#He's kinda selling this ship for me it's making me all soft inside

[crystaljins]

Finding Christmas again

Characters: Taehyung x Reader

Word count: 21K

Synopsis:  After a lifetime’s worth of turbulent and miserable Christmases with your family, you finally make the executive decision to spend this year’s Christmas alone. 

However, when you take home a box of old Christmas decorations from your friend’s shop, it seems that this Christmas is set to be different from the others.  

ChristmasScarecrow!Tae x human!Reader

Notes: Here it is!!! My contibution to the @thebtswritersclub​ secret santa (and also their monthly holiday prompt, Holiday/festival)!!!  And my secret santa is.... *drum roll*....

Hi @pars-ley​​, Merry Christmas!!!!! I hope you enjoy your secret santa!! 

Anyway, I know the premise sounds weird but bear with me!!!! It’s kinda cute, I promise!!

Rating: PG13

Genre: Fluff, angst

Warnings: Mentions of divorce, fighting, alcoholism, depression, mean step-siblings (OC’s family). Mentions of house break-ins, some kissing and some ANGST, santa is real, really poorly explained world mechanics that are kind of glossed over because I’m lazy LOL

For you, the start of the Christmas season is always marked by Seokjin unboxing the stock for his December-long Christmas sales. Any stock from the previous year that didn’t get sold gets lined up along the shelves along with a few new trinkets here and there. He pulls out a series of dusty cardboard boxes, soft and collapsing from age and within are numerous fraying, gaudy Christmas decorations he likes to string around the shop to give off a bit of a “festive” atmosphere. Of course, an overstocked, tacky dollar store can only be so “festive” but Seokjin never seems deterred. 

This year, however, marks a change. You sit amidst towering, overflowing shelves whileJin beams at you over the counter of his tacky dollar store and slides the first of the decrepit and infamous cardboard boxes towards you. 

“If you’re being stubborn and insisting on spending Christmas alone this year, at least put up some decorations.” He insists. Hesitantly, you peer inside- the tinsel has lost some of its magnificent sparkly mane, but it’s still passable and there’s a few tangled lights that you know from experience may have a bulb or two blown but are still somewhat useable. 

“I guess I could,” you reluctantly agree. Your small apartment could definitely do with a little apartment sprucing. “You’re not going to decorate this year?” You question. Jin shakes his head and beams, gesturing to a series of brand new cardboard boxes, freshly shipped. They’re crisp and upright in a way that makes the old boxes look even more soggy and pathetic.

“I’ve done a little bit of online shopping this year and thought it would be nice to freshen up my decorations. And I know you could use some decorations so I knew my babies would be going to a good home.” He announces, positively giddy with delight. Christmas always leaves Jin on the edge of manic. Starting the month off with his birthday and then finishing it off with the entire world decked out in festivities is like giving him a month-long sugar rush. Nothing says festive season like the terrifying sparkle to his gaze.

“Well... thank you, I guess.” You say. You’re hesitant but grateful. You’re not the kind of person who hates Christmas or thinks the grinch was a victim, but it’s always been a season that didn’t ring as joyful for you as it seemed to for everyone else. After all, for you, Christmas had consisted of you hiding upstairs while your parents had screaming matches while they were still together, and then it had been a mix of being picked on by your step-siblings the years you were stuck with your father, and nursing your mother after she’d get drunk over eggnog and cry over her broken family when you spent it with your mother. Perhaps this is your chance to reclaim the season. “I can load these up in my car and then we can get started hanging up your new decorations?” You suggest, as Jin finishes balancing the till. 

Jin nods absently, counting under his breath, before leaning against the counter with a smile. 

“That would be absolutely fantastic. Your santa hat is in my office- don’t forget it!” He reminds you. You groan. 

“Do we have to do this every year? It’s demeaning.” You complain. Jin nods and then ignores your grimacing, returning to counting the day’s takings. 

With a heavy sigh, you take your time loading the boxes into your car, parked out the back of the shop, before ducking into his office. Sure enough, two embroidered Santa’s hats sit haphazardly on Jin’s desk. You tug one over your head and grab the other for him. 

You’re not sure when this tradition of helping Seokjin set up his shop for Christmas began. If you’re being honest, you’re not even sure when you started being friends with him, but this has been a yearly tradition since he started the shop, and the closest you’ve ever gotten to Christmas cheer. Your job is to string out the decorations in the least gaudy manner possible while Jin arranges his Christmas stock on his already overflowing shelves.

Back in the shop, Jin has just finished locking up when you come down the stairs at the back. He turns to you and beams, before gesturing to the boxes filled with new decorations. 

“Time to put that interior decorator eye to good use, (Y/N)!” He cries, clapping his hands enthusiastically together. You wince- it would take a lot more than some Christmas lights to fix the mess that is Seokjin’s shop. Even a professional interior decorator couldn’t fix this chaotic mess. His shop is ten years past a clearance sale.

Still, you walk over and begin to open up the boxes, sorting through the decorations until you come across an older box. You thought you’d loaded them all, but it looks like you’ve missed one. 

“What’s this box, Jin?” You ask, peeling back the lid to find a series of old, musty decorations. Jin pauses in his detangling of some dangling star lights to look over your shoulder. 

“Those are the decorations I put up for sale every year that never seem to go. Even the words “clearance” isn’t enough for people to want them.” He sighs, and he’s surprisingly melancholy as he looks upon the unwanted decorations. You’ve never had much to do with the things he chooses to sell- frankly you’re a little afraid with the things you may find should you venture into the labyrinth of his dollar store. Curious, you peel back the cardboard flap and peer inside at the myriad of unwanted decorations. 

Oddly, it makes your heart twinge a little, to see the stock that has been stuck gatherinf dust for eleven months. As dramatic as it sounds, you know a thing or two about being unwanted. 

Not that your parents ever implied you were unwanted! It’s just hard not to feel that way when you’re born to a couple who want nothing to do with each other. The constant back and forth between your two feuding parents had constantly made you feel more like a “pass-the-parcel” package than a human being.

And when your dad had remarried, he’d always insisted that you were welcome, but it’s not difficult to see how happy he is in his new family. How his stepchildren’s achievements made him smile or how he’d finally achieved the noisy, warm household he’d always dreamed of. The household he never had with you. And now even your mother is trying new things- she’d asked you to come with her to meet the family of her new boyfriend, but you couldn’t bring yourself to suffer through the awkwardness. 

That’s why you’d chosen to spend this Christmas alone- because you can’t seem to shake the feeling that you’re an afterthought when it comes to a holiday that involves spending time with your family. You exist, and you share their blood, but they have plans with people they actually chose to be in their lives. You’re welcome along, but not really wanted. 

Jin watches the expression on your face with mild interest. 

“Do you... want any of them?” He questions tentatively. “They’re a bit gaudy, but you could give them a home?”

You grimace at the ugly decorations- it’s not hard to see why no one wanted them. Tacky, corny baubles and cheap little mantle ornaments that a even a seventy year old grandmother would turn her nose up at.

But despite your general distaste, a tuft of red wool at the corner of the box catches your attention. You reach forward and tug it free.

A Christmas-themed scarecrow toy smiles back at you. Tufts of red, woollen hair peak out beneath his little santa’s hat, and two sewed on black buttons make up his eyes. His mouth is a simple stitched black line, a little upwards curve, and a little paint on upside down triangle makes his nose. He’s dress in a flannel shirt and overalls, but the overalls have a little christmas tree embroidered on the front and his flannel shirt has fluffy cuffs like the ends of a santa shirt. He’s sort of charming, if a little strange- why a christmas scarecrow? What an oddly specific decoration. 

“I can kind of see why no one would want these.” You snort, though you don’t put him back. Jin nods sympathetically. 

“This little guy has been with me for years. All the other decorations I bought with him eventually got sold but this guy is still unwanted.” He admits, taking the scarecrow from your hands to examine it fondly. “I even tried giving him away for free once but they didn’t want him.”

You bite your lip at that. The two button eyes stare up at you longingly, and for some reason you feel a sense of camaraderie with this stupid, gaudy christmas scarecrow. 

If you’re taking a bunch of decorations, why not this guy? He clashes with every instinct you have in terms of decoration, but the thought of him sitting on a shelf, unwanted for a month only to go back in this dusty old box at the end of the year is too depressing for you to handle. With a sigh, you take him back from Jin. 

“Might as well, since you dumped all your other old decorations on me.” You sigh.

And you miss the way Jin winks at the little scarecrow when you’re facing away from it. 

++

You actually forget about the decorations for the next few days. They sit in your car, unpacked. You’re busy with work as they rush to wrap up the end of year projects before their deadlines. And it’s not like putting up decorations has a deadline, right? You put them up some time before Christmas and hopefully remember to take them down before February hits. 

It’s when Autumn finally draws to a close and the first of December hits that you’re finally motivated to put them up. You’re in a deep clean kind of mood and when you duck out to your car to chuck out the various wrappers and old papers you’ve built up over autumn, you recall the boxes in your boot. 

The little Christmas Scarecrow is the first thing you pull out once the boxes are unloaded into your home. The little button eyes gaze up at you mournfully, as if scolding you for leaving him unattended in your car for so long. 

“Sorry little guy.” You sigh, straightening and setting him atop your mantle. He looks a little out of place with your decor but it feels right to place him there for some reason. This way he’s in full view of any guests that walk in. “Here. This can be your spot. Front and centre.” You tell him, and from this spot his button eyes look a little less mournful. With a smile, you begin puzzling out how to assemble Jin’s ratty old Christmas tree. 

You’re in the middle of a youtube tutorial on how to make your tree appear fuller when your phone lights up with your mother’s contact image. 

It takes you a few moments to steal yourself to answer her.

You aren’t on bad terms with your mother or anything. It’s just... for a few years after the divorce, when you probably needed her most, she just wasn’t your mother. And she’s done really well and gotten a lot of help and she’s in a really good place right now, but it’s still hard. It’s hard to talk to either of your parents, really. 

“Hey mum.” You finally say as you answer the phone. You can guess what she’s going to ask- every since she found out you wouldn’t be going home for Christmas, she’s been doing her best to convince you otherwise. 

“I was just at the store this morning,” she greets you. “And I saw all the ingredients for that christmas cake we used to make when you were small. Do you remember? And we always made it snowman-shaped and you’d cry when we’d eat it.”

You smile at the memory- it’s one of the very few fond ones you have on Christmas. When you were a very young child, before whatever your parents had between them went sour. Before life transitioned into hiding upstairs and trying to block out the sounds of shouting and being bounced back and forth between opposite sides of the country because your mother and father couldn’t even handle being in the same city together. 

“I do remember.” You say.

“We could make it!” Your mother urges. “Just think- wouldn’t it be so fun? John has a daughter your age, and she loves to bake! She’s so eager to meet you too- we could-“

“Maybe next year, mum.” You say. “I’m just absolutely slammed at work this year. Besides, I’ll be down for your birthday soon. I’d just rather spend Christmas at home, this year.”

Your mother is silent for a moment. You know she didn’t miss the implications of your statement. When you had first moved out for studying, returning to your parent’s place had been “going home”. Even you’re not sure when avoiding your family for the holidays had morphed into “staying home.”

“I... I’m sorry. I know I keep bringing it up, but I heard from your father that you weren’t going to spend it with him either and I... I don’t like the thought of you alone for Christmas.” She finally says. “I know I’ve failed you in a lot of ways, but I don’t want this to be one of them. John’s wonderful and his family would love to have you. We could make room for you.”

You go quiet for a moment. Your mum is trying her very best. You know that- you know that so well and yet you can’t. You just can’t do it. You don’t have it in you to brave through Christmas with either of your parents and play happy families and pretend that the years of misery didn’t happen. You don’t want a Christmas where people are “making room” for you. You want to have a place that is just inherently yours.

“Next year.” You promise. Next year you’ll have steeled yourself. Next year you’ll have it together. Next year you can try again. Next year you’ll be a little stronger and more resilient and then you can face the mess of your broken family.

Your mother sighs on the other end, in a sad, disappointed sort of way. 

“Next year.” She finally says, and there’s a promise in her words. Next year she’ll be better too. She’ll keep trying. 

You stay on the phone a little longer, and when you hang up you just spend a moment in your empty apartment. Boxes are sitting, strewn around you and currently the only decoration is your little Christmas Scarecrow. 

Oddly, he almost looks judgemental as he peers at you through the buttons. 

“Don’t look at me like that.” You sigh, getting to your feet and beginning the process of organising the Christmas decorations. “It’s complicated. You don’t know my mum and I know she loves me and I know she’s trying... but it’s... it’s just complicated, ok?”

You continue to ramble as you finish up your decorations. It’s quite therapeutic, talking to an inanimate object. It almost feels like he’s listening- there’s something warm in the little stitched mouth and button eyes. You and your scarecrow, both unwanted on Christmas day. You tell him about your parent’s divorce, about your past Christmases. About Jin and your friendship with him. About your decision to be alone for Christmas this year because neither of your parent’s offers seemed particularly appealing. 

By the time you’ve finish, your apartment actually looks decent. The Christmas tree sits in the corner, decorated with baubles covered in chipped paint and balding tinsel. There’s lights strung across the ceiling and across your mantle and maybe there’s one or two missing spots, and maybe it’s just a little tacky, but it’s warm. It’s home. You’ve carved out a little home for yourself in this apartment, and maybe it’s not perfect, but you like it. 

When you fall asleep on the couch, exhausted, you dream of ringing sleigh bells and cheerful Christmas tunes. 

++

You awaken suddenly. Your heart is in your throat. 

There’s someone in your apartment. You can hear them rummaging around in the kitchen. You don’t know how they got there, but terror fills you. 

The first thing you do is discreetly reach for your phone. You want to call the emergency number but you don’t want the intruder to know you’re awake in case they retaliate. Instead, you shoot a text to Jin. 

There’s someone in my house. You text. The response is almost immediate. 

I’m on my way. He responds. You resist the urge to groan. You’d told him so that he could call the police, not so that he could play hero. 

You roll off the couch and sneak closely to the wall. A metal bat rests there- a housewarming gift from Namjoon when he first learnt you’d be living alone. You never thought you’d have to use it. You never forget to lock your doors and surely no one has the guts to scale a building and come in through your balcony, right?

Still, you’re grateful for it now as you grip the handle tightly between both fists. 

Hesitantly and quietly, you inch towards the kitchen. The light is on and you can make out a figure bustling inside. 

With a cry, you rush forward, swing the back in a downwards arc. 

Only for your terrified intruder to whip around and catch the bat with the palms of his hands. Ignoring the fact that he just caught the full swing of a metal bat without flinching, you try and pull your bat back to tru for another swing. 

But he merely tightens his grip on the bat and this gives you time to take in his appearance. 

There’s a lot of striking things about the man’s appearance. Bright, brilliantly red hair, the colour of Christmas ribbons and raspberries, a straight, prominent nose. A sharp, well-defined jawline and two warm, dark eyes, almost familiar in their dark shade. 

It’s hard to know what to take in first. His startlingly handsome face, his brightly coloured hair, or his outlandish outfit. You don’t think you’ve ever seen someone look cute in tacky, Christmas themed overalls or a flannel shirt that’s an odd mix of a Santa’s hat and a farmer’s uniform. Complete with the Santa’s hat and the bright red hair, the man could almost be twins with your Christmas Scarecrow. 

“Who are you?” You demand. You attempt another futile tug on your bat, but the man’s grip is firm. 

“Don’t panic, (Y/N)!” He urges. His voice is deep and velvety but edged with a little terror. Your eyes widen. 

“How do you know my name?” You demand. If you weren’t afraid before, you are now. 

“Seokjin said it! In the store, a few days ago!” He cries, still pressing firmly against your metal bat. Despite you pressing your whole weight into it, it doesn’t budge a centimetre closer towards him. 

“So you’re a stalker?” You cry. 

“No!” He counters. “It’s me, (Y/N)! The scarecrow!”

That startles you enough to relax your grip on the metal bat. He senses the lapse in your grip and tugs the metal bat free. He holds it away from you and approaches you slowly, cautiously. 

“I was just making you some hot chocolate.” He says slowly. “You seemed sad after your phone call with your mum and I wanted to comfort you.”

He’s crazy- a crazy guy has broken into your house and has been listening to your conversations for who knows how long, and has been stalking you before that. 

“How long have you been stalking me for, you psycho?” You demand. His eyes widen in horror. 

“I’m not a stalker!” He insists. “I’m your scarecrow- turn around and I can prove it!” 

“What? So that you can stab me while my back is turned?” You demand. You make a grab for the bat. “Get out of my house!”

He manages to throw the bat backwards and grab both your shoulders as you lunge for him. With impressive strength he presses on your shoulders and spins you around. In the same motion, he shoves you forward a few steps and you stumble to re-gain your balance. 

Enraged and terrified, you whip around, ready to retaliate.

Only, he’s gone. Where a weird red-haired man previously stood, your kitchen is now empty. 

The counters are scattered with objects- your milk is out, and an open tin of cocoa, a few of your spice jars are laid neatly next to the pile of pots. 

And, sitting neatly where the man had been not a moment before, is your little Christmas Scarecrow. He smiles up at you, button eyes gleaming like he knows something you don’t. 

You can’t help it- you crumble before it. The post-adrenaline crash hits hard and you stare dumbly at the embroidered smile for a moment. 

“It’s a dream.” You finally conclude to yourself. “This is some messed-up nightmare and tomorrrow this haunted scarecrow can go right back to Jin’s store.” 

