#- otherwise we’re not feeling it enough to go out on our own accord | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kitabasis · 2 years

Text

AN UNORDERLY ANALYSIS OF HERO

PART 1/?

As I’ve been working on revising my outline of Our Own Hands Against Our Hearts, my modern retelling of Much Ado, I’ve been trying to focus more on the side characters, rereading the play to see if I could get any hints of inspiration from lines by or about them. I started with the one who was giving me the most trouble: Hero. In the process of doing so, I realized that she’s…a lot more complicated than I gave her credit for. I’d fallen victim to the common (at least among non-academics; I haven’t read enough academic articles on MAAN to judge that) “pure innocent girl who cares too much about what others think but otherwise has little going on inside” interpretation—and that turned out to only be slightly more accurate than the common interpretation of Lucy Westenra as Promiscuous Woman Punished For Horny Crimes By Vampirism.

So, to organize my thoughts and thus figure out the actually rather complicated woman that is Hero, I’m making this post. Well. Series of posts. This is going to be a long series, y’all. I’m going to do analysis of how others talk about Hero later, but for these first posts, I’m just going to analyze Hero’s own words.

[Note: I am not an academic. My Shakespeare studies are at least 40% self-talk. Please do not treat this as gospel, and feel free to (constructively) criticize. ALSO, if you disagree with my analysis—that’s fine! I would love to know why, though, just for my personal edification].

So, now that we’re done with the preamble—let’s get into the analysis!

ACT 1

BEATRICE: I pray you, is Signor Mountanto returned from the wars or no?

MESSENGER: I know none of that name, lady, there was none such in the

army of any sort.

LEONATO: What is he that you ask for, niece?

HERO: My cousin means Signor Benedick of Padua.

MESSENGER: O he’s returned, and as pleasant as ever he was.

(Act 1 Scene 1, lines 23-28)

Here we meet Hero for the first time (side note: she almost always makes her appearance in the first scene of an act, rather than a later one. I have no idea if this is significant, but it sure is a thing!). She answers the question intended for Beatrice—perhaps even interrupting her, depending on the production—who, as I think many could imagine, might have stretched out the joke if given the chance to continue insulting Benedick. Thus, Hero relieves the confusion of the messenger and her father, preventing a possible diversion in the conversation.

Clearly, the two are close—Beatrice isn’t upset by Hero’s interruption, and Hero knows Beatrice well enough to understand she is referring to Benedick; this could either be by knowing who Beatrice would be referring to from who she might care about, or by understanding who fits the term “Signor Mountanto”. If it is the latter, then Hero must understand the meaning of “Mountanto”. According to the notes of my edition of MAAN (the New Cambridge Shakespeare), the term refers to “an upright blow or thrust” in fencing, and thus could be making fun of a “signature move”, a desire to advance in status, and/or a sex joke (based on either the potentially phallic implications of a sword thrusting upwards or on the term mount (which the edition oddly associates specifically with horse sex))—so, to understand this based solely on the meaning instead of the context, Hero would have to be familiar with sexual innuendo* and/or fencing.

(Personally, I’d argue she makes her deduction based on a combination of context and understanding the meaning.)

SO, what have we learned about Hero here? She’s very close with Beatrice (and perhaps doesn’t mind annoying her a bit), she may be surprisingly knowledgeable about subjects you might not expect her to be, and she’s able to steer the conversation, at least somewhat, with only a few careful words.

Also: she doesn’t speak again in this scene, even when Benedick insults her and her father makes a joke about her legitimacy.

*keep this in mind—the relationship between Hero and innuendo is a complicated one that I will be returning to

ACT 2

BEATRICE: How tartly that gentleman looks, I can never see him but I am heart-burned an hour after.

HERO: He is of a very melancholy disposition.

(Act 2 Scene 1, lines 3-5)

Hero’s line here is so carefully and politely worded that it is impossible to tell from the line alone whether she is agreeing or disagreeing with Beatrice (the actor, of course, could choose to play this a variety of ways, but what we are discussing here is solely the text).

Her words could be an agreement with Beatrice’s assessment that is simply polite enough to not be rude in the same way Beatrice’s are—“you’re right, he is of a very melancholy disposition”; but they could also be a way of excusing his behavior based on his temperament, perhaps even requesting that Beatrice be a little more forgiving with him (which, if true, would make it even sadder that he is so cruel to her).

DON PEDRO: Lady, will you walk a bout with your friend?

HERO: So you walk softly, and look sweetly, and say nothing, I am yours for

the walk, and especially when I walk away.

DON PEDRO: With me in your company.

HERO: I may say so when I please.

DON PEDRO: And when please you to say so?

HERO: When I like your favor, for God defend the lute should be like the

case.

DON PEDRO: My visor is Philemon’s roof, within the house is Jove.

HERO: Why then your visor should be thatched.

DON PEDRO: Speak low if you speak love.

(Act 2 Scene 1, lines 61-70)

Maybe because they are both masked, Hero is much more…not rude, but certainly her words are a bit sharper than otherwise (her words could be read as flirtatious teasing, but I personally don’t see much reason to read them this way?).

I don’t know if this is the only way to read this line—I couldn’t think of another way, but that doesn’t mean anything definitive—but to me, it seems like what Hero’s first line here says is “i will dance with you so you are quiet and polite” (although hers seem to be more polite than my paraphrase). While my edition’s annotations suggests that “when I walk away” means as part of the dance, I would suggest that that is, at the very least, not the whole meaning. Don Pedro seems to interpret the line as indicating a desire to walk away to have a conversation with him, but she shoots this down.

Instead, she expresses no interest in further interaction with him if she is, as she seems to suppose, unattractive/young.

Her response to his literary reference indicates that she is also familiar with it, especially as she plays with it. The most obvious interpretation of this is that he is bald, and if he was truly young and attractive underneath his mask, he would at the very least be wearing a wig. My NCS edition suggests that “thatch” could be referring to pubic hair—that the line could instead exhibit an attraction prompted by his assertion of having a face much more good-looking than his mask. This would, I admit, lead more naturally into “speak low if you speak love” but again, Hero’s relationship with innuendo is complicated, and there is an emphasis elsewhere on Hero NOT having any interest in Don Pedro.

(this is a place where I would love to hear other opinions!)

DON PEDRO: And you too, gentle Hero?

HERO: I will do any modest office, my lord, to help my cousin to a good

husband.

DON PEDRO: And Benedick is not the unhopefullest husband that I know:

thus far can I praise him, he is of a noble strain, of approved valour,

and confirmed honesty. I will teach you how to humour your cousin,

and she shall fall in love with Benedick, and I, with your two helps,

will so practise on Bendick, that in despite of his quick wit, and his

queasy stomach, he shall fall in love with Beatrice; if we can do this,

Cupid is no longer an archer, his glory shall be ours, for we are the

only love-gods. Go in with me, and I will tell you my drift.

(Act 2, Scene 1, lines 283-292)

And finally, to end the scene, Hero politely but firmly makes sure it’s clear she has standards—she has no desire to make her cousin suffer a bad marriage. And it has an effect! Don Pedro takes care to reassure her that it will not be a mismatch. Thus, Hero shows, in her quiet way, her social power.

#Hero #much ado about nothing #maan #shakespeare #Analysis #oohaoh #d rambles

6 notes · View notes

nadzhosny2 · 1 year

Text

Life doesn’t go according to plan.

When you close your eyes and look back, did you see yourself here? Did you imagine you’d have this job, these friends, this routine? Did you picture yourself with the same lover, with a future person, with some sort of relationship that was messy, or absolutely perfect and secure?

Chances are, you saw your life a certain way. Maybe your dream was to start a business, to be surrounded by success. Maybe it was to have a family, to find that special person and settle down. Maybe it was somewhere in the mix of all that, possibly in both a relationship and beginning a strong career. Maybe your dream was not about work or relationships at all, but finally coming to terms with the person you are.

And maybe you had it all figured out: university, job, love, self-love. Maybe you thought through the way you wanted your days to go, how you wanted to build, over time, a life you were proud of. Maybe you mapped out the ideal age for having children, for organising a wedding, for leaving the company you didn’t feel connected with.

Maybe you had all these plans and the universe or God or whatever you believe in, thought otherwise.

I didn’t manage to accomplish many of the things I had planned and it used to make me feel so inept and useless. I would feel as though I wasn’t smart enough or strong enough to do them and that’s why they didn’t happen. By my own measurements, I had failed. I was revolted with myself.

The world puts so much focus on preparation. In school, we’re fed the lies that if we don’t do exceedingly well, we won’t ever succeed. We’re pushed to be the best student, the best athlete, the best person — but sometimes we don’t know what to push for because we’re just not sure who we want to be. We’re encouraged to pursue relationships, to find “the one”, to never settle — so we’re always scrambling for the next best thing or person, trying so desperately to fill our lives with something that makes sense.

Life had it’s own plans for me; to fall, to break, to be confused, to lose people I loved, to face death, to question myself and my beliefs, to take a job I wasn’t experienced in, to start over completely. I thought my world was completely crumbling a number of times.

But in those unknowns, I rebuilt and learned some valuable lessons along the way which I shall now impart to you:

Nothing matters; not a large house, not fame or marriage. In the end, we all die. We all will be forgotten. The ones who remember will die someday. And even if you were so famous that buildings and streets were named after you, a time will come when even stone will erode away and all that’s left is nothing. Not humans, not sand.

But also, now, this moment, matters. Forget about the future and the plans you’re making. Forget the name you want to make and enjoy this moment. Enjoy this self-aggrandising but masquerading as self-deprecating article that I’ve written. Take in the sun. Now, today, live.

Do whatever you want. By the time you’re 30, you realise that you’re living this life only for yourself. No one else knows what living your life feels like. It’s your duty to yourself to ensure that your existence is one without apologies. Humans make traditions, so if a tradition doesn’t suit you, fuck it.

All of our collective existence as humans is nothing but a momentary speck in an indifferent expansive universe and the infinity-ness of time. The whole thing is too futile for you to waste it not being who you know you are or doing the things you love.

Learn new things and unlearn old ones. Don’t hold on to attitudes that don’t let you grow as a person. Ones that do not let you empathise with others and allow you to show kindness to them. Let go of these and make new, better ones.

Forgive more but weigh the situation first. The truth is, not every grudge you can or should forgive; you can absolutely move on without forgiving. Just don’t let it run your life.

Work less.

Eat more.

Dance.

Laugh.

Cry.

Throw those self-help books away. Don’t give your money to charlatans. You know what? Write your own story; you have just as much experience living as they do.

Stop worshipping success or the semblance of it. You come off looking like a hungry sycophant.

Understand that you don’t know a lot of things and at the scale of the universe there’s only little you can ever know. This understanding frees you and helps you approach things with more humility. It also actually encourages you to really learn, not to show off, but for the sake of it, which truth be told, is so much more fun.

Travel, if you can. If you can’t, watch travel vlogs. You can travel through the stories of others and experience FOMO but on a limited scale.

Fuck minimalism. Put stuff in your house, unless of course, you’re broke and can’t afford to. But don’t be ashamed to put stuff you really like in your space. It’s a home, not a postmodern art gallery.

Consume more art.

Read more books.

Watch films and TV shows in a language that you don’t speak.

Some things you tweet. Some things you tell your best friend and closest confidant. Other things you take to your grave. Even the KGB at the height of the Cold War should not be able to get it out of you by torture. Know the difference.

Live. And I don’t just mean the involuntary exercise of existing. Go out and fill your life with adventure and experiences, even if it’s as small as taking a solitary walk in the forest.

Question institutions and traditions. Understand for yourself why they exist and decide if they suit you or not.

Trust experts. There are things you will never understand as well as people who have spent years studying them, no matter how many YouTube videos you watch. It is their job and life’s work to know those things. Vaccines? Trust a doctor, not the forwarded messages you get on WhatsApp from family.

So in conclusion, to all those who had their life carefully planned out and it all went to hell, fear not; take it as a sign that whoever is in charge, God or the universe depending on what you believe in, thought the plan itself was cliché and boring and decided to spice it up.

#life lessons #keep going #motivation needed #life plans #you choose #mentalwellness #mental health

0 notes

lovehealgrow · 2 years

Text

How to Cope with Depression, Stress & Anxiety in Retirement

In the United States, according to the Social Security Administration, the age of full retirement is around 67 years old. This said, there are no rules that state that you have to retire at 67 or you cannot retire before 67. In fact, you can retire as early as 62 years of age and still receive Social Security retirement — however, your benefits will be lower than if you wait for your “full retirement” age.

Whether you have already retired or you are thinking about retiring soon, you may be wondering how you can cope with the dramatic shift that comes with it. Think about it, we spend so much of our lives working and only having time to ourselves during the evening and on weekends. And some of us get even less time than that if we are working multiple jobs or very taxing jobs that come with long hours.

So, what are you going to do with all of your newfound time in retirement? While some people may look at this question as the beginning of an exciting time where they can finally delve into the hobbies that they have always wanted to try, others find it terrifying. After all, they’ve spent so long not having enough time for themselves they may even feel like they don’t even know what they want to do. This is one of the largest challenges that come with retirement — more on these challenges later — and for many people, even thinking about this can bring a lot of stress and anxiety into their lives.

Today, we’re going to dive into what impacts retirement has on our mental health, as well as how to cope with feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression in retirement.

How Does Retirement Impact Our Mental Health?

Every person is going to experience retirement (and the transition from working to being retired) differently. This is natural as we all experience the world around us very differently. However, one thing that is very common for people of all ages, backgrounds, and life experiences is retirement depression or anxiety.

This is a common occurrence because retirement is a large change for us. So much of our lives are spent working or in school that figuring out what to do with all of the time we have in retirement can be extremely stressful for a lot of people. This dramatic shift can cause us to become anxious, depressed, or simply stressed out and can make it challenging to have a fun and relaxing retirement.

Another thing to keep in mind is that because most of us spend so much of our time in professional settings, it can be hard to find areas to socialize or interact with others after retirement. We may no longer see people from our offices, have no reason to go out and work at the local coffee shop for the day, or even lose contact with family and friends who are still working and do not have the time to go out and socialize. This lack of social interaction can bring up feelings of loneliness and isolation which can, in turn, lead to depression.

What Challenges Come with Retirement?

As mentioned above, everyone will face their own challenges and advantages as they retire. However, if you are getting ready to retire yourself (or you have just retired and are wondering how you can mitigate some of the stress and anxieties that you are feeling), here are some of the most common challenges that come with retirement.

Feeling anxious about not having enough activities to fill your day.

Having “too much” free time and not knowing how to spend it.

Feeling less useful or less confident about what you can and are doing.

Feeling isolated or lonely due to a decrease in social interaction.

Not knowing how to shut off “work mode” or not knowing how to relax.

Adjusting to a new normal and a new routine — whether alone or with a spouse or other family member or friend who has also retired or is otherwise at home with you.

How to Cope with Stress, Depression, or Anxiety in Retirement

Now, without further ado, let’s jump into a few ways that you can cope with any newfound stress, anxiety, or depression that has come up in retirement.

Transition Gradually

This first coping option is actually for those of you who are beginning the retirement process but have not finished retiring yet. This is because it is about making your transition from work into retirement a bit more manageable (rather than stopping work abruptly).

The unfortunate truth is that a lot of people may not have the choice to make a gradual transition, but if you do have the option, this can make managing your retirement much easier on you. The idea is to gradually transition from working eight (or more) hours a day to not necessarily having anything to do all day at home.

There are a couple ways that you can approach this coping option. One option is to ask if you can transition from full-time to part-time at your job a few months before you will retire. Now, not all jobs are going to be open to this, but it may be a good idea to ask. Another option is to join a volunteering or mentoring organization that allows you to continue operating in your field, even in retirement. And the final option is to plan some at-home projects that you can spend your time working on. Maybe you want to start a garden. Perhaps there are some home renovations you have been meaning to do for years.

Take Care of Your Body

If you are feeling down or stressed out, getting your body moving can do wonders. When we exercise, our brains release endorphins which can ease feelings of depression. Additionally, exercise can be a great way to spend time with others. Whether you want to go out for a walk with your friends or join a gym or dance class, there are tons of ways to get some exercise as well as social interaction in your day.

Stay Social

We’ve touched on this a few times already, but for a lot of us, the transition from the constant social interaction that comes with working a job to the isolation of our homes can be a troubling shift. Because of this, it is essential to stay social. Maybe you have friends or family that are also retired that you can hang out with, or you decide to join a volunteer group or class. These are all good options and help keep you from isolating yourself (whether intentionally or unintentionally).

Create Structure

As humans, we love structure. We like patterns, routines, and predictability. No longer having a job to go to eight hours a day can leave a large gap in our daily routines that can be challenging to fill. However, if you create a schedule for yourself — that includes activities, classes, social events, spending time with friends and loved ones, and anything else you want to do in your day, week, or month — you can create that structure for yourself.

