright high square neckline tops and high waisted cotton shorts with drawstrings. Her choice of clothing gave a peek to the silkiness of her legs and it wasn’t much but it had him hardening every time she walked through his office door.
He didn’t really know how he’d done it. He’d just talk to her, sweet talk his way into making her want him. He’d stare longingly at her, the blue of his eyes romanticizing whatever it was that he wanted from her. Had he been fully honest with her she would have never looked at him, never let him fuck her.
Jane and I are separated, Lee had told her. Deceiving her was the only way,  Lee couldn’t have done it any other way. And she had eaten it all up. Believed him as his wife stayed at home more and more, limiting her interactions with him in public. It was a lie that had worked out until it hadn’t.
It wasn’t until a week back, Y/N had gone to the farmer’s market wanting to buy fresh produce. Upon entering the highly filled space of the market she noticed the back of Jane’s head. How couldn’t she? She was the only redhead in the whole town of Knockemstiff. She had almost turned back immediately, feeling nervous at the sight of the woman who warmed Lee’s bed every night. Jane had looked back suddenly and met her eyes within an instant and a smile formed on her lips. She turned, a moment still stuck in her head as if it happened in slow motion, and it felt like the air had been knocked out of her. The swell of her midriff was unavoidable, too obvious to tear her eyes away from it. Jane walked forward, hand on her belly.
“It’s so good to see you, Y/N.” Jane spoke, voice high pitched as always. She was always so cheery and kind, a smile on her face. And she stood ever so clueless in front of her, before someone who climbed on her husband as often as she could.
Y/N was speechless as the shock was evident on her face. Her stomach was large enough to be over six months and she was right when she was finally able to speak and ask her how far along she was and Jane had confirmed it. She had been on bedrest being a high risk pregnancy but was now feeling more herself, more able to be out and about. And it all made sense to her then.
The sweet and honeyed words that Lee had uttered to her about a separation between him and his wife. That they had drifted apart with time and were waiting for the right time to file for divorce, his excuse for not being able to do so was the upcoming election. It all made sense then. The intimacy they had shared created a blurred line for her, had clouded her thoughts when she was in his arms.
He was good at lying. Fantastic at it, she had to give it to him. He had used his wife’s ordered bed rest to his advantage, had used it to get his way with Y/N. Quench whatever thirst he felt that only she could satiate him.
It angered her, but mostly she felt a deep type of disappointment consume her. What he had done was unforgivable and she couldn’t come forward and say it. She couldn’t because she’d be burnt in the midst of it all too. But she thought of it again and again, went in circles around how he’d done such a thing. How the honey dripping from his lips had been venom in truth. It had all been lies.
It seemed as though decades of experience and a decorated career had given Lee a damned way of always getting what he wanted. Having the ability to twist the truth, to hide facts and move the pieces around to whatever was most convenient for him. He was astute that way. Giving her his absolute attention when he was alone with her, staring at her as if she was the only girl he ever wanted, as if she held the key to the world.
He whispered false promises into her ear, soft and sweet. Convenient. He would kiss her as if he had missed her, as if his day was suddenly a lot better because of her. As if she meant something. That she was more than just a distraction; an easy fuck. And she had fallen for it all, walked right into his trap.
And for Y/N, all of the sweet nothings he would say to her, the lust-induced promises he would make to her as they came down from their high always filled her with stupid hope. Clinging onto his every word, his every move. When she was in his arms, she felt the world and all its worries melt away. The blue of his eyes had hypnotized her, the bitter taste of his lips tranquilized her into believing everything he would say.
The door knob to the room began twisting loudly, breaking her from her deep trance. The sound of keys fumbling behind the door and a loud huff coming from the man that destroyed her. She swallowed thickly and wiped the end of her eyes to rid of the evidence of what she already knew. She would do this one last time with him. Succumb to him one last time before it all came to an abrupt end.
“Baby doll.” Lee grinned when he pushed past inside slamming the door shut behind him. His jacket was already on the floor and his harsh steps on their way to the bed. Y/N looked up at him, transforming her saddened look to the smirk she knew he liked so much. She pushed herself from her lying down position to her knees knowing he would love seeing her in the lingerie he had gifted her.
He did. His eyes perked up at the sight of the smooth flesh of her breasts that were almost spilling from the sheer balconette bra, the swell of them tantalizing him. The thin material of her panties, sheer and satin, too were captivating. It earned her a harsh bite of his lip.
“Look at you, doll. It fits you perfectly just like I knew it would.” He groaned as he placed a knee on the bed and grabbed hold of both her arms to pull her towards him.
He kissed her like he wanted to swallow her whole. As if he wanted to print his lips on hers, mark them for life. And she kissed him back with a ferocious need, desperate and sad all at once. Her tongue was swiping against his fighting for dominance. She knew he’d question it, the neediness of her movements. Of how her hands were already unbuckling his belt as she kissed him with seemingly all her might. It would be the last time, he just didn’t know it yet.
“What’s gotten into you baby doll?” Lee hummed as he pulled away. His lips red from her attack, the blue of his eyes gleamed as he felt the throbbing of his cock when she finally brought his pants down halfway. Her hand began palming the thick print through his boxers and she knew that even though he was questioning her, peering up at him and noticing the wild expression on his face, she knew he loved it.
“You missed me that much baby?” He swiped his tongue against his lips as she nodded all the meanwhile pulling him to lay down on the bed. His pants were a puddle on the floor with Y/N’s figure pushing him down onto the soft mattress. He was surprised at her taking the reigns of the situation, showing a dominance she never had before. He would always be the one to push her down onto the bed, attack her lips with a week’s worth of pent up frustration.
“I did miss you.” She whispered. The softness of her hands took hold of his briefs and pulled them down the extremities of his legs. He seemed needy as well, removing his tie and unbuttoning his white shirt. She felt her whole body on fire, needing to touch him and kiss him all at once; a feeling so overwhelming.
Her nimble hands grasped his cock, already hard and head swollen with pent up need. The mere feel of her hands had him groaning and when she began pumping him, his hands reached out to the swell of her breasts. Admiring them wasn’t enough anymore he needed to run his hands over them, cup them in his hands and flick the nipples under his fingers.
She was needy, he noticed from the very beginning. Her movements were eager yet well calculated, knowing what and how he liked it. He knew he would let her take control for the first half, but would make sure to take back the dominance he loved to have when he filled her up.
Her mouth came down on him, tongue flicking against the angry head of his dick before she came down halfway then came up again. Her hands were still pumping the base of his cock, never being able to take him all in her mouth. It made her slightly upset wanting nothing more than to feel him at the back of her throat.
Lee’s orbs glazed over as he watched his girth disappear inside his girl’s mouth. She was so talented that way, savoring him and trying her best to take him all. She was a fast learner. Learned to take him in such a short time, inside the crevice hidden between her thighs and the wetness of her mouth. This time, to Lee, she seemed insatiable. She was moaning, tongue sloppily swooshing at the head and the entirety of his cock. With her swollen lips, she kissed it as if he’d gifted her something entirely far too great and she was grateful for it.
He was a big man in all aspects. His soft belly had come into view as his shirt was discarded on the floor too. She had come to like it so much over the summer, love the fullness of it and the strength that characterized him. His arms were strong, shoulders broad and his piercing blue eyes were the gem she had never quite noticed before.
She never really paid much attention to him before, he was just the sheriff of Knockemstiff, a family friend and her father’s boss. That was all. Yet as the years passed and she grew up, he noticed it and when the time came he gave her the right type of attention—sweet and savory words that had her thighs squeezing together. She had fallen for a man who quite frankly was quite intimidating. Someone who was forbidden.
She took her time with him. Fingers wrapped tightly against his girth keeping a fair momentum all the meanwhile her mouth continued its exploration as if savoring him. Like it was their first time. He tasted so good, salty and just him. Her sweet assault had him groaning above her and one of his hands was still flicking her nipple, struggling to keep it there when her mouth was making everything difficult.
“Fuck baby get up here.” Lee breathed out, one of his hands pulling her hair up forcing her mouth off him. He was always rough with her and she’d grown to love it; learned to take it. To have her skin red and raw from his hands and mouth. Y/N swallowed thickly, knowing exactly what he wanted.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before climbing on top of him, feeling the stiffness of his cock at her clothed core. His hand tangled into her hair and brought their lips together in a sloppy kiss. He felt so good rubbing against her pussy, clothed or not, he was so hard she could every ridge and vein. Desperate to feel more of him, her hips began grinding against the place she wanted to sink down onto. She wanted him so badly but knew what he wanted from her, where he wanted to have his mouth.
When he pulled away from her, he gave her a knowing look and patted her arm. It was his signal for her to move up. She felt her cheeks becoming hot as her hands pushed the small panties down her legs and onto the edge of the bed. She climbed further up until her most private place was in complete direct contact with his face. He sighed at the heavenly sight of her pussy, her folds already glistening with her arousal and he felt even harder knowing his baby girl felt embarrassed. She was especially shy when he coaxed her into having her sit on his face. But why wouldn’t he want her thighs crushing his face, her pussy in direct contact with his mouth when she was so delicious.
The first swipe of his tongue on her folds had her moaning out loud into the silent motel room. When his tongue flicked against her clit in a torturous pace, she began panting feeling so vulnerable and overwhelmed in the position all at once. His hands were on both sides of her hips keeping her in place yet they were kneading the soft skin there, feeling the slight stretch marks that decorated her hips and ass. He was relishing the taste of her nectar on his tongue, salty and sweet all at once and he felt like he couldn’t get enough.
“Fuck baby girl you always taste so damn good.” He groaned as he gripped the sides of thighs tighter, the skin dimpling with the pressure. She looked down at him surprised, as she made sure to keep her balance by having her hands on the headboard and feet perked on the bed.
His hands grasped her hips tighter, fingernails digging into her skin. Her breathing was erratic, chest heaving harshly as his lips assaulted her folds. Sucking on the little nub that was making her toes curl. Overwhelmed with stimulation, it all came together building that familiar bubbling feeling inside her that had her gasping his name out. It spilled from her lips over and over again as he licked and sucked on her pussy lips at a pace that couldn’t have been more perfect.
With a cry, she felt her legs quaking as she reached her peak. It coiled inside her until it came loose. Her orgasm spilled onto the inside of her thighs and Lee’s tongue cleaned it all off her. The rumbling of his chest as his baritone voice worded out compliments to her. How she tasted so sweet and he couldn’t wait to fuck her.
“I need you to fuck me Lee. Right now.” Y/N commanded as soon as the filthy compliments slipped from his lips. She felt desperate to feel him inside her, to take her one last time. She just didn’t know what was waiting for her, of what he already knew. That he was simply entertaining her little game.
Her eyes were glossed over, still reeling from the overwhelming feeling her orgasm had washed over her. He looked surprised at her foul words. She was usually reserved, letting him do whatever he wanted with her and however he wanted to. Yet her taking control over the situation had him aching for her even more. The excitement bubbling and boiling over.
He patted her thighs again as her shaky legs managed to move over and sit on the bed. Confusion took over as she saw Lee scoot down and off the bed. He wiped her confusion right off as he grabbed her feet and pulled her towards the edge of the bed. He was more than ready to take her. His dick rock hard.
“Get on all fours.”
Her breathing still uneven from the remnants of her first orgasm, she pushed herself to her knees and hands both allocated on the bed. She felt his calloused hands on her ass and knew his eyes were devouring the view she was giving him. With her body perked up on the bed, ass in clear eye view to him she felt shy all over again. His hand came down onto her flesh harshly leaving behind a searing buzz. And he did it again and again until shrieks left her mouth.
His full lips kissed on the marks of her skin, leaving behind a trail of wetness before he stood upright again. Gripping his hardened cock in his hand and brought it to her core. Rubbing it on her silky folds, using the wetness from her opening to coat his cock to better prepare her for the stretch that always left her mewling.
Y/N gripped the sheets with her hands bracing herself for him and when he finally entered, her mouth fell open. He moved until she was fully filled with his cock, until his happy trail met the skin of her ass. And he began moving, not giving her time to adjust because he needed to feel more of her. To revel in the feeling of being inside her tight walls, to see her turn into nothing but moans and cries.
Her back arched as the pace of his strokes picked up. He felt deeper and deeper with each push. It felt like he was pulling her so far from herself as her eyes rolled back with the sensation he was giving her. This was her favorite position but they had never quite done it like this. Not with him standing on the floor and her body perked up on the bed. It gave him more leeway, more freedom to move at a faster pace. To roll his hips, to slam them down until her skin was red.
“You like it when I fuck you like this baby?” Lee asked as he came down and she felt the hotness of his breath on her back. A meek yes fell from her lips. His lips kissed the skin below her delicate bra, the burgundy color of it complimenting her skin tone so prettily. Lee nipped and bit on the skin leaving behind red marks in his wake. She shuddered with the fanning of his breath, hot and wet on the skin of her back and her sheets were gripped tighter on her fisted hands.
His hands suddenly left another red mark on the skin of her ass with a harsh spank before they came up and took hold of her unruly hair. He grasped the hair tightly as he stood upright again and began a relentless rhythm with his hips. She couldn’t help but be loud, crying his name out loud over and over again because he was the only man who could ever make her feel such pain and pleasure all at once. It was overwhelming how the myriad of emotions and feelings conjoined together during their acts of passion and she could still feel the searing fire bubbling inside here yet again. She was closer every time his hips snapped against her core, pushing that one familiar toe-curling feeling from her.
“I’m gonna cum Lee oh my god.” She cried out, hair still in his grasp. It was uncomfortable but she could take it. The roughness of his movements, of his cock filling her up and her hair tangled in his hands. She felt it all as her toes curled in the shockwaves of her orgasm. It ripped through her in countless curses and jolts that Lee’s hand let go of her hair and her head fell onto the mattress. She felt weak, knees wobbly with the intensity of her shattering finite.
“I want you to look at me when you cum, Lee. Please.” She whispered, voice so low she thought he wouldn’t hear the softness of it. He did.
Lee held onto the flesh of her hips and flipped her onto her back. His body joined hers on the bed again, him on top of her. Lee noticed a thin sheet of sweat had built up on her chest and forehead, breathing still erratic from the aftermath of her orgasm. She looked so beautiful to him, completely fucked and disheveled because of him. Her request had his insides churning knowing why she was being so demanding this time around, why her movements from the beginning of the night had been quick to feel him, so desperate for him as if starved of his touch.
His cock slipped inside her folds yet again and they both groaned in unison. Their eyes met for what seemed only the second time that night and the intensity of what they both felt turned into thick tension. He wanted to fuck it all away, rid himself of the reality of their situation. Of the grimy situation  they were both in, of what he had done. His lies had gotten him so far yet it all seemed to be coming to an end.
He continued his ardent stare, hips rolling against her core as if rushed. Wanting to sear their acts between her legs forever, never letting her forget that he was the only man who could make her feel this way. That despite what he had done, nobody would ever compare to him.
“I’m gonna cum baby, you’re gonna take it all?”
She nodded fervently, knowing that if she spoke her voice would break.  Tears began wetting her cheeks, sliding down as the noises in the small motel room escalated. His hips were stuttering against hers already, almost reaching his peak, but still keeping the same harsh momentum that had her mouth falling ajar.
Chasing his own end. The wetness of her arousal was driving him insane, making the movements of his dick inside her much easier. He felt the warmth of her engulfing him, wrapping him up in such a delicious way he knew he’d finish inside her in no time. She was crying out, loud and soft all at once and he felt so pleased with himself as he stared at how angelic she looked. The youth so evident on her skin, the long lashes curled and her glazed eyes still connecting with his. The look on her face had his hips bucking against hers harder, wanting her even more even though he already had her and was already fucking her the way he wanted to.
He brought his face down to meet her lips, to kiss her with a need so strong it felt as if it was crushing him. He bit her bottom lip harshly before letting it go and sucking on her tongue. His movements left her breathless and gasping. His dick was moving inside her and she could feel the veins and rough ridges of it. It was deliciously painful the way their skin slapped against each other, harsh and sensual. It felt like he had reached places inside her she never thought to be possible, the sensation of being filled to the hilt. A fullness that had her aching.
With a string of curses and grunts, Lee’s hips bucked one last time and spilled his seed inside her. He bent down to give her a sweaty kiss before he removed himself from her and collapsed back on the bed.
“You’re amazing baby doll. We’re still on for next friday right?” He breathed out, head turning to look at her. Her eyes were turned to the ceiling and she forged a smile.
“Yes.”
Lee rolled his eyes at the way the lie rolled off her mouth so effortlessly. As if she had practiced it countless times.
“You think I wouldn’t know baby girl?”
“Know what?” Her head snapped to look at him. And as if suddenly feeling shy, her hands gripped the sheets beginning to cover the delicacy that was her body.
“Don’t play stupid with me. You think Jane wouldn’t run her big mouth to me about seeing you at the market? Or how your daddy is all sad about you wanting to leave back to college three weeks before your classes even start?”
“I-I’m sorry.” It hurt to apologize. The words were shaky and unbelievable as she had nothing to be sorry for. He had deceived her just as much as they had deceived both their families. Had lied to her about his separation from his wife in order to get her on her knees. Yet the wild look on his face and the rough tone his voice had taken left her feeling shaky. As if she was treading on broken glass.
“Don’t give me that shit.”
“You lied to me, Lee. You think it was easy for me to see Jane with a big belly? H-How shocked I was?”
“Would you even have looked my way if I told you her and I were still together?” He asked. The incredulous question came so easily, as if it wasn’t the craziest thing he had ever said.
“Of course not.” She muttered. Her voice broke as tears spilled from her eyes. It was the pressure of knowing the truth that made her body shudder. The man laying next to her wasn’t at all who she thought he was. She knew it yet still met him one last time. She wanted to show him what he would be missing when she was gone, of what he had lost out on. Yet the man had been a step ahead of her.
She scooted away to the edge of the bed ready to hurriedly put her clothes back on and leave him for good. The sudden movement had Lee in a panic and his hand yanked her back to the center of her bed. Her shriek was cut to a halt when his large hand wrapped around her throat constricting her breathing. Her glossy orbs stared into his in utter disbelief. She didn’t believe it was real. None of what was happening was registering for her because it couldn’t have been real. Lee couldn’t do that to her.
The disbelief slipped away slowly. Chipping away as the seconds passed. She shut her eyes tightly hoping that when she opened them he wouldn’t be there. Or that at least his hands wouldn’t be on her throat.
When she opened them again he was still there. Eyes wide with fury, rough hands still on her throat. The pressure was less than before as if he was realizing what he was doing.
“Fuck.” Lee griped. “You ain’t leaving yet darlin’. You got that?”
She nodded slowly, eyes still leaking with hot tears. All she wanted was to breathe. To get some air into her lungs. His hands stayed.
“You’ll come back here next friday or any other day I ask.”
It tightened.
“You got that?”
She nodded again, this time in a hurried manner. He let go. She coughed as the air began to fill her lungs once again.
She should’ve known not to mess with the sheriff.
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Hope you guys like this. Not my best work but I tried my best 😅💀 Somewhat inspired by my favorite Arctic Monkeys song, 505!
