#2 stacks of books on TOP of my shelf

[justalittlebluetiefling]

The big problem with getting my bookshelves up and my books on it is that I am remembering that I used to dream of owning all of the Wheel of Time books in hardcover.

[oatmilkandvellichor]

i have lived in my own home for 5 years. 500-750sqft, multiple rooms. all my shit and my responsibility, at the very least to some significant degree when living with roommates and partners.

i’ve already got rid of like 75% of the shit i own if i’m being conservative. i am moving into a bedroom that is 63sqft. there is only 30sqft with my bed in the room. the rest the the home is furnished and well stocked. as a result i’m bringing in a lot to a tiny room with the understanding that i’ll have to do my last bisl stretch of downsizing during this moving process.

my parents are completely crazed by the idea that i might bring more than a suitcase and a box or two. i cannot stress enough how completely fine and normal they will be about the amount of stuff once it is unpacked and organized. they have a habit of not being able to process how much is contained in a box and how much can be sorted reasonably into a room from a box. it has nothing to do with reality it is a skill issue.

so you can imagine the very specific shit show i am preparing for. fiancé is already prepped on the necessary white lies to continue to placate them with so that they do not blow a gasket over a completely acceptable volume of material possessions.

[makncheese12]

Top Shelf pt. 6

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 7

Summary: being the kid of a well-known book store owner was easy, so was running into famous people. But being book smart doesn’t make everyone people smart.

A/N: this was an idea someone sent, I added some stuff as well. I can already see you guys flocking in when I post this chapter, especially after not posting for a bit.

Warning: language? My writing

Jenna Ortega x Fem!reader

“You’re pathetic,” Lyle says as he begins aggressively erasing the work you had tried so hard on. “Can’t do maths, can’t cook, can’t flirt, what can you do?” He says as you lean back and drag your hands down your face.

He had been like this the entire weekend after your outing with Jenna and Emma; mentioning how you were bad at everything and never forgetting to mention how you can’t flirt.

Though he had been texting Emma all weekend, the two had come short of any ideas of what to do to make you two put two and two together and finally ask the other out.

And the two of you weren’t exactly helpful.

“Do you have to berate me on something no one’s is good at?” You ask, watching your cat jump on the table and begin playing with the small eraser scraps.

“You don’t have to be good at it to know how to do it.” He says picking up a book from the large pile of stacked books.

“I haven’t done it in years, why do I have to it now?” You ask as he slams the book down. “Because you need to do it or you’ll live a lonely life in the darkness of your room forever.” He states angrily as he flips through the pages aggressively.

“Are you sure you’re still talking about business school?” Dru asks looking up from the computer before looking back down.

“Yes,” Lyle says as he pushes the open book toward you. “What else would we be talking about?” He yanks his head toward you and his tightly tied back hair comes loose from the hair tie.

He lets out an aggravated huff before pulling his hair back and walking away to find a mirror, mumbling this and that under his breath as he does so.

“He’s being over dramatic.” You say as Mj takes her seat in front of you, loud dinging noises coming from the game boy she had found somewhere stashed away in the storage closet.

“It’s Lyle, of course he’s being over dramatic.” She mumbles, eyes never leaving the small screen in front of her.

How she had found the small game you didn’t know, you used to dig through the storage compartment all day before working at the bookstore but never once did you see any of the older electronic’s, even when the store had stopped selling them.

Then again it was a big area, you wouldn’t be surprised if they found one of the first TV’s in there.

“He’s never going to leave me alone about this.” You mumble, music loudly vibrating through your ear bud as you begin working again. “Again, it’s Lyle we’re talking about here.”

She was right, though he was one of your best friends he still had his tendencies to try to get too into that roll. Trying to help you with things but taking it too far most of the time.

Yes, you appreciated it but sometimes it could be a bit much.

“Yo,” the voice calls out from the second floor making you look up to see the plumber. “I’m done, I just gotta show you some shit that you need to replace or fix.” He says and you sigh.

“Can you check this for me?” You ask sliding your notebook toward the woman who huffs out but non the less takes the book to look over.

You smile lightly before rushing toward the stairs to catch up with the much older man.

“And she can’t even look her in the eye!” Lyle grumbles as he scratches Achilles stomach walking back toward his table of friends.

“Now where’d she go? Trying to avoid her work just like asking Jenna out?” He asks as he looks around and allows the cat to jump out of his arms and toward the cat tree in the front of the store.

“Chill,” Mj says as she checks off one problem and begins erasing another. “She went with the Jones to check the pipes.”

“Oh,” he mumbles before slumping himself into his seat next to yours. “Can you believe her though?” He asks and she can’t help herself as she rolls her eyes.

Yes, she knew you were bad at anything to do in the romantic section of things but he didn’t have to tell her non stop after your little double date.

“Yes, I can.” She says as she slides the book back into its spot. He scrunches his nose in disgust as the girl stands to put the game boy back where she found it.

“What do you mean?” He asks following after her quickly.

“Not everyone is like you and wants to rush into relationships Lyle.” She groans out noticing the boy following her. “You can’t expect Y/N to rush a fucking celebrity into a relationship either.”

“But their both annoyingly oblivious.” He states as she climbs the ladder in the storage room. “Maybe, but let them do it their own way with just a little of your help, look,” she starts before jumping down the ladder to look up toward the man.

“Y/N is a quiet kid you should know this by now, we are the ones who decided to bust into her life after all. She keeps most herself and things to herself, never takes off her ear buds and doesn’t bother anyone.” She states as they leave the room.

“You can’t expect her to change what she knows over night because of one person, even if she is clearly in love with them. And Jenna,” she quickly turns to look at the man.

“She probably speculates every little suspicious thing, she is famous after all. She could think Y/N is just in it for the fame or whatever.” Lyle presses his lips together at the thought of you and your very private family wanting to be seen by the world, it only makes him snort at the mere idea.

“But she’s not.” He replies and she taps his chest. “So let her figure that out, let them figure it out. You don’t have to berate her twenty four seven.”

“That’s exactly what you do all the time.” Dru adds as he clicks the computer mouse quickly. “No, I do it to make you all better as people, he’s doing it to just humiliate Y/N.” The woman calls out. “There’s a differe-“

Before she could finish the sentence the man in front of her sprints away and toward the front of the store.

He quickly twists the lock and yanks the door open before forcing himself out. The person he had seen turns to look at him making the second much larger person do the same.

“Jenna!” He calls out, walking out of the door and toward her. “Leaving so soon?” His smiling wide and beaming when he steps up to her.

A small smile forms on her own face as the man nears, his lanky form now towering over her own. “Hey Lyle,” she says as the man steps between the two and shoots a quick glare toward the much larger man.

“And kind of, the stores closed.” She gestures toward the small closed sign on the door and shrugs.

“Nonsense.” he says and pulls the girl toward the door. “It’s just us so you can come in.” He quickly ushers her through and pushes the body guard inside before slamming the door back shut and locking it.

A pressure forms at the bottom Jenna’s leg causing her to look down and see a fluffy cat rubbing up angst her leg before looking up at her.

She lets out a quiet gasp as she reaches down and picks up the orange ball of fluff as it begins to purr. “Oh my god.” she gasp as he begins rubbing its head on the top.

Lyle can’t help the smirk that forms, the usually jumpy cat immediately fawning over Jenna, just like it’s owner. How hysterical.

“That’s Achilles.” He says as he begins walking toward the counter Jenna following closely behind as the cat settles into her arms. “He’s Y/N’s.”

“He’s a street rat who belongs on the street.” Mj says walking out of the storage room once again holding a different gaming device even Lyle couldn’t decipher.

“And that’s Mj,” Lyle huffs out. “Also Y/N’s, she found her at a McDonalds.” He makes sure to mutter the last part but it only earns a glare from the woman.

“Mj? Like Mary Jane?” Jenna jokes as the cat begins rubbing up on her chin once again. The joke only earns a glare from the taller woman who presses her lips together.

The joke had been made so many times that it was getting old, even for Lyle who found it amusing every time.

“Y/N!” The woman yells too loudly for a library before quickly turning and storming off in the direction where you had left.

She looks up to Lyle who glance between her and the stairs where she stomped up. The man was both awkward and sociable, not like many she had met; most were either just awkward or very social. It was a strange thing.

“And that,” he says suddenly, gesturing to the man whose playing the computer with his face far to close to the screen. “Is Dru, you can just call him DD.”

“Do not call me that.” The man says as he eyes go over the screen as if being unfocused and trying to refocus.

“That’s your name, idiot.” He empathizes the last word as he leans against the counter. “My initials are not my name.” The man rolls his eyes as he only gives the two a glance. “That’s what makes up your name, hence your name.”

“That makes no sense.” His eyes stay on the screen but his face scrunches at the mans comment.

“Moving on,” the man drags out as he leans further into the counter toward Jenna who turned to him, still holding the cat. “What brings you here?” He asks, fighting the smirk that slowly begins to form on his face.

“Uh..” Jenna mumbles as her eyes travel down to the cat who stares back up at her. “Just in the area?..” it comes out as more of a question and Lyles face drops as he stares at the girl, head resting in hand.

“Just in the area?” He asks, clearly not buying whatever lie she was trying to tell. “Yeah.” She states but it comes out uncertain as if she were trying to figure it out herself.

“Uh huhh,” he says as his other hand comes up to rest under his chin with the other. “Definitely not because of a library loser.” He says, legs kicking behind the counter as he raises his eyebrows suggestively at her.

She opens her mouth to speak but is quickly stopped at the sound of foot steps echoing in the quiet library.

“Just don’t forget to tell your parents, yeah?” A man’s voice says as she looks up to see you, Mj and a man who had to be the source of the voice.

“Got it.” You reply before your eyes meet hers and she can’t help but notice the way your eyes scrunch up as you smile at her or the way her heart begins beating at a faster pace as you do so.

“Hey,” you say as you step toward her glancing down at the cat in her hands. “Is that my cat?” The confusion in your voice evident as you point at it “Does it look like your cat?” Mj asks, rolling her eyes as she locks the door behind the plumber.

“Yes but my cat doesn’t like people.” You state, watching as it begins rubbing its head against her cheek and his purrs grow louder.

“Sound like someone you know?” Dru asks as a small smile forms on his face.

“Well, he clearly likes Jenna.” Lyle mumbles as you narrow your eyes down at the cat who seemed to be taunting you with his eyes. He had never been that affectionate before, why was he starting now?

“Jealous?” Jenna asks, eye brow rising as she smirks up at you. Your narrowed eyes move to her as you press your lips together.

You started noticing different things about Jenna, like now how she used certain things to her advantage to get to you. A way to tease you more so but to see your reactions always gave her a boost in both her ego and confidence.

“I think she’s more jealous of the cat.” All confidence was gone at the comment Lyle says as he watches the two of you, amused by every look or comment you’d send each other. The blush from the cold air outside turned darker as she looked back down to the cat and the shade on your face was much darker.

He liked the way you both seemed to blush, now certain you both had interest in the other but then Mj’s voice broke his thoughts about their earlier conversation and he let a pout take his features as he slipped down the counter and to the other side.

It wasn’t going to be easy nor enjoyable for the man but it was what was right. Not being able to interfere much was going to kill him but he figured if he could get to tease you both a little he would live.

“I still think it’s strange how such a skittish thing could just decide it wasn’t going to be skittish with one person.” You state, laughing quietly to yourself as you make your way back toward the table.

“He’s usually not like this?” Jenna asks as she follows after you leaving Lyle to peek over the counter to watch you.

“Quit, you’re being creepy.” Mj says as she moves past the small door to see him in a squatting position.

“It’s not creepy, I’m just observing.” He states as his eyes narrow at the lack of spaces between you both as Jenna takes her seat not in front of you but beside you.

“Yeah, like a creep.” She mutters as she looks over toward the two of you.

“They’re so infuriating.” The man mumbles inviting her statement as he turns around and leans against the cup cabinets, legs sprawled out.

The woman only shakes her head and rolls her eyes, preparing herself for the rant that’s to come from the man.

“Business school?” She asks as she looks over your notebook and the many erased parts on it as she subconsciously rubs Achilles.

“Cant let some random stranger take over once my parents retire, you know?” You say as you tap to end of the pencil on the table, looking over the work Mj had marked wrong.

“Worst part about being the kid of a library owner is people think you’re smart.” You state as you begin erasing once again. “So, you’re not smart?”

You snort quietly as you look up toward her. “Oh I definitely am, my mom made sure of that.” You state at the thought of you and your mom at the table in the middle of the night while you cry over homework.

“Math was just never my strongest subject.” You state, glaring down at the paper with the faintest of pouts on your face.

That’s one thing Jenna began to notice more often, your facial expressions. Even the smallest ones became more noticeable. Or maybe she was just staring you too often.

“What about you?” You ask suddenly leaning back into your chair. “Do you go to college?” It was a reasonable question, she was your age and definitely suitable for going but it still saddened her slightly.

“No, I’m focusing more on my acting career.” She states with a small smile as she stares down at the cat in her lap who had fallen asleep with its head up.

“It makes me wonder what my life would be like if I never started acting.” She hums out quietly and she begins tracing the stripes across your cat.

The way her face relaxes with sorrow makes your heart ache slightly, the tightening feeling only makes you want to reach out to her and comfort her but would that be pushing it?

No, it couldn’t have been, right? You had grown close over the last month but you didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t.” The words come out certain, cocky almost. A smirk plays it’s way onto your face as she looks up with a raised eyebrow and a small smile.

“Why’s that?” She asks, leaning toward you subconsciously and you can’t help but do the same very not as much as she does.

If there was no distance between you both before, there certainly wasn’t now with her thigh and arm pressed against yours.

“Because then you wouldn’t have come here and knocked down the books off the shelf or I wouldn’t have met you.” You say, smirk; proud of yourself for having any type of height to help her with the book.

A quiet laugh comes from the woman, one you had heard many times in different forms but it had also got your heart pounding against your chest, eager to get out and display itself before her.

“That is a good point.” She says nodding to herself as she continues rubbing Achilles across his back making it arch subconsciously in his sleep. Her eyes meet yours, they’re once again scrunched up from your smile and far warmer than the weather outside, it causes her heart to beat even faster than before.

She goes to say something else but is once again interrupted by one of your friends.

“Everyone stop!” Dru calls out as he stands quickly, the screech of the chair filling the room. Lyle’s head pops above the counter and Mj looks up from her book.

“Can you shut the hell up?” She calls out, annoyance clear in her voice as the man begins gathering his things.

“It’s 5:30, we need to go.” He says, rushing around to pick things up and put them away.

That’s right. Thirty minutes before Thursday throw down on Minecraft, a large match on bed wars with a hundred players against each other. Something he took far too seriously.

“Go where?” Jenna asks as you begin gathering your things. “Back to my place for his stupid little game.” You roll your eyes looking back at every Thursday’s for the past five years.

“You should come see us screaming at a screen.” You state as you look toward the girl, realization hits you when you realize it wasn’t exactly a question. “If you want, that is.”

She laughs quietly as the man rushes past the two of you with many CD cases in hand, eager to get back to your apartment.

“I would love to.” She says and relief rushes through you and a smile graces your face. “Great.” You say, smile never leaving as you go to put the books in the respective spot while trying to remember if you had cleaned up your apartment or not.

“Hurry!” The man ushers all of you as he grabs the leash to Achilles harness and clips it to him making Jenna take it as she stands, still refusing the drop the cat.

————

You’re eyes quickly find the familiar old homeless man in front of your apartment building bringing a smile to your face as he plucks his guitar strings with such elegance even you were jealous.

“Hey Julian.” You say with a smile as you step up to him and he stops playing to look at your small group.

“Ah, on another one of your sleep overs?” He asks as he scans the group before his eyes land on Jenna. “And you brought a new friend.” He says with a smile but Dru quickly shuts any time for introductory out as he storms past you.

“5:53, let’s go people!” He says as he storms inside the door.

The man rolls his eyes before they land on Lyle. “I see why the boys are acting strange now, you’re here Lyle.” He says and the man stiffens up, the thought of six little boys running around your apartment building with water guns clear in his mind.

Your smile grows as you move past him, Mj and Jenna not far behind. “Careful, ellos quieren venganza..” the man says and you can’t help but feel sorry for Lyle who was about to be soaked in — god knows from where — water.

You rush up the stairs to your floor only to be met with a Dru who looks down at his watch and shuffles around anxiously.

“Come on.” He drags out as you walk up to the door and unlock it.

As soon as the door opens Achilles jumps out of Jenna’s arms and circles your feet, screaming loudly as you make your way to the kitchen.

You huff out as he jumps up on the counter to watch you grab his food.

“Turn it on!” You hear Dru call out as Mj settles into the bean bag next to your couch, holding up the remote as Dru sits eagerly on the edge of the couch leaving Jenna to stand in your kitchen as she looks around the small kitchen connected to your much larger living room.

“This is nice.” She says as Mj turns on the Led lights and Dru messes with the tv controls.

“Thanks, don’t mind the cat hair.” You mumble as you place the cat bowl on the ground making Achilles jump down and begin eating.

“There’s lots of it, everywhere.” You say brushing some off your hands and watching it fall to the floor. You would have to clean it up later.

You walk past her and place your phone on the counter where Dru and Mj’s sat before making your way into the living room.

She couldn’t help but smile at your lack of need for social media, all of you. Yeah, you posted a lot but other than that you all seemed to actually talk and enjoy each others presence rather than be hunched over on your phones.

She hesitates for a moment before placing her own phone on the counter and following you into the living and taking a seat next to you on the couch.