You grab it and hold it at a distance, your arms outstretched like it smells bad. 

“This is fine.” You assert. “It’s a dream. Just. Just go back here. And I’ll go... run into a wall or something. And this will all be some sort of fever dream.”

You settle the Christmas Scarecrow back into its rightful spot on your mantle, before turning around. You take a deep breath, mentally preparing yourself to run full speed at the wall just opposite. 

“‘Haunted’ is a little much, don’t you think?” The same velvety voice from earlier asks, and you turn to find the very same intruder leaping off your mantle onto the ground. “I’m not a ghost, or anything.”

He comes to stand in front of you, arms folded and lips pulled into a frown. Looking upon him now, you see the similarities to the Christmas Scarecrow- even the loose thread in the embroidered tree of his overall pockets is identical. It... it really is your Christmas Scarecrow, standing before you in human form. 

You nod to yourself, a peaceful wave of acceptance washing over you and- 

No wait, never mind. That wave is nausea- you’re blacking out.

++

When you come to, you’re arranged neatly on your couch with your scarecrow hovering over you. You almost want to faint again, but you hold strong. 

“You’re awake!” He cheers, waving a damp towel around. He’s been dipping it in a bowl of cool water and pressing it against your forehead and you flinch as his actions send icy drops over water scattering across your face. 

“And you used to be a scarecrow.” You grumble, sitting up. You squint and lean in closely, taking in every detail. Each mark on his skin, each strand of bright red hair, the smooth curve of his smile... it’s so human. Probably the most ethereal and beautiful human to walk the planet, but still human. One of his eyelids is a monolid and the other is a double lid and one of his front teeth is just slightly longer than the other and yet the effect is that he’s just so charming. Far too beautiful to be sitting in your tacky, poorly decorated apartment and far too beautiful to be spending most of his time as a cringe-y christmas-themed scarecrow that Jin probably fished out of the bottom of a clearance basket at a thrift shop and thought he could get away with re-selling. “You have maybe thirty seconds to explain before I call the police. Or an exorcist. Or both.”

He holds up his both his hands in surrender.

“Wait. Please.” He pleads. The desperate way he says the words makes you pause. Honestly, the sane thing to do would be to kick him out. Leave the weird, haunted scarecrow out on the street to fend for himself and go about your days as if this particular little supernatural incident never occurred. 

You sigh. 

“Just... please tell me what’s going on.” You finally say. “I won’t do anything drastic, but at least explain.”

Relied and gratefulness shines in his eyes and he clasps your hands gratefully between his own. Your attention is momentarily caught by the way his large hands dwarf your own. The bony prominences of his knuckles catch your attention- they shift and glide beneath his skin as his grip around your hand tightens. For some reason, the tiny action seems huge. You lift your gaze slowly to meet his eyes, which are round and warm. 

“My name is Taehyung.” He explains. “And I’m a Christmas Spirit.”

“Christmas Spirit?” You echo in bewilderment. Taehyung nods eagerly and sits forward. He pulls his legs together so that he can sit cross-legged and wraps his hands around his ankles. 

“Yup!” He says, and he’s surprisingly nonchalant despite the supernatural implications of his statement. “We’re beings that come about from the magic of the season. And our job is to spread Christmas cheer to whoever welcomes us into their home.”

As if that’s just a normal thing that someone can spring on you and not expect you to panic! Yet he announces it like he’s a five year old excited to explain the drawing he made of you in school that day. All you can really manage is to nod mutely for a moment. Despite the absurdity of his words, it certainly sounds like what you had done- taken a tacky, unwanted Christmas decoration and welcomed it into your home. 

“And that’s you, (Y/N).” He says warmly, and the way he says your name is so fond. Like you’re his oldest, most valued friend. It startles you- you don’t think you’ve ever had the syllables of your name pronounced with such care, like they are a precious gift. “You are the first human to ever welcome me into your home. All my friends eventually found people to take them, and I’m the last one to remain. I’ve never gotten to fulfil my duty, not even once.”

“Why not?” You croak out. Why was there a random little christmas ornament in Seokjin’s store that held this kind of power? Why did it end up with you? Who was this mysterious man in your house, gazing at you like you’re the best thing to ever happen to him?

“Well, it’s probably not hard to tell.” He admits, rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck and then adjusting the santa’s hat atop his head. “Not many people want a Christmas-themed Scarecrow for a decoration. At least not around here.” He sighs. But then he turns to you and his gaze is bright. It’s a little blinding, his mega-watt smile, and it’s certainly overwhelming to have the full force of it directed at you. “But you gave me a chance! You took me home!”

“So... you spread Christmas cheer for me? What does that even mean? What happens when you finish?” You say, leaning back just a little to give yourself room to breath. His scent fills your nostrils and it’s overwhelming. A pleasant mix of christmas scents- gingerbread, cinammon, peppermint. It sits thick in the back of your throat like the pleasant burn of a hot, sweet drink. 

He looks surprised at the line of questioning and a frown replaces the warm, glowing look he’d borne just moments earlier. 

“Well, I’m not sure. I suppose when I finish then you put me away for a year or you pass me on to someone else.” He admits. “This is my first time, so I’m still learning the ropes.” He’s a little sheepish as he admits it. But then his gaze lights up again and he pulls himself up onto the couch so that he can sit shoulder-to-shoulder with you. “But spreading Christmas cheer is just helping you enjoy the season! You haven’t had a great experience with Christmas, right? I can help!”

You stiffen as you recall earlier that day; you had essentially aired all your dirty laundry to what you’d thought was an inanimate object. Taehyung now knew more about you than even some of your closest friends did. You’d unintentionally opened up and made yourself vulnerable to some guy you hardly knew. The thought has you recoiling. You’re not against the idea of opening up- certainly when people ask the right questions, you’ll answer honestly. But people rarely ask and you’ve never volunteered. No one has has access to every dirty detail like Taehyung now does. 

And for some reason that thought has you terrified.

“I’m... I don’t mean to burst your bubble, Taehyung.” You volunteer quietly. Taehyung stiffens at the tone of your voice. “You seem like a nice enough guy. Or spirit. Or scarecrow. Whatever you are. And I hope that one day you’ll find someone you can give lots of Christmas cheer to. But I didn’t sign up for this. I don’t want any of it- the “Christmas cheer” or the festivities, or anything. I’m just...” you inhale deeply. “I’m just trying to make the most of what I have.” 

You get to your feet, your back facing him. 

“You can stay the night, but I’ll take you back to Jin in the morning. I’ll see if I can convince any of my friends to take you, if you like.”

A slight tug on the sleeve of your jumper stops you from leaving. You glance down at your wrist. Taehyung has just the tip of your sleeve, pinched between his fingers. It’s not enough pressure to stop you from leaving. The slightest tug would liberate you from his grasp and you’d be free to go back to your room. 

“No one else will.” He admits quietly. There’s a sort of heart-aching tone to his voice that makes that tiny grip feel like he’s handcuffed to you. “I waited for five years in that store. I’d sit in a box for eleven months of the year, and hope that this year would be the one someone chose me and every day of December that passed I’d watch people walk right past me. And before that, I was passed around from store to store. People would keep me in the store until they realised I’d never sell and then they’d palm me off to someone else. They didn’t even have the guts to get rid of me. And I’d watch as the objects around me got chosen. They got sent to good homes. But never me. I have waited twenty five christmases for someone to let me in. You’re the first.” He quietly admits. He hasn’t changed or adjusted his grip on your sleeve. Just that tenuous, fragile grip, that little bit of hope that can be snapped at any moment keeps you in place. “Please.” He breathes. 

You stare at his fingers, at the tacky cuffs of his sleeve, at his hopeful, pleading expression. 

You don’t have to do this. He’s asking you, but he won’t force you. You can say no and have the bleary, lonely Christmas you’d originally planned. You can keep pushing everyone away and forever allow Christmastime to be a holiday of heartbreak for you. 

Or you could let this random Christmas Scarecrow and his sparkly, bright eyes into your home.

“Ok.” You finally say. “My work hasn’t shut down yet so I’m gonna be super busy for the next few weeks. But in between you can give it a go.”

The answering smile he gives you in turn has your heart fluttering in anticipation. 

Maybe Christmas won’t be so bad this year.

++

Although you had had every intention of welcoming Taehyung into your home and applying yourself to the festivities as best you could, your workplace dials everything up to eleven over the next few days, just as predicted. Taehyung, to his credit, doesn’t whine or complain. He spends most of the day while you are at work in his scarecrow-form or binging netflix on your account and he spends his evenings stretched on the couch, or beaming at you over dinner. It’s kind of like having a loyal golden retriever to come home to, but maybe with better manners.

It’s actually kind of pleasant. You occasionally catch him humming Christmas tunes and he keeps leaving his Santa hat in strange places but otherwise he’s a rather nonintrusive roommate. He even makes you dinner on occasion and he’s not a terrible cook.

 It’s only as the weekend approaches and you’re contemplating how to spend it that it occurs to you that Taehyung hasn’t left the house once. It’s not like he can just wonder down the street in his scarecrow outfit- it’s not exactly designed to withstand subzero temperature. And you’ve been so slammed at work that it never occurred to you that you’d essentially let the poor guy stay with you and then left him to the equivalent of house arrest.

“Do you do much during the week?” You ask Taehyung across dinner that night. You had quickly learned that he does need to eat and shower and sleep like every human but he can stave it off by staying in his scarecrow form, and so dinner time had just become a shared meal most evenings. He had even waited in his scarecrow form for you to get back on the days you had finished late that week. He pauses through a mouthful of pasta and looks up, cheeks bulging. 

“Not much.” He confesses, after a noisy swallow. “I don’t really have anywhere to go.” He reminds you. 

Guilt churns in your stomach and sours your dinner. You had promised him you’d give him a chance, and yet here you were a week later, making him fend for himself in an unfamiliar and empty apartment with nothing to do but watch netflix and raid your pathetic excuse of a pantry.

“Right.” You sigh, thoroughly chastened. “I... forgot. I’m sorry- work just hit me really hard.”

“It’s fine.” Taehyung dismisses. “It’s my job to entertain you, not the other way round!”

You stir awkwardly at your food, still unable to dispel the guilt.

“Even so... we could go somewhere tomorrow, if you want? I have the weekend off.” You offer as nonchalantly as you can. “If you’re here for the rest of the month, you’ll need clothes. And proper bedding. We can pick that stuff up and then do some other things.” 

He positively beams at your offer and it’s jarring. You aren’t used to such joy at such simple things. It’s so easy to win a smile from him, but rather than make his smiles seem meaningless, it just seems to make them brighter. You’re not used to earning such easy affection for so little and it leaves you unsure what to do with yourself.

“Really?” He questions eagerly. “The whole day?”

You duck your head slightly to disguise your fluster. You’re not even sure why your heart seems to race at his smile. Perhaps because you’ve never seen such a beautiful person smile quite like that. 

“The whole day.” You reassure him. “I can make up for this week- I really didn’t mean to ignore you like this.”

Taehyung shakes his head. 

“Don’t be silly!” He scolds you. “You told me that work would be busy. It just means we have to make your weekend even more enjoyable to make up for a missed week.”

He gets abruptly to his feet, wiping pasta sauce from the corner of his mouth. 

“Oh, I have so much to plan! Can I borrow your laptop? I have to plan our day!” He asks. A little startled, you merely nod at him in bewilderment and he grins determinedly to himself. “Ok! My first day on the job. Here I go.”

He storms off and then performs a quick u-turn. 

“After I clean up my dishes.” He recalls sheepishly. 

The next morning you shuffle into your kitchen a bit bleary-eyed and still in your pyjamas. Taehyung never seems to be tired or grumpy no matter what time of day it is, and so it’s not surprise that he’s up and humming to himself as he cooks breakfast for the two of you. 

He hears you shuffle in the kitchen and glances over his shoulder to smile at you and it catches you off-guard for some reason. You’ve gotten used to him cooking meals, to his singing, even to just his general presence, but you can’t seem to get used to the way he seems to just smile so easily. Something about the way the wintery sun streams in through the windows and catches the tips of his hair and gilding the sharp edges of his handsome face is just ethereal. You can believe he’s not a human in that moment- he’s too gorgeous to be one.

“You’re up!” He cheers. You shake your head to try and rid yourself of your strange thoughts and shuffle forward to scrutinise the breakfast he’s preparing. 

“I’m making a Christmas classic.” He informs you when he notices you attempting to peer over his shoulders. “At least, according to her.” He gestures to your ipad on the counter, where he has one of those food blogs run by stay-at-home mums that write essays on their blogs instead of the actual recipes. This one seems to have a picture of tacky santas made from pancakes and whipped cream. 

Looking at Taehyung’s progress so far, it actually looks fairly similar to the picture, but that’s not saying that much considering the quality of the picture. 

“Isn’t that like cannabalism for you? Isn’t eating Santa basically eating your coworker?” You point out. Taehyung laughs, a full-bodied laugh that makes his eyes curl up into little crescent moons. 

“He’s actually my boss more than my coworker. But he loves Santa-themed decorations. He says it makes him feel jolly.” He tells you. 

There’s a lot to unpack there and so you choose to ignore it by occupying yourself with the cleanup. 

“So I was thinking that we can get some clothes for you today and maybe some other necessities if you’re going to be staying here all month.” You inform him. Taehyung nods distractedly, gently nudging one of the santa pancakes onto a plate. He reaches for a bowl of blueberries, arranging them into eyes and then spraying whipped cream in the shape of a beard. It kind of seems like he’s not very interested in your schedule for the day.

“Tadaa!” He exclaims, showing off his creation. He then reaches for a blueberry and pops it in his mouth. “They’re not bad for frozen fruits.” 

“Looks great.” You praise him. “But the plan for today-“

“(Y/N).” Taehyung cuts you off. He looks a little stern, but there’s still a warmth to his expression that softens the harsh edges. “I told you I’d plan today. It’s my job to make your Christmas season enjoyable. I’m not here for you to babysit- got it?”

Chastened and surprised, you nod meekly. He grins. 

“Good. Now open up.” He says, brandishing a blueberry menacingly between his fingertips at you. Your eyes widen.

“But Tae-“ you protest, and he’s shoved the blueberry into your mouth before you can finish your counterargument. This time, when he smiles, it’s a little smug.

“No “buts”.” He sighs. “Just sit down and enjoy breakfast and trust me. We can pick up some

clothes since the Christmas overalls are a bit weird, but after that, then I take over. Ok?” He demands, and you chew through the blueberry, a little disconcerted.

“Ok.” You finally agree reluctantly. 

Breakfast is a peaceful affair, with the two of you enjoying the pancakes. Cleaning up with Taehyung is almost domestic- there’s something pleasant about having him stand shoulder to shoulder with you, drying the dishes as you wash them. 

Outside is a frigid affair- it hasn’t quite hit the point where it’s snowing outside, but temperatures are definitely creeping lower and lower and Taehyung nearly glows blue in the short sprint to your car. You fix it by blasting the heater the second the two of you are safely secured in the vehicle. 

“So, if you’re planning the agenda for today, what are we doing after we grab you some clothes?” You ask conversationally. Taehyung pauses from where he’s flicking through your phone, scrutinising your spotify playlist like he’s studying it for an exam. He looks up, his eyebrows still furrowed in concentration. 

“Well, I called in a favour from an old friend and booked us a free Christmas bauble painting workshop.” He announces, looking pleased with him. You squint at him and grimace just a little. 

“I don’t know if you know this, Taehyung, but I am terrible at drawing. I’m so bad that in highschool all these kids signed a petition to ban me from it.” You say, completely serious. He stares at you, bewildered for a moment. 

“Surely it can’t be that bad?” He wonders aloud. You just shake your head grimly at him.

One shopping trip later, Taehyung discovers that it is, in fact, that bad. 

“What did Rudolph ever do to deserve this?” He questions in abject horror. You feel your cheeks heat as you curl your hands protectively over your glass bauble. 

“It’s not that bad!” You insist. And then you hesitate. “Is it?”

Taehyung pries your fingers back to expose your masterpiece- splotchy brown paint, sparkles, and a lovely dollop of red paint in the centre. 

“(Y/N).” He says seriously. “It looks like someone walks into Santa’s stable, massacred all the reindeer and then scattered glitter over the scene of the crime.”

You squint at your painting, and, depressingly enough, his description is more accurate than what it’s meant to be. It was meant to be Rudolph, smiling happily through the glass of the bauble. 

“Forget it.” You snap, setting the glass bauble down and moving to get up. “This is stupid, anyway- we still have to pick up a mattress protector for your bed.”

“Wait!” He laughs, grabbing at your sleeve before you can make a hasty retreat. A firm tug from his has you landing back in your seat, face to face with the awful paint spill you call a painting. “I’m sorry! Just relax, ok? This is supposed to be fun.”

“I’m not having fun.” You sniff. “I told you I wasn’t good at painting and now you’re laughing at me.”

Taehyung winces. 

“Well... it’s not totally unsalvageable.” He finally compromises. He picks up the bauble, examining it for a moment. And then he picks up the paintbrush, and with quick, precise strokes of his paintbrush, he morphs the brown splotch formally known as Rudolph into a sort of sleigh-shape, and the red-splotch is rounded into the curve of Santa’s belly. “There.” He says, satisfied. You blink in wonder at the new creation. It’s still a little ugly and a little streaky, but it definitely doesn’t look like someone went on a Christmas-killing spree. “How’s that? Now you just have to decorate the sleigh an add sparkles. Surely you can’t mess that up.”

