#Failed Drive Recovery

[kingdontruther]

listen. i LOVE the idea of Langdon pining after Mel for the longest time, thinking he doesn’t deserve. HOWEVER. i personally feel like that wouldn’t happen until much, much later. I think he would be in denial until the very last moment. lemme tell you, that man is an expert at repressing his feelings. he’s actually the final boss of repressed feelings.

his marriage failing? nah, he just needs to get the kids a puppy (he really deserves the death penalty for that one).

his pill addiction for which he’s jeopardizing his patient’s medical care and his career and relationships? nah, he’s just treating his back pain! he’s a doctor, knows what he’s doing & all that.

I honestly feel like he would repress his feelings for mel sooooo hard he convinces himself of like the wildest fucking stuff.

like yeah sure driving your mentee to & from work everyday is normal. (it’s a massive detour from his apartment. wtf)

being disappointed when you’re not working the same shift? it’s just bc mel is competent and that makes his job easier.

missing her when he’s at home, after a 12h shift from hell where they worked together attached by the hip all day? yeah, he’s just a little lonely after his divorce and she’s his friend. nothing to worry about.

langdon examining himself thinking he’s having a heart attack when he sees her with her hair down for the first time.

she tells him she’s going on a date on her day off and he can admit: he’s jealous. the same way single ppl are jealous of their married friends.

so what if he dreams of her? they spent a lot of time together. that makes sense his brain would do that. or something.

MEANWHILE Mel knows.

like she knows as clear as day that he has a crush on her. and at first she doesn’t mind it. it’s not like anything would happen. They don’t cross boundaries.

he has a lot to deal with and so does she. it’s nice to know that this attractive ass doctor likes her like that. until she gets to know him and they become friends.

she thinks this thing they have will fizzle out after a few months, or a few years but it doesn’t.

and now they’re in a place where it’s better. they’re both more settled and he’s been in recovery for a while and has a good co-parenting relationship with abby and everything is going well for their career.

except she’s getting frustrated now. this whole will they won’t they thing was cute the first year or two but now she’s getting impatient.

She makes it her goal to flirt with him and she loves seeing him flustered. But he just WON’T TAKE A FUCKING HINT. So maybe she just has to take matters into her own hands

[writingwisterias]

Trust fall

RE4R!Leon Kennedy x AFAB!Fem!Reader

Warnings: SMUT, MDNI, Friends- Lovers, Best friend!Leon, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Yearning, Awkward moments, Longing, Soft Sex, Comfort, Nightmares, mating press, unprotected sex, tit sucking, hand jobs, fluff

Summary: Falling in love was inevitable when you avoid it for too long...

Words: 11.1k (I said it was long)

Read on Ao3

Poured my blood,sweat n tears into this LMAO....after a shit week at work here it is thank you @kuntprodukt for listening to my ramblings as finished it off. Dedicated to @shymoob ... also ignore the technology inaccuracy for the time period...

Taglist: @senawashere @danigirls-missions @lxzy-bxby @074calicocat @gut1ess

Day 1

Maybe he was going to be nervous as well? Surely, your anxiety was valid after not seeing him for months. The date on the calendar was circled in red pen. You had only been told it only a few days before now; his text was rather unexpected after a long period of silence. The date was to mark the start of Leon’s vacation, though it was granted as a “recovery” period from whatever mission he had just returned from. He was advised by the higher ups to stay with someone that was trusted. The mental welfare of their pawn suddenly became a concern after reading the reports he presented them with. 

However, you were no longer privy to these details, as his reputation grew the less you knew. Whenever it was because he wasn’t allowed to say or he chose to withhold the information from you himself – you didn't know. You could see the more secrets he gained, in the form of the new eyebags he had gained from the sleepless nights. Those once bright blue eyes you had grown to love in your teens now had a mixture of grey, like the storm clouds of his haunted past. 

Instead he asked you for a distraction, a few days of normality. That you could grant him, providing him with a detailed plan of fun filled days. At least you hoped he would feel the same about it. 

The sound of his car outside alerted you of his presence, the gravel of your drive crunching underneath the wheels of his jeep. It was cute how he stuck to one brand of car, coming up with some excuse of its practical use when deep down it was to replace the one he lost. The same one he saved up all summer to get so he could drive back and forth from Raccoon City to you. The brand now holds a sentimental value to him, you suppose, something that reminded him of what could have been. 

You gave one last glance around the room, trying to spy any spec of dust or crumbs that he might see as he entered. It’s not like he hasn’t seen your space a mess before, after all your teenage bedroom was a regular hang out spot instead of his dorm at the orphanage and that was never particularly the cleanest.

His features were sharper than last time you noticed as you opened the door, his eyes widening as the smile reached them despite their narrow, hollow look. Your open arms were a beacon to him, his safe place awaiting for him with a large smile and a warm heart. His arms were strong as they encircled you, biceps squeezing your form slightly as he pulled you closer. From the outside you were sure the hug looked like it was more intimate than it was but with the history you both had, it was just right and the perfect medicine he needed. 

“I’m glad you’re back” You whispered to him, pulling away slightly to gaze up at his features. The blond hair is still unkempt and draping over your favorite shade of blue, his eyes gazing down at you. You didn’t miss the shine that they lacked however, now they possessed a matt finish instead portraying someone different from that hopeful 21 year old. He was never going to be like that, that wasn’t him anymore. Maybe that's why loving the new version was just as important to you, to cradle him the same way you did when he failed an exam or when his girlfriend dumped him. He still needed you to be the same. To be something in his life that was a wall he could lean on or a bed he could rest with. A home.

“Me too” Was all he responded, the smile slowly fading into the tight lipped one he sported more often. His hands never left your arms, instead tightening their grip around your bicep. Not enough to hurt or for you to flinch back on – almost like he was testing you were real. 

Leon instantly felt the warmth of your space, a comforting hug he had surely missed since being away. The pictures of your childhood shared with him scattered around the apartment in golden frames like he was some angel and important figure in your life to deserve such luxury. “The spare room is all set up for you. You do remember where it was right?” You asked him, now leaning against the kitchen counter as you observed his unsteady steps into your home. His heavy duffel bag was clearly heavy with his baggage as it caused him to lean more on one side, its contents weighing him down in a shade of army green. “Yeah, If I get lost I’ll just scream for you” He teased. “If you do then make sure it’s like the one you did in the haunted maze that one time. I need a good laugh” 

“You and me both” 

His form retreated down the hall and you got set on making drinks, the coffee machine whirring loudly in a fight to brew the pot. A noise you had grown used to, having to choose between luxuries to upgrade in this economy. You watched the coffee slowly drip out as your mind wandered elsewhere, now finding yourself contemplating if your plans for the week were too much for him. You hadn’t really considered what Leon would have wanted this week to be, whenever it was for him to relax and lounge around or create memories he could think about whilst he was away. 

You chose the second option, the fridge decorated in a pretty list with the itinerary of the next few days which was pinned by the gimmick travel magnets Leon gifted you of all the places he’s travelled to. You hoped that by creating a list of activities to do with him you would gain opportunities to refresh the pictures on your walls. To swap out a few of the younger ones of you both with an older more recent version. After all, you didn’t have anyone else to fill them with; Leon still managed to be one of the only people that were a constant in your life despite the past 6 years being the busiest for him. Whenever he knew or not, he had set a pretty high standard for the quality of friendship you were looking for. 

Of course the plans could be subjected to change if he really didn’t want to do them. The last thing you wanted to do was add more stress in his life. Which is where the silent deal you had made came in, the one that you created after making sure that giddy teenager that was still inside you knew why it was important this week to handle your feelings. Spending the last few years in silence on your feelings even though the news of his break up 6 years ago was exciting for you. The event then caused you to create plans to ask him out once he settled in his new job. 

Maybe in another life it would have worked out that way and you could have both ended up being childhood sweethearts, the cutest couple in the precinct he would work at. Small children running around in a home filled with nothing but love. You would be adorned with a golden ring upon your finger showing off the stable relationship you both created. 

Relationships don't work in his world anymore, there were too many risk factors not only with the security he needed up hold but the target that now forever remained on his back with crazed scientists. You knew this after he ranted to you during a drunken confession a few years after Raccoon City; where he was spilling the beans about the kiss with Ada and the complicated emotions he felt after losing her. His job no longer allowed him to have attachments like that, he knew the risks and saw the outcomes of where work mixed with family. He needed to keep you safe, he wouldn't know what would happen to him if he lost you. The thought scares him more than any bio weapon he had faced recently and with his last mission there were a few nightmarish ones. 

“That thing sure sounds like it needs a replacement” Leon joked from the doorway. He had shredded his previous clothes, now dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie instead of the jeans and leather jacket. His frame had now visibly relaxed more since he dropped off the duffle bag, it was now hidden away in the spare room he would be staying in. “Maybe Santa will get me one for Christmas,” You replied, smiling at him. His laugh was loud, nodding his head in agreement, “Guess I know what costume to buy next along with a coffee machine. Oh and this is for you” 

He threw a small striped bag at you, small tears in the paper where it had clearly been through travel. Stuffed somewhere amongst his luggage. You knew it was a magnet by its familiar weight, pulling the item out to be met with the reds and yellows of the spanish flag. “Another one for your collection” He said whilst he moved from the doorway to the kitchen, leaning up against the counter in a casual manner. “You were in Spain?” 

“Only a few days, this was a particularly rough mission…” He sighed, his eyes refusing to look at the thing like even looking at the spelling of the place was a trigger. Ah so this trip was purely business and not pleasure. Instead of proudly displaying it on the front of the fridge, you placed it on the side out of sight. Unless you wanted to get up in the dying coffee machines business. You watched as his features soften when you turned around, the small action solidifying his reasoning for being here. You didn’t pry or question him on what happened, instead you offered silent support. Showing it in smaller actions, like moving a fridge magnet out of his sight. 

“You can sit in the living room and choose something to watch, you don’t have to wait with me” You said before hopping up on the counter, sitting with your legs swinging in the air. Consistent soft thuds echoing in the space as your feet softly thudded against the cabinet doors. “I’m good, besides I’m sure watching this coffee machine struggle to make a full pot is more entertaining than the shit that's on TV nowadays” He joked, his biceps contracting as he lifted his frame on the counter. The two of you were close enough that if you swung your legs out you were sure to clash with him. 

“You have a funny idea of entertaining” You laughed, poking him with your foot in a poor attempt to irritate him. You could feel his toned muscles in his thighs, despite them squishing slightly as you put pressure on them whilst they were relaxed. He let out a soft grunt as you accidentally pressed against a particularly tender spot, his hand soon rubbing the spot to ease the ache. It was your only sign that there were still a few stubborn bruises lingering on his body. 

Now you knew the location he had come from, the news covering the return of the president's daughter whilst praising the lone agent that helped her return home from spain; it didn’t take a genius to figure out where he had just returned from. Plus if you were right on your assumption it made sense that he was still healing not only mentally but physically. Yet since he had arrived you haven't spotted any signs that he was affected by it.

You could tell he had been through hell though from the amount of scrapes that littered his face. Though they were now faded to a light pink but it didn’t help your nerves. It never did. “What’s this then?” He asked, a thud sounding through the kitchen as he hopped off the counter walking towards the fridge. Your cheeks flushed with heat as he removed the numerous magnets that pinned the sticker covered week plan. You watched as he read it over, the piece of paper looking silly in his hands. “I made a plan for the week, things we can do but we don’t have to if you want to just watch movies or play games…” You stumbled, your words spewing out fast creating a blabbled mess. 

He turned to you with the paper crinkling in his hands before displaying a large, genuine smile at you. “Thank you, this is thoughtful and I can’t wait. Though I’m not carrying you ass up the hiking trail you have planned in 2 days”

“I can handle it, I picked a beginners route. Just don’t leave me behind now you are all macho man” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Don’t worry” 

Once the coffee had finally brewed the two of you moved to the living room, sipping on the beverage over gossip that you had collected since he was away. Stalking facebook together looking at all the people you had once known and how their lives panned out, joking about them in subtle jealousy at their presumed success in their lives. 

You both did it for hours in fits of giggles until it led you up to now. Where pizza now sat in your laps, warming up the large blanket you both shared. The grease catching on your shirts as you both attempted to get the slices in your mouths before the toppings fell off. Being with Leon left no room for judgment; not when you had been in every stage of each other's life since high school. Witnessing every crash out, job promotions and of course the nightmares you knew still plagued him. An unspoken rule in your home that he would forget about everything in his life. The rule was created by himself to avoid talking about it. 

One of the good things about the night is that Leon’s phone remained in the bedroom, left abandoned on the bedside table for once. It's not like he had anyone to contact anyway, his most frequent texter was besides him laughing at the stupid movies with tomato sauce in the corner of her lips. As the night went on he found himself watching the way your eyes seemed to sparkle in the TV light as well as at the feeling of your toes tucking themselves under his thighs with the pizza boxes now discarded on the coffee table in front of you. Leon craved for you to be closer. To have your weight on his lap like those weight blankets everyone suggested he got. To smell the perfume that lingered in your hair as you over sprayed yourself with the scent in the day. 

He craved a normal life with you, a relationship filled with trust, love and honesty. Something he couldn’t give you; instead he settled for the knowledge that you were in the room next to his, smiling at him softly as you both retreated to bed. The promise of good dreams leaving each other's lips in a warm goodnight.

Day 2

It wasn’t a surprise to you that you would find him awake before you, his body clock had never fully fixed itself since the training days he had to endure. Whilst they crafted the most glorious figure you had the pleasure of seeing, it must be annoying to suffer with the linger effects of the early rising. At least it would be for you. However, he didn’t seem to mind not when you heard the poor overworked coffee machine doing its thing as you padded down the corridor. The noise accompanied by the smell of bacon and eggs. 

“What if breakfast in bed was one of the treats I wanted to do for you?” You spoke, watching as his frame jolted slightly at the unexpected intrusion. You felt bad watching as he tensed, the spatula he was using to flip the bacon swaying slightly with his movements. “I didn’t mean to scare you sorry” 

Leon smiled softly acknowledging your apology as he turned around, watching your form slither into one of the stools that lined the breakfast bar. “It’s fine, I’m not normally this jumpy” He muttered, sleep still lingering in his speech, signifying to you that he wasn’t long up before you. His voice is an octave lower than normal, with a tinge of raspiness to it, the sound caused butterflies to erupt in your stomach as you tried to will the daydreams of waking up next to him away. “Bad sleep?” You asked, resting your head on your palms as you watched him. He shrugged, pouring the coffee into a mug for you, serving it with yet another tight lipped smile. “Don’t think I’ve had a good one in a few years” He muttered. 

It hurt that you knew he wasn’t lying, that he was truly plagued by all the wrong doings in his life. Things that you couldn’t even picture coming to life and hunting him down just because he wanted to do right by the world when he was a rookie. You nodded, your words silenced by a sip of the coffee. Sympathy was all you could offer him, there wasn’t much else that you could do for him that didn’t involve breaking the clear wall he had built around himself which you respected. He wanted you to be close but at arms length, your role in comfort more of a distraction for him instead of a therapist. It worked before, after raccoon city he ranted to you about everything that happened but as he grew older he knew that was a mistake now. One he wouldn’t do again, he needed you safe, he couldn’t– wouldn’t lose you.

Watching his body language carefully was a skill that had become critical in recent years. His mood showed through the way he presented himself instead of words now.

“So the aquarium today?” He asked, sliding a plate in front of you eggs and bacon displayed in a smiley face. You chuckled at the silliness of it despite everything he still manages to make you smile so in return your smile beamed at him as you looked up. “Objecting on the first day? You wound me” You joked a gasp following your words for dramatic effect. Your knife slicing through the perfectly cooked breakfast with ease; if there was one thing that leon could make, it was a really good breakfast. “No no! It's just an interesting one, I don’t think I’ve been to one in years” He defended, his body moving around the space of your home comfortably as he cleaned up after himself. “Hey, I thought one cooks and the other clean–” You objected to his activity, quickly eating the meal without choking to help him out. Only to be laughed at, his finger pointing to the clock on the wall “That rule applies to someone that didn’t sleep in and will take a while to get ready” 

“I do not!” You called back at him walking out of the room to get ready for the day. 

It didn’t take long to get ready even with Leons complaints. Leon insisted that he drove despite your protests and proclaims of his terrible driving. His jeep was comfortable at least, having his hands behind the wheel felt like he was in control for once. Your safety was his current priority whilst you sang your heart out next to him. The tickets were slightly overpriced in his opinion but then it had been a while since he had done an outing like this. “Could have bought my own seahorse with money” he mumbled under his breath as he swiped the card to pay, of course he had to treat you to this. “Maybe we can steal you one instead” You laughed. 

Leon struggled to think of a time he had been able to spend with anyone that wasn’t in a life or death situation; either on the field or by a mountain of paperwork in his opinion. He wasn’t arguing though, his pet seahorse could wait if you were going to look at him like that. He followed you like a lost puppy, your face practically glowing with excitement the closer you got. 

“Where do you want to start?” You asked him, looking at the information center attempting to memorize all the zones you could explore trying to figure out the route of the day. “Aren’t the rooms filled with the same thing?” He asked you, laughing slightly at your frown as you turned to face him. “Well yeah, but maybe there’s a certain way to view them all better?” You muttered, referring to the many other forms of information, piles of brochures in your hands as you flicked through them. Your head starts to cloud in the thoughts to ensure the day is perfect for him to look back on. 

The effort you were giving with just the route was enough to slowly melt his heart. His hand reached out for yours to tug you away from the crowd of families that were walking one way. “Let’s go away from the crowd then we can enjoy the silence together” He prompted, smiling at you softly as he tugged on your arm once again. You looked at the numerous people and then looked back at him. Your frown slowly turned into a grin again, nodding as you began to lead him. Your hand still sat snugly in his. 

There were only so many fish that Leon could honestly look at before he got bored and they all started to look the same. Maybe it was the fact he was outside trying to fit in with normal life again after so many years of living in a repeated bubble of work and you. He was trying to think of the right things to say, normal conversation topics despite having a plethora of conversation topics with you. He dissociated even though he attempted to read what you were looking at, his face offering you a fake toothy grin as you pointed at your favourite fish in the tank. 

You were so excited, buzzing with this energy that made you feel easy to be around. Yet, he could feel the lingering effect of the nightmare he faced, his eyes scanning for every exit in the room you would enter. Trying to think of the perfect path to get you out safely. 

“Hey, are you good?” You asked him finally after noticing his distracted state. Your hand landing on his bicep with a comforting squeeze and an attempt not to gawk at the firmness of it. Leon looked down at you, seeing how your face was adorned with the pity smile he's been accustomed to for years now. A frequent one that you displayed. “I’m good” He muttered, nodding his head in a bobbing motion as if that helped his case. You could see it, the truth, the hidden sadness he attempted to hide behind words displayed clear as day in the blues of his eyes. Rather than ask him to bring up what’s distracting him in such a public place you offered to change the topic. Your hand once again in his as you began to lead him away towards the next room. “I think you’ll like the next room. It’s always my favorite”

Manta rays swirled around the room in calming laps, small fish weaving in between them. The blue of the water fills the room with a calming tone. You both stood next to each other in silence, watching the fish swirl around in patterns, your hands close to touching. Close enough that if you twitched a finger it would brush against his. You admired his features in the blue light. The one harsher features now softened as the silence calmed the two of you, his eyes bright with wonder and amazement as he watched the soft swirls of the bubbles as the fish danced. For a second he looked like the hopeful kid again, dreaming of the future as he still had hope and wonder for it. “Do you like it?” You asked him. Leon smiled, a softer one than he normally adorned “I can see why it’s your favourite, it’s so pretty in here” 

The silence that surrounded the two of you was comfortable, enough for you to lean against his arm. Leon’s fingers twitched finding yours before they wrapped around your hands in a silent confirmation that you were there. 