Can you guys tell I love Lee? And age gap fics?😂 it is what it isssss. Posted this at 2 am in pure anxiousness lol
@jeremyrennerfanxxxx123 @iheartsebandchris @captainkitteh @gloriouspersonbanditrascal​ @sillygamingartghost​ @han-xe​ @awesomerextyphoon​ @princessofdarkwinter @kenzieam​ @lalaparker @21stcenturywitchcraft
Divider by @writeyourmindaway !
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egcdeath · 3 years
Text
hook, line, and sinker
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summary: steve was never meant to be anything more to you than a check, a basic mission. but somewhere along the way, things had veered from that.
pairing: steve rogers x spy!reader
word count: 1.9k
warnings: angst, bad decisions, betrayal, unhappy ending
author's note: it has been a minute since i've posted a fic! i hope you enjoy :)
you can find my masterlist and taglist here
Despite the different rooms you found yourself in, the harsh morning sun was always the first thing you saw in the morning. Its bright rays would peek through the room’s shades and land right onto your face, intruding on some of the more vulnerable moments of your life.
When you finally angled your face away from the beaming star, your tired eyes fell upon the man next to you. The man you should’ve never taken things this far with. A man on the run, who you were sent after.
You sighed softly as you became a bit more conscious, and a now slightly more awake Steve threw a large arm around you, pulling you impossibly closer to him.
“Don’t get up yet,” he mumbled softly against your ear. You nodded and relaxed further into the slightly stiff motel mattress, mentally snapshotting and framing this moment in time. Yet another to add in the five month scrapbook of your time with Steve. Time that you recognized was quickly running out.
You allowed yourself to close your eyes once more, to listen to Steve’s soft breaths as he inhaled the scent of you. It made your heart hurt knowing that within the next week you would no longer get to be in those arms. Knowing that you would have to wake up alone in a new apartment in a new country and wait for a new mission while the news on the television droned on about the nomadic Captain America being flushed out of hiding. That Steve was no more to you than a mission. That it was your fault that you had fallen so hard and so fast.
So you treasured it while you had it. Hummed contently as Steve massaged your side before peppering little kisses against your neck. Tried to absorb the stubborn tear that threatened to fall down your face at any moment.
“We have to leave today,” he whispered against your ear, sending goosebumps up your arm. “Natasha wants to meet you.”
Your eyes shot open and your brows momentarily furrowed, something you quickly attempted to play off with a wide smile. There was no way that she wouldn’t recognize who you were— despite being declared ‘dead’ years ago, you were one of the more esteemed spies in your community. What that also meant is that you had even less time with Steve than you’d expected.
“When are we leaving? Am I gonna have to get used to another time zone?”
“Probably a few. Nat’s already with Sam, but we heard there’s something weird going on in Scotland with Wanda and Vision.”
“Should I really be getting involved with this then? It sounds like some pretty intense Avenger business if the parts of the team you still communicate with are getting together. I can just stay here ‘till you guys are ready to come back.”
Steve gave you an ‘are you serious?’ look before breaking into soft laughter, “are you serious?” You nodded wordlessly in response. “Oh, you’re serious. I promise that you’ll be fine.”
“Well, things better not get weird,” you giggled right along with him, reaching out and grabbing Steve’s face so that you could look into his eyes. You took another mental picture of him. You just hoped it wouldn’t have to be the last.
——
After you prepared yourself for the long car ride ahead of you, you slipped your second burner phone out of the hidden pocket of your suitcase, you were met with several missed messages by the man who sent you on the mission in the first place.
What is the wait?
I was referred to you for a reason
Have you even found him yet?
I’m not paying for you to sit around and go to brunch all day.
Do I need to send more money for a plane ticket or something??
No, I’ve got it. He’ll be in custody by tonight.
He better be. Or else you won’t be around to see tomorrow.
You swallowed thickly. You wouldn’t be dealing with this in the first place if you weren’t so irresponsible. And if word got out that you were falling in love with your targets, your reputation would be in shambles. You should’ve known from the start that this could never end well.
Steve stepped back into the bedroom area, a goofy smile on his face at the sight of you sprawled out on your back on top of the dingy motel bed. “You ready?” he asked, sounding chipper. You assumed he was ecstatic that you were finally going to be able to meet his friends, which made your heart hurt even more.
For a moment you considered the possibility of not going through with it. Of going along with Steve, work, prestige, and that hefty bounty be damned. You would still be living life on the run, but you’d have Steve, and everyone else on his side on your side too. You’d have some semblance of a family, and maybe someday you’d have a real family and someone to grow old with.
You chastised yourself for getting soft before sitting up, “I’m ready.”
——
You weren’t ready.
You knew you had to move quickly, the sun was going down, and you’d made a promise that needed to be fulfilled, or god knew what would happen to you.
You reached for the volume dial on the radio portion of the car, and turned down the song that Steve was currently humming along to.
“We should probably get off on the next exit that has a gas station,” you prompted, “the tank’s getting pretty low.”
Steve’s eyes flicked down to the dashboard and he nodded in agreement, “you’re right. Good catch.”
Steve pulled the car off and drove you to the nearest gas station, humming pleasantly along to the music once again. Your stomach was twisting and untwisting knots with every foot you got closer to the station, knowing exactly what you would have to do once you arrived.
Somehow, this was the most nerve wracking moment of your career. Not infiltrating secret government operations, not pulling the trigger on a mark, not even seeing the message from Tony Stark asking for you to find a way to bring Steve in.
You hurried into the main building of the station, making up an excuse on the spot to go inside. You made your way into a bathroom stall, and slipped the phone you hid away earlier out of the extra pocket in your pants.
Your hands shook as you dialed the first two numbers. You took one last deep breath as your finger hovered over the final number. You had one last chance to change your mind, to go back out to the car like nothing had happened because nothing had happened. You would drive a little longer before staying in another shitty hotel, and think about how you made the right decision as you curled up next to Steve’s warm body.
But you couldn’t. You were given this mission, and you needed to complete it.
You pressed the last nine, immediately connecting with an emergency service operator. You gave them the tip that you had seen Steve Rogers pumping gas into a black Honda Civic, and provided them with your location. With every word, your voice trembled a little more. You were grateful for your proximity to a toilet, as the lump inside of your throat threatened to force the contents of your stomach up with every passing moment.
You hung up the phone and looked at yourself in the mirror for a moment. You could barely recognize yourself now, and you weren’t sure if that was from the flagrant betrayal of your partner, or the undermining of your own personal rules for the past five months of your life.
After reflecting on what you’d done for a few minutes, you made your way back to the car. You sat down in the passenger seat, lip trembling as you thought about Steve, and the fact that you’d laid a trap for someone you had such strong feelings for.
Steve sat down just a few minutes later, a smile on his face, and snacks from the gas station in his arms. As he passed you a water bottle, he couldn’t help but notice the tears slipping down your face.
“Hey, what‘s wrong? Are you alright?” he asked, dropping the rest of the items on his lap and leaning over the middle console to console you.
You began to full-on sob now, each tremble of your body filled with regret. “I’m sorry, Steve. I am so sorry,” you repeated.
“No, no, you’re okay. What’s wrong?” he asked, frowning as he wiped your tears away with his thumb.
“I- I had no other choice,” you wailed, “I’m sorry.”
His brows creased and he pulled away from you, betrayal evident in his features, “oh.”
You swallowed hard and shook your head.
“So this was the plan all along?” he questioned. Your lack of response seemed to answer the question for him. “Was any of this real?”
“All of it was, Steve,” you all but whimpered out.
He sighed deeply and leaned his head against the headrest, eyes squeezed shut. He seemed to be searching for the words, but couldn’t quite put together what he truly wanted to say. It was silent in the car for a moment, aside from your quiet sniffles.
“I loved you,” he finally said, hurt evident in his delivery. The admission shook you to your core. You almost couldn’t believe that the first time you were hearing it was after you had put him into such a terrible situation. After you turned in someone that you cared about for your own gain.
“I know,” you looked away from Steve in shame, the look of hurt on his face now permanently imprinted in your mind.
The sound of sirens began to fill the air. Not too long after, you noticed the unmissable blue and red of emergency vehicles approaching your own. It was time.
You unlocked your door and exited without another word. You refused to look back to the car, keeping your head down and your eyes squeezed shut, knowing that if you had to see Steve being taken away, you might never get over the permanent sick feeling you were currently in the midst of.
You walked right inside of the building, stopping in front of an aisle of chargers and finally looking back at the mess that you had made.
“What’s going on out there?” the clerk asked from behind the counter, peeking out the large glass windows.
“I don’t know,” you feigned ignorance and casually shrugged, ignoring the fact that the sight of about a dozen police and SWAT vehicles was tearing you up inside. What were they going to do to him?
You turned away from the scene once again, pretending to browse through the low quality electronics next to you. You heard some yelling, a bit of a struggle, then it was all over.
The coast was clear. Your mission was over.
You left the store without purchasing anything. You moved sluggishly as you got back inside of the now abandoned vehicle.
You started the car once again. This time without the radio playing overplayed pop songs, and without Steve happily humming along. You stared blankly ahead of you, feeling numb above anything else. Steve's words resonated in your mind, bouncing around in your head as you attempted to make sense of what you just did.
Guilt was beginning to creep up on you in a way that you’d never experienced before. You immediately felt haunted by the ghosts of your memories with Steve. Of every entry in your mental scrapbook, of the final image of the hurt on Steve’s face as he confessed his true feelings for you. Of all, you were left with one terrifying thought.
You loved him too.
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datleggy · 3 years
Note
Buddie prompt: aggressively pro-buddie Helena and Ramon Diaz, who are ecstatic when Eddie tells them he's dating, and then utterly befuddled when he introduces Ana. But they decide to bite their tongues about it (Buck, their future son in law, has talked to them about respecting Eddie's decisions, however dumb, after all), until Ana (unwittingly? Innocently? No matter) makes a comment about Buck, and then all bets are off.
Hope this inspires you!
Helena is so relieved that Eddie finally feels comfortable enough to come out to them, that she could cry. She feels awful that it took her so long to realize it. 
It had been on Eddie’s last visit to Texas, when he and his crew had been fighting wildfires, that Ramon--her dense as can be when it comes to matters of the heart husband of all people--had noticed that their son was in love. 
Helena still remembers saying goodbye to her son and his two teammates, remembers Ramon closing the door, waiting exactly all of five seconds before turning to her and saying, “I’m happy for him. He’s so stubborn, I didn’t know if he’d ever let himself get that close to someone again.” 
And Helena had been confused at first, and then even chuckled when Ramon had explained calmly that clearly their son was dating his coworker Buck, until she’d stopped to really give it a moment’s thought. It had hit her all at once, how obvious those two were, and she couldn’t help but wonder how long it had been since they’d started dating and why Eddie hadn’t said anything yet. 
She’s seen the photos on Instagram, Helena thinks, as their plane lands. Buck smiling next to her grandbaby after helping her son build him a skateboard he could safely ride in the park. Buck standing shoulder to shoulder with Eddie behind Tia and Christopher in that Christmas photo at the station. The selfie Eddie posted of him and Buck with the giant cast still on his leg the day of the ceremony for when he was no longer a probationary firefighter with the 118. 
Really, she should’ve figured it out months ago. 
When Eddie had called and told her he’d started dating again and that the next time they came to visit he’d make an introduction Helena had been thrilled! 
Ramon drives them from the airport to their son’s place in their rental and Helena rambles on about how she hopes Buck isn’t too nervous to see them again, now that the cat’s out of the bag. 
When they arrive Eddie greets them at the door with a big hug and ushers his parents inside and Helena is so ready to step into the living room and welcome Buck into the family with open arms, to show her son that there was nothing to be afraid of, that they love him and nothing in the world would change that--
Only to be met with....not Buck? 
“Oh,” Helena stops dead in her tracks and Ramon stands beside her looking about as confused as she feels. “Hello.” she smiles politely enough. 
The woman sitting next to Christopher on the couch stands up and she’s absolutely stunning, her curls bouncing on her shoulders when she stands up to exchange hello’s. “It’s so nice to meet you both. My name is Ana.” 
The rest of the afternoon goes by just fine, but Eddie can tell something is amiss the entire time, though he does a good job of hiding it from Ana, who’s her usual charming self through out lunch. 
She has to take a work call at some point and excuses herself to another room and that’s when Eddie turns to his parents and half-whispers. “Ok, I know those looks. What’s wrong?” 
Helena shakes her head, feigning ignorance. “I don’t know what you mean.” 
Eddie sighs, rolling his eyes. “Seriously, what is it? Ana is perfect. She’s incredibly smart, she’s funny, she’s got a great job, good head on her shoulders, and Christopher loves her--so again, I ask, what’s wrong?” 
Ramon follows his wife’s lead. “Mijo, really, it’s nothing. She’s great. We’re happy for you. I think we’re just a little tired from the flight, that’s all.” 
Eddie narrows his eyes slightly but decides there isn’t much sleuthing that can be done at the moment, so all he can do is take them at their word for now. “Fine, if you say so.” 
They’re in the middle of watching Nemo when Buck's name comes up.
"When the tsunami happened Buck and I sang 'just keep swimming' like Dory." Christopher grins up at his dad and Eddie ruffles the curls on his head playfully. It helps Christopher to be able to openly talk about what he went through that day, the good and the bad.
"You never told me Buck was there that day." Ana comments off handedly.
Eddie nods, "Huh, I thought I mentioned it? Buck took him to the pier that morning."
"It was scary but Buck saved me." Christopher tells his grandma, who reaches across the couch to squeeze his arm. Helena had been horrified to hear what had happened at the time; it still gives her anxiety just thinking about it.
"That's right." She says softly.
"I thought some woman you didn't know carried him to one of the tents, and that's how you two were reunited, no?" Ana asks.
"Yeah, but before that, during the initial impact Buck was with Christopher, he managed to get him up to this firetruck in the middle of everything. It was after he dove back into the water to save someone that a second wave came and swept Christopher right off and they got separated from there." Eddie recalls solemnly.
There had been blood running down the dirty wet bandage on his arm, he'd been soaked to the bone, exhausted and barely standing upright. It wasn't until Christopher had been found that Buck had allowed himself to collapse.
"Oh..." Ana frowns.
Ramon puts a hand over his heart and sighs. "It's a miracle, really."
Ana doesn't mean to say it outloud, but the words comes tumbling out of her mouth without warning. "And you're still friends with him?"
Eddie blinks. "What?"
"I'm sorry, really, it's just--I don't understand." Ana rubs her shoulder self consciously, fully aware of the fact that everyone is looking at her. "Look, Edmundo, you nearly bit my head off when Christopher got a skinned knee under my watch but you're still best friends with the man who lost your son for God only knows how long? It doesn't make any sense to me."
Ana knows how overprotective Eddie is of his son, and in fact, that's one of the reasons she likes him so much; she admires that about him and this? It doesn't track with the man she knows.
Helena wants to open her mouth and she say something in defense of Buck--he's a good man, after all. But she knows better than to get between a couple in an argument, especially given how bias she is towards her future son in law...
Instead, she clears her throat and looks at Christopher, "Honey, how about you help me and Grandpa unpack? I bought a lot of fun things from Texas for you."
Christopher doesn't want to go. His Dad looks upset. Ana looks upset. He wants to stay and help. If Ana met Buck she would understand, Christopher's sure of it. But his grandparents are already leading him down the hall and to the guest room.
Christopher hangs out with his grandparents for a few minutes before fibbing and telling them he needs to use the bathroom. They both offer to help him but he insists that he can do it himself, promising to call out if he needs them.
He sneaks the home phone into the bathroom with him and dials a number he knows by heart at this point. He waits a couple of rings before the call connects.
"Hey, what's up?" Buck's voice comes through the other end. He sounds distracted.
"Bucky? Can you come get me?" He whispers into the phone.
He hears a small commotion and then a stifled 'ow!' and then: "Chris? Are you ok? You're home, right? What's wrong? Where's Eddie?"
"I'm home. I'm ok. But--" there's a knock on the door and it startles Christopher into accidentally hanging up the phone before he can explain the situation in it's entirety.
"It was a tsunami." Eddie sighs, "It wouldn't be fair to hold something like that over his head. And look, you weren't there. You didn't see the look on his face, you don't know how many hours he spent crying out Christopher's name at the top of his lungs, injured and looking nonstop through the rubble for him--"
"Yeah, which he wouldn't have had to do if he hadn't lost him in the first place. It sounds like he was too busy playing hero for strangers to watch your son." Ana folds her arms across her chest. "I don't want to fight. Especially not with your parents here. Honestly, I'm just confused? We don't have to talk about this right now. I can go. I just want to apologize to your parents and Christopher first, before I leave, for," she sighs, embarrassed, "well, for causing a scene. This is not the way I'd pictured meeting your parents."
"You know, if you just met Buck I really think you would--"
A cacophony of knocks at the door make the both of them jump. Ana looks at Eddie. "Were you expecting anyone else?"
"Christopher!? Christopher I'm here, open up!"
Eddie gapes. "...Buck?"
"Did you...call him over?" Ana didn't even see him reach for his phone.
"What? No, of course not." Eddie starts towards the door--the knocking has gotten so boisterous he's pretty sure Buck's about to break down his door--but Ana beats him to it.
At this point Eddie's parents and Christopher are in the hallway wondering what all that racket is.
Ana lets the door swing open, and if she's being entirely honest she's not sure what she's planning on saying to the man who's essentially at the center of her first real argument with her boyfriend, but whatever it was, it goes up in smoke when she takes in the sight of him.
Buck is taller than she'd pictured but that's not what's got her speechless.
He's standing at the doorway, chest heaving, clearly having rushed out of his house, where he was very obviously in the middle of shaving, if the shaving cream still smeared on a third of his face is any indication. He's in sweatpants and a white undershirt that's got little drops of blood on the front from where he must have cut himself while shaving. There's a bright red cut running down the underside of his chin.
"Um." Ana can't do much except stare, wide eyed.
Buck blinks at her, "Uh...Ana?" He suddenly realizes all the people in the house behind her are looking at him in a kind of stupor.
She nods slowly. "Buck?"
Buck nods sheepishly, "Uh... So, I am clearly interrupting something here."
"You came!" Christopher moves past all of the adults in the corridor and throws himself at Buck's legs.
Buck lifts the kid up easily enough, crutches and all, "Yeah, about that," he gently pinches his cheek, eliciting a giggle out of Christopher, "What was that phone call all about? You nearly gave me a heart attack, bud."
Eddie groans. "Christopher, did you call Buck to come all the way over here in the middle of the day?" He walks over and uses the cuff of his shirt sleeve to wipe away the rest of the shaving cream on the side of Buck's face. The look on his face is fond as he does so. "What did this little menace say to get you over here in such a rush?"
Christopher pouts. "I just told him to come get me. I thought if Miss Ana met my Bucky she'd know how come you're still best friends." He grips at Buck's t shirt tightly. "You can't stop being friends, Dad. I love Buck. He's my friend too."
Buck frowns. "Umm..."
Eddie gives him an apologetic look. "Sorry, it's not--it's complicated. I promise to explain everything later. Right now isn't really a great time--"
Ana interrupts hesitantly. "Actually, now is probably good. I need to get home soon, it's getting pretty late, so I should get going." She turns to Helena and Ramon. "It was very nice to meet you both." She scoohches past Buck and Christopher and practically sprints to where she parked her car, aware of the fact that Eddie is calling out her name and only half a step behind her.