“You underestimate me.” You deadpan at him, and to your surprise, he snorts with laughter. A couple of the other people painting baubles glare at you, and Taehyung merely offers them a merry grin. 

“There used to be an elf like you at Santa’s workshop. No matter what he did, he’s somehow always mess up painting the toys.” Taehyung recalls, shaking his head fondly. “The two of you would get along.”

It’s the second time he’s mentioned it, and this time you can’t keep your curiosity at bay. 

“So... does that mean you’ve met with Santa? The Northpole and all that is a thing?” You ask. Taehyung nods. 

“It sure is! It’s where all Christmas Spirits grow up. We get raised there and taught about the best ways to spread Christmas cheer and then we get sent out to spread the cheer.” He sighs warmly. “I was top of my class.”

You grimace as you picture it. Dozens of Christmas Scarecrows, sitting at tables, studying books on how to paint the perfect Christmas bauble. 

“And so you just... get kicked out after a certain age? They raise you and send you out to sit on a shelf for eleven months of the year and then follow silly Christmas traditions for the last one?” You question him, and for a moment you’re horrified by the loneliness of such an existence. “Wouldn’t you... just get sick of Christmas? Spending your life only ever being in Christmas mode?”

“I wouldn’t know.” Taeyung reminds you as he sprinkles glitter over his painting of a snowman. He doesn’t seem particularly bothered by the idea, but you feel like he’s slapped you. “This is my first official Christmas on the job, remember? I haven’t had a chance to get sick of it yet.”

That makes you go silent. 

Taehyung seems to pick up on the way the mood has shifted. He stops detailing the buttons of his snowman painting and glances at you. Your eyes are wide and slightly misty.

He’s never felt particularly sorry for himself. Sure, the many years he’s spent gathering dust on a shelf have been lonely. He missed his friends, and all he could ever dream of was getting to sit on a mantle as he watched a family enjoy Christmas. That would be the closest he’d ever get, and that’s been his dream for so long. 

But for some reason, with you looking at him like that, the ache that he’s sought so hard to push down resurfaces. It’s like a damn breaking; it’s soothing. To have someone look at him and actually be acknowledging how hard and lonely and painful what he went through was. 

“I’m ok now.” He reassures you, though his voice is a little hoarse. The sheen to his eyes is a little less brilliant, and your heart aches for him as you process the twenty-five year wait that Taehyung has endured. “After all, someone welcomed me into their home, right?”

You blink- that someone is you. You’ve welcomed Taehyung into your home. Christmas is perhaps even lonelier for Taehyung than it is for you, and yet all he seems to want to do is make it enjoyable for you. 

You duck your head, distracting yourself by stirring the tip of your paintbrush in the bright red paint. 

“I guess so.” You finally say. You offer him a tentative smile. “I guess I have a responsibility to make this your best Christmas ever, then.” You resolve. 

Taehyung is silent for such a prolonged moment that you’re forced to face him again to ensure he hasn’t died. When you do, what you find is him gaping at you like a Christmas tree just sprouted from between your eyebrows. 

“What?” You question, a little defensively. It’s hard to interpret the look on his face. 

He shakes himself, coming back to his senses. 

“Nothing.” He reassures you. “I just realised that you’re a bit rare to smile, is all.”

Something about the look in his eyes has you feeling flustered- your fingers tremble enough that you knock over the glitter and it spills across Taehyung’s newly bought trousers. You get up quickly, horrified, but he laughs it off. 

“I think we’ve done enough damage to these baubles.” He says with a warm smile. “We still have things to buy, right?”

The rest of the day passes in a blur. Taehyung drags you from store to store, excited by the smallest things. He stares at a Christmas-themed hot chocolate for so long that you end up having to buy it for him. The look of gratefulness in his eyes is unparalleled and almost makes up for the fact that you literally have to plead with him to buy actual clothes and not just ridiculous Christmas Sweaters. In the evening, you wonder the shopping district, appreciating the lights that line the main street in brilliant arrays. 

When you slump down on your couch beside Taehyung that night, showered and ready for bed, you’re exhausted to the bones. Oddly, it’s not the same kind of tiredness you feel after a long week at work or after you’ve had a long argument with your mother. Instead, it’s a satisfying fatigue- like you’ll drift off quickly and dream of christmas lights and children’s laughter. 

“How did I do for my first day?” Taehyung yawns from where he is sprawled on the couch in a similar position to you. 

“Good.” You say, turning your head to glance at him. The dim light of your living room softens the slope of his nose, and his dark eyes catch flashes of the light that makes it seem like his irises are tiny little galaxies. There’s something so inherently peaceful about the warmth of his presence beside yours .

“I’m glad.” He says, though his lashes flutter and you too find yourself fighting off the comforting waves of sleep. He shifts and turns his head so that his cheek rests against the couch and he gazes at you. “Hey (Y/N)?” He calls gently. 

Your eyes are closed by this state. 

“Hmm?” You hum, in acknowledgement of his statement. He’s quiet for a moment before he ask.

“Why did you want to spend Christmas alone?” He asks. You blink open your eyes and look back at him. His gaze is steady and unwavering. But it’s not scolding or judgemental- instead he just seems curious. 

“You told me about your parent’s divorce and all their fighting on Christmas... but I heard the way you spoke to your mother on the phone too. You want to spend Christmas with her, don’t you? You just... can’t?” He asks. “You said you didn’t want the Christmas cheer... but you still took me home and decorated for Christmas. You painted the baubles and drank the hot cocoa and did the Christmas shopping... why do you pretend to hate it all?”

If it were anyone else, you would probably stop the conversation there. You have no interest in delving into your long, complex family history only to be met with looks of confusion, or worse, pity. 

But somehow, in the short space of a mere week, Taehyung has become someone you feel safe opening up to. Perhaps it’s because he’s already heard your whole story already. Or maybe because of the way he genuinely just wants to see you smile despite there being no substantial gain for him other than job satisfaction. Or because he’s proven himself trustworthy in the little ways he’s slotted himself into your life, like sharing meals. Whatever the reason, you don’t clam up like you usually do. 

“I don’t pretend to hate it.” You tell him softly. “I just got sick of trying to love it.”

Taehyung is silent for a long period of time. For a moment, it’s just the two of you, exhausted and sleepy. The weight of your confession hangs in the air, and the moment is strangely intimate. 

Then he smiles. 

“Then I’ll keep trying for you.” He promises. 

The two of you don’t manage to stay awake for much longer. Eventually the long day catches up to you- you drift off first, with one of those rare but peaceful smiles on your face, and Taehyung follows suit soon after.

++

The week that follows is one of the worst you’ve had in a while. You’re putting in ridiculous amounts of overtime and everyone is a little on edge from sheer exhaustion and the mounting stress of deadlines. 

And in that time, Taehyung is honestly a lifesaver. It’s remarkable, being able to come home from another hellish day at work to find him with dinner ready and a crappy Christmas movie set up. You spend your evenings laughing and unwinding. It’s not like you don’t have friends who will come rushing if you tell them you’ve had a bad day, but there’s something special about the way Taehyung does it. With bright smiles and easy laughs and an infectious joy that seems to chase the fatigue that plagues you away. 

It’s towards the end of the week that you hit your limit. You’re not really the type to cry much. You’ve always been fiercely independent, and your upbringing meant that you were the kind of child to retire to your room and work things out for yourself when you felt the need to cry. It’s not like crying ever really achieved anything. Maybe the occasional sad scene in a movie would get you, but usually you’re the kind to feel sad internally.

But after this particular day, you’re close to tears. Your boss had yelled at you, one of the major projects you had been working on just hit a major snag, and you found out your favourite coworker was leaving. 

All you can thing about as you walk in the door is spending another peaceful evening with Taehyung. You’ve been thinking that maybe it’s time to expand his taste past cheesy Christmas movies and had even made a list of films he may like during his lunch break. You swing open the door to your home, eagerly rushing in and calling out to Taehyung so that he knows you’re home. 

And that’s when your phone goes off. 

It’s your father, probably the last person you want to talk to right now. 

Unlike your mother, who at least was trying to make up for the ways she’s screwed up in your upbringing, your father has never acknowledged his part in their divorce. It was always what your mother did wrong, how she let him down, how it was because she changed and wanted different things. He was the kind of man who always wanted a big family, and he had adored your mother at first. But her pregnancy with you had been difficult and you had, admittedly, been a sickly child. She’s never outright said the words, but you suspect postpartum depression might have played a part in her downward spiral. Either way, she had resolved to have no further children after you, something your father was heavily against. 

You suppose it can’t have been easy- your father had been in love and the two of them had agreed on the kind of future they wanted together- the kind filled with children, a quiet suburban life not far from either of their parents. And for your mother to change so suddenly and drastically would have been devastating and incomprehensible to your father. 

Still, you can’t help the resentment and hurt you feel towards him. Why did you have to get caught in the crossfire of his heartbreak? And then the icing on the cake was his remarriage. 

His wife is a lovely woman. Coming into the marriage with three children of her own, she had treated you with the same love and kindness she expected of your father towards her children. Her children, however, were not bound to such conduct, and made it their personal mission to make your life a living hell. Perhaps they felt insecure over the fact that your father was related to you by blood and they weren’t.

Either way, it put him in a difficult position- perhaps he felt he couldn’t tell them to back off without it coming across as favouritism. But he could have done something- spoken to his wife, or chosen you before the family he married into. But he didn’t. He ignored it and turned a blind eye and to this day he continues to pretend that things are normal. Especially after the birth of your half-sibling.

“Hi.” You say, as you answer the phone. Taehyung has stepped into the entryway with you, watching curiously as you answer the phone. 

“Hi sweetheart!” Your dad calls on the other side of the line. You wince at the unwelcome nickname.

“To... to what do I owe the pleasure?” You ask. You can hear a loud racket in the background. Its probably your half-sister. She’s always been on the louder side, even as a baby. 

“Nothing! I was just thinking it’s been a while since we last chatted. You haven’t been returning my calls.” You have no doubt the sadness in his voice is genuine, yet somehow it feels insincere. 

“I’ve just been really busy at work.” You lie, rather than admit you had seen the missed calls from him and not even bothered to listen to the messages he left. “I haven’t had a chance to call you back.”

“Right... right. No, that’s fine. I’m sure your very busy.” He rushes to reassure you. “I was just calling because your mother contacted me. She was hoping I could convince you to spend Christmas with us.”

You stiffen at the familiar topic. You had thought it had been a little too quiet on her end. Perhaps she had thought that if she couldn’t convince you to come home, maybe your father could. She’s always had this idea in her head that maybe you aren’t close to her because you prefer your father, and it’s not like she can handle having a long enough conversation with him to find out she’s wrong. It’s surprising she even managed to let him know your plans for Christmas. 

“It’s fine. Like I told mum, I’d really much rather spend it here this year. Besides, I thought you all were going away for Christmas this year? We already spent Christmas together last year.” You say, pointedly trying to remind him that Christmas isn’t even a yearly thing with him. He does the contractual every-second-year with you, and then plans fun events with his family on the years he isn’t stuck babysitting. 

“That’s true. But that’s why I’m calling! It took a bit of convincing, but there’s a spot on this trip with your name on it, if you want it.” He tells you. He almost sounds excited, like he’s really done something thoughtful and kind. Not just made some last-minute attempts to shoehorn you in. The invite hadn’t been there to start with, after all. It’s only as an afterthought that he’s made any attempt to add you in- a chance to pretend like things are good. Like the two of you aren’t on rocky terms the rest of the year. Like you’re close enough to go on holidays with your stepfamily. 

“I think I’m fine dad.” You finally say. Taehyung is watching the expressions play across your face with mild curiosity. He probably can’t hear your father’s voice on the other line, but he can see the anger on your face, and hear the wobble to your tone. “You have fun on your trip. I’ll make do here.”

There’s a beat of silence and you hear your father sigh. You grimace- that’s his pre-scolding sigh. The sigh he gives before any lecture he thinks you’ve earned. As if he has any parental claim to scolding you. 

“(Y/N),” your father begins. “It’s Christmas. Don’t be like this- you should be spending time with your family-“

“I did.” You cut him off, and you surprise yourself with the way tears fill your eyes. You squint, trying to keep them at bay. Taehyung watches with alarm as he registers the way you are on the verge of crying. “I spent every year. With you and mum. And then you and then mum and then you and then mum. I tried for so. damn. long. to do the family Christmas thing, but all it ever ended in was the two of you letting me down. Mum was too drunk or you were too busy. And yeah, maybe you guys were going through your own stuff. But don’t you dare try and tell me that Christmas is about family because if that’s what family is, I don’t want it. At least if I spend Christmas alone, neither of you can let me down.” You snarl into the phone line. 

Your father is silent after your outburst. Taehyung watches you, waiting for your response. 

And the tears finally spill forth, rolling down your cheeks. 

“Well, if that’s how you feel, then I won’t stop you.” Your father finally says. He sounds hurt, as if you’re the one who’s hurt him. “I guess we’ll see you in the new year. Your sister’s birthday is coming up and Rachel wants to have a big party since she’s ten this year.” 

“I’ll see you then.” You say, your throat raspy and your voice small. 

You’ve barely hung up the call before two strong arms have wrapped around your figure. You go stiff in Taehyung’s arms. This is probably the first time he’s hugged you, and it isn’t unpleasant. Instead, the scent of gingerbread and peppermint fills your nose and it’s strangely soothing. You shift and turn your head just slightly so that your face is buried into the soft cream of his jumper, one of the fresh purchases from the other day. 

“You can cry if you like.” He tells you, and you feel the words rumble from deep in his chest. “I won’t look.” He promises. “That was painful for me to hear, and it’s not even my dad- if you want to cry, then cry.” His voice cracks on the end of his sentence, and you abruptly realise that Taehyung is crying. He’s known you for just a short couple of weeks, and the only nice thing you’ve done for him is not drop a tacky Christmas Scarecrow back into a box of junk, and yet he’s crying just from hearing your half of a painful phone call. 

Perhaps it’s the permission you need. For all of the long, lonely years you were stuck in the middle of feuding exes, you never gave yourself permission to cry. Instead, you’d retire to your room, pressing a pillow to your ears to drown out the sounds of screaming. 

For a long time, you just stand there, sobbing into Taehyung’s arms. He runs his hands soothingly over the back of your hair, and eventually the steady rise and fall of his breathing lulls you into a sense of peace. 

Taehyung is quick to act from there- before long, you are forcefully seated on your couch with a mug of hot chocolate and a blanket wrapped around your shoulders. Taehyung crouches before you, swiping at the tear trails on your cheeks with his thumbs. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asks cautiously. You grimace and shake your head. 

“It’s just the same old stuff.” You reassure him. “Long day at work; daddy issues; the usual standard.”

Taehyung smiles and settles himself beside you on the couch, tugging the blanket from your hands so that he can curl under it. 

“Good thing your personal Christmas Spirit is here to save the season.” He whispers conspiratorially. He leans forward towards the coffee table and grabs your iPad, before pulling it into the safe cocoon of your blanket. “I’ve been researching all day! Tomorrow’s your day off, so it’s week 2 of spreading Christmas cheer.” He announces, unlocking the iPad and scrolling through the internet page he has open. 

You nearly choke on your hot chocolate. 

“Taehyung,” you rasp. Your oesophagus is probably blistering as you speak. “That’s a page for date ideas. This stuff is all for couples.”

“We are a couple.” Taehyung answers, confused. He points to himself and then to you. “A couple of people.” And then he grins at you and you realise he was teasing. 

You snort and can’t hold back your laugh. Taehyung’s smile softens and he leans into your personal space. 

“There it is.” He remarks. Wonder fills his tone. “That lovely smile.” He taps the tip of your nose fondly. 

The smile slips off your face at his words. Lovely? Your smile? He thinks your smile is lovely?

A weird, electric feeling fills you at the thought, and you lean away from him quickly before your stupid heart can get any funny ideas. He didn’t mean anything by that compliment. He’s a Christmas Spirit- it’s literally his job to make you smile. You won’t overthink it and ruin this strange but precious arrangement you have going on. 

Taehyung, to his credit, doesn’t look hurt or uncomfortable at the way you’d blatantly pulled away from him. Instead, his smile widens. 

“Good idea. You gotta rest up those smiling muscles for tomorrow or you’ll get a cramp.” He tells you. He then gets up and and stretches, letting out a tremendous yawn. He glances over his shoulder at you with a wink. “Prepare yourself for the best day ever.”

++

Said “best day ever” begins with you staring listlessly up at your ceiling. Taehyung had talked big the night before, promising you a day of fun and enjoyment. 

But you just can’t picture it. You’ve spoken to coworkers and friends before, about the excitement of Christmas. How they see lights or hear carols or even smelling gingerbread triggers this warm, nostalgic and joyful feeling deep in their hearts. But you’ve always felt nothing. Christmas has always been just another day, to you. 

With a sigh, you roll out of bed. 

Out in your living room, Taehyung is fidgeting with your smart tv, trying to get it to play what looks like Mariah Carey’s rendition of “All I want for Christmas is you”. He’s mumbling to himself, and his santa’s hat droops lower and lower on his head. The little white pompom at the end brushes his nose, and the bright red strands of hair that peak out from beneath the cap stick out in every direction. 