It wasn’t until he saw the crowd filtering in through the reflection of the glass that he began to grow nervous again. The exits are no longer visible or easily accessible should things go wrong. You felt as his body jolted, his hand tightening around yours as the excited screams of children filled the room. Their hands pounding and swiping against the glass as they looked at the fish. His eyes screwed shut, his breathing slowly becoming uneven as he tried to focus on anything but the noise. The thudding sounded too familiar to the undead banging throughout the station.

It only seemed to grow louder the longer you stayed. With his eyes screwed shut he didn’t notice your face appearing in front of him, couldn’t acknowledge concern that littered all over it. Leon’s thoughts spiraled, self pity filling him quickly as he grew aware that he was fucking up again; ruining the day for you just because he could handle the noise of a few children. He felt ashamed that he couldn’t handle the crowd of people that began to surround you both. Leon’s hand was tightly holding onto yours, the grip almost crushing as you tried to calm him down. 

You called his name, he heard it in the distance, mellowed out like you were in some dystopian world. Your heart broke as you felt him flinch, his eyes shooting open in a mad panic as you placed your earphones in his ears. The music instantly filters out the other sounds allowing him to focus on slowing his breathing again. You guided his hand to your chest, breathing deeply and then holding an exhale smiling slightly as you watched his chest begin to expand in the same manner. Your smile was comforting to him as he finally looked at you. 

Leon didn’t argue when you walked him out the door, his hand gripping yours tightly like a lifeline. You could feel him squeeze it harder as his palms grew sweaty causing his grip to slip as you walked faster. The sun beamed on his skin as you both finally made it outside, bypassing the numerous knick knacks in the gift shop you had requested to view earlier. You didn’t care not when he wasn’t okay, experiencing a panic attack despite his claims that he doesn’t have them. 

You watched as he took out the headphones, passing them back to you with guilt lacing his eyes. “I’m sorry” He whispered, his eyebrows pinched displaying his emotions for once to you. He hated how his shadow loomed over you, keeping you hidden from the sunlight – preventing you from growing into the perfect person he knew you would be without him. “Don’t be” 

You said it like a fact, like it was easy to say. There wasn’t anger in your features, there wasn’t any negativity crashing against him in an angry wave like he’s faced recently. You held no expectation from him. You didn’t want him to be anything other than himself. Even if that meant he came with the burdens he carried with him. “You were enjoying your time but the kids– they sounded like–” he stuttered whilst his hands clenched at his sides, his hair falling over his eyes as he looked down in shame. “Leon, you don’t have to explain with me. It’s fine. There will be plenty of other times to steal your seahorse” You joked, smiling at the chuckle he gave off. His shoulders no longer shake because of his fears but instead waves of laughter. 

“Come on, you can drive the death trap. I need the rest anyway for our hike tomorrow” You laughed, chucking the keys from your back at him. “It’s not a death trap” He sighed as he opened the door for you, smiling at the sound of laughter. “It is when you are driving” 

Day 3

Leon watched in amusement as your face slowly formed into horror as you looked at the size of the mountain you had planned to scale. The peak was barely visible even as you craned your neck at an awkward angle to see it from under the windshield. It was hard for him to not look over you as you wore the most basic yet cutest outfit to climb in, though to ignore his request at changing your footwear. Offering him a complaint about how he doesn’t trust the strength of your ankles. “Why did I pick this one?” You sighed as you both got out of the car. Despite the ending of yesterday Leon was filled with hope that today would be better. 

His sleep was still plagued with nightmares. The echoed sound of footsteps woke him up in a fright, the duvet half spilling off the side of the bed as he scrambled out of it to scan for danger. He was however met with a sleepy version of you stumbling to the bathroom clumsily and half asleep. He didn’t fall asleep after that, instead laying in bed listening for the soft close of your door and the traffic outside.  

“You picked it not me, I had no say. Not even in the shoe choice apparently” He laughed, pulling gently on your ponytail as he walked past you. Stepping onto the threshold of the nature reserve. “Yeah well these shoes have never failed me before” You sighed looking down at the trainers you decided to wear. This was definitely the better choice of activity for him, you watched him stroll next to you relaxed. It was cute that he made sure to match your pace, clearly having enough stamina to be able to run up the hill whilst you took it easy. There was no urgency to rush this, no one was chasing him up this hill. No one was screaming his name in fear as he turned his back. It was just you and him. 

He made sure you both took regular breaks, his chest heaving slightly as the heat of the sun bore down on the both of you. His hoodie was stripped a while ago now, displaying his biceps whilst the clothing item is now hanging from the side of his bag. “I think we are just over half way” He spoke, glancing at the distance you travelled and how far you had left to go. It was an attempt to comfort you, a poor one at that. “Great. Are you still stuck on the promise of not carrying me up the hill?” You asked laying back against the rock you were perched on. His laugh caused you to smile and look at him from where he was leant against the tree. “Maybe on the way down” 

You slid off your backpack, letting it land next to you on the ground with a thud. “What are you doing?” Leon asked as you stood up, stretching out your legs briefly before turning to him. “It’s a great spot for some few photos” You admitted. Your hands already tugged the backpack off his shoulders and dumped it next to yours. Leon watched as you propped the phone up against a tree, a timer set and beeping as you ran back towards him. “Quick come here and pose” You instructed, wrapping an arm around his waist holding him close with a large smile plastered on your face. 

Leon attempted one of his own, the action not really feeling natural to him at first. Until you started to take more, running back and forth with less complaints than you had previously been doing up the trail. The infamous rabbit ears came out to play, the laughter you both shared was sure to be heard from anywhere. However, at this moment it was just the two of you. 

“Here hop on” Leon said as you set up the camera for one last photo. You turned to him hunched over, bracing himself for the impact of you on his back. You smiled widely at him, eyes full of excitement as you ran and jumped on. He gasped as he stumbled, his own belly laugh spilling out as caught himself. The photo was his favourite, you tell as he instantly begged you to send it to him despite leaving his phone at home still. It had never left its spot on the bedside table. “Come on, the next photoshoot location is at the top” He teased, sliding the backpack on his shoulders one more. He chuckled at your unenthusiastic groan, your feet scraping along the ground as you walked back to your bag. 

You smiled to yourself as Leon helped situated the pack properly on your back. Ensuring it was the right height and tightness to avoid any aches later on. His hands brushed against your sides causing you to shiver, your face flushed as you looked forward to being met with his chest previously unaware of how close you actually were to each other. “Uh– all good?” You croaked out, chuckling nervously as you watched his eyes roam your figure once more to ensure you were all good. He didn't do this back at the start, in fact he had sighed and complained as you spent a while adjusting the pack. Even going as far as to make a comment about you being a nagging mother when you pestered him about his. “Looks good to me yeah” he spoke quietly, smiling softly with a small pink tinge on his cheeks. Leon coughed once, stepping back on his heels before spinning dramatically to continue forward. 

“I’m sorry about yesterday, I should have been more considerate of the crowds” you spoke after a while, the top was closer now, your words breaking the comfortable silence you were both in. Leon didn't respond at first, his gaze landing on the scenery over the edge of the trail, following the vast shades of green as they plagued the valley. He was unsure on how to answer. It was touching that you were of such a pure heart to feel the need to apologize over something that wasn't your fault. He had every chance to change the activity, to offer something else as his first day diving into the real world again. “You don't have to be sorry,” he said, turning to look at you. He watched your feature twist into uncertainty, your mind clearly in a battle with yourself and guilt over the panic attack he experienced. 

“You've been through a lot with no real break, I should have thought about that. You just got back from that mission – warned by the government to take it easy. I ignored it in favor of a few memories” 

“Thinking about the manta rays and the silence yesterday comforted me last night” Leon stated bluntly. He wasn't lying, when laying awake in an attempt to fall back asleep he found himself thinking about the blue that surrounded them, the small moment of calmness he experienced as he watched the swirls of everything– as he watched you. He can still picture the cute smile you wore as you stared in wonder at all of it as you looked at the beauty in everything. The same way you looked at him in the carpark and when you said goodnight later on in the evening. You still had hope and wonder in the world, you weren't plagued by the horrors he has seen, by the corruption he's witnessed destroy an entire city. It was a reminder why he endured everything, why he kept going for you– it was always for you. 

“What do you mean?” You asked him, your shoes scuffing on the dirt beneath them as you paused watching his frame walk away until he noticed you stopped. “The nightmares are worse than before– because of my last mission but I thought of yesterday last night– it helped” 

“Nightmares? You can wake me Leon, I don't mind…I can sit with you or something” 

“I know but even I know you need your beauty sleep” he laughed. You rolled your eyes scoffing slightly at his comment. “Whatever” you whispered, shoving him slightly as you walked past. Not that it did anything but move his arm slightly, the mountain of muscle he had sculpted around his heart was a hard wall to defeat. “I’ll race you to the top” he teases, rushing past you in a light job. His blond hair bouncing with his movement, the smile that graced his features growing wider by the second. “Oh yeah because that's a fair challenge” you sighed as you chased after him. Not a care in the world as you both passed the public who began their descent. Your later start to the hike meant that as you reached the top you would be blessed with the setting sun, the hues of oranges and reds decorating the sky like a painting. 

It was a beautiful sight to behold as you finally breached the last climb. The clouds surround you in small wisps of white, not quite thick enough to prevent you from seeing the woodlands and valley. Leon smiled at you, a large toothy grin that he would have presented you with years ago. He finally felt free, like he was on top of everything by his own choice. Not told to scale a mountain to save a girl, there was no Bio weapon for him to fight at the top. It was just you and him. “No need to look so smug” you groaned when you finally reached the top, your lungs burning as you forced air into them. Leon snickered at your comment, his arms outstretched on top of his head as he caught his breath. You watched as his chest expanded with the movement, practically waving it in your face again causing your cheeks to flush and look away. 

You slumped on a rock next to him, leaning your head against his knee as you stared out over the clouds. His hand landed on your head, playing with the soft strands of your hair slightly. “That can’t be comfy,” Leon teased as he moved your head away slightly to sit down. Once you were both shoulder to shoulder – the awkwardness you once shared about his proximity now faded, he allowed your head to rest against his shoulder. Silence enveloped you once more but the lingering thoughts and unspoken words suffocated the two of you. Unable to navigate the landmines of your feelings that were beginning to pop up. 

You never really spent much time together anymore, his schedule always too busy for you. Your feelings were taken with him whenever he left you, yet everytime without fail he brought them back. It always felt like they grew when he did come home. That seeing his hardened features change every time he stood behind your door reminded you for how long you wanted it – waited for the chance to speak about it. Maybe in another universe he would never have slurred those drunken ideals about his relationship, never spilled the secrets of his brain that left you broken. You hope for a future with him briefly snuffed out. 

“What do you think life has in store for us?” You asked him, looking up at his face from where you were still resting on his shoulder. Leon again couldn’t answer you at first, his own desires in life either forgotten or abandoned over his choices no longer feeling like his own. This week was the first in 6 years that he was actually able to decide who to go to, where to hang out. Even if it was just as simple as this. Staring at the setting sun with his favourite person. “I’m not sure. Something good I hope” He replied, his arm wrapping around your shoulders tugged you closer to him. Shielding you from the cold that crept in the shadows as the sun disappeared over the horizon. 

“Do you think we will always be a part of each other's future?” You mumbled. “Always”

You had half a brain to not ask in what way. To not admit the feelings you have been craving to admit. You didn’t want to ruin the day with the inevitable rejection he would give. Instead you stood up holding your hand out to him to offer what strength you have to pull him up – like you always did. “Did you bring a hoodie?” Leon asked as he took off his pack to put his own on. “No I didn’t think it would be this cold” You admitted, jumping on the spot slightly to warm up your joints. “Here” 

His hoodie laid outstretched to you in his grip with a reassuring smile on his features. “Won’t you get a cold?” You asked him, sliding the fabric over your frame. It was an effort to not inhale the lingering scent of him. “The cold doesn’t bother me as much anymore, not after the last mission. I lost my favorite leather jacket right at the start” He mourned playfully. The two of you walked next to each other once more, your hands occasionally brushing against his. “The brown leather one? With the fur” 

“That’s the one” 

You sighed dramatically, pretending you weep over its loss with a smile. “That was the best one you owned,” You said. Leon nodded, chuckling at your reaction. “Well then I guess I gotta go shopping again. Good job I have my stylist here” He joked, nudging your shoulder. “It's a good job that we have a shopping day tomorrow” 

The car ride back was silent, the two of you too worn out to create any kind of conversation. His rock Cd’s filtered through the car lulling you to sleep briefly. Leon occasionally glanced at your form from where it was pressed against the window, your nose buried in the collar of his hoodie. You looked so soft – so tempting to claim and take for himself. His one good thing in this world. 

Day 4 

He was surprised to find that you were awake before him, the muffled yells of frustration catching his attention. Instead as the daylight cracked through the curtains he found no real rush to go and see what was happening, trusting that you were okay. Assuming that if something was really wrong you would have come and woken him up. Leon chose to take a brief moment to just lay there, listening to you fight with what he presumed was the Coffee machine and the low hum of the music you were playing. For the first time in four days he reached for his phone, ignoring the emails he had gotten from the reports he presented them with. Ignoring the texts from the few– one– coworker that cared about him. 

Leon was going to shop for a coffee machine, have it delivered by the end of the week for you so you wouldn’t have to fight with this one anymore. He knew you would argue if he asked you about it so he was going to do it on his own accord, getting ready to open the browser. He didn’t get that far though, not when your spam of messages caught his attention. It was all the photos you had taken yesterday. Leon smiled at the sight of the joy on your faces, smiling like you were both teenagers again. His favourite by far was the impromptu one with you on his back, your hair whipping around in a blur looking up at him with a smile whilst his beamed back. Neither of you were looking at the camera, you were only looking at each other. The coffee machine shopping was long forgotten about as he set the picture as his home and lockscreen before throwing the covers off to find you. 

“Morning” You chimed to him, a smile plastered on your face already as he walked through the door. The warmth that radiated off you was always amazing to him.  “Morning” He grumbled back, sliding into the breakfast bar like you did with him a few days ago. Unlike you though Leon didn’t wear the cute pink apron or have flour on every surface. “What on earth–” he questioned as he looked at the white footprints that started to blend together as you continued to move around the kitchen. “I tried to make pancake batter but the flour bag was stubborn, so it went everywhere” You snickered looking down at the mess you had made everywhere. “Seems I’m not as good at making breakfast as you are” 

Leon laughed, his eyes crinkling in the corners as his head tilted back slightly. His own actions shocked him, it had been years since he laughed like this. “Well at least we both agree on something” He teased, looking down at the plate you slid across to him. Heart shaped pancakes topped with some chocolate chips and strawberry sauce. It was just so effortless for you. “Cute” 

You weren’t sure what reaction you were expecting from him at the sight of the pancakes, hoping for anything but a negative one but his one word answer still made you giggle. The heat doing an olympic sprint to your face again as you watched him groan at the flavour, devouring them like you had starved him for the past few days. “I feel like the heart made me feel all the extra love” He admitted, looking up at you with his goofy smile. It was refreshing to see him relaxed now; even if it took you 4 days to reach this point. “If you count the mess I made and the screaming at the coffee machine for it to do its job then sure” You laughed, your body relaxing now he seemed to enjoy the food and the company. 

The idle chatter that filled the rest of the morning was perfect, making you both feel like there wasn’t anything wrong. No hidden feelings, no hidden secrets about the world's corruption – no it was just you and him. In the small apartment that felt like home. 

Leon sat on the bed once more, looking down at the small device in his hands going over the emails he had ignored. Replying to Hunnigan’s text chain of concern with a thumbs up emoji to at least let her know he was still alive. He knew there would be questions of where he ended up and how he chose to spend his time off. Your safety was too important for them to know you exist, their curiosity would put you in danger, even more so that the heartbroken and scared 21 year old self told you the events of that night. 

A knock at his door drew his attention away from his phone, he looked up to find you in the cutest dress, one of his older jackets draped over your frame. You were his perfect girl, proudly standing in front of him like a cute angel– a sweet for him to take. Yet, he didn't; instead he smiled and nodded at your pleas for him to hurry up, a light blush coating his cheeks as you checked him over in an attempt to be subtle, forgetting how perspective he was now. 

All Leon needed to do was reach out and grab your hand for you both to look like the perfect couple. Your arm brushed against his often, your proximity only growing closer as you both entered the busy mall. “You good?” You asked him quietly, your eyes shining with concern as you glanced at him. At first he was confused as to why you were even asking him until he looked up and remembered the crowds. The chatter of salesmen trying to get them to come over, the families running around trying to get every toy store was almost too much for him. Then you held his hand, gripped it with a gentle squeeze like it was natural for you to do so. Leon didn’t let go– not when you dragged him gently to follow you, guiding him through the crowds to the stores you wanted. Just like he would guide you through them if it turned bad. 

But it wouldn’t go bad, this was just a normal day and you were just being kind. He let you guide him into a small jewellery store, watching as you looked over the glass cages pointing at a few of the smaller pieces to try on. You presented him with your wrist, a simple silver bracelet decorated in small vines balanced around it. He helped you put it on, his rough fingertips from all the fighting brushing against your soft skin. If he pressed slightly harder he would feel your pulse, part of him wanted to know if it was going as quickly as his. If you were as nervous as he was as he fumbled with the tiny clasp. He was hyper aware of your attention, your soft delicate smile as you looked at him. 

He found his thoughts drifting to wonder what the rest of your skin would feel like under his touch. If your breath would falter when his lips grazed it in soft kisses. He yearned to see you, all of you – laid bare for him to admire and take. To be selfish to the world and keep you as the treasure you are.

Leon’s eyes softened as you admired the silver bangle, watching it as it glinted in the bright lights of the store. Something so simple pleased you, just like every magnet he gave you or the small amount of time you both got to spend together. 

“You guys are such a cute couple” 

The comment made him freeze, his hands nervously clenching at his sides as his eyes displayed his panic. Was he being that obvious? Could you see his feelings? Instead you ignored her comment, offering the salesman a smile and an awkward chuckle. He felt himself dissociate as he watched you buy the bracelet, the item still wrapped around your wrist. He couldn’t help the yearning pull he felt towards you, the way his hand itched to hold yours again, to feel the weight and warmth of it like it belonged there. 

You grinned at him, holding your hand out for him to take once more as you left as if you knew his nerves disappeared when you were close. 

“Do you have a store you want to go to?” You asked him as you both sat down a few hours later. Pools of shopping bags littered the area underneath your feet as you both waited for the burger you just ordered to arrive. Leon’s head was turned, looking out the window at all the people passing by before it turned again to look at all the people in the restaurant. Your soft smile made his heart falter again when he finally looked at you. “No– I’m all good,” He stuttered nervously. Leon could feel your knee against his, confused as to why he was suddenly hyper aware of your touch. 

“Are you sure? I feel like we have only looked at the stuff I wanted to” You spoke again, nudging his knee again as his attention drifted away. Leon smiled softly, nodding with his hair falling over his eyes briefly. “I’m sure, I have everything I need” 

Your eyes scanned over him, peering into the cracks that were slowly revealing themselves whenever he knew it or not. “Okay well once we have eaten we can leave, I know you wanted to watch that movie” You said. Leon hummed in agreement, already eyeing up the food that was now being placed in front of you both, trying to desperately think about anything else that wasn’t you. 