It's not until they're several blocks down the street that she swivels around and he nearly topples into her in his haste. "Ana, please, I don't want you to leave like this. I really didn't call him over." He reaches into his back pocket and shows her his phone. "See?"
Ana takes the phone and presses her lips together thinly. "He called you like twenty times on his way over."
Eddie frowns. His phone must have been on silent. It's no wonder Buck rushed over like he did. "He was just worried about Christopher--"
Ana sighs resignedly. "No, I know. It's obvious, how much your best friend cares about your son. I can see why he's still in your life. And I think I can also see why that means you don't really have any room for me in it..."
Eddie shakes his head. "What? Why would you say that?"
Ana looks him in the eye, intent as can be on reading him. Eddie had smiled so warmly, creating such an unintentionally intimate moment when all he'd done was swipe at the other mans face with his sleeve...
"You don't even know, do you?"
"Know what?"
"I think this is something you and Buck need to sort out yourselves. Goodbye Edmundo."
Eddie closes the door behind him as he steps inside, a little heartbroken and a lot confused.
There's noise coming from the kitchen and so Eddie follows it to the source. Ramon is telling Buck about how to sear the perfect steak by the stove while Helena and Christopher set the table.
"Is everything alright?" Helena asks, when she notices him by the entryway.
Eddie nods, lying when he says. "Yeah, all good Mom."
She gives him a knowing look but keeps her mouth shut. "Honey, take Buck here to your room, let him borrow one of your shirts. And maybe a razor?"
Buck chuckles shyly. "It's fine, really. I should probably get going too--"
Ramon shushes him. "Nonsense. Go, go, get changed and get your butt back into this kitchen. Scoot."
Eddie takes Buck by the shoulders and drags him to his room, where he finds a worn gray Henley for him. "Here."
Buck thanks him before stripping out of his white undershirt and throwing on the clean shirt.
Eddie plops himself down on his bed with a sigh. "Hey, I'm sorry about all this mess. And on your one day off, too."
Buck sits down beside him, bumping their shoulders together. "I don't really know what's going on but, are you doing ok?"
"I don't know," Eddie makes a face. "I think I got broken up with today."
Buck cringes. "Shit, I'm sorry, what happened?"
That's a good question. Eddie ponders that a moment. Ana had said it herself: she understood perfectly why Eddie didn't blame Buck for what happened during the tsunami and she had seen first hand how much Buck cares for Christopher for herself today.
So, why?
"She said that there wasn't any room for her in my life?" Eddie scratches the back of his head. "Maybe I'm just not cut out for this dating stuff anymore."
"Aw, c'mon man," Buck pats him on the back. "You fall off the bike you gotta get right back on." He turns his body all the way around so that he's facing Eddie fully. "Dude, you're a catch. You're a handsome, badass firefighter, you've got the best kid, and hey--you got me." Buck grins toothily.
Eddie rolls his eyes, though he can't help but smile. "So what I'm hearing here is that I'm stuck with you?"
"Oh yeah, for sure." Buck laughs.
Eddie leans back on his arms and looks up at his best friend, pensive. "Promise?"
Buck extends his pinky and wiggles it in front of Eddie, who smiles as he wraps his pinky around Buck's. "Promise."
.
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urimaginespimp · 4 years
Text
Caught
Isiah x Shelby sister
requested
--------
It all started when John raised his suspicions to your family.
“I’m telling you, she might be seeing a bastard.” He insisted, after telling them about an incident earlier.
“John you’re concluding this from a mere rejection of our sister to spend time with ya in the pub?”  Tommy raised a brow at how absurd he was sounding. Among all your brothers, you were closest to John.
“I know it this doesn’t sound well on my part but my gut is telling me she’s hiding something.” John argued.
“Yeah, the same gut you often drown at the pub.” Polly chimed in the conversation. “And what if the girl is dating? She’s of age.”
Just then, Finn walked in the shop alone.
“Where’s Isiah?” Arthur asked the youngest Shelby.
“Said he wanted go to the pictures alone.” Finn shrugged while John’s attention was peaked again.
“That’s where Y/N said she’d go to!” He exclaimed to them.
“Well if she’s ever with a boy, Isiah would gladly report it to us. Does that ease your nerves, brother?” Tommy asked him. John kept quiet in his seat.
Then there was the moment Michael joined in the suspicion.
You were overdressed for a small meeting at Tommy’s office but you easily excused it by saying you were to meet with some friends afterwards. But he couldn’t help notice that every now and then you were stealing glances somewhere – by his good friend Isiah’s direction. Though he also happened to be standing under a wall clock.
He could’ve easily shrugged this off, if it weren’t for Isiah meeting your glances as well. But Isiah had told him a week ago he’s been seeing someone exclusively, and he wasn’t dumb enough to actually make a move on his own boss’ youngest sister.
Then there was Finn.
He and Isiah were tasked the night before to head somewhere out of town, and he was patiently waiting for his friend to finally show up at the office when you came in, all disheveled.
“Are you alright, sister?” He asked worriedly.
“Yeah, I am, Finny. Just strong wind outside. Had to run because I’m running late.”  You cleared your throat, trying to fix your hair with your hands.
Not long after that, Isiah finally showed up as well, all flushed. “Sorry I’m late, mate. Woke up late.” He clapped at Finn’s shoulder.
“Mate, your fly’s still open.” He told him, and turned your way when he heard you choke at the back.
“You okay there, Y/N?”
“Didn’t realize this tea was still really hot.” You excused yourself and went into your shared office with Michael.
Tommy and Arthur were the last straw.
He was planning to hold another gala and was giving assignments for the arrangement. You were usually paired with John on food and drink tasting – your favorite task together, when you spoke up.
“Tom can you give me a different task this year?” You asked, making everybody turn your way. John in particular looked offended.
“What?” Tommy asked.
“I was thinking something different like handing out invitations.” You bit your lip, nervous about their reactions.
“That would be with Isiah, Y/N.” Arthur clarified. And your face gave the impression that you didn’t know.
“I’m fine with that.” Isiah answered a tad bit too eagerly.
“Have I done something to offend you, sister?” John asked in confusion. You both always had a great time with that task, so it was of great wonder why you wanted to be assigned in a different one this year.
“No, John. I- uh… they just give us the same set of food to taste anyway.” You reasoned, giving him a smile. “Plus, I wanted a good excuse to ride around other places.”
Tommy despite the suspicion, said okay and handed you the list of names and addresses to visit.
That night, the men were in the backroom of the garrison enjoying some drinks when a drunk John finally spoke up again.
“I think they’re fucking.” He stood up and caught everyone’s attention.
“Who, John?” Arthur inquired.
“Y/N and Isiah.” He answered with a serious face.
“Go home, John. You clearly can’t handle your drinks anymore.” Arthur laughed at him, but slowly stopped when he realized that he was the only one not taking it seriously.
“Well, you gentlemen clearly have something to say on the matter.” Tommy spoke, taking a cigar from his pocket. “Come on, let’s hear ‘em.”
“I saw them stealing glances every time they’re in the same room.” Michael started.
“I wasn’t aware glances now mean they’re doing it.” Arthur argued, clearly in denial. He couldn’t grasp the thought of his youngest sister dating.
“What about that whole bull about the gala assignment.” John reminded, bitterness lacing is voice.
“Good god, John. The girl just wanted to do something different.” Arthur once again defended.
“Where’s Isiah tonight then?” The third-born Shelby answered.
“Got them excuses, eh Arthur? You don’t wanna hear what I have to share.” Finn finally spoke up. Everybody’s attention turned to him.  
What Finn shared finally got Arthur to go quiet. It was safe to say that the tension in the room was enough to make any ordinary run out of the room.
“We can’t just talk to her about it. No matter how bad of a liar she is, she’s as stubborn as Tom.” Michael explained.
“Then we catch them.”  Thomas stated.  
--------
You were out for a stroll with Isiah out of town. It was the only way you could hold hands without having to look over your shoulder every now and then. But even then, you couldn’t be totally carefree together.
“Isiah we’re in public.” You warned your boyfriend when he leaned in to try and steal a kiss.
“Yeah Isiah, listen to our sister.” A voice spoke from behind you.
You both froze on spot. Letting go of your boyfriend’s hand immediately, you turned around awkwardly, and was faced with all of your brothers and cousin looking at you both with a deathly glare.
“He-hey brothers…” you chuckled nervously. “Mickey.” You smiled at your cousin.
“Isiah.” Arthur called him. “We never told you about boundaries when it came to our sister. I presumed you were a smart man.” He looked like he was about to pounce on your boyfriend.
“Arthur, stop.” You asked your brother.
“Stay out of this Y/N. He should’ve known better than to mess around with our own.” John ordered you.
“We’re not just messing around, John.” Isiah finally spoke, looking at them with determination in his eyes.
“And we’re supposed to believe that when you just told me a month ago that you were seeing someone?” Michael chimes.
“Yeah. It was me!” You were getting frustrated at the fact that they were more channeling their anger at your boyfriend and leaving you out.
All of them fell silent at your outburst. “We always liked each other okay? And we never thought anything of it until you asked him to babysit me at your last party.” You explained, both you and Isiah exchanging a small smile.
“Why didn’t you tell us? Or even just your favorite brother?” John was now more hurt than angry.
“Yeah, or your favorite cousin?” Michael added. Everybody was now a little bit less tense.
“You’re my only cousin, Mickey.” You rolled your eyes, fighting a smile.
“You’re both really serious about this?” Thomas asked a small grin on his face.
“Yeah I am.” Isiah answered in a heartbeat.
“Well I’d rather her be with someone we already know, then.” Arthur finally concedes.
“I just have one request.” Finn finally said something. Everyone turned to him.
“Next time, at least zip up your fly.”  
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yannowhatigiveup · 3 years
Text
T.W.A.A: The Eccedentesiast
This is a one shot I started last night and I finished it at around 2 am because I’m an insomniac. Sadly this isn’t the 10k+ word one shot I was talking about (I’m still writing it aaa) but this one is around 4-5k words long so I hope you enjoy. This is rushed, badly written, badly plotted and badly named.
TW: Dark topics such as sexual assault and suicide is mentioned in this piece of writing.
Paris, the City of Love, what a big misconception that was. If anything, Paris should've been labeled as the City of Misery considering the fact it was haunted by a villain who preyed on negative emotions. No one outside of Paris knew though, they were oblivious to the fact hundreds, thousands even millions had died in the city home to the Eiffel Tower, only to be resurrected and tormented with the memories of their death. It was worse for Marinette though, she had watched all the citizens, her beloved citizens, die before her eyes and she was powerless to help them. Their screams of anguish and cries of pain forever ghosted her nightmares. It wasn't just their blood that she drowned in, she was bullied, abused and betrayed in her civilian form by those she trusted the most.
Her classmates. She thought she could trust them but they left her for someone shinier and newer. They all hurt her, destroyed her hard work, verbally and physically bullied her. Nino and Kim, her childhood friends had turned their backs on her too, even joining the others in causing her physical and emotional pain. Alya, her best friend, had become her main abuser. The reporter stabbed the poor bluenette in the back, figuratively. Lila was the one who did it literally. Lila, the sound of the name itself made Marinette sick, after all, the brunette was the one who did this to her. She made her friends turn their backs on her, she made them abuse her and she only watched with fake crocodile tears and a smug smile when no one was looking. And Adrien, he was the worst of all. When Marinette was younger, Adrien was the embodiment of perfection. But now? All she could see was a spineless coward and a predator.
As Chat Noir, he wouldn't participate in the battles, only flirting with her hero persona. He would whine like a toddler when she rejected his advancements. Even when he did join in the battles, he was useless, ignoring anything that Ladybug would tell him and go straight for the kill which never worked. Chat Noir was incompetent and a sexual harasser. As Adrien, however, he was much more. Just two days ago, he had tried to sexually assault the young bluenette. The blonde had underestimated the girl and she managed to get away but nothing could erase her memory of the event.
The ultimatum Lila had delivered to Marinette when she thirteen seemed over-dramatic and seemingly impossible at the time. Yet three years later, she was at the point of no return. Her classmates, her friends, her teachers, the boy she once loved, her partner, her parents. They all left her. Mayor Bourgeois, fearing for his daughter's safety, had sent Chloe to New York with her mother. Luka was on tour with his father so they could build a better relationship. Kagami had a family affair back in Japan that would last for at least a month. She was truly alone. Her parents had fallen victim to Lila's lies and Marinette overheard them discussing about kicking her out. The only one by her side throughout the whole ordeal was Tikki, her beloved kwami. Even Master Fu had to leave her.
Marinette felt shut out by the rest of the world. Sure, Paris adored Ladybug but it felt different. She was fighting battles alone, she stood as the last survivor, the last protector of Paris. She took that title in stride, or that's what the Parisians thought. In reality, she was hiding behind a mask.
The bluenette had suffered endlessly for years, she was ready to break that cycle of torture. Yesterday, she came to the solid conclusion of who Hawkmoth was, who is accomplices were and what his motive was. Gabriel Agreste was the man behind Paris' torment, Nathalie Sancœr was one of his accomplices and so was Lila Rossi. For his motive, he wanted to bring his wife back. Marinette understood the pain he was in but she wouldn't go to such extreme lengths as he did. Many years ago, Marinette made a friend, one of her very best friends who she fell for. But she never told anyone who he was, where he came from or even the fact that she met someone. The reason behind this was the fact she witnessed his murder. That death, of all she witnessed, was the most heartbreaking. Even when all these years have passed, she never truly got over his death. His green eyes always lingered her mind.
The bluenette let out an anguished sigh, she was on the Eiffel Tower, admiring the city's skyline despite all its obvious flaws under close inspection. Though Marinette had drastically mentally changed, she would always put on the same mask, she would always portray herself as a regular school girl. This was the one time she felt a little peace in her chaotic excuse for a life. Her blue eyes stared off into the distance, focusing on nothing in particular when she heard footsteps coming from behind. In her peripheral vision, Marinette could see the figure of Gabriel Agreste slowly approaching. Not wanting anything to happen, she made her knowledge of her appearance known.
"I never expected to see you somewhere so public, Monsieur Agreste" Her voice remained neutral. Gabriel didn't flinch meaning that he had expected her to sense his arrival, it made the young girl slightly unnerved but she refused to show it.
"The Eiffel Tower holds the greatest inspiration, as a designer yourself I'm sure you are aware" Marinette was used to his cold voice by now, she kept her guard up reminding herself that this was Hawkmoth was standing a few feet away.
She hummed, putting the two miraculous users in a deathly silence, until she decided to break it. "You know, you could've just asked" The older man raised an eyebrow in confusion but Marinette never looked in his direction, "It would've saved a lot of bloodshed"
Gabriel managed to catch up with what she was saying. "Are you implying that I am Hawkmoth?" He didn't sound offended or defensive, merely curious.
"I'm not implying anything" She replied curtly, then turning to face him. "I am merely stating a fact"
The miraculous user turned away from her, focusing his gaze on the city's skyline once more. "What are you going to do with this knowledge?"
The question confused Marinette, surely he would've attacked her or try to get her to remain silent?
He must've noticed her confusion. "Even if you wanted to, you wouldn't say anything"
Marinette turned her full body towards the taller man, she was going to end Hawkmoth's reign as quickly as she could. "I can heal her"
"What?"
"I can heal her" The bluenette repeated. "Emilie"
Gabriel also turned to face her, his usual cold scowl was replaced with a staggered expression. "Y-you can? Even after all I've done as Hawkmoth?"
Her head twisted back to portrait that was Paris. "To end it all, yes I will"
"Then please, follow me and I promise I will give you my miraculous as well as Mayura's. Just, heal my wife please" His tone changed from intrigued to pleading, Marinette could see that he meant every word.
"Oh don't worry... I will"
~~~
"I did it!" Tim's voice echoed in the Batcave.
"Did what replacement?"
"I found Hawkmoth's identity!"
Around three months ago, Wonder Woman had noticed Green Lantern trying to delete a video. She stopped him before he successfully did the task and watched the video herself, calling a meeting to express her anger about the situation. Most were shaken since they had never seen the Amazonian this livid before. She briefly explained how her mother was once a miraculous user and how powerful these magical jewelry could be. Aqua Man also shared his concerns, revealing that the fall of Atlantis was due to the miraculous. They knew the logical decision was to work on this from outside of Paris, the villain preyed on negative emotions and they had been ignoring the Parisians' calls for help for four years. Their sudden appearance would definitely trigger the heroes. So in the last month, they had gathered files of nearly every person in Paris as well as all the necessary information about every akuma attack. It was tiring for the Bats but they trudged through it anyway.
Damian had taken a special interest in the spotted-heroine specifically, without the knowledge of any of his family members. She appeared similar to a female friend he had made quite some time ago, the one who had witnessed an assassination attempt on him. He saddened him to no end knowing that the friend he loved thought he was dead. The green-eyed boy became one hundred percent convinced that this hero was his friend.
One day, Dick had caught him in the Batcave observing a recently taken image of the Ladybug heroine. His older brother thought that Damian was crushing on the lady and began to tease him as others entered the cave.
"Tt, that's not true" the green-eyed boy retaliated.
"If you don't have a crush on Ladybug then why are you staring at an image of her?" Dick added more information necessary so that his younger brothers could join in on teasing his youngest brother.
The Robin vigilante sighed and brought everyone's attention to the screen. "See that?"
"All I see is this little lady Demon Spawn" Jason's smirk was quickly gone when he noticed Damian's serious expression.
"She's alone" he stated simply and before anyone could get a word in, her explained further. "There is usually a team with her"
Everyone seemed to lean closer to the screen.
"She's fighting alone. Her 'partner' doesn't participate in the battles anymore, he stays on the sidelines, observing" He let the others catch up to what he was saying. "The attacks have been lasting a lot longer than usual, Ladybug leads a super hero team correct? Then why is she fighting alone this time."
"They could have all been killed... We have to go to Paris to help the poor girl" Dick turned to Bruce. "Who knows how much longer she'll last alone fighting a psycho butterfly man!"
Bruce's fatherly instincts were screaming at him from merely looking at the photo. "I'll announce to the League that we'll be joining the fight in Paris"
~~~
Gabriel lead Marinette to his office, Nathalie wearily watching. Just as he was about to open the double doors, his assistant collapsed in uncontrollable coughing. Marinette was much faster than the older man so she got to the woman first. The bluenette carefully put Nathalie down on one of the chairs available while putting her hand on where she thought the assistant would where the peacock brooch. The blue-eyed girl could sense the broken miraculous' energy trapped in the woman so she did the only reasonable thing she could at that moment, she extracted the corrupted magic, healing Nathalie almost instantly. Marinette ignored Gabriel's relieved expression and gestured for him to lead her to Emilie.
"When this is over, I wish to have a restraining order against your son"
"May I ask why?"
"..."
"...I understand, I'll make sure to tell Nathalie"
The older man stopped before a painting of his wife, his fingers reached for the painted shapes and pressed on them, revealing an elevator to which he went down in. Following his motion, Marinette placed her hand on the painting and allowed herself to descend down the mansion. It lead her to a repository with a catwalk which lead to a circular platform covered in luscious greenery. In the middle on the platform was a class-covered cryogenic pod which the sleeping body of Emilie Agreste lay. The bluenette carefully made her way to the glass casket, placing her hand on the transparent material when she finally reached her destination. Focusing all her energy, a red light erupted from her finger tips and it soaked into Emilie's skin. Gabriel opened the pod, carefully watching his wife as Marinette took a step back. Suddenly her eyes fluttered open.