Apart from the santa’s hat, he’s dressed remarkably stylishly. That had been a big surprise on your little outing the week before- his impeccable fashion taste. Today he’s wearing a soft, fuzzy red cardigan over a large white t-shirt and tan trousers. 

“The volume’s off.” You inform him. He starts, glancing at you in surprise, before confirming that he has accidentally managed to turn the volume all the way down. “You operate technology like a grandpa.”

Taehyung grins as you take the remote from him, adjusting the volume and selecting the song so that the familiar opening begins to chime through your speakers. 

“You say that like I didn’t catch you yelling at your printer two nights ago.” He chuckles. “Are you ready for our ultimate Christmas adventure?”

He must catch the way your guard goes up, because his smile softens from something amused into something more gentle and comforting.

“Nervous?” He asks. You hesitate, just a moment, before offering a terse nod. 

“Sorry.” You finally settle on. “I just... I’ve tried the “christmas cheer” thing. And it didn’t work Tae. I just feel like... Christmas is just another day.”

“That’s because it is just another day.” He reminds you. “But if you give it a chance, it can be more.”

 You bite your lip hesitantly, and he shakes his head. 

“What if you didn’t think about it like Christmas?” He asks. “How about, today is a day for me to cheer you up after a long week. We’re gonna do fun things and enjoy ourself because we want to. Does that sound doable?”

It does. It’s strangely reassuring and low pressure, and something about his words and the patient, warm light to his eyes puts you at ease. You don’t know why you feel so much pressure about enjoying Christmas but maybe it’s because you don’t want to let Taehyung down. He has so much riding on this Christmas and you don’t want to be the person who ruins Christmas for him. Who makes its a tedious, miserable event like your parents did for you. 

And maybe a small part of you wants to enjoy the season for you. To claim back the years lost to misery and fighting and to share in the merriment that everyone else holds.

“Ok.” You finally agree. “Lead the way.”

Taehyung beams in response. 

First on the agenda seems to be in the park in the centre of your city. Not every year in this place has a white Christmas- some Christmases are just cold and muddy, with a thin layer of ice over dirty pavements. This particular Christmas has been quite frosty, and quite early on- the first snowfall had been earlier that week and now a thick layer of snow coats the ground and clings to thick winter coats. 

“Tadaa!” Taehyung proclaims, waving a hand out towards your first activity of the day. An open carriage, decked out in sleigh bells, and two gorgeous white horses, standing tall and sleek in their crystalline surroundings. 

You creep closer, and their handler spots you. He’s a cheerful man in a formal suit, offset by the bright red santa hat atop his head. He matches Taehyung, who seems reluctant to part with his beloved accessory no matter the time of day.

“You must be (Y/N),” the old man cheers, crowding closer. His horses snort and stamp their feet at his excitement, but he pays them no mind, instead skittering forward to greet you. “Taehyung has told me all about you! Come, get yourself seated and we’ll begin the tour.”

You glance at Taehyung, who merely shoos you encouragingly towards the carriage. 

“How did you afford this?” You hiss at him. He shrugs and smiles. 

“Christmas spirits have connections.” He whispers, before placing a hand on either side of your waist. You smother a yelp as you feel him practically lift you up the first step, and it doesn’t take you much encouragement to scramble onto your seat from there. It’s a vain attempt to distract yourself from the feeling of his large hands encircling your waist. 

“All seated?” Your guide questions. Taehyung nods as he scoots in close to you and that’s really all the warning you get before the carriage lurches forward. 

You steady yourself with a yelp, and an arm around you from Taehyung keeps you upright. You glance at him in surprise and are momentarily caught off-guard by his profile. A thin, delicate smattering of snowflakes has been caught on the breeze and they catch on his hair and lashes. The tip of his nose has gone endearingly red in the cold. 

He turns his gaze when he feels your stare and he grins. 

“Enjoying the sights?” He wonders innocently. You grimace and look away. He merely laughs. “Let me explain to you the logic behind our first activity of the day. First of all, it came as a package with the activity my friend got me for free. Secondly, I thought that it might help you see how little perspective can make the things you see every day so much more special.” He finishes his explanation by pointing an arm across you to gesture at the scenery of the park. He’s right; you’ve seen this scenery hundreds of times, across all seasons, but there’s something special about it in the moment. The warmth of families, covered in thick, puffy jackets, the flutter of chilly snowflakes against your skin, the sheen of frost over the pond on the far end of the park. It’s all familiar and yet in that moment, surrounded by the glimmering sound of sleigh-bells and the stead thud of horse shoes against the pavement, the park you’ve known since moving to this city is different, magical. 

The carriage pulls to a stop beside a crowded pavillion. On the other side, you can glimpse people taking advantage of the outdoor figure skating rink thats set up in the park over winter. 

“Is this our second stop?” You ask Taehyung, as he helps you alight from the carriage. Oddly, though he grasps your hand as he helps you down, he doesn’t release it once you’re on solid ground. Instead, he keeps his fingers wrapped around yours as he waves farewell to the carriage driver. 

“You guessed it!” He congratulates you. “Stop number two; appreciating the fun of winter! Nothing screams winter wonderland like a figure skating rink.”

“Can you skate?” You ask him as he leads you to the skate rental counter. 

“No?” He asks. “But how hard can it be, right? It looked really easy on all the videos I watched in preparation.”

A short while later, you get to bear witness to Taehyung learning just how hard figure skating can be. 

“It’s just like walking.” You attempt to soothe him, all the while wincing at the vice-like grip he has on your hands. “Just keep standing upright.”

“Have I always been this tall?” Taehyung breathes. He’s gone deathly pale, and you don’t think the cold is the reason behind it. “Why is the ground so far away?”

“You can do it.” You urge, still allowing him to cling onto your forearms like he’s about to plummet off a cliff edge and you are the only thing keeping him from certain death. “Come on, Tae.” 

He shoots up straight, eyes widening at the sudden nickname. Unfortunately, it’s the wrong move, because he topples forward, and the only thing keeping him from lying face-down on the ice is you. You’re toppling backwards before you can stop yourself. 

Taehyung yelps and you brace yourself for your head to impact against the hard ice, but it never comes. Instead your head lands in the firm cushion of Taehyung’s palm. Somehow, in the chaos of slipping, he’s landed on top of you but managed to stop you from banging your head. 

You blink open your eyes and for a moment, your senses are overwhelmed with the scent of peppermint and the warm brown of his eyes. He looks just as startled as you are. You feel your face heat and his breath puffs warm against your cheeks, contrasting the chill of the air.

“Maybe figure skating isn’t for me.” He volunteers sheepishly. 

You can’t help but offer a crooked smile. He’s so silly but it’s strangely endearing. He looks surprised at your smile, and it seems that’s the moment he abruptly realises the position you’re in. Quickly, he scrambles off you and helps you into a sitting position. 

“Sorry.” He says glumly. “I thought it would be fun, but clearly I overestimated myself.”

You get to your feet and offer a hand to help him get up. He looks nervously at your outstretched hand. 

“It is fun.” You reassure him. “And it can still be fun. Just hold on to me, and trust me ok?”

Something in his gaze softens and he accepts your outstretched hand. It takes a bit, but with an arm around his chest, you manage to stabilise him between yourself and the wall of the ice-skating rink. 

He peeks up at you through his bright red fringe. His santa’s hat sits lopsided on his head. The smile he gives you this time is different from all the other ones. It’s not as ecstatic or joy-filled. This one is more reserved, almost shy; you feel a bit like you’ve been punched in the chest for some reason when you see it. 

You stretch out your hands again, your hands flat and palms extended skywards, and he place one hand into each of your palms. Even through your thick gloves, your skin feels oddly warm when he holds you. 

Gently, you take slow, gliding steps backwards, while he follows with much smaller, much more jilted steps. 

“It’s just like walking, but smoother.” You explain, and the words are forced through a tight throat. Perhaps the cold is getting to you- that’s the only explanation you can think of for why you suddenly feel so short of breath. 

Taehyung nods, focussing hard on the ice. He gives a big exhale that releases in a huge, cloudy breath, and presses one foot forward. And then the other. It’s not long before he’s gliding along before you. 

“That’s it!” You cheer. “I’m going to let go of one hand now, ok? I can’t keep skating backwards or I’ll crash into someone.”

Taehyung looks a bit fearful, but then he nods with determination lighting his eyes. Slowly, you release one hand and spin so that you’re standing shoulder to shoulder with him. He still maintains a death grip on the hand that’s still grasping his, but he manages to stay upright and not go tipping forward. 

“Ok, here we go.” You say, and you take one step forward, followed by a second, and then a third and before you know it, you and Taehyung are drifting across the ice, albeit slowly and with lots of breaks to allow Taehyung to steady himself on the wall. 

It’s actually quite fun, and relaxing, gliding across the ice like this. Music crackles through the speakers, and the people around you are all enjoying themselves. Surrounded by the bright flurry of December snow, it’s easy to smile and let loose and enjoy the season. 

Eventually, the cold does manage to catch up with you, but Taehyung’s quick to press on to the next scheduled activity before you can feel too sad that the ice skating is over. 

He crowds you off the ice, eagerly urging you forward with a hand planted on either shoulder.

“Hurry! We’re going to be late!!” He informs you. You deliberately slow down at that and he gets so huffy and impatient at your silliness that you find yourself laughing. 

After warming yourselves up with a hot chocolate and some lunch in the warmth of a well-heated cafe, it’s starting to get a bit dark by the time Taehyung leads you to your final activity. He refuses to say what it is- instead he leads you in an increasingly convoluted route on public transport. He gets more and more amused the more unfamiliar with your destination you become, and by the time you step off the bus on the snowy outskirts of the city, you’re starting to think the whole Christmas Spirit thing was an act designed to murder you in a forest somewhere.

Particularly when he claps a hand over each eye, obscuring your vision. 

“Taehyung,” you sigh. “If this is how you’re going to murder me, can’t you at least let me see the knife coming?”

“I’m not going to murder you.” He scoffs, though with gentle pressure, he leads you forward, his chest pressed protectively to your back. “I just want to surprise you.”

“I’m very easily surprised.” You remind him. “I don’t need to be blind in a forest to be surprised. Just give me a box of chocolates after a long day of work or something.”

“Hush.” He shushes you. “Just walk, and trust me.”

You take a deep, inhaling breath and your lungs fill with what has become the calming, warm scent of peppermint and cinnamon. It’s Taehyung, you remind yourself. He’s had plenty of opportunity to hurt you or scam you or even kill you but instead all he’s done is wait eagerly for you to return home and watch tacky Christmas movies with you. 

“Ok.” He says, against your ear, and you shiver at the heat of his mouth tickling the cold tips of your ears. “Are you ready?”

Words fail you for some mysterious reason, so you settle for nodding mutely. 

Taehyung drops his hands from your eyes and it takes you a few blinks to adjust to the sudden onslaught of light. 

What lies before you is a long, brightly lit pathway. Market stalls line the paths, with vendors brandishing their wares. Fairly lights string across the stalls, in various tones ranging from warm-toned white lights to festive blues, greens, reds. Overhead, brilliant archways decorated with marvellous, intricate arrays of Christmas lights mark the path.

“What... what is this, Tae?” You breathe. Your chest hurts a little and this time you’re willing to admit that it has nothing to do with the cold. 

“This is the Annual Christmas Markets.” He announces proudly. “Brought to you by your local council and sponsored by Subway (sandwiches not included).”

You take hesitant, wondering steps forward. You don’t really have any words for the strange, ballooning feeling in your chest. Like your heart is so full it’s about to burst. You feel on the verge of tears yet at the same time you feel free and light and happy. 

“It’s so... pretty.” You say. Taehyung beams and steps in close so that he’s shoulder to shoulder with you. 

“Pretty magical, huh?” He asks you. “I found it on google! Did you know the city throws this event every year?”  

You shake your head wonderingly. 

“I had no idea.” You admit. He tilts his head towards the festivities.

“Then let’s explore!” He cries, tugging you forward with a hand wrapped around yours.

There’s lots to do around the markets. There’s christmas light sculptures scattered around, like a scavenger hunt of sorts. Taehyung’s favourite is the one of a santa formed from wires twisted together, skiing across the snow on a sleigh, two reindeers are standing tall. Your favourite is probably a tunnel of lights, tightly woven together to create an archway as people weave through it- you like the way it turns Taehyung’s bright red hair into brilliant licks of flames, and how his eyes look like they hold the entire night sky within their depths. 

There’s a mulled wine stall, although Taehyung pulls a face at the taste and you have to buy him a hot chocolate to get him to forgive you. 

“I just don’t understand how anyone can dislike Christmas carols!” Taehyung protests across his hot chocolate as the night progresses. You’re nearing the edge of the market stalls, which open up onto a big open space, paved with asphalt and with the snow scraped off it where various families and groups of people are starting to gather. Most of them are in parked vehicles, all facing towards a central stage that hasn’t been lit up yet. 

“If you talk to anyone who works in retail, they just get repetitive after a while.” You explain. “I mean, “Last Christmas” is a good song in theory, but not after the six repeats that played before your lunch break.” 

Taehyung “tsk”’s and shakes his head. 

“I think you just have the wrong associations with the songs.” He sighs. “If you associate it with work and bad things, of course you won’t like it! You have to make positive memories and think of those when you hear the songs.”

The stage lights up ahead of you and a small band starts to take the stage. You gaze at the performers as they prepare.

“Any suggestions?” You ask softly. You surprise yourself, and when you look at Taehyung, he looks a little stunned to. “To make positive memories. What should I think of instead, when I hear those songs?”

He searches your gaze for a moment, and then the corner of his mouth quirks in a little half smile. 

“Follow me.” He urges, leading you across the asphalt towards the stage. You have to duck between parked cars where people have makeshift little dens to enjoy the show from. He brings you to a stop where there’s a bit of a space just before the stage. A few couples have already taken advantage of what is essentially a dance floor. He spins around and pulls you in close. You stumble a little, not expecting the movement, but it seems he was expecting that. He steadies you with a hand against your waist and tugs one of your free arms up to rest on his shoulder. “When you hear this song... you can think about today.” He tells you with a smile. “And about all the fun we had!”

He begins to sway you back and forth in a slow turn. You wonder why his weird Christmas Spirit school taught him how to slow dance. Up on the stage, the singer begins to croon the opening notes of “have yourself a merry little christmas”. You tell yourself its the cold that urges you to shuffle in closer to Taehyung as he sways you from side to side. He’s so warm, and solid. Unbidden, your heart starts to beat a little faster, and when you raise your eyes to meet his, something about the warmth in those dazzling depths has you feeling light-headed. 

“What do you think about when you hear them?” You ask him, changing the subject in an attempt to overcome the strange, overwhelming emotion you suddenly feel weighted with. He spins you out in a twirl, before tugging you back in. 

“Hmm...” he contemplates. “I think about hot chocolates, and snowball fights, and the smell of Christmas trees. And Christmas lights and Christmas bells.” He lists, his gaze hazy as he thinks through his list. It’s a bit of a scary thought, but you could honestly stay here forever, watching Taehyung list the things he loves, being swayed gently in his arms. And then he glances down at you and there’s something so warm and fond in his expression that you feel your face heat. “And I think about your smile.”

A funny thing happens in that moment, after his confession. Your heart goes on strike for a moment- even she seems shocked at the sudden turn of events. And then suddenly the air is electric, and all your senses are just filled with Taehyung. His smell, his eyes, his hair, his warmth... his lips.

It’s a sudden revelation, like being struck by lightening. The look in his eyes seems to thread into your veins, leaving burning trails in its wake. His scent washes into the very bottom of your lungs. You like him. In a very short amount of time, he’s wiggled past all your defences and now here you are, standing in his arms, and you realise you want to stay there. You want to keep seeing his smile and keep spending time with him and you don’t want this Christmas to end. 

The songs draws to a close and you step away from his embrace. He seems to sense your sudden change in mood. 

“Is everything ok?” He asks you and you nod, smiling in a way you hope is reassuring. 

“Yeah. I just noticed how cold it’s getting, is all. Shall we head back home?” You ask. Taehyung blinks and glances around as if he’s just now realising how cold it is. He shivers and steps in close to you. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” He admits. “Let’s head home.” He wraps his arms around you, rubbing his hands up and down your biceps to try and warm you up. “Did you have fun, though?” He asks eagerly. 

“Yeah.” You say, and this time the smile isn’t forced. “Yeah, I did.”

++

A week later, you’re stressed and bustling around the kitchen like a madwoman. 

“Is it golden brown yet or is it just the oven light?” Taehyung wonders, attempting to peer into your oven without opening the door. “Are you sure we shouldn’t just check now?”

Your realisation of your feelings hadn’t changed too much around the apartment. As work for the year finally drew to a close this week, you hadn’t really had a chance to overthink it, and then you’d been busy planning a pre-Christmas dinner upon learning that Taehyung has always wanted to try a family Christmas dinner. You’d insisted upon throwing one despite his protests that he was the Christmas Spirit, not you. Finally, he had relented, and you were keen to return all the memories he had given you tenfold. 

Only a couple of your friends had still been without plans, this late into December. Jin always manages to make time where food is involved, and Dahyun had had to cancel flights back home for the year. She’s also dragging along an old friend of hers, Jungkook, and then Nayeon had invited Namjoon and Jihyo. They’re all good friends of yours, but there’s something about organising a home-cooked Christmas meal that is just inherently stressful.

“The recipe says another ten minutes.” You remind Taehyung in between your attempts to both whip the cream for dessert and finish placing all the appetisers into sufficiently aesthetic containers. 