Pick Up a New Hobby

We’ve brushed on this option a bit earlier as well. But if you are unsure what to do with your time, it can be a great time to pick up a hobby you’ve always wanted to try. Maybe you want to pick up knitting or sewing. Maybe you’ve always wanted to try painting or gardening. Perhaps you love cooking, but you’ve never had the time to really get into it. A hobby is a great way to spend your time doing something that brings you joy and makes you feel productive during the day.

Talk to Someone About It

Our final coping mechanism is to talk about it. Sometimes people have a hard time understanding what they are feeling until they try to describe it in words. And sometimes, simply understanding what is going on is not enough to make changes and cope healthily. Talking to a therapist can be a great way to gain a better understanding of your own feelings as well as find out what the best way to cope with your situation is for you.

If you are feeling anxious or stressed about retirement or you are experiencing retirement depression, please do not hesitate to reach out to us today at Love Heal Grow to talk to a therapist.

#Anxiety #Counseling #Depression #Mental Health #Stress #Retirement

0 notes

url-is-under-construction · 3 years

Text

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭 ~ 𝐇.𝐋 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Based off the prompt: “𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭. 𝐖𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬.”

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 3.7K

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Swearing

𝐒𝐲𝐩𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬: Family always came first to you. That’s why you moved to Tokyo with your baby brother despite being miserable every single day, until you met him.

If NYC was the city that never slept then Tokyo was it’s younger sibling who was constantly trying to outdo the elder child. You ignored your younger brother who sat beside you in the taxi, leaning your head against the window and admiring the bright neon lights that stood out against the black of the sky.

No stars were visible, and the noise of the city was audible from inside the taxi, grinding against your ears. You hated it.

“Y/n.” You yanked my head from the cool glass of the window, leaving it foggy in your absence as Sean gently called your name. “We’re here.”

It was then you noticed the taxi had come to a stop, in front of a small looking building.

“This is it?” You asked, only getting a nod and sigh in response as the two of you exited the small vehicle, him sighing loudly as he picked up the bags.

You approached the door and knocked, waiting impatiently as the city air bit and nipped at your rosy red cheeks and nose.

It opened, revealing the man you recognized to be your father. You took a step back, turning the volume of the music in your ears up and letting Sean do the talking. You observed as their mouths moved, and the door closed on the two of you, your eyebrows furrowing in confusion before relaxing as it opened again.

This time he was fully clothed and a woman quickly scurried out from behind him, not giving any of you a second glance.

You pulled the earbud out, looking between your brother and father.

“Who was that?” You asked, following the two of them into the cramped building.

“A friend.” Your father responded sharply, before going over the ground rules and showing you to your rather small rooms.

The sleep was terrible that night. Unable to get comfortable on the thin mattress, and longing to be back at home in America. After all, you weren’t the child who had screwed up.

【~~~】

It took about three days for the reality of the situation you were in to settle in.

You were living in Tokyo. And you wouldn’t be returning home any time soon.

It was quite a rude shock when it finally hit you, and that’s when the tears every night started to pay visits.

You sure as hell weren’t the one who had fucked up, destroying not one but two cars, illegally racing and crashing through the frame of a house waiting to be built. No, that was Sean. But as usual you also had to pay for his mistakes and so off to Tokyo you went with him, leaving behind your friends, your family and your car.

It wasn’t like your mother was expecting you to live here forever with Sean. After all you were almost nineteen and very much so capable of making your own decisions.

She had wanted you to go with him for the first month though, not wanting him to be completely alone with no one but your father there for him, and by painting it out to be some exotic holiday she had convinced you to tag along.

It was a mistake.

Sean had started coming home later and later every night, adjusting well to life in the city. You on the other hand, had absolutely no friends, and despised your days with every fiber of your being. You had begun marking days off your calendar, counting down eagerly for the month to be over and for you to return home.

“I hate it here.” You shoveled food into your mouth, standing with your back against the counter of the kitchen as Sean absentmindedly filled a glass of water. “Why did I choose to come with you?”

“How would I know?.” He mumbled under his breath, pulling his phone out of his pocket as it buzzed.

“You know if you hadn’t been so-”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” He cut you off, rolling his eyes. “I get enough if that from Mom and Dad. Don’t need it from you too.”

His accent was far stronger than yours, and you mocked him, feeling defeated when he just rolled his eyes and turned back to his phone.

He read whatever was on the screen with a small smile on his face and nosily you leaned over, wanting to get a look.

“Fuck off.” He shoved your shoulder, still smiling.

“What’s got you looking all happy?” You asked, raising an eyebrow.

He looked at you, a mischievous smile on his lips as you waited.

“How do you feel about going out tonight?”

【~~~】

Bodies crammed together in the parking garage, all surrounding the hundreds of cars parked in the lot. The immaculate paint jobs shined in the harsh neon lights, and most of them had their hoods up and their incredible engines on display, leaving your jaw on the ground every time.

You stuck close to Sean and Twinkie, feeling safer with your younger brother and his best friend. You felt intimidated by the gorgeous women who surrounded you, not that you were there to impress anyone. You were there for the cars.

The shitty 1990 Accord you had back in the states was nothing compared to the beasts that were parked in here.

You could feel vibrations in the ground, from the music and cars and it brought a small smile to your face as you walked through the swarm of people.

Sean’s eyes were scanning the crowd intently, clearly searching for someone.

He finally located who he was after and pulled you and Twinkie in the direction, his smile growing.

“There are some people I want you to meet.”

You were introduced to some faces you knew you wouldn’t remember, a gorgeous girl named Neela being one of the few you did.

You didn’t miss the way they looked at each other, or the way her boyfriend would possessively interrupt when you were talking to her, much to her dismay.

“And finally,” Sean said as you approached a man leaning back against his car, a small smirk on his face. “The one and only, Han.”

You flicked your eyes up to meet his, ignoring the way your breath slightly hitched in your throat.

He stuck his hand out to grasp yours, and you gripped it back with the same smirk he was wearing.

“Y/n.” You introduced yourself, not missing the way his eyes slowly traveled up and down your body. “I’m sorry about what my brother did to your car.”

His eyes returned to you, a smile on his face.

“It’s fine. Plenty of others sitting in that garage.”

You raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, his smile turning into a shy grin.

“Better keep Sean away from them then.” You teased, turning to your brother only to realize he had left.

You noticed him standing by Neela again, walking around her car while her boyfriend, Takashi, watched intently from afar.

“He’s in love. Has been since he saw her.” Han rolled his eyes, popping a chip into his mouth.

“Hard to see why he wouldn’t be.” You said. “She’s beautiful. Kind. Into cars.”

“And what about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you kind? Into cars?” He asked, following your eyes to Sean and Neela.

“You forgot beautiful.” You said with a small laugh as you moved to stand next to him, leaning against the Mazda RX-7 behind you. You were praying to god it was his car, otherwise the lucky owner would probably get very, very pissed.

“Nah.” He turned his head and looked down at you. “Don’t need to ask you that to figure it out.”

A blush crept into your cheeks and you couldn’t stop the smile from appearing on your face.

“Well, usually when someone is kind they don’t run around telling others about it.” Your eyes met his again. “And I love cars.”

He grinned at you, and you turned your head to look back at Sean.

A part of you wanted to play hard to get, but the other part knew that even after only five seconds of talking to this man you were fucking done for and he knew that as well.

“And what about you?” You copied his earlier words, elaborating when you saw his confused face. “Are you kind? Into cars? Beautiful?”

“Beautiful?” He scoffed. “Sweetheart I’m a damn model.”

You let out a laugh, feeling yourself relax.

“I was kind enough to not beat your brother to death after he totaled my car.” Han joked. “And as for cars-” He gestured to the garage, full of stunning, high performance cars capable of stealing your heart in a matter of seconds. “-I probably wouldn’t be here if I didn’t like them.”

“Yeah I suppose that was obvious.” You let out a content sigh. This was the first time you had forgotten about your little countdown, and also the longest conversation you had had with someone who you weren’t related to.

The two of you fell into a comfortable silence, admiring the cars that surrounded you for a few minutes before he turned back to you again.

“What are you doing here Y/n?”

Your head turned to his, your eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Oh come on, you think Sean doesn’t gush about his amazing older sister every chance he gets?” Han rolled his eyes at you like you were stupid.

“No. I find that very hard to believe.” You let out a small laugh. “And you still haven’t answered my question.”

“Sean told me that you were eighteen, turning nineteen in a few months time. No one is forcing you to be here, in Japan.” Han explained, his dark eyes staring into yours. “And yet here you are. Living in Tokyo, miserable, because your delinquent brother couldn’t stay out of trouble in the states. Why?”

Your mouth opened, then closed, then fell open again. You turned your head away from the piercing dark eyes and glanced at your brother.

“Because that guy who destroyed your car is my baby brother. He’s the closest family I’ve got.” You watched Sean as he spoke to Neela, hearts in his eyes. “Family stick together Han. I couldn’t let him just up and leave to a brand new country, with no one but our father there for him.”

Han watched the way you spoke, feeling a warmth across his chest.

“It’s my job to protect him and be there for him, and I don’t care if I’m miserable the whole time I’m doing it. I’m going to be there.”

His jaw almost dropped as your words hit him like bricks.

“You know,” He started. “You remind me of someone I used to go way back with.”

You scoffed light-heartedly.

“How old are you?”

He just grinned. “Too old for you.”

“Well luckily for you, my age is too young for me.” You said. Despite your tone being confident your body was completely betraying you, bracing itself for rejection.

Instead he just laughed and ran a hand through his hair.

Both of your heads snapped to the right as someone called his name, and you felt your heart fall when you realized that he was probably going to leave.

He sent a quick wave to the person who called out and pushed himself off the Mazda, gazing down at you.

“You know,” He started, a shy smile creeping onto his face. “If you ever get bored during the day you should come by the garage. I think I could make it worth your time.”

You let out a small laugh.

“We’ll see.”

【~~~】

“You made friends pretty fast.” Sean said teasingly as you entered the kitchen, your hair sticking up in all kinds of directions.

“Yeah and so did you apparently.” You sent a sarcastic smile back in his direction. “Pity she’s taken.”

The smile on his face dropped instantly and he went back to his breakfast, ignoring you.

After a few minutes of silence between the two of you he spoke up again.

“So are you gonna?”

You looked up from your phone and coffee, furrowing your brows.

“Am I gonna what?”

“Swing by Han’s garage?” He had a knowing smirk on his face. “He told me all about your little conversation.”

You just shrugged casually, not wanting to let him know how you really felt inside.

“Maybe, if I have the time.”

“All you have here is time.” He scoffed. “All you’ve done for the past few days is buy food, eat it, then sleep. You may as well.”

You let out a sigh and finished what was left of your drink.

“Yeah, and for your information Sean, it’s been great.”

“You know you wanna Y/n.” He teased, a grin on his face.

“How about this,” You started. “Let me know next time you head over there. Maybe I’ll tag along.”

“Sounds good to me.” Sean said. “Especially given that I’ll be there tonight.”

Your cool demeanor dropped and your eyes widened.

“Tonight?”

“That’s what I said.” He grinned. “I’ll be sure to let him know he can look forward to seeing you there with me.”

“I’m gonna fucking kill you.” You whispered under your breath.

He just shrugged his shoulders.

“You’d be doing me a favor if it meant I’d never have to see your gross face again.”

“What are you? Five?” You asked.

“I’d say that’s about right.”

You just scoffed at him, heading back to your room.

Not that you’d ever admit it to Sean, but you were glad that he’d be heading over to the garage tonight.

You would definitely rather die than tell him that though.

【~~~】

You shut the car door behind you and stepped out into the cool evening air.

Sean had come by to pick you up after he had finished school, and you had been anxiously waiting all day.

Now you were finally here, and still very, very anxious.

“This doesn’t look like a garage to me.” You furrowed your brows, looking out at the water.

“That’s because it’s in there.” Sean pointed to the large brick building. “We’re gonna stay out the front, this is where Han’s been teaching me how to drift.”

“Oh.” You managed to get out, following your baby brother to a group of people who were all sitting down by stacks of tires.

All four faces were familiar, but you only remembered the names of two of them.

“Y/n.” Han greeted you, nodding his head with a smile as he casually held the bottle in his hand.

“Hi.” You smiled back at him, your nerves starting to melt away.

Sean gestured to the empty seat beside Han, and you took it.

The others tossed you friendly smiles which you returned, and Han looked up at Sean.

“Go get your sister a drink.” He said.

Sean did as he was asked, reaching into the cooler that had been brought along and handing you a bottle of something.

“Are you gonna have one?” You asked your brother as you opened it and took a small sip.

“Can’t drink and drive now, can I?” He smirked, digging his keys out of his pocket and heading back towards the Evo.

“Well that’s a first.” You scoffed, and you heard Han let out a small laugh beside you.

“I’m guessing the cowboy doesn’t wanna fuck up another one of Han’s cars.” Twinkie said, watching Sean as his climbed into the car and started it.

You looked over at Han.

“That’s your car?”

“Yep.” He nodded proudly, watching Sean as he started his usual route around the dock.

“How many more have you got hiding in that garage of yours?” You asked with a small laugh.

“You’ll have to come see for yourself.” He shrugged.

“Maybe.” You shrugged as well, missing the way Twinkie and the others looked back and forth at each other.

“You know,” Han started. “If you haven’t got any other plans tonight, I could take you out for a drive, grab some food. Maybe come back to the garage when everyone’s gone.” He said the last part quietly enough for only you to hear.

You looked over to Sean in the car, able to make out his face of concentration despite how far away you were from him. He wouldn’t miss you for one night.

“When do we leave?” You asked with a smile.

He grinned with a surprised laugh, and you could tell he had been expecting you to say no.

“Now, if that works for you.”

You looked back at Sean, wincing at the sound of the tires screaming against the road.

“Sounds good.”

【~~~】

The two of you had ended up getting cheap food from a side-of-the-road vendor, eating in silence in the car before making small talk about everything, from your life back in America to what kind of animals you thought you could take on in a fight.

You were laughing when you stumbled out of the RX-7 and into the cool night air, following Han into the garage which wasn’t that much warmer.

You didn’t know what you had expected when you walked into the garage, but it definitely wasn’t what you saw.

Han gestured for you to follow him up some stairs to an open second story, furnished with a small kitchen, table and chair, and living area.

“Wow.” You mumbled under your breath, realizing he must have some serious money to be able to afford all of this. Not to mention the cars in there, some of which cost more than your house, car and life savings combined.

“It’s my pride and joy.” He pointed towards the sofa, and you took a seat, sinking in to the plush material as he opened the fridge and called out to you. “You want a drink?”

“Yeah thanks.” You smiled, and he pulled out two of the same bottles you had been drinking from earlier.

He took a seat beside you, on the opposite edge of the relatively small sofa, and the two of you sat in silence for a moment, reflecting on your night, before you spoke up.

“Thank you.” You said quietly, and he looked at you in confusion. “For what you’re doing for Sean, I mean.”

“It’s not a problem.” He brushed it off. “He’s a good kid, the kinda person I want to be around.”

You let out a scoff.

“Well I wouldn’t go that far.”

He chuckled at you.

“Thank you.” He said, and this time it was your turn to be confused. “You might not realize it. but coming out here with Sean has made it so much easier for him. He probably won’t ever tell you, but he’s grateful as hell and crazy lucky to have you in his life.”

A small blush crept up onto your cheeks, and you almost didn’t notice as he crept closer towards you. Almost.

“Yeah well he’s also crazy lucky to have met you.” You said quietly, your eyes meeting his as the two of you drew closer and closer. “I am too.” You whispered.

“And why’s that?” He asked, his tone matching yours, and you swore the room got hotter by about twenty degrees.

“You’re kind,” You started, remembering back to last night when you met him. “Into cars.” You continued, and he nodded along, agreeing with you.

“You forgot beautiful.” He whispered, just inches from your face now, and you smiled cheekily.

“You’re a damn model sweetheart.”

He grinned, his eyes flicking down to your lips briefly and before you could realize what was happening his lips were on yours.

Your hands instinctively went to his hair, pulling him closer to you as you laid down flat on your back, feeling his hands roam up and down your body.

You felt butterflies erupt in your chest as your hands wandered from the back of his head, and so did your mind.

Sean’s face flashed in your mind and you inhaled sharply, pushing Han off of you and sitting up, breathing heavily.

“Shit.” You hissed, moving to the edge of the sofa and holding your head in your hands. “Shit, shit, shit.”

“What? What’s wrong?” Han asked, also breathing heavily. His tone sounded confused, and guilt racked through your body. “I’m sorry.” His voice changed to apologetic. “I thought you wanted to.”

“I do.” You whined. “I want to, but I can’t. We can’t do this.”

“Why not?” He asked, placing a hand on your thigh.

“Sean.” You turned to look him in the eyes, and his face dropped.