You had het a controller and she furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

“Don’t worry,” you say pressing the power button on hers then yours. “I’ll teach you and make sure Dru doesn’t try anything.” You say as you scoot toward her a little more so your knees are touching. You couldn’t tell if she could hear your heart beating in your chest or not but you hoped she couldn’t.

The door suddenly slams open making you all look up to see a partially wet Lyle as water begins squirting inside the apartment.

“You can’t hide forever, Lyle Lyle crocodile!” A voice calls as he slams to the door shut and a chorus of high pitched laughs rings outside your door.

“I’m crashing here tonight.” He says as he storms toward your room. Now you see why all of your clothes were mixed with the groups, you all had different articles of clothes littered around your rooms and at this point you didn’t know what belongs to who.

“We’re starting the game without him.” Dru says as the starting screen pops up and all four of your characters pop up divided into four parts of the tv. This should be fun.

————

And fun it was. For you and Dru at least, while Lyle watched Mj attack different players you were helping Jenna at her own base and protecting her from Dru who swore he would get her ‘stupid pink’ bed.

A rivalry began between the two as Jenna got used to the game she would insist on going after Dru many times. With your help she of course did get him, it was truly beautiful.

Now you sat next to Jenna as the game came to an end, Lyle and Mj had fallen asleep, while Dru was taking pictures of the screen to flaunt to everyone on his discord about how he had gotten first place in the tournament.

You look to Jenna who watched Dru with a small smile on her face and you found yourself wondering how many freckles really did litter across her smooth skin. Her features were absolutely perfect, from her nose, to her eyes and to her high cheek bones. You didn’t really see any flaws as your eyes travel to her lips, curled up into a smile.

Your eyes snap up as she looks toward you, smile becoming softer before an idea comes to mind. You gesture toward the window that led onto your fire escape watching confusion fill her face.

You laugh lightly before grabbing her wrist and leading her toward the window before pulling it open and stepping out only to be met with the cold air of the winter night and slide yourself to sit on the edge of the fire escape.

Jenna’s not to far behind as she steps out after you as she swings her legs over the ledge.

“Not bad for your first try at bed wars.” You say as you lean back against your arms and look toward her.

“Who said it was my first time?” Raising an eyebrow she turns her head toward and smirks lightly.

“Yeah, let’s just forget how you were walking off the edges of your island non stop.” She sucks her teeth and rolls her eyes but her smile never leaves as she stares you. “Totally not your first time.”

She chuckles lightly as she glances around and looks at the city while your eyes never leave her. With the wind blowing past her, she looks almost ethereal, would have if she didn’t shiver lightly before settling back down.

The sound of cars honking, metal clanking together and other sounds you were used to sound through the air, creating a back ground noise for you as you watch her. The way her breathing was calm, much calmer than yours. The way she watched the loud city before, bright colors shining on her face making it light it up completely giving you full view of her side profile.

“It’s beautiful.” She says looking at the lit up city you were not really worried about at the moment as you continued to stare at her.

“Yeah, it is.” You reply quietly and she slowly takes her eyes from the glowing city before they land on you.

You both sat there for a moment, staring at each other unsure of what to do or what the other might do. The air felt two times thicker as you attempted to get your breathing and heart beat under control as her eyes stay locked with yours.

You watched as her eyes snap down once before quickly moving back up to your eyes and you can’t help the twist that form in your stomach tempted to do the same as you glance between both of her eyes, they were darker than they usually were in the light.

You break slightly as you too glance down before quickly looking back up and you lean in, slowly and hesitantly as you watch her every reaction carefully.

She seems to subconsciously do the same, but this time her eyes continue to move from your eye and back down to your lips.

Your nerves boost through the roof as you get closer, heart beat beating quicker than it ever has and suddenly a line of chords begins to play. You recognized it, the way they sounded far too beautiful to be just anyone playing.

The sound quickly becomes a background noise along with the sounds of the city as you come close to Jenna, lips a few centimeters apart as you glance down toward them them back to her eyes to search for any hesitation or want to back out.

Her breath fans over your face lightly as she stares up at you, eyes wide and waiting as she watches you.

“Is this okay?” You ask in a quiet voice, too quiet for your liking as your heart beat drums through your ears, eyes looking over Jenna’s face. There was no need to ask to kiss her, she could clearly see what you were doing but you wanted to make sure this is what she wanted.

And it was in fact what she wanted. The thought of your slightly chapped lips kissing hers made her heart jump into her throat and claw its way out.

Her only response is reaching up and leaning in, her hands resting gently on her face as her lips brush against yours with hesitation. The feeling sends a shock through your body that makes you shiver lightly as her skin begins to feel hot against yours.

You let out a shaky breath as you too lean in, lips crashing against her a bit too eagerly but she doesn’t seem as she leans in further, deepening the kiss completely as her body presses against yours.

You suddenly become all to aware of your surroundings, the sounds of the city filling your senses as does the gentle guitar that plays under you.

Now you recognize it. Frank Sark. Which song exactly? You didn’t know but you knew it was being played by Julian. His music just as sweet as the girl in front of you. Holding your face with a gentleness of an angel that you didn’t deserve but she still gave it to you as her thumb rubs across your cheek lightly.

This was the perfect end of your night under the starless sky in the bright city.

Next part here!

A/N: my mistake was that I kept saying ‘your cat’ and my friend was making jokes 🥲

Also bare with me, I don’t know how to write people kissing much, I’ll probably edit it later.

I’m not sure if the kissing scene even made sense please tell me if it did🫶🏻

[spadesolace]

(figuratively) cheshire! yeji x fem! reader

synopsis: were you hypnotized or were you truly in love with the girl that disappears and appears when she chooses to. maybe you've gone insane and she's simply a figment of your imagination.

spade speaks: this was supposed to be posted on the 12th but i got so busy so... i had fun with this prompt and thank jade-jini from tumblr dot com cause this prompt was lowkey rotting in my notes and it popped up in a conversation.

you’ve long been fascinated by the idea of hypnosis.

is it magic or acting - you never seem to get the grasp of whether it's real or fake. having to watch clips on youtube and questioning every single detail, from the reactions to the prompts; you’re left wondering.

you wonder if hypnosis could be used to make someone fall in love. looking at someone and immediately falling in love – not your cup of tea.

love at first sight wasn’t a trope you enjoyed. falling for someone based on their physical appearance made you feel off in some way. there are pretty girls you walk past on your way to class but not a single one that could make you go. “yeah, i’m in love with her”.

so, you merely believed that people who experienced love at first sight were either hypnotised or it was purely infatuation (or lust).

believing that you won’t experience it at all.

until you were on your late night convenience store run around the neighbourhood. with the city asleep, no cars coming by, or any possible dog to chase you; you enjoyed walking at night given that the world is asleep and you couldn’t possibly bump into someone you knew. no one sane enough would be out at 2 in the morning just to get snacks while cramming chapters for their exams.

maybe you’re a bit insane.

as you walk inside hoping no one aside from the staff to be there. in the same aisle as you, stood a girl wearing a jacket from your university, hair in the shade of a light orange almost blonde, looking at the snacks you were planning on getting. you notice the hair right away, no one in your class has that bright hair colour aside from her. it was too late to go to another convenience store.

she’s already looking at you. 

looking into her striking eyes, something felt off. there’s something about her that you never understood. how’d she’d have guys falling for her, give her the things she desires only to leave them chasing after her.

maybe she likes the chase.

you were never one to act impulsively, especially when it comes to interacting with acquaintances.

she’s looking at you, like there’s some sort of spell and you can’t look away. even forcing yourself - you’re stuck as she walks past you to the counter.

she gives off such a peculiar scent, musky, powdery, with hints of something floral. walking by you again, she could only smile as your eyes were focused on her leaving figure.

a sudden urge to follow her tries to take over you but you shake the feeling away as you look back at the now empty stack of your favourite snack that she bought.

leaving the store with your second favourite and confusion in your face. the scene replaying in your mind - you’ve seen her before but that entire thing is nothing but a huge question mark and profanities running in your mind. how can someone who is irrelevant in your life make a huge change.

what the fuck was that?

————————————————

it happened again. this time you were at the library finishing a paper. working alone, knowing that the library isn’t a place where most students would come to study but more so sleep.

peaceful, quiet, not much going on aside from the fact that she is right next to you, stopping by the shelf next to your table and scanning the row of books that aren’t even in any of your majors.

dumbfounded looking at her and taking note of every single detail there is to her. bright coloured hair is now black with a chic comfy fit that was different from her somewhat sporty outfit the night you saw her at the convenience store. red top, with jeans, and a fuzzy bucket hat. her eyes are beautiful as ever as she scans the books, finding for the one she likes or needs. you don’t know what compelled you to go over and help her out. 

“looking for something?” you smiled at her, watching the way she reacts once you’ve made your presence known.

“oh- you’re y/n, right?” surprised that she remembers your name or let alone knows your face.

“yeah, sorry, i don’t remember your name.”

“yeji.” she reaches her hand out for you. as you take it and shake her hand you’re left wondering what made you so intrigued by this girl the other night.

was it her eyes?

her aura?

or something else?

since that day, yeji was always near. in class she’ll sit next to you and help you with lessons you're confused about. at the library where you study, and she’ll be nearby reading the book she was looking for the other day, or when you’re out with friends and she’ll be there minutes after with her set of friends.

it’s just a coincidence, right? how every place you go, she’ll be nearby. some places you’ve never been to become a constant just because you see a girl with cat-like eyes every now and then.

you’ve heard rumours how she’ll make you fall only to leave you right after. it’s a dangerous game, you know it but you can’t help but be drawn in. your body has no control when it comes to her, without a doubt immediately helping her with any mundane task or if she doesn’t understand the lesson that day.

warnings here and there on how dangerous hwang yeji is but you pay no mind. not when you’re wrapped around her finger with a single please and a look from her, like you’re hypnotised.

she blends in so perfectly within the crowd, popping out of nowhere when you least expect it but one you’ve noticed is how she always asks you for a favour with that smile of hers. it would have been fine if it were only that and nothing drastic - not until that one night at ryujin’s party.

it’s embedded in your mind on how soft her lips are, caressing your face as she pulls you closer, hearing her whisper your name like a secret, and her perfume lingering in your clothing the day after that you’re scared to wash it as if it’s your last memory of her.

hwang yeji made sure you won’t forget her that easily. running away together after class, only to kiss her in private - following her like a lost puppy. every single day you’re stuck by her side, days without her felt like a step towards insanity - how did it come to this?

it started slow - finding a way to enter your life, she executed it perfectly with the little things that slowly drove you insane.

then everything went by fast - the kiss. her touches. her perfume. but her secret was where you thought you’d finally made yeji choose to settle down and not run away like a stray cat after being fed for so long. how she opened up, her walls down but yours were completely bare. she had your heart then took it, running away once she got what she wanted.

you never believed that love at first sight is real. not until you experienced it yourself that it makes you question whether it’s actually hypnosis.

hwang yeji is like the cheshire cat, she appears whenever she wants to.

“y/n, love… could you help me with this?” with that alluring smile that makes your heart skip a beat. a nod and you’re back to being her puppet lost within the midst of her collection.

like the cheshire cat, she disappears either leaving nothing or traces.

“will you stop sulking? you’re drunk, y/nn. we warned you about her and yet you still fell for her tricks.”

“the fuck do you know?! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK IT’S ONLY A TRICK WHEN YOU NEVER DATED HER!!” it was a wrong move to push yeonjun while drunk or how you clutched onto his top with tear stained cheeks. musky, powdery, with hints of something floral that you know it’s lavender at this point.

throwing a punch at him was not your best move as you’re getting kicked out - that same alluring smile with striking eyes. you hate how you fell for hwang yeji.

you’re slowly going insane as every single little thing reminds you of her. it’s insanity because how could she pull you in, take your heart and leave you bare with nothing but confusion, hatred, questioning everything.

i was hypnotised.

that’s what you choose to believe as you make your way back to her arms as if she didn’t leave you for months to rot wondering what you’ve done to make her leave you.

you’ve lost it. like alice in wonderland meeting the cheshire cat for the first time and being left curious on whether she’s leading you on or there’s a need for an exchange.

i’ve gone crazy in love.

[buckymorelikefuckme]

no shelf control

bucky barnes x fem reader

words: 1.3k

a/n: this is very not serious but i think it's p cute hehe. any and all mistakes are mine. feedback is encouraged & welcomed ♡

part 2 ❀

The only reason Bucky is even in the public library is because Steve asked him to pick up a book he reserved. They'd only hold it for so long, and he got caught up at work, so he'd asked Bucky to grab it for him.

He figures he’ll browse while he’s here. Perhaps something will catch his interest.

And, well… Something definitely catches his interest. But it's not a book.

He wandered the stacks for about fifteen minutes before giving up and deciding to go ahead and collect Steve’s book. But then he saw you standing behind the circulation desk, scanning returned books back into the system and setting them on a waiting cart to be put in their respective spaces.

There's a cute pair of tortoise shell frames perched on your button nose, a furrow between your eyebrows as you concentrate on separating the books on the cart. Your cheeks are adorably round and your lips pouty. Your hair is pulled back by a butterfly clip and you're drowning in a large, pastel sweater.

You're the exact opposite of who he is, at least in appearance, exactly his type–all soft curves and sweetness etched into your being. There's no way in hell he’s going to leave this place without asking you out.

Bucky squares his shoulders, gives himself a quick mental pep talk, and marches over to you. He puts on his most charming smile as he rings the little bell on the counter.

You glance at him over the top of your glasses, looking almost bored. “May I help you?”

He clears his throat. Okay, so he’ll have to try a little harder. That's fine.

“My friend asked me to pick up a book that's being held for him,” he explains, placing both hands on the desk as he leans in a little more.

“What's the name?” you ask.

“His or mine?” Bucky replies, winking.

You tilt your head slightly. “Is the book being held for you?”

His smile falters. “Uh. No?”

“Then I’ll need his name.”

He squints. “Steve Rogers,” he finally replies after a beat.

You type the name into the computer and click around for a moment, then you turn around and bend over to rifle through stuff under the counter. It gives Bucky a fantastic view of your ass, and it can't be an accident.

“Ah, here you are,” you say, returning to your full height with a book in your hand. You scan it and slide it over to Bucky with a customer service smile. “All done. Tell your friend he has two weeks until it's due for return.”

“Thanks,” he mutters, biting the inside of his cheek when you immediately go back to work, ignoring his presence.

He can't just give up now, though. His pride is on the line. Quickly, he looks around for an excuse to continue talking to you.

“So, like, there's a lot of books here,” he blurts.

His ears grow hot when you pause, looking at him again with a single eyebrow raised.

“Yes,” you say carefully. “It's a library.”

Bucky forces a laugh. “Right, yeah! I just mean, uh, you might have one I’ve been trying to find for ages,” he lies.

You nod slowly. “That is very likely, yes.”

“What do you like to read?” he questions, suddenly, trying to save himself from further embarrassment.

You open and close your mouth, thrown. “What?”

“Could you recommend something for me?” he asks. He nods toward the cart. “Anything in there worthwhile?”

You look at the cart, then back to him. You're clearly struggling to follow, which he has to admit to himself is understandable, because he's also struggling. He's never had to work this hard and it's messing him up.

“There's a book on the history of Romania?” you suggest like a question.

“That sounds cool. I'll take it,” he grins.

“Really?” you reply, incredulous, before shaking your head with an embarrassed twist to your mouth. “I mean–sorry. I'll get that for you.”

But Bucky panics as you turn and grab it, because, “I don't have a library card,” he rushes to say. He's struck with inspiration, though, and quickly follows up with, “But can you still check me out?”

He tries to conceal his smirk, feeling supremely proud of himself for that pickup line. However, his celebration is short-lived.

You blink at him, frowning. “No, I'm afraid not. You need a library card to check out books, sir.”

His smile drops entirely. “Are you doing this on purpose?”

You frown harder. “Doing… what? My job?”

“No, pretending like I'm not hitting on you,” he huffs.

Your glasses slip down as your eyes widen, jaw slackening in surprise. “What?” you squeak.

It's so cute, but Bucky can't take it anymore.

“Look, I've been trying to ask you out for the last five minutes, but I can't tell if you're blowing me off or not.”

“I… I didn't know,” you confess, averting your gaze, pushing your glasses back up your nose. “I'm not used to someone flirting with me.”

Now it's Bucky's turn to be incredulous. “Seriously?” At your tentative nod, he scoffs. “What the hell is wrong with people? You're so cute, and sexy. How could anyone not wanna ask you out?”

You bring a hand up to your own cheek bashfully, and Bucky’s about to combust. If he was a betting man he'd wager your skin is warm to the touch.

“How about this,” he begins, leaning on the counter once again, even closer than before. He loves the way your doe eyes blink up at him. “Why don't I start over and make it abundantly clear what my intentions are.”

“O-Okay,” you reply.

He grins, and this time he gets a reaction out of you. You bite your lip as you fidget with the too-long sleeves of your sweater.

“Hi, I'm Bucky. I think you're insanely attractive and I'd love to take you on a date.”

A soft giggle from you and he knows it deep down to his very core–he's a goner.

“Hi,” you reply, shyly tucking some loose strands of your hair behind your ear as you offer your name. “A date sounds fun.”

He lifts his hand and gently nudges under your chin, catching you by surprise. “Wonderful. Here,” he says, reaching into his pocket for his phone and handing it over, “put your number in.”