Taehyung frowns, and straightens. He watches you dance around in a frazzled manner for a few minutes, before catching you by the shoulders. 

“Hey.” He scolds. “I know I said I wanted a Christmas dinner, but not at the expense of your sanity. I don’t appreciate you undoing all my hard work of making you enjoy Christmas.”

You stiffen at the warmth of his palms against your shoulders before taking a deep breath. 

“You’re right.” You finally say. “I’m sorry. I just... I want you to have a good time. I’ve had so much fun these past few weeks and I want you to feel what I feel. I never thought I could ever look forward to something like Christmas, and yet here I am, throwing an entire Christmas dinner.”

“Seeing you enjoy Christmas and smiling like this makes me feel happier than you can imagine, (Y/N),” Taehyung reassures you. “This dinner is just a bonus. I’m grateful for it, but what would make me feel the best is if you’re having a good time.”

There he goes again. He’s remarkably smooth for a strange mystical being that was raised in the North Pole. He’s just so good at making your stomach feel like it’s filled with butterflies and making your heart forget to beat. With a deep, resigned sigh, you nod to him. 

“Ok. I’ll chill out.” You promise, before returning to your preparations in a far more mellow manner. 

Guests start trickling in. Jin just barely manages to avoid a throttling when you see him, after his stunt where he didn’t show up when there was an intruder in your home. It all worked out fine, but it’s always offensive to learn that your friend would leave you to die because he had “an oven emergency”. Jungkook and Dahyun come in bickering over the intricacies over some meme they’d seen, and Jihyo drags in far too much alcohol for the night. 

The night settles into a comfortable sort of atmosphere- people scatter across the living space of your apartment, catching up and just generally enjoying the vibe. Taehyung gets a few probing questions into the nature of your relationship and Jin seems to develop some sort of facial tic with all the eyebrow wagging he’s doing, but otherwise things go smoothly.

At least until it becomes apparent that Jin had taken the liberty of doing some decorating of his own while you were setting up for dinner. 

Namjoon and Jihyo are the first of the victims to the numerous mistletoes Jin has concealed around your home. Luckily, they are dating and so it’s just a quick peck between them to the sounds of laughter and hooting. 

At least until the other attendees realise that if Jin has hidden multiple mistletoes around your home, at any moment they could fall victim to a dreaded mistletoe kiss, with a completely undesired partner. 

From there, things devolve into a terrified, suspicious sort of scavenger hunt. Jin thinks it’s hilarious, watching you all scour the place like sniffer dogs, comfortably reclined on the couch as he shouts out hints that could be true or could be total lies. It’s always hard to tell with him. 

Of course Taehyung, poor, sweet naive Taehyung, had missed the dramatic revelation of Jin’s prank. He had been in the kitchen, dutifully monitoring dessert as it slowly cooked in the oven, and he had only stepped out to check with you when you thought it would be done. 

You feel him tap your shoulder in the middle of combing through your mantle, making sure Jin hadn’t hidden anything amidst the photo frames and decorations that sat there. You jump, surprised, and turn to face him. 

Only for Jin’s screeching laughter to reach you. 

“Victims number 2!” He calls triumphantly. Taehyung looks confused, and you grimace as you finally spot the offending object. A small bit of mistletoe twisted in amongst the tinsel lining your ceiling. You’re not even sure how the madman actually got it there without anyone noticing. 

“Mistletoe!” Dahyun chants, from where she’d been pressed into a corner and snarling at anyone who dared walk close enough to her lest she too fall victim to the mistletoe. “Mistletoe. Mistletoe. Mistletoe.” Slowly everyone joins the chant until your apartment sounds a bit like a cult. 

“Let’s not be hasty!” You plead. “Think about it. If you let me off, then we can all ignore this silly tradition.”

Taehyung, interestingly, has gone very still upon realising the two of you stand beneath a mistletoe. 

“(Y/N).” he calls, audible only to you beneath the chanting. “We can’t leave. It’s a mistletoe- I have to.”

You squint at him. 

“What do you mean? It’s just a silly tradition, why would you have to-“ you begin, before trailing away as it occurs to your that Taehyung is actually not a human. This isn’t two friends caught beneath a mistletoe and talking their way out of a silly tradition. Taehyung is a Christmas Spirit and thus bound to different rules to you. “Oh.” You breathe. “So I have to... do that?”

With a deep blush that nearly rivals the brilliant red of his hair, Taehyung nods. You wince and let your gaze drop. His mouth is a soft pink- one of the first things you’d bought on that first shopping trip had been lip balm after he’d seen you applying your own. He applies it meticulously and his lips are always faintly glossy and soft looking. This close you can count the tiny moles that sit against his skin like little stars, and you feel a little bit like your heart is in danger when you finally draw your gaze back up to meet his. 

His expression is a little hard to interpret, but you don’t let yourself overthink it. You slide your palms up around the back of his neck and tug his mouth down to press against yours. 

Taehyung makes a little surprised noise when you do, and it makes you blush. The smell of peppermint and cinammon is strong but captivating, and you wish you could stay there. You wish you could keep kissing him, but you know it’s wrong.

With a sigh, you pull back. Taehyung’s eyes are round and mystified and the blush sits high on his cheeks. His tongue darts out to swipe his lips and he clears his throat awkwardly. 

“I...” his gaze flickers down and then he averts his gaze quickly. Around you, your friends let out a few wolf whistles before returning to the panicked search for any other offending items. Taehyung’s breathing seems a little faster and you can’t say you’re in much better state. “I just came out to ask you about the dessert.” He finally manages, though his voice comes out a little raspy. You nod, hoping he doesn’t think much of the way you mirror his fierce blush. 

“Right...” you say awkwardly. “I’ll just... go and check on it.”

You dart around him, heading straight for the kitchen. 

When you are there, you take advantage of the lack of other party guests and bury your face in your hands. It was just a mistletoe kiss, it didn’t mean anything and yet your traitorous heart is rioting in your chest, threatening to go on strike. Your mind can’t help replaying the moment- his lips on yours, his familiar, striking scent, the scratch of his ugly Christmas jumper beneath your fingers. The size of this stupid crush is embarrassingly enormous. 

It takes a few moments, but you manage to regain your composure enough to discover that the dessert is very slightly undercooked, which you know Jin will bitch and moan about, but everyone else won’t mind. It’s nothing copious amounts of ice cream or custard won’t cover up. 

When you step out into your living room, it seems the panic over the mistletoes has settled. Jungkook had smothered Jin until he caved and gave up all the locations and now your living room has devolved into a ridiculous Christmas dance party- Jin and Dahyun belt out the lyrics to Last Christmas with absurd amounts of drama and gravitas, and Jihyo and Namjoon are curled up on the couch, murmuring to each other softly. Jungkook has gotten ahold of Taehyung and is currently trying to teach him ridiculous tiktok dances, and all-in-all it’s kind of a dream vibe for a Christmas party. No pain, or fighting, or tears. Just warmth and laughter, and a shared camraderie of the season. 

You find yourself smiling as you finally admit to yourself that maybe Taehyung was right. 

Christmas isn’t so bad after all. 

++

After everyone goes home, you and Taehyung are left to the cleanup. 

It’s a bit awkward, standing shoulder to shoulder after the kiss. His movements are slow and hesitant, like if you move too quickly he’ll get frightened and bolt. But gradually you settle into a kind of rhythm, tidying things up together and you can’t resist asking him about the party. It had been for his sake, after all.

“Did you have fun?” You ask. Taehyung jumps from where he’d been gently working the sponge into a lather and a clang rings through the kitchen. The silence seems more pressing after the loudness of your party. 

“Um... it was good.” He says, though his voice is a little high and squeaky. “I had a lot of fun- your friends seem nice.”

“It’s not really a family dinner.” You admit sheepishly. He pauses and offers you a smile, and the pleasant expression on his face seems to thaw through the lingering ice in the room. 

“No, don’t be silly.” He tells you. “It was everything I could have hoped for. Except for Jin’s interpretative dance to Santa baby. I feel like I could have gone without that.”

You laugh and shake your head, stepping in close to pluck plates off the drying rack and drying them off. 

“This was nothing. Wait till lizzo comes on and then you’ll see peak Seokjin.” You sigh. But then your expression changes and you offer Taehyung a smile. His eyes drop for just a fraction of a second, so quick you think you’ve imagined it, before raising quickly back to your eyes. “I’m glad you had a good time.”

He nods, and hums, still making his way through the pile of dirty dishes. 

“What about you?” He asks. “Did you enjoy yourself?”

You pause to think about it. The laughter of your friends, the silly Christmas carols, the snap of Christmas bonbons.... you did. You really, truly enjoyed yourself in a way you didn’t think you could and it’s thanks to the man before you. The man who patiently waited for you to come home each evening to eat dinner with you, and who dragged you across the city to places he thought you’d enjoy... he’s truly a magical person. 

“I really did. It’s gotten me so excited for the rest of the year, to be honest. Are there any other Christmas traditions we can do? Christmas is almost here, but what about New Year’s? We could do something fun then too.” You suggest. Suddenly the season seems so bright and exciting, and the fact that there’s a whole week and a half left to December leaves you unbelievably excited. 

Taehyung pauses from where he scrapes at a stubborn crumb on your baking tray. 

“What?” He asks, and his voice goes strangely soft, and tentative. You blink- something about his tone makes you uneasy. 

“For after Christmas.” You clarify. “You’ve already got Christmas planned out for us, right? So I can plan something for New Year’s. Return the favour.”

By now, Taehyung has completely stopped cleaning. He doesn’t look at you, and stares straight ahead. 

“There... there isn’t an “after Christmas”, (Y/N).” He confesses. Your heart drops into your stomach. He turns to face you, and for once, his eyes aren’t bright, and filled with joy. They’re dark and miserable. 

“What?” You breathe, trying to speak past the sudden shattering sensation in your chest. “Why... why not?”

“I’m a Christmas Spirit.” He reminds you. “I bring Christmas Cheer and then I go back in a box for the rest of the year.”

You blink- you feel like you aren’t hearing him right, or just not comprehending things. 

“Why? I can just not put you away. Why can’t there be an “after Christmas”?” You urge. You step in close, fighting past the sudden panic in your chest. “How could I just put you back in a box for the rest of the year? That’s crazy! Just, don’t go in the box.”

“It’s not that simple.” He protests. “There are rules, (Y/N). I can’t just ignore them. My job is to make you happy during Christmas and then that’s it. That’s what I was born and raised to do. That’s what I spent 25 years waiting for.”

Your eyes widen.

“But surely there’s another way? Surely you don’t want to be in the box.” You cry. You step in close and grab his hand, pulling it towards you pleadingly. 

“It doesn’t matter what I want.” He says, and there’s a resigned note of finality to his tone. “After Christmas, that’s it. I lose the strength to turn into a human. You can keep my out of the box, but it doesn’t make a difference. It ends on Christmas night.”

That makes you fall silent as you finally learn the full truth. You’d been so busy having fun that you hadn’t thought about what comes next. You’d stupidly let yourself believe that you could just keep having fun with Taehyung. You hadn’t thought about the logistics or the long term of it. You feel like you’ve been slapped. 

Christmas has an end date. 

Taehyung spots the tears forming in the corners of your eyes before you do, and his expression softens at the sight. 

“It’s not fair.” You rasp. Somehow, he manages to pull a smile from somewhere, though it’s tinged with a deep sadness that makes more tears spill forth. He steps in close and pulls your face into his chest. 

“I know.” He soothes. “It is. It’s unfair. I want to... I want to stay. But I can’t.” 

You can’t keep your composure after that, and the sobs come in in full force. 

“I wanted to keep having fun with you.” You bawl, and he just shushes you with a tighter hug. 

“I did too.” He confesses. “But it just means we have to have even more fun until Christmas. Can you do that for me, (Y/N)?” He breaks the hug so that he can gaze into your eyes, smoothing the tears from your cheeks. “Please.” He begs. And you see the way his own eyes are red and moist. 

You want to tell him you absolutely cannot. That if he’s going to make Christmas fun and then leave you at the end, he can leave right now. Before you fall even harder. Before it’s too hard to say goodbye. 

But you’re a fool. A masochistic, lovestruck, weak fool. You can’t look into his eyes and tell him no. Not when you know what this means to him; you can’t take away his first Christmas for selfish reason. 

“Ok.” You finally rasp. “I’ll do it.”

You’re walking off a cliff face with your eyes wide open.

For once Taehyung’s smile isn’t enough to comfort you.

++

Christmas day dawns cold and subdued. The days following dinner had been warm, but quiet. Reserved. Like you both knew a goodbye was coming and didn’t want to acknowledge it. You spend one night curled up in your car at an outdoor theatre, laughing along to some silly Christmas comedy, and another day is spent going bobsledding. You both go through the motions of merriment, but it’s clear that neither of your hearts are in it. It’s hard to be enthusiastic and merry when each precious moment that passes is one step closer to when he turns back into a scarecrow. 

When you step out in the kitchen, Taehyung is making breakfast already. He sees you and smiles. 

“Good morning.” He calls. “Merry Christmas.”

It triggers a pang in your chest as his words confirm that this is truly your last day with him. 

“Merry Christmas.” You yawn, attempting to conceal the way your heart aches by settling into a chair at your table. 

Taehyung scurries over, a plate in each hand. 

“Breakfast is ready.” He declares. He’s gotten quite creative in his cooking- he can now manage a fairly decent semi-scrambled omelette and his bacon is surprisingly crispy. You’re eager to see what he has prepared for Christmas Day.

When he sets it down in front of you, however, you glimpse the Santa pancakes he made that first day. Your face falls. Two familiar blueberry eyes stare dolefully up at you and even the banana smile seems less curved and cheerful. It’s clear Taehyung had been a little distracted making them, because they’re not as carefully put together as that first meal. But the sentiment behind them still stands; that Taehyung cooks for you. He likes seeing you smile and he goes to absurd lengths to get you to enjoy yourself and he has for the entire month of December. He’s come to mean so much to you in such a short span of time- somehow he’s made a season that previously only meant cold and misery become a time of warmth and laughter. And now you have to say goodbye, before you’ve even started. There’s so many adventures the two of you could go on together, and yet you don’t get to. It’s so cruel. You’re alarmed when the tears come, unbidden. 

Taehyung watches the expressions play out across your face, before wordlessly reaching out with the sleeve of his sweater to wipe the tears that fall away. His touch is gentle and his expression somber. He hasn’t even donned his usual Santa’s hat.

“I’m sorry.” You say, in a small voice. “I know I said I wouldn’t cry.”

He shakes his head and smiles, pulling his chair up so that it’s seated as close as possible to you. 

“It’s ok. Just means I have to work a little harder. I wanna see that pretty smile, before I go.” He reassures you. You sniff and scrub at your eyes before staring determinedly at your pancakes. 

“Ok.” You say. “Let’s do this, then.”

Taehyung searches your expression, and you’re not sure what he sees there, but it seems to satisfy him. You feel that the last few days, his smiles had been duller and decidedly less genuine, but this time he hits you with the full force of his dazzling smile.

“First things first, we have to open presents!” He cheers. You frown. 

“But I don’t have any presents-“ you protest, but Taehyung cuts you off with a sharp rush of air through his teeth. 

“Then what’s that?” He questions innocently, gesturing to your ratty Christmas tree. 

And sure enough, beneath it is laden with presents. You stare at it for a long time. 

“I didn’t get you anything.” You finally admit. Taehyung laughs. 

“You enjoying my gifts is the present.” He says dismissively, before crowding you towards the tree. “Anyway, it’s a universal Christmas tradition to open your presents after breakfast, and I have failed you as a Christmas Spirit if we don’t do that.”

He slides the first gift towards you and eyes you coyly. “Open this one first.” He urges you. 

They’re all small gifts, relatively inexpensive. You’re not expecting Swarovski crystals from Taehyung considering he’s an unemployed Christmas Spirit. But each gift is thoughtful and sweet and bought specifically with you and your tastes in mind. By the time you open the last of the presents, you’re fighting off tears again.

“I didn’t get you anything.” You lament, sniffling slightly as you set the last gift aside. Taehyung’s eyebrows wrinkle together and his mouth pulls into a pout. 

“I already told you. Just being here is a gift for me.” He insists. “Besides, it’s not like I can use anything you give me for eleven months.”

That causes you to fall silent. You bite your lip as you look away. You had been determined not to acknowledge the elephant in the room, but you can’t do it. You can’t spend the day pretending you’re not on the verge of tears.

“I know I said I wouldn’t. But I can’t keep pretending this isn’t going to happen, Tae.” You say, and when he looks at you, you know it’s the first chink in his armour. He’s held it together considerably better than you, and you’d thought maybe it just didn’t bother him. After all, you were the one with feelings, not him. “At least... you can answer questions, right? If I know more, maybe it will hurt less.”

But looking at him now, you realise that he’s been fighting to stay composed to. 

“What do you want to know?” He finally says, and he’s quiet. Defeated. So unlike the optimistic, cheerful being you’d come to adore. 

“Are you trapped? Will it be be uncomfortable?” You question. “Can you still hear me? Will you... will you be lonely?”

“Not exactly.” He reassures you. “I look like a human but I’m also a glorified Christmas ornament. Time and events are different when I’m a scarecrow. It’s hard to explain.... but it’s not so bad. It’s just... how I am. I’m waiting, but I’m not trapped.” He explains vaguely. “I can hear and see what’s going on, but I just process things differently. Time just... feels different.”