“Shit.” He said.

“Shit.” You agreed.

The two of you sat in silence, still trying to catch your breaths, and trying to think of a way to fix the now incredibly awkward situation.

“I think I should leave.” You said, pushing yourself up off the sofa.

“Y/n don’t go.” Han protested. “It’s the middle of the night and you’ve been drinking. Neither of us can drive and I’m not going to let you walk home or get into a taxi with some creep.”

You let out a sigh, not letting him see how the fact that he cared that much made you all warm and fuzzy inside, or how the fact that it made you all warm and fuzzy inside made you want to gag.

“What do I do then?” You asked.

“Take my bed.” He nodded towards a door that you were assuming led to his bedroom. “I’ll take the sofa.”

“No way.” You protested. “This is your home Han, you aren’t sleeping on that tiny ass sofa. I can, it’s no problem.”

His eyes looked like he wanted to argue, but he kept his mouth shut.

“Ok. I’ll go grab you some blankets.”

“Thanks.” You smiled, laying down on the sofa.

It was undeniably comfortable, and you let your eyes close before Han returned, vaguely feeling him place a thick blanket over the top of you before pressing a quick kiss to your forehead, leaving you with butterflies.

Your mind started to slip out of consciousness, and you let it, forgetting about how you were sleeping in Han’s garage, and planning on being out of there before he woke up the next morning.

𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

Just a fun little something that took me about a week to finish writing! Hope you like it and requests are most certainly open <3

If anyone would like to be on the tag list for part 2, please let me know!

#han lue #han seoul oh #han seoul-oh #x reader #han lue imagine #han lue x reader #han seoul oh imagine #han seoul oh x reader #han seoul-oh imagine #han seoul-oh x reader #fast and furious imagine #fast and furious x reader #the fast and the furious imagine

2K notes · View notes

id-rather-be-an-outsider · 3 years

Text

Respite Among Chaos | Pt 1

Porco Galliard x athlete!reader

summary: You’ve never had much reason to speak with Porco - that is, until you find yourself on common ground with him.

word count: 6630 (including words in text messages)

a/n: I had this idea at the same time as a smutty fic idea, I guess this is the soft fluffy fic to counteract it LMAO anyways, I hope ya’ll enjoy sweet Porco! reader is a survivor of abuse! there is one section where it’s discussed but it’s only a broad overview. that being said if the mention of abuse is triggering for you please be mindful and read at your own risk! I’m a survivor too, and it’s therapeutic for me to incorporate my life experiences into my writing, so if this writing resonates with any of you, I send you all my love 💕

masterlist

I’m a good person. I’m a good person, right? Right? Am I a good person? Or am I a bad person? Am I a bad person? I must be. I must be, otherwise why would he have said something like that? Reiner’s known to be a good guy, so why would he say something like that unless he meant it and it was true? I don’t want to be a bad person, I don’t want to end up alone, I don’t want everyone to hate me, I don’t want-

My spiral of anxiety causes my vision to go blurry enough from my tears that I don’t even see him coming. My train of thought ends when I walk face first into… “Porco?” I ask, eyes widening when I realize that yes, I did indeed bump into him. Immediately I look down, sideways, anywhere but at him when I’m just starting to cry. “Sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

Porco says, “Don’t worry, I wasn’t paying attention either. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I mumble, and he huffs out a light chuckle.

“Yea, and so is everyone else who says that when they’re on the verge of tears.” I sniff, trying to blink them away, worried someone will see me and be able to tell my emotional state if I were to wipe my eyes. “Hey, do you want a ride back to your dorm? I’m just walking to my car now, and I need to grab something from Pieck anyway. She’s your roommate, right?” I nod my head, but scratch at my arm, indecisive as ever.

“Are you sure?” I ask him. “I just don’t want you to feel like you have to take me, or something.”

“Nah, it’s fine. Pieck said you and I have similar music tastes so I’ve been hoping to catch you at one point or another to swap playlists.” This comment temporarily distracts me from my upset, and my face heats up of its own accord. I always find it a little embarrassing when people say good things about me or hype me up to other people, which Pieck does all the time. We met in our senior years of high school and when we found out we were both going to Marley U, we decided to room together, and now we’re on year two of being roomies. She tries to get me to come around her friends all the time, but it can be hard. My anxiety makes it really difficult for me to make friends, partake in conversations, even just going out in public can be scary - so she’s always super happy when I do try.

I try, “Well, um, my phone’s dead, so I can’t really give you my playlist.”

Porco shrugs it off, replying, “Not a problem. We can just talk about whatever’s bothering you, then. Come on.” He motions for me to follow him, and I don’t want to be rude, so I do. It’s not that I don’t want a ride, it’s just… I don’t want to be a burden.

When we get to his car, a blue Chevy Malibu (how on earth he can afford it, I have no clue), he holds the passenger door open for me, not closing it until I’m all the way settled. I note that he has a laminated name card hanging from his rear view mirror reading, ‘Maliblue,’ and if I wasn’t feeling so shitty, I would probably laugh at the witty name for his car.

As he backs out of his parking spot, he says, “So, what happened to lead up to that?”

I play with a strand of my hair, braiding and unbraiding it. “It was nothing. I… I was just at practice, and Reiner… he…” I trail off when tears well up in my eyes, really not wanting to fall apart in Porco’s car.

While Porco drives, he takes a hand off the wheel and pats my shoulder. “It’s okay. You don’t have to be an emotionless wall, that’s not you. It’s not anyone.”

“Everyone else just seems to be better at not being overly emotional than me,” I confess. “If I didn’t have anxiety I feel like I wouldn’t be such a burden.”

“Burden?” He asks, not looking away from the road, but his eyes narrow and he furrows his brows in confusion. “From what I know, no one would describe you as a burden, y/n.”

“I don’t know, I still feel like I am.”

“Why?”

“Well, comments from Reiner telling me I ‘need to stop being an asshole and just worry about myself’ when I’m just trying to tell him we need to practice for the coed four by four don’t really make me feel great, and neither does him saying I’m ‘too emotional for a team sport,’ but I don’t know how to unpack that, so.” I sniff and wipe my eyes.

We pull up to a stoplight and Porco turns to look at me. “Are you fucking serious? Like, deadass, he actually said that to you?” He looks at me with a shocked expression, and I give a small nod, wiping the tears now openly flowing down my face. “What the fuck is wrong with him? Why? Why did he even say that? What even happened?”

I sniff again and my voice wavers as I say, “Me, Marcel and Ymir were practicing for the coed four by four, and Reiner is part of it, and he had spent like, half of the practice doing everything but practice with us and the rest of us were irritated that he didn’t seem to be taking it seriously, so while they were practicing their handoffs I went and asked him if he could please come and practice since me and Ymir have never had him on the coed relays before and need to get used to his pacing and handoffs and stuff, and then he said that first comment, and I guess he was able to tell that it hurt my feelings because then he said the second comment.” I sneeze, and Porco blesses me as I sniffle. We sit in silence for a minute and I can almost feel his rage radiating off of him.

I add, “And I said it exactly to him as I said to you. I know because I thought about it fifty times before telling him, and after he said that, I thought about what I said fifty more times to try and figure out if I actually said something that really made me an asshole.”

His voice is strained, quiet, like the calm before the storm. “Why didn’t Marcel and Ymir say anything? Why didn’t they stand up for you?”

“They don’t know. I… I told Coach Erwin I needed to go. I asked him to tell them it was just a family emergency but that everything was fine.” When the light turns green I fidget in my seat, not completely turning away from him, but making sure he can’t see how puffy my eyes are.

He says, “One moment. Hey Siri! Call Marcel!” I whip my head around and gape at him, mouthing, ‘What are you doing?’ Porco holds his finger up, and we both listen while the built-in Bluetooth on his car rings, and rings, and…

“Hello brethren, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Marcel’s voice resonates through the car, and I stifle a laugh at seeing Porco roll his eyes.

“For somebody so dorky I’m surprised you’re a D1 athlete. Anyways, we have a group meeting over at Pieck’s place. Reiner is excluded from this meeting and he hears nothing about it or I will kill you all. Also…” Porco pauses to look at me, then continues, “Tell Ymir to come, and to bring her girlfriend. Y/n needs a pick-me-up.”

“Oh jeez, did something happen with her and Reiner at practice? I knew she had to leave, but Erwin said it was a family thing…”

“Bingo. I’ll tell you more when everyone’s there. I’m on my way with y/n now.”

Marcel’s voice goes up an octave in excitement. “Oh, hi y/n! See you soon!”

I quietly mumble, “Hi Marcel… sorry for leaving.”

“It’s okay, I’m sure it was justified from the sound of it. I’ll see you soon!”

•••

“He WHAT!?!?!?” Ymir yells at the top of her lungs, jumping out of her seat with fire in her eyes. A teary-eyed Historia launches herself to the couch cushion on my left and wraps me up in a tight hug.

“That’s what I said!” Porco shouts in agreement, “My vote is to beat his ass.”

“You’ll get kicked off the football team, Pock.” Pieck points out. “It also wouldn’t help y/n if her coaches think she’s starting drama. Reiner could very well spin it that way, if we’re being honest. So first, how are you feeling?”

Pieck, who’s already sitting on my right side, grabs one of my hands, squeezing it encouragingly. She smiles at me, and I know she wants me to be honest, so I say, “Well… it kinda does make me a little bit happy to know you all care. I thought maybe it wasn’t that important.”

“And what else?” Historia chimes in.

“You just want me to put all my feelings out on the table for everyone to see?”

“Yes, because that’s what friends are for,” She replies in a motherly attitude, “So open up, because we’re your friends, and that’s what friends do.”

“I… I just…” I hesitate, nervous from the five of them staring at me. “This is gonna sound stupid, but can you guys not look at me? I’m embarrassed.”

Porco furrows his brows, but Ymir speaks before he can question it. “You heard her, Galliard. Turn around.” They all rotate to face away from me, and Ymir asks, “This good, track star?”

I nod, then realize they can’t see it. “Um, yes. Thanks. Um… the truth is… what Reiner said- it hurt really bad.” My voice cracks, and Pieck gives my hand another supportive squeeze. “I’ve lost friends before, and it always hurts because I think it’s my fault, even when I don’t know how it could be. If it was once, then… I don’t know. But it feels like it’s happened a lot more than once.”

“Y/n… this isn’t your fault.” Historia says softly. “You have to know that you did nothing wrong here. It’s all Reiner.”

Marcel adds, “He’s probably just jealous of your times. I think he has a hard time being realistic about the dedication it takes to be a track and field athlete and is expecting single event times for multiple events.”

“Maybe he doesn’t really want to be on the relay team?” Historia guesses.

Porco gripes, “If he didn’t want to be on the relay team all he needed to do was tell his coach.”

“No, he definitely wanted to be on the relay team, otherwise he wouldn’t have let Marco get injured.” Ymir says spitefully. “I’m still not sure it wasn’t on purpose. Marco’s too nice to say anything, but it’s not like he isn’t the reason you were injured before, Marcel.”

“That was an accident!” Marcel defies her, “And I’m fine now!”

Porco cuts in, “Technically you still have to take ice baths every day-“

“-I actually do that regularly now because y/n suggested it, it feels nice and I personally-”

“I personally don’t think that matters-”

“Will you two stop bickering?” Historia says, walking over to the pair and pulling their ears until they quit with the back and forth.

Pieck laughs, but agrees with Historia. “Hisu’s right, all of that is just semantics at this point. What do you want to do about it, y/n?”

All eyes turn to me and I swallow, wishing the decision could be someone else’s. “Honestly… I don’t want to do anything. I don’t want him to think I’m a snitch. I’d rather just have your support. I don’t want him to see he got to me. Well, beyond today, that is.” My eyes flicker to each person’s for a second, but I look away when I get to Porco’s. There’s something different about his gaze that makes it hard to hold eye contact, though I’m not sure what. Tentatively I add, “And maybe have a movie night with ice cream and a fort.”

•••

Many hours later, the six of us are back together, Ymir and Hisu cuddled up on the lounger, me and Pieck on either end of the loveseat, Porco and Marcel camped out on the ground, and fairy lights, pillows and blankets strewn everywhere. As it turns out, we’re not very good at fort-building.

A horror film is playing and popcorn is being tossed around while we save the ice cream for the second movie. Marcel was kind enough to buy pizza for the group, so everyone is chowing down as we watch the movie.

It feels… nice. Watching Marcel scoot between Pieck’s legs, letting her card through his hair and put tiny little braids in it, complete with sparkly rubber bands. Historia fitting almost perfectly in Ymir’s lap while the latter nuzzles her face into Hisu’s neck, pretending to be bored with the movie but really she’s hiding in preparation for any jumpscares. Every now and then, Porco looks back at me to steal a piece of popcorn, and save for a foreign feeling in my stomach, it all feels so normal. I find myself wishing this could happen every night.

After the first movie, Ymir and Historia leave because they have plans for a hike in the morning, and Marcel beats Porco to steal their spot, leaving him as the odd man out, which he very audibly complains about for half of the movie. After the second movie, Pieck announces that she has to go to bed so she’s well-rested for a test the next day, at which point Porco very dramatically pulls himself up onto the loveseat. “I have the high ground, Porco.” I say smugly.

“Did you really just quote Star Wars?” He says, and when I laugh, he glares at me, rolling his eyes.

“Mmphmm! Hmphmm!” Marcel has a mouthful of pizza and an air-five waiting for me.

I let out an onomatopoeia as I meet his air-five, and Porco groans, “You guys are nerds.”

“Says the person watching scary movies with two nerds,” Marcel retorts, “If it looks like a duck.”

I continue, “If it quacks like a duck!”

And Porco finishes, “Shut the fuck up.”

Marcel guffaws, and I snicker under my breath as the third movie starts. When I realize we’re upgrading from slashers to paranormal, I gasp, uttering, “Oh, no.”

Porco side-eyes me, asking, “What?”

I whisper hoarsely, “I’m a lil’ bitch when it comes to anything ghost or demon-related!”

He menacingly challenges, “I dare you to not put your hands up or turn your face away for the entire movie.”

Marcel cuts in, “I know you’re not trying to make my bestie have nightmares over there, Pocky-boy.”

“And what are you gonna do if I am?” Porco taunts his brother.

“Leave you here.” Marcel states simply.

Porco laughs. “Sure you will.”

•••

“He actually left me!” Porco says to me in exasperation. Marcel ditched him while he went to the bathroom and gave me fifty bucks to say nothing, so I, being as broke as I am, said nothing, waiting for Porco to realize, then run out and check.

“I think the real winner here is teamwork.” I comment unhelpfully, then say, “You’ll be fine, Porco. Our loveseat opens up into a bed. Also… we have a spare charger and pair of clothes. Marcel stays the night all the time.” I scratch the back of my head, knowing that Pieck and Marcel don’t exactly want their super-brand new, super-tentative relationship to be known about yet. “But that fact stays between you and me.”

“I suspected anyway.” He replies, then motions for me to move. “If you serve us up ice cream I’ll get the bed set up and we can watch more movies. Do you have class tomorrow?” I nod my head no, and he grunts in confirmation. “Then it’s settled.”

I hop off the couch and get to work, carefully crafting up two perfect bowls of ice cream, one with all my favorite toppings and one waiting to be decorated. “Hey Porco,” I call from the kitchen, “What toppings do you want?”

“Uh, whatever you used on yours.” He responds absentmindedly, and I comply, returning to the bed set up with all the plushest pillows and blankets, Porco lounging in the middle with his head resting on the couch back.

“You look comfortable.” I observe as I hand him his bowl of ice cream, plopping down next to him. “What are we watching now?”

“I was thinking Ringu, is that okay?”

“Uh, are you trying to get me to have insomnia?”

“I mean, not necessarily. Just a healthy dose of fear.”

“Uh-huh. If we watch this you’re not allowed to have any qualms about me hiding behind my fingers.”

“Bet.” He says, stretching out his arms and reaching behind me for the remote.

Once he starts the movie, he reaches back around to set it down again, and I notice his arm doesn’t leave this time. I feel a twinge of I-don’t-know-what, and start chowing down on my ice cream before it melts. The silence is comfortable. Until he asks, “Why do you think Reiner said that to you?”

Of course he has to ask that. “I… don’t know. I mean… a long time ago during freshman year, he did ask me out, and… I told him I saw him as a really good friend.”

Porco chortles, only choking on his spoonful of ice cream a little bit. “You did not, y/n.” He gasps out.

“Well it was true! He was really nice back then, and he was a good friend to me. I just… didn’t see him how he wanted me to.” I take a large spoonful so I don’t have to say more.

Porco ponders aloud, “I’ll bet he’s been salty about it ever since. He always wants to be seen as this reliable nice guy, but that’s Marcel. I noticed awhile ago that when Marcel was in the hospital, Reiner changed. It was like he was trying to be my brother.”