Still adorably flustered, but with an ever present smile that makes your round cheeks bunch up in the sweetest way, you take his phone and input your number. After you give it back, Bucky sends you a text right away.

“Now you have my number, too,” he announces happily. “I expect to hear from you soon, yeah? Let me know when you're free.”

You nod. “Yeah, of course.”

“Bye, darlin’,” he says with a wink, grabbing Steve’s book as he begins walking backwards.

You cover your cheeks with your hands again. “Bye,” you mutter quietly.

Oh yeah. This is perfect. Bucky doesn't turn around, eyes still locked with yours, until he bumps into one of the kiosks. You muffle your giggles into your sleeve as Bucky flushes. His grin doesn't waver, though.

He waves and feels like he floats out of the building, and still feels like he's floating when he makes his way to Steve’s apartment later that evening. When Steve answers the door, Bucky plants a messy, loud kiss on his cheek, ignoring his disgusted and outraged exclamation, saying an emphatic, “Thank you,” before he hands the book over.

Steve stares in bewilderment as his best friend hums the whole way to the elevator. He hasn't got the slightest clue what put that dorky smile on Bucky’s face, but he's sure he’ll find out soon enough. He looks down at the book in his hand as he closes his door and stops in his tracks.

“This isn't my book,” he states dumbly.

The History of Romania sits innocently in his grasp. He sighs deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. He’s gonna kill Bucky.

[sweetbrier2908]

satan's random headcanons

• gives you kisses on knuckles and forehead because he's a charming prince who normally only exists in fantasy. but your fantasy turns out to be real life and now he's your prince charming.

• the most decent one in the family. the first time you realize he's actually a demon is when he talked about how he was going to tortune a lower demon.

• cat café date at least once a week. if there's a new cat? he goes there everyday for a week. friend with all the cat café owners in devildom, he also has share of some cat café since lucifer doesn't allow him to have his own cat.

• always says that he's gonna snitch to lucifer if his brothers do something wrong so he can trick them to tell him their secrets then blackmails them later. succeeds every time for 5000 years straight.

• actually the best cook in the house. from desserts to main courses. there is nothing that he can't cook, as long as he has his cook book with him. he learns recipes from every restaurant he goes, takes note of them, remembers what dish his brothers like and cook them later when he's on cooking duty (also remembers what dish lucifer dislikes and cook them later). if someone in the family says the dish he cooks today good, prepare to eat it for the rest of the year everytime satan's on cooking duty. yes, he LOVES to take care for his brothers though he never admits it.

• never organize his room unless lucifer angrily and strictly asks him to (which happened a very very long time ago since he casted a spell on his door to stop lucifer from entering his room). always says "it's messy in my own way", that's true, he knows where exactly to find this things. you need to borrow some books about devildom's history? shelf 1, row 2, number two from the right side. need some spicy romance book? on the floor, the whole stack at the left side of his armchair.

• knows some very good if not the best pick-up lines. first of all, he's closest with asmo. second, he reads romance books more than anyone in the three realms. always give you the most poetic love letters you've ever received.

• acquainted with all the high-status people in devildom. some random nobel? oh, he met they once in a art exhibition 1500 years ago, just grabbed a cup of coffee with them last month. some of the most famous corps in devildom or maybe human world? he's one of the shareholders. a businessman. literally a businessman. remember the chat where he said he introduced mammon to some perfume company so he could get 80% of the profit? yes, that's the businesman of the family.

• always befriends with people who benefit him and his family. mammon needs money? he can give his older brothers some modeling gigs. levi wants some limited merch? he knows someone in the company? beel wants to go to some restaurants? he can ask the chef to come to their house. no one knows how he expand his social network this much.

• loves to give you gifts. everything. from the most expensive scarf you can find in the whole world to a cat-shaped stone that he finds on the way home from RAD. gives you everything reminds him of you.

• always loves to try new thing with you. today you two goes to the drive-in cimema, the next day he will bring you to the ocean to go fishing. but if you want to go to the bookstore and then the cat café, he's happy to go with you, it's his most ideal date too! and if you don't want to go outside? he has some very interesting book you can try to read. he.will.never.bored.you.

• so insecure, always thinks of himself as the most avarage guy compared to his brothers, and compared to every guy you know. lucifer is always at the top, diavolo's right hand man and stuff; mammon is one of the most famous model in the three realms and known for his infamous reputation; levi is so passionate about his hobby; asmo is super popular and pretty and always the trend-setter; beel is the athlete, always loved by everyone; belphie is effortlessly smart, he's just straight-up the genius of the family and also a spoiled brat. and he, the middle child of the family, an avarage guy who will never be unique enough.

[nishimiyachan55]

My curse boyfriend

(Chapter one)

Pairing: Mahito(jujutsu kaisen)X reader

Chapters: 1/?

other chapters : chapter 2 , 3 , 4

Word count: 3.3k

Date!

It was a rainy day. Heavy rain pouring with strong wind. People passing through with umbrella in their hand. You entered your university compound holding an umbrella in your one hand, and your bag on the other. Heavy rain and wind were soaking your clothes and hair. You walked faster as you could to get to the library struggling to hold your umbrella in position from the wind.

You let out a sigh of relief when you finally reach to the stairs to the library room. Closing your umbrella, shaking the water off, you walked the stairs up. Drops of Water falling down from your hair, You put your umbrella in the basket in front of the library entrance. The staff at the library counter greeted you with a smile and you return the greeting with a nod. The library was really quiet, you thought you were the only one there besides the staff lady.

Blending in to the dark gloomy library ambience You let a frown on your face thinking who would come to this boring library on an off day.

Your face filled with disappointment,    “I was suppose to be in my home…. Watching  series….or anime……. Lazily lounging on my bed eating snacks, especially on a rainy day like this….”   You mumbled to your self.  You didn’t want to come to the library on an off day but you had an assignment to work on, for that you need a particular book from the library which led you walking in to the library on a heavy rainy day.

You think about this all while searching for the book you needed. Your white shirt was still wet and was sticking to your body. Legs hurting from your heels, You thought how dumb were you to wear heels on a rainy day like this.  You just wanted to throw them away. 

Skimming through the books on each stacks, finally your eyes locked on the name of the book you wanted. Your lip turned into a faint smile of relief, thinking you can go to your room as soon as this ends. You lift your hand to pull the book out of the stack. But before you could touch it someone pulled the book to the other side of the shelf. Through the gap created by pulling that book, your eyes locked with the person on the other side of the shelf. 

Mismatched eyes, strands of greyish blue hair covering most of his forehead, stiches across his face, his eyes staring into yours. You just stood there for a couple of seconds, then Suddenly break the eye contact with a small jerk, a sudden reflection from your brain. You slowly walked on to the other side of the shelf. Turning the end of the shlef you saw the man’s full figure. Long hair that splits into three knots, something like a dark blue baggy top and skinny pants with a pair of white sneakers. There was stiches on his hand and neck too. But he was surprisingly attractive.

He was standing there looking at you with an amused look on his face. Your eyes fell onto the book which he was holding in his hand. Feeling of shyness taking over Your body, you walked towards him in a slow pace. Your footsteps were  echoing through the walls, you stopped, Standing infront of him looking down to the floor you asked 

 “Uumm…..can you giVe that book to mme…?” 

 Pinning your hair behind your ear you gave a timid glance up to his face lowering your head.

 Looking down at you, he  gave you a confused frown. That face…….. you couldn’t hold your eye contact, looking away from his eyes you said 

 “ It will be a great help…. If you give me that book…”

After a moment of silence, He hummed, rubbing two fingers on his chin and a soft voice came out from his mouth 

“why should I give you this!”

He said this keeping the eye contact still holding that grin on his face. His voice was playful, almost teasing.  Glaring at him you still didn’t know what to say. You need that book it’s important. If you didn’t get it, there is no use in coming all the way to the library in this heavy rain. It will be all for nothing. For a moment you thought of grabbing that book from his hand and running away. But then you thought it will be a stupid idea. Judging from his appearance, its hard for you to grab it from him. You hum in disappointment and said with a pout on your face 

“what will you get huh…! What about I buy you something to eat!?

You wasn’t sure what to say and you knew it was a stupid thing to say. You knew at this point you definitely look dumb. He looked at you blinking his eyes in a childish way and started laughing. You felt more stupid regretting what you said and embarrassment rush through your cheek. You bit your tongue and tried not to show your embarrassment. He wiped a drop of tear from his one eye which formed from laughter. Then took a deep breath looking back at you and started talking 

“that was the funniest thing I’ve heard in a while”

You frowned your eyebrows and looked at him. He extended his hand offering the book to you. At first you face gave a confused look, blinking at the book in his hand and back to his face twice. Then your frown suddenly changed into a smile. You grabbed it from his hand. Finally relieved, letting out a sigh, You thanked him. 

“you don’t know how much your help mean to me” . Holding that book in your hand you continued  “Since you help me with this what about I help finding a book for you?”   you said it in a cheerful way winking at him. He smiled at that and gave you a nod saying “okay!” You two started  looking at the shelfs skimming though different sections.

 Actually telling to help him with finding a book was a bad idea, you thought to yourself. Because you are not a reading type of person. You actually love to stick to your phone all day, scrolling through social media, watching series or listening to music. Reading was never an option for you. You only read for study purpose. So you didn’t know much about books. You didn’t know what to suggest him. But Your eye caught on a interesting name on a book.

You reached to pull it out, and opened it. It was something about literature, something you couldn’t understand. Even looking at it made you yawn. So you decided to suggest him this book, maybe he will think you are familiar with reading. Thinking this in your silly mind You giggled. When you turned back to face him, your face almost hit his chest… He was so close to your face. It gave you chills on your stomach. 

Leaning down taking a better look at the book ,he said “this one looks interesting” . He took that book from your hand.  “You have good taste in books. Don’t ya?”  He complimented you skimming through the pages. You gave a forced smile showing your teeth, rubbing your hand on your head. 

“I’ll take this one” he smiled in a cute way closing his eyes. It made you happy like you did something great.  You two walked out of the library together. It was still raining outside. You took your umbrella from the basket and walked to the stairs with him. He was walking beside you. You peeked at him from the corner of your eye. Focusing on the scars on his face. It felt like he survived from a bad accident or something, barely escaping from death but in a bad shape, which led stitching his whole face together. But still those stiches made him look more handsome.

You wanted to ask his name,and when you were about to ask…. He looked at you. Suddenly you felt something in your stomach, a jolt… and you looked away from him. 

“you study here?” He asked. You nodded. That is when you wondered if he is from here. You never saw someone like that here before. Maybe he doesn’t study here, maybe he just came to the library. Even if he study here how you suppose to know him. The university is too big, you don’t even know all the students in your own department,then how you suppose to know students from other. 

You two reached downstairs. It was still raining. Then you noticed he doesn’t have an umbrella. So you offered him to join you. He took the umbrella from your hand, holding it in his one hand, and with the other he wrapped around your back holding on your shoulder, and he pushed you closer to him so you two can fit in.

 His sudden touch send shivers to your toes. You cling your teeth together. His hands were cold. You tried not to look at him when you two walked in the rain together. Your heartbeat slowly started to raise when the thought clicked in your brain, you were walking with a really hot guy…..you were blushing. But that moment of happiness didn’t last long, with a big sound of horn a car rushed so fast in front of you two splashing water all over your body. You two just stood there for a second, soaking in water, blinking your eyes. It was so embarrassing. You almost cried from embarrassment. At that time you thought if you could vanish from there.

“are you alright!?” He inquired if you were fine

“im alright…”  but your brain screamed you are not! If you could see the guy who drive that car you would definitely slap him. Breaking from that thought you moved on.

 You lead him to a coffee shop near by. It was still crowded on the sidewalk even in this heavy rain. People passing beside you with umbrella on their hand. 

When you reach the coffee shop, he closed your umbrella and set it aside. Opening the glass door, you two entered the shop and looked at the menu. You asked him what he wanted. He was looking at all those different types of flavours with a frown on his face. There were different types of sweets displayed in the glass shelf too. He put his two palms on the glass shelf, pressing his face between them and he looked through the glass. He pouted.

“I don’t know. I never had these before. Maybe you should order something for me…after all its your treat” . He looked back at you with a childish smile. There was something soothing about his voice and the way he smiles. You couldn’t take your eyes of him when he was smiling. 

Finally you ordered something you like. But when you lifted your hand to take the cup from the employee, he was giving you a weird look. Then you looked at your shirt. Your shirt was messy from that car splash, shirt sticking on to your body showing your clothes underneath it. You felt awkward and you grabbed the cups from him and walk out as fast as you could. Holding two cups in your hand you asked 

“ I never asked your name” you gave one cup to him.  “Its mahito” he said holding the cup and looking at it like he saw it for the first time. “and….. yours?”. Your said your name with a smile “its Y/n”.

 The way he play with the straw, pushing air down making bubble sounds made you laugh. It was so cute. He was acting like a child. And when he finally tasted it, he looked confused. He hummed. “Its not that bad”   he pouted. Looking at his gestures you stood there a for a minute in silence. A beep sound break you from that silence. You took your phone out from your bag and checked the message. It was from your friend, the one who recommended you the book,the one who told you to get it from the library. She was asking about the book. You replied to her text and looked back at mahito. He looked so cute with that innocent smile still playing with the straw. You couldn’t help your self from slowly turning on the camera in your phone, and you looked at him though the screen, silently clicking a picture. You made sure he didn't notice. 

 Watching the rain you two stood  at the side of the shop drinking coffee, then you talked in your mind , what’s next! Hmm…..You don’t want to leave him so soon. You just wanted to spend some more time with him. But you didn’t want to ask him to stay with you for more time. It’s embarrassing. But at the same time you don’t want to let him go too. 

“im going to the train station. Where are you off to?”  You asked leaving your thoughts behind. He hummed in return saying,

“ hmm….. I don’t know. I don’t have any plans for today. In that case I’ll walk you to the train station.”

You felt a pressure on your throat,  but from happiness and excitement. You can stay with him for some more time. You tried to hold your excitement. You two continued walking. You hated this rain when you were walking to the library but now you wish this rain would never stop. In this way you can stay close to him under the umbrella.

 You just met him before an hour or so. But still you feel so attracted to him. You never felt like this to someone else. Of course you dated other men, but nothing felt like this. Like he was special and you still couldn’t understand why. Then Suddenly you felt Mahito stopped walking. You paused your footsteps and turn your head to his side. He was looking at a poster on the side walk. It was of a movie playing in theaters. He leaned closer to that poster getting a good look of it. And he pointed at it and turned your side 

“Y/n, do you wanna go for this movie with me?” You stood there for a minute with amusement not knowing what to say. After a moment you felt a jolt in your stomach. It was a surprise for you. You never expected this. Your stomach was again filling with that feeling. “ Umm….. guess I have time for this”. You smiled at him with a nod. 

He hold your wrist leading the way into the theater. Your brain felt like freezing from the sudden touch. You hesitantly followed him. He told you to buy tickets. You bought two of them. You didn’t even look at the movie poster well. It doesn’t even bother you. You just wanted to spend some more time with him. 

You two entered the theater room. It wasn’t crowded at all. Only two or three people were sitting here and there. You searched for your seat and made your self comfortable on the seat when you found it. Mahito sat next to you.

 At that time you felt like it was ‘date’. Or was it a date? You two met, talked, drink coffee together and now you’re watching a movie together. Sounds more like a date to you. Yes a ‘date’….that word echoed in your head, making a big smile on your face. You tried to hide your blush struggling to process all this information in your brain. 

But then a hand rested on yours. At that point you let your guard down you couldn’t handle it. You almost felt dizzy. You were sweating even in that air-conditioned room. He was holding your hand, his clod fingers touching yours crossing with your fingers. Your hand felt slippery. You wanted to wipe the sweat  formed in your palms. You tried to pull away slowly but his grip tightened more holding your hand in place.

 Concentrating on the screen you tried not to pay attention to his hand. But you couldn’t. All your attention was on to his touch. You just sit there like that till the end of the movie. And finally when it was finished you tried to pull your hand back but he hold it still, won’t letting you pull it away from his.  Leaning your side, he lifted his hand holding yours towards his cheeks, slowly caressing your fingers on his cheeks. He looked into your eyes and with a soothing tone he asked “do you need anything in return for buying me movie tickets?” Your heart beat was raising. Your eyes opened wide staring into his mesmerizing eyes.

 You wanted to ask him many things but you couldn’t spill out a word. The way he was looking into your eyes, your silly brain was telling you to kiss him. “No”. It slip from your mouth even if you didn’t wanted to, suppressing all your feelings. He sit still like that for some time still staring into your eyes “Hmm….well then ok. Let’s go”.  He stand up from the seat, leaving your hand and began to walk outside. You felt really disappointed from inside but you didn’t show it. You just followed him.

It was still raining outside. The sky was so dark that it’s already felt like the sun is setting down. You forgot about the time when you were in theater. Your leg was hurting so bad from your  heels. You couldn’t walk so well. You just wanted to throw them away. You were dragging your self struggling to walk.

“Y/n,…if you want I can lift you up in my arms and walk you to the train station”  he noticed your pain.

You felt a tingling sensation in your stomach hearing his words. But you said “ its okay. Im fine. I can walk”

When you two reached the train station, you thought he will say goodbye to you from there. But he didn’t. He escorted you in the train also. At this point you thought maybe he will follow you to your home. That thought send a little spark of fear into your brain. Even though you spend a day with him, he is a complete stranger you just met that day.  He was sitting beside you on the seat. After a short time the train reached your destination. Your home wasn’t that far from your university. It was a short train ride. You walked out from the train,he was still following you. But then when you started to feel a little uncomfortable.