Day 5 

It seems to be a pattern now that he has one day free from nightmares and one that will plague him. Leave him defensive against the visions and blur of all the things that have happened to him. Ada, The station, Ashley, Krasuer, Luis…all plaguing the concerns of his dreams as a shout of his name – a taunting reminder that despite all the effort he put to make sure people are safe he failed. Time and time again. Except with you. 

Tonight, he watched them get you; take you away from him as punishment for spilling his secrets. The ones he swore to never tell. He watched them hurt you and Sherry, the only two people he still had a promise to keep safe, one that surpassed his own duties. He heard your screams, your yells for him to come and help you. The corridor he ran down was familiar, the marble flooring splashing with blood as the thunder crackled around you both. He had been here before you hadn’t. It felt like the corridor kept getting longer, his feet not fast enough to help you. Your name was a war cry from his lips, his throat hoarse and dry the more he screamed it. He pleaded with whatever curel god had bestowed this upon him to stop. Your cries were devastating, pleading and begging for him to get there faster – not saying anything else except his name. 

You had heard his yell, the harshness and fear of it causing you to jolt out of sleep. You didn’t even bother to wait to see if it stopped, not with how raw and painful it was. Instead you sprinted, the door crashing against the wall loudly probably not helping whatever nightmare he was stuck in. You found him sitting up shaking with his head in his hands. Leon flinched at the sound of your footsteps, flinched again as the thunder crashed throughout the room. “Leon?” You spoke firmly once you hit the edge of the bed.

It broke you to see his curled form, the shoulders that heaved with every sob. Your hand landed on his arm, soothing a path to his shoulder as you began to bring him into a hug. It didn’t matter you could feel his shirt damp with sweat or his tears falling onto your own as he crushed you. “Are you okay?” he whimpered, his red rimmed eyes looking you over scanning you for the blood he saw in his dreams. For the bites that littered your skin, the slashes from numerous other horrid creatures he experienced. “I’m okay” 

You smiled softly at him, holding him gently against you as his breathing evened out. He was meant to protect you, meant to keep you safe – even in his dreams he failed. 

“Leon look, I’m fine” You said, cupping his face gently to lift his head. Your smile was cute and touching, a breath of fresh air for him. He nodded, unable to find the words to say as his grip remained tight. In perhaps a poor lapse of judgment you leaned in, closing the gap between the two of you in years. It felt right and natural the way his lips crashed against yours – whilst they remained unmoving at first you felt his grip tighten on you. Holding you impossibly closer to him. Leon didn’t let you pull away once he was out of his trance, his brain working quickly to make up for the lack of reaction in a hungry and messy kiss. 

His actions spoke louder than words as he softened, whimpered at the taste of you as he gained access inside. His trust was being placed in you as you crawled into his lap; your fingers entwining in the soft strands of hair that fell on the nap of his neck. It was hard not to notice the growing bulge that was between the two of you as it began to throb and twitch beneath you. Leon’s hands fell to your hips gripping them tightly as you subconsciously began to rock against him. He damn near purred at the petting, at the long strokes you gave him lovingly like he was a feral cat. 

Perhaps he was this untamable creature that lived through his own desire to live during missions – was now purring in the lap of his long lost owner. The one that has always had his heart. The woman in red that seemed to be a recurring character in his life now forgotten about as his tongue swirled with yours in a desperate fight of dominance. To feel this, to feel you grinding against him like no tomorrow he would happily submit as long as you never stopped. The pleasure causing his dream to fade away, forgotten about as you made your presence known to him. 

He didn't think that all this was a distraction for him to get lulled back to sleep. Maybe you weren’t as hungry for him as he was for you, maybe you were crossing a line that you didn’t know about. His attachment and claim only grew stronger as he kissed down your neck, biting the flesh softly then licking the marks to soothe the pain he caused. “Leon–” You whimpered, your head thrown back allowing him more skin to taste– to explore. 

He laid you down beneath him, his erections pointed prominently at you as he kissed your lips again. The mixed saliva becomes an irresistible gloss coating your lips. Your eyes were wild as they looked up at him holding a different story to the smile your lips presented him with. “What are we doing here?” He whispered, his leg now inbetween yours. He could feel the heat of your cunt against the thin fabric of his sweats. “Whatever you want” You responded, leaving the balls in his court. After all you would have caved years ago all to feel the burn of his love as he thrusts inside you. “I want you–” 

Fuck – your grin was tempting, he could feel all his restraint leave as your hips ground on his thigh. Breathless whimpers turning into deep moans as pleasure coursed through you, as you used him for your own pleasure. The sight was beautiful, in some weird poetic way it made him feel useful in a way that wasn’t for destruction or to fix other people's mistakes. His will for control slipping if you were going to use him like this, beg for a release only he could give you. So he clenched his thigh, the hard muscle adding pressure to the movements, your face however contorting in something that looked like frustration despite the pressure that was slowly building with the coil inside you tightening. 

“What's wrong Angel?” he whispered against the shell of your ear. The warmth of it causes goosebumps to rise along your skin. “Let me help you” 

“Too many clothes– Leon I can’t– I want” 

He silenced you with a kiss, biting the lip softly whilst his hands fiddled with the hemline of your top; only breaking the kiss as he removed the fabric. He was thankful for the nightmare at this point, he didn’t have to fiddle with the clasp of a bra since you don’t sleep with one. Your tits now laid bare for him to play and worship. His tongue circled the bud tightly, flicking it every so often whilst he smiled at the hitch of your breath. The low stimulation was driving you insane, your fingers lacing in the blonde strands tugging him close to you, practically feeding your breast to his eager and awaiting mouth. 

Leon greedily sucked and licked against your tits, playing with the other one in soft gentle squeezes whilst smirking at the way you heaved them further into him. Your hips continued their grind, your cunt begging for attention as you dry humped his leg like a horny dog. His cock now painfully hard as he thought about your waiting warmth, thoughts running over the idea of finally sinking himself in you. You whined as he pulled away, the stimulation fading fast as he retreated on his haunches. “How did I deserve you?” He praised, his eyes racking over your form, his hands once again hesitant to touch your skin as the fear and guilt of his past crept in. Unable to let him go for just a second to allow him to take a good thing, to have something he sorely needed. To have you in the way he needed. A partner. A home. 

As his person. 

“Because you are good and you do good” You spoke softly, holding his hand gently as you looked up at him. “I don’t-” 

“You do” 

In his hesitation you took over, your fingers dancing along the blond happy trail that disappeared underneath the hem of his sweats. His cock already leaking large amounts of pre cum eagerly for you to play with. You watched his cock spring out of his boxers and sweats as you exposed it in one go, the tip already blushing under your gaze. Your fingers traced his balls, following the puffy vein that ran along the underside of him before curving to the mushroomed tip. Even his cock was pretty. 

Leon’s gaze fell on the bracelet you bought yesterday as it bounced along your wrist. The slow pump of his cock growing faster as his fluids loosened your movements. His body swayed with the coursing pleasure, his hands falling to your shoulders to steady himself against your fast pumps. His whines were the perfect tune, breathless and deep against the shell of your ear as he leaned over, struggling against your on-slaught of pleasure. You watched as he began to spill more pre-cum over your hands, the translucent substance looking pretty against your skin. He deserved this, all the pleasure you were willingly giving him. “Fuck- angel I’m too close…stop – please” He begged, pulling your hand away from his throbbing cock. 

Leon pushed you back, making quick work to display your cunt to him in all its glistening glory. It was tempting to taste, to devour like his last meal but perhaps another time. He groaned as he felt your arousal. The slick coating his fingers as he explored your folds, briefly swirling his thumb against your puffy clit that was begging for attention. He worked his way around your body, made sure to learn every sound that left your lips and how to make them again. Leon sunk himself inside you, the stretch of his girth painful for a second before you got distracted by him latching on your tits again. 

His finger tweaked the other nipple as he began to thrust, sucking against your breast greedily once more. The thunder was forgotten about as it continued to crash throughout the night, as was the rest of the nightmare as he lost himself in you. Holding onto the task of giving you pleasure in a desperate attempt to ground himself. You moaned at every drag of his cock, feeling him pull out to the tip before slamming back inside. The raw feeling of your bodies connecting caused you to pull him close. 

Leons hand lifted your leg above his hip, allowing him to grind deeper inside you. His balls tightened as his speed increased, mind filled with nothing but cumming inside you. To let you feel his love as deep as he could get it. You tried to tug his head back to your breast as he moved away but he rejected the offer and he now placed his hands on the back of your thighs as he pressed them down into you. You gasped at his depth, as the brush of his cock head against your cervix. His heavy balls slapped against your ass as he worked harder for your orgasm.

He watched your silent cry, he felt your walls clench around him, the gush of your orgasm as it leaked out. With a fiery desire he finally drove himself to a finish, his cock filling your gushing cunt with him, his love in the most physical form he could. 

Your legs ached as he released them, lowering them to sit around his waist as his cock still sat snuggly inside you. There wasn’t a need for words, for admissions of love and feelings as you both crossed the barriers of friends. Instead Leon kissed you, a simple but firm press. No longer fueled by the hungry desire of the connection with you. You felt him move to lay next to you, his head resting against your shoulder as you held onto him. He needed this, needed the safety of you underneath him as he protected you in sleep. The monsters in his haunted dreams would have to get him before they got you. 

The idea didn’t seem so scary anymore, not when your fingers lightly scraped against his scalp, nails scratching just enough it eased the tension in his brows. Leon’s cock was still nestled inside you softening as you laid together, not wanting to lose the connection you were both currently holding together. It wasn’t long until you felt his soft snores against your chest, his muscles losing their tension as he slipped into a deep sleep. A good one for once. 

He wasn’t there when morning came, his cum now dried against the skin of your thighs. You couldn’t hear the broken coffee machine willing itself to life anymore, you couldn’t smell the breakfast he would have treated you to. No, the house was silent, empty without him. The only sign of him being there was his phone on the table and the wrinkles in the sheets besides you. As you entered the bathroom you saw the lingering sign of him being here, a swipe against the condensation of the mirror, toothpaste dried on the sink. 

Why did everything feel empty all of a sudden? His disappearance reminds you that this was the last full day with him, your rule now broken as you dumped a decision of feelings on him. Guilt ate away at you, the sounds of his panicked screams from his nightmare still haunting you whilst you chose to jump at the opportunity to distract him in a physical form of admitting your feelings. You just didn’t want him to feel like you were using him in his vulnerable state. The shower stream was hot as it pelted your back, you watched the water run down your body washing away everything, washing away him. Maybe he was just running an errand for you, ran out of eggs or something. He will come back, he left things here, he won't leave you. Not yet. 

You felt numb as you waited, your mind filled with the feeling of him, of his mouth exploring your body. Of his silent demands of devotion he was making to you with every thrust he made. You ached for him more than before, it was cruel to wake up empty when he made you feel so full. 

It was hours until he returned, his car pulling back in the drive with the crunch of the gravel. Leon could get used to the feeling of you colliding with him everytime he returned, your body fitting against his perfectly as you hugged him. “Where did you go?” You asked, pulling away to look up at him. The coffee machine was heavy as he moved it out of the way, awkwardly stretching to place it on the table next to you both. “To get some presents and plan the last day…I lost the itinerary” He chuckled. You followed his gaze to the new machine, the box in perfect condition. “You didn’t have to–” 

“Trust me, I did. I was going to cry if I had to hear the other attempt to make coffee again. You deserve it for being so good to me. Even when–” 

“It’s okay, thank you leon” You cut him off, placing a peck on his lips – only for him to pull you closer, deepening the simple peck into something more. “What’s my surprise?” You asked, laying your head against his chest to hear his fluttering heart. Leon never replied, only instructed you to find some shoes and pulled you out to the car. 

The car ride was silent, his hand switching from the gear stick to your thigh, no longer shy with his touches as he thought about last night. Hoping to verbally claim you like he had done physically last night. It was by luck you didn’t glance back into the boot of the car. Blankets and pillows laid on it for when you both arrived at the view point. The orange hues now pale as they started to creep in with dawn approaching quickly. Part of him felt guilty for leaving you alone like that, the bed cold and empty beside you after you had spent a night helping him not feel alone anymore. He laughed at the confusion on your face as he reversed into the space. “Come on” 

You followed him out of the car and to the boot, he opened it to display the set up he had been working on. Perfect for sunset watching. “Who knew you were the romantic kind?” You teased, holding his hand as you turned to him. “Do you like it? I’m sorry I left you today, I wanted it to be a surprise…I wanted to make up for everything” He admitted. You both climbed in the boot, your back resting against his chest as he held onto you tightly. These were the moments you dreamed of with the first jeep. Wishing he would drive you to places like this when he would return from the city. 

“I used to dream of this, us together” You said, glancing up at him. The sun brightened his features, his eyes gaining the shine they once lost with newfound hope for his own future. The fears he once had still lingered yet they weren’t worth losing this. The connection and warmth he gained with you in his arms. For years he found himself yearning for you, for this. Wondering what the picket fence dream would look like if he finally gained it with you. It was his time to gain something, someone. Someone to love and hold, protect from everything he did.

“Me too, I was just too stupid to jump for it” 

“I wouldn’t say stupid, maybe you just needed to fall a little and trust I could catch you” 

“You did” 

Somehow the worry of him leaving tomorrow didn’t matter anymore. Not when he was tied to your soul and heath, with promising touches and lingering kisses he had left behind to keep you longing for more. To keep you excited for more. 

“I think I’ve always loved you like this, Leon” You admitted. Leon smiled against the crown of your head, holding you close to him as he admitted back, “I think I always will love you like this angel” 

[rafesangelita]

hi victoria!! you're my favorite writer. i just failed a test and i feel really bad about it 😿😿 i was wondering if you could do a rafe comforting kook!sweetheart that she failed a test? thank youu 🤍🤍

warnings: bsf!rafe, reader fails her driving test (she’s me), comfort, fluff, slight humor, pet names

a/n: decided to make this a semi continuation of this fic lol. i’m not sure what kind of test you failed anon but don’t beat yourself up over it! we’re all human and it happens to the best of us :( thank you for reading and appreciating my works <3

“so what do you think?” your hands were on your hips, your hair falling cutely in your face as you beamed up at rafe. you had just explained to him why you wanted to get your driver’s license, saying; ‘what if i want to go shopping or something while you’re working with your dad? i could take myself to the mall.’ you had looked so excited, so without discouraging you, rafe went along with the whole thing.

“you know what? that’s a great idea, babe. do you know how to set up the appointment?” you nodded frantically, following him into his bedroom. “yeah, i go in tomorrow!” thankfully you were behind the poor man so you couldn’t see his eyes widen with worry. “tomorrow?!” he watched the way your smile faltered at his tone. rafe made a quick recovery, pulling you in for a hug as he cheered you on.

“you’re gonna kill it.. literally.” you pulled away, muttering a ‘what was that?’ before you forgot about the subject and started rambling on and on about what outfit you should wear to the dmv. after convincing you that heels wouldn’t be the best shoe to wear for your test, rafe found himself waiting in the office with you the next morning. “does my makeup look okay?” you fluttered your eyelashes at him.

“yes, you look perfect-” just then, an older man with glasses and a clipboard called out your name. “well, that’s me..” you got up, rafe squeezing your hand before he watched you go outside with the test proctor. he waited patiently, his eyes fixed on the tv screen in the corner of of the waiting room. not even ten minutes later, you had walked back in, a mortified expression on your face.

“what’s wrong? you forget something?” you shook your head, your eyebrows drawn together as you approached him with a pout. “no. can we just leave, please?” rafe got up, wrapping an arm around your shoulders before the test proctor came back. “you’ll be driving that one around for a while.” he laughed to himself, making his way to the back. that wasn’t good…

“what happened?” rafe asked once you two were back in his truck. “the test starts with parallel parking.” at your words, rafe refrained from laughing. “oh..” he nodded, “i’m assuming he stopped the test right then and there?” you stayed silent for a moment. “yes.” rafe took a deep breath before facing you. “don’t even worry about it, baby. that just means we need to practice more.” he reassured you.

“rafe it was so bad. when he asked me to start, i just thought about last time when i couldn’t even park in one slot..” rafe couldn’t help himself anymore, a laugh bubbling from his throat. “s’not funny!” you elbowed him playfully. “alright, alright, i’m sorry.” he apologized. “how about we grab some breakfast? it’ll make you feel better.” he leaned in, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear.

“okay..” you agreed, “you know what else would make me feel better?” rafe hummed, starting up the engine. “three orgasms and a shopping spree.”

[wileys-russo]

https://x.com/kaitsgooner/status/1752015922892620031?s=46&t=k-Lwg3ELXoOdR-KcbCNumw

Leah’s always gossiping😭 she’s so funny. Would love a little fic of Leah and reader just on the bench and Leah is just full on gossiping to reader while your trying to focus on the game. Eventually getting pulled into Leah’s gossip

gossip II l.williamson

you watched with pride as your girlfriend jogged over to the sidelines, smacking her palm against laia's and clapping the catalonian on the back who raced across the pitch to take her place.

you waited patiently as leah greeted the coaching staff, shaking hands and having a quick word with the defensive head and pointing out a few things as he slid over to speak with jonas and leah made her way down the line of subs, fist bumping each girl as she went.

"hello bench warmer." the blonde teased with a grin, quickly pecking your lips and dropping down onto the grass in front of you, waving off frida's offer to move down a seat so your girlfriend could sit beside you.

"charming as ever darling." you sighed with a smile, handing her a recovery shake as she shuffled back slightly to lean against your legs, patting your knee affectionately.

as she locked into a conversation with alessia who was sat on your other side you zoned out a little, chin resting on your fist and watching the game.

"babe!" you glanced down as leah shook your leg, raising an eyebrow. "do you remember the florist? the one down the street from that bakery we like?" leah questioned as you smiled.

"lee we can gossip all you want on the drive home, watch the game." you laughed quietly, knowing the blondes tendencies far too well as she huffed and turned back to speak with alessia.

arsenal had a two goal lead but you knew even if there was only twenty minutes left that anything could happen, which is why you paid little attention to your girlfriends stories.

though you could tell she was getting into them given the way her hands darted about as she spoke making you smile fondly as alessia and now kyra hung off the older girls every word, also now clearly invested into her tales.

"leah!" you whined shoving her shoulder as your girlfriend pinched your inner thigh, having tapped you a few times and getting no response. "i called your name nicely first! space cadet." her hand reached up to poke at your cheek as you pushed it away and sat back properly.

"you know the girl from the bakery we like yeah? the one who always slips us extra pastries when the boss isn't in, olivia? olive? i think its olivia." leah again tried to draw you in as you shook your head.

"you're a terrible gossip williamson, watch the girls! and you, stop encouraging her less!" you warned the grinning blonde beside you who shrugged, kyras head popping over her shoulder matching her eagerness. "why? she's a great story teller!" the australian defended as leah hit your knee with a happy smirk and you rolled your eyes.

"stop yapping and support your teammates! all three of you." you warned a little more sternly, the younger girls beside you deflating somewhat as leah rolled her eyes but turned around to face the pitch, sipping at her shake.

but once the beverage was finished it failed to serve as a distraction, leah growing restless and leaning over to tap alessia's knee and you sighed as within seconds both her and kyra were once more hanging off your girlfriends every syllable.

"-the florist!" you only caught the last of your girlfriends sentence, drawn into the conversation by the loud gasps of shock from the younger girls beside you and even frida who leah seemed to have sucked in now too.

"wait what?" you questioned with a frown, clearly having missed the build up as you watched manu make a diving save and breathed a sigh of relief.

"well well well. look who wants in on the gossip train!" leah smirked as you rolled your eyes and shook your head, ignoring her and instead turning back to the game. "whatever." you rolled your eyes stubbornly, focusing on the pitch again but feeling leahs eyes bore up into you.