You nod, a little comforted that at least you’re not sending your friend to be trapped in a prison of his own body for eleven months.  

“Am I meant to pass you on to someone else?” You ask. “Or do I keep you here?”

“I guess...” He looks uncertain, and tentative. “I guess it depends how your year goes. Eleven months...” his voice cracks and he clears it awkwardly to hide it. “It’s a long time. You can keep me here, and I’ll see you next December, if you need a little extra help enjoying the season... or you can pass me on to someone else if you don’t need me anymore.”

He’s right. Eleven months is such a long time. Long enough to forget Taehyung and his bright smile and cheery disposition. Long enough to spend next Christmas with your family and pretend like things are ok between you. Long enough... long enough to forget just how much your heart aches today, and fool yourself into doing the exact same thing next year. 

“What do you want?” You finally settle on. It’s the last question of the interrogation. After this, you can pretend everything is ok. You can go on like nothing’s wrong. 

Taehyung’s eyes go wide. He points at himself, bewildered by your question. 

“What do... I want?” He echoes, as if he’s never heard the words before. You nod. 

“I want you to spend Christmas happy.” You confess. “So where do you want to be, next Christmas?”

He’s quiet for so long you’re worried that his brain has stopped functioning or that his weird Christmas Spirit voodoo has kicked in. But when he finally looks at you again, his eyes shine with so much emotion that your heart aches in your chest at the sight. 

“I want to be here.” He finally says. “I want to spend Christmas with you again. There’s so many things we still didn’t get to try, and I want to do them all.”

Your throat goes tight, because yet again, you’re signing yourself up for heartbreak. If you do this, you’re the only one who will be hurt. Pining alone for most of the year for a season you used to hate. The irony of the situation is not lost on you.

But you’re helpless to him, to his smile and his sweetness and his warmth, and you can’t say goodbye. 

“Ok.” You agree. “Then you’ll stay with me. Now let’s have some fun.”

++

The day must inevitably draw to a close. Though you and Taehyung linger at every activity, attempting to draw out each moment, the point in the day comes where the two of you are back at the apartment, with the time drawing closer and closer to midnight.

You unlock your apartment door with trembling fingers and inhale a shaking breath. You glance over your shoulder at Taehyung. He’s a broad-shouldered person, tall and imposing were it not for the warmth of his eyes and his puppy-like demeanour and normally he just seems larger than life. But in that moment, he’s so small and uncertain. 

There’s so much you could say. You could plead with him; try and see if there’s a way to bargain out of the inevitable goodbye. Or you could thank him, from the bottom of your heart, for the first enjoyable Christmas you’ve had in your entire life. Crying feels like a viable option too, or getting angry. Your heart can’t seem to settle on a response and so instead it’s settled on numbness. Like it’s cold, lifeless hunk of metal rattling around in your ribcage.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” Is what you finally settle on. He stares searching at your expression, before nodding to himself and squaring his shoulders

“Yeah. That sounds fun. I’ll make us some hot chocolate as well.” He says, stepping past you into the foyer. 

You eventually settle on watching the Polar Express. When you sit on the couch, Taehyung sits far too close and tugs a blanket over both your laps. He hands you a mug of hot chocolate and the two of you settle into a peaceful quiet, opposite from the laughter and activity of the daytime. The evening melancholy seems to have settled in. The whole movie, you don’t really pay attention, instead trying not to think about the way the clock on the wall seems to be moving quickly. 

“(Y/N).” You’re startled when Taehyung calls your name. It’s out of the blue, and you hadn’t noticed the way he’s steadily edged closer until the words are said almost directly into your ear. You’d been watching the clock instead of the movie, and you think for a moment that he intends to reprimand you. You turn to look at him and the proximity startles the breath out of you. “It’s almost midnight.” He tells you, as if you haven’t been glaring the clock down for most of the night. 

It’s true, though- the minute hand is edging closer and closer to the dreaded twelve. It makes you realise that he’s been eyeing the clock as well. 

“So it is.” You acknowledge, and he’s so close that his breath skates against the skin of your cheeks, staring at you with an intensity you don’t understand.

“Did I... Did I do a good job?” He asks you. You press your lips together; in a way he did. You think you may have smiled in this month alone more than you have the entire year. But you also know that the rest of the year will now pale in comparison; the rest of winter will leech by, depressingly dreary, and summer will come and go in muddy heat. The year will both inch and speed by and that whole time you will have the special month of December in mind. The times you spent with Taehyung. 

“You did.” You finally say. “I... Christmas was always so lonely and miserable to me. Where we tried to pretend that things were ok and merry and it would just dissolve into screaming matches. But with you, it wasn’t. You helped me make it into something warm, and beautiful. And even though...” your voice cracks, and it takes you a moment to reclaim your composure. “Even though the ending will be lonely and sad, you gave me all these wonderful memories. I’ll hear a Christmas carol and think of you from now on, Taehyung.” 

When you finally gain the courage to meet his gaze, you’re startled to find tears pouring down his cheeks. He’s been sad and a little misty-eyed ever since he admitted he wouldn’t be around after Christmas, but he’s also been frustratingly composed. 

But in that moment, he’s anything but. He looks devastated as he brings his hands up to press into his eyes in a vain attempt to stem the flow of tears.

“I’m sorry.” He gasps. “I tried so hard but... I never imagined Christmas would be like this. I was only supposed to make you smile and then go back to being a scarecrow and that should have been enough but it’s not.”

He’s full on sobbing now, and you can only stare in bewilderment as tears form in your own eyes. 

“I want to spend New Year’s Eve with you, and start the New Year together. I want to see you on your birthday. I want to see you on happy days and sad days. I want to...” he rubs his eyes clear and stares straight at you. “I want to make you smile the whole year.” He confesses. 

And that’s when your phone goes off. You’d set an alarm, earlier in the morning, so that you’d know the exact moment midnight hit. You glance away, for just a moment, dread hitting you full force like a sledgehammer. 

And when you turn back, it’s too late. The familiar little scarecrow stares up at you from the couch, where Taehyung had been seated just moments before. 

And you finally let yourself break down at the sight of the familiar button eyes.

And just like that, Christmas is over. 

++

“Why does your apartment smell like someone’s been dumped?” Jin sniffs as he steps through the threshold of your home, uninvited as usual. You’re not sure how he got in, but he probably had a copy of your key made somehow without you noticing. He’s prone to doing invasive things like that.

“Being dumped doesn’t have a smell.” You snap, from where you had been curled up on the couch under a mound of blankets. 

“Yes it does.” He insists. “It smells like...” he pauses to take one long, obnoxious sniff to the air before wrinkling his nose. “B.O. and cheetos.” He recites. 

You sigh, still not bothering to shift from your blanket nest. You’d been expecting his visit, to be honest. It’s the day before New Year’s Eve and you haven’t responded to his annual New Year’s Eve Bash invite. He’s very intense about RSVPs.

“What do you want, Jin?” You ask. He picks his way delicately towards you, navigating his way through your semi-dissembled Christmas tree before settling before you in a crouch. You’d made it part-way through the post-Christmas clean up before you’d been too upset to continue.

“Well, you aren’t answering my texts or calls. Zero activity on social media, no RSVP to my party... So I thought I’d make sure you hadn’t choked on a piece of tinsel.” He looks around your apartment with distaste. “I’m actually not sure if I’m relieved that you’re ok if this is what “ok” looks like.”

You ignore him, choosing to focus your attention back to Netflix. His expression softens, just a fraction.

“Tell me what’s going on, (Y/N). And where’s.. where’s Taehyung?” He questions tentatively. 

You’re unable to conceal the way your shoulders stiffen, just slightly, at the mention of his name. You’ve been doing your best in the five days since Christmas to bounce back and return to normal life, but you can’t seem to. It’s easier to lounge around on the couch than to muster up the emotional energy to pretend you’re ok. You’ve spent too long pretending you’re ok. There isn’t a single drop of you left that can even try to do so. 

“He had to go.” You say, hating the way your voice goes abruptly raw with tears. Jin’s eyes widen just slightly, and he shuffles closer. 

“What do you mean he had to go? He’s-“ As he said the words, his eyes had been darting wildly around the apartment, but he abruptly cuts himself off when he spots the scarecrow on your mantle. “Why is Taehyung...” he begins, before his gaze flickers to you. 

“Oh.” He exclaims simply, understanding dawning in his eyes. “Oh, (Y/N).” He says, his voice filled with sympathy and sadness on your behalf.

You’re surprised when Jin engulfs you in a hug. You’ve never had that sort of friendship- he prefers to show his love by nagging you. But it’s weirdly comforting and you melt into his embrace. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t RSVP.” You say glumly. “I didn’t feel like celebrating.”

Jin pulls away and scrutinises your expression. 

“Forgive me if it seems probing, but I don’t understand what happened. You guys seemed like you were going great at dinner the other night.” He says. “Why... why didn’t you use his wish?”

You pull back and blink at him in confusion. 

“His... wish?” You echo. Jin nods. 

“All Christmas Spirit receive one wish for their entire career. It was instituted recently, though, maybe only in the last twenty years or so, so maybe Taehyung didn’t know about it?” Jin wonders. 

Your eyes widen. 

“Christmas Spirit?” You splutter. “You mean you knew?”

For someone who’s dropping a bombshell, Jin looks remarkably deadpan. 

“Of course I knew. You think I wouldn’t notice a Christmas Spirit living in my store for five years?” He questions you with exasperation. 

You stare at him incredulously. 

“And you never thought, just once, that it would be a good idea to tell me what I was bringing home?” You demand. He rolls his eyes. 

“Oh please. Like you would have believed me.” He says dismissively. “Little Miss Grinch, hates Christmas, told her weird Christmas Scarecrow is actually a special Christmas Spirit? I’m a simple man, (Y/N). I see an opportunity for a great Hallmark movie, I take it.”

You stare at him in rage, and then something occurs to you. 

“That’s why you never came when I texted you that night! You knew it was Taehyung!” You realise in horror. “What if you had been wrong?”

At least he has enough sense of propriety to look sheepish. 

“Taehyung would have helped you if I was wrong.” He offers meekly. The change in pace of conversation has you deflating. 

“If you knew... why did you let him go home with me? I could have spent Christmas at home, alone, and not be dealing with any of this.” You confess, and Jin softens just a little bit. 

“Well, because I didn’t want you to spend Christmas alone.” He admits. “Every year, you’re so miserable. And I thought Taehyung could change that. And honestly, I didn’t think it would end up like this and even if I did, I thought Taehyung would use his wish.”

“What wish?” You ask. Jin shrugs. 

“Every Christmas Spirit gets one wish throughout their career. Usually it ends up being that they become human, but I know of some who have wished for other things.” He admits. You brows knit together as you gaze at your friend. Where is all this knowledge coming from?

“Jin... just who are you?” You ask hesitantly. He smiles awkwardly and rubs at the back of his neck.

“I’m Jin. The same Jin you’ve known for years. But before that, I was a little Christmas bear who spent years trying to make people happy on Christmas day.” He admits. “And one year... I’d had enough. So I wished that I could be human. And here I am today.” He smiles at you. “And it’s not too late. Taehyung can still do the same.” He glances over at your mantle, where the motionless Christmas Scarecrow sits. “Anyway, I have to get going. I was just coming to make sure you were alive.” He gets up and dusts off his pants. “Maybe give the apartment a clean, and then you can sit down and have a nice, long chat with that scarecrow over there.” 

He makes to leave, but can’t resist tossing one last comment over his shoulder. 

“I’m just going to assume you’re bringing a plus one. I’ll change your response to “going” on the fb invite.” 

++

One clean apartment later, you stand before your mantle, gazing into the button eyes of the scarecrow. It’s weird to know that behind them, Taehyung watches you. What is he thinking? Is he sad? Lonely? Trapped? Is he listening? 

You’re strangely nervous. Taehyung had told you that he’d wanted to spend the rest of the year with you, but maybe he changed his mind. Maybe watching you lounge around your apartment the past five days made him realise how lame you are. And if he only gets one wish in his entire career, why would he waste it now? He’s only had one Christmas to live out his purpose as a Christmas Spirit- maybe he’s not ready to give it up yet. Maybe you’re asking too much of him. It’s only been a month; to ask him to become human and face the horrors of the human world is maybe the cruelest thing you could do.

But your heart yearns, and ultimately that it what gives you the courage to begin speaking. 

“I... don’t know how much you heard of what Jin said earlier.” You admit. “He pretty loud so you probably heard at least some of it. But the basic gist... is that you get a wish. Only one wish, so once you use it, that’s it. So, you have to use it wisely.”

You look away and squeeze your eyes shut. 

“And, I understand if you want to save it. You’ve only just started out and maybe you want more time. But I was thinking... if all that stuff you said before is true... Maybe you can use it now. To be a human.” You inhale shakily. The offer is out in the open now. 

The scarecrow doesn’t move. 

“I mean, maybe you didn’t. That’s ok. I’ll be ok if you don’t actually want to spend the rest of the year with me. It’s a lot to ask when it’s only been a month. But I want to.” You squint and you feel the hot prick of tears forming at the corner of your eyes. “This has been the best Christmas I’ve ever had. I’ve never smiled so much before, and so easily. Something about you makes it so easy. And I was never brave enough to say it, but I like your smile too. I like it so much. It’s ridiculous that you can say my smile is lovely when you can look in the mirror and see what your smile looks like. And I... I don’t want to only get to see it on Christmas. I don’t want to spend eleven months waiting for you but the ridiculous part is that I will.” You admit. “I’ll just keep comparing things to the time I spent with you. I’ll spend eleven months of the year waiting for you’re smile. And that’s because... I really like you, Tae. So much- no, too much. I like you too much.” You’re full on crying at this point. “So please. Spend it on me. Wish to be a human. Wish to be here the rest of the year.”

You fall silent, and still, the scarecrow stares at you. Unmoving, unchanging. 

You smile helplessly, before scrubbing at your eyes. He doesn’t want to use his wish. That’s ok. He doesn’t have to. It was stupid of you to think that he would.

You sniffle and open your eyes.

Only to be engulfed by two arms around your body.  

“I like you too much as well.” Taehyung gasps. It takes you a moment to process- your face is smushed into his chest and his arms hold you securely. “I didn’t know about the wish. But... I want to keep spending time with you. I’d have spent it on you a hundred times over if I’d known.”

You go to pull away so that you can see his face, but he doesn’t give you the chance to because his lips are meeting yours. 

It’s a sweet kiss but also a little clumsy and eager. Like he’s worried time is running out. 

Gradually, the urgency fades and he pulls away. At this proximity, you can see the way his lashes frame his bright eyes, and the way his eyes crinkle into little tiny half moons. It’s a little surreal, being able to gaze upon him so freely when just last week you’d been prepared for a goodbye. 

“So... you’re a human now? You get to stay?” You ask. He pulls back and squints at himself. 

“I guess so. I can’t seem to turn back into a scarecrow so I guess... that I’m human now.” He says.

You kiss him again, after that. It’s soft and sweet and perfect. When you pull away, his eyes are hazy and his expression is unfocused. He looks adorably dishevelled and distracted, and then he offers you that smile, the one that makes your heart feel like it’s about to burst. His fingers come up to delicately trail over the paths of your face, like he’s trying to memorise what you look like. 

“You’re smiling.” He breathes, his tone filled with wonder. His thumb comes up to reverently trace the curve of your lips. “It was your smile.” He confesses. You blink up at him in confusion and he chuckles in response. “It threw me off guard. At the ornament store. Up until that point I’d been so nervous whether I was in over my head with the whole Christmas spirit thing. And then you smiled at me and it wasn’t even because of anything I’d even done and suddenly I wanted to keep that smile on your face.” 

You flush, a bit flustered by his admission, but he isn’t finished, apparently. 

“It’s so pretty. You’re pretty.” He insists. “When you kissed me under the mistletoe I thought my heart was going to burst and then I remembered what I was. That I’m a Christmas Spirit and that I don’t get to do this. I get your smile at Christmas and then that’s it.” He smiles self-deprecatingly at himself before it shifts into something warmer, and fonder. “But now... now...” he trails away, too emotional to continue and he settles for pulling you into another tight embrace, tucking his face into the crook of your neck. All you can smell is that comforting scent of peppermint and cinnamon, and you melt. “Now I get your smiles the rest of the year too. I can’t wait to spend the rest of the year with you.” He confesses, a soft, whispered confession into the warm crook of your neck. 

And there’s lots to do, and things you need to work out now that Taehyung is by your side as a human. Your relationship with your parents isn’t fixed, and he doesn’t have a job or a source of income, and there’s still some remaining Christmas decorations that need to be placed in storage. 

But that’s ok. You’ll both work all that out together eventually. After all, you have the rest of the year to do so.

[stinkydemon666]

This is an introductory to a gorillaz (2doc) au that is very close to me. It’s not much but genuine love and dedication through years of work, and it’s still not done!! But, I hope those here will like it, for it’s something new and refreshing that I don’t see much of in this fandom. I will be posting way more art and stories and little snippets of anything for those to enjoy!! (Warning!! This au has a lot of depictions of gore and violence! So if that’s not your kinda thing be weary!!)

Stuart (Harold) Pot : Grew up in the farmlands of England with his mom and dad, later moving to his own property Owned under his fathers name. Able to make a living on just selling products at the local farmers market since the rest of his home is covered under his family name. He’s a very upright, polite man. Isn’t scared to correct himself or others. Has a relatively good temperament tho once you’ve got him mad he’ll give you hell.