“it’s dark already! Its not a good idea to let you walk home by your own. Who knows what kind of creep you will bump into!?”  Mahito looked concerned about you. “So it’s better I walk you home. Isn’t it?”  His sweet smile pushed that uncomfortable feeling from you and you smiled back. 

Now you were walking with him to your way home. Darkness already covered the streets. It was quiet. When you reach to the corner of the sidewalk near your home, you stopped walking and turned to his side to say goodbye to him.

 “So this is it. I can go from here by my own. Thank you for walking me home and…. For a wonderful day”.  He smiled in a cute way. Before leaving, you wanted to ask for his number and you did. “Um…..is there any way I can contact you?”. You asked fidgeting with your hair. 

“hm….. contacting me huh…well don’t worry. If I wanna see you again I’ll definitely find you”.

 Saying this he turned back and walked away looking at you from over his shoulders. You stood there for a minute looking at him walking away from you. Then you turned back and began to slowly walk to your home. Looking down to the sidewalk, from the corner of your eye, you could see a creepy looking curse passing through the sidewalk.  “Find me huh…!” You mumbled in a low voice.

Mahito was also lost in his thoughts. “So this is what humans call the thing ‘date’ huh! Interesting…” He giggled walking away and blending into the darkness. 

[callsigns-haze]

Style

Pairing: Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Y/n 'Haze' Mitchell

Word count: 2.1k

Summary: Y/N and Jake don't hate each other as much anymore…maybe it's time for a date......

Based of the song: Lavender Haze by Taylor Swift

Warnings: Fluff, idk maybe cursing, sexual theme

Part 1 / Part 2/ Part 3

THIS IS NOT PROOF READ SO A LOT OF SPELLING MISTAKES!

I used the script for the Rookie phone call for the call!

Work.

You hated it. Especially if you've been here since 4 in the morning and it's only getting started.

The days till you have to put in the reports on the daggers were coming closer each minute.

It was torture. You didn't mind the whole flying part of your job; you loved it over the moon but the paperwork. Not just any ordinary paperwork. Jake's.

What were you supposed to write. That he's an arrogant, cocky, handsome devil that you'd let him fuck you into next month's Sunday. Yeah, that's definitely off the table.

You haven't seen him since the teasing game of pool and the watch. His watch. It lies on your nightstand. Every single morning you wake up and check the time on his watch.

You have a phone right beside you. Two centimeters away from your hand but because it's his… That's why you use it.

Days like this are slow. Probably the slowest in existence. You're buried in piles of paperwork and files.

Right now you're working on Paybacks. His abilities are top notch and his biggest priority besides the mission's aim is to get his WSO home, to him that's more important than himself.

You're about to fall asleep while there's a loud but sudden knock on the office door.

"It's open," you say waked, straightening your uniform quickly and elegantly sitting back into the chair.

"Well hello, angel," that Texan accent you could recognize from miles away. In his voice there's still some of that morning rasp. It's only quarter to 9 but for you it's like 6 in the evening.

"Hangman," you say closing over the opened file book and leaning further back into the black leather chair as Jake takes a seat in one of two empty chairs at the other side of the table.

"You say that with such disappointment and disgrace, I seen the way your eyes lit up when my presence entered," he smirks, his tone is more smooth now, more awake, happy, illuminated.

"I'd be happy if a rodent came in here at this point, but I see that one just entered," you smirk.

"Oh you little bitch, daddy thought you no manners?" He says cocking his head to the side, that smirk of his own coming onto his face.

"I'm working on your file right now, Bagman. Wanna call me a bitch again?" You say getting up, placing the file book onto a shelf and bring a stack of papers with it.

"You know I mean a bitch as a good thing, right? Like a compliment!" Ridiculous that's what he is and you can't help but smile at this. He never changed and never will. He's a Seresin after all.

"Nice try. Now what do you need?"

"You."

"What?" You squeak out, turning around from the shelf to see the crossed legged devil himself looking up at you.

He gets up which causes you to take a step back, your back hitting off the shelf making yourself cornered as he moves forward and holds out his arm onto the side of the shelf and leans into you.

"Since you're about to end our little check-in and might move to another station, I wanna take you on a date," he says, those green eyes in line with yours, height difference non existing to him.

He caught you wayyyyyyyyyyy of guard. Jakob Thomas " Hangman " Seresin the second just asked you out and you're too stunned to answer.

Wow. You weren't expecting this, today or even ever.

"Shit, sorry if I came on too strong there. I had a while entire plan and everything but I just haven't been able to spend time with you for so long and in always wanted to take you out bu-" you cut him off with placing your finger on his lip making him look down at you but all you do is smile.

He gently grabs your wrist and removes your finger if those delicate, rosy lips of his and he continues.

"It's just ever since I saw your dad at the Hard Deck, for some reason I thought you'd be with him. I know that's ridiculous, your not a child anymore but I just wanted to see you again, talk maybe, I don't know," he says which makes you beam even more.

He just told you that you were on his mind after all this time. Even before you came back to top gun. You were on his mind. Now that's just pure wow.

"If you really wanted to talk with me so bad, you could've asked my dad for my new number," you place your hand on his cheek, the heat of your palm against those calmed features feels right.

"I know but I wanted to see you in person," he admits, leaning in forward, distance barely exists anymore. You can feel his breath against you and those lips were so close. With just a lean they could be against yours.

"Well cowboy, take me out on your date then."

"Free tonight?"

"Tonight"

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

"So..." Javy wiggled his eyebrows. "Tonight's the big date night, right? Are you hyped?"

"Yeah." He tried to say it confidently but the crack in his voice sold him out. He sighed and slouched his shoulders. "I'm nervous."

"Why? It's not like you guys haven't gone out before."

"It's not the date I'm nervous about..." he admitted. "It's what could happen when we get back."

"Oh?" Javy responded with a suggestive tone and an eyebrow raised. "Since when is that something you worry about? I know it's been a while but we were roommates at one point. I'm well aware that you have plenty of experience. And it's not like you've never done it with her before."

"Jesus Javy"

"Well then my advice would just be to go for it and whatever happens, happens. I'm sure it's been a while for her too. She's probably just as nervous. Just enjoy each other; you guys have been waiting too long for this just to let some dumb nerves get in the way."

"I guess you're right," Jake sighed.

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

You dug up half your wardrobe not finding anything to wear. Every outfit just doesn't seem right. With another sigh you keep digging through more clothes as your phone rings.

"Hi. I'm almost there."

"No. No... No, you're not."

"No, I'm not. Sorry. Um, are you?"

"No! Uh... Does this restaurant have a dress code?"

"Uh... no. I mean, you could wear cargo shorts if you wanted."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, what does it matter, as long as you're comfortable?"

"Nice try. That was clearly a test. ( Laughs ) And you should know better than to test the master."

( Scoffs ) "What are you wearing?"

"Yeah, um, I don't know yet, but I do have a lot of outfits that I am not going to wear, so... Well, we are running low on time."

"Traffic's getting ugly."

"Yeah, totally. I... It's silly. I just need to make a decision..... Uh, yes. The green dress. It is decided."

"Great. Well, I-I'll see you soon."

"Okay. Bye."

'No. Oh, my God.' definitely not the green dress.

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

"You look beautiful," he says as you both are enjoying your meals. He looks handsome, with the hair slipped back and white t-shirt.

"And you look equally as handsome," you say taking a sip of the red wine you were served. The professional man is gone and instead it is the eyes of one who loves deeply. If it were anyone else you would drop your gaze, but with him you're drawn in closer, always wanting more. Then he says the words you need to hear, "We're ok, you and me. Okay?" You just nod, taking in every moment for your memory, knowing it is the medication you need to survive the next few days. In all the world there isn't another like him, or you for that matter; you are two souls who feel like once upon another reality we were soul mates, eternal flames. "Why did it take you so long to ask me out?" you ask, catching him way off guard.

"What?" He did not expect you to ask that, not now not ever. He's shocked that you did ask about it.

"Oh Jakob, from the moment I walked into the hard deck I knew that you wanted to fuck me."

"I did not." He held his hands up to his chest like a sign of fake offence.

"You sure did!"

"Haze, I did not." He says moving closer to you in the booth you sit in and the distance between the two of nearly doesn't exist. "Well I think you definitely did," you say as you feel his breath on you and still continue to annoy him.

You're trying to be indifferent. It doesn't do to let someone with an ego like his know how much power he has. You don't lean in, don't make it easy or seem too keen. Then he brushes your hair back from your shoulder and moves in so close you can feel his lean body pressed up against you. You feel his warmth and already your mind has placed your lips together.

But instead he leans in to caress your neck, slow and gentle. He's making you wait and you can hardly bare it. You want his lips now, you want his kisses. Then he cups your face in his hands and gives you what he knows you want.

His kiss is not at all the same as those movie stars, but one steeped in a passion that ignites. It is the promise of realness, of the primal desire that lives in us all. And with it he tells me that he is awake, connected within, that he embraces himself rather than hide as a copy of those romantic idols.

"That was wow," you say subconsciously as he smirks, putting a loose strand of hair behind your ear. He's such a gentleman and he's doing everything to make you fall for him more.

"It sure was," he says smirking leaning in for another kiss but your phone ringing interrupts.

"It's nothing." You say looking down at your phone as he takes his hand off your cheek.

"You sure?" he ask with a look that tells you he doesn't mind if you answer or not. He always didn't mind things like this, he always approved.

"I'm sure," you say leaning in kissing him again. You both forget the people around you, each consumed in the other.  A small smile spreads over his lips and his face comes closer to yours slowly.  His nose nudges yours gently making you giggle and his smile widens before he finally presses his lips to yours tenderly.  His hands hold you close, your chests pressing together and keeping you warm as he kisses you slowly and tenderly, wanting to savor the moment.

"I'll get the bill and we'll leave," he says, feeling like the two of you are done in the restaurant for the night.

"Nah-ah, I'm paying," you say reaching into your wallet but he gently grabs your wrist.

"I wouldn't be a gentlemen if I let you pay," he says lifting your gaze and smirks.

"Jake, you're forgetting I know you. You're far from a gentlemen. And I never let people pay for me on the first date," you say getting up and getting out of the booth the two of you sat in.

"What about on the second date?" He asks cheekily.

"Who said anything about a second date?" You answer sheepishly.

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

"You know I loved tonight," you say as the two of you stand in front of your apartment.

"I loved tonight to," He says smiling down on you.

"Jake..."

"Mhhmmmm?"

"I'm so sorry for all the pain I've caused you. You probably don't want to talk about it, but...After that night with everything going on, I felt so dead in the inside because I knew already how bad I hurt you. I didn't expect for you to forgive me and I guess I felt even worse when you did. I blamed everyone and everything, but myself and for that I'm truly sorry. I wont ever in life do it again. I also know that my promises haven't been very credible, but if I ever hurt you like this again-I want you to never come back to me, okay?" you asks, he bending down to kiss your forehead. He nod his head. He couldn't help, but feel touched by this. You finally opened up to that night. He finally got a look into your head.

"Angel, whatever happens in between us, I'm never letting you go again okay."

"Okay..."

A/n: And this is the fourth post for Haze and Hangman! Please reblog this post and give them love! Please tell me if you want to be added to the taglist and follow this blog since we're only getting started!

Tagging some friends:

@callsign-magnolia

@shanimallina87

@callsign-dexter

@rosiahills22

@horseslovers2016

@djs8891

@hookslove1592

@emma8895eb

@hardballoonlove

@kmc1989

@dempy

[wendigo-volturi]

I have a request :3 Felix volturi teasing his s/o cuz they're so much shorter than him >:]

1. Felix loves to playfully tease his s/o about their height difference, often calling them his "pint-sized lover" or affectionately patting their head. "Aw, look at you down there, my little short stack. I'll have to remember to bring a step stool next time we kiss."

2. He enjoys picking them up and holding them against his chest, making jokes about how they fit perfectly in his arms because they're "so tiny." Felix: *lifting his s/o effortlessly* "You're like a little doll in my hands. Don't worry, I'll protect you from all the big, scary vampires out there."

3. Felix loves to make tall shelf jokes, asking his s/o to grab things for him since they're closer to the ground.Felix: "Hey, can you do me a favor and reach that book up there for me? Your short stature finally comes in handy!"

4. He often leans down to whisper in their ear, teasing them about how they have to crane their neck to look up at him. Felix: "Maybe I should start bringing a step stool for you to stand on."

5. Felix likes to compare their height difference to a comedic duo, joking that they could start their own vaudeville act. Felix: "We could be the next Laurel and Hardy, my dear. You can be the short one, and I'll be the towering giant."

6. He loves to playfully challenge his s/o to reach things that are just out of their grasp, pretending to be surprised when they can't reach.Felix: *holding an object just out of reach* "Come on, my little one, you can do it! Just a little higher...oh, looks like you need a boost from me."

7. Felix enjoys playfully teasing his s/o about their struggles with reaching high places, suggesting that he should install a step ladder for them. Felix: "I think it's about time we invest in a step ladder for you, my dear. Otherwise, I'll have to start carrying you around on my shoulders."

8. He loves to make jokes about how his s/o could use him as a human step stool to reach things, playfully offering his shoulder for them to stand on. Felix: "Why don't you just use me as your personal step stool, my dear? I'll gladly hoist you up so you can reach that top shelf."

9. When taking pictures together, Felix likes to bend down or sit to be at eye level with his s/o, making jokes about how they're more on his level now. Felix: *sitting on the ground beside his s/o* "There, now we're almost the same height! I guess I'll have to crouch down like this every time we take a photo together."

10. Felix loves to make jokes about how his s/o is the perfect height for him to rest his chin on their head, playfully nuzzling them as he teases. Felix: *resting his chin on his s/o's head* "Ah, the perfect armrest. You may be short, but you make a great headrest, my love."

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Helping Hand 2

Warnings: non/dubcon, mentions of divorce, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Characters: Jonathan Pine, 40s reader

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

A week in and you’re… efficient. Rather, self-sufficient. You can’t say you’re confident but you are starting to figure it out.

The till isn’t so confounding and the customers not so intimidating. It’s easy enough to ask how their day is, if they found everything, and get the rung through. You’ve learned quickly if only to keep Giselle from rolling her eyes at you.

That day, you’re closing. Less than an hour now and you walk the floor, checking for any errant customers to remind them of the coming deadline. There aren’t many, a tall college student wandering through the history section and a couple of older men chatting over a stack of Stephen King classics.

You head down the rear all and feel the buzz in your pocket. You ignore it. Any calls you’re getting, you’re in no hurry to answer. You sigh and pass an aisle, movement twitching at the edge but you don’t bother looking over.

As you get to the next row, you hear your name. You turn back as you see the man’s head just over the top of the shelf before he turns down the same aisle. He must be the speck you ignored.

“Oh, hi,” you smile, wiping away your worries; you’re at work. “Jonathan, right?”

“You remember,” he preens, “I was hoping you’d be around.”

“You… were?” You hesitate. Your phone buzzes. A short jitter signaling a voicemail.

“Ah, yes, I was hoping for some advice,” he puts his hand on the slender wall of the shelf, “I am gift hunting and I can’t seem to pin down an idea. I thought most people love a book but I fear choosing something utterly boring.”

“Oh, well, uh, who are we buying for?” You wonder.

“She’s about your age, I think. So I thought…”

He’s married. Of course, why wouldn’t he be. You don’t know why that disappoints you. It shouldn’t. He’s only friendly and you’re a poor divorcee. Another buzz in your pocket.

“Well, you could get her a nice bookmark and maybe a cookbook?” You had loved your cookbooks. You miss them dearly.

“Mmm, she doesn’t do much cooking. More the type to order in or eat out,” he pulls his hand back and crosses one arm over his chest, bending the other to tap his chin.

“Does she sew? Or do any crafts?” You prod, searching for options. “Or maybe she likes fashion?”

“She does spend a lot on clothes,” he chuckles.

“Well, if you’d rather a novel, you really can’t go wrong with a thriller. They tend to be fast-paced and easy to read.”

He nods thoughtfully and drops his arms, pushing back his jacket as he slides his hands into his pants, “do you like them?”

“Like… what?”

“Thrillers? Perhaps you have a specific suggestion?”

“Ah, well, John Grisham. He’s always good,” you turn, “I’ll show you where they are.”

“Thank you. Always helpful, darling.”

You’re happy he can’t see your face. That last word makes your chest twinge. He’s so nice. It makes you sad to think you would never have one of those. A nice man. Your pants buzz again.

“Why don’t you have a look,” you present the books with a wave, “and I’ll be back to answer any questions you have. I just need to finish my walk through.”

“Certainly,” he agrees, reaching to trace a fingertip down the spine of a book.

You smile and rush away. You’re just going to turn your phone on silent and deal with it later. As you peek at the screen, you see the same name, over and over. What could he want?

You scroll through the onslaught of Andy’s messages. It’s just like living with him. It never stops. His last text is all caps; CALL ME.

You reply, ‘working for fifteen more minutes. Can’t.’

“You didn’t get too far,” Jonathan startles you and you quickly slide your phone away, “what do you think of this one?”

He holds up a copy of The Whistler. You nod, “it’s not bad. Main character is a woman, so probably a good choice for them.”

“Wonderful, and you suggested a bookmark?”

“Yes, er, over here,” you beckon him onward and take him to the swiveling rack of bookmarks, “these ones are especially nice, I think.”