My brows shoot up in surprise. “I’ve never thought about it, but you’re right. That’s around the time him and I got close… That’s creepy. After I turned him down, he turned into who he is today. Well, who he is for me today. It wasn’t overnight, I think he was still hoping I would change my mind.”

“I would hope too,” Porco jokes, “Imagine being rejected by one of the nicest people at Marley U.”

I poke his side as hard as I can, but he just brushes it off. “Don’t tease, Porco! That’s mean to him.”

“He’s not here, y/n, you don’t have to save face. I know for a fact you at least dislike that fucker. I hate him and I’ve been open about that since day one. You should join me, it’s freeing.” He remarks with a flourish of his hand.

“Okay, okay! I don’t like Reiner, are you happy?” I say with a shake of my head, failing to conceal my impish smile. “But I would rather just move on and forget about it. Do I want anything to do with him? No. But I don’t want drama either.”

“Got it.” He pretends to scribble down a note. “Don’t make drama for y/n because of Reiner.”

The rest of the night goes without a hitch, and I find myself really coming to like Porco. He’s funny, kind, and hot-headed compared to Marcel, but Marcel has always been even-tempered and nearly impossible to anger, so no surprise there. If I were a betting person, I’d bet Marcel became that way to keep his little brother out of trouble.

At one point I really jump after being on edge for several minutes, and Porco simply wraps his arm around me, saying, “I got you. If it’s too scary I can turn it off.”

“No, no, I can handle it. I just forgot I wasn’t in the movie for second there.”

•••

The next morning, I walk out into the living room in my spandex and a baggy t shirt Marco loaned me (and then just gave me) after one practice when he tripped and spilled a cooler on my head and torso. Long story short, he was carrying it on his shoulder, didn’t see me, then tried to swerve around to miss me, but so did I, and catastrophe struck. It’s also how we became friends, so it’s a memory I look back on fondly.

“Good morning. You look ready to go for a run.”

I jump, whipping around to see Porco who suddenly is cackling. “Fuck, dude, I forgot you were here. You scared the shit out of me!” I say, keeling over in laughter and relief.

“Those movies do a number on you?” Porco asks after wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.

“Not this time, actually. I just truly wasn’t expecting it. I woke up so well-rested I thought yesterday night was a dream!” I open the fridge and dig out my usual breakfast: Yogurt, granola, and some water. It’s light, but I prefer heavier lunches and dinners, so it balances out. “Are you hungry, Porco?”

“I already ordered myself DoorDash, I was gonna get you something when you woke up, but…” He motions to the small meal I have. “Are you sure you won’t be hungry after that?”

“Oh! Yea, I always eat this much, I’m kind of basic. If I eat a lot in the morning I can make myself nauseous so I stick to this. Plus, my yogurt is pretty yummy. Want some?”

He looks at me. “What kind?”

“Greek lemon. It slaps, I’m telling you.”

•••

“Holy shit! This is good as fuck!” He says excitedly, “Where do you get this?” He consumes the yogurt cup within seconds.

I smile, happy to have converted another person into a Greek lemon yogurt fiend. “You know the farmer’s market on 86th? They sell tubs, too, they were just out this time.”

“I can see why, I need to start getting this stuff. I’ll pick up one for each of us next time I’m grocery shopping.”

“I actually need to get more now, these two were my last ones. Wanna go? I can drop you off home afterward.”

“Hell yea!” He exclaims, and in minutes we’re in Pieck’s car, jamming out to Ariana Grande, a guilty pleasure of Porco’s and a favorite of mine, as we head to the store specifically for Greek lemon yogurt.

I’m losing my breath while Porco’s trying his darnedest to hit Ari’s high notes, and when I’m singing along, I can feel Porco’s eyes lingering on my face.

“You have a really nice voice, you know. How come you’ve never done karaoke night with everyone before?”

My face goes up in flames, and I’m hoping against hope Porco doesn’t catch my bashful smile. “Oh, thanks. I’m not very confident in my voice, so I’ve just never thought about it.”

“Next time you should come with me. With you as my partner, we’ll beat the whole gang!” He suggests amiably.

I laugh, reminding myself that Pieck’s car won’t drive itself. “I don’t know, I wouldn’t want to steal your thunder. Miss Ari would be awfully jealous of those whistle tones you got there.”

“Okay, first of all, you and I both know I sounded like a smoker on helium, but go off. Second of all, I don’t have a second point, I just wanted to say second of all. Makes me feel important.”

“Are you usually this comedic?” I wonder aloud.

“Eh, only around people that I really like. And you happen to be one of those people.” He states, poking my arm a little for emphasis.

“Well, I’m honored. How can I thank you, Lord Pockolemew?” I pull into a parking spot at the back of the lot, where no cars are. It’s the best way to keep Pieck’s car from getting dents in it, and the weather outside is nice.

“Easy. One, never call me that again.”

“Oh, I’m definitely calling you that again.”

“No. Two, let me pay for the yogurts, and I’ll give you gas money since you’re dropping me home.” He nudges me playfully as we walk past cars of all kinds, and I scratch my arm.

“You don’t need to do that, Porco, it’s fine, really. I appreciate it-“

“Then accept it, y/l/n. I know you’re all about earning things and you don’t want to burden people or waste their time, but what about the people who want to do nice things for you because they think you deserve it?” He probes, and I find that I can’t disagree with him without sounding morbidly depressing, so I hang my head and sigh.

“Fine, just this once. But never again.”

He smiles smugly, like he just won a game of chess. Maybe he did. “Got it. Never again.”

We end up picking up a few more things than the yogurt, mostly because Porco got random cravings for a bunch of raw vegetables and told me to pick out a snack for myself, but he’s still able to carry all the bags on one arm, insisting we don’t need to make two trips, as well as insisting I shouldn’t carry any of them because they’re technically his property since he paid. He also insists on opening the passenger door for me and not letting me load any of the bags into the car.

“Uh, Porco, I’m driving?” I remind him in confusion.

“Nah, it’s all good. We’re going back to your dorm, Marcel’s there and said he’ll take me home, but I wanted to stop somewhere else first. I’ve driven Pieck’s car before.” He turns the key and the engine rumbles to life, even quieter than the Maliblue.

I go along, wary as I am, and am surprised to find us at an ice cream parlor. I look over at Porco, and he’s already watching me with a smirk. “I have it on good authority that you like ice cream.” I can’t help but smile, and he returns mine in earnest.

As we order matching cones, I ask him, “Why are you being so nice to me? Not that you’ve ever really been mean, I just… I don’t know. One moment we were more like acquaintances, casual friends or whatever, and the next, you’re buying me ice cream, driving me around and shit.”

He shrugs. “Don’t know. Guess I didn’t realize how cool you were and it took Reiner being a sack of shit for me to get it through my head. That aside, I’m glad I ran into you yesterday. You’re kinda rad, y/n.”

We’re handed our cones as I respond, “You too, Galliard. You too.”

•••

That afternoon, Porco goes home with Marcel, and then goes for a drive that night. Parked in front of a familiar dorm building, he makes a call. The line rings, the recipient slow to answer. “Hello?” Reiner’s voice is on the other line.

“Sup, Braun.” Porco says, voice colder than a deep freezer. “Listen, I heard about what you said to y/n-”

“-Oh my God, really?” Reiner complains, his voice almost whining. “You’re gonna blindly believe what a random bitch decided to say I said? I thought we were friends.”

Porco’s nostrils flare and he yells, “You called y/n a what!? A what, Reiner? Disrespect her again and I will really fuckin’ beat your ass, the only reason you’re not in the ER right now is because she asked me not to do anything. She doesn’t even know I’m doing this right now.”

Reiner scoffs. “You’re all talk-”

“-Come outside then, bitch! I’m right outside your fuckin’ building, I can see you sitting in your fuckin’ dorm room!”

Several seconds of silence pass, and Porco can see Reiner pull his curtains closed.

“Yea, that’s what I fuckin’ thought. You fucked over my brother, you tried to fuck over Marco, but you’re not about to fuck over y/n just because she wouldn’t go out with you, and we are not friends. You can catch these fuckin’ hands anytime you want, but I promise you, Braun, if you fuck with y/n again I’ll kick your fuckin’ teeth in. Leave her alone.”

“Do you… like her?” Reiner asks Porco.

Porco says, “If I do it’s none of your business, but right now I’m just saying this as her friend. She wouldn’t have ever wanted you anyway. Red shirt ass pussy.” He hangs up after slinging a final insult at Reiner, and starts his car, speeding off down the road into the night.

•••

The next time I show up to practice, I see Porco sitting in the stands watching, and give him a wave, smiling. He gives me a thumbs up and puts his feet up, leaning back in his seat.

Coach Erwin calls me over, and I panic on the inside, but comply. “Yes, Coach?”

“I wanted you to know, y/l/n, that Reiner is no longer on the four by four coed relay. Ymir and Marcel came to me early this morning, and he’s been suspended from the team for a month.”

I’m caught off guard by what he says. “Wait, what? I… It really wasn’t… I’m sure he feels-“

“-You’re one of my best athletes, y/l/n. Braun was bullying you. You’re allowed to stand up for yourself. Anyway, I’m glad your teammates came to me. They care about you.” His eyes soften a little. “I know you have a hard time making friends, but they seem to really have your best interests at heart. Hold those friends close, y/l/n.”

I nod, all seriousness. Coach Erwin is known for giving occasional bits of life advice, and when he does give it, his athletes take it. “Thank you, Coach.”

“Anytime. As for Reiner’s replacement, Colt Grice will be taking his spot in the relay, so make sure you practice handoffs with him. Go warm up, y/l/n.”

“Yes, Coach!” I take off, and Ymir, Marcel and Colt are already warming up together, but they pause and look at me expectantly. I jog up to them and say, “I thought I told you to say nothing.”

Marcel rubs the back of his neck. “Yea, well…”

Ymir admits without any guilt whatsoever: “I made Marcel come with me and we told Erwin everything. When Reiner showed up Erwin called him into the office and he didn’t deny a thing.”

“Wow, just like that?” I say, finding it a bit odd.

“I think Porco might be to blame for that,” Marcel posits, “He came home late last night after going for a drive. Did you see him when you got here, y/n?”

I nod. I glance over at Porco in the stands, and have to hide a smile when I turn back around. “Hey Colt.” I greet the freshman, and he returns the greeting. I had a class with him last quarter, so we’re already fairly acquainted. Plus, he went to high school in Liberio like Pieck and the rest of her friends, so there’s that.

We all chat as we warm up together, go through our stretches, and finally get ready to run. “Hey,” Colt says as we walk to the line, “Porco’s heading this way. Does he normally show up to watch you practice, Marcel?”

Marcel scratches his eyebrow. “Not really, no. I don’t think he’s here for me, though.”

My stomach does a flip, and I’m not sure why, but Colt and Ymir both glancing at me in suspicion makes me nervous. “What?” I ask in annoyance.

“Oh, nothing. Only that you’ve spent a significant amount of time with Porco lately.” Ymir suggestively raises her eyebrows, and I scowl at her.

Colt puts his hands up. “I know nothing, I’m not a part of this, I’m innocent.”

“Thank you for your honesty, Colt.” I say, choosing to not give Ymir the satisfaction of arguing with her. Teasing is her favorite way to get me to come out of my shell, unfortunately.

“Alright,” I announce, “The order before was Marcel, Ymir, Reiner, then me, so you’ll be the third leg, Colt. Coach Erwin doesn’t want us tiring ourselves out so we’re gonna practice our handoffs on the hurdle markers, just so we can get our strides out. Eighty percent, our meet’s on Saturday.”

“Whew, so soft, Coach y/l/n. You’re not gonna make us run the stadium stairs?” Ymir heckles.

“I could make you do it, as payback for not listening to me the other day, Ymir.” I threaten, but she just laughs.

“I know you won’t.”

I sigh. “You’re right, I won’t. Let’s just get started before you keep exposing me for not measuring up to Erwin.”

“Nerd.” Ymir says, and it reminds me of when Porco called Marcel and I nerds. I bite my lip, but it doesn’t hide my smile. She notices and laughs, “Whatcha thinkin’ about over there, huh?”

“How lovely it would be if Historia were here to tell you off, is all.” I lie, but honestly, it would be nice for Historia to tell her off.

We move on, and our first attempt is a little rough, but we gradually improve. By the time we hit our sixth attempt, we’ve gotten into our groove, so we go through it four more times to cement it in.

“Alright, I’m off for distance with Coach Magath, see you guys!” I wave goodbye to Colt and Ymir, who respectively head over to hurdles and sprinting, but before Marcel joins Ymir, he stops me with a hand in my shoulder.

“Wassup?” I ask him, and his eyes shoot between me and (I’m assuming based on the general direction) Porco.

“I just wanted to say, if you… if you and Porco are gonna continue to spend time together, I’m okay with that. You’re one of my best friends, and he’s my brother, so… if anything… were to, well, grow, out of that, I want you to know that it’s okay with me.” If my face could melt it would, and he can definitely see it written all over my features. “Or if that’s not what’s happening, then you can feel free to ignore what I said, and I’m sorry for being mistaken.” His face reddens a little and he laughs awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“No!“ I say sincerely, “I mean, Porco’s great, and, since you’re giving me a stamp of approval I hope you don’t mind me saying that he is cute, but I don’t know, it seems like we’re just… hanging out, and he just feels bad for me. I’m sure he doesn’t see me like that.”

He quirks an eyebrow at me. “I don’t know, y/n, I’m just saying, but I’ve never seen him be so interested in ‘just hanging out’ with someone. I’m not gonna get involved since I would be in both parties, but… I hope you guys figure out where each of you would like to stand with each other.” He gives my shoulder a pat and jogs over to sprinting, and I’m about to head over to Coach Magath when Porco calls my name. I turn around, and see him waving me over.

“Hey, Porco!” I say, “What’s the occasion?”

“Just checking up on my new bestie. Making sure Reiner’s slimey ass didn’t try to talk to you some type of way again, but it looks like that’s not an issue anymore.”

I shake my head no. “Apparently he’s been suspended from the team for a month and didn’t even fight it.”

He nods as if he’s affirming a thought to himself. “That’s good. I gotta blast, but I was wondering, do you wanna hang out sometime? Just the two of us, like how we did the other day?”

There’s no way to hide how bashful I am, so I just smile and murmur, “Yea, I would like that. Just text me.”

Porco pulls his phone out, handing it to me to create a contact. I type in my number, and as for the name, I type ‘🤠y/n🤠’, then scroll to the ‘company’ section and type, ‘Porco’s hot new bestie 🥰💅🏽✨’.

He takes his phone back and shakes his head with a grin on his face. “You’re goofy when you want to be, you know that?”

I reply, “Somebody has to be the comedic relief, might as well be me!”

“Y/l/n! Get over here!” Magath yells from across the field.

I grimace. “That’s my cue. See ya!” I take off, embarrassment prominent on my features as I sprint to my Coach. “Sorry, Coach.”

“First Erwin steals you for the relay team, and now your boyfriend shows up to my practice? If I have to deal with any more of this I’m gonna quit.”

“He-he’s not my boyfriend, Coach.” I say quietly, then chirp, “But you’d never quit on me! I’m your star runner!” I put on my most winning smile, nudging him with my elbow.

He sighs, rolling his eyes. “Then tell him to quit acting like your boyfriend or your Coach is gonna have to teach him a lesson about not distracting my only hope of a pay raise.”

“He wasn’t acting like my boyfriend! We’re just friends!” I insist.

“Just get your seventy minutes in. Seventy percent, y/l/n. You’re doing three events on Saturday - don’t you dare get injured.”

•••

On the greyhound back to campus, I get a text from Porco. His name makes my face light up, and Ymir narrows her eyes at me suspiciously. “So you and Porco are a thing now?”

I falter slightly, “Uh, as far as I know, no. We just… talk.”

“Uh-huh. Well, you’ve been doing a lot of talking lately. You should unpack that - you know, when you’re not in denial.” She says patronizingly.

“Whatever, Ymir. I gotta respond to this.” I turn away, leaning into the window of the bus, and open Porco’s text.

Shaking my head, I greet him in turn.

93 notes · View notes

dojizerker · 2 years

Text

Unique Media Experience

Reposting my Twitter thread about Touken Ranbu over to Tumblr, plus expanding on it a lil after the fact.

The ending to Touken Ranbu’s Great Invasion event and how fandom as a whole reacted show that as a media, Touken Ranbu is wholly unique among every other franchises.

I doubt we ever would have another similiar experience like Touken Ranbu in another media. Other media and games have tried to replicate their formula to various level of success/failure, or try to release their games during Touken Ranbu’s hype period.

For many of them, they haven't quite nailed down why TKRB got it right. That is, the balance of minimalism to lore/characterisation.

At its very core, Touken Ranbu started off with a solid enough premise (the time government sent Saniwa sages to summon swords into human bodies to protect history) but the actual storytelling itself is very minimal. The Touken Danshi all have clear personality, stories/histories or a theme. We all know their basic information from their voicelines and ingame information. But other than researching their RL history, they’re all open to interpretation.