"G-Gabriel, what happened?"
The man didn't reply, he simply hugged the woman of his dreams before turning the the young girl.
"I... Thank you Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, I can give you the miraculous now if-"
"Ladybug will be at the Eiffel Tower soon, I suggest you give the miraculous to her then"
Gabriel nodded and thanked the girl once more as she left. Before she reached the lift that would lead her back up to Gabriel's office, Marinette turned to face the newly reunited couple.
"Enjoy the happiness in your life, Monsieur Agreste, you never know when it may end"
She then turned to leave, not wanting to here what her former idol had to say. When she reached the main floor of the Agreste Mansion, Marinette was greeted by Nathalie. The bluenette acknowledged the assistant with a nod, meaning that Emilie was awake. The assistant let out a sigh of relief and rushed to Adrien's room, not wanting to be around the blonde boy, Marinette promptly left. Once out of the premises of the mansion, she transformed and waited for Gabriel to return the miraculous. What she didn't realise was that the Justice League would also be coming to pay her a visit.
It felt like an eternity, waiting for the miraculous to be handed back to her but the bluenette was patient. She waited four years for this moment, but she had to share the moment alone. It was bittersweet. Soon enough Gabriel arivied, hastily giving Ladybug both the brooches with apologetic eyes and leaving without a word. The spotted heroine presumed that he wanted to get back to his wife and son, she couldn't blame him. Ladybug reached for her yo-yo teary-eyed, she was going to put both miraculous in her weapon before returning them in the miracle box but she stopped when she heard multiple figures approaching where she was standing.
~~~
Batman and his sons were the ones to go to Paris and alert Ladybug of their findings. The five men found themselves in front of the Eiffel Tower, Tim found out that was were the heroes would return to after their patrol.
"We must tell Ladybug right away" Batman pulled out his grappling hook and flung himself to one of the higher levels, all but Robin followed suit.
The vigilante had a feeling to remain on a lower level. He wanted to be reunited with his long lost friend but he couldn't find the words. Simply, he used his grappling hook to bring him onto one of the beams, low enough so he couldn't be seen but high enough to hear any conversation.
"Greetings, Ladybug" His father's voice echoed through the quiet building.
"Monsieur Batman? Wh-what are you doing here?" Her voice sounded almost exactly as he remembered, of course it sounded deeper and more matured but it had a more desolated edge to it.
~~~
"We apologize for not intervening earlier but we didn't know how well we needed to control our emotions" Red Hood watched as Nightwing brushed a hand through his hair nervously.
"But we can help now!" Red Robin's excited voice came out of nowhere, Ladybug looked at the vigilante in surprise. "We found out Hawkmoth's identity so we can finish this once and-"
Ladybug put a single hand up, a small smile on her face, silencing Red Robin's rambling. "That's very considerate of you, all of you" Her gaze landed on each vigilante one at a time. "But I... have things sorted" She pulled out two brooches from behind her back to show the men before putting the miraculous in her yo-yo. "I appreciate all you've done, truly I do. But can I ask one for one more favor?"
"Of course, what is it?" Nightwing asked, clearly wanting the spotted heroine to be gleeful once more.
"Could you... help the other heroes to help the Parisians to heal?"
"It's the least we can do" Batman replied. "Will you be there too?"
"I'm afraid not" Ladybug turned around and leaned forward on the banister. "You know how Hawkmoth prays on negative emotions, so I've had to deal with my emotions in an unhealthy manor but now... Hawkmoth is no more. I can be free"
"Wh-"
"Thank you, truly" Ladybug jumped up on to railing, facing the group of vigilantes. Her sad smile faded as she stared at the floor.
They didn't even get a chance to process what was happening before it did. A bright light surrounded the young hero and they were forced to close their eyes. As the light died down, Red Hood saw a small bluenette. She looked so weak, so pretty, so... fragile. It hurt the vigilante's heart seeing someone like this being the sole protector of Paris with no one by her side.
"Hey little lady-"
"I'm sorry Tikki"
The girl looked at all the vigilantes slowly, mouthing a 'thank you' before letting herself lean backwards.
Gravity took the Parisian heroine and she fell.
A small creature holding something shiny stared in horror as its owner fell."MARINETTE!" The small creature's anguished scream seemed to bring the vigilantes back to reality.
~~~
"MARINETTE!"
Robin's head shot up, that name was all too familiar. Suddenly, he took note of a figure falling fast from above, her raven hair flowing in the wind. Without giving a second thought, he bounded down the ledge he was on, landing on one of the platforms and had his arms out ready to catch the fallen angel. The bluenette was close enough for Robin to grab her and he pulled her in so that her feet landed on the platform, her body still looming over the edge of the building. His brother and father landed not far from him, bounding over to help the bluenette but Robin took no notice of their presence.
"Why didn't you just let me f...all" The girl's voice trailed off as her eyes widened in recognition, the air in her lungs escaped from her lips. "...d-Damian?"
The two friends took no notice at how the vigilantes behind Robin stiffened. Her eyes developed a watery sheen as the situation began to really hit her. Tears threatened to spill as her lip quivered. Robin pulled her away from the ledge and she jumped into his arms, she was heavily touch-starved. Much to his family's surprise, he didn't push her away. In fact, he hugged her back. They heard what she said next.
"I... I thought you were dead, Dami"
"...why? What made you do this, Malaki?"
They didn't hear what she said next as her mumbling was muffled in Robin's chest. Nightwing walked up to the two first, kneeling down to be eye level with the girl.
"Hey Sunshine... we don't know what you've been through but we're willing to help you though it okay?" The girl looked at his sincere gaze, her eyes were so round with innocence, Nightwing thought he would melt.
"I... thank you, I'm sorry for worrying you when I... jumped" No one failed to notice when Robin ran his fingers through the bluenette's hair.
"Don't apologize Little Lady" Red Hood walked over to where Nightwing was kneeling, sitting next to his older brother. "Hawkbitch forced you to bottle up your emotions, you were just strong for too long."
Marinette looked between the two men, a grateful smile on her face while she wiped the tears of pure happiness running down her cheeks. "Thank you, I- this... this is the nicest I've been treated recently"
"If you don't mind me asking," Batman walked over and Marinette felt slightly intimidated you his presence as well as his tone. The dark knight must have noticed this since he cleared his throat and began talking in a softer manner. "What happened to cause you to go to such extremes? You're obligated to not having to talk about it right away if the subject makes you uncomfortable"
"Well I guess I do have to talk about it eventually..."
Recognising the bluenette's discomfort, Red Robin stepped in. In his palm was the shaken kwami who flew straight for Marinette once the vigilante got close enough. "Since you know Robin's identity, and we already sorta know yours, it's only fair if we tell you who we are, right?" He looked at his two older brothers and then at his adoptive father. "My name's Tim Drake nice to meet you"
Marinette was about to take his offered hand when the vigilante she presumed was Red Hood took it instead, "Jason Todd, Robin's most charming and handsome brother" She giggled at Damian's obvious annoyance.
"Well I'm Richard Grayson, Robin's favourite brother, but you can call me Dick" The vigilante in the suit who comforted her first, introduced himself.
"It's nice to meet all of you"
Batman soon came over as well to aquatint with the young heroine, offering out his hand for a handshake. "Bruce Wayne"
She returned the hand shake and brightly smiled, it blinded nearly all those near. "Thank you, Mr Wayne. Wait..." she turned to face Damian, one of her eyebrows raised. "Wayne?"
"I may have failed to mention that part" To Robin's surprise, Marinette started giggling so he huffed in taken offense.
"Sorry it's just- a girl in my class as been boasting about dating you and about the Wayne Family seeing her as their 'honorary member'. I knew she was lying I just didn't know that I would bump into the people she was lying about"
Bruce hummed. "We'll have to do something about this girl you're talking about. In the meantime, why don't you come back to the hotel with us? You and Damian can catch up" The older man saw the hesitation in her eyes but he also saw the willingness that shine through the most. "If you're living in a bad environment then you do have to escape" His sons nodded along.
"I'll come, can I bring some overnight clothes? It's been a long day..."
"Of course, you go get your belongings and you can meet us at the Grand Paris Hotel"
"I... thank you again" She transformed and headed in the direction of her house, leaving Robin at the mercy of his brothers.
"You like her, Brat" Red Robin spoke up first.
Nightwing pretended to wipe his tears. "Baby Bird's all grown up now"
"That means you can't adopt the little Pixie, don't think I haven't seen the adoption papers"
~~~
When Marinette destransformed on her balcony rooftop, she quickly went inside, packed some clothes as well as some essentials. When she was satisfied with her belongings, she gave a macaron to Tikki before heading downstairs where she was met with two disappointed looking parents.
"Is something wrong?"
"We've decided," Tom began. "We're kicking you out for what you've done to your lovely classmate, Lila"
"We don't recognise the person you've become, Marinette. You are not the daughter we raised" Sabine added
"May I pack my things in the morning?" Marinette inquired, her eyes void of emotion. When her parents nodded, she left the bakery and down to the hotel where Damian was waiting in the lobby. As she approached, he took her bag and intertwined their hands together. She blushed at the contact but leaned into his embrace.
When she entered the hotel room she was greeted by the vigilantes who were now changed and unmasked. The bluenette was welcomed with open arms, she felt the warmth in her heart for the first time since Lila's Tyranny. She briefly explained Lila's lies, what she had done to Marinette and how the bluenette was able to protect Paris. She would've carried on longer if it weren't for the hotel phone ringing. It was the receptionist, saying that someone had asked to see Marinette. Confused, she went down with Damian, Jason followed closely behind since he had grown quite attached to the little fairy. Waiting at the front desk as a woman, Damian and Jason recognised her instantly as Mayura. Damian tried to step in front of his friend but she completely ignored their futile attempts to keep her in reach.
"Ah, Hello Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng"
"Hello Nathalie, we're you the one who asked for me?"
"Yes, I just need to clarify a few things"
"Go ahead"
"You're request for the restraining order has been fulfilled" the bluenette nodded, waiting for Gabriel's assistant to continue. "May I ask what did he do to make you request for it?"
The two notices how Marinette stiffened. She contemplated before sighing. "Attempted sexual assault. If you look at the camera footage outside of the Louvre from two days ago, seven pm onwards, you'll see your evidence." Marinette turned away from Nathalie and walked back to Damian who, once in range, pulled her in for a hug.
"I'll never let him near you again, Angel"
~~~
The next day, Bruce had shown up with Marinette at her parents' bakery. Upon hearing about the young bluenette being kicked out, he had asked for her permission for him to be her Guardian until she was old enough to live in her own. Marinette accepted his offer. When they had entered the building, her parents had greeted their customers kindly before recognising Marinette. Bruce turned to the young girl next to him and smiled.
"You go pack your things I'll deal with this" She smiled and bounded upstairs, leaving Bruce to talk with the bakery's owners.
"Hello Sir, how may we help you?" Sabine began, wanting to know who this man was.
"I've come to gain guardianship of your daughter, Marinette Dupain-Cheng"
"Why should we give you guardianship?" Tom asked.
"I'm sure you know the liability for child neglect, Mr Dupain" With his words, both adults seemed to turn white. "I will file the necessary and submit it with the court, I'm sure you'll be willing to give your approval"
Both Marinette and the mystery man left, true they were glad that their mistake of a daughter had gone but they wondered who she had gone with.
~~~
Later that afternoon was a charity event which the Waynes were supposed to attend as they were invited by the mayor himself, the plus side was that the Akuma class would also be attending and they had no clue the Wayne Family would be there.
"...And finally I'd like to thank the Wayne Family for joining us this evening" Mayor Bourgeois finished his speech and all heads turned to the table the Waynes and Marinette were sitting on. As his speech was over, a teenage girl with glass and a very pale brunette came over to the table.
"Hello Mr Wayne, My name's Alya and I'm your honorary daughter's best friend and I was hoping-"
"Marinette" Bruce began, cutting off the aspiring reporter. The Alya girl only then seemed to notice that the bluenette was sitting at the table. "Is this girl you're friend?"
The bluenette took one hard look at Alya before shaking her head, "No"
"Marislut what th-"
"It would be appreciated if you did not talk about my honorary daughter and future daughter-in-law on that manner" Both Damian and Marinette turned red, one much more than the other. "In fact we should be leaving" Bruce and the rest of the family got up. "Miss Rossi, I will not tolerate your lies. You will receive a lawsuit for defamation and slander. Have a good evening" They left, leaving a reporter, a liar and a class speechless.
When they reached the hotel room they finished packing up, they would be leaving that night. Marinette made a few phone calls, telling her friends that she would be moving to Gotham. They had their belongs taken to the limo downstairs and had a few snacks before making their way down. In the lobby were many different people around the bluenette's age, she recognised them as her classmates and continued walking beside Damian until Alex came over.
"Marinette... we're sorry. We understand that you probably won't forgive apps but we wrote you letters anyway" the skater girl gave Marinette a pile of enveloped letters, ones she put in her bag straight away.
"Thank you for your apologies but I don't think I can forgive you just yet, goodbye Alix" the bluenette got in the limo and let out a breath she knew she was holding.
Her eyes glanced out the tinted window, she smiled knowing that she was leaving Paris for a better life. A better life with a friends, a better life with a new family. A better life with Damian.
~Bonus~
The harsh blizzard outside was definitely being felt from inside the manor, leaving a cold and tired Marinette on the couch. Damian, noticing his girlfriend's state, went to grab a blanket to cover both Marinette and himself. She snuggled into the green-eyed boy, taking all the warmth she could get, and slowly she drifted off to sleep. Damian too felt drowsy so soon followed his girlfriend into dreamland.
Jason came in a few moments later to find the sleeping couple, he was then reminded by how tired he was so he went on the couch and leaned his back against his youngest brother, himself too falling victim to slumber.
The next person to walk in was Dick, he had just finished training so he was exhausted. But he couldn't help to coo when he came across the scene in front of him. The eldest son then got on the sofa and carefully leaned against Marinette, similar to what Jason had done with Damian. It didn't take long for him to join them in dozing off.
Tim arrived with a big cup of freshly made coffee, one which he was about to drink until he noticed his siblings all curled up on the couch sleeping. The co-CEO went back to the kitchen, left his cup of coffee then went to grab a blanket to join his family. Wrapping himself in a blanket burrito, Tim placed himself on the floor pressed up against sofa.
When Bruce returned home safely, he went to the main living room to see his children, and his future in-law who was basically his own by now, sleeping soundly with the TV still running. Reaching for the remote, he turned the television off and grabbed his phone to take a picture. He planned on printing it out and having it framed in his study. Bruce sat on one of the armchairs, taking a book to read. If there was peace in the house, he might as well enjoy it while it lasts.
167 notes · View notes
timelesslords · 3 years
Text
Just a Twinge
Read on AO3
In which Annabeth finally gets that ankle injury checked out, Will and Nico are a kind-of couple, and Percy Jackson is a protective dork.
“I do not need a cast.”
“You definitely need a cast,” Will said, handing her the x-ray film he had been studying seconds earlier. He at least had the decency to sound apologetic.
“This looks fine,” Annabeth said, despite the fact that she had no idea how to read an x-ray film, or what she should even be looking for.
“Look,” Will pointed to a small shadow on the film that Annabeth hadn’t even noticed, “That’s a fracture. It looks like it healed most of the way and then re-broke.”
“And it’s still broken?”
“Looks like it.”
“But how can I be walking on it if it's still broken?” Annabeth asked, crossing her arms over her chest. It was a useless, stubborn gesture, but it made her feel better anyways.  
Will gave her a look, one that was far too long-suffering for a fifteen year old’s face.
“Does it hurt when you step on it?” he asked dryly.
“Your bedside manner is terrible,” Annabeth deflected. Will rolled his eyes, but unfortunately did not rise to the bait.
“Answer the question Annabeth.”
Annabeth glared at her ankle, her stupid, traitorous ankle, that had caused nothing but trouble since she broke it in Arachne’s lair. She knew Will was wrong; it hadn’t re-broken, not in the sense of the bone physically snapping again. No, Tartarus had re-injured her, unknit the fragile regrowth that had been keeping her ankle together, and had never let it heal properly again. She’d taken plenty of ambrosia and nectar in the meantime, but her ankle remained stubbornly messed up.
So yeah, it hurt. Most of the time it was fine, just a twinge, and she could deal with a twinge. She’d had a lot worse than a twinge.
And, okay, sometimes when she got stressed it was worse than a twinge. Sometimes it would turn into a limp, which was admittedly pretty bad. And maybe Percy had been bugging her to get it checked out for two weeks now, and she had been ignoring him because it was fine. Or it had been fine until last night during capture the flag, when it had switched to a limp right in the middle of the game and had neglected to ever switch back to a twinge.
Which is how she had ended up in the infirmary being stared down by a usually very chipper son of Apollo, who did not look very chipper now.
Will took Annabeth’s silence as an admission of guilt, which of course it was, but he didn’t need to sigh so loudly about it.
“You’re lucky you’ve been able to walk on it as long as you have, but you should’ve stopped putting pressure on it a month ago.”
Annabeth opened her mouth to protest, but Will continued before she could get a word out.
“I know it wasn’t possible at the time. But if you keep going how you’re going, you could permanently mess up your ankle.”
Annabeth didn’t have a good response for that. She had known in the back of her mind that this was probably what Will was going to tell her, and that was why she had waited so long to get it checked out in the first place.
“How long do I have to wear the cast?” she asked in defeat. Will gave her a pitying look that did not make her hopeful for his answer.
“Six weeks, probably.”
“Six weeks?”
Will winced.
“You might be able to switch to a boot the last two, but it depends how healed it is.”
“But—” Annabeth started, then faltered. She and Percy were supposed to start school in a month. How was she supposed to go into a new school with a cast? That was like the most embarrassing, cliche crap ever.
And it was embarrassing that she was even embarrassed about it. She’d faced monsters and titans and giants and literally the pits of hell. A little cast wasn’t going to kill her, but for some reason it still felt like the end of the world.
Will was still looking at her expectantly, waiting for the end of her sentence.
“This sucks,” she said. Will cracked a sympathetic smile, which might have felt mean if anyone else were doing it, but Will was borderline incapable of genuine meanness.  
“Yeah, it does,” he agreed.
“When do I have to get it on?” Annabeth basically already knew the answer, but she hoped somehow that she was wrong. Will gave her another sympathetic look.
“The sooner you put it on, the sooner you get to take it off,” Will said, which was as good an answer as if he’d simply said it outright.
“So right now?” Annabeth asked, stomach sinking. Will winced again.
“Yeah. Sorry.”
“This sucks,” Annabeth repeated, because it deserved to be repeated.
“Do you want someone to go get Percy?” Will asked. That should have been an embarrassing question, more embarrassing than the cast, but Annabeth didn’t even have to think about it.
“Yes please.” she sighed.
Will pulled back the curtain around the bed Annabeth was situated on.
“Hey Nico!” he called.
Annabeth hadn’t even noticed, or maybe he hadn’t been there when she came in, but Nico was in the room, curled up like a cat, sleeping. There were plenty of open beds he could have taken, but for some reason he’s chosen a stiff plastic chair to take his nap on.
“Nico!” Will called again, but Nico did not stir. Will took a roll of soft medical tape from the table beside him and threw it with impeccable aim, nailing Nico right in the shoulder.