You point to the thick leather bookmarks with the tassel strings attached and a few charms at the end. He leans in and examines the different colours. He clucks, “I really can be indecisive. If I recall,” he unhooks the same style you suggested, “she was preferable to pink.”

“Great,” you declare, “perfect gift.”

“Hope so,” he agrees, “I’m sorry, am I keeping you? You’re eager to be rid of me.”

“No, not at all, I didn’t mean to hurry you,” you assure him, “I’m sorry. It’s been a very long day and–”

“And you’ve been on your feet. You must be tired,” he suggests, but not in a sarcastic way. “I forget it is so late.”

“Really, it’s okay, I didn’t mean to come off as sharp.”

“Relax,” he taps his knuckles on the book, “you’ve been a wonderful help. Really. I’ll be sure to put your name on the survey.”

“Uh, thanks,” you swallow, “have a good night.”

“You as well,” he raises his handful and nods before striding off.

You groan, cringing as your chest threatens to cave in on itself. Why are you so awkward? You’re so bad at this job. Like everything else.

There’s a scratchy noise. It catches your ear and you swear, it sounds just like your name. Shit! You pull out your phone, the timer is ticking. You must have pocket-dialed. You bring the phone to your ear.

“Hello?”

“Hello!” Andy booms, “Christ. We have something important to talk about.”

“Right, I told you, I’m at work–”

“You called me. Don’t waste my time. My mother’s birthday–”

“Andy, we’re not married anymore.”

“I know that. She asked me to tell you she wants you at her party. She always liked you. For whatever reason.”

You don’t take the bait. You don’t have to please him anymore. He filed for divorce, he made that choice.

“I’ll check my schedule–”

“Who were you talking to?” He interrupts.

“A customer,” you keep your voice down, “speaking of, I need to get back–”

“You were real nice to him, weren’t you?”

“Good night, Andy.”

You hang up. You don’t know how he’s still paranoid when you’re not even together. Jackass.

[peachiemilkytea]

ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ʙᴏʏ

pt 2, pt 3, pt 4

Summary: Henry has been talking to your dad about his co-boss a lot lately, enough to invite him over for dinner knowing that he is your boss too. Now you have to deal with a dumb teenage boy you don't like.

Paring: Teen!Michael Afton x Fem!Reader

Warnings: use of Y/n, third and first person pov, your parents embarrassing you, flirting?? romance??? enemies to friends

W/c: 5K

☆════ ⋆★⋆ ════☆

Flipping the pages in between my fingers of a romance story. Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly. It was in my top ten favorites, my first favorite was IT by Stephen King. The one I'm reading now is about two teenagers, Angie Morrow, and Jack Duluth, being a couple and going out together in June for the first time. Their dates would be them getting cokes with friends, riding in Jack's car, going to movies, and taking the boat out. They grew closer than they could ever be together. It gave it a whole new point of view on the world. Rose-tinted glasses.

"Dottie! Come down here!"

Uh oh, am I in trouble? I put my book down on my bedside and walked downstairs. Mom was leaning on the kitchen counter talking to my dad who was smoking a cigarette. My mother hates the smell of cigarettes. Her nose scrunched at the intoxicating smell. I took a seat at the table.

"Whatever happened, Daniel did it!" I accused my little brother without hesitance. Holding my hands together, my shoulders become tense. Dad snickered out smoke holding onto the sink, biting his lip to hold back a big smile. Mom rolled her eyes at the smoke he let out.

"You're not in trouble (Y/n), we're having the Aftons over for dinner." Mom explained, breathy chuckling.

"Henry and I had lunch with him the other day, he's something else. I had to use everything to stop myself from making fun of his accent. Anyway, his family will be here by six twenty so get ready." Dad explained twiddling the cigarette in between his fingers.

"Alright, whew, you scared me! I thought I was gonna be in trouble! Where's Daniel? Does he know?" I asked, looking around.

"Yes, he knows, he walked in on us talking about it. The Aftons have a boy your age. We'll leave Daniel to suffer with the little ones." Mom said getting off of the counter. I let out a "Yes!" pumping my arm up and running upstairs.

Now that I think about it, William never really talks about his family. He'll bring up his daughter Elizabeth but that's really about it. I had to find out that Michael was Will's kid myself, he never talked about him and whenever I try to bring him up Will shuts it down. He's a jerk to me, I swear it's like he hates me! One time when I was working he spilled soda all over my head with a sarcastic 'whoops.' Poor Henry had to give me a towel and wash it out of my hair and face.

While with Henry he'll talk about his kids all the time, I would hear all the stories about Sammy and Charlie. All the cute things they did and all the tantrums. Henry would have a picture of his wife in his pocket, Nancy Emily, they've been high school sweethearts. She's a sweet woman who got me into Seventeenth Summer. I usually hang out in her garden with her taking care of the plants or sunbathing. I cleaned up my room, picked up the clothes on the floor, and fixed my plants, stacking my books into the shelf, tidying up my desk. I think I looked okay. It was presentable enough. Daniel was standing at my door.

"Come on, hurry up! They're at our door." Daniel said repeatedly knocking on my doorway. I rubbed his hair walking past the kid. Downstairs there was William with a gingered-haired woman, his daughter Elizabeth, a smaller boy holding a golden Fredbear plushie, and... Michael? Ohhh that would make sense now, that's why he looks like William. I didn't pay attention when Mom was talking about us. He perked up surprised but then waved at me with a smile.

"This is Daniel and (Y/n), my kids," Mom said putting her hands on her hip. That stance always gave off 'I'm a tired mom.'

"Kids, this is the Aftons. William, Clara, Elizabeth, Evan, and Michael." Mom introduced us, pointing to each one of them.

"Hey boss," I said, looking towards William. He smirked at my remark. I looked over to my dad and saw the gears in his head turning, Mom gave out a silent 'oh.' Clara looked between me and William.

"But you work for Henry?" Dad asked more like a question.

"William is Henry's co-boss, I work for both of them," I said putting my hand on my hip, then going back to the family and flashing them a smile before going up to my room.

I heard Dad and mom talking to William and Clara talking more about work and what's for dinner, telling Daniel to take the little ones. Then They were talking about boring adult stuff, the only thing I found interesting that they were talking about is all the butterflies Clara's been finding and keeping. Maybe the book my dad was reading, The Color Purple. A book about a teenage African American, Cecilie. Raised in rural isolation in Georgia. She resists the self-paralyzing concept forced on her by others. He's the one who introduced the book to me, it was hard to read because of the writing. But that's the fun of it. Like I did with The Great Gatsby, I took notes on it and broke down the language to understand it then burned the chapters into my head of what happened in a modern way.

Grabbing one of my types of vinyl, I always liked the vinyls more than the cassettes, mixtapes, and walkmans. They played it so much better than the others. Putting on Highway To Hell by AC/DC, it was one of my all-time favorites. Nodding to the beat and mouthing the lyrics.

"Good pick! I didn't expect a good girl like you to be into rock." Michael said, leaning against my doorway with a smug look. I looked back at him and rolled my eyes. I took my vinyls out of the packages and wrote what songs they were on the middle-colored part before putting them on my green flowered walls. Michael was staring at my pictures on my bulletin board.

"Did you take these?" He asked, pointing towards them.

"Yeah, I did. It's still-life photography. What? You like them?" I spat out walking to his side. He was looking at a picture with a book that had cursive letters on the pages, a jar of flowers and the other side is a jar of ink, an old pen sitting next to it, and circled glasses on the other side. Maps and drawings of herbs under the book.

"It's not my style but I like it. It's like something really old and adventurous. Like those old guys you see in the history books." Michael read the photo perfectly. He captured it in his way but still expressed what I was trying to get. I was surprised he was being so nice right now.

"I think this one might be more of your style," I said pointing to a different picture above the one he was looking at.

A bluish-whitish tinted photo, concrete stairs with yellow lines at the end going down. The white walls were covered in graffiti, paint, posters, photos, and drawings. There were marker drawings on the walls and messy paint splattered onto the railings. Graffiti symbols and phrases are marked onto the floor. Some vinyl and cassettes were glued to the wall. Boy bands and magazine covers on the wall with famous faces and logos. The pen drawings on the side made planets and black stars. Drawings made by people saying "runaway" or lists of things or missing pet beetles people found off of the street. A large rectangular mirror on the left side reflects the turn to further downstairs on the right.

Michael's brows raised and his mouth fell slightly. His hand tucked a strand of his hair back behind his ear then covered his mouth with his hand. He blinked a couple of times through his eyelashes. I chuckled and picked it off of the bulletin board and flipped it over on my desk, writing 'To Michael' and handing it to him. He furrowed his brows and stepped back pulling his hand away from his mouth.

"Take it if you like it so much. I know you don't like me very much and I'm okay with that. I'm still your friend." I said being left hanging and still holding the photo.

"I hate you. I hate your '70s haircut. I hate how your teeth are yellow. I hate how your loud laugh echoes in a room. I hate the way you read knockoff comic books. I hate how you smile so big when you lie. I hate you. But I don't, I tried. Something about you is keeping me around. I want to be your friend." Michael admitted. That was a turn of events... He took the picture out of my hands and pressed his lips together. Holding it with two hands he stared at it. I chuckled, and a smile tugged my lips.

"So the soda thing-" I said pointing to the floor lazily. He quickly looked up bug-eyed.

"Ahhh!! Ahh!! We don't talk about that!" Michael yelled jumping on my bed. He got off of his stomach and laid on his back looking at her picture. I sighed going back to my bulletin board of pictures. I put up some new ones I took a few days ago. From the corner of my eye, I saw him put the picture on the bedside desk, and he picked up the book from my desk.

"What is this? It's so cheesy? The guy on the cover looks like me!" Michael asked, reading through the pages.

"It's what girls feel when they're in love, you wouldn't know." I joked. Hearing him scoff.

"Girls fall in love with me. Women get with me." Michael protested moving on his side to look at me with a cocky look, his tongue on the corner of his lips while biting down on it with his teeth. I let out a long 'sure.' He went back to reading. Genuinely Michael seemed invested in the story. Maybe I should show him Sixteen Candles one time. He might like that more because it's a movie. God, I love Molly Ringwald, she's such a great actor and in so many films I love. I have an undying love for her! She reminds me so much of Cheryl. Soon the vinyl stopped playing, so I grabbed another record. Metallica, Ride The Lightning. Putting it in and turning up the volume. Michael's head lifted quickly.

"No way! Metallica! Wait wait I know this one. Ride The Lighting, right?" Michael fanboyed over the vinyl. I nodded lazily. Grabbing a few covers I handed them to him. Dr Feelgood Mötley Crüe, Sweet Child O' Mine Guns N' Roses, Detroit Rock City KISS, Cherry Bomb the Runaways, Bad Reputation Joan Jett, Pet Sematary Ramones, and so many others. Rolling Stones, Judas Priest, you name it. Michael looked like a kid in a candy store flipping through the record covers. He was stuttering his words.

"Oh my god." Michael managed to get out of his excited stutters. Holding up one of them records.

"You can pick the next song." I gave a small smile sitting at the end of my bed. I lie on my stomach further it and swing my feet back and forth. Bopping my head to the beat of the metal music. I felt my imagination running wild, anything with music made me daydream. It was like scenes in a movie or a cartoon show. Michael was mimicking the strings of a guitar that the song was playing.

"Is this all you do?" Michael asked, looking up at the ceiling. His hand was up pointing and tracing the cracks.

"Yeah. I mean sometimes I'll go out if it's with my best friend or if it's because of work. My room beats going outside any day." I said, swinging my feet back and forth while leaning my cheek on my pointer finger. I like to be introverted, my mother always called me a homebody who needs to get out more. The most I would do is hang out with my dad on the porch at dawn talking about our days while he was smoking a cigarette.

"You have a friend that isn't Henry? That's hard to believe." Michael playfully insulted. I grabbed one of my pillows and smacked him with it. He yelled and put his hands up laughing.

"Yes, I do! Jeez. How do you even know I'm friends with Henry? Will doesn't like to talk a lot." I asked sitting up and hugging the same pillow I assaulted him with.

"I know Henry too, you know! You're not the only one. Father will bring me and my brother and sister to work sometimes and that's how I know Henry. He talks about you too much. It's like you're some star student. It's always (Y/n) this and (Y/n) that and oh did you know what (Y/n) did? All the time, it's so annoying!" Michael groaned into the pillow.

"Boo hoo, oh poor you." I mocked sticking my tongue out. Michael lifted his head from the pillow and spotted something. Should I be worried? He looks so curious. He grabbed a book on the floor next to my bed that read 'The 48 laws of Power' which was about Niccolo Machiavelli's philosophy.

"Where did you get something like this?" Michael asked, skipping through the pages.

"It's a philosophy book, about the philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli. He lived in Florence during the Renaissance period. But then a prince came to the city and kicked anyone he didn't like out. Machiavelli was one of them. He would think while he was homeless. He would put on his fanciest clothes and talk about philosophy. Machiavelli has the theory that to get power you need to be feared to be loved. He wrote a letter to the prince on why he should come back to Florence. The prince read the letter and let him back into the city. He gave Machiavelli his spot. To have power you need to cheat, manipulate, and have confidence. It's used in politics and elections." I explained talking through my hands, never leaving his eyes.

Funny story, when I was out for a walk one day I found a kid in a tree reading it and I asked him how he knew that book. We had the best talk about being manipulative. It takes a true philosopher to understand and with that, you need to change your mindset. Philosophy is the love of wisdom, or in Greek Philosophia. It's pursuing your lover, pursuing Sophia. I love doing philosophy but I don't have anyone to do it with.

"This is deep," Michael said he was gapping like a fish. I could tell it wasn't really his thing and it's probably something you look at and forget the next day. I only nodded with a small smile.

My door creaked, I expected it to be one of the kids or my dad telling me to come downstairs for dinner. Cujo came running and jumped on Michael. He grunted putting the book on the nightstand on top of Seventeenth Summer. Cujo jumped on top of him and soaked his face in dog slobber, drool coming down and hitting Michael's cheek. He pushed the dog off of him and wiped the grossness off of his face. Gagging and scowling. I let out a fit of laughter.

"Good boy! Good boy Cujo." I patted his head.

"You named him after the murder dog?!" Michael shrieked scouting up on my pillows trying to get Cujo out of his lap.

"Yeah." I held Cujo's chin up to me and kissed his forehead.

"He almost killed me!" Michael complained, crossing his arms and glaring at me.

"Stop being a baby. Cujo's a sweetheart, he would never hurt anybody unless I tell him to, Isn't that right?" I coo'ed to my puppy. He barked in response. I swear it's like he understands me. We don't deserve dogs, they are too good for us.

"Never thought I would hear that..." Michael mumbled and slowly came off of my pillows. He hesitantly held his hand out to the dog, taking it back quickly when Cujo turned around to sniff his palm. Michael tried again shaking but moved his hand away too quickly again. Cujo barked at him. I grabbed his wrist and held it up to Cujo, finally, he smelt his palm and declared Michael his friend. He put his head into the boy's hand making him pet him. Michael loosened up and pet Cujo's head. A genuine smile tugged at his lips. Scaredy cat.

"KIDS ATTACK!" Uh oh- Elizabeth jumped on her brother and tackled Michael on the bed, hitting him. Telling his face it hurt. Evan was timidly hiding behind Daniel.

"What? Evan! You're supposed to be beating up your brother and my sister!" Daniel said, lifting his arm and looking behind him. Evan was shaking behind him, shutting his eyes so hard you could see the wrinkles on the side. I got up from my spot while Elizabeth and Michael were beating each other up. I went up to the two boys and squatted down to the little one's height. He opened his eyes slowly. They were glossy, you could see every sparkle in the blue. His cheeks were a rosy red. A golden bear was in his arms, looking like Fredbear. William must've given it to him.

"Hey little buddy, it's okay. You don't gotta be me up. Daniel was just joking. Uh... Do you want a hug or something?" I asked, holding out my arms. Evan calmed down a little bit. He left Daniel's side and came up to me laying against me. I wrapped my arms around him and rubbed his back softly. Evan's crying calmed down and only had little sniffles and shaky gasps of air.

"I like your plushie, what's his name?" I asked, trying to relax him.

"Goldie," Evan mumbled lying on my chest. I stroked his hair.

"That's a nice name," I said softly, looking down at him. Something about this kid melts my heart. He's so delicate, fragile. If he was a box being shipped overseas he would have the fragile label on him.

"Wh-What's your name?" he stuttered looking up at me.

"I'm (Y/n), Daniel's sister. You're daddy's friend. What's your name?" I asked, sitting down on my knees.

"I'm Evan, sometimes my sister calls me Ev," he explained. Isn't that sweet? It's his sister's nickname. Daniel looked confused, glaring at us. I shot him a glare. He stuck out his tongue and pulled down his eyelid.

"IZZY! Get the hell off of me!" Michael yelled fighting his sister. I forgot that was happening. To be fair, Elizabeth was winning the fight. She was laughing at him and sitting on his stomach punching him, Michael's hands covered his face. As much as I'm enjoying seeing Michael getting his ass whooped by his little sister it can't go on forever.

"Alright! How about we play hide and seek?" I asked standing up. It caught Elizabeth perked up, she stopped fighting Michael and looked at me with a bright grin. That kid is a little devil but at least she's cute with her bow. She got off of Michael jumping off my bed and running towards me.

"Hide and seek! Hide and seek! Hide and seek!" Elizabeth chanted jumping up and down. Evan on the other hand shook his head no.

"Come on Evan, pleaseee! Pleaseeee! I'll beat up Michael if he scares you! Daniel's sister will make sure he won't scare you!" Elizabeth begged and pointed to me.