"fine! you've twisted my arm, i'll tell you." leah tapped your thigh to gain your attention back as you couldn't help but be amused by her obvious enthusiasm. "back to my original question, you know the florist-" leah began tracking backward as you nodded.

"the one near the bakery we like, i do. what about him?" you frowned as leah huffed. "bubba theres layers to this story, don't interrupt!" the blonde warned sternly wagging a finger at you as you shoved alessia who giggled.

"well the florist. so he's married yeah? he has that photo of his wife and kid on the counter, and he always has that gold wedding band on. i remember because its got his wives initials carved into it which is quite cute, or maybe its their kids initials?" leah frowned, pausing as you again nodded though this time wordlessly.

"anyway not important. well i went in to see him on tuesday, remember i got you that huge bouquet and brought you breakfast in bed and then we had second bre-" you hurried to cover her mouth as the tips of your ears flushed red.

"leah what we do in the bedroom is private!" you hissed in warning for the words which you'd stopped before they fell. "we already heard about it when she told us the story." kyra piped up cheekily as you groaned and removed your hand, shrinking a little in embarrassment.

"anyway. well i went in on tuesday and no wedding band, no picture." leah continued on completely ignoring your reaction, pulling your hand away and kissing your knuckles sweetly before letting go.

"which is weird right? but then i also went to the bakery because as we both know their bread is the very best bread for a ham sandwich. so i went in to get a loaf and i noticed there was a different woman serving, not olivia or olive whatever her name is who usually always works on tuesdays." leahs eyes narrowed as you hummed to show you were listening.

"so i subtly asked, more so joked really, about where she was. turns out she's on maternity leave? i didn't even notice she was pregnant but apparently she's due in a few weeks!" leah scoffed in disbelief as you frowned, also not having picked up on that throughout the many months you and leah had frequented the bakery.

"so while i was waiting for the bread, and i won't lie babe i did get a croissant and finish it before i got home so you wouldn't know." leah smiled apologetically as you shoved her head with a playful roll of your eyes.

"but this is the scandal of it all. so i overheard one of the bakers on the phone and it turns out that-" leah was cut off as cheers errupted around meadow park, the final whistle blowing signalling the game was over and arsenal had indeed reigned victorious.

you waited patiently for leah to finish, watching as she placed her palms on your knees and used them to help her push up to her feet before holding out her hands to help you up.

"turns out that..." you trailed off eagerly with wide eyes as the rest of the girls began to jog out onto the pitch to congratulate everyone and greet the fans.

"i'll tell you later. come on gorgeous!" leah kissed your cheek and wandered off after lia as your jaw dropped. "what happened?" you grabbed alessia with wide eyes who shrugged. "its leahs story! i'll probably miss details and tell it wrong." the blonde tugged her hands away and followed after kyra as you groaned.

"leah!" you huffed in annoyance, hurrying after her and hating how much she'd peaked your curiousity.

"leah you can't leave it there, finish the story!" you whined catching up to her as lia just smiled in amusement not even needing to know the context as your girlfriend just tutted and slung an arm over your shoulder, kissing your cheek again with a grin.

"nah we can gossip all you want on the drive home, right baby?"

[fastandcarlos]

Stuck With Me : ̗̀➛ Jack Doohan

summary: as jack signs his contract with alpine, you soon realise that actually you’re pretty happy to be stuck with him on the team for a little while longer

pairing: jack x f1academy!reader

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by olliebearman, pierregasly and 179,503 others

jackdoohan: always fun spending race weekend in the garage and learning, thank you as always alpine for having me, plenty learnt to take with me moving forwards 🏎️💙

27,052 comments

username1: I wish it was you we got to see in that car instead 😭

estebanocon: awesome to see you, good luck for the rest of the season ☺️

username2: buzzing to see you back in the garage again jack!!

liam.lawson: sweet talk them some more and you might just get a seat 😉

jackdoohan: @/liam.lawson saw right through me huh 😂

username3: wishing that alpine saw how talented you really are and signed you up 💔

ynusername: nice to see you, and maybe show you a thing or two too 😂

jackdoohan: @/ynusername I’m always learning from you 😊

username4: alpine are so damn lucky to have you 🥺

username5: not long until you’ll be behind the wheel jack 🤞🏻

pierregasly: thanks for all your help on the car this weekend!

username6: please make sure you’re at the rest of the races this year, you’re my favourite face on the screen

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by estebanocon, racerbia and 36,068 others

ynusername: another race, another win!! so proud to have got the win here in zandvoort and get plenty of momentum behind me moving forwards as we look to finish off the season strong 💪🏻🏆

4,947 comments

username7: you were amazing out there today 👏🏻

racerbia: can you save some race wins for the rest of us??? 😘

username8: so proud of you yn, controlled that race from start to finish!!

jackdoohan: who knew you were so talented 🤯

ynusername: @/jackdoohan my parents always believed in me thank you very much 😭

username9: formula 1 academy world title pending…⏳

pierregasly: good job out there, glad I got to watch you race again ☺️

username10: can’t believe I finally got to watch you race today, you were electric ⚡️

dorianepin: congrats yn, I’ll get ya next time 😂

username11: you never fail to make your fans so proud 🥺

olliebearman: that race was awesome, you gotta show me how you handled turn 2 like that for next year!!

ynusername: @/olliebearman gimme a time and date and I’m there 😂

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by liam.lawson, oscarpiastri and 58,401 others

jackdoohan: a week off means getting plenty of recovery in and getting back of the waves. amazing to spend it with my favourite person too 🫶🏻

7,052 comments

username12: I’m sorry since when were you a taken man???

oscarpiastri: I’m just going to pretend that middle photo doesn’t exist 😭

username13: you can’t just throw something like this at us jack wtf!

arthur_leclerc: I thought I was the only lover in your life 😭

jackdoohan: @/arthur_leclerc you’re my one true love, this is just a fling bby

username14: you mean to say our fictional relationship can’t come true now 😭

liam.lawson: there’s a whole chapter we seem to have missed out here my friend…

jackdoohan: @/liam.lawson I’ll fill you in at the paddock 😘

username15: have I ever told you how much I hate soft launchers!?

danielricciardo: proud of ya kiddo 😉😉

username16: I want to say congrats but inside my heart is breaking 💔

ynusername: that’s some pretty cool waves you’ve got yourself there 🏖️

jackdoohan: @/ynusername waves aren’t the only thing I’m riding this holiday 🙃

username17: not me more focused on how incredible that body looks in a swimsuit 😂

kimi.antonelli: are we just going to pretend that this middle photo doesn’t exist??

username18: as long as you’re happy jack, most of us fan girls are happy for you too 🥺

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by pierregasly, ynusername and 73,038 others

jackdoohan: such a proud day for me and my family to share that i have officially signed to drive with the alpine f1 team next year. thank you to my team, family and friends for constantly supporting me through the years 🏎️💙

16,968 comments

olliebearman: can’t wait to enter my rookie era with you 😘

jackdoohan: @/olliebearman wouldn’t have it any other way sweetie 😘

username19: there’s never been anyone more deserving of a contract than you!

pierregasly: can’t wait to drive alongside you next year - it’s gonna be awesome!!

username20: can’t wait to see you out on the grid next year 🤩

oscarpiastri: congratulations future formula 1 driver 🤝

username21: you and pierre are gonna be the dream team i can already tell 🤩

ynusername: congratulations ✨ can’t wait to have you officially as part of the team!

jackdoohan: @/ynusername guess you’re officially stuck with me now 😂

username22: can’t wait to be your biggest fan for all the races next year 🥹

username23: future world champion for sure!!!

danielricciardo: another aussie on the grid 🇦🇺🦘

username24: we’re all so proud of you jack, you’re gonna smash it 💪🏻

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by dorianepin, jackdoohan and 23,950 others

ynusername: end of the season and new adventures on their way. looking forward to the next four weeks with my favourite human being 🥺

7,403 comments

username25: wait since when has this been a thing!? 🤯

racerbia: really out here living your best life ain’t ya? 👑

username26: have i woken up from sort of dream to see this 🤔

jackdoohan: what sorta boyfriend would take you out on a zip line like that? 🤔

ynusername: @/jackdoohan definitely one cooler than you 💆🏻‍♀️

jackdoohan: @/ynusername good job I’ve got my own girlfriend to explore with then 🥺

username27: so glad to see you enjoying your break so good yn 🥺

username28: what is it with drivers and teasing us about their partners 😭

landonorris: since you won the championship you’ve really gone for that aesthetic blog look eh!? 👏🏻

username29: as impressive as that last photo is, my eyes can’t look away from the middle 👀

hausmann.tina: idk what your secrets are but I need to know them asap 😂

username30: favourite human…who is this favourite human you speak of???

pierregasly: please do not break a bone on holiday or alpine will lose their minds 😁

username31: all I want is to know who the lucky guy is…

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by pierregasly, oscarpiastri and 22,859 others

ynusername: starting off the season strong with pierre, whenever you fancy showing your face around here @/jackdoohan that would be lovely 😂

4,859 comments

username32: not jack already being thrown under the bus by his fellow drivers 😂

olliebearman: nothing like impressing the bosses on the first day jack 🤦🏻‍♂️

username33: anyone else think jack and yn seem to be suspiciously close to each other 🤔

pierregasly: at least I can rely on you to be on time yn 😂

ynusername: @/pierregasly 🫡🫡🫡

username34: why do I get the feeling pierre and yn are gonna gang up on jack this year 😂

kimi.antonelli: you get used to his poor time keeping I promise you yn ⏳

username35: it really is pick on the rookie season rn!

jackdoohan: some of us wanted to take the time to make sure we look presentable rather than like we just rolled out of bed ☺️

ynusername: @/jackdoohan that’s a harsh thing to say about pierre 😂

username36: I am OBSESSED with the interactions between these two!!!

username37: you know when someone pretends to be mean to distract from something…I wonder 🤔

estebanocon: sure you’re not missing me yet???

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by olliebearman, kimi.antonelli and 59,301 others

ynusername: i guess i can’t keep him a secret forever 🥺💞

12,067 comments

username38: how did no one actually figure this out 🤦🏻‍♀️

olliebearman: at least I don’t need to ask you how your summer break was anymore…

pierregasly: everyone please pray for me having to work alongside these two 🙏🏻

username39: okay but it’s undeniable that these two look incredible together

jackdoohan: I loved being your little secret, but I love being your boyfriend to the whole world more 💕

username40: I thought they hated each other, turns out they love each other 😂

dorianepin: breathing through the pain of knowing you didn’t tell me about this 💔

ynusername: @/dorianepin I’m sorry just didn’t want to risk anything 🥹

liam.lawson: thank god I don’t don’t have to keep my mouth shut anymore 🤐

username41: they really managed to fool us all…

oscarpiastri: wow you two did not hang around did you 😂

username42: imagine having to be the poor head of pr at alpine right now 😬

danielricciardo: ik I joked that f1 was good for the ladies jack but this isn’t what I expected 😂

jackdoohan: @/danielricciardo what can I say, when you know, you know 💞

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

liked by danielricciardo, landonorris and 97,402 others

jackdoohan: an f1 contract wasn’t the only prize I managed to bag myself last season ❤️🌊

24,958 comments

username43: not jack coming at us with the cheesiest caption known to man 😂

arthur_leclerc: I don’t even recognise you anymore 😂

ynusername: turns out you signing for alpine was a pretty cool moment for both of us 🥺

username44: damn he really is a man in love!

username45: already obsessed with this duo and what they’re gonna do on the track this year

pierregasly: fyi there’s a clause in your contract that bans pda in the paddock (definitely didn’t just make this up!)

username46: we need a ship name asap 🛳️

landonorris: the real question though is which prize was better? 😉

jackdoohan: @/landonorris you don’t even need to ask 💕💕

username47: how did none of the grid manage to figure this out!?

username48: this is certainly one way to make sure everyone knows your name 😂

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

˗ˏˋ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ! ´ˎ˗

[masochist-marmot]

Mydei and saving face

Although I have my issues with the storytelling and underutilization of the visual medium in these past patches of HSR, we Phaidei fans have been eating well. I want to focus on this moment in particular:

(This post turned into a light linguistic analysis, so I apologise in advance. Disclaimer: The observations only apply to the English localisation since I can't speak for the other languages.)

I love it that they let us into Mydei's head for a while by giving him a bunch of dialogue choices that he can't bring himself to say. He can see that his friend is hurt, he's got enough insight to know why his friend is hurt, and yet he can't address any of that directly. He wants to offer Phainon a chance to talk about the failed trial and is contemplating various approaches, which I'll lay out here.

(1) "How's your recovery coming along, my friend?" (2) "Winning and losing are all part of a warrior's life. Don't let it get to you." (3) "Why don't you take a bath to recharge, buddy?" (4) "Keep your chin up. You have greater things to achieve." (5) "Want to grab a drink with me, pal?" (6) "If you're up for it, let's have a talk."

In terms of pragmatic linguistics, asking Phainon to talk about his recent failure is a face-threatening act. It threatens both his positive face (the desire to be admired and approved of, ie. to be seen as tough and capable) and his negative face (the desire for autonomy, ie. not be forced to talk about something difficult). Mydei is trying to navigate this minefield by finding words that alleviate the threat (aka. save face).

Words like "friend", "buddy" and "pal" can be used to enhance the hearer's positive face (specifically the desire to connect and belong) by emphasising their social closeness to the speaker. Mydei is thinking about using these to soften the face-threatening act of directly asking about Phainon's recovery or asking him to do something (ie. have a bath or grab a drink). Phrases like "why don't you" and "if you're up for it" are also attempts to save the hearer's negative face by forming the request as a suggestion and throwing the ball in Phainon's court. Options 2 and 4 are the most direct and thus threatening, but even they do attempt to enhance Phainon's positive face by defining him as a warrior and expressing faith in his future accomplishments.

The problem is that Mydei's got immense trouble with vulnerability. He has to protect his own positive face, that being the image of a tough Kremnoan prince who bathes in the blood of his enemies. So in the end he can only resort to his usual banter, making an observation and leaving the choice of talking or not talking entirely up to Phainon (hence protecting his negative face). Instead of using friendly but hollow terms of address like "pal", he opts for the semi-sarcastic word "Deliverer", which is ironically probably better at emphasising their shared bond despite its intended bite. Although the utterance "I see you still alive and kicking" threatens Phainon's positive face by implying a chance that he might not have made it, Mydei does manage to break the ice and Phainon eventually opens up to him.

TLDR; This single moment is an incredibly powerful moment of characterisation, and it's achieved through dialogue options, not even dialogue itself. Sometimes less yapping drives the point home much better than paragraphs of exposition. God I wish they were consistent with it.

[tsumuus]

Hello hope you’re doing well!! I’m looking at ur valentines event and I just have to request teddy bear + Bakugou!! :3

Valentine’s Day wasn’t really a holiday you paid much attention to. Sure, the pink and red decorations were cute, and the chocolates on sale the day after were a bonus, but the whole romantic aspect? Yeah, you preferred to ignore that. Especially when your long-time crush happened to be your best friend, Katsuki Bakugou.

So, when the inevitable pity party formed among your single friends, you gladly joined. The evening was filled with shared complaints, dramatic groans, and enough junk food to make recovery from the sugar crash seem impossible. It was fun, a perfect way to forget about the couples posting their gifts and love confessions all over social media. Eventually, though, your friends trickled out one by one, until it was just you and Bakugou left in the common area.

You were used to moments like these with him. Comfortable silence, an occasional quip from his end, and the warmth of just existing near each other without any pressure. But then, as he stood to leave, he turned to you with a careless, “Oh yeah, got you somethin’.”

Blinking, you barely had time to process before he tossed something soft at you. Reflexively, you caught it, eyes widening at the sight of a plush teddy bear resting in your hands. It was soft, warm from where his hands had just been, and oddly adorable.

You looked back up at him, completely stunned. “You… got me a teddy bear?”

He shoved his hands into his pockets, rolling his eyes. “Yeah? What, you don’t want it?”

“No! No, I-” You scrambled for words. “I just wasn’t expecting it.”

He shrugged, already turning toward the hallway. “It’s nothing. Just ‘cause.”

Just ‘cause.

On Valentine’s Day.

You barely managed to stammer out a thanks before he disappeared down the hall, leaving you sitting there, heart pounding against your ribs. Your fingers curled around the plush fur of the bear as your thoughts began to spiral.

It’s just a friendly gesture. Nothing weird about that. Right?

But this was Bakugou. The guy who didn’t do things without a reason. The guy who scoffed at sentimentality, rolled his eyes at grand romantic gestures. He had never given you a gift before- not even for your birthday. And now, on Valentine’s Day of all days, he decided to just… casually give you a teddy bear?

You spent the next several minutes pacing your dorm, the bear sitting accusingly on your bed as your mind raced a mile a minute. What if you were overthinking it? What if it really was just a friendly thing? But what if it wasn’t? What if-

No. No, you couldn’t just sit here and drive yourself insane. You needed answers.

Before you could lose your nerve, you grabbed the bear and stormed down the hall to Bakugou’s dorm, knocking firmly on his door.

A few seconds later, the door swung open, revealing him in sweats and a loose t-shirt, hair still damp from a shower. His eyebrows lifted slightly at the sight of you standing there, looking somewhat frantic. “What the hell are you doing?”

You swallowed, gripping the bear a little tighter. “I need to ask you something.”

He stepped aside, letting you in, and you wasted no time turning to face him once the door shut. “The bear,” you started, voice a little unsteady. “It wasn’t just a friendly thing, was it?”

His eyes flickered to the plush in your arms, then back to your face. For once, he didn’t immediately respond with some snarky remark or insult. Instead, he exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck.

“No. It wasn’t.”

Your breath hitched. “Then what was it?”

His jaw tightened before he finally muttered, “What the hell do you think?”

Your heart stopped. “Bakugou-”

He cut you off with a frustrated groan, crossing his arms. “I like you, dumbass. Alright? I have for a while. Didn’t know how to say it, so I figured the damn bear could do the talking for me.”

Your brain short-circuited. Your long-time crush- your best friend- liked you.

“I-” Words failed you, emotions flooding in too fast to process. You looked down at the bear, then back up at him, and before you could stop yourself, a smile broke across your face.

“That’s really stupid,” you murmured, voice fond.

His scowl deepened. “Yeah, well, so is pacing around for twenty minutes before stormin’ over here.”

You laughed, light and breathless, before taking a hesitant step forward. “Bakugou-”

“Katsuki,” he corrected, softer this time.

Your heart squeezed, and you took another step, closing the space between you. “Katsuki,” you echoed, voice barely above a whisper. “I like you too.”

For a moment, he just stared at you, expression unreadable. Then, with a quiet scoff, he muttered, “Took you long enough,” before reaching out, pulling you against him.