“Ow,” Nico said, voice muffled, and sounding more confused than hurt. He sat up, rubbing his head groggily. “What was that for?”
“Go get Percy,” Will ordered.
“Why?” Nico asked. Then he spotted Annabeth, and recognition spilled over his features.
“Oh. Hey, Annabeth.”
“Hey.”
“Ankle?”
Annabeth grimaced. Maybe it was just that Nico’s proclivity for sensing death also extended to sensing injuries, or maybe she’d done a worse job hiding it than she thought.
“Yeah,” she admitted.
Nico yawned, wide and long, stretching his arms. Annabeth was once again reminded of a housecat.
“Okay, fine. Be right back,” Nico said.
He was gone in a flash. When Annabeth glanced over at Will, he was staring out the door Nico had disappeared out of with a sort of dopey grin on his face.
“Are you two dating yet?” Annabeth asked, snapping Will back to reality. He blinked, face completely blank.
“What?”
“You and Nico. Are you official?”
Everyone had sort of suspected, what with Nico trailing behind Will like a shadow the past few weeks. But better to ask than say something potentially embarrassing in front of Nico. The last thing Annabeth wanted to do was scare him off again.
“Uhh,” Will rubbed the back of his head nervously, his face going slightly red, “I think so?”
“You think so? What the hell does that mean?” Annabeth said, though she was grinning.
“You and Percy got to pine over each other for four years before you did something about it, can’t I get two weeks of peace?” Will groaned, plopping down on the rolling chair beside Annabeth’s bed.
“Yeah, but that was different,” Annabeth protested, “There was the prophecy and the war and all that.”
“A convenient excuse,” Will said. He had rolled over to the cabinet, and was starting to pull supplies out.
“It’s a great excuse, actually, but that’s beside the point,” Annabeth said, waving her hand dismissively.
“Sure. Great.”
“Whatever. We’re not talking about me, we’re talking about you.”
Will took a deep breath, then let it out noisily.
“I’m pretty sure we’re dating. Is that good enough for you?”
Annabeth did have the opportunity to answer whether or not this was good enough for her, because in the next moment the door opened again, and Percy burst through, Nico nowhere in sight.
“Are you okay?” he asked breathlessly, his eyes already trained on her from across the room.
“Just my ankle,” Annabeth said. It was really, truly inconvenient how even a look from Percy could make her heart do jumping-jacks, even now. And the look he was giving her now was very concerned in a way that was very unfairly hot. “I was being a baby so Will sent Nico for you.”
“Oh.” He sighed, relief washing over his worried expression.
Nico lurched through the door a second later, breathing heavily.
“You dumbass,” Nico panted, “If you had waited two seconds I could have told you it was nothing.”
“Did you run all the way here?” Will asked Percy, clearly amused and hiding it badly.
Percy shrugged, unembarrassed, which was also very hot, especially since he was still looking at Annabeth.
“Yeah,” he admitted easily.  
“Dumbass,” Nico repeated, collapsing into his nap chair from earlier.  
“Probably,” Percy agreed, pulling a chair up beside Annabeth’s bed.
“I swear, he heard ‘Annabeth’ and ‘infirmary’ and his eyes glazed over,” Nico said, glaring at Percy, though he seemed more bemused than angry.
“It might’ve been serious!” Percy protested.
“I would’ve led with that,” Nico said, exasperated, “You get I would have led with that, right?”
“You could have led with the ankle,” Percy pointed out, and Nico rolled his eyes so hard his irises disappeared for a second.
“Whatever. I’m getting food,” Nico said, standing up, stretching again.
“Bring me a snack?” Will asked hopefully.
“Ugh. Fine. Parasite,” Nico said. He was clearly doing his best to sound annoyed, and failing at it miserably.
“Thank you!” Will called in a singsong-y voice as Nico left. Nico flipped him off in response, disappearing through the door.
“Are you guys dating yet?” Percy asked, as soon as Nico was gone.
Will groaned, covering his face with his hands.
“I am not doing this again.”
“He thinks so, but isn’t totally sure,” Annabeth supplied.
“Mm. Tricky,” Percy grinned at Annabeth as he slipped his hand into hers.
“You guys suck,” Will complained.
“He’s bringing you a snack, though. That’s cute,” Annabeth said, grinning back at Percy. After all the years the other campers had teased them about not being together when they should’ve been, she figured a little payback couldn’t hurt.
“Definitely dating behavior,” Percy agreed.
“You two are the last people on Earth I am taking relationship advice from,” Will said, “I shouldn’t have let Percy in here.”
“But you did, so,” Percy said cheerfully.
“I can still kick you out,” Will threatened.
“You won’t though,” Annabeth said, squeezing Percy’s hand a little tighter, just in case. Will sighed dramatically.
“No, I won’t,” he said.
“So, what exactly is wrong with your ankle?” Percy asked. His conspiratorial grin had been replaced with a slight frown.
“It’s broken,” Will said, quick and blunt, presumably in an attempt to prevent Annabeth from sugar-coating it.
“You said fractured,” Annabeth protested. She was fully aware she was acting like a child right now, but she didn’t care.
“Yeah, that’s what fractured means. Broken,” Will said, clearly unwilling to indulge her.
Percy’s frown deepened.
“Do you need a cast?”
“Yes,” Will said, before Annabeth could answer.
“Go ahead,” Annabeth said, turning to Percy, “You can say it.”
“I’m not gonna say it,” Percy said innocently, though his lips were twitching.
“Just get it over with now, while I’m already humiliated,” Annabeth sighed.
“I don’t need to.”
“I know you want to say it, Percy. Just say it.”
“Say what?” Will asked.
“Told you so,” Annabeth and Percy said, in unison.
Will stared at them for a second. Then he said,
“You guys are weird.”
“I’ve been telling her to get it checked out for weeks,” Percy explained. Will raised his eyebrows.
“Should’ve listened to your boyfriend Chase, you might’ve shaved a week or two off the cast.”
“Told you so,” Percy said, unable to help himself.
“Shut up,” Annabeth grumbled.
Getting the actual cast on wasn’t as bad as Annabeth expected. It hurt like a bitch when Will straightened her ankle out so it wouldn’t heal crooked, but she had Percy’s fingers to squeeze through it all, which helped. The cast itself was itchy and miserable, but she had expected that.
“All done,” Will said, securing the last bit of fiberglass binding around her ankle. It was dark blue, because they hadn’t had black, and Annabeth figured it would look the least dirty over time. Also, she had a feeling Percy was going to want to doodle on it, and the darker the color the less likely it was anyone was going to notice whatever sharpie drawings he put on there.
“That wasn’t so bad,” Percy said, letting go of her hand for a second to massage the fingers she’d crushed. Annabeth sat up, swinging her legs around so they hung over the side of the bed.
“Yeah, but now I have to live with it,” Annabeth said glumly.
“You’ll get used to it,” Will promised.
Annabeth sighed. She had really put Will though it, for no other reason than she felt like being whiny. He was too nice for his own good.
“Thank you. For the cast, and for putting up with me today,” Annabeth said. Will shrugged, though he was smiling.
“Believe it or not, you weren’t the most hostile patient I’ve had this week. Also—” he turned around, digging around in the closet behind him. When he came back, he was holding crutches.
“Here’s your crutches,” Will said. Annabeth groaned.
“This sucks,” she said, for the third time that day.
“Sorry babe,” Percy said sympathetically.
Then his eyes narrowed, and he ducked down, pushing Annabeth’s shoulders down with him. Before she could even ask why, something whizzed over her head and smacked Will right in the chest.
“Ow!” Will exclaimed. He reflexively caught the projectile before it fell to the floor. It was a pack of crackers.
“Your snack,” Nico said, looking quite smug at having gotten Will back for nailing him with the medical tape earlier.
“Ooh, peanut butter,” Will ripped open the packaging, popping one of the crackers in his mouth.
“Wanna try out those crutches?” Percy asked, offering his hand to help Annabeth up. Annabeth did not want to try out her crutches, but she knew Percy had only said it as an excuse to get them out of the room, so Nico and Will could be alone. She sighed, relenting, and took his hand.
The crutches were harder to maneuver than she expected them to be. They also tired her arms out faster than she expected, so much that they barely made it to the porch of the big house before she had to take a break.
They sat down on the steps, which took a bit more effort than it should have, but Annabeth was still getting used to the bulkiness around her foot. Percy put his arm around her, and she leaned into his shoulder, sighing. She wished she could just stay there forever, and not have to deal with stupid crutches or stupid school or stupid anything else.
“You’re very grumpy today,” Percy noted. Annabeth just tucked herself deeper into his embrace.
“I have a right to be,” she said, voice slightly muffled by his shoulder. She felt his laughter in his chest, a nice steady vibration.
“I don’t mind. You’re cute when you’re grumpy,” Percy said, kissing her forehead for good measure.
“That’s mean,” Annabeth had to fight to keep a smile off her face.
“It’s true. I mean, you’re cute all the time, so I guess it’s nothing new,”
“All the time?” Annabeth challenged.
“All the time,” Percy confirmed.
“Even when I haven’t brushed my hair in three days because I forgot?”
“Even then,”
“Even when I’m snippy?”
“Yup,”
“Even when I’m pissed at you?”
“Ugh, you got me,” Percy said, with an exaggerated look of defeat, “You being pissed at me is more hot than cute.”
Annabeth couldn’t help but laugh at the goofy expression on his face.
“Sorry I’m in such a bad mood,” Annabeth sighed, when their laughter had diminished. Percy just shrugged.
“It’s alright. You earned it,” he said, nodding to her cast. Annabeth looked down at it glumly.
“It’s still going to be on when we start school,” Annabeth sighed.
“That’s okay. I’ll carry your books for you,” Percy promised.
“What if a monster attacks us? I’ll be useless.”
“They’ve probably learned by now to steer clear of us,” Percy said, “And even if they somehow haven’t, a stupid cast isn’t going to make you useless. You could get a really good whack in with those crutches.”
That made Annabeth laugh again, and somehow, miraculously, when she stopped her face didn’t automatically slide back into a frown. It was hard for her to stay gloomy around Percy when he was intentionally trying to cheer her up.
She pulled herself back a little, so she could see his face properly. He looked back at her, a little smile still playing at the corner of his lips.
“I love you,” Annabeth said. His little smile grew into a full-blown grin.
“I love you too.”
221 notes · View notes
fanficsandthings · 3 years
Text
Through the Years, Ch. 7
A George Weasley Fanfiction
A George Weasley x Slytherin reader story.
Each chapter shares events in one year of George and reader’s life together.
Word Count: 6.1k
Author’s note: i know i’m like 3 months late on posting this chapter, but i promise i haven't abandoned this fic. 
Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6 
Year 6, Part 2:  Fireworks
 The heavy rain soaked through your clothes as you made your way into King’s Cross. It had been raining hard since early that morning, and the heavy gloom that hung over London was starting to take hold in your chest. The events of two weeks prior were impossible to purge from your mind, and on days like this the memories slowly crept their way forward. You swore that green skull could illuminate the sky again at any moment, so instead, you forced yourself to think about other things. 
You uncle and dad had been talking for weeks about an event happening at Hogwarts this year, but they wouldn’t give anything away. All you knew was that you needed a fancy dress, which you bought a week ago at a second hand store. It now sat in the bottom of your trunk, its intended use unknown to you for now. 
You no longer needed the motivation to run through the brick wall that separated platforms 9 and 10, like you did in your first year. You and your father casually waited by the wall, wringing the water from your clothes, as you watched the muggles pass by. When all was clear, you casually leaned against it, disappearing suddenly to anyone who might’ve cared to notice. 
The steam from the scarlet coloured engine filled the platform, the people rushing about looking more like ghosts than corporeal beings. You searched briefly for a family of redheads, but quickly gave up and turned your attention to the items you had brought with you. 
You checked quickly on Minnie, whose carrier was concealed under your rain jacket on top of your trunk. She was dry, just a little perturbed at all the movement happening on the trip here. 
“You packed the camcorder, right?” your father asked. “And the extra tapes?”
“Yes,” you told him, “they were the first things I packed.” 
“And you’re sure you know how to use it?”
“Yes, I’m pretty sure we went over it about 100 times.”
“I just don’t want you to get there and then not be able to capture anything,” he said, looking around at the people on the platform. He lowered his voice a bit to speak the next part. “It’s going to be a very fun year. I don’t want you to forget any of it.”
You let out an exasperated sigh. “Will you please stop being so secretive, and tell me what’s going on?”
“I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough,” he told you. 
You were about to protest and beg for more information when three more people came through the platform portal. Ron, Hermione, and Harry appeared before you, squinting through the steam. 
“Oh, look!” your dad cut you off, ignoring the annoyed look on your face. “Friends! Now, go get on the train with them. I might see you sooner than you think.”  
You said a very quick goodbye before turning to the three newcomers. They were still looking through the steam, trying to orientate themselves before heading to the train. You snuck up as quietly as your trunk would allow, thankful that the train engine was letting off some noise. 
“What’re you looking for?” you shouted, right in between Ron and Harry’s heads. It caused all three of them to jump; the owls in the cages they were holding hooted frantically as they got tossed around. 
“Please don’t do that,” Hermione voiced as she clutched her chest. 
“Sorry,” you said, smiling, “I couldn’t resist.” You turned your head to look at the brick wall briefly. “Where is..”
“Your boyfriend?” Ron butt in. He turned to Harry and made a fake gagging noise. Harry let out a laugh, amused at his friend’s actions. 
“Right behind you,” a familiar voice said. You turned to see Charlie, Fred, and George. George was smiling brightly at you. “We just passed your dad on the other side of the barrier.” 
“Charlie!” you exclaimed, giving him a quick hug. “I expected you to be back in Romania by now.”
“Do we even exist?” George whispered to Fred. 
“Apparently not when Charlie’s around,” Fred answered. 
You rolled your eyes as you turned to the twins. “I’m gonna see you two constantly for the next 10 months. I rarely see Charlie.” 
“I took extended time off,” Charlie said, answering your question, “because I’ll be working a little extra in a couple of months.” 
Ginny, Bill, and Mrs. Wealsey made their way through the wall behind the twins. 
“Hello,” Mrs. Weasley greeted upon seeing you. 
“Molly, it’s so good to see you. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to see you at the Quidditch Cup,” you told her, giving her a hug. 
“Quidditch isn’t really my thing, dear,” she informed you. “But I might get to see you all again soon.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” you asked. 
“It’s nothing,” she said, pushing you back towards Fred and George. 
“We should get going,” you said to the twins. “We need to find Lee and seats” 
The twins said goodbye to their family, and you all headed off through the steam towards the train. You found Lee, who had already boarded and was saving a compartment for the three of you. You stuffed your trunks above the seats and put Millie’s carrier in the seat next to the door. 
It was a weird feeling, purposefully sitting so close to George on the train; him next to the window and your head leaning on his shoulder so you could watch the countryside pass by. Really, it’s not like much had changed from being just friends to dating. You had always sat close to each other before, even holding hands when the situation allowed for it. Something seemed to change over the last couple months, though, and now you felt more comfortable than ever resting your head against George. 
Maybe it was the fact that you could hold hands now without people whispering in the background and speculating about you. Or the fact that you could run your hands through his hair, which he had let grow a little longer over the summer, and not be worried about accidentally looking into his brown eyes and having to hide your embarrassment over the matter. You could freely count the freckles splattered across his face and name the constellations you made in them. Freckles that would always remind you of the falling snow on the night you first kissed. 
At some point, you let Minnie out of her carrier, letting her roam freely around the compartment, careful to make sure the door was securely closed. She eventually found a comfy stop on the seat between Fred and Lee. You watched as she curled up into a ball, her tail carefully covering her eyes, as if to block out any light. 
As the train rolled on and the rain outside got heavier, the windows fogged up, making it impossible to see outside. You turned your full attention to the conversation happening. Lee was talking about what he did over break, and brought up the Quidditch World Cup. 
Your eyes moved briefly to the window, thinking you might see the bright green light shining through the rain. George saw your movement and squeezed your hand in reassurance, a small smile on his face. You smiled back at him, telling him that you’d be alright. 
Lee mentioned that his father had been cheated out of money over a bet he made with Ludo Bagman at the Cup. 
“That dirty little cheat!” Fred yelled at the mention of Bagman’s name, causing Minnie to startle beside him. 
“He took our money, too,” George added on. “He paid us back in leprechaun gold.” 
“That’s exactly what he did to my dad,” Lee said. 
“You bet all the money you had saved, didn’t you?” you asked Fred and George. 
“Yeah,” Fred sighed. 
“We’ll have to find another way to open the shop now,” George said. 
“I still have some money saved up,” you told them. “About 20 Galleons when converted from muggle money. It’s not much but maybe we could find something to invest it in.”
“We couldn’t ask you to give us your money,” Fred said. 
“Yeah, I’m sure there’s other things you could use that money for, right? ” George inquired. 
“Not really,” you told them. “I’ve always planned to help you with Weasley Wizard Wheezes one way or another. Whether that be through money or inventing inventory.” 
“Oh,” George said rather quietly beside you. “Thank you.” 
You leaned up and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. “Anything for you, Georgie.” 
“And you know I’m always here to test out products,” Lee chimed in. 
“Oh, speaking of which,” you voiced, “did you finish those Canary Creams in the last two weeks?” 
“Not quite,” George told you. “There’s still some kinks to work out, but give us a few weeks and some of Snape’s potion supplies and we’ll get them done.” 
“But!” Fred said, pulling a small, wrapped treat out of his pocket. “We did nail down the yellow hair color.”
“Now we have all the house colors down,” George finished. 
“And I think we should take advantage of that,” you said with a grin. You grabbed the sweet from Fred’s hand. “This one’s yellow?” He nodded. “And you guys still have a beef against Cedric for winning the quidditch match last year?” 
“We should’ve gotten a rematch,” all three of them said in unison. 
“I know, I know,” you said, faking sympathy. 
The rest of the train ride was spent slipping sweets into other student’s train compartments and hiding in the hallway until you heard a couple screams. Cedric didn’t really seem to mind too much; being more embarrassed of the attention his friends were giving him because of it, opposed to being mad. You did manage to slip a pink one into Draco’s compartment, but one of his oversized bodyguards ended up eating it instead. 
You found Adrian Pucey, who was trying to rekindle your friendship a little bit. He had written to you over the summer a few times. You gave him a blue haired sweet just because you wanted to see if the color would look good on him. It really didn’t, as the Ravenclaw blue didn’t mix with his complexion very well. You made him promise to sit next to you at the welcome feast, and you’d reverse the effects then. 
Overall, you were very happy to be going back to Hogwarts where you’d be able to hang out with your friends again. 
-----------------
The term seemed to pass too quickly with all the Tournament excitement going on. You had been concerned for Harry ever since his name was pulled out of that blasted goblet, but ever since he won the first task, he seemed to be in a much better mood. 
You had snuck out of the castle the night before the first task with Fred and George to meet up with Charlie. He had excitedly shown you the dragons they had brought from Romania, their fiery breaths keeping you warm in the cool November air. You had never seen creatures like this upclose before, and they intrigued you enough to think for just a moment that maybe you wouldn’t mind working in Romania with Charlie. 