"It's true, I won't let him scare you, I'll even make a pinky promise." I held up my pinky. Evan's foot moved in circles and his body turned to the side, his head down looking up at me with doe eyes. Seriously, this kid is adorable. If Michael does anything I'll have Cujo eat him.

"Okay..." Evan held up his pinky. Interlocking it with mines. We pinky promised to stop Michael from scaring Evan. Speaking of the boy, his hair was disheveled and he was leaning on his elbow lifting himself. He held the back of his head, rubbing it while one of his eyes closed. My covers were a mess! My pillows were everywhere! Elizabeth probably used one to hit him. Kids...

"Daniel's it! Run kids! Count!" I yelled pointing to my brother and running away with the kids. Michael hurried soon after.

I don't know where the other two are, but I ended up with Evan. His small hand was trying to hold mine despite it being bigger. I pointed to Daniel's room under his bed. Evan and I hid under there. He was freaking out a bit. Looking around and shaking. I played with his hair and drew soft slow circles on top of his head. He looked like he could fall asleep. I heard Michael screaming like a girl. Daniel must have found him. What a wuss! There were footsteps and sounds of them arguing. They're like Dumb And Dumber. Elizabeth was found, she was whining and complaining about being found. They were looking for Evan and I. Their footsteps were so sloppy. I snickered a little too loudly, Michael was right about my laugh. How did he even pay attention to it?

"Wait..." I heard Daniel's moment of realization. He beelined for his room. It was weirdly suspenseful. Evan didn't like it at all. Seeing his socks roam the room he looked for us cautiously. Suddenly, fingers grabbed the bottom of the blankets and lifted them. Daniel was squatting there with the smugest look on his face.

"Found ya." He said slyly.

"You little buttmuncher." I jokingly insulted. He dramatically grabbed his heart and gasped offendedly. Evan sighed and crawled out from under the bed. I grabbed Daniel's ankles and pulled him to me. He shrieked and yelled at me. Hitting my hand. We got out from under the bed in a laughing fit.

We spent an hour laughing and scaring each other. Besides Evan, I was always paired with the little boy and he seemed a lot less scared when I was around. Daniel even ran downstairs and hid behind the couch till Elizabeth found him by getting a hint from William. She's a daddy's girl.

Michael was it, for the first time. He refused to do it for all the other times. He only agreed to do it if I did it with him. Pulling me away from Evan. I mean I hope the kid will be okay. Mike is kinda a dickhead. The kids ran off and hid, while we counted. Though he stopped counting.

"Why did you stop?" I asked. He stood there arms crossed with a smirk and one of his brows raised.

"They won't notice," Michael said, leaning up a little.

"Ookaay?" I said confused leaning against the wall. There was an awkward silence like Michael wanted to say something but didn't know how to phrase it. I can tell because I can see the cogs turning in his head.

"Whatever, let's go look for the little dweebs." Michael walked off.

"Hey! I'm the only one who can call Daniel a dweeb!" I ran after him.

We looked around the house. The bathroom, in the shower, the hallway closet, under my bed, under Daniel's bed. These kids were too good. It's like they disappeared. Michael and I went into my room. He put his finger to his lips and tiptoed to the closet. He paused for a moment. I shook my head no quickly, pressing my lips together. What if Evan was in there? Grabbing his shoulder and tugging it. He pushed me off. Michael slammed open the closet and put his arms up with a yell. Turns out... Evan was in there. And now he was having a sobfest thanks to Michael. I pushed past him and squatted down in front of the little boy who was clinging onto his Fredbear stuffie for dear life.

"Hey hey honey, it's okay. Come here. Oh man, I'm so sorry I broke our pinky promise." I said hugging him. Evan clung to me. I picked him up grunting at the sudden weight. He sobbed into my shirt. I glared at Michael, annoyed. For once he looks guilty. I kind of felt bad. Dropping my glare with a neutral smile. I rubbed Evan's back.

"Go find the others, Mike I'm sure dinner is almost ready." I nodded my head towards the door. He just nodded and walked off. Evan slowly calmed down still with leftover tears in the corner of his eyes.

"Do you want to go downstairs and hang out with the parents?" I asked him. He slowly nodded, not moving from my neck. I exited my cozy room and walked downstairs. The adults saw me with a crying Evan in my arms and eyed me confused and worried.

"Oh uh, hide and seek is a little too scary for him," I explained. Mrs. Afton showed understanding like this has happened before or the normal but mixed with guilt for her baby. William looked a little phased by it, his smile fading but going back to talking with my mother.

"Oh uhm here Mrs Afton." I tried handing Evan to his mother but he clung to me like a koala bear. It surprised the Aftons and my parents.

"That's very new, well I suppose he likes you a lot. That means a lot to a little child. And please call me Clara. No need to be so formal!" Mrs-... er Clara said. I nodded and took a seat at the table motioning her to sit next to me.

"I'm (Y/n), I'm sorry this is just so new to me. I wish I had heard about you more. You seem nice." I tried to make conversation. As you can tell it's going poorly.

"Awh, you're sweet. William isn't one to talk about personal stuff that much. Why I didn't even know that you two were coworkers! You work with Henry too?" Clara asked with a heartwarming smile.

"Yeah I do, Henry is my best friend. He's really how I got the job in the first place. I'm the head engineer. The bosses are the ones who are in charge of the whole engineering stuff. I'm just here if they need a little extra help or repairs." I explained she seemed to listen to every word. Her eyes softened too. Something about her makes me so comfortable like I can forget every problem I have. Dammit, William's lucky.

"I uhm.. I like your hair, my friend Cheryl Jo, her hair is red like yours too. Except hers is a little shorter." I said awkwardly, I think Evan is asleep or something. He's really quiet and not moving. His breath is a little shorter.

"You flatter me. So you're an engineer for robots? That must be interesting, you don't hear about that every day. What is it like?" Clara asked me.

"Are you going to let me geek out to you about robots? Because if you get me going I won't stop." I grinned brightly.

"I'm married to William, that already says a lot. I would love to hear you geek out about robots." Clara giggled, her nose scrunched up. If Evan wasn't laying on me I would be bouncing in my seat right now. I went on to rant to her about almost everything I learned about robots and what they could do, what's in them, how they are made, and what I think I could do for the future. I was talking so fast that I almost forgot to breathe.

"Dottie, can you get the kids and tell them dinner's ready." My mom said, wiping her hands together. I nodded, giving Evan back to Clara. He woke up instantly mind you. I got up from my seat and went upstairs.

They can't be far, so I check my room first... What the fuck. Michael was on my floor half-naked with Elizabeth and Daniel trying to shove my yellow floral white sundress over his head. He was yelling at them and trying to push them off but Daniel held down his arms and Elizabeth was solving his head through the dress. Daniel moved Michael's arms through the straps. I cleared my throat and leaned against the door. All of their heads turned towards me, surprised. Michael was beet red.

"Uh... Dinners ready."

I walked downstairs and waited for them to... stop whatever that was. I sat down in my seat with no comment. I want to unsee whatever I just saw immediately. William set the table with plates and asked what drinks we wanted. It feels weird to see him act so casually with my family, it feels weird to even see him in my home. To think my family and his never knew each other all this time. It was only him and I. He's so secretive I wonder why. He never told me about Clara or his kids. It could've been like Henry and I with Elle and the twins. Well, they're an odd bunch but still a presentable family those Aftons.

Speaking of which, Michael, Elizabeth, and Daniel came downstairs. The poor boy couldn't even make eye contact with me. Daniel took his seat next to me. Michael sat across from me. Clara was on my right and in front of her was William. Across from Daniel was Elizabeth, Evan sat next to his sister, Mom sat next to Daniel, and Dad sat in front of Mom.

My parents and the Aftons were telling stories or talking about what happened the other day that seemed so crazy. Evan was trying to get Elizabeth to eat her vegetables, he even held it to her mouth. She was stubborn, crossing her arms and pouting. Daniel was listening in on the parents' conversation. felt my foot get nudged. Fucking Michael. He was looking away listening to the parents talk. I stomped on his foot. His eyes became the sizes of dinner plates, he hit his chest with his fist and coughed violently.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Clara asked, leaning over the table.

"Yeah yeah... just went down the wrong pipe." Michael sipped his water awkwardly. Mom snickered at him and shook her head.

When he looked up he made eye contact with me and gave me a death glare. I smirked picking through my food. His foot hit mine again, I hit his shin with my leg. We were battling playing footsies under the table. Staring at each other and not breaking it. Daniel nudged my shoulder. I stopped. The parents were questioning why the table was moving. Michael kicked my ankle. I nodded my head towards the parents. We both looked at them, they were looking back at us. Michael and I quickly awkwardly took sips of our water not looking up.

---------

The loud and lively became cozy and quiet. Clara walked out with a sleeping Evan in her arms. Putting him in his car seat.

"Daniel! Come down here and say goodbye!"

"Bye!"

"That's not what I meant..." (Y/n) said, pinching the bridge of her nose. She felt her shoulder get lightly punched. Michael standing there with a smile. The annoyance of her little brother wore off.

"You leaving? I mean... you are leaving why wouldn't you be because your mom and little brother are in the car and-... I'm not making this better for myself." (Y/n) said, scratching the back of her neck shyly.

"Don't worry it's cute, I'm about to head off. I'll see you soon, right?" Michael asked looking away then back at her for a moment.

"Yeah.. yeah! Anytime besides when I'm working. Then again Will's the boss so maybe you can come when I'm working? I don't know, I'm bad at goodbyes." (Y/n) stammered awkwardly.

"Cool, cool" Michael laughed awkwardly. There was this tension between them. Vivian swung her arm around her daughter.

"We'll see you again, right Michael? You are welcome here anytime. You see... (Y/n)'s a bit of a loner-" Vivian whispered the last part behind her hand.

"Mom!" (Y/n) yelled, embarrassed pushing her mother off of her.

"I'm going to be bothering you guys all the time now, you sure you want that Mrs (L/n)?" Michael teased.

"Bring it on kid! And call me Vivian. Mrs. (L/n) makes me feel old." She said,

"Okay, well uh I should go to the car now. Bye and thank you!" Michael walked off waving a bit. Goodbyes were shared. Vivian went back to the kitchen to clean. (Y/n) sighed enjoying the moment of silence. William comes around with a sleeping Elizabeth in his arms. Stopping next to (Y/n) with a smile. She looked up at him surprised.

"I'll see you at work, I would love to hear about your new redesign for Trickster. We have a lot to go over, love." William said in his sultry accent.

"I can't wait, I have so much to talk about. I may need help to work on the blueprints and measurements. I'll see you till then, Will." (Y/n) said gently patting the sleeping girl in his arms. He nodded and took his leave.

Stephen (L/n), was in the backyard lighting a cigarette while the Aftons were leaving. Something was odd to him. Something didn't feel right about William. His guy screamed an icky feeling near him. He didn't like it, but he knew it was a move of a fool to find out what was wrong with William. He needs to know when is the right time to act and how to act. A puff of smoke soared up into the dark sky.

Cujo follows (Y/n) upstairs lazily through her night routine. She grabbed the phone and dialed a number. Cujo lay on her bed huffing and puffing.

"ʜᴇʏ ᴄʜᴇʀʏʟ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ. ʜᴇ ɪꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙᴀᴅ."

[afandommultiverse]

Paper Pusher with CAPTAIN JOHN PRICE

♱ Warnings: absolutely none, just some fluff lol, I guess my manic writing is a warning itself Idk

♱ A/n: please enjoy my own personal brain rot, I wrote this at 2 almost 3am and HAVE NOT EDITED IT but I wanted to post it so bad 🥰 I’m not saying it’s good but it’s indulgent 🫶

♱ WC: 1.8k

⌐╦̵̵̿ᡁ᠊╾━ ♡ ⌐╦̵̵̿ᡁ᠊╾━

Paper work was easy, honestly, you preferred it over all the other things you had to do to get to this position. Sure, the boot camps were fun and were great for making friends in later stages. At the end of the day, you weren’t made for the field work and could barely cover your own ass, let alone any of your teammates. It was quick and easy to find a position on task 141 to help oversee and complete any paperwork for the team. This included many things, from researching for future missions and people, keeping up with any new possible sources or tips while the team was away, asking for permissions of sorts from higher ups, completing summaries for each soldier after missions etc etc. You had a lot to do, but like you said, it was all easy and totally worth it.

“Our little paper pusher, how are you doing hm? Miss us while we were away?” The sound of Soap's voice breached the silence in the office, before steps flooded the room. Soon, you had a group of men huddled around your desk, all looking down at you expectantly. You only looked up and smiled, before looking back to the computer to finish your last sentence of an email, before turning back to them.

“Definitely didn’t miss you that much. I like working in silence, thank you.”

“Sure little bird, that's why we could see you looking at us while landing from your window.” Ghost spoke slyly, and glimpsed in his eyes, telling you that he knew something you didn’t.

“Oh alright, you got me. I was waiting to see if there was still a chance you guys would crash before landing.” You quipped, stood up, and stepped over to the printer, where you picked up several forms and turned back around to face them.

“You know the drill boys, fill ‘em out and get them back to me, here in this office, by midnight.” Groans filled the room, but nonetheless, they each took their stacks of paperwork and even grabbed some pens from the cup sitting on your desk. They filed one by one, closing the door again on their way out. When they were gone, you turned and walked into your storage room connecting to your office, and began rifling for an agreement form you had hidden away somewhere. The original was with Price, but since he wasn’t with the guys when they gamed in, you figured he was busy and didn't want to bother him when you could likely find the paper yourself - well, at least after you got some of these boxes out of the way.

You started from the top, wanting to take things easy, and reduce the chances of any of the boxes toppling on top of you. You searched alphabetically, following first, middle and last words you could have used to code the document or even any acronyms, but still had to find it. After fifteen minutes, you were about ready to five up, but that's when you saw it, balancing on a wobbly shelf with 3 around it blocking it in. In all honesty, it was a wonder you had even seen it, but now that you know where it is, the determination from earlier flooded your system and you began planning your accent.

The footstool was too short, but it was thick enough to hold one of the strong containers, filled with books, and from there you could step on that to reach the boxes. The first box came down easily, a loud smack sounding throughout the room as you threw it down to the floor as gently as possible from your elevation. The second one was a little harder, having to push on to the tops of your feet a bit more, your heel ever so slightly coming off the box underneath you. You felt a slight wobble from the shelf, which in turn made you wobble, but after a quick second you were sturdy again. The second smack was a little less loud, landing on top of the other box a bit more softly from the shorter distance.

When you reach the third box, you step to the tip of your toes, the step stool wobbling under your uneven weight as you balance on top of it, but also balancing against the shelf that keeps threatening to tip back against your weight, pushing the box further from the tips of your fingers. You failed your hands to catch the edges of it, pushing it towards yourself, but the movement made minimal progress. You stepped on one foot, slowly going back to what you were doing, concentrating so hard you didn’t hear your office door open and shut again.

“Need some help with that?” The voice startled you, ripping in half the concentration and balance you tried so hard to maintain in two. It was like dominoes, the shelf pushing back against your surprised weight and falling against the wall at an awkward angle. Unable to control your momentum, you fell forward with it - the tips of your feet pushing the box under you off the stool quickly. Just as you realized you were indeed falling, two arms wrapped around your waist from underneath you. As your brain caught up with the situation, your hands gripping on the shelf so tight from the fear of upcoming pain, however there was none. The strong arms wrapped around your waist and butt to stop you from falling much further, literally holding you up. Finally, the head of someone just underneath your chin staring up at you bewildered, but as he recognized you were okay, you recognized who HE was.

“P-Price?” Your whole body felt warm, looking down at him shocked. He too mirrored your expression, but it soon turned into a cheeky smile and mischievous glint in his eye.

“Just fallin’ all over me now, are you, L/n?” You turned your head away in embarrassment, to which he chuckled before he moved. He set your feet on top of the step stool again, this time with no shifty box of books on top. When you were stable enough, you stood on the stool yourself, already missing the warm arms around you. But when you unlatched yourself from the shelf, you balanced yourself on his shoulders, liking the feeling of the taunt muscles underneath.

“Are you okay?” He asked, looking at you for any injury to which there was none, fortunately because of his quick savior. You felt like you could breathe again, stepping back on the stool and looking at him in all his returning from mission glory.

“Yes, thank you so much, Price.” You felt your sweat cool from the anxious event, stepping down from step still and standing on solid ground again.

“What were you looking for anyway? Want me to grab it?” He offered, turning to look at the shelf to where you were picking through, seeing the final box, and grabbed the stool for himself. Before you knew it, he was handing you the box to look through, and thankfully you found exactly what you needed. He followed you out of the side room, setting the box on your desk, and you turned off the light and shut the door, almost hesitating to turn back around to the man whose whole presence filled your office.

“You should be more careful, or ask for help next time. We can’t have our little paper pusher out on the comp now.” You snorted, turning to face him with a smile, he always had something to say. You walked over your desk, setting down to sit and riffle through the stacks of forms for the next three or so hours.

“You’d only miss me because you’d have three times as much work to do if it weren’t for me, Captain, don’t kid yourself.” He laughed, heading even tilting back a little. You loved to make him laugh, it was one of your favorite things to do, because if you could make him laugh, you got a heart with that wonderfully velvety voice that almost sang to you.

“You only half right, I’ll give you that.” He settled down in the chair in front of me, laying back like he planned to stay longer. He took his hat off, scratching his head, before placing it back on top in its place.