And just like that, the bear wasn’t the only thing warm in your hands anymore.

valentines event | masterlists

a/n i love this request this prompt is so bakugou coded ugh love you💋 hope you liked it! :)

[tommiieimagiines]

hihihi

uhm so am i allowed to request again (i don’t wanna spam) 😭😭🙏

and if i am can u pls do a rui x hopeless romantic best friend reader (i’m totally normal about best friends to lovers lmfao)

so like the reader is always yapping about hot guys and it’s a little angsty at first because rui is thinking to himself ‘why did i have to fall inlove with someone that won’t ever choose me’ and then one day a hot guy comes up to reader and asks her out, reader is about to say yes but then she realises that she barely knew him and there was someone (rui) who had been by her side since day one and she figures out who she really loves (RUIII) so she rejects him and when rui asks why she just hugs him and says ‘because your the one i really want’ mwah mwah i feel like such a genius (i really hope this made sense lmao be prepared for a million bestie-> lovers and angst-> fluff rui requests 😼)

thank youyoyoyoyoyuuu!!

hi guys! i’m so so incredibly sorry for how inactive i have been! unfortunately, the fanfic writer curse caught up to me, and i’ve had considerably bad things happen to me! ToT

i had developed a really bad addiction after a recent episode - which may be why i’ve loved to write my characters so miserable, but they get a happy ending in the end - and have recently relapsed after a couple months. i’ve also been struggling with a lot of things, like being bullied again, pressure from theater, classes, autism, parental issues, memory of past trauma, having no friends, things like that. i’ve just been having a really hard time, so writing has been super difficult for me. i’m currently having some of the worst mental health in my life, and am un-recovering from other things i’ve had in the past too, after seeing the results of my recovery. sorry if this triggered anybody, i just needed to get this off my chest, and felt also that i should explain where i have been. you all supporting me has kept me going, and i hope you enjoy this one too! LETS END THE PITY PARTY!!!

in other - not so depressing news - here you guys go!! sorry for OOCness, obviously this is a more dramatic approach to a story! happy ending, j tried to write the inner narration differently for how you two were feeling at the time.. and ty once again for such a great idea, mama ^3^

“I don’t think I could stand to be where you don’t see me.”

If he has to sit here and listen to this one more time, he thinks he’ll go insane.

Rui Kamishiro loves you. He truly does. You’re his best friend, his partner in crime, his-

Never mind.

Rui loves you, but he absolutely HATES your taste in guys, and it’s driving him nuts. Nodding and agreeing can only get him so far before he wants to rip his own hair out, and tonight is no exception.

“I give up! All boys are dumb, I don’t need them!” You lament, resting your chin in your hands. It’s the same song and dance over and over. You swear off boys, you get attention, you get sucked in, and he has to pick up the pieces when it inevitably fails. How many times has he thought about how much better he would treat you now? He doesn’t know. He’d be a classical lover, he’d never speak to you the way those stupid unprincipled high school boys do.

Gross. That’s his best friend, why’d he think that? And when did he start being so self confident? He really outta look at himself in the mirror. What an egomaniac he’s turning out to be.

He shakes his head.

“You do know I’m still a boy, right?” He prods, trying to cheer you up. He knows this situation well, and he knows exactly how to make you feel better. Again he’d pull you out of this, and again he’d watch you fall in love.

He wishes you could be happy. He wishes you weren’t in love with being in love. You’re too pure for true love, love is disgusting, depraved, and unkind. You’re not anything like that.

“I know, I know, but you’re the only good one!” You point, words self-assured. “I don’t need a boyfriend, you do everything boyfriendy for me anyway!”

Ouch. Thanks a lot, that’s exactly what he needed to hear right now. He’s not gonna dwell on that last bit for now, he’ll wait until he’s home. Then he can- he doesn’t know. Cry, or something juvenile like that.

“So I’m back-up-boyfriend?” He masks himself in jest, smiling teasingly at you.

“Eh, maybe,” you snicker, “you’d definitely be cute if you weren’t my friend.”

He turns to his school work sharply, trying to mask his complete and utter despair. Ugh, why does he have to be so dramatic? His own personality makes his skin crawl with disgust and hatred, and that only makes him cringe more. He could think about how obnoxious he is all day. Maybe he should use that go home and cry pass early. He pretends to check the time, as if that isn’t all he’s been doing.

“It’s getting late, after this problem I should get going.” He mutters, scribbling some random numbers into his notebook. You yawn in response, being broken out of absentmindedly scrolling through your phone.

“Ugh, I wish you didn’t have to go!” You drape an arm over his torso, trying to hold him in. He smiles fondly, wrestling to get you off of him.

“I’d have to walk home in the dark then, do you want that?” He knows you’d never let him, and he sees it immediately.

Your face looks knowing, and you let him go right away. It amuses him at first, but quickly fills him with overwhelming pity. You’re so kindhearted it makes him sick. You shouldn’t worry about someone like him, it’s bad for your health.

“Would you like me to walk home with you?!” You shoot up, the idea of him not being safe running through your head. Maybe he should’ve kept his mouth shut. How emasculating! He’s not a helpless young girl! He’s just as manly as those boys who you long for, he’s not a puppy to be walked!

God, is jealously turning him into a bigot? He shakes his head once again, this time not just to clear his thoughts. He’s absolutely not letting you walk him home, it’d be mortifying. He takes your attention belly up, you should have a break. Maybe some time to yourself for a change? God, Rui, get a grip.

“I’m fine, I don’t want you out late by yourself either,” he assures, looking at you in haste.

“Ah. You have a point.”

“I always do.” He means more to that, and he wishes he could tell you. He wants you to see that even he knows what he’s talking about. He needs you to see him, just for once. Not as a best friend, or backup boyfriend, just as a regular one. As a lover who dances in the rain, or ties your shoes

He needs to stop. He shouldn’t think about you like that. It’s lecherous.

You two exchange goodbyes, giving him a long hug (much to his horror). He hates how feverish it is it hold you like this, it makes him feel guilty. His body gets hot, his cheeks flare up, his throat feels tight- it makes him feel like a pervert, even if his thoughts are the farthest thing from lewd.

He feels that everything he thinks about you is repulsive, though.

“Be safe”’s and “See you later”’s are passed between you two, and he walks down your front steps, now completely alone. His eyes scan the damp pavement, seeing the golden hues from the sky light the boring rock. That’s how he feels about you, he decides. You’re the sun, and he’s the pavement. He humors himself by thinking that your suitors are the clouds, stopping you from shining your light for him so he can grow weeds in the cracks of his soul. That’s what these feelings are. Weeds.

He wants to live life beautifully with you, he decides. He wants to tie your shoes, he wants to twirl you as you dance.

He wishes he could be the moon. Something of consequence- of importance, but he’s just the pavement. Not the earth, not the stars, not the clouds, or rain, he’s just a man made monster who destroys nature - you - and is walked over by people who do matter.

He should quit being this way, he grumbles, it doesn’t do anybody any good to be so flowery. He’s too girly- too weak. Maybe that’s why you don’t like him. If you’re willing to date anything that moves other than him, that must mean he’s on a completely new level, huh?

That’s what dreaming gets you, Rui. Crushed dreams and embarrassment.

He lets out a pitiful sigh, kicking a pebble with his shoe. He sees a worm in a lawn which reminds him of himself, he sees a couple shopping for a new game which reminds him of you, he sees a convenience store which reminds him that he’s hungry-

His life can be so mundane sometimes, what a drag.

He’s about to reach his front door, when he steps into a puddle. It feels like an appropriate representation of his life right now. A sense of disgraceful hilarity washes over him, and he begins to laugh. He laughs a while, he laughs as he takes his shoes off, he laughs as he peels his button up down, and he laughs as he lays in his bed. How dramatic he could be some times!

He falls asleep quickly. He has a dream about being on stage and forgetting his lines.

He wakes up with a thud, he fell out of bed. How embarrassing. He decides to check his phone.

Weirdo: RUII

Weirdo: wanna hang w me 2day?? u don’t have dance time right??

Weirdo: gonna kill you. WAKE UP

Me: I’m awake, sorry!

Weirdo: finally sleeping beauty

Weirdo: wanna get a snack? i’m simply starved…

Me: When?

Weirdo: an hr maybe…

Me: Okay :) I’ll tell you when I leave.

Weirdo: kay!!

He really doesn’t feel like being social today, but he’d never pass up an opportunity to see you. He’s an obscene degenerate when it comes to you, pouncing on your attention like a sick dog. It’s mortifyingly pathetic.

He gets dressed, throwing on a boring striped sweater. It’s getting colder outside recently, and he’s always ran cold anyway. His hands are shaky and nervous as he brushes his teeth, the anxiousness to see you making his body jittery. He considers breakfast, but quickly shuts the idea down. He doesn’t want to be stressed out - at least more than he already is - when he sees you. Twitchy hands lock his door, and he gets a few feet away before he double checks that he did, in fact, lock it. Pull yourself together, Rui! He screams at himself.

The walk is just as unexciting as he expected, albeit a bit chilly. He’s feeling thankful for the sweater. The breeze runs its hands through his hair, and he’s reminded that winter is coming. He always liked Autumn flowers the best, hibiscus flowers are pretty too, he supposes. It’s nice to have the warmth of the sun soothing his cold hands during summer, for sure.

He trips over a rock on the way, and his pants get wet on the knees. Khaki blends into an ugly brown, and he sighs. How unlucky, would anything go right for him today?

Turns out it will, you look really good today.

You great him at the door, practically buzzing with eagerness. It makes him smile, knowing that you do, in fact, want to see him. Or at least are acting like it. You’re a good friend to him, he’s lucky to have you.

“Rui!” You hug him as a greeting, wrapping your arms tightly around his waist. His heart soothes, eyes closing in relaxation. Problems feel obscure and distant when you two are like this, despite his reluctance last night. He can forget about corrupt feelings - or misguided love- and he can just be your best friend. Despite his apprehension to be cared for, he is flattered that you, at least, seem to like him.

“Hey.” He breaths you in, his voice soft. He hopes you don’t notice, it’s embarrassing.

“Hey!” You reply, pulling away. “Big things planned, Rui!”

“What big things?” He asks, amused. “Big things” for you were junk food and shopping.

“Big things! It’s a surprise!” You put your shoes on, and he can’t help but feel jealous as he watches your hands tie them dutifully. He sighs, stretching. He decides to make it a challenge to act normal the whole day. No weird thoughts are going to beguile his mind, he promises himself.

You lock your front door, twisting the knob to make sure that it did, in fact, lock. This fills him with a child-like sense of delight, maybe you two really were similar.

Nah, not possible. You’re too pure - too perfect. Ugh, Rui, no more stupid thoughts.

He watches you check the time, make a face at a nearby bird, and cover your cheeks with your hands. You suddenly perk up, wrapping your arms around him.

“Warm me up, will ya?” You scowl at the cool air, grip tightening. He gulps. It’s weird he reacts like this, considering you two have done things like this all the time. It’s normal, so why does he have to be such a creep? His arms wrap around yours, running his hands up and down to create heat.

“Should’ve worn a jacket,” he chides, “wouldn’t be cold, y’know?” His voice is so casual, like everything is totally fine. It is fine. Fine, fine, fine.

“Gotta look good. I’m on the hunt, obviously,” you joke. It isn’t funny to him, but he lets out a laugh.

“You’re hopeless.”

You two stop at a convenience store first, and you all but sprint to the drinks. He had this ritual down to a science. You grab two different color slushies, and he grabs whatever odd snack catches your collective stomachs eye today. Today the two of you decide to split a cookie, and walk to the counter. The cashier gives you a smirk, and he averts his eyes.

“This it?” The boy cocks his head, and you get the memo. You immediately jump on the opportunity.

“Mhm!” You wink, resting your chin in your hands while leaning against the counter. In all honestly, he wasn’t even that cute. At least, that’s what Rui kept telling himself.

“Don’t worry about it, than. I got you guys,” he waves you off. Score! You think, but he adds. “If I can get your number.” Rui feels like falling into the floor, how awkward! You just scribble it onto a stray receipt, winking.

“Thank you! You’re the sweetest!!” You singsong, skipping along with Rui following suite. You immediately burst into laughter, throwing a fake punch at Rui. “What a weirdo! Like I’d call him over what, 1000 yen?! I don’t even know him, yuck!”

So you did have some sense, he feels like letting out a sigh of relief. You hold your hands out.

“Which one do you want? I got your favorite!!” You look so proud, and he wants to laugh. His “favorite” isn’t actually his favorite, but he’d never tell you that.

The lie started one day in middle school, when the two of you suddenly had a weird craving for slushies. When you picked them out, you had gotten a red one and a blue one, and asked him what he wanted. While he really didn’t like red, he knew you liked blue, so he said red. Now for the past four years, you’ve always ended up getting him a red one, thinking it was his favorite. He’ll deal with it for you. Seeing your blue tongue stick out with brain freeze is better than any sugary drink anyway.

“Red, duh.” He scoffs playfully, taking a sip of it. The taste doesn’t really bother him all that much anymore. It reminds him of you.

You always let him divide the snacks, thinking he gives himself the bigger half. He never does, but he eats slower so you think he did. You skip along, enjoying it.

“Y’know, this isn’t bad. Wish they had the brownie, though. That never does us wrong.” God, don’t make him think of the ‘crack brownies’ - as you two call them. Those are great, and he likes them, so you never miss an opportunity to shove them down his throat.

“Don’t complain. Remember the egg roll incident?” He points, laughing at the memory. You two steer clear of that section now, having gotten sick.

“Ugh, I haven’t thought about that in a while! I’m never eating an egg roll again after that day! Ugh,” you gag.

Moments of silly memories like this make him feel like he’s known you forever. He can’t even remember a moment where he hasn’t loved you.

“Where’re we going now, commander?” He salutes, following the trail of sunshine you left behind.

“Where ever the wind blows us, kind sir!” You salute back, pushing him along. Your constant checks of your phone don’t go unnoticed by him, and he fights the urge to roll his eyes.

“Who’re you texting? Don’t tell me it’s that guy.” He tries to sound casual, knocking his shoulder against yours playfully.

“‘M not a total idiot, I’ll have you know!” You huff, holding your phone to your chest. “It’s just somebody we went to school with a while back, ‘m seeing if I can pull the moves.”

“Do I know him?”

“Dunno, never saw you two talking, so maybe not. He was in my english class, remember, the only class we didn’t have together?”

“Ah.”

You two walk in silence, except for when he yanks you back from the collar so you don’t walk into oncoming traffic, which amuses you greatly. You two soon arrive at the small mall, and he tails you as you run with excitement. You two browse everything, constantly pointing out cute plushies, or interesting keychains.

“Rui, look! Look!” You shake him, pointing to the back of somebody’s head inconspicuously. “Wait don’t yet- Okay, now! He’s turning around! That’s the guy! What a coincidence we see him here, right? Do you recognize him?”

Ha. Yeah, he knows this guy. He definitely knows him. He’s the one who would trip him during passing periods, he’s the one who left flowers on his desk. They make eye contact, and it’s like all of his growth left his body. He’s just the same freak from middle school, he’s still thirteen.

He shudders at the guys smirk, sensing that he definitely knows that Rui knows him. He jogs over to the two of you, and Rui already knows what’s about to happen, due to the lopsided smile on your face.

Damnit, this is the first time he doesn’t think he can act like it’s okay.

“Oh wow, what a coincidence! Must be fate we run into each other like this, ehe…” You giggle awkwardly, a dumb expression gracing your face. It’s painful seeing you that way for anybody other than him, and he looks away awkwardly.

“Must be.” He answers, swaggering closer towards you. Rui thanks whatever God above because - despite his current situation - at least this asshole didn’t go to highschool with you guys.

He looks down at his shoes, and tries to shuffle away, knowing this jackass is about to say something. He’s quickly stopped.

“Who’s this, huh? Feel like a recognize him from somewhere…” He trails off, smirking through his nose as he turns his attention to him. “Have we met before?”

“This is Kamishiro Rui, he’s my friend! He went to middle school with us, remember?” You happily answer for him.

Ha, friend? What happened to back-up boyfriend? He’s a little hurt, to be honest.

He feels bitter, it’s unbecoming- God, he doesn’t care. He should feel bad for getting so angry over it, it’s not like you belong to him. He’s such a freak, getting attached to you like this.

He starts to pick at his fingers, then he plays with a loose string on his sweater. You two continue to chat like nothings wrong, and he keeps thinking. It’s something he’s gotten good at recently.

He stops feeling bad about himself for a second- a split second where he resents you, and wishes his pain upon you. Wants you to know what it’s like to be so disgustingly, guiltily, revoltingly obsessed with someone. In this split second, he can’t even find it in himself to feel guilty about it, which is unlike him. He wishes you felt love like this, that you were as psychotic about it.

But this doesn’t last long, because he remembers that he loves you more than anything. He’s lucky to be your friend. You’re a great friend, you’re an amazing person, you’re the sun, the sun, the sun.

He’s the pavement, he has to remember.

“I’m- I’ll leave you to it, y’know? Fabric store.” He stutters, choking on his voice. You don’t even notice, waving him off.

You do, however, remember to press his shoulder, uttering an absentminded “Okay, Rui, bye,” and he remembers again how perfect you are for doing it subconsciously. He lets himself feel the touch, long after he’s walked away. He deserves it after the trouble he’s reliving.

When he makes it to the fabric store - which he really didn’t need anything from, Nene had gotten some the other day - he can’t help himself from wishing he could just go home. Malls were always overwhelming already, and now his saving grace has the attention of another man. He walks through aisles, but realizes that he now has to buy something.

‘Least he knows that social cue, he laughs bitterly, running his hands across his face in frustration. He’s so ridiculous.

Meanwhile, you were chatting up a storm. It was your first time talking in person since middle school, after all! You feel giddy for a while, but it cuts abruptly. You feel a strange sense of urgency, something’s missing.

Oh, your best friend.

But where had he gone? You’re sure he was just here. You smile apologetically at the cute boy, putting on your best performance.

“Oh, I better go get my friend now. I don’t like walking home when it’s late. Was nice seein’ you, let’s hang out soon, ‘kay?” You singsong, stepping closer. You want to give yourself a pat on the back, you’re so cute.

He rolls his eyes, and you’re hit with a wave of uneasiness. That noise he made sounds strangely dismissive, he’s not the kind of guy to be a jerk though, you must be hearing things-

“Leave ‘im. Between you and me, he was a total freak in middle school. Probably is now, too. Probably likes you or somethin’, total nutcase.” His voice sounds so casual, like it’s not the douchiest thing you’ve heard all day.

You let other men walk all over you, sure. You let them cheat on you, lie, whatever. But you’re not about to stand here and insult Rui. He’s the only untouched thing in your life - the only person who isn’t cruel. He’s so gangly and awkward, but in the best way. You could live a million times and not be able to deserve him, at least you think so. He’s so unusual, and that’s what you love most about him. Little things like not liking loud lights, or liking the red slushies the best, make your heart buzzy with familiarity. He’s the one constant in your life.

You’ve been awfully worried about him recently, though. His particularly (as you like to call it) has gone to the an extreme, and it’s been a battle getting him to eat real food. You’re not blind, you see the way he’s been spacing out, or tapping a little too much. You just thought he’d been overwhelmed. He worries you to death sometimes, but despite all of his own struggles, he always seems to not care about it, deciding to always be there for you instead. Ah, he’s just such an amazing guy - no, not guy, he’s not anything like those other boys you talk to. He’d never insult someone like that. He’s not just a guy, he’s like your person.

Yeah, he’s definitely your person.

Your heart sputters at the thought, and you feel something you’ve never really felt before - save for hugs between the two of you that lasted just a second too long, or words a little too romantic. The feeling makes your mind fuzzy, and your heart hurt terribly with something you could only place as homesickness.

Oh.

“I,” you begin, backing away. “Yeah, I’m sorry but I’ll really be going now-“

“What? C’mon I was just messing with you, even though having guy friend’s kinda weird.” He rolls his eyes.

“Yeah whatever, I’ll call you back,” you say dismissively.

You’re totally lying, you laugh, you’re not calling him back.

He didn’t seem to like that.

“Damn, can’t even joke around with you people. Whatever, weirdo, sorry I insulted your little boyfriend.” The change in tone amuses you.

Yeah, good riddance, pal.

You turn away, walking through the mall with pace. It takes a while, but you spot him watching a pet stores aquarium.

He’s a funny one.