A month after that, you found Hogwarts covered in snow, the winter chill finally settling in the castle corridors. Fireplaces blazed in every room, warming you ever so slightly as you sat by them. The fireplace in your dorm room did little to help fight the cold of the Black Lake. Again, just like last year, you spent most of your nights in the Gryffindor common room, curled up next to George by their roaring fire. 
Minnie took to spending her nights in George’s room. She seemed to be making friends with Crookshanks, as you would sometimes find them cuddled together in the common room. 
At times you felt bad for the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students. Their carriage and ship didn’t seem like the warmest of homes. You’d look across the school grounds and see them covered in ice and snow, and it would send a shiver down your spine every time. 
Christmas Eve came, and the entire school was filled with excitement over the Yule Ball the next day. You were excited too, but there was one more thing you needed to do before that day came. 
You had told George to meet you in the Astronomy tower in his pajamas at 10pm on Christmas Eve, a surprise all planned out in your head. You had stolen the radio from the Slytherin common room for the night. It had taken you and Adrian over a week to figure out how to get muggle radio stations to play on it, but eventually you got past all the magical interference and were able to listen to muggle music for the first time in almost four months. It wasn’t that you didn’t enjoy The Weird Sisters, but sometimes you just missed the music your mum would listen to at home. 
You set up your camcorder in one corner of the tower by the stairs, getting as much of the room in frame as you could. With no one else in the room to film, it would be the best shot you could get with the camera. 
You met George at the base of the tower five minutes before 10, confusion etched on his face. 
“I see you wore the pajamas with a little lion embroidered on them,” you teased him, reaching for his hand. “My cute little Gryffindor.” 
He blushed at your words, but he took your hand nonetheless and let you lead him up the stairs. 
“You’re literally wearing the same ones but with a snake embroidered,” George said. 
“Hey, your mum made them, and I love them,” you told him. You squeezed his hand as you both laughed. 
Music from the radio played softly from the top of the tower, a song that neither of you had heard before. When you reached the top of the stairs, you paused briefly to press the record button on the camera. This caused a confused look to make its way onto George’s face, but you reassured him that nothing harmful was going to happen.  
You pulled him to the middle of the room, the chill from the winter night just barely reaching you. Pulling him close to you, you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. George instinctively put his arms around your waste. You started to sway to the slow song coming from the radio.
“We haven’t been up here in a while,” George whispered. 
“Not since fourth year when we flew right into the middle of Professor Sinistra’s nighttime class,” you said, laughing. 
“Hey, we both expected her to have a midnight class that night,” George said, “not an 8pm class.” 
“I didn’t even mind the detention we got from it,” you told him. “I was just happy that I beat you in the race up here.” 
“I remember you cheating to beat me up here,” George said, wrinkling up his nose to tease you. “You and your old money Malfoy broom nearly knocked me into the castle wall.” 
“All’s fair in love and war, Georgie,” you said. “I was just using the speed that broom gives me to its full potential.” 
“If I didn’t love you so much, I’d still be mad about it.” He leaned down to kiss you on the forehead. “I still can’t believe you finally let me kiss you a year ago now.”
“You can thank Charlie for that actually. He gave me a little pep talk before I came outside that night.” You rested your head against his chest, listening to him hum along to the music. “Do you know this song?” 
“I’ve heard you play it before while you were at my house. I quite like it.” 
You pulled yourself as close to George as possible, trying to absorb his body heat. You hadn’t really thought about the open balcony and the winter weather when you planned this out. You leaned against him and swayed with the song, only really listening to his heartbeat through his chest. When the song was over and a more upbeat one came on, you pulled away just enough to look at his face. 
“Do you think Dumbledore really got The Weird Sisters to play tomorrow night,” you asked. 
“I hope so,” he said with a small laugh. “It’s all everyone’s been talking about the past few days.” 
“Speaking of the ball,” you started, “Did Fred ever ask that girl he likes to go with him?” 
“He asked Angelina a few days ago,” George told you. You wrinkled up your face in confusion. “What? They’re going as friends.” 
“But what about that Hufflepuff girl that he talks about constantly?” you asked. “I expected him to ask her, and I thought Lee and Angelina would go together.” 
“Lee’s going with a Ravenclaw fifth year, actually,” he informed you. “One of Cho Chang’s friends. Cedric actually set them up.” He seemed to have a hard time admitting that Cedric could do something nice for someone. George and Fred really held a grudge when it came to quidditch. 
“Cedric’s a good person, you know?” you said. “He wanted to have that rematch. But back to Fred; why is he being an idiot about his crush?”
“Because he is an idiot in general,” George said laughing. “He asked Angie just to prove to Ron that he had a date. He didn’t think it through.” 
You let out a sigh. “He’ll never learn.” 
The next song started with a familiar tune. “George, I think you’ll love this one!” 
You pulled away from him and grabbed his hand. There was no rhythm to your dancing, but it was fun nonetheless. George left all his worries behind and danced with you, not caring that you two definitely looked like idiots. He did really like the song that was playing, and he enjoyed it even more knowing that you loved it. 
You turned your camcorder off after that song, saving room on the tape for the next night too. You walked with George to the balcony, braving the cold to look over the snow covered grounds. Hogwarts really did look beautiful at this time of night. The moon reflected off the white snow and shone brightly over the Black Lake. The ship and the carriage looked like mere children’s toys from this far away. 
You rested your head against George’s shoulder as you both leaned against the railing. “Thank you, George.”
“For what?” he asked.
“For being my best friend, I guess,” you said. “It means a lot to me to have someone like you in my life.” 
“I’m glad I have you too,” He kissed the top of your head. 
You moved your head to kiss him properly, his body heat warming your face as you leaned in. The smell of potions clung to his skin, as he had been working on new products the entire last week. You caught the scent of a rather sweet one, and breathed in deeply. You pulled away reluctantly, but the cold was getting to you and you needed to head inside. 
George picked up the camera as you grabbed the radio, turning it off. You walked quietly down the stairs, hoping not to run into anyone at the bottom. He offered to walk you to your dorm, but you knew that Gryffindor tower was a lot closer than the dungeons, so you walked him there.
“Keep the camera for tomorrow,” you told him. “Record whatever mischief you get up to in the morning and then put it in the Great Hall.” 
“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow night.” He leaned in for one more kiss. “I love you.”
“Love you too.”
You hurried off down the hall as he climbed through the portrait hole. Sneaking down to the dungeons at this hour required a bit of stealth and luck, but you had done it enough to basically know the patrol schedules. You made it to the common room after only one near run in with a teacher, but you ducked behind a statue, just barely avoiding them. 
There were a few students left in the common room, so you casually put the radio back in its spot on the table. Hopefully no one had missed it too much. 
You made your way to your dorm room, opening the door quietly to not wake your roommates. The last embers of the fire were still burning in the fireplace, and they gave you just enough light to be able to see your way to your bed. The light from the moon didn’t reach this deep into the Black Lake when there was a layer of ice on top of it, so your windows remained pitch black. 
You laid in bed, pulling the quilt from last Christmas as close to you as you could. You breathed in the earthy smell and let out a content sigh. Sleep found you easily that night, and your mind raced with dreams of what tomorrow might be like. 
-----------------------------
The buzz and excitement in the air was contagious as everyone got ready before the ball. You had spent the morning in the common room with Adrian, trying to get him to tell you who he was going with, but he refused, saying that you’d find out in a few hours anyway. 
“Why won’t you just tell me?” you asked, leaning forward and narrowing your eyes at him. 
“Why does it matter so much?” he asked in return, ignoring the look you were giving him. 
“Because I want a picture of us and our dates,” you said, “and if I don’t know who your date is, then I can’t force them to take the picture.” 
“I promise you’ll get your picture,” he said. “I’m meeting up with him in front--”
You nearly sprang to your feet, but kept yourself in your chair when you saw the look of embarrassment on his face. 
“So it’s not the seventh year Ravenclaw girl that has a crush on you,” you said, putting your hands over your mouth to think a bit. “I really thought it was her.”
Adrian looked flustered, his cheeks turning red. “What? No, no, she doesn’t have a crush on me.”
“She does,” you told him bluntly. “She asked me if you had a date about two weeks ago. I told her yes, but seeing as you won’t tell me who, I couldn’t give her more information.” 
Adrian sank back into the couch, wishing this conversation would end. You looked at him, still thinking about who he could be going with. 
“The Beauxbatons boy who wouldn’t stop staring at you on their first night here?” you pondered, but he remained quiet. “The fifth year Hufflepuff who ran into you in the hall last month? He’s cute and rather shy. I remember him apologizing profusely. I noticed him ducking his head away from you when we’d pass him in the hall after that.” 
You watched him for a reaction that would give you a yes or no answer, but all you noticed was his face getting redder. Adrian never really talked about crushes and who he liked. This conversation about people who maybe liked him seemed to be a little much for him. 
“Alright, one more guess,” you said, “and then I promise I’ll drop it until tonight.” He looked at you out of the corner of his eye. You took it as a sign to go on. “It’s not one of your dorm mates, is it? They’re rather all kinda assholes.”  
You finally got a laugh out of him at that. “Absolutely not. I know them all way too well to ever want to go on a date with any of them.” 
“Good, just checking to make sure you were still sane,” you said, standing up. “I’ll see you in a bit. Meet back here before we head up?” Adrian gave a small nod as you headed towards your dorm. 
You got ready while the rest of your roommates chatted around you. The dress you had picked out just before the school year started hung from a hanger on your four poster bed. The purple fabric of it was accented nicely by some small gold details. You had added a little bit of magic to it over the past few months, making it more your own, rather than just a second hand find. 
You found Adrian a few hours later, sitting in the same spot you had left him; his casual clothes now swapped out for dress robes, and his hair neatly styled. 
“You look nice,” you told him, causing him to look up. 
“Thanks.” He stood up, scratching the back of his neck. He looked at you, taking in your dress. “You look great. Did you get the sparks to work?” 
“Yes!” you said excitedly, looking down at the gold details. “Technically not sparks, but you’ll see. Wait till George can see them too. Can you carry this?”
You handed him your disposable camera, and he quickly put it in his pocket. He held out his arm, and you easily linked yours in it. You headed out of the common room, ready to meet up with your dates.
Walking up the stairs from the dungeons, the first person you saw standing in front of the Great Hall was Ron in his interesting dress robes. He was staring angrily at two people as they walked into the hall. It took a second to realize the girl was Hermione, having never seen her with her hair done like that before. You recognized the boy as Viktor Krum when he turned to greet one of his friends as he walked past them. 
Viktor’s friend turned in your direction, and his face lit up with a smile as he saw you and Adrian. You turned to Adrian, who was smiling just as brightly back at the Durmstrang boy. 
“A Durmstrang boy?” you whispered to Adrian as you made your way over to him. The boy was tall, at least a few inches taller than Adrian, and his long dark hair hung to his shoulders. When he reached the two of you, he turned his attention to you and took your hand, kissing it softly. His green eyes looked into yours briefly. 
“Adrian has talked a lot about you,” the boy said, dropping your hand. He looked back over at Adrian, the softest expression on both of their faces.
“This is Georgi,” Adrian introduced you. You looked at him, trying to hide your expression of slight shock. 
This is exactly why he wouldn’t tell you the name of his date. He knew you would tease him about going to the ball with a boy who shared a name so similar to your boyfriend. In all honesty though, the two boys were almost nothing alike. Georgi seemed a little more subdued and quiet, opposed to George who, though quieter than his brother, was still too loud for his own good. 
While making polite conversation with Adrian and his date, you were also trying to find the twins in the crowd of people. You noticed them coming down the stairs with Lee and Angelina, Lee soon hurrying off to find his date. 
You nudged Adrian in the side and gestured towards the twins. “I’ll be right back.” He nodded at you, and you set off through the crowd. 
“George!” you called as you ran up and hugged him. He and Fred were wearing matching outfits, probably passed down from their uncles to them.  
“Hello.” George pulled you back from the hug, looking at you fully. “You’re beautiful.” 
You ignored his statement, trying to hide the heat rising on your face. “Come on, I want you to meet Adrian’s date.” You looked at Fred and Angelina. “You too. I want a picture.” You pulled George’s hand, leading the group back through the crowd. 
“You put the camcorder in the Great Hall, right?” you said over your shoulder. 
“Yeah,” George confirmed. “About an hour ago. You’ll just need to hit record.” 
Meeting up with Adrian again, you gestured to George, introducing him to the Durmstrang boy. “George, this is Georgi. Georgi, George. My boyfriend.” 
They stared at each other for half a second before Fred butted in. 
“Well, isn’t that fun,” he said with a grin. 
You just grinned at Adrian, a smug look on your face.
You introduced Fred and Angelina and chatted for a bit before pulling another student over, who you knew was muggleborn, to take a picture of the six of you. Adrian nudged you and pointed to your dress. You looked down at it before realizing what he was suggesting. 
“Oh,” you said, catching the attention of the group. “I almost forgot. I added a little magic to my dress. Adrian, do you mind doing the honors?”
He pointed his wand at your dress, and a translucent, almost invisible smoke came out of the end. Tendrils of smoke reached out, attaching themselves to the center of each little gold detail and then disappearing into the dress. Each gold detail began to shake, as if filled with an immense energy. Suddenly, the details exploded across the dress, mimicking fireworks to the best of their ability. After a moment, they settled into their original shape. 
The group was staring at you, transfixed on what had just happened. 
“I’ve never seen a spell like that before,” Georgi finally said, a look of wonder on his face. 
“That’s because Adrian and I invented it, just for this,” you told him. You smiled as you looked over at Adrian. “We’ve been working on spells and such all of term in our free time. So far we only got the radio to work, and now this. This one isn’t perfect though. The smoke isn’t supposed to be there; it’s supposed to just be an immediate effect.”
George could tell that you were rambling now. He could see that your ramblings were bringing your excitement over the fantastic job you did down into doubt about how it didn’t work exactly how you wanted it to. He reached out and grabbed your hand. 
“It was beautiful,” he said. He looked into your eyes, trying to bring your attention to only him, trying to calm you down. “You know I love fireworks. Maybe they could be a part of the uniform at our shop.”
You smiled at him, giving a small laugh. “That would be wonderful.”
You turned back to the group and noticed Angelina standing by herself, Fred nowhere in sight. “Where’s Fred gone off to?” 
“He said he needed to talk to someone,” Angelina said, pointing towards the stairs that led towards the kitchens. 
You turned, expecting to find Fred putting a firecracker in someone's robes, but instead found him trying to get the attention of the Hufflepuff girl. She was standing close to another Durmstrang boy, but looked rather uncomfortable at the whole situation. She kept trying to scoot closer to Cedric, but every time she did, the Durmstrang boy would scoot with her. Cedric said something to her before he took Cho by the hand and led her into the Hall. Fred called her name again, but she continued to ignore him, instead saying something to her date before they too walked to the Hall. 
“Why didn’t he just ask her?” Angelina asked beside you. “I would’ve been fine going with someone else.”
“Because he’s an idiot,” you said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“You’re not wrong,” Angelina agreed. 
The entrance hall was getting emptier as everyone filed into the Great Hall. You took this as the cue to follow suit. You stood in the large crowd, pressing play on your camcorder as the school champions were ushered to the dance floor. The dancing started, and George almost immediately pulled you to the dance floor as more people joined in. 
The night went by quickly, but you would always be able to watch it back thanks to your camcorder, and look at pictures that you took. 
Your favorite picture by far was one of Adrian squished in a hug between the twins, their red hair and gold vests standing out extravagantly against his all black outfit. Adrian and the twins were still not the best of friends, but over the past few months they had all agreed to try to get along for your sake. The twins liked to show their progress through aggressive acts of friendliness. 
The videos were another story. They showed the night in motion and sound, something you were eternally thankful for. You could never give enough thanks to your dad for buying the camcorder for you. 
The video of the school champions dancing showed Hermione being the happiest you had ever seen her. It was quickly interrupted by you laughing as George pulled you onto the dance floor, followed by Fred grabbing Angelina to dance with him. It even caught a bit of McGonagall dancing with Dumbledore, a surprising sight, as you had thought you would never see either of them dancing in your life. 
You caught a video of Percy, zoomed way in on his grumpy face as he watched his ex-girlfriend dancing with someone else. Penelope looked happy with the boy she was dancing with though. You knew in a few years, hopefully, Percy would be able to laugh at his emotions too. 
You got Fred and George pulling Percy, Ron, and Harry out of their seats as The Weird Sisters started to play. Ginny joined their group to dance with her brothers; the three excited Weasleys trying their best to dance the grumpiness out of the others. You set the camera down on a table, facing the group and ran to grab Adrian and Georgi. Passing Angelina and Alicia on the way back, you told them to come with you too. Your large group now took up much of the dance floor, but no one seemed to mind as you all jumped around to the song the band was playing. 
The next video had the band playing a slower song in the background. The camera just sitting on a table, having been accidentally turned on by someone. It showed the Hufflepuff girl sitting at a table with Percy. They were talking, but the music drowned out any words that they were saying. Percy looked a little happier than he did earlier. Fred came into frame, sitting next to Percy, but putting his whole attention on the girl. She said a few short words to him, but when it was obvious she didn’t want to talk, he got up and walked towards the camera. He must have noticed it was on, because he mumbled a few words at it before the video cut off. 
There was a short video of you and Adrian walking outside in front of the castle, lights sparkling around you. George and Fred were a few paces ahead of you, talking about something you couldn’t hear. Georgi had offered to record for a bit, even though he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing. The video cut off abruptly when the camera was dropped. 
The last video on the camera was George recording you as you were leaving the Hall for the night. 
“How was your night,” he asked from behind the camera. 
“I had a great night,” you told him, walking backwards. You were holding up your dress so you didn’t trip. “Better than some people.”
The camera panned over to Fred, who flicked it off. He had a smile on his face, though, so you knew he still had a wonderful time. George moved the camera to catch Angelina in frame. 
“Did you still have a good time,” he asked her, “even though your date was kinda a drag?” 
“I had a wonderful time,” Angelina said as she put her arms around Alicia and Katie, who were walking beside her. “I still had my best friends to lift the mood.” 
“And what about you,” George turned so now he was walking backwards, camera pointed at Adrian and Georgi. They were walking hand in hand, Adrian’s head resting on Georgi’s shoulder. 
“It was alright,” Adrian said, smiling up at his date. Georgi squeezed Adrian’s hand. 
You had now reached the base of the stairs that led up to the Gryffindor common room. Everyone stopped walking to say their goodbyes. 
“One more thing,” you said to the camera. “I wanna get my spell on record.” You grabbed out your wand and pointed it at your dress, setting the fireworks in motion. 
“Beautiful, as always,” George hummed behind the camera. “I think this is where we part ways.” He took your hand in his. “Goodnight, love.”
“Goodnight.” 
The video stopped as you leaned in to kiss him. 
97 notes · View notes
awritingtree · 4 years
Text
Never Enough (1/7)
Sirius Black x daughter!reader
Summary: You were content with your life, living with your cousin while the whereabouts of your father, Sirius Black, and his wellbeing remained unknown after escaping . But that all changed when you had to move into 12 Grimmauld Place for the summer. The worst part of it all? He was there too. (Wow I suck at summaries)
Words: 1.7k
Warnings: angst, shitty father-daughter relationship, mentions of abandonment, tell me if there are any others 
A/N: Yes, I know I changed the timeline up a bit to fit the fic. Please don’t be the asshole that points it out. I had to adjust it slightly for the plot. My heart broke writing this but it was too good an idea to pass up. I abandoned writing all my other fics for this. And all I can say to you is I’m sorry.