One character can be seen as tsundere, while another person might think otherwise, as a general example.

The game gives us the template, a sandbox, of a setting and a cast of characters for us to make our own stories with. Digitarou himself explicitly expressed that he wants to respect everyone’s personal Citadel stories (headcanons), and we all know it.

That's why the emotional investment is so high. We're encouraged to imagine while grinding the automated, simplified systems. Since playing the game is pretty easy and quick, and very multi-tasking friendly, that means more time spent talking with fellow fans and making fanworks.

Compare to other games that try to replicate Touken Ranbu’s formula. Somehow one way or another, they didn’t get the delicate balance of minimalism, gameplay and lore. They either give TOO MUCH LORE or have TOO MUCH GAMEPLAY, assuming no other issues like bugs.

"Isn't a lot of lore good?"

It depends on the media. Some stories want a more solid, concrete setting, at risk of giving less room for fans to "play around in". You know the feeling of seeing a story is so well written, so complete, you can’t find anything else to explore in it after you finish consuming it?

TKRB's balance allow headcanons, speculations and openly allow all Citadel interpretations. We know the premise and how the character works, on a base level. So we can go wild in headcanons and fanworks, knowing that it’s all valid.

You can see this in the various adaptations and their specific wording.

"In a certain Citadel"

とある本丸

No one's Citadels get invalidated. If a new reveal pop up, you can say "not in my Citadel". Musical Citadel’s story only works for that Citadel because of their own lore and character development. The same sword in Stage Play Citadel might act a little differently, but still make sense according to that Citadel’s timeline of events.

In today's media climate, companies are more likely to try and use the more stronger, detailed opening and premise than TKRB to get their audience. It's easier to get fans with the usual tropes. It's harder to predict what might engage a fandom's fanworks activity. If a game try to come out today with similiar level of minimalism, it likely would fail UNLESS the premise, character design and personalities manage to captivate a fandom in time to get past the first few months.

This is also why you sometimes see creators, writing staff, companies choose to leave certain lore and information open ended, to encourage speculative fanworks.

So timing. TKRB came out at the right place at the right time, attracting attention of enough players of many different tastes. It also shakes up the stagnant market for female audience at the same time.

While it's marketed as joseimuke, male fans can also enjoy it because of the coolness factor + being openly welcomed in engaging with the emotional themes. Women are the core audience, but men are always welcomed to join in as there’s enough content in here for them to enjoy.

Female, male, NB

Yume/self-insert shipping

Fujin (fujoshi, fudanshi)

Rekijo

Various designs for different tastes (Ikemen, shota, ossan, muscular for bara, etc)

#Touken Ranbu #Doji shut up #tourabu shit #this is a rambling mess #I love sword boys #our favourite beautiful non-humans

71 notes · View notes

misstyless · 3 years

Text

as someone who shipped sambucky since civil war, I feel like I have to recommend the best pre-tfatws sambucky fics I've read on ao3

double back by flowermasters

Sam gets stuck in a time loop. In 1943.

Things could be worse, but they could certainly be better.

quick time by flowermasters

He’s never bought Sam a drink in any of the other loops—all ten of them, now. Maybe he should’ve tried that earlier.

Companion to double back.

Thanks by TheHedgehogSong

He opens the door to find Sam standing on the other side. "Me and the others are going to watch some movies in the living area if you're interested." Sam says by way of greeting.

"Steve ask you to keep an eye on me?"

"Yep." Sam replies simply. "So if you could come and sit with us it would make my job a lot easier."

"You're so charming." Bucky deadpans and Sam smiles at him.

"Hey when I'm putting on the charm you'll know." Sam says and jerks his head in the direction of the living area. "Come on, otherwise Clint will start the movie without us and if I miss the start I'm going to be pissed." With that Sam walks away. Bucky watches him for a moment before trailing after him – he guesses there's worst ways to spend the day.

Marriage Counseling for the Inept and Oblivious by ToriCeratops

Or: How Steve Rogers likes to play matchmaker for his infuriating best friends.

my love language is annoying the shit out of you by desastrista

There's a lot of nuances of human romance that Vision doesn't understand, but he thinks he can see what is developing between Sam and Bucky. Even if no one else does.

semi-cataclysmic events by wilsonsnest

It took time travel for Steve to figure his shit out, so Bucky doesn’t think he’s doing too bad.

feat. Old!Steve, Cap!Sam and Pining!Bucky

Flesh And Bones by asgardianthot

in a world where people bond with their soulmates through physical pain, living in the same compound makes the search much easier (or it should, if they weren't so damn stubborn)

When I'm With You (i'm who i want to be) by theappleppielifestyle

Threat, his mind says, but Sam Wilson makes him feel the opposite a threat makes him feel, like he's safer than he has been in seventy years.

Honey, Til I Die You'll Have Me Too by Ithinkwehaveanemergency

Five of Bucky's Friday nights in the months following the battle of Upstate New York.

“You stayed for me?” Sam's voice is a whisper. His eyes are more open and vulnerable than Bucky has ever seen.

“Eh.” Bucky smirks, trying to escape the heaviness of the conversation. “Mostly didn't wanna go back to an era where I wasn't an honorary citizen of Wakanda. God, I love that place .”

three words that became hard to say by suzukiblu

“I wanna step out with Wilson,” Bucky says, audibly traumatized. Steve blinks again, and lowers the shield.

“Uh,” he says. “Come again?”

I just couldn't say it out loud. by ashers_kiss

“Are you flirting with me?”

“Yes?” Bucky tries.

Are you both courting? by daredeviltrash

Gamora and Mantis asks bird boy and metal arm guy if they're dating. hilarity and sad stuff ensues.

farmhouse by Tazmaster

"You know, I think I'd want a farmhouse."

"A what?" Sam turns to look at him, slightly annoyed. This was the first thing Bucky has said in the past hour and a half they've been cramped in this god forsaken car. He had a knack for impulsively voicing his dumb thoughts at the worst times, but whenever you wanted to know what was actually going on in that head of his, he'd never say.

They were staking out the front gate of a large mansion, very much not a farmhouse. It was mind numbingly boring, being stuck in a beetle with absolutely nothing else to do than stare at the gaudy gates of some rich asshole.

"A farmhouse," Bucky repeats nonchalantly, "If we ever get out of this business, or you know, live long enough to retire maybe--- I want a farmhouse. With a lot of animals."

---

Bucky keeps talking about a farmhouse and it drives Sam crazy, that is until he finally asks why.

These Walls are Shakin' with My Heartbeat by Ithinkwehaveanemergency

“Well now I need to know.” Sam rolls his eyes. “Please, enlighten me. Explain why an eighteen year old is so invested in our non-existent sexual relationship.”

“She’s almost twenty. You were at her nineteenth birthday party.” Bucky frowns at Sam, disappointed.

Sam tries to process Shuri's inappropriate suggestion that he should have sex with Bucky, and Bucky won't stop eating his fucking pizza.

6PM/8PM by captainafroelf

Sam gets a call from a world away.

If I'm the Last One Standing, I Would Want to Watch it Burn With You by Ithinkwehaveanemergency

Just before the final fight in Infinity War, Sam and Bucky have a moment.

My canon compliant explanation for why Sam and Bucky are so cozy and content with what happened in Endgame.

Just an illusion by Llixale

Bucky and Sam are back from the Soul stone, unaware that they shared more than the experience of being snapped.

The Simple Life by through_shadows_falling

One year since the Accords, and Steve asks Sam to check up on Bucky in Wakanda. Sam agrees, but the man he finds is the not the man he expected...though that's not exactly a bad thing.

Bucky is a peaceful goat farmer who enjoys the simple life, and who happens to be attractive as hell.

Sam is so freaking screwed.

Takes place between Civil War and Infinity War Part 1.

Alone, With You by cruxcantare

Sam's pretty sure they're dead. Bucky disagrees. But whatever this is, it isn't living.

warm blood (feels good, i can't control it anymore) by notcaycepollard

Sam's just chilling watching TV one evening when Bucky comes in and stares at him silently for a minute or two before sitting down on the couch. He's pretty close to Sam.

Okay, he's really close to Sam. Like, Sam would be using the word 'cuddling' if it wasn't so bizarre.

"What," he says, carefully not looking at Bucky, and Bucky huffs a sigh.

"Steve's not here," he says as if it's obvious. "Don't make it weird. Just- shut up."

Unexpected Houseguest by faeryn

When Sam comes across Bucky in the strangest of places, his first instincts are to run, and to call Steve. He does neither, and in doing so manages to form a strange bond with the Soviet assassin who once tried to kill him. Bucky is broken, a shell of his former self, and Sam wants nothing more than to help return him to himself. But can he maintain a respectable and responsible distance from the man, despite how Bucky draws him in, in order to help him? Or will he falter, and shatter all the progress he has made by giving in to his own desires?

The Multiverse of the Falcon and the Winter Soldier by OhHelloFandoms123

Sam and Bucky find themselves trapped in alternate realities of their lives due to Dr Strange, they have to find out how to get back to their reality.

“How come in every fucking universe we’re married?” Sam said, looking around the place, raising his arms in anger and confusion.

“I’m not sure, maybe it’s trying to tell us something.” Bucky replied, shuffling his feet, looking at the ground.

a couple more fics that I remembered later

#tfatws #sambucky #sambucky fanfiction

424 notes · View notes

jungshookz · 4 years

Text

skate a little piece of my heart; jjk

➺ pairing; jeon jungkook x reader

➺ genre; rollerskatinginstructor!jungkook!! sfw!! fluff!! honk honk humour!! jungkook is a very handsome instructor and y/n can’t tell if that’s a bad thing or a good thing

➺ wordcount; 6.3k

➺ summary; your two left feet and complete lack of balance isn’t the only thing that’s making you weak in the knees this valentine’s day.

➺ what to expect; “rollerskating is already hard enough as it is, and now i have to do it in front of him?!”

➺ currently spinning on the record player; how deep is your love; bee gees

»»————-　💫 ————-««

“this is so dumb.”

“safety is never dumb, y/n!” taehyung raps his knuckles against the top of your helmet and you scowl before swatting his hand away, “now, where are your kneepads?”

you let out a groan before tilting your head back slowly, your eyes widening in slight panic at the surprisingly hefty weight of the helmet

your arms flail for a second and you immediately reach up to grip both sides of the helmet before forcing your head back up

jesus

you nearly snapped your own neck there

of course, snapping your own neck would mean not being able to skate because you’d technically be dead… so maybe that’s not such a bad idea after all…

(by the way, it’s concerning how many times you’ve considered literal death just to get out of doing something.)

“are you going to lift your leg for me or do i have to do everything for you?”

you look down to see taehyung down on the ground in front of you holding one of the knee pads and you frown lightly before lifting your leg and placing your sock-clad foot on his knee

“please tell me this is the last of the safety gear…” you whine, “tae, i literally look so dorky right now- no one else is wearing helmets or knee and elbow pads!” you gesture to seokjin and namjoon who are busy putting on their skates over on the other bench before scoffing lightly and crossing your arms

if namjoon (arguably the klutziest one out of this group of people) isn’t even wearing a helmet, then what does that say about you??

you’ve seen him trip over nothing and scrape both his knees so why are you the only one wearing all of this junk?!

“i took you ice-skating over christmas and you fell flat on your ass more times than i could count, and you insisted that you didn’t need any safety equipment even though it was alarmingly clear that you did. i basically spent two hours making sure you didn’t die-” taehyung looks up at you with a raised brow, “do you want to fall and split your skull open in front of everyone?”

“if it means not having to gear up in all this dorkware- then, yes. i would love to have my brains splat across the rink in front of everyone. in fact, that would probably be less embarrassing-” you grumble, flinching slightly as taehyung suddenly yanks hard to tighten up your laces, “i’m an adult, taehyung! grown-ups don’t need to wear all of this!”

“grown-ups don’t throw tantrums either, but here you are…” taehyung mutters under his breath, putting your foot down before giving your knee a slap, “perfect! we’re good to go!”

“yeah, yeah…” you reach under to scratch at your elbow only to feel your nails scrape against the smooth surface of the plastic protection shell and you resist the urge to rip it off out of frustration

taehyung decided that it’d be a great idea to bring everyone to a rollerskating rink for valentine’s day this year instead of… letting people go out to intimate dinners and celebrate on their own… because, quote, ‘i just want all of us to spend more time together, and what better day to do that then on valentine’s day?? …ooh, we should call it pal-entine’s day. ha! get it?? because we’re all pals-’

(he was dumped recently, so everyone’s kind of letting him run the ship for now. …basically, no one can say no to taehyung unless they want to see him burst into tears. he’s still in a very delicate state.)

but, honestly… a rollerskating rink!

out of all the places to go to!

you already have two left feet, so forcing said left feet into shoes with wheels is a horrible idea

“i think it’d be best if i just sat back and watched you guys!” you try for the umpteenth time to get taehyung to let you off the hook, “plus, they sell chilli dogs here and they actually smell really good and i kind of want to order one for myself even though it might end in me having to get my stomach pumped-” you gesture back towards the refreshments counter and taehyung shakes his head before sticking his hand out for you

“there’s plenty of time for you to scarf down a rubbery hotdog later- now, c’mon-”

“i don’t even know how to skate!”

“that’s fine, you’ll learn! it’ll be like riding a bicycle except you are the bicycle-”

“you know, i’m just going to be complaining the whole time, and it’s going to ruin your time here. honestly, tae, why am i here??”

“because i’m not emotionally stable enough to spend valentine’s day alone yet and i need to surround myself with as many people as possible otherwise i’m going to be alone with my thoughts and i’m going to spiral!” taehyung’s voice cracks as he snaps at you and you immediately press your lips together and avert your gaze, trying to ignore the weird glances the two of you are getting from the strangers around you

…

“okay, well-” you push yourself up off the bench before wobbling slightly and reaching over to grab onto taehyung’s arm for stability, “i don’t know about you, but i’m most certainly ready to tear up that rink!”

“perfect!” taehyung chirps, quickly reverting back to his ‘everything is fine and i’m definitely not dying on the inside’ state, “and don’t worry. rollerskating is much easier than ice-skating, so there’s less of a chance of you potentially embarrassing yourself here-” taehyung gives your hand a pat as the two of you shuffle your way towards the entrance gate, “trust me, you’ll get the hang of it as soon as you start!”

“you saw me on ice…” you snort, your knees already wobbling as you take your first step into the rink, “i really don’t think i’m going to be any better on wood-”

“well, lucky for you…” taehyung lets go of you and you immediately cling to the railing in panic, “i went ahead i hired an instructor for you!”

you frown as you pull one hand away and rub your fingers together

god, why are the railings so sticky-

“you- woah, hold on a second-” you look up and over at taehyung with wide eyes when you finally catch on to what he just said, “i’m sorry, you did what?”

“what? i can’t stay by your side and watch you all night.” he shrugs, placing his hands on his hips as he stands in front of you, “we were moving so slowly on the ice that i was sure it was starting to melt underneath our skates-”

“you just told me you don’t want to be alone and now you’re handing me off to someone else instead of spending time with me??” you frown, manoeuvring your stance so that both your hands are gripping onto the railing behind your bum, “why force me to skate if you’re not doing it with me?”

“i mean, i obviously want to spend time with you, but i also don’t want to be skating, like, one mile an hour-” taehyung snorts, “i’m forcing you to skate so that one day, we can skate together without me having to worry about you slipping and sliding all over the place like a baby giraffe!”

“well, why can’t you teach me instead of paying for someone else to do it?”

a brief moment of silence passes as taehyung rolls over to get you to release your iron grip from the bars

“…because teaching you how to skate instead of actually spending time skating sounded really boring-” he mutters quickly, your eyes widening as you turn to look at him

“wha-”

“also-” he cuts you off, placing his hands on your hips from behind as he starts to roll you forwards slowly (though, you haven’t noticed this yet because you’re still focused on the fact that he didn’t want to teach you - you’re a great student!!), “there was a girl who kept smiling at me when i was strapping you up in all your gear, and i need to find out if i still have game or not-”

“this sounds more like you’re trying to fill the empty void inside of you with meaningless sex, which, by the way, isn’t a very healthy coping mechanism-”

“i will fill this empty void inside of me in whichever way i want, thank you very much-” taehyung snorts, shaking his head, “plus, it’s too late to back out because the policy states that they don’t take refunds and he’s already here-”

“wait, what??” you immediately look back to the front, the fact that you are being rolled towards someone now sinking into your brain, “who- oh my god, stop rolling me-!”

taehyung’s fingers dig into your hips as he comes to a sudden halt, “what??”

“spin me around.”

taehyung blinks before slowly turning you around so that you’re facing him and you pray to god that you don’t look like some kind of rotating rotisserie chicken right now

you open your mouth to speak when you finally see taehyung’s face again but he continues to spin you slowly so that you end up in the same position you were in a second ago

...