You wave your hands, trying to get his attention. He swallows, knowing that it’s probably to ask him if it’s cool to walk home by himself. Emotions are stupid, and ironically, you both think that at the same time.

“Rui! Rui! Hey c’mon, let’s go home, yeah?” You smile, face feeling warm. It’s a different feeling from when you usually talk to him. He looks at you, a little shocked. He had assumed you were smiling wide because you set up a date, so he turns his head.

“Where is he, huh?” He looks away, back to the fish tank. You shift in place, was he mad at you? You’re a little irritated at the mention of the guy, though, and huff.

“Don’t worry about that. Seems like I only attract douchebags, so I decided to go.” You explain, poking his shoulder. “Hey,” you start, “let’s just walk home, I wanna talk to you about something.” The idea makes you feel dizzy, but you’ll have to illustrate your feelings one day.

You can leave out the “I think I’m in love with you” part, you think.

The two of you walk in an excruciating silence, staring down at the reflection of the setting sun in the puddles. His heart tightens, remembering his earlier comparison. Even now, you’re so perfect. Even if he’s frustrated with you - despite you turning down the guy in the end (he doesn’t know why, he wanted to ask) - even if he’s ready to scream, and cry, and ask you what it is he did for you to be so turned off by him, he still thinks you’re the most heavenly, divine person to ever grace his view. He wants to be where you see him, he wants to be in your orbit.

“You’re like the sun-“ He blurts out, immediately regretting it. He didn’t mean to say that, God, he’s so fucking stupid. He sees you stop walking, smiling that same stupid, dopey, lopsided smile that he’s always so jealous of-

Oh. It’s for him.

He chokes, stopping to meet you eye-to-eye. You look up at him too, laughing giddily.

“What does that mean?”

He sputters, stepping away. “N-no it’s nothing- It was stupid anyway so-“

“No, tell me!” You urge, laughing a little harder. “What if it was something bad, ‘nd you were making fun of me? That’s not nice, Rui!”

“I- Hey-“ His voice goes a touch higher, a defensive tone rising. “That’s not-“

“Then tell me.”

“It’s just,” he breaths, trying to word it in the least creepy way possible. How does convey the fact that he sees you as a divine presence, that he sees himself as a worthless creature compared to you, without sounding like he’s hopelessly possessed by love for you? “I just- you’re so amazing,” he starts, “I thought of this stupid thing the other day when I was walking home - you know how I am - and well, I just thought of you when the sun reflected off the pavement - since it rained, y’know? - and well, it just- Sorry, it was dumb-“ He rambles, covering his face in anguish.

Nobody’s ever put that much thought into you. Sure, you’ve received a few ‘You’re so gorgeous’’s, where you’ve had to wonder where they learnt such a “big word”, but never something as poetic as that. The usual Rui-ratic explanation endeared you to him even more. You look at him, the smile never leaving. He’s just… so Rui. His stupid striped sweater, his half up hair - that you’d begged him to grow out - his eyes, whatever. Everything about him you treasure, and little do you know he cherished you even that more intensely.

“I think you’re the moon, Rui. Or maybe the earth, since I take care of you, hah!” You snicker, stepping closer to him. He takes a step back in return, and you grab his hands to make him stay put. His heart throbs, and he almost goes crashing down.

“I.. I don’t-“

You yank his hands, making him look back up at you. “Hey, Rui, I,” you look at him assuringly, “I wanna say something, and you can’t laugh okay?”

He holds his breath, so do you.

Fuck it, just tell him.

“I think I’m in love with you, Rui.” You gaze at him, the words shooting out faster than you can second guess them.

“I don’t-“ He breaks away, his fists balling up. You messed up, you think, you really, really messed up. “I’m not- I’m not going to- You can’t just say that because you got rejected. I- It wouldn’t be nice to- You don’t love me-“

“Rui,” you beg, grabbing his arm again, “holding hands on the way to school, cuddling while doing homework, knowing everything about eachother, these aren’t-“ You breath, “I’ve wanted somebody to love me for so long, Rui, and I was so blind to the fact that I was loved. But the love that I felt for you, - that I feel for you - Rui, isn’t the kind where I can be- where I can just be so- so normal about those things!” You monologue, saying whatever’s on your mind. You’re the rambling one now.

“I found myself comparing you to these piece-of-garbage dude’s I’m always with, wishing I could just date somebody like you instead! But now I realize that it is you-“

His heart falls into his gut, and he breaks free from you again. His hands move to his face, covering his eyes. His voice is broken and cracky as he begins to cry. “That was- you-“ He pulls you into a desperate embrace, arms holding you like you’ll disappear. “You shouldn’t, you’re wrong.” He sobs, “I’m- the way I love you is- You don’t understand, the way I feel isn’t normal I- My love is disgusting, and horrible, and depraved-“ He shakes, you rub his back. “You are so perfect compared to me, I’d never be able to- I love you so much, more than friends are supposed to, more than anyone’s supposed to at our age-“

“Rui, hey Rui please don’t cry.” You beg, smoothing out the ridges in his sweater. “I don’t- I don’t agree with that, and I can scream that at you, but I’m sure you won’t believe me. You’re not disgusting for feeling emotions different, Rui that’s what I love about you.”

“Stop- stop saying my name like that. It’s too hard to-“

“Rui, I love you. You don’t need to accept it, but I love you. More than being in love, more than being loved-“

“I love you, too,” his voice cracks, “that’s why I’m so scared. I don’t want to ruin a friendship that’s all I have, if this is just- I’m scared I’d lose you in any way, and I can’t live in a world where you don’t see me. I won’t. It’s sounds horrible but-“ He stops as you pull away from the hug, and wipes his face hastily. You put your pinky out, and his stomach drops again.

“C’mon, just like when we were kids. Pinky promise that no matter what, we’ll always see each other. That way you don’t need to worry anymore, y’know? I never break my kissy pinky promises, ever.”

Just like when you two were little.

He locks his with yours, just like you taught him all those years ago. He remembers your shared handshake for theater, he remembers your shared handshake for testing, and he remembers the song you two had to duet for choir - when you have forced him into it for a year. He holds everything of you so dear to his heart, you endear everything about him to you as well.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“I see you.”

“I see you, too.”

You two kiss your hands, then bring them down, still interlinked. You stare at him, and he stares back at you. In a moment of profound sincerity, you lean forward, and kiss him. It’s slow and gentle, and you unlock your hands half way through to hold his face, which he mirrors. His heart settles for the first time. You see him. He’s your moon, your earth, you’re his sun, his stars.

He’s suddenly alarmed by a quick pushing off of him, gasping out a “Rui!”

“I-“ he pants, wiping his mouth. “Hm?”

“we’re in the middle of a park!”

[lupinqs]

CHAPTER FIVE ━━ I Get You

❀ ━ pairing: paige bueckers x oc (jo jacobson)

❀ ━ word count: 4.9K

❀ ━ warnings: mentions of injury, angst

❀ ━ links: my masterlist, nobody gets me masterlist

❀ ━ author’s note: these hoes are gay

PAIGE SITS on the sidelines, her crutches propped up against the wall, the weight of her brace a constant reminder. The gym smells like it always does—sweat, pine-scented floor cleaner, and faintly of old rubber. It’s familiar, almost comforting, but today it just feels hollow. Every bounce of the ball, every squeak of sneakers against polished wood, every shout of her teammates feels like a sharp stab. She should be out there. She should be running those plays, setting up the assists, pushing the pace, and taking those impossible shots. Instead, she’s stuck here, immobile and useless.

Her hands grip the edge of the chair, the cool metal biting into her palms as she leans forward to watch the scrimmage. Jo’s running point, calling out a play with that calm, sure voice Paige has come to admire. Jo makes it look easy, like she’s been apart of this team forever, and the rest of the girls respond to her without hesitation. It’s the kind of command Paige used to have, the kind she oddly always thought no one could replicate.

But between Jo and Nika, they’re doing fine without her.

And she thinks that’s the hardest part.

Every pass, every cut, every layup feels like a slap to Paige’s pride. The team doesn’t crumble without her; they adapt. Jo steps into the role Paige left vacant, and Paige can’t even dislike her for it because she’s so damn good at it. She runs the offense and with precision, directing the team perfectly. And, of course, it’s not like Paige wants her team to fail without her. It’s just a reminder of what she can’t do anymore—or, at least not for a long time.

Her stomach twists as she watches the scrimmage play out. She’s never been good at sitting still, and now, that’s all she can do. Sit and watch. She used to be the one lifting everyone’s spirits, the one pushing them through tough practices. Now she’s just another body on the sidelines, invisible and irrelevant. She feels like a ghost of herself, haunting the gym where she uses to thrive.

The ache in her knee is dull but persistent, a constant undercurrent to her frustration. The brace is still and cumbersome, and the crutches are a pain in the ass to deal with. Even getting to this chair had felt like a marathon. She hates every second of this—the injury, the recovery, the helplessness. It’s not just the physical pain; it’s the way it chips away at her identity. She doesn’t know who she is without basketball.

She glances down at the clipboard balanced on her lap, a half-hearted attempt to stay engaged. Geno had given it to her, suggesting she could help track plays and stats during practice, but it feels like a consolation prize. Like something he made up to keep her busy, to make her feel less like dead weight. The truth is, she doesn’t know what the hell her role is anymore. She doesn’t know how to help when she can’t be on the court.

Paige forced herself to focus back on the scrimmage, her eyes narrowing as Jo drives toward the basket. Jo’s quick, her movements sharp and meaningful, and instead of finishing with the layup, she does a no-look, dishing it out to Azzi on the perimeter, who buries a three. Paige catches Jo’s eyes as she jogs back up the court, and Jo flashes her that smile—warm, reassuring, effortless. It’s the kind of smile that should make Paige feel better, but—for once—it doesn’t.

Paige doesn’t have the energy to smile back. She knows Jo means well, knows she’s trying to be supportive, but it just makes Paige feel worse. She’s not in the mood for reassurance. She doesn’t want to be told it’s going to be okay, because it doesn’t feel like it ever will be.

Jo looks away and gets back into the flow of the game, and Paige’s gaze drops to the clipboard again. She scribbles something down, not because it matters, but because she needs something to do with her hands. She feels the tears prick at the corners of her eyes, and she bites the inside of her cheek hard enough to hurt.

The gym fades into background noise as her mind races. She thinks about the months ahead, the endless rehab sessions, the games she’ll have to watch from the bench. She thinks about how everyone else will move on, how the media will forget her name, how the team will find rhythm without her. She wonders if she’ll ever get that rhythm back, if she’ll ever feel like herself again.

She thinks she will. She has enough trust in God to hope he’ll at least give her that. But, here, right now, that feels so far ahead that it’s almost just wishful at this point.

Paige closes her eyes, breathing deeply. She can’t do this here, not in front of everyone. She pushes herself up from the chair, fumbling for her crutches. The awkward motion makes her wince, but she swallows the ache and glances at Geno.

“Gotta go to the bathroom,” she says, her voice too clipped to be convincing.

Geno narrows his eyes slightly, the way he always does when he’s trying to figure someone out. He nods once, and Paige feels the weight of his gaze as she turns away. She knows he can see right through her excuse, but he doesn’t call her out on it. She doesn’t need another lecture about staying engaged.

The moment she’s out of the gym, the air feels different—quieter, cooler, easier to breathe. The hallway stretches ahead of her, lined with murals of UConn legends. Paige’s crutches thud against the floor as she hobbles forward, her eyes skimming over the faces and names that loom on the walls. Maya Moore. Breanna Stewart. Diana Tayrasi. Sue Bird.

Her chest tightens.

She’s supposed to be part of this legacy. She’s supposed to be one of the names people remember, one of the faces immortalized in paint and pride. But now? Now she’s a girl with a busted knee and a brace that feels like a goddamn prison. The thought makes her stomach twist with equal parts anxiety and frustration, a bitter cocktail she’s been choking down since the surgery.

As she continues down the hall, trying to push those thoughts out of her head, she nearly collides with someone rounding the corner.

“Paige!”

Celeste Sinclair’s voice is bright and warm, and Paige immediately regrets leaving the gym. The grin that spreads across the redhead’s face feels too familiar, too personal, like an inside joke Paige isn’t in on.

“Hey,” Paige mutters, gripping the crutches tighter.

She hasn’t seen Celeste since before her ACL tear, and that’s probably for the best. The girls Paige hooks up with always have a way of getting too attached. Paige doesn’t blame them, not really. She knows she’s charming, knows how to make people feel like they’re the only one in the world when they’re with her. But that’s all it’s ever been: a moment.

Celeste is nice. Pretty. Accomplished. Good in bed. But Paige has never wanted anything more, never even given it a thought. Relationships aren’t for her. They never have been. Basketball has always been her first and only love, the one thing she’s willing to give herself to completely. And now that’s gone—at least for now. The last thing she needs is another reminder of how much she’s failed.

“I haven’t seen you since…” Celeste trails off, gesturing vaguely toward Paige’s knee, her voice tinged with sympathy. “How’re you holding up?”

Paige forces herself to smile, though it feels more like a grimace. “I’m good. Just takin’ it one day at a time.”

Celeste beams at her like she’s just said something profound, and Paige wants to die a little inside.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Celeste replies. “I wasn’t sure—did you get my card? I gave it to Jo to pass along before your surgery. Um, but you haven’t really said anything.”

Oh, right. The card. The one Paige didn’t even read. The one that’s now resting in a hospital trash can. Paige rubs a hand over her face, buying time to piece together an answer. “Yeah—uh, yeah, I got it. Sorry I said nothin’. Thanks, though.”

Celeste’s smile widens, and her eyes soften in that way that makes Paige want to shuffle awkwardly away. Celeste always looks at her like that, like there’s something more between them, something Paige knows she’ll never be able to—or want—to give.

“You’re welcome,” Celeste says gently. “I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you.”

Paige more, hoping that’s the end of it, but of course, it’s not.

“Hey,” Celeste starts, her tone shifting to something more professional, “any chance you’d be up for, like, a TikTok? Just something to show the fans you’re healing. They’d love to see you.”

It’s times like these that Paige understands why Jo thought it was so funny she was fucking their media girl. Paige stares at Celeste for a long second, feeling a spark of irritation flare in her chest, because, seriously, why would she even ask that? “No, Celeste. I don’t wanna do any media.”

The words come out sharper than she intends, but she doesn’t care enough to soften them. She adjusts her grip on her crutches, already turning to leave.

“Right,” Celeste says quickly, falling into step beside her. “I get that. Totally. Just… heal up, okay? Call or text, if you want to. You know where to find me.”

Paige doesn’t respond, just gives her a brief nod before hobbling down the hall. Her pace is slow, each step a frustrating reminder of how far she is from where she wants to be. Celeste finally stops following, and Paige exhales in relief as she rounds another corner, desperate for some space, some air, anything that doesn’t feel like pressure or pity.

AFTER PRACTICE, Jo walks into the locker room with the rest of the team, the chatter and laughter bouncing off the walls as everyone unwinds from the session. She’s still buzzing with the energy of the scrimmage (and the sprints they were forced to do after because of one-too-many missed layups), but as she rounds the corner to the lockers, she notices a familiar figure slouched on the bench.

Paige had disappeared halfway through practice, and though Geno didn’t make a big deal out of it, Jo had been aware of her absence like a missing puzzle piece. Now here she is, sitting in front of their side-by-side lockers, her crutches leaning against the bench and her gaze a little unfocused. Her brace sticks out awkwardly from her bent leg, and Jo feels a pant of sympathy tighten her chest.

“Hey,” Jo says as she tosses her bag in the cubby of her locker. She sits down beside Paige, close enough to make her presence known but not enough to crowd her. “You okay?”

Paige shrugs, her lips pulling into a vague shape that might be a smile but doesn’t come close. “Yeah. ‘M fine.”

Jo doesn’t buy it. It’s not that Paige is necessarily a bad liar; she’s just too proud, too stubborn to admit when she’s not. Jo watches her for a beat, the slump of her shoulders, the way her fingers fight with the hem of her T-shirt. She knows this posture, this energy. It’s the same one she’s seen in teammates who’ve been sidelined by injures, the same one she’s seen in herself on the bad days.

But Jo doesn’t push. She knows how that can feel—suffocating, like someone prying open a door you’re not ready to unlock. Instead, she plants her hands on the bench and leans back a little, changing the subject.

“Did you see Lou get me with that spin move earlier?” Jo asks, keeping her tone light. “Literally cooked me.”

Paige lets out a small, breathy laugh, almost imperceptible, but Jo catches it. It’s the first sign of life she’s seen in her all day.

“Didn’t even look like she was trying,” Paige mutters, her voice flat but laced with the ghost of a smirk.

“Right?” Jo exclaims, throwing up her hands in mock indignation. “It’s like, leave some dignity for the rest of us, y’know?”

She continues on, telling some half-dramatic story of when Nika picked her pocket after Paige left, weaving in jokes at her own expanse. She avoids anything too basketball-heavy, keeping the focus on the absurdity of her own experiences instead of the game itself. It’s a careful balance—Jo knows that bringing up basketball might sting, but it’s also a thread that ties them together, a shared language Paige can’t—and Jo knows she doesn’t want to—escape from.

Paige hums in response now and then, her focus flickering like a weak signal. Jo can tell she’s only half-listening, her mind somewhere else entirely. Still, she keeps going, hoping that her presence, if nothing else, might pull Paige out of her head a little.

After a while, as everyone’s getting up to go, Jo shifts the conversation again, tilting her head toward Paige. “Y’know, we could hang out later—maybe watch a movie or something?”

Paige looks at her, and for a split second, Jo thinks she might say no outright. Instead, Paige forces a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes and says, “Maybe.”

The hesitation is there, sharp and obvious, but Jo doesn’t call it out. She knows better than to push. She lets the word hang in the air for a moment before nodding, as if “maybe” is a real plan.

“Okay,” Jo says, keeping her tone casual.

Paige turns back to her hands, her fingers tracing invisible patterns on the bench. Jo watches her out of the corner of her eye, thinking of something that might reach her. She’s learned that Paige is pretty independent, something that stems from her childhood if Jo had to guess, and Jo respects that. She does. But there’s a difference between being independent and shutting everyone out, and Jo worries that Paige is tipping too far into the latter.

She tries to think of something—anything—that might help. She doesn’t need to cheer Paige up, necessarily. She’s learned by now that joy isn’t always the right goal. What Paige needs isn’t sunshine and rainbows (though Jo would probably be better at giving her that). What she needs is something steadier, quieter. A reminder that she’s not alone, even if she feels like she is.

She’ll figure something out.

PAIGE LIES sprawled across her bed, the room dimly lit by the soft glow of the string lights draped along the wall. Her eyes are fixed on her crutches, propped up against the wall next to her like a taunt she can’t escape. They stand there, silent and unmoving, mocking her with their stillness while the rest of the world seems to keep spinning without her.

Today has been one of the most frustrating days she’s had since the injury. The hours feel heavier, pressing against her chest, leaving no room to breathe. Practice was a disaster, even though she wasn’t really in it. She hates watching from the sidelines, hates feeling so useless. She’d escaped halfway through, hobbling out of the gym under the guise of needing air, only to run into Celeste, of all people. That interaction still churns in her stomach—awkward and uncomfortable, like a bruise pressed too hard.

Jo had asked her earlier if she wanted to hang out tonight. Just a movie, something simple. Paige had said “maybe” at the time. But an hour or so ago, when Jo knocked softly on her door, her voice east and unassuming as she asked if Paige wanted to make good on the plan, Paige had thrown out some half-baked excuse about being tired.