Series Masterlist
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All those years, you’ve felt lonely. The Tonks were a wonderful family, raising you as one of their own. But there was always an empty feeling, a missing spot in your life that only your father could fill. If he’d come to you after he had escaped from Azkaban with an explanation, you would’ve welcomed him into your life with open arms. Therefore, when you found out he’d escaped and had been in contact with Harry all this time, not even bothering to check up on you once and the fact that you had to go live with this said person for the rest of your summer, away from your family, you went livid. You’d trashed your room; lamps broken, chairs and desks overturned, all your books had caught fire from not being able to keep your emotions, hence magic, in check.
But Aunt Dro and Dora had reassured you that it’d be fine, Dora even promised to stop by every day to check up on you without fail.
“It’s for your safety,” Uncle Teddy had said as they dropped you off.
You loved him, of course you did, he was your father. Though you had no fond memories of him, he seemed like the person you would get along greatly with. You’d heard a lot about his days at Hogwarts from your aunt. You were very much like him; just as reckless, having a knack for pranks (though people usually took it as a form of bullying or you being mean only because you were a Slytherin, even if your pranks were not as bad as those executed by the Weasley twins), and just as hot-tempered if not more. That’s why everyone should’ve this coming. It had started off as a normal day, waking up and having breakfast before getting to cleaning the grim place you were currently living in. All the house’s occupants were in one of the unkept rooms, getting rid of objects, which you thought had to be filled with dark magic.
You didn’t know when it happened; when the argument broke out. Ginny and Hermione were only asking you about your life all these years with the Tonks. Everyone should’ve seen it coming but no one had any inkling that it would escalate to this.
“You left me! You left to get revenge, without thinking for a second what would happen to me. And you came back for revenge, to protect your godson. That was enough motivation for you to leave that prison after 13 years, the rat’s picture and his safety. I wasn’t a good enough excuse to have escaped years ago, the thought of me, alone, wasn’t enough for you. I was never enough, was I!?”
Your words echoed through the silence of the house, everyone still, dumbfounded. Not even the portrait of your grandmother made a sound. The impact of your words far too great.
You knew he had escaped, but you never met. Not until this summer when you were forced to move into your ancestors’ house. He hadn’t come looking for you back in your 3rd year - he had come looking for him. The boy with the lightning scar marking his forehead from the night you lost your chance at having a life with your father. The boy who wasn’t here, for his own protection. The boy everyone seemed to drop everything for and for some that included their own daughter.
You don’t know when the argument had broken out and escalated this far, no one saw it coming. The previous playful atmosphere that hung in the air disappeared, replaced by an ambience that reeked of agony and anguish.
You, a Slytherin, a disappointment in his eyes. But truly, he was the disappointment. He left you all alone in this horrid world with no one.
“You had Remus.”
“Right,” you scoffed folding your arms across your chest, “I had a godfather who decided he couldn’t take care of me and abandoned me, not even bothering to keep in contact.”
Remus visibly flinched at the pure venom directed towards him through your words.
“That’s not my fault. I wasn’t here, what could I have done?” Sirius spoke back frustrated, throwing his hand up in the air.
“That’s the thing, you weren’t there. But it’s always James and Harry isn’t it? Harry and James,” you said defeatedly. Your shoulders slumped down as you looked down to the ground, trying to hide your tears from the rest who were staring at you, astonished but with pity. You quickly spun around on your heel and walked away, heading towards your room in this dark, repulsive house, a house that in another life you would’ve called your home.
And no one came after you.
⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑
That was two weeks ago, and things hadn’t gotten any better. You would stay in your room when you weren’t helping Mrs. Weasley out with the cleaning. You’d sit with everyone for meals, but a tense air would surround you every time you were in the same room as your father. He hadn’t made any move towards reconciling with you, towards having a relationship with his only child. After all that you’d said that day, you really thought he would. But you were left disappointed once again.
Just when you’d thought things couldn’t get worse, Harry had arrived a few days ago. You didn’t have anything against the boy, but watching your father dote over him every second of every day hurt you more than you cared to admit.
It was currently dinner time. You were sitting next to Dora who was changing her face to sport a pig’s snout upon Ginny’s request. You found it funny, you did, but you had no energy to laugh or even muster up a smile. You felt drained. The past few days made you feel like you were suffocating in this dreadful place. Your throat felt like it was constantly constricted, refusing to let air fill up your lungs, refusing to let you breathe and let go of the heavy weight that seemed to have made its home on your chest.
“You know, I thought the first thing you’d when you got here was ask about Voldemort.”
Your father’s conversation with Harry suddenly piqued your interest. The name caused a chill to run down through everyone’s spine.
“I did!” exclaimed Harry, “but everyone said we’re not allowed in the Order. That we’re too young.”
“You are too young,” reprimanded Mrs. Weasley.
“He’s been trapped in that Muggle house for over a month! He has the right to receive answers about his questions.”
That brought about an uproar from the rest of the kids.
“Harry’s not even of age!”
“Why does he get his questions answered!?”
~“That is up to your parents.”~
“But we’re of age!”
“Harry will tell me and Hermione everything anyway!”
You stayed silent through it all knowing anything you said wouldn’t change the minds of the adults in the room. There was nothing that you could contribute that would work in your favour.
After a row between Sirius and Mrs. Weasley (in which some out-of-line things were mentioned), it was finally decided that Ron, Hermione, Fred and George would stay as Harry got to know what had been happening. Ginny, on the other hand, was to go upstairs. Though she did not go without a fight - blazing and fuming, she reluctantly made her way to her room.
“Y/N, you too. Go upstairs,” said Remus.
“I’m not going anywhere. If they can stay so can I,” you said, looking up from your uneaten dessert.
Sirius looked away from Harry towards you, appearing to just realize you were in the room as well.
“Moony’s right. Go upstairs, Y/N,” he told you.
You stayed in your seat, going back to picking at your unappetizing dessert. Your silence and staying put began to tick Sirius off.
“Y/N, I told you something,” said Sirius, trying to keep his temper in check.
“I know, I heard you.”
The silence carried on. You stayed planted on your seat, refusing to move an inch.
“Y/N Black, you are still underage, and I am your father. So upstairs, now.”
You huffed, slamming your fork down on the table as you stood up abruptly. The chair scraped back and fell onto the floor from your sudden action.
“Fine,” you said through your gritted teeth, looking directly into your father’s eyes; eyes so alike yours. Sirius felt like he had actually been scorched by the fire burning in your eyes, contradicting the sickly-sweet smile you shot at him before storming out of the room, slamming the door shut behind you.
You made your way towards the room that was temporarily yours; one that could’ve been your room if only… You shook your head trying not to dwell on such thoughts.
You were done.
Your trunk slammed against the stairs as you dragged it down, waking up Walburga Black’s portrait, screaming at everyone:
“Half-breeds, mudbloods, and blood-traitors in my house! If I was alive-,” you tuned her shouts out.
“Y/N, dear. What are you doing?”
“What I should have done a while ago,” you replied, looking up to see Mrs. Weasley, who had just escorted Ginny up to her room, peering over the banister.
You walked towards the front door through the unlit hallway, a migraine forming from the shrieks of your biological grandmother and the screeching of your trunk dragging across the floor.
You opened the door, stepping out into the summer night. The quiet took over as soon as you shut the door behind you. Your throat finally let up and expanded as you breathed in the cool summer night air, allowing your lungs to fill with large volumes of air; air that you had been gasping for the past few weeks. The heavy weight on your chest dissipated, making you feel lighter than you had ever felt; as if you could walk on clouds.
A loud ‘pop’ sounded through the empty street a few seconds after you’d raised your wand out in front of you.
You climbed onto the bus, not once looking back at the house that no one around could see, except you.
Not even when you heard a voice call out into the empty street as you disappeared along with the Knight Bus with a ‘pop’.
“Y/N!”
⭑*•̩̩͙⊱••••✩••••̩̩͙⊰•*⭑
Taglist: @heloisedaphnebrightmore @pregnant-piggy @approved-by-dentists @kashishwrites @remmyswritings @angelinathebook @idont-knowrn @coffee--writes
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pazumane-archive · 3 years
Text
Closing Time - Asahi x Reader
Characters: Asahi Azumane, female reader, original female character, small Taichi cameo
Relationships: Asahi Azumane x Reader
Genre: Fluff, hurt/comfort if you squint, SFW but 16+ please
Warnings: Alcohol, general drunken shenanigans, emetophobia (mentions of vomit), bad language
WC: 6.4k
Author’s Note: Hi everyone! This is a totally self-indulgent bedtime-scenario-type story because there is simply not enough Asahi/Reader content out there and I adore him. It’s also my first time writing in 2nd person, so PLEASE feel free to send me any feedback, please just be kind :) I really don’t like to use y/n, so I only used it a couple times towards the end when I wasn’t sure what else to do lol
The preview begins with the bolded text below and fic continues after the cut :)
Reblogs appreciated! <3
You weren’t planning on getting this drunk. But by the time it got to be about 11:30, you didn’t know what else to do. You had put so much effort and energy into making yourself look nice just for your date not to show up. Your roommate was out of town, so instead of going home and pouting, you figured you might as well have some fun while you were out. But you’ve never been good at exercising restraint, and the fact that you were alone wasn’t doing you any favors. But by closing time had rolled around, you could hardly see straight. You needed help, so you call upon an old friend.
“Do you have anybody you can call for a ride?” Kawanishi asks.
Kawanishi’s the bartender at this izakaya, and over the course of the night, you spent most of the time talking his ear off. He’s nice enough, and held pleasant conversation for the last few hours. He says he used to be a volleyball player, and had even played on the same team as a one of the guys on the Japan National Team. You forget to ask him which school he attended, but he probably was tired of talking to your drunk ass anyway, so you don’t bother asking. “Yeah,” you say, digging in your purse for your phone. “Are you sure? I can call a cab for you if you need it,” he offers. “Nah,” you say, hiccupping between words. “I’ll call somebody. Thank you though.” “No problem,” he says. “Just try to make it quick.” You scroll through your phone, trying to figure out who to call. Your roommate’s out of town visiting her parents, so she’s a no-go. You could call Kokomi. Honestly, she would deserve the 2AM phone call for setting you up on this failed blind date in the first place. Ever since you moved to Tokyo last month, she was constantly trying to set you up with somebody, whether it was a friend, a coworker, or some rando that she had met on the train. Unfortunately, all of them were jerks. And this one was the biggest jerk of all. You silently curse yourself for going along with her antics again.
“He’s great, you’ll love him!” “You said that about the last three guys you tried to set me up with, Kokomi.” “Please!! You’ll never know if you don’t even give him a chance.”
Well, you gave him a chance. And it ended up with you all alone, drunk as hell in an unfamiliar part of the city. You dial Kokomi’s number, but it goes straight to voicemail. “Bitch,” you mutter. You unlock your phone again and look through to find somebody that might be able to take you home. You scroll back to the top of your contact list, and your eyes settle on another name. He lives just a few blocks away, and knowing him, he’s probably awake working on something anyway. You click on his contact and wait for him to answer.
*
The exhaustion’s starting to get to him. It’s the weekend and he can afford to stay up an extra couple of hours to finish this design, but the combination of fatigue and frustration are taking over. He sets down his pencil and moves towards his bed, until his cell starts to buzz. He glances over at the clock on the wall. 1:49 AM.
Who could possibly be calling at this hour?
Asahi picks up his phone, surprised to see your name on the screen. His heart skips a beat in his chest, both from excitement and nervousness. Aside from his teammates, you’re one of the only people he bothered to keep in contact with after high school. The two of you had even met up a few times since you moved to the city, but he never would have expected you to call at this hour unless… unless something is wrong. “Hey you, what’s up?” He says, choking back a yawn. “Hiiiii Asahiiii!  I tried to call Kokomi but she didn’t answer her phone… could you come pick me up?” Your voice is thick and your words are almost unintelligible as you speak. It’s obvious that you’re far from sober. “Where are you?” Asahi asks, failing to mask the anxiety in his voice. “Are you okay? Are you safe?” “M’fine,” you slur. “But I…” Suddenly the call drops. Asahi calls you back in a panic, his heart racing as he waited for you to answer. You could be in danger and he’d be powerless to help you. He doesn’t even know where you are. “Hello?” A man’s voice comes through the speaker. “Who are you? Where is she?” Asahi asks frantically. “Relax, man. I’m just the bartender,” he says. “Look, your friend’s next to me, but she’s on the verge of passing out. Can you come get her before she pukes all over my bar? She’s at Zoetrope. You know where that is?” “Of course, I’m on my way now! I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Asahi says, grabbing his apartment keys and putting on a pair of shoes. He’s out the door almost immediately.
*
Kawanishi presses your phone back into your hands. Your head is spinning so fast that you struggle to keep your eyes open. “Is he coming?” you ask. “Yeah, he’s on the way,” Kawanishi says. “He’ll be here soon. Now do me a favor, don’t get this drunk the next time you come into my izakaya or I’ll have to kick you out.” “You’re kicking me out???” “Only if you start throwing up,” he says under his breath. “I’m not going to throw up!” you exclaim, suddenly becoming very aware of the churning in your stomach. You grumble, slumping over the bar. You squeeze your eyes shut, the spinning in your head only getting worse with every breath you take. You feel like you’re going to die, and honestly, between the embarrassment of being stood up and the wave of nausea coming over you, you’re ready to welcome that death with open arms. “Hey!” Kawanishi says, smacking the bar next to your head. “Your friend’s going to be here soon, don’t fall asleep or I’ll throw you out on the street myself.” “I’m sorry, Kawanishi-san.” You sit up slowly and cradle your head in your hands once more, trying to make the world stop spinning.
Please get here soon, Asahi.
*
Asahi sprints down the street as fast as he can towards the izakaya. He’s sure that he looks suspicious running down the street alone at night, but he doesn’t care. You’re in trouble, and he’s the only person that can help you. He finally makes it to the bar and hastily pulls the door open. You’re dressed beautifully, and your makeup and hair are exquisitely done. Unfortunately, the way you’re slumped over the bar makes it obvious that something’s wrong. He’s not sure what happened, but whatever it was, it must have been rough. The bartender gently helps you out of your seat, and Asahi can’t help but think that he looks very familiar. You straighten up and as soon as you make eye contact with Asahi, you perk up. “Asahi-san!” you exclaim, rushing towards him and almost falling over. You crush him in an unexpectedly tight hug. “Long time no see, big guy!” “I saw you three days ago,” he says under his breath. You continue babbling unintelligibly, and Asahi looks up at the bartender. “Did she close out her tab?” Asahi asks. “I took care of it already,” the bartender replies. “Please just make sure she gets home okay. She’s had a rough night.” “Yeah, of course,” Asahi says. “Thanks for helping her out.” “No problem.” Asahi peels your arms off him and starts to nudge you towards the door. Just before the two of you leave, Asahi stops and turns back to the bartender. “Have we met before?” he asks. “I played for Shiratorizawa. Didn’t think I’d see you again, Karasuno Samurai.” Asahi frowns slightly. He hasn’t heard that nickname high school, and it’s weird hearing it again now. “Right,” he says. “Well, thanks again. Have a good night.” Asahi leads you out of the bar and down the sidewalk. You hold tightly to his arm, stumbling over yourself. He braces you against his side, and you take this opportunity to tease him a little bit. “Do you like my outfit, Asahi-san?” you ask, pressing into his side. “Yeah, it’s really nice!” he answers nervously, turning his head to hide the blush creeping up his cheeks. He’s not lying – you look beautiful, both your top and your skirt accentuating your curves in all the right places. But it would be wrong to say anything more than that while you’re in this state. That wouldn’t be fair to either of you. He brusquely clears his throat and keeps walking as soon as the light signals that you can cross. “I dressed up extra nice tonight, but it didn’t even fucking matter,” you grumble, your voice breaking slightly. Asahi either doesn’t hear you, or does hear you and decides not to say anything. “I’m soooo glad you’re here,” you say, drawing out your words even longer than you were a minute ago. “I’m sorry, this is super embarrassing! I should’ve figured this out on my own.” “It’s okay,” Asahi says. “How long have you been in Tokyo again?” “A month? I think?” “Exactly,” he says. “You probably don’t know your way around that much. I’d feel terrible if I wasn’t able to help you find your way home.” “Meh,” you say. “I’ve had the worst night of my fucking life, so maybe it would be better if I passed out in a ditch somewhere.” “Do you want to talk about it?” Asahi asks. “No,” you answer quickly. “Okay.” You start blathering again and Asahi has to practically drag you down the street behind him. The station just past his apartment has a train that can drop you right by your building. He can just take a cab back after he gets you home. He considers inviting you stay the night at his place since it’s right there, but he’s afraid of being weird, so he doesn’t say anything. The two of you come to a stop at the train station… which is closed. “I’m sorry,” Asahi says remorsefully. “I guess the train stopped running at midnight. I’ll call you a cab.” He goes to pull his phone out of his pocket, but you grab his hand before he can. “Can I stay at your place tonight?” you ask sheepishly. “I… my roommate is out of town. And I’m really not doing good right now. I just really don’t want to be alone.” Despite how out of it you’ve been since he picked you up, Asahi sees nothing but complete sincerity in your eyes. Tonight must have been really rough. “Are you sure?” he asks. “I’ll just sleep on the couch- or a futon if you have one!” you say, nodding. “Okay.” Asahi turns back towards his apartment and you follow closely behind him, not letting go of his hand the entire time.
*
Asahi helps you across the threshold of his apartment and sits you down on a chair by the door. “Asahi-san, you’re so handsome with your hair down like that,” you say, reaching up to twirl a finger in his long chestnut tresses. “And you’re loopy,” Asahi mutters, disentangling your fingers from his hair. Once again, he finds himself hiding a blush. He’s not used to being showered with compliments, and he knows you wouldn’t be saying this stuff if you were sober. He kicks off his shoes and kneels down in front of you, helping you take yours off. “How are you feeling?” he asks you. “Can I get you some water or a some–” “Why didn’t you ask me out when we were in high school?” you ask suddenly. “I think I made it pretty obvious that I had a crush on you. It’s all I could think about when you were holding my hand back there.” “I – I, uh,” Asahi stammers. You burst out laughing, startling Asahi. It’s that same boisterous laugh you’ve had for as long as he could remember knowing you. You were always self-conscious about it in high school, but your laugh has always been one of Asahi’s favorite things about you. Despite the fact that it’s at his expense, he’s glad to see your mood improve. Asahi considers your question for a moment. He really liked you too back then, and everyone knew it. Suga and Daichi constantly teased him for it.
So why hadn’t he asked you out back then?