“for god’s sake, taehyung- spin me around so i’m looking at you, you moron-”

“ohh, okay, i thought you just wanted to spin you around for fun-”

“why would i want you to spin me around for f- okay, that’s not important right now-” you shake your head, “i just want to say that the only reason why i’m doing this is because you kind of sprung this on me last minute and i don’t want to inconvenience anyone, but just know that you now owe me big time- now, spin me back around and wheel me to whoever i’m going to be stuck with for the next couple of hours.”

“noted!” taehyung chirps as he rolls you back so you’re facing the front, “he’s right over there by the other entrance- the guy in the yellow-” your eyes flit around until they land on the guy in the yellow and you immediately feel your heart starting to beat a little harder in your chest at the sight of the guy in the yellow, “his name’s jungkook, he has a shining five-star rating, he’s a wonderful teacher according to all the parents whose kids he’s taught- i’m pretty sure you’re his oldest student so don’t embarrass yourself-”

you feel your mouth go dry when jungkook reaches down to adjust the bottom of his tied button-up shirt before opening the sides of it a little more to show off his chest

he reaches up to twirl a loose tendril of hair around his finger before gently pushing it back and running his hand through his hair, poking his tongue against the inside of his cheek briefly

oh no

oh, no

he’s attractive

he’s very, very attractive

“tae.” you keep a polite smile on your face as you slink your right arm behind you to attempt to blindly punch him in the gut, “why didn’t you tell me that the instructor was cute?”

“oh, i’m sorry.” taehyung responds sarcastically, “i didn’t think attractiveness was an important factor when considering an instructor.”

“well, it is when the instructor looks like that-” you feel your cheeks warm when jungkook smiles brightly at the two of you before waving enthusiastically, “rollerskating is already hard enough as it is, and now i have to do it in front of him?!”

“i don’t know what there is to freak out about. the guy’s handsome- so what?” taehyung waves back at jungkook before giving your hips a playful squeeze, “if anything, you should see this as a bonus - you get some eye-candy while you learn!”

“okay, well, don’t make me sound pervy-”

“not to mention, he’s your age! so it’ll be like you’re just hanging out with a friend-”

“a friend?! taehyung, i’m wearing overalls, my hair is in pigtails, and all this protective gear that you shoved me in makes me look like an eight year old-!” you gasp when you feel yourself suddenly bump into something hard and taehyung quickly loops his arm around your waist to keep you from toppling over

it’s a second later that you realize the something hard that you bumped into was jungkook’s obviously broad chest, so obviously this rollerskating lesson is already off to a fantastic start

“woah, you got it?” jungkook holds both his hands out in case you fall over and you let out a nervous chuckle before reaching up to push your helmet up slightly

“i’m fine!” your voice cracks and you clear your throat quickly, “…hello.”

“hi! it’s nice to meet you- y/n, right?” jungkook sticks his hand out for you to shake and you smile nervously before reaching out to take it, “my name’s jungkook! i’m super excited for today. we’re going to have a lot of fun together.”

you don’t know if it’s just because he’s clearly one of those fun and overly friendly! instructors or if he’s just naturally bubbly but he’s talking to you like you’re a child

(you probably could’ve ditched the pigtails today.)

“okay, i’m going to go off now so let me just hand y/n over to you-” taehyung arm slips from your waist before he gently rolls you towards jungkook, “you two have fun!”

your hands immediately slap down on the railings right as you feel yourself about you slip and you let out a breath of relief

that was a close call

“we will!” jungkook smiles, waving at taehyung as he skates off, “you enjoy yourself out there!”

you watch helplessly as taehyung skates away, jungkook turning back to look at you with a (very handsome) smile

you feel your heart skip a beat once again and you immediately curse in your head

…you’re screwed.

»»————-　💫 ————-««

“because of the balance and control required, it’ll take a little bit of getting used to- but once you get the hang out it, rollerskating is super fun!” jungkook reaches out so you can take his hand, “do you wanna let go of the bar for me?”

there are a lot of things you’d like to do for jungkook but letting go of the railing and potentially falling in front of him is most definitely not one of them

“you know, i think i’m good!” you chuckle, your knuckles practically going white at how tightly you’re gripping onto the railing, “why don’t you just keep talking while i… you know, get used to the feeling of just standing while wearing skates?”

“okay, if that’s what you’re comfortable with, that’s what we can do. let’s see… ah!” jungkook perks up, clapping his hands together before gesturing down to his own feet, “so, you’re gonna wanna keep your feet shoulder-width apart. can you do that for me?”

you look down at your feet, not at all surprised to see that they’re practically glued to each other

okay

shoulder-width apart

you can do that, right?

you lift your right foot up slowly before quickly moving it farther away from your left foot, your skate skidding slightly against the floor as you stomp down

goD these skates are clunky

you’ll never understand how people find this activity genuinely enjoyable

“see? not so bad, right? now, i’m really going to need you to let go of the bar for me so that we can move onto the next step- i swear i won’t let you fall if you take my hand.”

your eyes flicker down to his outstretched hand and you twist your lips uncertainly, “you promise?”

jungkook places his hand over his heart, “i promise.”

you lift one hand off the rail and quickly take jungkook’s hand, pausing for a second to make sure that everything feels okay before quickly lifting the other hand off the rail

you practically slap your hand down on jungkook’s other palm and let out a breath of relief as soon as he grips it tightly, and you look back in concern when jungkook starts to pull you away from the railing

“there you go! see?” jungkook smiles brightly, giving your hands a squeeze to get you to focus on him instead of the bars, “not so bad, right?”

“yeah, i guess so…” you puff out, feeling your heart starting to pound harder not onLY because the safety of the railings have been taken away from you but also because jungkook’s hands are… very soft.,,. and very warm,.,. and very pretty.,., and all-in-all very nice

“okay, step two. so, this next part is going to make you feel a little silly, but we have to walk like ducks because it just makes the process of walking easier. you kind of have to point your toes outwards- yeah, just like that! and don’t forget to squat a little-” jungkook hums, leaning over a little so he can look to see if your stance is okay, “perfect! we’re just going to keep practicing until you get used to walking...”

“you know, taehyung actually took me ice-skating over the holidays and i fell, like… ten times.” you snort, keeping your eyes on your skates as you take one small step after another, “i thought rollerskating would be easier but i feel like there are more rules to worry about…”

“oh my god, don’t even worry about it-“ jungkook snorts, shaking his head, “i’m an awful ice-skater. you’d think it’d come naturally to me because i can rollerskate- plus, i don’t see the fun in ice-skating! i know it’d never happen but i’m always paranoid that the skates are going to slice-”

“-the ice open and you’re going to fall through and plunge into the icy water?”

“exactly! see, you get it.” jungkook grins, leaning down a little to check your posture again, “you know, you’re a complete natural. i don’t know why you were so nervous to begin with!”

you snort in response and resist the urge to tell him that his face was one of the major things that contributed to your nerves

“ooh, and you know what else i hate about ice-skating?” jungkook gasps, “that if i fall and get my hands on the ground, someone’s going to skate over them and amputate all of my fingers.”

you immediately burst into giggles and he gawks playfully

“are you laughing at a genuine fear of mine, y/n?? i didn’t take you to be someone who could be so cruel…”

“no, i’m not laughing at you!” you smile softly and you can’t help but note how warm and comforting his presence is, “i’m just- i said that exact same thing to taehyung when we were ice-skating and he said i was being ridiculous, so it’s nice to know that someone shares the same opinions on ice-skating as i do.” you instinctively squeeze jungkook’s hands when you feel the wheels roll out from underneath you a little and you end up jerking forward a little

“woah-! you’re okay- i’ve got you…” jungkook rubs his thumbs over your knuckles reassuringly as he waits for you to regain your balance and start walking again, “i told you i wouldn’t let you fall, remember?”

“yeah…” you smile shyly, feeling your cheeks heat up a little

you don’t feel as nervous anymore

no wonder jungkook has a five-star rating as an instructor

he’s great!

“also, you do realise we’ve walked, like, an entire round around the rink, right?”

“what? we have?” you pause, looking up from your skates for the first time in ten minutes

you’re almost at the spot you were at right when you first started

woah

wow!!

you didn’t even realize!!

that’s so cool!!

you walked an entire round without falling (a lot of almost-falling, but you’ll take it)!!!

“i mean, i don’t know about you, but i feel like we can move on to gliding now…” jungkook whistles lowly, “you’re a very fast learner so i’m not worried.”

“gliding is…” you lean over a little when you notice taehyung having a blast at the other side of the rink with his new companion, the two of them skating side by side

she laughs at something he says before playfully swatting at his arm

it’s just good to see him smiling and not crying for once

one of the things that you love most about taehying is that he’s so in tune with his emotions, but when his ex (he forbade you from saying her name) broke up with him, he cried so much that you were pretty sure he had completely dehydrated himself

so it’s nice that he seems to be enjoying himself!

“so, gliding is-” jungkook steps over to get right into your line of vision and you quickly look back at him with an attentive smile, “basically turning your steps into smoooooth strokes. instead of dropping your foot straight down, you’re going to be pushing it forward and out. it’s kind of hard to explain gliding… you kinda just have to let momentum carry you forward and do its thing, you know? it’s literally just a one foot after the other situation.”

“well, if you can glide backwards, i’m sure i can figure out how to do it normally.” you point out, jungkook snorting in response

“trust me, you’ll be able to pick it up quickly. remember that when you’re gliding on one foot to keep your other slightly hovering above ground so it doesn’t interfere-” jungkook stops himself when he notices your brows knitting together (you seem to do this a lot when you’re focusing too hard on something), “ah, you know- i find that it’s easier to glide when you’re not actually focused on the gliding!” he chirps, giving your hands a reassuring squeeze, “if it helps, you can keep your eyes on me instead of staring down at your skates.”

hAh

if anything, staring directly at jungkook is going to throw you off your game compared to keeping your eyes glued on the ground

“okay, i will... try not to focus on the gliding while simultaneously focus on the gliding.” your tongue instinctively pokes out slightly in concentration as you push forward with one foot, being sure to keep your other a little above ground just like jungkook said

you quickly switch to the other foot when you feel your right foot slowly starting to lose momentum, pushing off with your left instead and lengthening your stride so you can skate a little further

hey

look at that!

not bad!!

“look at you go, superstar!” jungkook cheers encouragingly, grinning from ear to ear as he watches you gliding flawlessly, “you were born for this!”

“you know, you may have a point- woAh-” your skates roll out a little from under you and you lurch forward, jungkook quickly sliding his grip from your hands to underneath your elbows to keep you from falling, “...yeah, so i spoke too soon.” you huff, blowing a strand of hair away from your face as you glance up at jungkook, still bent over at a ninety degree angle

“it’s my bad, i think i may have blown up your ego with all my compliments-” the sides of his eyes crinkle as he laughs, “all good?”

you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and feel a piece of your soul float out from your body when you realise you basically look like a little old woman clutching onto one of those rolling walkers

wow

the possibility of jungkook being interested in you was low to begin with, but now it’s probably been squashed entirely

“uh, yes!” you clear your throat as you force yourself to stand up stick-straight, your knees clacking together for a second before you get back into position, “all good! i’m all good. we’re good.”

oh boy

if it makes you feel any better… it can’t get any worse than this, right?

“i-” you jolt when the music suddenly clicks off and is replaced by the shrill ringing of microphone feedback

“youch.” jungkook winces, raising his shoulder slightly and tilting his head down towards it so he can try to cover up one of his ears

your brows furrow in confusion as you look up towards the speakers, unsure of if there’s just a technical difficulty or if something important is happening, “what’s going o-”

“sorry for the interruption, skaters! we just wanted to cut in and wish every single one of you a happy valentine’s day...”

a large disco ball lowers from the ceiling as the lights begin to dim, the room suddenly engulfed in a warm pink glow as visions of glinting sparkles and hearts reflect from the disco ball onto the wooden floors along with the velvety walls

oh, god

seriously?!

you look up towards the speakers and resist the urge to curse and shake your fist at them like an angry old man

haven’t the people here considered that there might be single people in the rink?!

…on valentine’s day…??

yeah that doesn’t make much sense

“grab your lover and glide along the floor as we play you some romantic tunes on this romantic evening… also, to the owner of a baby blue mercedes-benz convertible- i repeat, a baby blue mercedez-benz convertible... your car is parked in a tow-away zone. that’s all!”

the bee gees’ how deep is your love starts to play and you quickly pull your hands away from jungkook’s, your face flushing in embarrassment at the sudden change in atmosphere

you wobble slightly as soon as you pull away and immediately stick both your arms out in a poor attempt to keep balanced

okay

all you have to do is glide your way towards the exit so that you’re not just awkwardly standing in the middle of the ring while lovey-dovey couples skate around you

it’s only then that you realise that jungkook is facing away from you and seemingly looking for someone

you tap him on the shoulder and he turns to glance at you, “yes?”

“who... who are you looking for?” you frown, leaning over to peer over him so you can see what he’s seeing

“hm? oh, i was just looking for your boyfriend…” he trails off, continuing to look around the rink, “the two of you probably want to skate together right now and you’ll get to show off your brand new gliding skills, which is exciting-”

“boyfri- are you talking about taehyung?” you snort, quirking a brow in amusement, “he’s… oh my god, he’s definitely not my boyfriend. i’m only here for emotional support because he just got out of a relationship- we don’t have to get into it- the point is, he’s not my boyfriend. i don’t, uh, i’m not in a relationship at the moment. i’m… very single.”

why are you still talking?!

you clear your throat as you look for the nearest exit gate

“oh!” jungkook blinks before turning back around to face you, “in that case-“ your eyes widen in surprise when he sticks his hand out for you to take, “shall we?”

you blink down at his outstretched hand cluelessly before suddenly realizing what it is he’s asking

“oh, i-” you snort, immediately shaking your head, “no, you don’t have to do that…”

“what do you mean?” jungkook frowns, tilting his head curiously, “you don’t want to skate with me? after all we’ve been through?? y/n, you’re breaking my heart here!” he jokes, clutching at his chest before pouting (quite cutely) at you

“n-no!” you laugh lightly, shaking your head, “i mean, of course i’d love to skate with- i-it’s very nice of you to offer, and i know you’re obviously being paid and stuff but you don’t… ah, you don’t have to force yourself to skate with me if you don’t want to...” you mutter, reaching up to scratch the back of your neck, “like, i’m sure taehyung’s already planning to give you an extra big tip for basically babysitting me all night so you don’t have to force yourself to do anything extra-”

“no, i wanna skate with you!” jungkook interrupts, skating over so that he’s standing next to you instead, “plus, it’ll be good practice, right?”

“well, i-” you don’t get a chance to respond before jungkook’s suddenly slipping an arm around your waist and holding onto one of your hands for extra support, “i don’t know, i suppose i’m just not used to gliding without holding both of your hands so i’m just worried i’m going to make both of us fall somehow which would be mortifying-”

“that’s alright, i can hold both your hands if you feel safer that way,” jungkook chuckles, his arm sliding away from your waist so he can swivel around and stand in front of you again, “after all, it’s better to be safe than to be sorry!” he takes your hands gently as he starts to skate backwards, his thumbs rubbing the tops of your knuckles comfortingly

-‘cause we’re living in a world of fools... breaking us down... when they all should let us be... we belong to you and me...

how deep is your love continues to echo all around you and even though you feel a little awkward skating around with your instructor to a very romantic song, you have to admit that this was a great choice of song for valentine’s day

it’s a timeless classic!

“so, you, um…” jungkook clears his throat after a minute or two of comfortable silence, turning back for a second to glance over his shoulder and make sure he’s not about to crash into anyone, “what kind of things do you like doing?”

and it’s me you need to show... how deep is your love?

“rollerskating. is it not obvious?” you joke, looking up at him and reminding yourself that you should make more of an effort to look at him and noT constantly at the ground, “um, i don’t know! that’s kind of a broad question, i guess. i like... i like... i like painting-! i mean, i’m not good at it, but it’s a pretty relaxing hobby...”

“painting is nice!” jungkook nods slowly in agreement before perking up slightly, “say, have you ever been to a pottery studio?”

“you know, i actually haven’t!” you shake your head before staring past jungkook’s shoulder in thought, “i should go to one... it sounds like a lot of fun! do you...” you cough quietly and avert your gaze slightly, “do you go there often with your... uh, significant other?”

“me? oh, i’m not in a relationship.” jungkook chuckles before giving you a shrug, “none of my co-workers wanted to take the valentine’s day shift because they actually have someone to spend valentine’s day with, so... that’s why i’m here!”