“Oh? What’s this other half hm? Let me guess, my winning personality?” That sarcasm was basically dripping, but he wasn’t phased, smiling at you before saying,

“If it were up to me, I’d say you were a mind reader, Y/n.” You rolled your eyes, a smile tugging at your lips as you tried to get some work done, but you could not keep your eyes off the man in front of you. He looked tired, but he was happy and tired. The mission had been a success, with zero casualties, and benefited greatly from it, with new assets and even some information worth zeroing in on. Something you would no doubt have to fit in your schedule somehow, but nonetheless it was better than the alternative.

“Don’t you want to go get washed up? Go relax with a cigar or something?” You asked after a half-hour of debriefing and catching up. He had taken off his hat completely, hair messy and flat. His eyes were barely staying open as it is, but he kept chatting, offering to help with anything and everything, not wanting to stay a minute longer as he had asked you earlier when you had come in. When you told him 5am, he almost couldn't believe it, as your job started at 8am, but apparently you wanted a head start on the day. In truth, you couldn’t sleep that night, you could never sleep well enough on the night that they were supposed to come back, almost expecting something wrong to happen, and never being able to see them again, never being able to see Price again.

“I’m relaxing here.” He spoke so plainly. Like he hadn’t been up for the last 64 hours. John Price needed rest.

“I thought you would say that, that’s why I sent Ghost a little email.” As if right on que, Ghost knocked on and opened the door. Walking in and up the Captain.

“Heard yer botherin’ the nice lady.” He joked, nudging John's shoulder while looking back at me shocked.

“You're kicking me out? After I saved you?” You stood and rounded the desk, coming to rest on it in front of him.

“You need to rest John, as much as you want to keep working, you can’t. So get some rest and see me in the morning to talk about your summary papers for this mission.” John groaned as he stood, but shot you a smile before following Ghost out. Truthfully, John didn’t need Ghost to leave, he would have left if you asked the right way.

But you knew deep down you wouldn’t have asked him to leave.

[betterbooktitles]

I had placed a stack of albums on the counter of a tiny strip mall record shop when my smartest writer friend called me out of the blue to tell me I should “always have a mistress.”

Relax. She meant a metaphorical mistress. That is, a writing project on the side. You have your main squeeze (a novel or a script) but then you flirt with the idea of writing a YA Romance or a Thriller or (god forbid) poetry. You need something to write that feels like a break from your “Big Project.”

I was staring at the cover of Tears for Fears’ Songs From The Big Chair, imagining the person I would be once I heard “Head Over Heels” on vinyl when my phone rang. I only had the ringer on because I was waiting for a potential call from a casting director. A certain late-night show sent out a casting notice for “shirtless man” and I, without any shame, turned on the lights in my wife’s office and had her take a few shots with my phone. I had the ringer on in case a stranger got my (half) nudes in an email, and said “That’s it! Get me that torso!” I’m sorry to say, enough time has passed without a call that you will not be seeing my chest on TV any time soon. Usually, my phone remains on silent when I’m out in the world. It also remains on silent when I’m at home because I’m staring at it all day anyway. Who needs to bring noise into that equation? If you call, I’ll see it.

Between the tone of her voice and the occasional swoosh of a car going by, I could tell my friend was driving and had me on speakerphone. She was on her way to lunch with someone on the business/agency side of Entertainment, heading to a mix of pleasurable banter over food with a friend but also a business-minded networking session with someone she hadn’t seen in 6 months. This call, pleasurable to me but in retrospect a bit of business since we talked instantly and almost entirely about work for 20 minutes, was eerily fortuitous. It was like she knew I was writing this week about work and relationships.

“You have the mistress project because it makes you feel young,” she said, telling me about her decision to write 50 pages of a Romance novel. “The problem is that you think ‘Maybe I should leave my wife for this younger project.’” She had submitted the first chunk of her frivolous manuscript to an agent, and, to her horror, the agent loved it. Now she has to live with it for a while. She has to explain to her previous project that they are either in a polyamorous marriage now or about to enter a trial separation. Plus, she had to see if the mistress project was wife material or if she’d fall into the same patterns as her previous relationship. OK. We get the metaphor.

“I’m afraid my new mistress is buying dollar records,” I said, watching the traffic go by, sipping from a lid-off paper cup full of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee that, between the time I’d spent looking at records and chatting in the parking lot, had turned cold. I felt the urge to rush back into the store and apologize to Timmy the manager for stepping out. I worried he’d already re-shelved my copy of The Go-Go’s Beauty And The Beat or that someone had seen the Tears For Fears on the top of “my” unpurchased heap and bought it for himself. This shopping trip was supposed to be an Artist Date (I guess the metaphor is still going), a weekly outing you do solo to engage with your Muse before journalling about it because a book called The Artist’s Way says it’s the only way to remain creative. You woo the Muse by engaging with art alone. Typically, I’d go to a museum or a movie by myself for my Artist Date but I’d had a record player for over 2 months and had only amassed a measly hundred-plus albums in my house so far. My next Artist Date will be a trip to IKEA to buy a shelf to hold more.

“No, Dan.” My brilliant friend said, “Replacing your main project with records or books is like saying you’re not going to have a mistress and instead get into sex dolls. You need a creative project.”

Read the rest of the essay here.

[starstruckmoony]

the lakes.

masterlist

pairing - remus lupin x fem!reader

summary - you and remus like books, but you also like each other. the black brothers add to the drama.

trope/tags - non-magic!au, university/college!au, fluff, references to literature

word count - 4.8k

warnings - language

part 1 / part 2

remus lupin was never the talkative type. he was the guy who would usually leave the socialising part and all of that extrovert bullshit to his friends, while he just smiled and nodded at whatever was being said. and that was only sometimes. he'd often just put on a sort of an annoyed expression and it did the job of limiting unwanted social interactions very well. new people rarely ever came up to him, whether it was because witnessing what happens when one tries to strike up a conversation with him was discouraging them, or the intentionally threatening look he always had on his face. it's not like he wasn't approachable, but he certainly tried his best to make it seem like he wasn't. he just sort of preferred books over people most of the time. that was why he almost ran away from you when you spoke to him out of the blue one day.

"can i recommend something?" you questioned when you happened to notice which shelf he happened to be most interested in. what a coincidence it was that both of you had been rummaging through the large sections of classics in the library one afternoon in search for something new to read. "uh- um- yes." he turned his entire body towards you clumsily, almost dropping his coffee and the stack of books tucked under his arm. you chuckled at him.

"jane eyre, if you haven't read it already. i mean it's pretty popular so you might have," you trailed off, feeling the tension in the room rise, "but yeah, it's a great book." you reprimanded yourself inwardly. you felt like an idiot, you could have prepared for this a bit better.

"jane eyre?" he shot back. it took you off guard. he didn't want it to come out that way. it wasn't meant to sound rude, or confrontational, or anything of that sort. remus fought the urge to slap himself. "sorry."

"what– oh, it's fine." you smiled, almost apologetically. remus ungainly snatched the book you recommended from the shelf, and walked past you without uttering another word. "awkward." marlene sang from behind you, making a face at the uncomfortable conversation she was forced to witness.

"this is ridiculous." you huffed in embarrassment, letting your head fall onto her shoulder. she sighed, throwing an arm around you in a half-assed attempt at being sympathetic.

you fancied remus lupin. and saying that was an understatement. you had been completely and utterly enthralled by the guy since the first time you saw him in the same exact library a couple of months prior. it was like a sight out of all those romance novels you'd read throughout your life - you locked your eyes with him through the cracks in the shelves for only a moment, and that one little look was enough to make your heart surrender. marlene thought it was totally absurd, and frankly, she had good reason to. sirius found it quite hilarious though, and james, of course, was the first one who was willing to support you and your infatuation with remus.

"you can always try again, you know." james shrugged, giving you a comforting smile. it was a poor form of encouragement, nothing was capable of truly fixing your broken spirit in that moment, but you took what you could get.

"i swear he hates me." you moaned miserabley as you pulled away from marlene, throwing your arms up in the air in frustration. "you're being paranoid." marlene crossed her arms.

"he's like that with everyone." james chimed in, almost dismissively.

"give me one example." you challenged. sure, you appreciated the comfort you'd get from your friends, but not when you felt like they were lying to you to make you feel better. you gave james a rather challenging glare.

"off the top of my head, sirius." he reminded you.

"that's because he's sirius." you retorted with an eye roll.

"talking 'bout me?" the aforementioned suddenly appeared from behind one of the bookshelves and jumped onto james' back. you quietly chuckled at the idiotic tussle the two were having. such a sight wasn't anything out of the ordinary, and they only stopped when madam pince threatened to throw them outside, probably for the third time that week, you noted.

"what brings someone like you to a library anyway?" you quirked an eyebrow at sirius once the librarian left you and your friends alone (after quietly screaming at all of you). you weren't sure how she did it, that woman was the least and the most intimidating person you had ever met.

"well, if you must know," he clapped his hands together, "i need some help with my english literature essay." he grinned innocently and batted his eyelashes at you.

you groaned. "i told you i wasn't going to write them for you anymore." he pouted.

"can't you do anything yourself? i do your history essays, rosier does your greek assignments and he's in the year below, and evans does your french homework. all the bloody time. lazy arse." marlene scoffed, kicking him in the shin. sirius moaned, but not in the pained way. james hid his face in his sweater to cover up a laugh. you pinched the bridge of your nose. your head was already beginning to hurt and you hadn't even seen the topic he got assigned to write about.

"okay, but what if i pay you?" sirius suggested with another smile after recovering, seeming scarily confident. james looked a bit alarmed.

"maybe you should write one on capitalism, hm?" marlene proposed with a teasing smile. sirius seemed very displeased by her comment.

"how's your nicotine addiction?" he smirked. marlene let out an offended gasp and smacked him across the head with a book. "ouch!"

"not wordsworth!" you cried, yanking it out of her hands and dusting it off. no, not the poetry. james burst into giggles.

"funny enough," sirius winced as he rubbed the spot on his head that was now becoming sore, "mcgonagall asked me to write one on the lake poets." you pursed your lips in thought. that didn't sound half-bad, and it was something you could most likely manage, unlike all of those other essays that sirius was begging you to write for him. you hoped so, at least. luck did appear to be taking a turn in your way, but in an entirely different direction all at once.

***

"i'm gonna fucking kill myself." remus slammed the stack of books he was carrying down onto the table, which shook it entirely and created an echoing bang through the whole study hall. "my cocoa-" pandora desperately reached for the paper cup, but it was too late. the warm chocolate drink spilled everywhere in front of her. "that cost me two quid, you know." she pouted and began digging through her bag for some tissues.

"bloody hell, what happened to you?" lily looked at him in horror. remus felt like he was about to lose his mind any second, and she could sense it too. "y/n l/n happened to me."

"you didn't ask her out, did you?" regulus quirked an eyebrow at him. "do i look like i have the balls for that?" remus slumped down into an empty chair next to mary, hitting his head against the table repeatedly. mary pulled him back by the collar of his shirt to get him to stop and shook her head at him in disappointment.

remus trailed his eyes over all of his friends, and they all seemed to be searching for an explanation for the sudden outburst. he ran his hands through his hair, frowning.

"i'm pretty sure hates me after what i'd just done." he muttered in defeat.

remus had a tiny crush on you, but that was just him lying to himself and trying to make his life easier. he was kind of failing, though. he didn't think he was the type to fall in love. he used to prefer the idea of living alone, or with a friend, rather than a lover, but then he met you. he had fallen head over heels for you the moment he saw you in the library, and every time he laid his eyes on you or heard you speak, it got worse. much, much worse. he didn't even need regulus (who's life purpose was to make fun of him) to tell him he was being ridiculous, he was very well aware of it himself. the girls found it adorable though, especially lily, who was certain that the two of you would end up together by the end of the year.

"we don't have mind reading abilities, you know." lily said as she closed her notebook and propped her chin into her palm, her full focus now on remus.

"i fucking ran off when she tried to talk to me. she even recommended a book and i just– i just walked away like some dimwit." he confessed, uncomfortably squirming in his seat. his face was turning bright red.

"christ, you really are stupid." regulus snorted, not even sparing him a glance.

"thanks, regulus, that was really comforting." remus rolled his eyes. regulus blew him a kiss and then continued with the snake doodle in his textbook.

"okay, i don't think it sounds that bad." mary added in attempt to ease the situation, giving remus a comforting smile, but it wasn't much help. he didn't know if anything could help. he wasn't even sure if he was ever going to able to face you again. besides, being optimistic (which was something mary was always good at) seemed like a rather difficult concept to remus.

"oh, come on, cheer up, will you?" pandora said as she tossed the dirty tissues into a nearby rubbish bin. "you'll have plenty more opportunities to talk to her, don't let one bad experience bring you down so easily."

remus shook his head. he was over-thinking it all again, and being the biggest pessimist to ever walk the earth was like a cherry on top.

"you've got no idea how awful it looked. i feel terrible." remus cringed at himself, "i've just ruined all of my chances." he whined, covering his face in shame.

"remus, you can't live like that, you know? we all do awkward things from time to time and get embarrassed, but it doesn't mean the world's gonna end." lily reminded him. those were the words remus heard more times than he could count. his expression turned sour. coming to terms with that was a lot harder than it seemed. could his day have got any worse?

"lily's right, remus," mary threw a comforting arm around him, "look at it positively. she recommended you a book, meaning you have the perfect excuse to talk to her now. find her in the library again when you read it, maybe something will become of that." mary said, looking around for support.

lily nodded enthusiastically. remus considered the idea. he was nowhere near confident enough to speak to you properly, he was awful at keeping conversations going with people he fancied either way, but mary's suggestion didn't sound that bad. sure, it was horrifying, but not enough to have him spiraling into a tiny existential crisis. he pictured a few possible scenarios in his head, and when he realised that most of them are going in a way that will make him never want to leave his dorm again, he nodded before he could make himself do otherwise. "that's cute and all, but i say i follow him aro-"

"oh no, you better not move a finger." pandora interrupted regulus before he could finish. he scoffed and leaned back into his chair, scowling childishly. regulus may be one of remus' closest friends, but boy did he get a thrill poking fun at him. taking him somewhere for moral support was always a disaster waiting to happen.

"you'll be alright, i'm positive. besides, i think y/n quite likes you." mary winked at the tall boy, grinning cheekily. the tall boy smiled a bit, but still couldn't ignore that feeling of doubt that rose in him. he loathed drawing attention to himself in any way, shape, or form more than anything in the world. but it was you on his mind this time, and mary was rarely ever wrong. it made remus doubt every decision he had ever made in his life.

***

"have i ever told you lot how much i detest english? not sure if i did, but i hate it. my day's been ruined, just so you know." sirius began rambling the second you left the classroom after what he thought was a ridiculously boring lesson no normal human being would have been able to keep up with. and not to mention that professor mcgonagall outright called him out for not paying attention in front of everybody, and almost in a mocking way, too.

"you tell us everyday, mate." james sighed and gave him a pat on the back. he was already well prepared to watch sirius sulk and whinge for the rest of the day.

"hates english, hates french, hates cultural studies, is there anything you like around here?" marlene laughed in amusement.

"tobacco." sirius shoved a hand down the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a cigarette the second you all stepped outside. you weren't quite paying attention to what your friends were saying, their conversation posed as more of a background noise to your own doings. you were busy writing sirius' stupid essay, and you found yourself struggling. quite a lot, and much more than you had anticipated. you had points to make, not that many, but they were there. having quotes to back them would certainly ease it.

"damn you, black," you muttered, not loud enough for anybody to hear, "hey, i'm gonna head to the library, don't wait for me." you scrambled to shove the papers into your bag and already began walking away from the group.

"wait, wh-"

"i said don't wait for me!" you sang, waving them goodbye in hurry and running back into the corridor you just came out of. you found yourself in the library in a matter of seconds, and located the bookshelf with works from the era of romanticism with ease. that's where you spent time pretty often, and you picked up what you were searching for effortlessly.

you spotted an empty table somewhere in the corner, and began skimming through the pages of the poetry book in search of one specific verse, one that could help you explain why you impulsively stated that the poets loved transcendence;

i listened, motionless and still;

and, as i mounted up the hill,

the music in my heart i bore,

long after it was heard no more.

remus happened to be lurking around the library at the same time as you. and once he decided to make his way over to his favourite table after picking up a book he wanted to read, he realised that the spot was already taken by you.

he cursed inwardly. this could be his moment. the most perfect opportunity standing right in front of him. he just had to not fuck it up. sounds easy enough, right?

"who am i kidding?" he muttered to himself. it did not sound easy at all, and he would have definitely got the hell out of there if you hadn't looked up and directly at him.

"hi." he greeted you and cleared his throat, already cringing at himself. "i, uh–" he started of unsurely, scratching the back of neck in distress, "can i sit here? with you?"

"oh! yeah, sure." you pushed some of your things aside to make room for remus, and he awkwardly took at seat next to you. you observed his face for a moment, though the fact that he was incredibly nervous could have been noticed from a kilometer away.

"so, uh, about the other day– i shouldn't have left like that. i don't know what came over me." he kept tugging at the sleeves of his jumper as he spoke, wondering if he chose the right words.

"hey, it's fine, don't worry." you immediately reassured him. the thought of him caring enough to apologise for something you didn't even think he needed to be sorry for warmed your heart.

"no, i– it was rude of me." remus was embarrassingly struggling to keep eye contact with you as he spoke. he felt like a lovesick sixteen year old all over again, and he was praying to the gods above that you wouldn't notice.