Jo didn’t push, of course. She never does. She just nodded, smiled a little, and closed the door, before Paige heard her leave the apartment—probably to go upstairs and hangout with their teammates. Her stomach twisted with guilt as she listened because Jo is Jo—kind and patient and the only person who seems to understand that Paige doesn’t want to talk about any of this. She doesn’t want to be asked how she’s doing, doesn’t want to be told it’ll get better, doesn’t want to be smothered in sympathy that feels more like pity.

But Jo’s absence now feels louder than her presence earlier. Paige stares at the ceiling, trying to will herself into a calmer state, trying to shake off the weight of the day, the week, the last month. It doesn’t work.

She sits up abruptly, shoving the blankets off her legs and swinging them over the side of the bed. Her knee twinges at the movement, the brace digging into her skin, and she lets out a frustrated huff. Her eyes land on the crutches again, the sharp lines of their edges casting long shadows in the dim light. She feels a bubbling in her chest—an anger she doesn’t know how to direct, a helplessness she doesn’t know how to contain.

Before she even realizes what she’s doing, Paige grabs one of the crutches from beside the bed and hurls it across the room. It crashes against the wall with a dull thud, sliding to the floor in a defeated heap. The sound echoes in the silence, and for a moment, she just stares at the aftermath, her chest heaving.

And then the tears come.

It’s not the first time she’s cried since the injury, but it feels different tonight��uglier, rawer, like the dam has finally burst. She curls in on herself, her hands tangling in her hair as sobs wrack her body. She doesn’t bother trying to quiet them. There’s no one here to hear her, no one to ask if she’s okay, no one to offer meaningless reassurances she doesn’t want to hear.

Except, there is.

A soft, hesitant knock at Paige’s bedroom door jolts her out of her spiraling thoughts. She freezes, her hands instinctively wiping at her face, smearing away the tears that have already begun to dry against her skin. Confusion threads through her—she thought Jo had left. She hadn’t even heard her come back.

The door creaks open, and there Jo is, standing in the sun light spilling from the hallway. Her brows are furrowed, her mouth pulled into a concerned line. She takes a step inside, her eyes scanning the room. Paige knows what she sees—the red puffiness of her face, the dampness of her cheeks, and the crutch lying discarded by the wall like a casualty of war.

“Sorry,” Paige blurts out, her voice cracking as the word tumbles out in a rush. She feels a fresh wave of shame rise up. She’s been awful to Jo, she knows that. First brushing her off earlier, and now this—disturbing her peace with her mess, her ability to just hold it together for once.

Jo doesn’t say anything for a moment, just stands there, her eyes roving over Paige’s face, taking in every detail. Paige hates how exposed she feels, like Jo can see right through the flimsy walls she’s been trying to keep up all day. Finally, Jo sighs and steps fully into the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

“Paige,” Jo says gently, “you don’t have to be sorry.”

There’s something in Jo’s voice that makes Paige want to believe her. Something so simple, yet so genuine, that it threatens to unravel the last bit of control she has. She doesn’t respond, just watches as Jo walks closer. She sets something—a bag, Paige thinks—on the floor next to the bed, but Paige doesn’t even bother to look at it. Jo sits down on the edge of the mattress, close enough that Paige can smell the faint traces of strawberry body wash on her skin. She hates that it makes her stomach do that weird fluttery thing, hates that it makes her feel anything at all.

“I’m just—” Jo pauses, and Paige looks up at her. Jo’s eyes are soft but unwavering, and the way she’s looking at Paige, like she’s trying to will her to understand something without saying it outright, makes her heart squeeze. “I’m really worried about you, P.”

The flutter in Paige’s stomach turns into something heavier, like a weight pressing down on her stomach. Jo’s worried about her. Paige knows that other people have probably been worried about her too—her parents, her teammates, her coaches—but it feels different coming from Jo. It feels too much. She shifts uncomfortably, trying to ignore the way Jo’s gaze feels like it’s peeling back all her layers.

“I’m fine,” Paige says automatically. The word sound hollow even to her, like a tired script she’s forced herself to memorize.

Jo shakes her head, her expressing softening even more. “No, you’re not. And it’s okay not to be.”

Paige doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t know what to say, doesn’t know how to put into words what’s been clawing at her chest since the injury.

“But you’re shutting everyone out,” Jo continues, her voice steady but not accusatory. “It’s like you won’t even look at me some days, let alone talk to me. And I get it. I do. But I just—I want you to know that I’m here. That you can talk to me, because I’ve been there.”

Paige stares at her, the words catching her slightly off guard. I’m here. It’s such a simple thing to say, but the way Jo says it, low and earnest, makes something in Paige’s chest twist. She doesn’t know what to do with that—doesn’t know how to accept it without feeling like she’s admitting defeat.

“Azzi already tried,” Paige says finally, sounding shaky. “She tore her ACL in high school, and she tried to talk to me about it. But it’s just—she still didn’t seem to get it. No one does—I don’t know—” Her voice cracks on the last few words, and she feels the tears welling up again, hot and relentless.

Jo studies her for a long moment, her head tilting slightly. “You think nobody gets you?” she asks softly.

Paige nods, the movement slow and heavy, her throat too tight to speak.

Jo nods too, as if she’s been expecting that. “It’s not true,” she says simply. “I get you. I do.”

Paige shakes her head, a weak protest already forking. “Jo—”

“No, really,” Jo interrupts, leaning forward slightly. “You feel like everyone expects you to be perfect, all the time. You feel like if you’re not the Paige Bueckers everyone knows—the player, the leader, the star—that you’re letting everyone down. Your team, your coaches, your fans, your family—yourself. You feel like you don’t even know who you are without basketball, because it’s been your whole life for as long as you can remember. And now that it’s been taken away from you, you don’t know how to exist. You feel lost, like a piece of you is missing, and you’re scared—terrified, actually—that you’ll never get it back And you’re so used to dealing with everything on your own, to putting on a brave face and pretending you’re fine, that the thought of letting anyone in feels basically impossible. Like if you let even one crack show, then the whole thing will just come crashing down.”

The words hit Paige like a tidal wave. Every sentence is a punch to the gut, not because it hurts, but because it’s true. Jo’s right—about all of it. About the fear, the pressure, the suffocating wright of it all. And the way Jo says it, calm and matter-of-fact, makes it even harder to ignore.

“Was I right?” Jo asks softly, her eyes searching Paige’s face.

Paige swallows hard, her chest tight as she stares at Jo. There’s something about the way Jo’s looking at her—steady and unwavering, like she’ll wait forever if she has to—that makes Paige feel like the room is tilting. She wants to run from it, but she also doesn’t want Jo to stop.

Finally, she nods, her voice barely a whisper. “Yeah,” she says, her throat dry. “You were.”

Paige doesn’t know how to process the way Jo’s smile hits her. It’s small, soft, and knowing, but it wraps around Paige like a hug. Jo leans a little closer, her voice warm and teasing when she says, “See? I told you.”

There’s something about those words, about the certainty in Jo’s tone. She doesn’t want to cry anymore—God, she doesn’t want to—but something about Jo makes her feel like it would be okay if she did.

Jo’s voice interrupts her thoughts. “Scoot over.”

Paige blinks at her, furrowing her brows. “What?”

Jo doesn’t elaborate, just gestures for Paige to move. Paige hesitates, unsure of where this is going, but she shuffled over, making room on the bed. Jo grabs the bag she set down earlier and pulls herself up onto the bed. Paige watches as Jo leans back, settling against the wall, her shoulder brushing Paige’s, her other side cuddling into Sunny, the stuffed animal she gave Paige.

“What’s that?” the blonde asks, gesturing toward the bag with a slight sniffle. Her voice is still shaky from earlier, and she hates how small she sounds.

Jo pulls the bag into her lap, her voice lighter now, almost back to her usual bright, less-serious self. “Oh, this?” She opens it and pulls out a little tub of ice cream. “I went out and got us ice cream. I got your disgusting mint chip.”

Paige blinks, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth despite herself. That’s where Jo had gone, even after she’d bailed on their plans. Paige takes the ice cream Jo offers, along with a spoon, feeling a warmth spread through her chest that has nothing to do with the food.

Jo retrieves her own tub—still cotton candy, still gross—and balances it in her lap.

They sit in silence for a moment, and Paige lets herself watch Jo as she digs into her ice cream. There’s something so effortless about her, the way she fits into Paige’s space like she belongs here.

Jo suddenly looks around, frowning a little as if searching for something. “Where’s your—?” she starts but doesn’t finish before her eyes lick on something and she leans over Paige, reaching toward the nightstand.

It happens so quickly that all Paige can do is freeze. Jo’s arm brushes her side, her hair falls near Paige’s face, and Paige can smell her shampoo, something sweet and faintly strawberry. Paige’s heart starts racing, and she doesn’t understand why.

Jo grabs the TV remote and sits back, settling into her spot again like nothing happened. Paige feels ridiculous for how flustered she is, but she can’t help it.

Jo turns on the TV, flipping through the streaming apps before looking over at Paige. “You ready to finally start The Vampire Diaries?”

The blonde groans, leaning her head back against the wall. “No, I don’t wanna watch that.”

Jo’s been pestering her about this show for what feels like forever, insisting Paige would love it if she just gave it a chance. Paige, naturally, has resisted every time.

The younger girl shrugs, clearly unfazed. “Well, I don’t care. You’re already a little too depressed to keep watching Grey’s, sorry. It’s more fun to watch vampires eat people. Besides, the Salvatores are hot.”

Paige deadpans, “I’m gay.”

Jo doesn’t miss a beat. “Okay, Nina Dobrev’s hot.”

And, yeah, Paige supposes she can’t argue with that. She sighs, defeated, and waves a hand toward the TV. “Fine. Put it on.”

Jo grins like she’s won a battle, which she kind of has, and presses play. Paige doesn’t know what to expect, but she lets herself settle in as the first episode begins. Part of her wonders why this show is Jo’s favorite. Because, really, what is it about brooding vampires and dumbass love triangles that she loves so much? Maybe, Paige thinks, if she watches closely, she’ll learn something about Jo.

They eat their ice cream in comfortable silence as the show plays, the room filled with the sounds of dramatic dialogue and overly intense music.

After a while, Paige’s appetite fades. She sets her ice cream tub on the nightstand, not in grow her arm brushes Jo’s when she moves. Her heart stutters again, and she tries to ignore it, sliding back into her spot.

Without really thinking, she leans her head on Jo’s shoulder. It’s a small gesture, but it feels huge for some reason. Paige tells herself it’s just because she’s tired, that she needs comfort after everything that’s happened today. But the way her heart races says otherwise.

“Thanks, Joey,” she murmurs quietly.

Jo shifts slightly, and then Paige feels it—the warmth of Jo’s hand as it settles over her own. Paige’s breath catches, her stomach doing something weird and unfamiliar.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Jo says softly, certain.

But Paige does want to thank her, even if she doesn’t know how to put it into words. She doesn’t know how to explain what this means—Jo showing up, staying, not letting her spiral alone. All she knows is that her hand seems to fit perfectly under Jo’s slightly smaller one, and she doesn’t want to move.

The episode plays on, but Paige isn’t really watching anymore. She’s too focused on the warmth of Jo’s shoulder against her cheek, the quiet rise and fall of her breathing, the way her hand hasn’t moved from Paige’s. And in the back of her mind, Paige knows there’s something here—something bigger than she’s ready to admit.

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[kidcanines]

cg!viktor headcannons ᯓᡣ𐭩

x - x - x

—DNI NSFW—

· likes keeping you close to him. driving you into his side when he wants to feel your warmth against his harsh purpled skin. He'll take your hand in his own or brush your hair behind your ear while you're sleeping. He mostly feels alone so having a little one beside him that relies on him in ways opposite of the public he’s saved- that is like him in ways he can’t describe, similarly to Sky but untethered.

· whispers about what it’s like being shrouded in universal colors. the comforting things he’s seen told to you like fairytales before you go to bed.

· goes stargazing every so often with you. points to the thousands of constellations up in the sky and identifies them all for you.

· let’s you sit in his lap while you mess with his fingers. comparing them to your own. your natural curiosity is something he always indulges in.

· when it rains he likes to sit outside with you and just enjoy the sound- you bounce around in the wet grass before coming to sit in his lap and lean against his chest while he cards a hand through your wet hair

· when he’s meditating (and thus floating) he leaves you on the ground- you jump to get to him but fail. when he finally comes back down you run into his legs and try to get him to pick you up—to which he complies—a fond, loving expression on his face. you just pout.

· whenever you get up to something and he can’t parse out what you’re doing before you do it, he gives you this look of confused adoration that turns joyous when you produce the outcome. sometimes it’s a silly face or you dancing to imaginary music.

· calls you Nabi and vice versa- a meaningless little term of endearment from nowhere.

· sometimes accidentally cryptic. he goes about the space talking to what seems to be air and then he lays his eyes on you and realizes he’s frightened you. he cuddles you up to him and whispers into your ear how’s he’s sorry- that he had no intention of frightening you and that whatever he said wasn’t important. still, you ask questions- and he’s always amazed at your bluntness. he tries to articulate the answer the best he can but its difficult without his own extensive knowledge

· calls you little one all the time. If he wants to be extra sweet he’ll place a gentle finger on the soft of your jaw and trace it to your chin or tack on a “my” in front of it. You hate it sometimes because it feels like he’s making you smaller than you actually are with his all knowing, omnipotent shtick but once he starts teaching you things it’s much more than that.

· teaches you many things. the art of watching and waiting- patience, and finally, the arcane. shows it to you and allows for you to touch it- pulls you out before it can truly do any damage and holds you during your recovery. He wants to turn you- it’s the next step in evolution. but he can't, longing for a human connection that isn’t devouring one another for the purpose of a greater life understanding. He wants to know you through you- and finds your tantrums less tedious than before.

· won’t see you get hurt- is almost too gentle, too protective of you when it comes to playing with other kids and other people taking care of you- even if he is just another extension of him. he likes seeing you through his own eyes- not theirs.

· tells you about jayce- just not by name. this amazing man who wanted to help the world, just like he’s doing, who wanted to give people opportunities which would otherwise not be afforded to them because of their social standing. he describes him all the time with a fond look on his face.

· doesn’t play with you a lot, but likes putting stuff together with you. little prototypes of boats or trains that you cart around- distracted while he does the real work.

· likes reading while you do your own thing- maybe taking a nap, sitting together in silence with the steady sound of arcane power reverberating inside of him and through the space, or maybe with the steady rhythmic flip of book paper. maybe he hums.

· you try to get him to take naps with you. your constant pulling on his robe and never wavering stubbornness convinces him to lay down with you. he ends up dropping off before you do- in a space similar to where he is when he’s meditating. You touch his face while he’s sleeping, exploring his smile lines and deep purple bags underneath his eyes before kissing him on his cheek and falling asleep yourself.

· he’s very patient with you, even when you’re not so patient with yourself. he’ll gently take you by the wrists and hold them close to his heart so you won’t beat on yourself anymore. his eyes always hold so much emotion- as do yours (he comments on them regularly.) “how am i supposed to protect you from yourself?” he asks you one night, you’re head on his legs and the rest curled up underneath the blankets. you just shrug and bury your head into his calf, a show of kiddy frustration that just makes him sigh and run his hands through your hair.

· you’re always eager to help with his experiments. you don't have the most steady hand but you’re good when it comes down to it. he can ask you to crush up some herbs or pour a a pre measured ingredient into what he’s making. he always helps and he mostly does it so you feel included in whatever he’s doing.

· never any big lights in your spaces. always candles or glowing orbs in your space- maybe the whiteness of the arcane that engulfs the place in light, but it’s never so bright as to where you can’t sleep- Viktor makes sure of that

· likes hearing you laugh- he doesn’t ever do any strenuous activities but he can make finger puppets and tell you stories like never before

· very good with routines and such. likes making sure he’s putting you down for a nap at the right time and generally doing good at parenting you.

[isak-dot-gov]

Could you please do a follow-up to Rumor Has It where R gets injured but ends up recovering in CT & lives the WAG life while on the sidelines? Thanks

Basketball WAG

Pairing: Paige Bueckers x WWE!Reader

Word count: 1070

My Masterlist :)

The injury was a nightmare. One bad landing in the ring, a snap you couldn’t ignore, and everything changed. What you thought was just a twisted knee was diagnosed as a torn ACL, a wrestling career halter for at least nine months. You’d have to take time away from the WWE, and the road to recovery would be brutal. But the worst part was knowing you couldn’t compete. The roar of the crowd, the thrill of the fight—it all slipped through your fingers as you traded the ring for physical therapy rooms and doctor visits.

Paige was by your side from the start. She’d flown out the second she heard, cutting her own trip short to be there as the doctors explained the surgery, the long rehab process, the toll it would take on your body. Her hand stayed wrapped around yours, steady and reassuring, her eyes filled with a quiet determination that somehow kept you from completely crumbling.

After the surgery, recovery became your full-time job. Paige insisted you stay with her in Connecticut while you healed. You hesitated at first, worried about disrupting her season, but she wouldn’t hear of it. “I want you here,” she’d said simply, her voice steady and resolute. “Besides, Connecticut needs you in the stands.”

You’d been living in Connecticut for a few months now, trading the chaotic travel schedule of WWE for the quieter routines of campus life. Your days were filled with gruelling physical therapy sessions, carefully regimented workouts, and endless ice packs. But every evening, Paige would be there to drive you home, her infectious smile and stories from practice lighting up the end of your day.

As the season started, you embraced your new role as Paige’s personal hype squad. With your crutches, leg brace, and a collection of UConn hoodies, you became a courtside staple at her games. The cameras always found you, and you couldn’t help but grin when Paige would flash you a quick smile before tip-off, mouthing a little ��love you” that never failed to make your heart race.

The fans took notice, too. The internet had already gone wild when you and Paige went public, but now the excitement only grew. Photos of you on crutches, decked out in UConn gear, became fan favourites. Someone even made a fan account called “ACL_WAG” where they posted updates of your journey alongside Paige’s highlights. They tagged every picture with #SupportiveWAG and #PowerCoupleGoals, and while you joked about it with Paige, secretly you loved every second of it.

At first, the role of “basketball WAG” felt foreign. You were used to the thrill of competition, the intensity of training, and the satisfaction of a match well-fought. But now, you were cheering from the sidelines, and though it wasn’t the same, it was special in its own way. You’d show up to her games with hand-painted signs, cheering louder than anyone else in the stands, loving every moment of seeing Paige shine.

In the quiet moments, it was just the two of you, and those were some of your favourites. You’d sit together on her apartment couch, legs tangled up as she massaged your sore knee, her thumb tracing gentle circles over the brace. Sometimes, after a particularly good practice or a win, she’d make a special dinner just for the two of you, with pasta, a glass of wine, and her cheesy playlists in the background. She even made little post-rehab care packages with her favourite snacks, motivational notes, and sometimes a little joke, just to make you laugh.

One night, after a particularly tough physical therapy session, you were sprawled on the couch with an ice pack on your knee, grumbling about the lack of progress. Paige wrapped her arms around you, pulling you close as she kissed the top of your head. “You’re going to get back out there,” she said, her voice soft but fierce. “And when you do, I’ll be right there, cheering louder than anyone.”

Her confidence in you was unshakable. When the rehab exercises got too repetitive or you felt the weight of the setback, her encouragement kept you going. She’d remind you that every tiny step was progress, every painful stretch and controlled squat was bringing you closer to the day you’d step back into the ring. You’d never felt so supported.

As the season went on, Paige’s bond with her teammates only grew, and you found yourself becoming part of her world. You’d tag along for team dinners, swapping wrestling stories with her friends, or even sharing tips on training and recovery. Sometimes, the girls would rally around you after a game, giving you high fives and telling you they couldn’t wait to see you back in the ring. Paige’s coach even joked that you’d become a “good luck charm,” showing up at practice whenever the team needed a morale boost.