Hobbies: cooking is his best specialty, learned from his mother. Tho he does a few other things, but not his strongest craftsman’s ship is things like sewing or general building with wood (idk what you call it.)

Murdoc (Faust) Niccals (aka Stinky) : A demon born and raised in hell by a fellow mate after his father, Sebastian Niccals, ate his family in a cannibalistic rage after his mother gave birth to him and 2 other siblings. Murdoc being the soul survivor. Up until around his 20’s did he decide to escape hell and live the rest of his immortal life on earth, killing and causing havoc to whatever and whoever crossed his path…until he met Stu in quite a complicated way. Murdoc is stubborn and short tempered and always has an appetite. The only person who’s ever seen and sees his soft side is Stu.

Paula Cracker : She has a rather short live and tragic fate in this story. Before Stuart met Murdoc, Paula was Stuarts soon to be wife, despite not really having an intimate relationship with her. His family expected them to get married. But that was also shortlived, after Stu discovered she was mostly in the relationship to mooch off his family. So he kicked her out and in a fit of rage planed a murder. But in a fortunate string of events. Murdoc was there to save Stu. And she suffers a very bloody and brutal death. And Murdoc earned a delicious meal.

Now!! To the actual story.

(for some background context this all takes place in like..I wanna say mid 80’s?? Everyone is their pre-existing age with their cannon counterparts.)

It starts with Stuart driving home after a long day, it’s dark and he’s intoxicated, suddenly swerving to avoid what he thought at the time was a pig. He stumbles out his truck and examines the unconscious creature, fixes them up, and drives off. The next morning Murdoc awakes on the curbside, leg bandaged and the smell of human on him. He takes a trip to hunt down who had bandaged him. Tho once finding the human he finds the other not afraid of him, which in return frightens him. After a while and a quick meal offered to stinky Stu eventually offers him to come inside. And with hesitation Murdoc does. Still very on edge, the both of them. Stu tries his very best to make the other feel welcome, frightened yet drawn towards the demon. And Murdoc the same. Tho he feels more butterflies than anything. Stu takes a while to eventually return feelings. Then the whole Paula incident happens and Stu finally realizes how dangerous Murdoc is. But wants to continue growing a friendship with him. Which very soon will turn romantic. With a rain storm rolling in and Murdoc terrified of thunder and lightning, Stu does his best and eventually gets the other distracted in a dance number, and it ends with them smoochy kissing (sex) on the couch. Tho the next morning stu is conflicted with his feelings. He likes the other but can’t explain or express the feelings. He ends up giving Murdoc the cold shoulder which really upsets the other. Stu realized how much of a dick move that was so he musters up the courage to tell the other. The dumb thing is that Stu the entire time thought Murdoc didn’t feel the same way. Despite showing very obviously that he did.

[dolls-self-ships]

One Thing You Can Taste

synopsis: Hades and Kassandra go on their first official date, but Hades is acting a bit different than usual. Almost like he’s.. *gasp* nervous. You heard it here folks, the big bad god of the underworld is nervous for a date.

ship: pomegranate seeds 🥀 (hades/kasssandra)

(fluff, flirting, a kiss happens, yea)

It wasn’t the ritziest place in Athens, but it was quite a nice restaurant. Kassandra had insisted that Hades didn’t blow too much on what was essentially their first official date. Sure they knew each other and had… something going on, but this was their first actual outing together. And so far, Kassandra had been doing most of the actual, well, dating.

“And then I said-“ Kassandra said through laughter, stopping when she noticed Hades still sitting rather stiffly, which was wildly out of character for his usual relaxed and flow-y self. She looked him up and down with concern. “-hey, you’re usually talking my ear off, I’ve been doing all the work since we got here. Where’s the sarcasm, the witty jokes you always have, what’s up?”

Hades blinked. “Me? Oh uh.. nothin’ nothin’ just.. uh..”

“Is something wrong?”

“Wrong? With me? Pfttt nooo ‘course not! I.. I..” Hades waved a hand, attempting to mask his embarrassment.

Kassandra raised a brow, clearly not buying his facade no matter how much he tried to brush it off. Hades saw this and sighed, his shoulders slopping in defeat.

“Okay.. uh.. l-look-“ he rested his elbows on the table, making a gesture with his hands. “-Iiii haven’t been on a real date.. in.. a while. Y’know I got the Underworld to run and I got all these plans for Olympus and well you get the jist” he fastly explained, trying to mask his nerves with a cool smile. “I’m uh.. heh, I’m a busy guy you know?”

The princess cheekily smiled, feeling like for once she had the upper hand. “So.. you’re nervous?”

A moment of anxiety struck him, with it clearly showing on his face until the god (what he thought was smoothly) attempted to recover but putting on a faux grin. Hades felt he couldn’t admit such a thing, he was a god, gods don’t get nervous. “Nervous? Aheh- well- ah-I-I don’t know about nervous maybe.. maybe outta practice sure but..”Hades trailed off, knowing his desperate clambering to keep his cool was not holding up, the princess saw right through him.

“Alright” he sighed out “you got me red-handed- or y’know I guess blue-handed”

Kassandra giggled, making Hades’s dead heart resurrect itself. “It’s okay.. I’m nervous too.. how would you rate yours? Like.. on a scale of one to ten?”

“Huh?”

“Just answer”

“Okay um… 7….” Hades looked between Kassandra and the floor “and a half”

Kassandra stifled a chuckle, tossing her hair back and leaning forward closer to Hades, looking up at him through her lashes (and simultaneously inciting a tingling feeling throughout the god’s chest and stomach). She really had no idea, because he’d never let her see it, but the princess had the Lord of the Dead himself wrapped around her little mortal finger.

“Alright, we’re gonna do this together. I want you to look around the room and just.. name 5 things you can see.”

Hades was about to ask why, but then realized this was his chance to swoop in and return to being his suave and savvy self. Pretending to look frazzled by glancing around and tapping his chin, he rambled on “oh uh.. gee I don’t know babe, that might be hard since the only thing I’m seeing in this joint right now is you aheh~” he slyly returned his glance to her, with one elbow on the table and the other resting on his hip, complete with his usual cheesy grin.

Kassandra tried to hold back the flustered and giddy feeling he gave her, but her reddened cheeks gave her away. “Hades, I’m serious.” She smirked.

Hades chuckled, putting his hands up in defence. “Alright alright alright” he mumbled “let’s see.. huh..” he glanced up, spotting a somewhat humorous sight from over Kassandras shoulder.

“That waiter guy’s got a paper straw stuck in his back collar” He pointed over to the scrawny young guy waiting tables, prompting Kassandra to glance over her shoulder and look. A snort escaped her throat.

“Should we tell him?”

Hades shrugged. “Nahhh he’ll figure it out. Or hey be stuck with it the rest of the night, who knows”

Kassandra put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. “Okay, 4 more things, and they don’t.. have to be interesting by the way.”

Hades dipped his head in acknowledgment, scanning the room and pointing at really the first of anything he saw. “Hmmm alright, empty table, chairs… uh… artwork with a very suspicious stain on it, aandddd…” he drummed on the table, turning his head to the table. “Ah, menu. Boom, done, easy.”

Kassandra nodded. “Alright, good. Now list 4 things you can touch.”

Hades leaned back, still confused as to what exactly they were doing. “What is this what are we doing here, is this some sort of game orrr”

She shook her head. “Nope, not a game, just… something I do when I’m feeling a little on edge. Come on, let’s finish this. 4 more senses to go.”

Deciding to go with the flow on this one, even though he really didn’t see or understand how listing things that exist would help, he trusted Kass with this sort of thing.. you know.. feelings. They weren’t his bag but hers? She had the whole suitcase.

“Okayyy uhh.. 4 things I can…?”

“Touch.”

“Touch? Oh, well…” Hades’s expression quickly went from cutely confused to suitably sleazy as he slipped his hand underneath Kassandras’s, taking it while refusing to break eye contact with her. “there’s your… smooth skin” he drawled, using one finger to draw little patterns on her wrist and lower arm while gazing at the princess through hooded eyes. Hades then kissed the back of her hand for 3 looooong seconds before pulling back to see the princess’s pale skin glowing more and more red, which he thought was adorable. Hades casually leaned his arm on the table, taking a lock of Kassandras chestnut hair with his free hand, twirling one of the wispy strands around his finger. “your… soft hair hehehe”

Kassandra felt her breathing become short and her heart rate slowly start to pick up. She wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable, but she was a little embarrassed as they were kind of out in the open for anyone to see. And if her mother taught her anything, it was that getting all nice and cozy with someone in public was very unladylike.

“Hades, we’re in public.” She whispered, trying to sound stern but it just came out more coquettish than anything.

Hades’s hands retreated, next time, he hold himself as he tried to play it off smoothly. “Alright alright, um..” he let his hands rest on the table and started to feel around, gliding his palms over the smooth surface. “Oh this is some nice wood really smooth what is this mahogany? nice huh?”

Kassandra lifted her hand to feel the smooth surface, finding herself amused by how dramatically he was trying to hype up a table. But that’s just how he was, always trying to ‘sell’ something. “Mhm” she softly agreed. “Okay, one more thing.”

Hades sighed, leaning back trying to think of something. That’s when it hit him. “The chair.”

Kassandra smiled. “Perfect! Alright, what are 3 things you can… hear?”

Hades hummed, looking at the ceiling. “Well… there’s that loud fan that’s been kinda buzzing in my ear this whole time.” He and Kassandra let out a breathy chuckle after he said that.

“And all the people talking in this place is hard to miss dont cha think?”

The woman nodded, briefly glancing at said people before turning back to him. “Aaaanything else?? Just one more thing.”

“Hm.. well, just a second ago my ears were graced with the sound of your sweet sweet voice~”

Kassandra caved, letting out a girlish giggle as her head dipped. She was unable to contain the amount of butterflies he invoked in her. “Okay Romeo, who gave you professional smooth-talker lessons?”

Hades clicked his fingers, shooting her finger guns. “Years of practice, doll face.”

“mhmhm~ what are 2 things you can smell?”

Hades sat up straight, dramatically taking a deep inhale of the air around them. “Oh, mm, that’s a lot of ambrosia someone ordered. Might have to go over there, hah.” he sounded enticed, briefly thinking about how it would taste, which would be delicious as per usual.

Kassandra giggled, gods he was too much. She loved it.

Hades’s yellow-ish eyes trailed back to her, a softer grin curling on his face. “And your perfume.. mmm what is that that is just.. intoxicating~” he made a wafting motion with his hand, as if impersonating a wine taster.

Kassandra laughed, which for Hades, meant mission accomplished. He could listen to that laugh all day, all eternity even. It was like a warm symphony of sirens that rang in his ears.

“Okay.. last one.” She leaned forward, as if getting him ready for the news of his life.

“Hit me babe~”

“Mhm~ this ones tricky, but, what’s one thing you can taste?”

Taste. That one was tricky, they haven’t even gotten their food yet. However…. Hades got an idea.

“Taste huh?”

Kassandra nodded. A small gasp escaped her throat once she felt Hades’s hand slip up to cradle one side of her face. Her eyes darted back and forth between his hand and him.

“I could eh.. think of something..” Hades mumbled with a grin that was half dazed and half flirtatious. His words slipped away from him, too fixated on the princess’s full and.. smooth lips to concentrate on anything quick or witty to say like he usual did.

Kassandra was too breathless for words herself, she could feel her chest tighten as she glanced up and down Hades’s face, gods, he was handsome. Her eyes fluttered as they both leaned in slowly, and for a moment, the room felt quiet. Like they were the only two people there. And once their lips touched, oh, it was like fireworks had went off inside of both of them. Hades was sure he had melted the chair and some parts of the table at least a little by now. The kiss lasted for about 5 seconds before they both pulled away, a small squish noise emitting from both their lips as they separated. Hades missed the sweet taste of her lips already, and he couldn’t wait till later tonight when he could (hopefully) get another.

“Mm..” Hades moaned as if he had just a gourmet meal. “cherry, nnnnice~”

Kassandra, still a little flustered and dazed from the kiss, tilted her head. “Hm?”

“Your lipgloss”

Kassandra’s eyes widened as a wave of embarrassment washed over her. “Oh! Ha! Right. Um… of course…” she breathlessly chuckled as she adjusted herself in her seat, trying to sit up right once again.

Just in time for her, but less ideal for Hades, a posh sounding voice interrupted them.

“So sorry but, has this table been helped yet?”

Quickly, the princess began stammering, haphazardly looking between her date and the waiter that definitely just saw them almost make out in the middle of the restaurant.

And what would you know, it was the waiter with the paper straw in his collar.

“Ah,, y-yes, We’-we’re just waiting.” Kassandra declared politely, trying to mask her slight disappointment that their moment was now kind of ruined as she cleared her throat and looked at her lap, then back up at Hades.

The waiter smiled, “ah, very good.” And nodded before taking off.

Hades, despite his current gripes with that boy in particular for interrupting their little moment, stopped him in his tracks.

“Uh, hey! Kid, you uh.. got somethin stuck in your collar there.” Hades gestured with his fingers to his back, hoping that would get the message across.

The waiter hummed and reached behind him, pulling out the straw that had been stuck there. “Oh, uh, thank you, sir! That’s.. ha- embarrassing.” The now blushing waiter stammered, attempting to exit cooly with the straw still in his hand.

Hades chuckled. “You think he woulda felt that huh?”

Kassandra turned back to him, shrugging. “Yeah… I guess he was just too busy to notice.”

Hades nodded, turning his head and mumbling “not too busy to interrupt us though that’s for sure”

Kassandra gave him a look, to which Hades grinned with faux innocence, acting as if he had done nothing wrong. “Whaaat?”

“Hades, be nice.” She half-jokingly scolded him, if he was gonna be around her he’d have to get used to the whole ‘being kind to people’ thing. Again, no bag, her suitcase.

“Heyyyy I’m a saint! a cherub even” he innocently batted his eyes with a grin in likeness, hoping that’d get him to cute his way out of her disappointment.

And oh, it did, works like a charm every time. A melodic giggle escaped Kassandras throat.

A second of silence passed. “So… Wh-what was the point of that whole… senses thing we just did?” Hades asked with boyish curiosity.

Kassandra perked up, quite happy he actually seemed interested to know. “Oh, uh, it’s just an anxiety thing. I learnt about it in my years working with a doctor and phycologist, Hypocrities, he was hired by my mother for the kingdom at the time… do you know him?”

Hades’s eyebrows knitted together, remembering the time that doctor started curing actual dead people in his domain. DEAD PEOPLE. Ohh he knew him alright. “Yeah, yeah I’ve heard of the guy.”

Kassandra nodded. “It’s supposed to just.. remind yourself that you’re here, like, grounding.”

“Huh”

“So how do you feel now?”

Hades blinked, looking into the earnest eyes of the princess. He felt himself melting inside, his lips slipped into a rare, genuine smile. “Good, I.. I feel good.”

Kassandra beamed, happy to see he was feeling better now. “Great! I’m glad” her tone was so sweet it was like she actually spoke with little hearts at the end of her sentence.

Hades could tell this was gonna be a good first date.

[thefoundationproject]

I have to ask, how dare you be so good with 1) introducing blink-and-you'll-miss them-characters from canon and fully selling me on them/their personality. And 2) Rare. Pairs.

I mean WTH. I barely knew about Bacara but now because of you I think about Grumpy Introverted Space Marine every second of every day. Ponds! Glittering beautiful huggable Bro-Mom! Fox! 'Nuff said. Rex was already amazing, but Soft Wars Rex??? No words. Rex'ika is canon fight me! Kam'ika! Neyo! My prickly sourly love! I'd always wondered what kinda character would program WAC-47 ... Soft Wars Neyo would. He would 1000% no remorse. All of the Shebse and Edee and Chekar and the Fenns and Alphas and literally everyone. Just *chefs kiss*

And then the gosh darned rare pairs. Bacara/Rex make me gooey inside but also make me want to cry. Kit better bundle those boys up!! Fox/Ponds are the best duo in the galaxy and I want them to adopt me even if I'm supposed to be an adult. Jesse/Kix aren't a rare pair but the way you write them make them even better. Wolffe/Hardcase.... those beautful idiots... Vaughn/Neyo was already competing for top spot with Rex/Bacara(/Kit) ... and then you dared add Neyo/Bly .... I have no words that could possibly explain how much I feel that pairing to my very core.... thinking about baby Bly and Neyo being besties, reconnecting when they're older... What does it say about me that my favourite ships/characters have a (un)healthy amount of angst with them? (Nothing. Nothing at all. Because they also have a truckload of fluff so it over corrects to the other side)

(and don't even get me started on Neyo/Bly/Aayla(/Vaugn))

Just. All of it! Amazing! I've renounced the Lucas Film AU. Too sad, unrealistic. Not enough clones. Kot *tap, tap* to anyone who hasn't but I'm different. Glory to the Soft Wars AU!!

Hello! *Waves excitedly* welcome to my bucket!

I have spent many an hour hunting down those beans that had the barest billing, the smallest part, the shortest appearance and going ‘Behold, A Main Character!’ It’s best of both worlds: they’re not technically an OC, and they have a character tag on AO3 a lot of the time, and I can take the 10 seconds of them that we got and see if I can build a whole personality. Not offof those 10 seconds per se, more like ‘what kind of personality/experiences might lead up to this particular 10 seconds’. It’s a lot of fun!