“oh! so, you’re…” you trail off before pressing your lips together and giving him a firm nod, “i see.”

so you’re both single?

interesting

very interesting

you can’t help but wonder if he’s looking to change that

“i-”

“incoming!”

you don’t even get a chance to turn around to see what’s going on when suddenly someone’s basHING into you from behind and making you lose your balance

and the next thing you know you’re stumbling forwards and poor jungkook’s reflexes aren’t fast enough because-

“oh-!” you land on top of jungkook with your legs on either side of him, your knee pads clacking loudly against the ground, “oh, shit-”

“sorry! my bad!” taehyung glides past you with a sheepish smile before not-so-subtly gesturing to the girl he’s got on his arm and giving you an obnoxious wink and a thumbs up as a way to let you know he’s definitely getting boned tonight

you want nothing more than to rip your skates off right now so you can chase after him and bash his head in

you turn to look down at jungkook, immediately raising your hands up off his (broad, broad) chest as your entire face flushes bright red, “i am- i am so sorry- are you okay?? is your head okay?? i can- i can give you my helmet!” you wince, reaching up to unbuckle your helmet before hastily taking it off and tossing it aside

“don’t sweat it, i’m completely fine-” jungkook laughs lightly before shaking his head, propping himself up onto his elbows and blowing a curled strand of hair away from his eyes with a puff, “my head’s fine! luckily i didn’t hit it on the ground or anything like that, but my ass-”

“oh, god. i’m so sorry- here, i’ll-” you attempt to get up off the ground only for the wheels on your skates to roll out from under you and for your knee to smack against the ground again, jungkook grunting as you bounce on him a little harder than intended, “oh, jesus christ-”

great

there’s no way you’re going to be able to get up because of these stupid skates and now your very cute instructor is a hostage in between your thighs!

“this is so humiliating, i am... so, so sorry- i’m definitely forcing taehyung to give you a generous tip after all of this is over-” you laugh uncomfortably, your hands about to place themselves on jungkook’s chest again before you quickly move them so that they’re on either side of his head instead

of course, this position isn’t any better because now you’re just staring down at his face directly

little white hearts from the disco ball float over his face and though you know this is hardly the right time, your heart can’t help but go badumpbadump at the reminder of how pretty jungkook is

“okay, wait, what if i-” he suddenly sits straight up and your eyes immediately cross at the close proximity of your faces, “hi.”

you don’t know if it’s even possible but you feel your face get even redder and you find that you’re unable to look away from jungkook

he has very sweet-looking eyes

they’re a very nice shade of brown

“i- uh, hello.” you clear your throat quietly, pressing your hands as close to your own chest as possible so that you’re not touching jungkook, “hi.”

the last thing you want is for him to accuse you of groping him

but maybe it’d be a good thing to get a lifetime ban from the rollerskating rink

then taehyung will never be able to force you to skate again!

“we should take your skates off so that we’re not stuck like this all night.” you twitch when you feel jungkook’s hand slide down the side of your calf before reaching the top of your skates, “do you think you can undo your other one for me?”

“ah- yes. yes, i can do that.” you turn away so you can look back at your skate, reaching down and ripping the velcro strap before hurrying to undo the laces

you feel jungkook fumble at your skate, yanking the tie loose before trying to help you wiggle your foot out of it, “okay, just pull your foot out-”

“yeah, lemme just-” you have to shuffle forwards in order for jungkook to pull the skate off of you and your nose crinkles when you realize you’ve just gone ahead and fully pressed your chest to jungkook’s

wonderful

just wonderful

(for the record, he smells really good... but you’re pretty sure you sound like a creep right now, so maybe you should go ahead and scrap that thought.)

“what happened to not letting me fall?” you joke lightly as you get up off the ground, hoping to ease the tension a little from whatever all of that was, “are you sure you’re okay? i didn’t break anything?”

“i promise you i’m totally fine-” jungkook gets back up onto his feet and bends down to pick up your skates before popping up to look at you with a grin, “and it only happened because i was distracted!” he pauses for a brief moment before tilting his head, his smile softening, “can you blame me? you’re very pretty.”

you weren’t expecting him to say that

“oh, that’s- ha… that’s very nice of you.” you reach up to scratch the back of your neck before letting out a nervous chuckle, “you are… also… quite… visually appealing.”

quite visually appealing

why are you speaking like an alien trying to convince everyone that they aren’t an alien?!

“so, there’s still about half an hour left of your lesson left, but i feel like you’ve had enough of skating for now.” jungkook changes the subject quickly and you can’t help but notice that his ears are starting to get red, “we can just sit on the bench and rest... or do you... uh, do you maybe want to share a chilli dog with me?” he asks quietly, and for the first time since meeting him he’s the one who looks away from you first

“...you know, i think that might be the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me.” you giggle, reaching over to loop your arm through his when he sticks it out for you, “i would love to share a chilli dog with you.”

“not to flex or anything, but i do get the employee discount…” jungkook clicks his tongue, reaching up to pop open his collar obnoxiously before turning to give you a wide grin, “and if that doesn’t impress you, i don’t know what will.”

🎙️help me help you make your wishes come true (send me a request!)

✨why don’t you explore the rest of the library while you’re here?

💫or perhaps you want something shorter to read?

🌟or something even shorter?

873 notes · View notes

mazerunnersecretsanta · 1 year

Text

IT’S TIME FOR TMR SECRET SANTA 2023!!

Welcome, participants old and new, to TMR Secret Santa 2023!

Last year, our 5th!!! tmrss, was as fabulous as ever (with the added fun of the video that @comebacknow kindly made to celebrate our 5th birthday 🥺), and we're looking forward to another year of new and wonderful tmr content!🥳

You may be familiar with Secret Santas and how they work but, just in case, here is what will be happening:

Sign up for the Secret Santa by filling out our sign-up form. The information you give us in your sign-up form will be the deciding factor in the gift you’re going to create and the gift you’re going to receive, so please make sure you read and fill it in carefully! Please note this event is 16+. (You can specify three wishes, favourite characters and ships etc. - or any that you don’t want to be featured in your gift, or that you don’t want to include in the gift you make.)

You will then be matched with a giftee, for whom you will create your gift, according to their own Secret Santa wishes :))

Once you have finished making your gift, you will submit it to us via email or, if necessary, via a file sharing platform. More detailed information about submissions will be provided later :) It is very important that you submit your gifts by the 8th December. Christmas is a busy time for us all, and the tmrss elves need enough time to set everything up for the Grand Gift Reveal 🎁🥳

We will post all the gifts on this blog during the week running between Christmas Day (25th Dec) and New Year’s Eve (31st Dec), for your recipient (and for the fandom) to enjoy. Have fun perusing all the beautiful new content and, if you like, making your guesses, but please maintain secrecy, that’s part of the fun!🕵️

The big Secret Santa reveal will take place on th Jan, when we will post a list of all the Santas involved and tell you who created which gift.

After that, you’re free to post the gift you created anywhere else (your own tumblr etc.).

—————————————————————————

Now, we all love a good deadline, so here is the timeline for the Secret Santa:

10th September - Signups are now open!

21st September - Signups close

1st October - Secret Santa assignments sent out

8th December - Gifts due in

25th December - Gifts start being posted on our blog

13th January - the Big Secret Santa Reveal!

——————————————————————————

We’re so excited for our sixth tmrss! We’d love to see our fandom come together for another year to spread joy during the festive period 🎄 🎁

So please sign up, share, reblog, tell your friends – however you can, please tell your friends and spread the word! Let’s show tmr some love!

If you want to be a part of the exchange, but are unsure whether you’ll be able to commit, then there are options to become either a Pinch Hitter (someone who makes a gift, possibly at short notice, if a santa drops out or is otherwise unable to complete their gift) or a Beta Reader - details about this can be found here.

If you would like to put your name forward as a Beta Reader this year - something that we always greatly appreciate - please indicate this on your sign-up form, or email us at mazerunnersecretsanta@ outlook.com

You can find more details, as well as the rules and guidelines, in the top bar on our main blog page, and make sure to follow us so you can keep up to date with all the latest news and announcements.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions! 🧝‍♀️🎄

Enjoyyyyy!!!!

Dreams and Bridge 🎅🎁

#tmrss23 #tmrss #come sign up and you won't regret it!#tmrss sign ups #let's go lesbians #let's goooooooooo #the maze runner #maze runner secret santa 2023 #it's so much fun #our unbiased opinion is that you should: sign up ;)#get in touch if you have any questions :)

115 notes · View notes

midgardianweasley · 3 years

Text

Keep you safe

Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Avenger!reader

Summary: When the civil war breaks out among the team, what happens when you find yourself and your girlfriend on opposite sides of the fight?

Warnings: Extremely minor cursing, angst, injury, ends in fluff

Word Count: 1.8k words

Message/ask if you’d like to be added to the taglist <3

Requests are open!

“Vision, you can’t keep her prisoner here” I announced to what seemed like a brick wall. The S.H.I.E.L.D. meeting was only this morning and already it felt like the team was beginning to drift. Tony and Steve were fighting, not being able to agree on where they stand regarding the Sokovia Accords and whether we should sign our rights away. Wanda, not being a US citizen and having been a big part of the incident in Sokovia, has been put under Vision’s watch for protection. But from what i’ve seen, I think Wanda can protect herself just fine.

“It’s not imprisonment, Y/N, this is for her safety.”

“Safety? She’s fully capable of walking to the shops on her own.”

“I think some members of the team would disagree, Nata-”

“Don’t, Vision. Please.” I sighed, rubbing my forehead, the stress going straight to my temples upon remembering the events from this morning with my girlfriend.

Nat and I had just walked out of the meeting room, thoughts flooding both of our heads. We were exhausted, the emergency meeting not giving us enough time to wake up with a coffee before having to be fully functional. My head was resting on her shoulder, her head on top of mine as we stood in an abandoned corridor, revelling in the peace and quiet. It was a few minutes before one of us decided to speak up.

“You okay, голубка?” She whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head before returning to her previous position.

“Mhmm, I think so. My head is officially fried though and it’s not even 9am yet.”

“We’ll get some coffee in us soon.”

“I think we’ve earned it” I mumbled, earning a slight chuckle from the both of us, returning back to the silence for only a couple of minutes before a thought crossed my mind.

“I feel bad for Wanda. She must feel terrible.”

“I know. Hopefully this whole Accords business can be of help.”

“Well, that would be nice, but we’re obviously not signing that.” An airy laugh left my lips, amused at the idea of signing away any freedom we could have for ourselves. I felt Nat’s body go rigid beside me, suddenly feeling tense. I pulled away slightly and looked up to see a frown taking over her features.

“You’re not going to sign?” She spoke, suddenly sounding more awake, albeit still having a gentle tone, but I could feel the disbelief behind her words.

“I wasn’t planning on it, no. Are you?”

“I feel like it would be a good idea. Maybe we need a little more guidance to go about our missions.”

“This isn't guidance, Nat. This is essentially locking us away just without the bars.”

“It’s protection.”

“It’s losing our freedom!” I bluntly responded, almost shocked that we weren’t on the same page about this. We both stood across from each other now, arms crossed and staring into each other's eyes, all tiredness beforehand gone and replaced with fire.

“I need some air” She groaned, walking away towards the exit, signalling the end of that conversation.

“Nat-”

“I’ll see you at home, okay?” Not giving me a chance to respond, having walked out the door before I could utter a word. I guess coffee is the least of my problems now.

Lost in my daydream, I hadn’t even noticed that Clint had walked in and was currently fighting Vision. Wait, Clint?

“Clint? I thought you retired?”

“Ah nice to have you back.” He choked, currently caught in a headlock with Vision. I stood next to Wanda, the two of us sharing a look of confusion. “We need to go, Cap needs us.”

“You can’t overpower me, Clint.” Vision spoke, still holding his grip.

“I know i can’t, but she can”

I looked beside me once again and saw Wanda beginning to use her powers, and before I knew it, Vision had fallen to the ground..and further until we could no longer see him.

“We need to go” The archer rushed, taking Wanda by the hand and leading her outside. I was yet to be clued in on what exactly was going on, but I knew one thing, this couldn’t be good.

---

It was absolute chaos everywhere. Steve, much like Tony, had recruited a small team of his own, some familiar faces, some new, the ant guy was pretty cool. However, there hadn’t been much time to admire the different skill sets and powers that had been brought to the table before both sides had run towards each other. Especially considering seeing the recognisable assassin on the other side had brought on a wave of sickness, fighting her was the last thing I wanted to do.

While Bucky had taken to fighting who I assumed to be Blank Panther and Sam was in the air, I’d stuck to helping Steve, not wanting to get involved in the fight Clint was having with Natasha. This teenager had started shooting webs at Captain, and while I know he was on the opposite side, I had to admit, he was pretty good at fighting.

“He also said to go for your legs” He chuckled, again shooting webs at the supersoldier and holding him back from retrieving his shield.

“Hey Spidey” I called, gaining his attention.

“Hi”

“Might wanna drop the Captain, yeah?”

“I can’t. I gotta impress Mr Stark”

“Look, this isn’t your fight, you don’t know what’s going on” I tried to reason, falling onto deaf ears, or just stubborn, as he then shot his webs at me and tried to pull. His eyes shrunk in confusion as he couldn’t flip me, my power of immobility coming in handy.

“Why-” He groaned, still trying to flip me. I lifted my hands, grabbed the webs and flung him into one of the loading crates that were scattered around, my super strength making the impact a lot harsher, but not enough to cause major injury.

“Thanks Y/N” Steve spoke, a quick nod of approval was shared before I caught a glance of another fight going on. Wanda’s holding a crate, trying to take someone flying above it out, completely oblivious to Vision starting to come towards her. Looking down slightly, I saw who was directly underneath.

“Shit” I mumbled, running as fast as I could towards them, avoiding gunfire and punches along the way.

“Language!”

“Sorry! Jeez” I directed towards the man now running in a different direction.

Vision was much closer to them than I was, no matter how quickly my feet took me. It was no use trying to warn Wanda, I wouldn’t get there in time. I had to go with plan B.

“Nat! Move!”

She quickly turned and caught sight of me, giving me a confused glare that didn’t last long before I pushed her away from where she was standing, out of harm's way.

“What the hell Y/-” She hadn’t managed to finish her sentence before her eyes widened in horror at the large crate suddenly falling from Wanda’s hold and onto me. My arms lifted quickly to hold it, slightly wobbling due to not being in the centre of it.

“Is there anything behind me?”

“Wha-”

“Is there anything behind me?!” I spoke more urgently, not knowing how much longer I could hold it.

“No, no you’re clear.” Natasha responded, I thanked her silently with a nod.

‘Okay. you’ve got this. One. Two-’ I thought to myself.

With the remaining strength I could have gathered, I bent down slightly and pushed, sending the metal hurling upwards while I ran forward. Overestimating how high i’d thrown it, the bitter reality hit me, quite literally as it fell onto my leg, sending me face first towards the ground.

“Wanda!” Was all I could hear before I felt my head placed in someone’s lap and the world went black.

---

My head pounding like a hammer had been a lovely wake up call, followed by a throbbing pain in my leg which I'd looked down to see was lying along a row of pillows. My eyes darted around the room and I recognised the photo on the bedside table beside me. It was a photo of Natasha and I standing in the rain laughing at a joke we can’t remember anymore, but it must’ve been funny according to the huge smiles on our faces. The love in our eyes was enough to make galaxies jealous.

A knock on the door had interrupted my train of thought, opening before I had a chance to respond, Natasha walked in, a guilty look taking over her face.

“Hi”

“Hey. You okay?” I questioned, earning a smile and a scoff to come out of The Black Widow’s mouth.

“Am I okay? Really?”

“I-”

“You ask me if i’m okay when you’re lying there with a broken leg and just woken up from being knocked out, because you decided to throw yourself into danger.”

“You had a tonnes worth of metal about to fall on you. Forgive me if i didn’t want a squished girlfriend.” I defended myself, not entirely certain on how this is turning into being my fault.

“You could have died”

“But I didn’t”

“But you could’ve, Y/N!”

“Love-”

“I can’t lose you” Her voice broke. Only then had I managed to really take a look at her. Her eyes had clouded over, her hair was all over the place, her nose running slightly. A pang of guilt hit me, not knowing that my action had affected her so much.

“Can you come here? Please?” She hesitated, but soon made her way round to the other side of the bed and sat herself down, making herself comfortable in my arms that I held open for her, hands immediately going to run through her hair. Small sniffles could be heard in the otherwise silent room, each one having a kiss pressed against her head in response.

After a couple of minutes, the silence was broken again.

“I’m sorry, moya lyubov, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to keep you safe.”

She turned her head up slightly to look at me, a small smile playing on her lips

“I know. i just panicked. I want you to be safe too.”

“I’m okay. I’m here. I promise.” I kissed her head again. “How does a bath and a movie sound?” A small sigh left her lips at the suggestion.

“You’ll join?”

“I’ll join”

A small but passionate kiss was exchanged, followed by a few quick pecks before the redhead walked off towards our bathroom, the sound of running water filling the air not long after.