But the biggest surprise came one Saturday night in February. You’d hit a new milestone in your recovery—walking without crutches. Paige had been waiting for this moment, and as you limped out of your physical therapy session, she wrapped you in a hug so tight you could hardly breathe. That night, she threw you a small party with her friends, decorating the apartment with signs that read “Strong as Ever!” and “ACL Survivor.”

A few weeks later, you’d made enough progress to go without the brace. That night, Paige surprised you with a beach trip, just the two of you. As you walked along the sand together, your knee only slightly sore, you felt something shift. You were finally healing, both physically and mentally. Paige had been there for every painful, frustrating moment, and now, with the gentle ocean breeze and her hand in yours, you felt ready to take the next steps back to the life you loved.

By the end of the season, you were nearly fully recovered. You and Paige had planned a vacation to celebrate her season and your return to the ring, and this time, there was no hiding or sneaking around. The world knew you were Paige’s biggest fan, and she was yours. 

As you prepared for your comeback in the WWE, Paige made sure you knew she’d be there, cheering from the front row, the same way you’d cheered her on all season. This time, the tables would turn, but no matter what happened, you’d always be each other’s number one.

[thatguywrites]

Hi!! Absolutely LOVE what you do. I spend HOURS just looking for x male reader and even longer for ftm masc. Thank you for all your hard work!!

for req… I was thinking maybe Frank Langdon is with the reader but it’s very private. People always ask about Frank’s love life since his divorce, but he always brushes it off. Reader is an EMT that was contract working at Pittfest and is wheeled in as a victim. Frank fully loses it, all forms of professionalism out the window and he runs to attend his partner.

Thanks!! 🩷🩷

Healing together

Fr I got so tired of looking for male reader content I decided to start making it

Should I make a pt 2 of this of Frank's out patient and reader's recovery?

Frank Langdon x EMT!Reader

He was thankful that you were stationed at PittFest when he made his walk of shame past the ambulance bay holding all of his belongings. You had complained about being stationed there, saying you could handle more than dehydration and exhaustion, although you did end up driving a guy to the hospital after he got crushed by a pole.

But he's glad you're out there dealing with those every day issues, and couldn't see the tears that slowly escaped his eyes as he sat on a bench just down the street of the hospital. He sat frozen on the bench for about an hour, debating what to do. Should he hide away in your shared car, and have a good old fashioned mental break down before he's inevitably fired? He didn't want you to find out like that though, to find your boyfriend a mess in the back seats of your car.

Frank was snapped out of his spiral by the sounds of sirens, a lot of sirens. Ambulance after ambulance pulling into the hospital, which had clearly prepared for the onslaught. Frank got up and began rushing towards the hospital, he could guess what had happened. There was only one place that so many people would be coming from. And he could already guess the mechanism of injury.

He may be an addict, but he's still a doctor, and he couldn't just sit by and not help with a mass casualty event. He entered through the ambulance bay, searching for the vehicle that you had set out in that morning to no success. As he threw himself into treating patients, his eyes couldn't help but to whip to the doors every time new patients came into the hospital. He saw Robby try and fail to save Leah. He couldn't let that happen to you, he couldn't see you with a black and white band on your wrist. He asked the other EMTs if they had seen you when they were at PittFest, getting confused answers from your coworkers who didn't think he would know your name, and checked his phone every ten minutes, but no news.

He quickly got lost in his work, checking his phone less, and asking around less, but his head still snapped to the door, hoping to see you bring in a patient, but dreading to see you as a patient. He was in the middle of completing a makeshift crike on an otherwise stable patient when his head yet again automatically snapped to the door, but this time, he was not so quick to look back. Dr. McKay figured out the situation quite quickly, and took his tools out of his hands, nodding her head towards the door which his eyes had not yet left, as his entire body had gone completely still.

The sight made him sick to his stomach, your black pants and light blue shirt that he himself had seen you put on that morning, were now torn open to reveal a gunshot through your abdomen. Your left hand was clutching your side as you cried, and he caught a glimpse of your name badge, now covered in blood, face id barely legible. Your co-workers wheeled you into the red zone, keeping pressure on the wound and calling out for supplies.

Frank felt his tounge get unstuck from the bottom of his mouth, and his feet began to move on autopilot. "Y/N? Y/N! LET ME THROUGH!" He pushed his way through the red zone, assessing your injury and calling out for blood and Dr. Garcia or Walsh, but before he could put new gloves on, Dana was pulling him away. "No, no" he gasped out, "That's my boyfriend, Dana, Dana I need to- I- Dana you don't get it that's my boyfriend, I need to help him, I- I can't just-"

Dana manhandled him around, his hands too shaky and weak to fight back as she maneuvered him to lean against the nurses station, grabbing a juice box and shoving it into his hands. "Yes, I can guess, you love him, that's your boyfriend. But that means you cannot work on him. Robby and Abbot will help him. Walsh will be back and can fix him up, but if you work on him, you'll make a mistake." Frank opened his mouth as if to argue, but his eyes flickered back to your bleeding body and any words got lost in his fear. Frank drank the juice under her supervision breathing heavily, eyes unable to look away from the gurney in the middle of red. Walsh had made it down, and Abbot was working on you too. He managed to take a deep breath, you were in better hands than his own. Dana gave him a sad smile, "Stupid kid, go work in yellow, send Mel and Santos over here, ok? We'll call you when Y/N is stable, and you can visit him. I promise"

Franks breathing slowed, as he nodded and went over to share the message. He worked methodically throughout the night, not thinking beyond you and his patients. Robby came up to him in an attempt to talk about their previous conversation, but he simply broke down in tears at the thought that you may not survive to see him get better. That he wouldn't even get to tell you, to be honest with you.

Eventually Dr. Abbot brought him upstairs to sit by your side, along with bringing him some clothes to replace his blood stained scrubs. Dr. Walsh came in an explained you condition, the bullet had gone into your lower abdomen, and they'd had to take it out and repair your digestive system, you you would have to rely on a feeding tube for some time. She told him to get changed and shower, that you may be there for a while, before silently shutting the door behind her. Frank was silent as she left, only moving to hold your hand to his cheek, tears falling down onto your hand.

He spent the next day holding your hand, and reading a half finished book that McKay had brought from your flat. He barely managed to eat the food that Yolanda brought to him and tried to guilt him into eating. He also refused her attempts to get him to shower, or go outside, terrified that you would wake up the second he left the room. 'He would want you to take care of yourself' doesn't work as well when you're holding as much guilt in your chest as he is. Despite how much it clawed at him, he didn't tell your resting body what had happened the day before. He told himself again and again that you would wake up and he could tell you then that you would be upset if he told you when you couldn't respond.

When you finally woke up, it was before the sun rose two days after PittFest. Frank was still asleep, cradling your left hand next to his face with tear tracks being all that was left of all the crying he had done for that past two days. Bringing your hand up to cradle his face, you couldn't help but smile, all you'd gone through, you still had your Frank.

The movement awoke Frank with a startle, as he looked up into your eyes for the first time in almost two days, looking dazed, and as if he couldn't belief it, and he looked as if he was yet again going to burst into tears with just one look.

"You're awake"

"It's seems so, yeah"

Tears began to flow as he pulled you into a loose hug, still scared to touch you healing wound, and wet cries of how he thought he was going to lose you escaped his mouth as he sobbed into your shoulder.

When Walsh came in to explain your condition and the process of healing and returning to work, Frank didn't leave your shoulder, only looking at her to hear how to take care of you at home. On her way out, she looked back at him, "Congrats, by the way. Really kept it secret. Dana won the staff betting pool. And Frank, Robby says 'to tell him', real ominous vibes."

Frank's face paled, he'd been thinking about how to tell you for the past day, but now that it was the moment, he didn't know what to do. As he looked up into your eyes, he could see the concern and love that you held for him, and he felt like he was about to break all of that.

The ensuing conversation resulted in Frank's head resting on your lap as you played with his hair while you talked. You agreed that he would start an outpatient program while you healed so that he could help around the house, before then doing some inpatient and going back to work. When you told him you wouldn't leave him, and that if he would be with you through your injury, you would be with him through his rehab, he began sobbing on your lap.

Throughout the day Garcia, Dana, McKay and Robby all came up to visit the two of you, and Frank finally began to eat the food that Garcia brought, as he could take her guilt tripping, but not your actual disappointment. Dana thanked the two of you for being gay and coworkers, her personal bet, and gave you her number, so that you could update her with any health issues, and any blackmail she could use on Frank.

When you and Frank were finally able to go home over a week later, there was an entire parade bringing you out, your fellow EMTs, the surgeons, and all Pitt workers on staff all bidding you farewell, and wishing you well healing as Frank wheeled you out.

Taglist: (Comment or DM to be added)

@koalapastries @op-81-lvr-reblogs

[anyasathenaeum]

***MINORS DNI***

Okay but...

Needy!Vash, who just can't bear to keep his hands off you for long.

Needy!Vash, who whines softly to himself because he can smell the scent of you and your arousal through all your clothes, and it's driving him crazy.

Needy!Vash, who ends up dragging you away and pinning you against a building down some alley that casts juuuuust enough shadow to keep you both hidden, just barely out of earshot of the busy main street.

Needy!Vash, who's immediately kneeling down in front of you, your leg hiked up over his shoulder, your clothes wriggled (and almost torn) out of the way, two of his fingers curling inside your wet and tight little pussy, hitting that spongy spot inside you that makes you see stars.

Needy!Vash, who looks up at you and just smiles angelically as he makes you moan and whimper, whispering to you, "Yeah? Does that feel good, Mayfly?"

Needy!Vash, who's now using his tongue to lick your clit, alternating between licking long stripes up and down your pussy to short, fast flicking of just your clit, making your orgasm build and making you bite down hard on your own fist so you don't scream his name and get yourselves caught.

Needy!Vash, who takes you keeping yourself quiet as a personal challenge, a little smirk appearing on his face as he begins to eat you out with even more passion than before, hiking your leg even higher onto his shoulder and spreading you open even wider than before.

Needy!Vash, who adds another finger into your tight heat, stretching you out even more than before and thrusting into you harder and faster than before, grinning to himself in your pussy when you fail to muffle some squeals and moans of pleasure.

Needy!Vash, who gives you mere moments of reprieve only to bite and suck on the sensitive skin of your thighs, leaving marks and little bruises as proof of his claim on you before continuing to tongue and finger you.

Needy!Vash, who's absolutely delighted when you suddenly squirt all over him for the first time, soaking both your and his clothes, your orgasm washing over you at the same time and making your whole body shudder.

Needy!Vash, who pulls away for a moment, allowing you a few seconds of recovery as he quickly looks up and down the alleyway, checking to see if anybody has discovered you both.

Needy!Vash, who practically looks up at you with hearts in his eyes and grins when he realizes that the coast is clear, "Think you can give me another one, Mayfly?"

You're not leaving that alleyway until Vash has to carry you back to your inn, and even then, it's only just the beginning.

[alltimecharlo]

I need an insufferable Smitty at worlds annoying team USA with Mack this Mack that and well Mack does it like this and as soon as they are in the same city a couple of the team USA guys go drop him off at team Canada hotel like here take him we’re tired of hearing about you to a confused Mack. They walk into a team Canada team dinner or something so they’re all just staring

absolutely yes!!! willmack at worlds my beloved <3 fic below the cut :)

(p.s. if you want more willmack being inseperable idiots at worlds, i have an ao3 fic about that too hehe🩵)

Will is insufferable.

Not in the way that makes him hated—no, somehow it just makes him more endearing. But that doesn’t mean the rest of Team USA isn’t completely, utterly over it.

"Mack always tapes his stick like this," Will says, for the third time that morning in the locker room, showing off the little spiral twist near the toe of his blade.

"Mack wouldn’t miss that shot," Will mutters under his breath after a teammate flubs an easy one in morning skate.

"Mack says recovery snacks are sacred. You don’t disrespect a man’s orange slices," Will announces, batting someone's hand away from his clearly labeled post-practice snack bag.

By the end of day three at Worlds, half the team is quoting him behind his back. Mack this. Mack that. Mack would probably coach this whole team better than their current staff, if you ask Will.

"Hey, Smitty," Cutter says one evening, exhausted and rubbing his temples as Will chirps on about Mack's powerplay zone entries. "You ever consider transferring to Team Canada?"

"What?" Will looks genuinely confused. "No, I'm American."

"Yeah, well. Your heart's in Alberta."

They all laugh, except Will, who just shrugs and says, "Mack was born in Vancouver, actually."

As soon as they're back in Stockholm, a few of the older Team USA players look way too smug as they all pile into the bus for a day off in town. Will, as usual, is talking to someone about Mack.

"Honestly, Mack’s backhand—you’d never expect it, but it’s deadly. He scored this shootout winner once and—"

"Smitty."

"Hm?"

"Get your stuff."

"Why?"

"You’re coming with us."

--

Mack is not expecting anything when he steps into the hotel restaurant for the team dinner. He’s late, having just gotten off a FaceTime call with his little sister, and he slides in through the side door near the bar, head down, smoothing the collar of his polo.

There’s a sudden hush.

He looks up.

Will is standing dead center in the doorway, flanked by two Team USA defensemen like some kind of ceremonial offering. The restaurant falls silent. Will is holding a little duffel bag and looking… smug? Embarrassed? Relieved?

"Uh," Mack says.

"Your problem now," one of the Americans says dryly, clapping Will on the shoulder. "We need a break."

"You’re welcome," the other adds.

They turn and leave.

Will doesn’t move. Just kind of hovers there until Mack crosses the room and looks up at him, blinking.

"Hey," Will says, softly.

"Hi."

"They were tired of hearing about you."

Mack snorts, ears going red. "You been driving them that crazy?"

Will shrugs, like it can’t be helped. "You're my favorite topic."

Behind them, someone from Team Canada coughs pointedly. Others are whispering. Mack ignores them.

"You ditch your own team’s day off to come hang out with us?"

"I didn’t ditch. They delivered me."

Mack grins, helpless and a little fond. "Come on then. Sit with me."

He tugs Will toward his usual spot at the table, ignoring the barrage of chirps and comments already flying in their direction.

"You two are ridiculous," someone groans.

"Get a room!"

"They weren’t even subtle about it!"

Will just bumps his knee against Mack's under the table, leans in close and murmurs, "Worth it."

Mack can feel his stupid grin stretch wider. He tries to fight it. Fails completely.

"You gonna spend the whole dinner talking about me again?"

Will grins, unapologetic. "Obviously."

Mack shakes his head, rests his cheek briefly on Will's shoulder despite the public setting, and murmurs, "Good."

He doesn’t even care that everyone’s watching. Not when Will’s right here, where he belongs.

♡

[malarign]

who they were written by

contains: enhypen | genre: angst, comfort | tw! mentions of death, mention of major injury, lack of confidence, family problems, loneliness | wc: 1,0k

author’s note: let’s just say i chose violence 🫣 who the hell let me write this?

Lee Heeseung | 이희승

➶ an elder lady who reminiscents her past lover

Love never felt so blissful and serene as with him, making it hard to forget his small but meaningful gestures, like fresh morning coffee, his contagious laughter, and jokes that never failed to make her laugh. There was no day she didn’t miss him, death taking his beautiful soul too early, along with hers too. She felt like her life ended the day she lost him forever. Wanting to have at least a little substitute for feelings that accompanied their love she wrote Heeseung, who just like her late lover, is impossible not to love. Heeseung who is a pure example of chivalry and a true gentleman, who treats everybody with empathy and sympathy.

Park Jongseong | 박종성

➶ a man who regrets not letting his son pursue his passion

Watching how his son gets drowned in the huge corporate world that surrounds him. How there’s no sign of the spark in his eye that used to light up whenever he picked up his guitar. The boy who found such relief in playing his favorite songs and felt proud of mastering different riffs was long gone, now somewhat replaced by constantly tired and dispassionate about anything and everything. Regret filled his heart and decided to somehow find a remedy in creating Jay, who thanks to his burning love for music and the wonderful people surrounding him, achieved his dream, and performed his songs on big stages, igniting passion in his fans’ hearts.

Sim Jaeyun | 심재윤

➶ a boy who always felt lonely

Ever since primary school, he never had a friend to rely on, always feeling lonely and not heard. Nobody ever paid attention to him, neither at school nor at home. His parents invested their time mostly in his younger brother’s education and hobbies, driving him to his after-school football practices and maths tutoring and leaving the older one alone most of the time. To feel at least a tiny bit wanted and liked he wrote about Jake, as his older brother he never had, but always dreamt of. Days spent alone at home started to get more bearable and gradually he couldn’t wait to be left with him and his new best friend, with whom he played football and who helped him with his homework.

Park Sunghoon | 박성훈

➶ girl who lost her confidence in sport

Injury is the worst fear of any athlete including her, but once it happens it turns out to be much more. She never even imagined a day she would have to experience the pain of a twisted ankle, but now daily rehabilitation has become her reality. Even after complete recovery, her foot felt like it belonged to somebody else, not listening to her like before. Things that she had been doing easily now were her biggest enemy. All eyes of her teammates were filled with pity, and even her coach stopped spending her time helping her, increasing her misery. What helped her ease her mind was a boy she imagined named Sunghoon, who was the only male ice skater among all the girls, they isolated him by whispering to each other and watching his every fall. None of this stopped him from mastering every jump and technique he found hard in his tempo. If he was able to do that, she would too, even after a painful injury.

Kim Sunoo | 김선우

➶ girl who always wished to have a boy best friend

She always knew boy-girl friendships weren’t particularly the easiest - it’s easy to catch feelings and not every boy is trustworthy enough to be considered a friend. That’s why she desired it so much. Her every male friend ended up being a freak who had a bunch of weird opinions, turned out to be even misogynistic, or simply caught feelings for her when all she wanted was to have a companion. The more she tried the harsher the disappointment. To compensate, she started to imagine one, who she named Sunoo. Hanging out with him was just as she wanted, maybe that’s why she spent so much time in her head. Both of them had their weekly tradition of doing face masks and watching old romantic comedies, judging wrong doings of the characters but also simping to them, just like it happens in movies.

Yang Jungwon |  양정원

➶ a grandma who lost her grandson

Nothing could ever prepare her to lose him, who just like cherry blossoms sweetened her old days with his pure smile and eyes full of curiosity, after years of endless winter. But, the thing about cherry blossoms is, it doesn’t last long. Her grandson, contrary to pink petals, wouldn't be back in a year, he would be gone forever. That pure smile and curious eyes disappeared, or should I say, were ripped off her arms so brutally, so pitilessly. Her life came back to the excruciating dullness and silence. She couldn’t stop thinking about how her lovely boy would grow up, what hobbies he would pick up, and who he was going to love, since he didn’t have a chance to experience any of that, subconsciously creating Jungwon, who lived surrounded by love and gave it to others. Who never lost his pure smile and curious eyes, just like her grandson.

Nishimura Riki | 西村力

➶ girl who always danced alone in her room

She always knew her destiny was on the dance floor. Even her tiny bedroom she had to share with her two younger siblings. Or the daily nagging and lack of support from her parents. Even the fact that she had to do that all by herself. None of that stopped her from doing everything to achieve her dream of standing on stage, in blinding spotlights with crowds watching her moves. Her main inspiration was Riki, a boy she imagined had the same dream as her. In contrast to her, Riki had everything she ever wanted and needed to make things easier - a family full of great dancers, who also owned a dance studio and great teachers and mentors from whom he learned not only different techniques but also to love dancing.

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