Well, for a number of reasons. He spent so much of his third year focused on volleyball that he didn’t have the mental or emotional capacity for much else. He hadn’t even planned on going back to school after graduation until Nishinoya helped convince him to pursue his passions. He felt directionless, and he didn’t want to burden anybody else with his indecision. But most importantly, he was scared you’d reject him. Suga was right. He really was a coward. He’d dated a few people since high school graduation, but none of them made him feel the way you did, and they didn’t treat him as well as you would have. Which begs the question – why hasn’t he asked you out since you moved to Tokyo? He pushes the thought to the back of his mind. This isn’t the kind of conversation to be having when you aren’t even able to form a coherent sentence. Asahi’s thoughts are interrupted by your hand on his shoulder and a loud hiccup. “I should wash my face. Can I wash my face?” “Sure,” Asahi says, helping you stand up. You stumble forward, but he catches you easily and pulls you back to your feet. He quietly leads you to the bathroom and sits you down on the edge of the bathtub. “I’m sorry,” you say. “I’m a mess.” “No, you’re not. Hold on a second,” he says, opening the drawer under the sink. He pulls out a small package of makeup wipes and takes one out. He kneels in front of you and begins wiping the makeup off your face. “I know they’re not great for your skin,” he says. “But it’s better than nothing, right?” “Why do you even have those?” you ask between hiccups. “Do you wear makeup? I mean, it’s obviously fine if you do, but it doesn’t really seem like your thing.” “I don’t, but you never know when they’ll come in handy! I do work with a lot of makeup artists,” he says, somewhat defensively. You get the sense that he’s lying about something, but Asahi changes the subject before you can probe him any further. “So what were you doing there by yourself?” he asks. “It’s not safe to be alone so late at night.” Clearly this was the wrong thing to ask. All the negative emotions and thoughts you were having all even spring to the forefront of your mind, and you start to cry. Asahi starts apologizing profusely, but you wave him off. “It’s fine,” you sniffle, wiping a tear away from your cheek. “Kokomi was trying to set me up with one of her friends, but he never showed up.” Asahi sits back on his heels. Kokomi is another girl from Karasuno that ended up in Tokyo. She wasn’t in the same class as him, but he remembers how loud she always was in the hallways. Honestly, both of you were always loud, but you’ve always been much more considerate of others than Kokomi ever was. “Shit,” he mumbles. “That really sucks. I’m sorry.” “Yeah. It does suck.” Asahi grabs another wipe and asks you to close your eyes. You do as he says, and he lightly wipes off your eye makeup. He’s worked with enough models to recognize that you’re wearing false eyelashes, so he gently pulls those off too. You feel yourself start to wobble on the edge of the tub, so you grip his arm to steady yourself. “I’m sorry,” you whisper. “It’s okay,” he says. “You don’t need to keep apologizing to me.” “Do you think there’s something wrong with me?” you ask suddenly. “Wait, what?” “I just… this keeps happening to me. Everyone always says that it’s because they’re not the right person for me, but it’s starting to feel like there’s just something wrong with me instead,” you say, choking back a sob. “I know I just moved here, but I’m just so lonely. I hate feeling like I’m not good enough.” Asahi tenderly wipes a tear from your cheek and cups your face in both hands. “Hey, look at me. There is nothing wrong with you,” he says sincerely. “That guy is an idiot and a jerk. If he had any idea how extraordinary you are, he never would’ve done that to you.” You can’t bring yourself to look him in the eyes. You don’t feel like you deserve to be spoken to like this – with such genuine kindness and sincerity. Asahi makes you feel so good. So special. He always has. And he’s just so… tender, especially for somebody who looks as intimidating as he does. You wonder if those feelings from high school ever truly went away. You sit up straighter and try to smile at him, but your stomach flips unexpectedly and violently. “Asahi-san?” you ask, gripping his shoulder tightly. “Yeah?” he replies. “Toilet.” Asahi moves out of the way as fast as possible. You hunch over the rim and retch into the toilet bowl. Asahi quickly scoops up your hair and holds it behind your head as you throw up. “Please, just leave me,” you mutter. “I’m gonna fucking die here.” “I’m not going to leave you here and you’re not going to die,” Asahi says, gingerly picking up the last loose strands laying on your neck and holding them back with the rest of your hair. Your back tenses up again before you begin heaving once more. Asahi tucks his nose into the collar of his shirt, careful to make sure that he’s out of your field of vision. He wants to be there for you but he had a weak stomach himself and the sight and smell of somebody else’s vomit is something he knows he won’t be able to handle. You mumble weak apologies between hacks, but Asahi just ignores them and rubs your back gently. After what feels like an eternity, the churning in your stomach finally stops and you reach up towards the flush handle. The exhaustion in your body and heart finally begin to catch up with you, and your hand falls back to your side. “I got it. Do you think you’re done?” Asahi asks, coaxing you back up into a seated position. You nod, too tired to try to speak. Asahi quickly tugs his shirt back down from his face before you can see and closes the toilet lid. “I’m sorry,” you mumble. “Don’t be,” Asahi says, flushing the toilet. “I’m your friend. I want to help you. And I’ve already told you that you don’t need to apologize to me.” Asahi helps you sit on the top of the toilet and rises to his feet. “Don’t go anywhere,” he says, scurrying out of the room. Although your eyes are closed, you still feel your body swaying. More than anything, you just want to go to sleep. Asahi pads back into the room and presses a wooden cup into your hands. “Drink this,” he says, turning on the faucet. Even though drinking something is the last thing you want to be doing right now, you go ahead and lift the cup to your open mouth. Cold water passes your lips and washes away some of the disgusting taste in your mouth. It feels gross, but you force yourself to drink all of it. Asahi takes the cup from your hand and turns the faucet back off. You flinch at the feeling of a damp washcloth on your face. “It’s okay,” Asahi says gently, cradling your chin with his free hand and angling your face up. “Just cleaning you up a little.” You murmur in acknowledgement and Asahi continues to wipe your face down. You almost fall asleep sitting on his toilet, but he gently shakes you to keep you awake. “Stay with me for another minute,” he says softly. “You can go to sleep soon. You’re gonna be just fine. I promise.” His words and his voice are so sweet that you want to cry. A couple rogue tears drip from your eyes and onto his hands. “I’m sorry,” you say once more. Asahi sets the washcloth on the counter and starts to pull you to your feet. You struggle to stay on your feet, so instead, he carefully scoops you into his arms and carries you out the bathroom. You don’t care where you go, you just need to sleep. Asahi’s pretty certain you’re asleep by the time he deposits you on his mattress. Your chest rises and falls slowly as he pulls his duvet over you. He begins to make his way to the couch, but stops when he feels you grab his hand. “Please don’t go, Asahi-san,” you whisper. “Please.” You tug harder at his fingers and he knows he can’t refuse you. He ends up sitting on the edge of the bed holding your hand until you fall asleep.
*
As soon as your quiet snores permeate the silence, Asahi untangles his fingers from yours. He brushes a loose strand of hair out of your face and he can’t help but let his eyes linger on your sleeping face for just a moment. The moonlight trickling through the window illuminates your hair and casts a silvery glow on your skin. Despite the awful night you’ve had, you look absolutely radiant. He feels himself blushing again, but he takes some comfort in the fact that he doesn’t have to try and hide it this time. Not while you’re fast asleep in his bed. He’s far too scared to admit it, even to himself, but he’s fantasized about falling asleep next to you many times before. But in those fantasies you weren’t drunk and crying over another man. Asahi sighs, stands up, and moves over to the dresser as quietly as he can. After setting a few things out for you, he goes into the bathroom, gets ready for bed and heads to the couch for the night.
*
By the time you wake up in the morning, you feel like you’re going to die. You can’t remember what exactly happened the previous night. The last thing you remember clearly was talking to the bartender about high school volleyball, of all things. Your head’s pounding, and your stomach aches painfully, screaming at you to please eat something. You don’t open your eyes, fearing that it would somehow trigger another round of vomiting. Eventually, you force yourself into a seated position and open your eyes. The bedroom you’re in is small, but pretty well-decorated. It’s decently tidy. The only mess is a few crumpled up clothing designs discarded on the floor next to the trash bin.
Designs? Did that mean?
You’re at Asahi’s apartment. In his bed. Your eyes widen in panic.
  What happened last night?
You’re still wearing the clothes that you wore to the bar last night. And there’s no evidence of him ever being in bed with you. You reach over towards your phone, which has been graciously plugged in for you and set on the bedside table. That’s when you notice the note along with a sleeve of crackers and a glass of ginger ale.
Good morning!
There’s a set of clothes you can wear at the foot of the bed and a spare toothbrush in the bathroom. Feel free to take a shower if you want. Extra towels are underneath the sink. Please have something to eat and drink too. You’ll feel better if you do.
-Asahi
P.S. Please don’t feel bad. It’s okay.
You grab a few of the crackers from the bedside table and eat them, washing them down with the ginger ale.
Why does Asahi have to be so damn considerate? The whole situation is so embarrassing.
You contemplate just grabbing your phone and getting the hell out of his apartment, but you’re not going to pass up the opportunity to shower. You finish the last of the crackers, chug down the ginger ale, and grab the spare clothes at the end of the bed. You turn the doorknob as silently as you can and awkwardly creep down the hall towards the bathroom, stopping briefly to peek in the living room. Asahi’s fast asleep on the couch, clad only in pajama pants and a pair of fuzzy socks. His hair is down and messily splayed across the throw pillow he’s resting his head on. Quiet snores pass his lips. He looks cute. Your eyes trail from his face and down to his stomach. Despite quitting volleyball after high school, he seems to have mostly maintained his athletic form, except for a tiny little layer of pudge on his lower stomach. The corners of your lips twitch up into a smile, until that little voice in the back of your mind reminds you of your place.
Quit staring, you perv! You need to get out of here!
You hurriedly continue down the hallway and jump into the shower as soon as you get into the bathroom. You think that maybe if you clean up fast enough, you can get out of Asahi’s apartment before he wakes up. However, as soon as you step into the shower, all worries about rushing out disappear into the back of your mind. You bask in the hot water, the steam clearing your sinuses and relieving some of the pain in your head. You silently thank the gods that Asahi actually uses conditioner, and not just 3-in-1 like most of the other men you were previously…. acquainted with. Although, it makes sense to you that somebody with hair like Asahi’s would have a strict haircare routine. As you shower, fragmented memories of last night start to come back to you.
Being stood up at the bar. Calling Asahi for help. Puking your guts out in his bathroom. Him carrying you into his room and laying you down on his bed. Him staying by your side until you fell asleep. You wishing he would’ve crawled into bed with you and held you through the night… Wait, what was that last part?
As soon as you’re done rinsing the conditioner from your hair, you step out of the shower and swiftly towel off. You find the spare toothbrush Asahi mentioned, take it out of the packaging, and brush your teeth with his toothpaste. The dry, gross feeling in your mouth is quickly replaced with a minty fresh taste. You slip on the sweatpants and t-shirt that Asahi left for you and dry your hair. Thankfully, Asahi isn’t as huge as most people make him out to be, so while the clothes he left out are a bit big on you, you’re not drowning in them. You’ll just bring them back some other day. You start combing through your hair, and that’s when you hear it – the sound of somebody padding around in the apartment. Shit. Once the footsteps quiet down, you rush out of the bathroom and towards the front door. Asahi eyes you as you scoop up your shoes, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Good morning!” he says kindly. “How are you feeling?” “I’m so sorry Azumane-san, it won’t happen again!” you say as you throw open the door and rush into the hallway. “Hold on, wait up!” he says as you pull the door closed behind you. You run all the way to the stairs at the end of the hallway and go to call Kokomi for a ride home. That’s when you realize that your phone is still plugged into the wall in Asahi’s room. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. You turn around and trudge back towards his apartment. Before you can even knock, the door opens slowly. Asahi stands there in just his pajama pants, holding your phone out to you. “You shouldn’t leave without your phone,” he says. You thank him and take your phone, a blush creeping up your cheeks. You try not to stare at his bare chest, already feeling like a creep for ogling him while he was sleeping. “Your clothes are still in the bathroom, too,” he says. “I can go get them for you. Or I can just wash them and give them back to you another time if you want to leave.” “No, that’s okay,” you say, covering your flushing cheeks with the collar of his shirt. “I’ll get them. Can I come in?” “Of course.” Asahi steps out of your way and you head straight for the bathroom, avoiding looking in his eyes. Asahi never gets angry, and you know he wouldn’t be mad at you over something like this, but a lingering sense of shame still washes over you. You scoop up your clothes and leave the bathroom. As soon as you cross the threshold into the living room, the smell of coffee and frying fish washes over you. Asahi stands in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. In the time that you were in the bathroom, he put on a Black Jackals sweatshirt and threw his hair into a loose bun. “Do you want a cup of coffee?” he asks, smiling at you and pouring his own cup. “It’ll help with the hangover.” You stand there and ponder his offer for a moment. Sensing your hesitancy, Asahi suddenly turns back to the stove and mumbles something that you can’t quite make out. “What did you say?” you ask. Asahi rubs the back of his neck, a nervous habit he’s had since you were kids. “I don’t mean to pressure you to stay or anything! I just thought it might help for you to have something more than crackers and ginger ale.” “You’ve done plenty to help me since last night,” you say. “But I’ll take that coffee if the offer is still on the table.” “It is!” Asahi says a little too enthusiastically for his own good. You can’t help but smirk as you take your seat at the kitchen table. Asahi pours you a cup of coffee and slides you a bowl of the rice and fish he made. You thank him quietly and start to eat. He slides into the chair across from you and eats his own breakfast, eyeing you carefully. “What?” you ask after catching him staring. “Since when have you ever called me Azumane-san?” he asks. “I don’t know,” you mumble into your coffee mug. “I didn’t think we reverted back from first name basis,” he says. “I thought we knew each other better than that.” “I don’t know,” you say, a devilish smile crossing your face. “Care to explain why you actually had those makeup wipes in your bathroom drawer? I doubt your makeup artists are coming over to your apartment.” Now it’s Asahi’s turn to blush again. “My ex-girlfriend left them here,” he says. “Felt like a waste to just throw them out.” “Ex-girlfriend?!” you exclaim suddenly, startling Asahi and causing him to drop the wipe on the floor. “I didn’t know you were seeing somebody!” “Yeah,” he says, throwing the wipe in the trash and grabbing a fresh one. “We broke up a while before you moved to the city. She left a bunch of her stuff here and refused to come pick it up. I think she was just too embarrassed to see me again. I got rid of most of it a while ago, but I kept some of the more… uh, utilitarian things.” “I’m sorry,” you say sincerely. “Why did you break up?” Asahi feels a slight pang in his chest. He met his last girlfriend through his job. She was nice enough, and things seemed like they were going okay until he showed up at her apartment to surprise her for their 6 month anniversary, only to find another man in her bed. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” you say. “It’s fine. She cheated on me with some other guy,” he says, his expression darkening. “I think they’re engaged now.” “Shit,” you say. “What a bitch.” “Woah, settle down, it’s okay –” “No, it’s not,” you say firmly. “You deserve someone way better than that. Somebody that treats you with the love and respect that you deserve.” Asahi knows you’re right, but he doesn’t really want to press it. That whole mess had done a number on his mental health, and he really doesn’t want to burden you with his emotional baggage. He adjusts his glasses again and forces a smile. “You know, you should really take your own advice,” he says. You try to think back on what you had said to him last night. The details are fuzzy, but you remember crying. A lot. Instead of answering him, you shovel down the last of the rice and fish. “Thank you for the meal,” you say. Asahi smiles and nods at you before beginning to clear the dishes away. You stand up and stop him, insisting that you clean up yourself. As you finish drying the bowls, your phone buzzes. You check it, only to see a handful of missed texts from Kokomi.
Ono Kokomi [8:32} Hey!! Sorry I missed your call. How was he?  (°◡°♡) [9:14] That good?  (^.~)☆ [9:18] Or that bad?! (;;;*_*) [9:57] HELLO?? (ノಥ益ಥ)ノ [10:32] ARE YOU ALIVE?!?!?!  〣( ºΔº )〣
You roll your eyes and quickly type out your response.
Y/N [10:33] Yeah, no thanks to you. (¬_¬;)
Ono Kokomi [10:34] Was it really that bad?
Y/N [10:34] He didn’t even show up. (╥_╥) [10:34] Azumane picked me up at 2 AM because I was too drunk to go home alone. I stayed the night at his place. [10:34] Speaking of which, can you come pick me up? Not really in a state to take the train and I think you owe me one.
Ono Kokomi [10:35] (⊙_⊙) [10:35] Spill. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Y/N [10:36] There’s nothing to spill. I threw up in his bathroom and he slept on the couch. Can you just answer my question please? (҂` ロ ´)凸
Ono Kokomi [10:36] Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m on my way, lovebird. ( ̄ε ̄���)
“Everything okay?” Asahi asks. “Yeah,” you say, slipping your phone back into your pocket. “Kokomi’s going to come pick me up.” “Are you sure? I can take you if you want,” he offers. “Yeah, she’s already on her way,” you say, setting the bowl down and turning to face him. “Besides, you’ve done more than enough for me already over the last twelve hours.” You silently pick up your things and walk towards the door. Asahi rises from his chair and awkwardly clears his throat. “Do you have all your stuff?” You nod and smile. Before you open the door, you approach him and wrap your arms around his waist. He shyly hugs you back, hoping you can’t hear the rapid pounding in his chest. “Thank you, Asahi,” you whisper. “You’re amazing.” You let go first and leave his apartment quietly. As soon as the door closes, Asahi walks back into the living room and flops down on the couch. He covers his face with his hands and groans. This morning was almost too much for him – seeing you in his clothes, eating breakfast together, you hugging him before you left. It was all so painfully domestic, and he wishes it didn’t have to end. If only he wasn’t such a coward, he would’ve asked you to stay longer. He doesn’t know how long he lays there until he finally decides to get moving for the day and finish that piece he was working on when you called last night. He checks his phone and sees your name pop up on the screen.
Y/N [11:00] I’m home. Thanks again for babysitting me last night. Whatever did I do to deserve you as my guardian angel? ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊˚ [11:00] Or was that Noya-san? I forget. (^ω~)
Azumane Asahi [11:01] Lol. You’re welcome. And that was what we called Noya in our club days, but I don’t mind you calling me that too (* ^ ω ^)
Y/N [11:03] Let me make it up to you. [11:04] Come over for dinner tomorrow night?
Asahi almost drops his phone on his face. His fingers fumble as he types his response. He waits a moment before sending it, rereading it ten times to make sure he doesn’t come across as desperate.
Azumane Asahi [11:07] I’d love to. Do you want me to bring anything?
Y/N [11:08] That’s not necessary. I owe you a nice dinner. [11:09] You still like tonkotsu ramen?
Azumane Asahi [11:10] I do!
Y/N [11:11] It’s a date! See you tomorrow! (☞°ヮ°)☞ ☜(°ヮ°☜)
*
“You said nothing happened last night,” Kokomi says, staring over your shoulder at your phone. “Nothing happened, Kokomi. Now leave me alone,” you snap, tossing one of your throw pillows at her. She deftly catches it and plops down on the couch next to you. “Please,” she says, swatting you with the pillow. “The only reason you two haven’t gotten together is because you’re the densest people on the planet. I bet he’s flopped down on his couch right now thinking about how he doesn’t even want to wait that long to see you.” “Shut up,” you grumble. Kokomi’s phone rings and she quickly checks it. “Anyway, I have to go meet Kaito,” she says. “Got to go. Let me know how your date goes!” She waves and practically skips out the front door. You lay down and start making a shopping list for ingredients for tonkatsu ramen. As soon as you’re done, you set your phone down and cross your arms over your face.
“I bet he’s flopped down on his couch right now thinking about how he doesn’t even want to wait that long to see you.” No, Kokomi. That’s me.
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