No matter the mission, the fight, the argument or the disagreements, we’ll always protect one another. We don’t need the Sokovia Accords for that.

taglist: @the-dumbass-that-throws-knives

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff x y/n #natasha romanoff angst #natasha romanoff fluff #natasha romanoff x fem!reader #natasha romanov #natasha romanoff x avenger reader #natasha romanoff smut #natasha romanoff fluffy #natasha romanoff fanfic #natasha romanoff fanfiction #natasha romanoff imagine #natasha romanoff oneshot

335 notes · View notes

alwaysmarveling · 3 years

Text

Rock Band

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x fem!reader

Warnings: None, just fluff :)

Word Count: 3.2k

A/N: Not too sure how I feel about this one, but it’s Wanda so hopefully you guys enjoy it (also I miss playing Rock Band)!!

“You ready for game night, Bird Boy?” Bucky winked.

“You bet, old man. I’m going to crush you, just you wait.” Sam smiled at Bucky with a glint in his eye and mischief clear in his voice. “You guys coming?” Sam turned to look at you and your girlfriend. “The theme is Wii games. Even Thor is coming.” You looked at Wanda for confirmation before answering.

“Yeah, sounds fun. Don’t know if we have the same need for total domination as you losers, though.” Tony laughed from his position in the chair next to you.

“Just you wait, kiddo. You’ll get into it. They all do.”

“Even if I do, I doubt it’ll be that hard to take a bunch of grandpas down,” you winked at the men before scooping some salad into your mouth.

“Since when am I a grandpa?” Sam scoffed.

“Since you became old, which, according to my calculations, has been… oh, right, always. Grandpa in spirit.”

“Well this grandpa is going to beat your ass, so just prepare yourself,” Sam challenged.

“I personally would like to go back to the ‘losers’ thing,” Steve countered. “The only loser is going to be you. Do you even know what games we’re going to be playing, Y/N?”

“Nah, but I figure whatever it is I’ll win,” you smirked.

“Oh, someone’s feeling cocky today. I’d be scared if I were you.” You turned your head slightly to your right, noting how Wanda’s lips curled upwards at Steve’s warning. “Nat has yet to be defeated in Mario Kart, and I, for one, am pretty decent at Smash Bros.”

“You’re on,” you winked at him, the table beginning to clear out. “See you tonight.”

When everyone had left the table but you and Wanda, you turned to your girlfriend. “I suck at Mario Kart. And Smash Bros,” you whined, burying your face into the crook of her neck. “What got into me?” Wanda laughed and ran a hand down your arm.

“You’re too competitive for your own good, detka. If it makes you feel better, Nat already knows you’re bad at Mario Kart,” Wanda smiled, reflecting on the many game nights the three of you and Carol had had together over the years.

“That doesn’t make me feel any better. I’m going to be a loser,” you complained, your voice muffled.

“You’ll be fine, babe. You’re good at, um... What's that game called again?”

“Mario Party 8?”

“Yeah, that one!”

“I can’t win game night with one game, Wanda.”

“Well, you’re always a winner in my book,” your girlfriend reassured you as she played with your fingers.

“Cute, Wan,” you huffed. “Maybe there is a way I could be a winner…” you smiled. When Wanda began to shake her head furiously, you began to beg. “Please, baby, you don’t have to do a lot. Just distract them a little? Please? Pretty please?”

“As much as I love you, Y/N, there is no way I’m messing with their minds just so you can win a game night.”

“I guess you have a point,” you sighed, making sure the fake sadness was clear in your voice. Wanda only laughed, brushing your cheek with the back of her hand.

“I’ll make it up to you. I promise. Besides, if you win, I can’t kiss away your pout.”

“But if I win, you can kiss me as a little ‘good job,’ you know?”

“You’re cute when you pout, though.”

“Am I not cute when I’m smiling from the pure joy of winning?”

“Weren’t you just saying you didn’t want ‘total domination’ less than five minutes ago?”

“Don’t change the subject,” you grumbled. Wanda chuckled, pressing her lips to your forehead.

“Sorry, printsessa. You’d better go practice if you want to try to win tonight.”

“I suppose,” you mumbled, pulling away from the witch. “You’re going to help me, though, right?” Your girlfriend pecked you on the lips, causing a smile to slowly form on your face.

“Of course.”

---

Later that night, you and Wanda were sprawled across your bed watching the first show that played when you turned on the TV. Your head laid in Wanda’s lap as Wanda traced invisible patterns in your hair and along your face.

“Okay, but why is ‘womb’ pronounced ‘woom’?” you spoke up. “Shouldn’t it be ‘wom’? You know, like ‘bomb’? Or what about ‘tomb’? Why is it pronounced like that? Who said that putting a ‘b’ at the end of the word makes the ‘o’ long for some words but not others?” Wanda brought her gaze down from the screen to your face, her brows furrowed and nose scrunched.

“What the heck even made you think of that?”

“I don’t know,” you shrugged, “I’ve just been thinking.”

“Maybe you should be thinking a little less, printsessa,” Wanda giggled, drawing a swirl on your cheek with the tip of her finger.

“That tickles, Wan.” That didn’t stop the witch, who simply pinched your cheek before resuming her tracing. “But I thought you liked my thinking. I have some pretty good thoughts,” you defended yourself, crossing your arms in front of your chest.

“Like ‘what would happen if the French used the Statue of Liberty like the Trojan Horse?’” Wanda raised her eyebrows.

“It was a hypothetical!”

“A pretty bad one, if you ask me.”

“Well sorry, Miss Smartypants.”

“You can be smart too, dorogaya. You just… have your moments,” she winked at you.

“I hate you,” you grumbled, turning away from her so that you were facing the flashing screen, images playing across it but neither of you really sure—or caring—what was going on.

“You love me.”

“Nuh uh.”

“Yeah huh.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No, I-”

“Guys, game night is starting,” Tony knocked at your door.

“Okay, we’ll be down in a second,” Wanda told him. You didn’t listen for if he had left, instead turning your gazes back to each other.

“Okay, maybe I do love you a little bit.” Wanda raised her brows, her finger now running along your lower lip.

“Only a little?”

“I might be able to be persuaded otherwise, but as of right now, yes, a little.” Wanda hummed before leaning down to join your lips.

“What about now?” she asked, her lips brushing yours as she spoke.

“I love you a medium bit.” She kissed you again, this time a little longer than the last.

“And now?”

“I love you a lot a bit,” you whispered. Wanda smiled, giving you one last kiss before sitting back up.

“I love you a lot a bit too. Now, let’s get down to the living room. I believe we have a bunch of ‘grandpas’ waiting for us.”

---

“Wanda, Y/N, I missed you. How has life been treating you on Earth?” Thor waved at the two of you. You guys had little time to wave back, let alone respond, before Tony spotted you.

“There they are,” Tony clapped his hands together. “We were just about to get started. First on the agenda is Smash Bros because this one,” he aggressively pointed in Steve’s direction, “said he needs to go to bed before 1. Party pooper.” Steve rolled his eyes.

“Some of us just don’t want to destroy our entire sleep schedule in one night.” He turned away from Tony to face the two of you, holding out one controller. “We’ve got one spot left, who’s playing?”

---

More than three hours later, the clock read 11 PM and the group of you had made it through several games. As you expected, you hadn’t won anything, but Wanda held her own in Smash Bros and was actually close to beating Nat in Mario Kart at one point (that didn’t last long, but you were proud nonetheless). Thor beat you all at Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, but with all the jumping and yelling going on at the time, you weren’t sure the tower would hold up long enough for you guys to actually finish the game.

“Are you planning on winning any time soon, Y/N?” Nat winked at you from her spot on the couch, one leg resting above the couch and the other bent at the knee on a cushion.

“Oh, shut up,” you laughed. “You know that I suck at video games.” No one else could hear your conversation with the chaos going on over Cooking Mama. That’s right, Cooking Mama.

“I actually thought you were playing us the first couple game nights. And then I finally realized you were just that bad,” Natasha chuckled, quickly having to dodge the pillow you’d thrown in her direction.

“Would it kill you to sit normally for once?”

“Yes,” she smiled, “Yes, it would.”

“How’re you doing, babe? Not too upset yet?” Wanda joined you on the couch with a peck to your cheek.

“Doing just dandy, Wan. See, I can be a good sport.” The witch laughed.

“I’ll check back in with you in an hour.”

“Hey, ladies, we were going to play Rock Band. You guys interested?” Bucky held up the controllers.

“Who won Cooking Mama?” you asked, a smirk clearly written across your face. Bucky rolled his eyes before responding.

“Clint. Now are you guys joining, or what?”

“Mm, I think I’m going to grab a drink. I’ll enjoy the show for a little bit first,” you winked as you slowly rose from the couch.

“She’s only saying that because she doesn’t want to lose,” Sam scoffed. “Y/N’s just upset she can’t deliver on her promise to beat us all.”

“Just you wait for Mario Party 8, Sam. Just you wait.”

“We don’t have that game,” Bruce whispered to you apologetically. “We let Peter borrow it for the weekend. Sorry, Y/N.”

“Are you serious?” You threw your hands up.

“Coward,” Clint teased, sticking his tongue out at you.

“Oh, calm down, Clint. Rock Band doesn’t even have a winner,” Nat chastised.

“Yes, it does! Whoever gets the highest score wins.” The redhead simply rolled her eyes before winking at you.

“Alright, I’m in. Put me on guitar. You coming, Wan?” Natasha turned to her.

“I’m a bit exhausted from the last game. Soon, though,” the witch promised.

“You want anything, babe?”

“A water would be nice,” Wanda smiled at you. “Thank you, detka.”

“Of course.” You squeezed her hand before heading toward the kitchen.

“How come you didn’t ask any of us if we wanted anything?”

“Okay, Sam,” you turned, crossing your arms, “Do you guys want anything?” A chorus of “no’s” echoed through the room. You shook your head, letting out a puff of air before continuing into the kitchen and grabbing one water for you and your girlfriend.

After a small argument over the song choice, Sam, Bucky, Nat, and Tony were all jamming out to ‘Say It Ain’t So,’ and you couldn’t help but laugh from your position on the couch. Wanda’s left arm was wrapped around your waist, holding you close to her, not that you were complaining. You appreciated the body heat, and her, of course.

Sam did have a pretty decent voice, you had to admit. You didn’t think he’d get so into it, but it was quite entertaining.

Speaking of entertaining, it was extremely difficult to hold in a giggle every time you looked at Bucky. Not that he was bad at it—he was surprisingly very good—but it was obvious he’d spent hours playing this game. Eyes closed, head shaking frantically side to side, and cheeks rosy, one might’ve thought Bucky was actually playing at a concert. You were sure Bucky had his part memorized, which was quite a lot for a guy who was still complaining about all the “confusing, new technology nowadays.”

Nat couldn’t be farther from the opposite of the Winter Soldier. As one might expect, she was hitting every note, but from the look on her face, you had a harder time going up the stairs without tripping than she was having playing the game.

And Tony, well, you didn’t really know what to expect with him, but it certainly wasn’t this. For a guy with all the charisma in the world, you thought he would’ve been more… coordinated. He dropped a drumstick at least twice already, and he could never seem to hit the pedal when he had to use the sticks at the same time.

Unfortunately for you, the song quickly came to a close and a new distraction arose—you.

“Y/N, no avoiding it any longer. C’mon, get up here. Which one do you want to be?” You glanced reluctantly at Wanda before answering. If you wanted to play to win, your best bet was singing, but none of the Avengers, including Wanda, had heard you before, and you were in no rush to change that. At the same time, your girlfriend was right; you definitely had a competitive side to you, and seeing the looks on the guys’ faces when you won would be a glorious sight. But maybe it wasn’t all about winning, after all, Wanda had promised you a kiss…

“Put her on the mic,” Natasha smirked. She removed the strap of the toy guitar from her neck before handing it to Steve. Before you could protest, the microphone was shoved into your hands and someone pushed you towards the front of the room.

“Good luck, Y/N,” you barely heard Wanda call from behind you, more worried about what you were going to do.

“Okay, so, Steve and I will be on guitar and bass, Thor on drums, and Y/N on mic. We ready?” Bucky scanned the room for approval. When everyone except for you nodded, he went to choose a song.

“‘Wanted Dead or Alive?’ Really, Buck?” Steve shook his head.

“It’s a good song,” he shrugged, moving to his spot next to Steve. “Should we show them how it’s done?”

“Ha, funny of you to think you’ll win,” Thor boomed, rubbing the drum sticks together.

“Y/N? You’re awfully quiet.” Sam smirked.

“Oh, shut up, Big Bird. Let’s just get this over with.” The man held up his hands in surrender as he backed away from you slowly.

As the first few measures of the song passed, you made a decision. Screw what the rest of the Avengers thought, you were going for it. You took a deep breath as the words rolled across the screen.

“It’s all the same, only the names will change.” The second you started singing, you heard everyone else go quiet around you. Steve, Bucky, and Thor all stopped playing for a second, and you could practically feel everyone’s mouth drop as you forced your eyes to stay on the screen in front of you.

“Every day, it seems we’re wastin’ away.” Just keep going, you told yourself. As much as you wanted to shrivel up in a corner somewhere far, far away, you had already started this. Might as well finish it.

“Another place where the faces are so cold, I’d drive all night just to get back home.” A whistle erupted from behind you—it had to be Tony—and amongst the hooting and hollering, you smiled, relieved, as the rest of the Avengers seemed to snap back into it.

The rest of the guys got back into the groove, and at one point you weren’t even sure you could hear yourself over Thor’s rather enthusiastic drum playing. You had a hard time not laughing at Bucky when you were watching him earlier, but it was pretty much impossible to not laugh now when you were seeing him with Steve. They were definitely feeding off of each other’s energy, and, wow, was it a sight. You’d never seen them this… loose before. They’d definitely need a comb after this game.

Nevertheless, your teammates’ antics helped you fully relax into the song, and it was over before you knew it. On the last beat of the song, you heard a loud crack and whirled around just in time to dodge part of a drumstick coming straight for your face.

“Thor, what the heck are you doing, man?” The god laughed sheepishly.

“Are you trying to kill my girlfriend?” You glanced over at Wanda, who looked ready to grab Thor around the neck. One stern look from you made her hesitate, but the anger remained obvious in her eyes.

“I guess I got a little caught up in the game. In my defense, your human toys are way too fragile.” After one harsh glare from Wanda, the god swallowed and added, “I apologize, Y/N.”

“Dude, how the heck are we supposed to keep playing with a broken drumstick?” Clint inspected the broken piece, which was at least the size of his palm, passing it from hand to hand.

“Ah, forget it. We can just switch to a different game. Y/N’s would’ve won the rest of the rounds anyway,” Bruce shrugged as he pointed at the screen.

The rest of the Avengers followed his finger, and sure enough, you had finished with a perfect score.

“Okay, Y/N, I’ll give it to you. That was good. How come you never told any of us you could sing?” You laughed, shaking your head.

“Nobody asked me.” You shrugged before handing the microphone to Bruce, allowing the conversation to return to what to do about the broken drumstick and returning to your seat next to Wanda. “Babe, I defeated the grandpas,” you whispered before pushing your face into the crook of her neck. More relaxed now that you were safe next to her, she chuckled, grabbing your hand.

“You did. I thought you would’ve been more excited about it?”

“I’m very happy about it,” you murmured, just loud enough for her to hear.

“You’re cute when you’re embarrassed,” she smiled, squeezing your thigh. You whined, prompting your girlfriend to laugh softly and kiss the top of your forehead. “I wouldn’t mind hearing you sing more often. You’re a good singer, malyshka.”

“Thanks,” you muttered.

“Wow, Wanda, you didn’t even know your girlfriend could sing?” Clint teased. With the conversation back on you, you pushed yourself further into Wanda’s body. She reassured you by tracing small circles at the top of your knee.

“Obviously none of you knew about it either.”

“I did,” Natasha smirked, causing you to look up at her in shock. “I heard you singing in the shower the other day when I went to drop off the sweatshirt you left in my room.” You threw your head back in laughter before chucking a pillow in her direction, which she easily caught.

“You suck. You put me on singing on purpose!”

“You wanted to win, didn’t you?” your best friend shrugged, clearly not feeling bad for what she had done.

“Okay, okay, can we get back to game night now?” Sam whined. “Sure, Y/N can sing. But can she dance?” Everyone groaned playfully as Sam pulled out a copy of Just Dance. “Natasha, you’re not allowed to play,” he quickly added. The redhead crossed her arms, a smile on her face.

“Fine with me. Go get ‘em, Y/N.” You grinned. Giving Wanda a peck on the cheek, you stood from the couch yet again and rolled up your sleeves. This was going to be a long night.

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x fem!reader #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff imagine #wanda maximoff #avengers x reader #marvel #mcu #I wrote something #again #alwaysmarveling

356 notes · View notes