"remus, you don't have to apologise for anything." he could only smile. he absolutely loved the way you said his name, and he could have sworn everything around him stopped for a moment when you did.

"um, okay. anyway, i've uhm, i've read jane eyre since, you know, you recommended it. and i liked it." he wasn't sure how he managed to build up the courage to bring it up, but he wasn't about to complain. he was only hoping that you were going to take it well. regardless of your reassurance, remus still had doubts.

"really?" you blurted out, but immediately got scared that you came off a bit too enthusiastic. maybe even eager. whether he liked you back or not (you were pretty sure he didn't), the last thing you wanted to do was embarrass yourself by acting like an obsessed teenager.

"yeah. you- you've got good taste." you almost sighed in relief. a smile made its way to your lips, and as much as you wished you could hide it, it wouldn't go away.

"thank you." you laughed, more at yourself and the way you were so flustered. you couldn't remember the last time you felt that way talking to somebody. it all seemed to be going well, but then a rather awkward silence ensued. it wasn't anything unexpected, and you definitely didn't want remus to leave so soon, so you mindlessly brought up the assignment you were writing for sirius.

"um, i'm working on an essay about the lake poets at the moment." you pointed to the mess of papers on the table and the opened book next to them. remus curiously peered over your arm to take a better look at it all, and he seemed a bit bemused.

"i thought mcgonagall assigned sirius to do that." he said as his eyes trailed over everything you had written.

"she did," you didn't think remus was that observant, "but it's fine, i always write his essays for him." you shrugged. "why?" remus laughed, locking his eyes with yours when he looked up from the papers. there was no denying that there was a spark between the two of you, even though neither of you were aware of it yet.

"he buys me coffee whenever i do, but this one's fucking up my life a little. i may as well just ask him to hand his entire bank account over to me." you responded truthfully, without a hint of sarcasm, yet you still drew a quiet chuckle from remus. you kept your eyes on the paper, biting back a smile.

remus chewed on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. he was having an internal argument with himself, not knowing whether he should leave you to work in peace and save himself from any additional awkwardness that may ensue if he just sits there like an idiot waiting for something to happen, or maybe, just maybe, offer to help you.

he didn't know how, but he opted for the latter.

***

"i think that milk was rancid." remus said as you stepped out of the library together, and began walking through the school's deserted corridors. it was dark outside, you completely lost track of time. hours upon hours must have passed since remus asked if you needed any help. the quiet exchanging of words about the poets gradually became a different conversation, and at a certain point, the essay laid there on the table, long forgotten. you promised yourself you'll finish it another time. strangely (not strangely at all), writing it no longer seemed so nightmarish. maybe because it gave you an excuse to talk to remus. you stayed past the closing time, as madam pince was nice enough to let you, and you downed several cheap drinks from the coffee vending machine down the corridor. certainly not your brightest (or proudest) moment.

"god, my stomach hurts," you winced, laughing like it would make the uncomfortable feeling in your gut any better, "we should get proper coffee next time we see each other." the words slipped out of your mouth without much thought behind them. but remus nodded, smiling foolishly. next time. he kept repeating the words in his head. next time. you really found him interesting enough to want to see him again. he was moments away from bursting with happiness.

you walked back to the dormitories together, still chatting quietly even when you made it there, and you would have stayed outside the door for god knows how long if sirius hadn't peeked his head from his and james' shared room. he wasn't being very slick at all, remus noticed him right away and immediately shut his mouth.

"what?" you furrowed your eyebrows in confusion, turning your head to see what caused remus' sudden change in behaviour. you fought back the silent need to punch your friend in the face once you saw him, and bit your tongue for a brief moment to stop yourself from going off on him.

"oh, sorry, am i interrupting something?" your cheeks reddened at the teasing tone of his voice. remus was just as flustered as you. he cleared his throat uncomfortably, handing you your bag which he offered to carry as you were returning to your dorms.

"i had a nice time today," he muttered, making sure to say the words quiet enough so that only you would hear him. "yeah, me too." you whispered. "i'll see you around?" he hated how it sounded like a question. you nodded your head with a smile, waving him goodbye as he disappeared down the hallway.

"the course of true love never did run smooth." sirius sang, smirking at the irritated expression on your face. "don't you dare quote shakespeare to me, you fatuous little bastard." you whisper-yelled, poking at his chest. he laughed in your face.

"aw, did i ruin your date?" he said in fake sympathy, placing a hand over his heart. "it wasn't a date," you were quick to defend yourself, "would have been nice if it was, though." you mumbled, sighing and leaning against the wall.

"why not ask him, then?"

"what, out?"

"no, in," he rolled his eyes, "yes, ask him out, y/n. oh my word." he said rather loudly, and you scrambled to push him inside before anybody else could eavesdrop on you that night.

"do you not know the concept of being quiet?" you said in disbelief as you slammed the door shut, "and you know what? i bloody will, watch me!" you said confidently. sirius scoffed. as if.

"what the fuck happened?" james sat up on his bed, making the comicbook he was reading drop to the floor.

"i ruined her little date with lupin and now she's mad at me." sirius snorted, falling onto his bed and crossing his arms behind his head.

"so that's why you were stuck in the library for so long." james blurted out when he managed to connect the dots in his head.

"yes, and i think i just found a way for you to repay me for writing your stupid essay." you turned to sirius, resting your hands on your waist.

"i'm listening." he responded absentmindedly. he definitely was not listening, and began humming the melody of moonage daydream instead.

"you're gonna help me set up a date." sirius went quiet. he sat up, thinking about what you said and then looked back at you in utter confusion.

"i think you're asking for help from the wrong person." he said truthfully.

"who am i meant to ask for help then? no one i'm close to is close to remus!" you threw your arms up in the air in frustration.

"and i am?" sirius argued.

"you know everything about everyone." you groaned. seems like this wasn't going to be as easy as you thought it will.

"yeah, fair point, but i do think we could find someone better." sirius said, though there was not much thought behind what was coming out of his mouth.

"enlighten me." you asserted.

"barty?" sirius suggested, leaving you slightly flabbergasted when you realised that he wasn't being sarcastic at all. "are we thinking about the same barty?"

"i only know one barty."

"exactly, and the only thing that barty has been interested in doing for the last four months is evan. so, bigger priorities." you pointed out. sirius groaned, "look, i would love to do this for you, but you're pining over a walking stereotype of a bookworm. so really, it's a bit difficult for me to, y'know, put myself in his shoes and try to pretend like i'd know what he's got going on in that head of his." he explained, scratching the back of his neck in thought.

"you must know somebody else who could help that isn't barty. there's no way you don't." james added in attempt to ease the situation. you looked at sirius hopefully, and a rather amused expression painted his features, "as a matter of fact, i do."

that was how you found yourselves sitting at a table with regulus the next morning, isolated from all of the other students. remus was nowhere to be seen, which was an added bonus because seeing you talk to one of his friends would have seemed rather suspicious after last night's turn of events, especially since sirius was with you, too. the black brothers avoided each other like wildfire in public more often than not, despite being very close.

regulus listened attentively as you and sirius explained the whole situation to him, from the moment you first laid your eyes on remus in the library, to your little hang out from the day prior. he was finding it stupidly hilarious how you obliviously kept repeating that remus most likely wasn't into you, but he wasn't about rat his friend out like that. not too bluntly, that is.

"so let me get this straight. you want me to help you plan a date with remus because i'm the only one who's genius enough to do so as i indulge in reading myself very often, even though you're both bookworms who could easily enjoy an outing to the local bookstore while drinking cheap coffee?" regulus quiered, just to confirm that you weren't taking the piss like he thought you were.

"correct." you replied shortly. oh, so you were serious. regulus was intrigued, and maybe even a bit offended.

"you're asking me to play the side character in the story? is that what you want me to do?" he fell back into his chair dramatically, tossing his fork across the table.

"what? who said that?" sirius furrowed his eyebrows, giving his brother a questioning glare.

"me." the younger crossed his arms, looking at the two of you in an almost challenging manner.

"we're not here to argue," you groaned, "no one said you have to do this." you didn't realise how difficult bargaining with regulus would actually be. you'd been around sirius so much that you'd got used to easy deals, but his brother was the complete opposite. it's not that he couldn't make simple arrangements with people, no, it's just that he always sort of chose not to.

"what's in it for me?" he tilted his head to the side, smirking slyly.

"that's it, we're leaving!" sirius stood up, pretty prepared to drag you out of the dining hall if you refused to leave yourself.

"no, wait!" you tugged at the sleeve of his jacket desperately, pulling him down and back to his seat which he unwillingly slumped into.

"i'll pay you." you offered.

"no, you won't!" sirius interrupted.

"how much?" regulus ignored him.

"she will not pay you!" the loud tone of sirius' voice caused a few students at the tables around you to turn their heads in your direction.

"i can pay him!" you argued.

"he has more than enough money already!" he retorted.

"how much?" regulus persisted.

"fifty quid." you sighed. that was your lunch money for the entire month, and this was not something you were supposed to be spending it on. sirius couldn't believe you, he looked almost entirely stupefied by what you had done.

"alright," regulus said calmly, standing up from his chair and dusting himself off, "deal. i'll be off now, you know where to find me." he flipped sirius off as he left, and even managed to dodge the piece of bread the older threw at him as he exited the dining hall.

you weren't feeling particularly hopeful.

[cy-cyborg]

I got an unexpected delivery today

The purple books are a physical copy of the Royal Commission into the treatment and discrimination of people with a disability in Australia. It's 12 volumes/15 books long (+ an introduction/summery book) and talks about the mistreatment, discrimination, and abuse of people with disabilities in Australia and what needs to be done to fix it. Volume 1, in particular, is 3 books long, all 900 pages each, and are all 1-2 page stories from disabled people and their families, telling their stories of said mistreatment, ostricisation, discrimination, lack of access to support and more. That's 1,350 stories minimum if I did my math right.

I heard a lot of people in the Australian disability community talking about their shock at the sheer size of the report that came out of this royal commission. I wanted to get the physical copies of them because I'm often guilty of gaslighting myself. Maybe the way I and my community is treated really isn't that bad, maybe I'm blowing this out of proportion. Maybe it's in my head.

12 volumes, all several hundred pages each, say otherwise. I don't think I'll be able to read them all (I haven't read a physical book in years, ironically, due to worsening disabilities), but I want to try and, at the very least, they're a visible reminder that it's very much real.

Also, if any Aussies want the set, they're available completly for free. I dont even think i paid shipping fees. There is a wait list (hence why their delivery today was a suprise) but they're freely available to any member of the Australian public who requests a copy, im pretty sure the only requirement is an Australian shipping adress.

[ID 1: a photo of 2 cardboard boxes stacked on top of one another. They look to be about knee-height and are labelled "disability commission final report - complete set, carton 1 of 2" and "carton 2 of 2". There is an additional line scribbled out on both. /end ID 1]

[ID 2: A photo of a bookshelf. The shelf in focus has a series of 15 purple books, though the text is illegible, they take up the majority of space on the shelf. /end ID 2]

[happilychaengs]

ik it was recently posted but how about a pt.2 of nayeon involved.

where the reader starts becoming distant with nayeon and gets close with someone else and then nayeon realises she losing the best thing she had and realised she has feelings and tries to win her back or smth

(you don't have to do this at all just my thoughts)

here it is! honestly had little clue where to go with this, so tysm anon for the ideas! (though no proofread) if anyone wants to just leave part 1 as a standalone angst, you won't need to read this part -r-

Nayeon - Queen

warning: swear word again

you hated it. walking around as the face of yet another victim of im nayeon. now everywhere you went, they all had a glimpse of an idea of who you were even if they've never talked to you for a second in their lives.

the only place you could hide away from all of it and be alone was the place surrounded only by books. it was your safe haven. they were your getaway from the sad truth that was your reality. but as you heard a small thump, you looked up from the book you were currently reading and saw a girl with a huge stack of books in her hands.

her hair was messily tied and you could tell she had a pair of round glasses on from the small glimpses you could get of her face. she was barely getting her eyes over the pile as she was swerving left and right trying to keep balance, occasionally dropping a book on the floor.

you quickly got up from your chair and went to help her, closing your book. you stood in front of her and tried to get her attention to stop but somehow she couldn't hear you as she crashed into you, all the books tumbling on top of you.

you heard her land with a small 'oomph' as she quickly got up and ran over to you.

"oh my god! im so sorry!" she said as she started grabbing some of the books off of you.

you slowly got up and rubbed your head before responding, "it's fine..."

when she looked up at you, you couldn't help but get lost in her eyes. the two of you started at each other for almost what felt like eternity before the librarian came along and told you two to get up off the floor and help her shelf the books for the ruckus you made.

as you were going through the order of the books, the girl you found out to be named sana, spoke up, "have i heard of you before?"

you let out a small chuckle as you racked a book on the shelf, "im the person who nayeon broke up with." maybe you had to find a new place to hide away.

"oh im so sorry to hear that!" she frantically said as she tried to wave it off.

"it's fine." it really wasn't.

she stayed silent for a few seconds before randomly blurting out, "but hey, do you want to go out?"

you almost dropped the book in your hands as you gave her an 'are you serious?' look.

looking at you, she finally realized what that sounded like. "no! i meant like as friends!"

you almost laughed in her face from how hysterical she sounded. who in their right mind would be friends with you right now? you had to distance yourself from nayeon because your feelings for her wouldn't allow you to stay. she was your only friend so you were a loner. all you were doing is acting on impulse now. you might as well say yes.

but as you were meeting new people and maybe moving on, nayeon was absolutely miserable. momo wasn't the girl she made her out to be and she's been missing you like hell.

crazy, she thought. it was all fake with you but it felt so real. eventually she succumbed to the feeling that she missed you. so much. the long nights you had staying at her place, doing whatever came to mind. the kisses that felt oh so real. she missed the way you made her feel. she missed absolutely everything. the good and the bad.

she had a small smile on her face thinking about you before it quickly fell as she felt someone's arms link around her neck.

"hey nay... whatcha doin'?"

she hated that nickname. you called her that. she hated how it sounded coming out of her mouth. she wanted you.

"nothing." she forced out, "how about you?"

"great now that im with you. do you wanna go out somewhere?"

"where?" she reluctantly asked.

"there's this new café i want to try."

"... fine." at least she'll get a drink out of itnbut she wish she hadn't agreed.

when she arrived, she saw you. she should've been happy. she wanted to greet you so badly but when she saw another girl come up to you with two drinks in hand, her heart got caught in her throat. she was ready to risk whatever she had with momo to just walk up to you and ask who she was. but her ego wouldn't allow it. why should she be jealous? she wanted the fake relationship. she's the one who ended it.

she was the queen. if anything you should've been asking to come back. she teared her eyes away before you would see her ogling you and stood next to momo but when she heard you laughing with that girl, it became difficult to think of anything else as she clenched her fists.

fuck her ego.

fuck her title.

all she needed was you and only you.

she walked away from momo telling her to wait in line gaining a few protests from her but she didn't care. as she stepped closer, sana pointed at her and you looked back, locking eyes with her.

"nay..." oh how she missed that coming off your lips. "what are you doing here?"

"im here by myself."

"oh?" you asked as you tilted your head to look behind her, spotting momo, "what about your girlfriend?"

she laced her fingers under your chin before making you look at her, "don't worry about her. focus on me. please." she said, whispering the last word.

sana, completely confused on what was happening in front of her, mumbled, "what's happening right now? are you two still together?"

"no." "yes."

you glared at nayeon as you heard her response.

"what?" you whisper-shouted as you removed nayeon's hand. "nayeon what are you getting at? you have a girlfriend!"

"i don't care about her. you're the one i want."

she was getting your hopes up. she wanted you back but you knew it was wrong. it was wrong of her to say that and it was wrong for you to accept it.

"im nayeon, please... don't say that. don't make this harder than it is."

"it doesn't have to be hard y/n. just say yes..."

you shook your head as you took a few steps back from her. "go back to momo, nayeon."

"but-"

"please go back." sana interrupted her. "y/n clearly doesn't want you here right now."

"i-" she couldn't think of anything. she wasn't used to this. being rejected like this. even with momo, she never felt so hurt. she just held her head low as she walked back to momo. sana went to your side and made sure you were okay before taking you back to the dorms for the day.

for the next few days, you avoided nayeon to your utmost ability. you were already trying to do it before but you've really upped the anti. you didn't want to risk facing her again after what happened. you couldn't. but when you walked back into the library and walked to your table, you saw her in the corner of your eye, walking over. you tried getting up quickly but you felt her hand on yours, tugging you back.

without sparing her a single glance you asked, "what do you want nayeon?"

"look at me y/n. i won't tell you otherwise."

you finally looked at her and you could see her already swollen eyes. you were worried as she's never cried in the years you've known her.

"nay... we've talked about this. you have a girlfriend."

she shook her head, "no i don't. we broke up the day she saw me talk to you but that doesn't matter. the only thing that matters is you. please. let me try again. no fake relationship, no bullshit. i want to be with you for real y/n."

you were faltering. was this another part of her sick game? or did she really mean it? you didn't want to play this game again but the look in her eyes made you second guess yourself. it was almost as if she was telling you believe in her. to take the leap of faith.

so you did.

you took your hand and put it on top of hers, making her glance at you "i... want this for real too nay."

she took a little while to finally process it but after she did, she switched gears.

"sorry? can you say that again?" she said as she cupped her ear with her hand with a knowing smirk. there was the egocentric nayeon that you knew and loved. the queen.

you gave her a small smile, "i'd love to be with you again nay."