Grumpy (but far less grumpy than he pretends actually) introverted space marine has taken over my life and I’m determined to drag every single person down with me. Ponds is just the kind of dude I really wanna hang out with, you know? He’s just a ton of fun.

Fox now, Fox is the character that works so hardto appear grumpy. He’s put so much time into that facade.

I sort of a little bit absolutely adore Rex bestest of all. And making him just a teensy bit shorter and a teensy bit younger and a teensy bit overall kih’vod-er than the rest gives my heart the happies. It’s so great. Also I have younger sibs and take great joy in reminding them that they are babies no I don’t care if you’re in your thirties now, baybee.

Neyo showed up one day and started talking and didn’t stoptalking and here we are. He’s such a lad and a bean and I adore his scruffy little face. I have a very clear picture in my mind of him working on WAC while WAC gives ‘helpful’ suggestions and it’s the sweetest thing. Neyo is very sweet. Don’t tell him I said that.

To be fair! If all the characters are already rare characters then the pairings will be rare pairs! Technically that’s more of a symptom than a feature! Right? Right???

Fox and Ponds were one of those things that Just Happened. I didn’t set out with any intentions at all just boop, one day there they were and apparently had been like that the whole time, who knew? Same with Wolffe and Hardcase. Hardcase was just always causing trouble with the Wolfpack and I kept going why Hardcase, why???? And then all of a sudden the Jesse-voice went ‘clearly he has a crush’. And then it turns out that Hardcase 200% aims high with his crushnesses and here we are.

Vaughn and Neyo, perhaps surprisingly, is the relationship I’m least happy with so far! I feel like I kind of Started With The Relationship and didn’t give the characters a chance to grow first. You might have noticed that they were the last really entirely new one that I introduced. After that, I wanted to back off a little and let characters grow as they will before diving into relationship exploration. I still owe Vaughn a ton of character building before I’m satisfied and willing to move them along. There areeeeeee three? Three fics for him in the WIP folder exploring the himness, and his relationships with other people. One of these days I’ll actually have Some Time and can get back in the swing!

(Bly/Neyo, as you might guess from the previous, was actually in the pipeline long before Neyo/Vaughn. I was just waiting for The Most Dramatique moment to drop that one. It was glorious. I got so much screeching. Love it.)

Rexcara is now like a Thing. Like a not-even-Soft-Wars thing. It’s out in the wild, frolicking free and I’m so incredibly STOKED. Bacara had like 10 fics total before I started writing him, and most of them were ‘all the CCs are partying…’ etc. Definitely zero shipping fics. And Rexcara was an accident! A one-time joke wherein Rex totally laid one on someone theoretically out of his league. And then Rexcara became this incredibly soft, incredibly amazing thing and it just clicked. And off it went into the ether and became its own living thing.

(And Kitttttt. Kit was a sweet little thing with Rex and it was so lovely when it managed to amble over to including all of them. They’re the sweetest thing.)

There is also a baby Neyo and Bly being themselves fic in progress. I promise it’ll be finished in mumble mumble years….

Thank you very much! I just really really really needed some stories with just … a lot less traumatic trauma-y trauma for Dramatic Effect. And also more clones because dangit! So that’s what the fandom’s gotta do friends, we gotta make this beast ourselves!

Thanks for reading!

[lawslessons]

Zoro x Luffy - Sweetest Gift of All

Happy Valentine’s Day, my dears! I hope this day has been sweet to you all and I hope you have an amazing time. I decided to be a little self indulgent today with this, so do forgive me for that. But without any further wait, I hope you enjoy! Warnings: None

Synopsis: Chocolate? Zoro found himself looking around town for the perfect chocolate for Luffy to express how much he meant to him. But unable to make his decision soon enough, the swordsman found that sometimes a gift from the heart means more than any material gift. 

“This island is kinda strange,” Nami mused as she walked through the colorful street. The roads were lined with red bricks, and pink hearts lingered on the side of the buildings that were there. All of the merchants were singing and smiling, everyone had little boxes of hearts in their hands and were trying to get people to purchase their wares. 

“Come here, miss! I have the best deals on chocolates!”

“No! Come here! I have a sale on my chocolate strawberries!” Another merchant said as they tried to capture Nami’s attention. She looked over at the merchants who were howling at her and tilted her head. 

“Excuse me, what’s this all for? Why is everything so… lovey?” She asked them. The merchants all looked at one another in surprise and looked over at the women and the rest of the group. 

“You don’t know what it is?” One of the merchants asked as he put his boxes of chocolate down on the ground. 

“Hmm, no,” Luffy said as he rubbed his chin with a small pout on his face. “What is this all for? Can I have the chocolate?” Luffy asked with a big smile on his face. The merchants all looked aghast at what they were saying. 

“It’s about love, can’t you see?” The merchant asked, the merchant pointed towards some of the couples that were there. They were holding hands, kissing cheeks and handing one another these heart shaped boxes filled to the brim with sweet chocolates. 

“Love?” Sanji asked, he then looked around, and after a brief pause, he gasped. “Single ladies!” He screeched as he went to run after the women he saw standing alone. Zoro scoffed and looked away from him. 

“Stupid cook,” Zoro grumbled. He watched as the rest of the crew bought some chocolate for one another and began to hand it out. Chopper got some for Robin and Nami, Usopp got some for ammo and Sanji bought as much as he could to give to the women he could find. 

“Are you going to get chocolate for anyone?” Nami asked the swordsman. Zoro glanced over at Luffy who was buying quite a few boxes of chocolate for himself to eat throughout the day. 

“No,” Zoro mumbled as he looked away from his captain. Nami noticed how Zoro looked at their captain and sympathetically sighed at him. 

“Why not? You obviously want to,” Nami pointed out to him. Zoro tensed and looked away from the money hungry woman. 

“No, no I don’t,” Zoro defended as he started to walk in the opposite direction of where they were all supposed to be going. 

“You’re walking the wrong way!” Chopper yelped as he went to run after Zoro to get him back on track. “Zoro! I got some chocolate for you!” Chopper chirped as he handed a small box of the sweets to the swordsman. Zoro looked at his tiny friend in surprise and felt his cheeks pink as he accepted the chocolate from him. He wasn’t expecting to receive a token of friendship like this, he looked down at Chopper and saw how he smiled, that was enough to make his heart melt. 

“T-Thanks,” Zoro stammered out as he looked at the elegant and cute box he was holding. He then glanced over at Luffy who was sitting by the stand eating as much chocolate as he possibly could. That was when Zoro decided to make it his mission to get Luffy the best possible chocolate he could, the most too. “I’ll be back later,” Zoro suddenly said before he went to venture off to hopefully find something, or someone to help him accomplish his task. The first merchant he stopped at smiled when he saw the swordsman. 

“Ah! Are you looking for chocolate for your sweetheart?” He asked Zoro. Zoro sheepishly looked away and blushed, he didn’t think he could call his captain that, after all, nothing was set in stone.  

“I guess you could say that,” Zoro mumbled while the merchant smiled. 

“Well, you’re in luck! I have the sweetest chocolate here on the island, here! Try!” The merchant insisted as he shoved a piece of the chocolate in Zoro’s mouth. Zoro ate the candy in surprise and felt his mouth beginning to hurt from how absurdly sweet it was. Zoro cringed as he swallowed it, maybe this was too sweet for the captain. 

“Thanks, but I think I’m going to have to pass.” Zoro said with a small bow before he went to try and find another stall. That was when the swordsman heard someone singing in the stall that was closest to him. He glanced over at the stall owner and went over to her and saw her trying to sell her chocolate with her beautiful voice. 

“A sweet song for a bitter treat?” the woman winked, she held out a small piece of chocolate for the swordsman to try. Zoro took the chocolate and tasted it. Instantly his cheeks caved in and his lips pursed as he tried to process the bitter chocolate flavor that was in his mouth.

“Bleh!” Zoro cringed as he swallowed the chocolate and tried to get the bitter taste out of his mouth. The woman pouted at Zoro’s reaction but didn’t look upset by it. 

“Your love is new, isn’t it? Then bitter chocolate isn’t right for you. I suggest you try that stall over there,” the woman said as she pointed to a stall that was a little ways away from her. “But you better hurry, most of the stalls are beginning to close because the day is almost over,” the woman explained before she went back to singing her operatic song. Zoro tensed and quickly looked around and noticed how the stall wonders were slowly beginning to put their things away and he began to panic. He quickly started to run to try and find the stall owner the women told him about. But he got lost, horribly lost, and he wasn’t able to find them and it was becoming dark, he could see the moon shyly looking out from behind the sunset. Zoro felt his heart stop when the lights turned on in the small market square, yet there was almost no one there. When he turned around and saw only one stall open, he felt like his heart was going to snap in his disappointment. The stall was small and crudely made, and when he approached it, he noticed that there was a child standing there with a few small boxes of chocolate shoved into little heart boxes. 

“Do you want to buy some of my chocolate? I made it myself!” The young child smiled as they quickly held up one of the misshapen heart boxes. Zoro looked at the pitiful sight and couldn’t help himself, he had to buy it. 

“Yes, I would,” Zoro said before he bought one of the boxes and clutched it close. The crushed box reminded him of his own heart and he couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed carrying it around while everyone else had lavish boxes with beautifully crafted chocolates inside of them. He was nervous that this wouldn’t be enough, was it even worth the effort? Zoro slowly made his way over to the ship - not after asking for directions of course - and went aboard and watched as the crew was celebrating the ludicrous holiday and cheering with one another. Zoro saw the heart shaped pieces of paper everywhere and saw how Robin and Nami danced with Chopper and how Franky was making the lights look like hearts with Usopp. Sanji was cooking in the kitchen and Brook was playing romantic music while Luffy sang with him. Zoro looked at Luffy longingly and saw how he had many boxes of chocolate around him, why would he like this one? It was stupid, pathetic. The swordsman frowned and moved to leave the deck and go find someplace to be alone. Zoro was unaware that his odd attitude and uneasy aura had captured the attention of his captain. Zoro mindlessly found his way to the top of the ship and there he stood staring at his pathetic little box of chocolate while the party unfolded under him. 

“Zoro?” A soft voice called, Zoro quickly recognized that voice and hid the box of chocolate behind his back and looked over at his captain. 

“Luffy?” Zoro asked, why was he up here? He felt his panic beginning to increase the longer he had to look at the gentle eyes of his captain. 

“Why are you here? You should come enjoy the party,” His captain pouted, Zoro stared at Luffy’s lips and how they jutted out in his disappointment. Zoro stifled a sigh and looked out at the sky again, he didn’t have a response he wanted to share with his captain. “Did you get a box for someone?” Luffy then asked as he saw the small glimmer of pink paper from behind Zoro’s back. Zoro tensed and quickly tried to hide it again, his cheeks matched the color of the paper as he looked over at his captain. 

“I-it’s stupid,” Zoro stammered, “There’s no point -- “ before he could finish, Luffy grabbed the box from behind Zoro’s back and looked at it with inquisitive eyes. The captain’s brown eyes reminded Zoro of the sweet chocolate he tasted earlier, his heart tightened in his chest and he felt like he was going to be sick if he stared at him any longer. 

“Who is it for?” Luffy asked with a childish tilt of his head. 

“You,” Zoro blurted out as he stared down at his captain like the love sick fool he was. “They’re for you, it’s not the best box but I did my best to find something for you,” Zoro’s words fell on deaf ears. As Zoro spoke, Luffy opened the box and ate the crudely made chocolate and his eyes widened in surprise at what he was tasting. 

“This is good!” Luffy praised with a large smile on his face. Zoro was even more surprised when he saw how his captain was enjoying the sweets he had gotten for him. 

“Do you really like them?” Zoro asked, the captain nodded his head as he popped another one of the sweet candies in his mouth. Zoro was stunned with himself that his captain enjoyed what he had gotten. He was worried Luffy wouldn’t have liked it because there wasn’t a lot, but he should’ve known better by now. That smile on his face was enough for the swordsman, it always would be. 

“Yeah! I’d like anything from you! Oh! I got you something too,” Luffy admitted before he pulled up and equally beat up box of chocolates and smiled at Zoro. “I hope you like it, I couldn’t seem to find anything good either,” Luffy pouted. Zoro took the box and looked down at it as if it was the most precious treasure he had laid his eyes on. He smiled softly at Luffy and leaned in to kiss his rubbery cheek. Luffy continued to pout, but a blush soon blossomed onto his cheeks. The mini spout of courage surprised the both of them, but neither of them questioned it and just continued to savor each other’s company. 

“I love it,” Zoro said as he ate one of the homemade chocolates. “Thank you, captain,” Zoro smiled as he stayed close to his captain and ate chocolate with him and talked about nonsensical things. Zoro felt his heart swell, maybe this sort of holiday wasn’t so bad?

[motherfingtitan]

Hi! Big fan of your fics. I have a suggestion for one: the basic idea is that the Lower Decks characters (mainly the Warp Core Four) get involved with the ep. "Trials and Tribble-ations" Meet both DS9 and TOS crew in a subtle/not-so-subtle way (PARADOX!). Bonus: They are drawn and animated in TAS Filmation style, with some of them slightly aware. Maybe a bit of Mariner x Boimler? Hope you have fun with the idea.

Time Tribbles

The Warp Core Four decides to go back in time to the Enterprise to do some not-so-scientific research on Tribbles. They come across not one, but two famous Starfleet Crews

Tendi dragged herself to her bunk. She was absolutely exhausted from pulling double shifts in Medbay to make up for the influx of patients. Earlier today, some of the food replicators were producing food at extreme temperatures. They were also uncontrollably spewing food out, and in the case of ten forward, literally spraying boiling nacho cheese. Crew members had been in and out all day with burns. Just as she sat on her bed, she saw Mariner down the hallway. Both of them waved to each other.

"Yo, Tendi, what's up?" Mariner said as she walked up to her.

"Nothing much; I’m just exhausted from all the activity in Medbay. I did see somebody with a nacho cheese burn in the shape of an Orion continent!" She smiled.

"I have something that will cheer you up!" Mariner held up her finger and ran off, going to get her special piece of contraband.

After a few minutes, she returned with a Tribble in hand. It had brown fur and little white patches. She handed the Tribble to Tendi and sat down next to her. The cooing of the ball of fur filled the room.

"Personally, I would prefer getting drunk, but I thought this might be more up your alley" Beckett smiled as Tendi ran her hand through the fur, her eyes lit up.

"This is the cutest thing ever," Tendi squealed. She then spoke in baby talk to the Tribble, "Yes you are, you are the cutest little Tribble on this ship.”

She continued to pet the Tribble for a couple of minutes before finally speaking, "You know, I've always wanted to see a Tribble reproduce. I know that the ones they sell at the pet stores are neutered."

Beckett thought for a second before finally speaking. "Ok, so I got this really cool piece of contraband from the planet we did second contact with a couple of weeks back. I've been testing it, and I think it opens up portals to different times. We could go back in time to see Tribbles reproduce."

"But isn't that against the rules?”

"Yes, but it's for science, so it's probably ok. Come on, let get Rutherford and Boimler."

…

A few hours later, the four Ensigns were in an empty part of the docking bay. All of them were wearing 2260s uniforms. Tendi messed with her holographic disguise, trying to find the right hairstyle. She felt odd with blonde hair and peachy skin, but there was no way she could go back in time looking like an Orion. Enterprise crew members would ask too many questions.

"Bangs or no Bangs?" She adjusted her holographic remote, letting it flip through different hairstyles.

"Definitely the Bangs," Rutherford gave a thumbs up before continuing his excitement-filled lecture about Constitution-class ships. “Did you know that turbolifts were not completely voice-controlled back then? You had to hold down a bar for them to work.”

"Mariner, are you sure we should be doing this. Time travel is against 253.7-" Boimler began before being cut off Mariner.

"Rules, Schmules. Come on, Boims, this could be your one chance to see Kirk in flesh and blood."

"Fine, but I'm keeping you in check," he spoke.

Beckett then pulled out the small blue stone from her trouser pocket. It glowed softly in her hand. She set it down and stated where she wanted to go "Stardate 4523.3, USS Enterprise 1701."

The store glowed brighter until it flashed, opening up a small portal to the other ship. Its corridors were empty, meaning the Ensigns could slip in undetected.

"Ready to do science stuff?" Mariner asked Tendi.

She bounced in excitement, nodding rapidly. Mariner was the first to step into the portal. She felt slight tingles all over her body as she popped out on the other side. The Enterprise looked much different than the ships of her time. The lights had colored tints, and more equipment was exposed. Rutherford came out of the portal next, slightly dizzy but extremely excited to see such an old ship. Tendi and Boimler followed. Once through the portal, it returned to its original gem form.

Boimler slowly stood up, trying to shake off how dizzy he felt. "I feel so stiff and kinda cheap too,"

"You look different," Rutherford pointed out

"Oh god! Am I phasy again?!?"

"No, but your eyes look smaller," Tendi looked at all of them. "We all look kinda different."

"Probably some stupid time travel stuff, come on, let's got find some Tribbles!" Mariner shoved the gem in her pocket and started down the hallway, followed by the other four.

Soon, they came to the main corridor that was bustling with people. The women styled their hair in extravagant bumps and wore earrings. Most wore minidresses, a popular style in the 2260s, but a couple wore the tunic style uniform, just as Mariner was. The sound of boots tapping filled the hallway, and the gold rank bands on the officer sleeve sparkled among the sea of yellow, red, and blue. Perhaps the most striking thing, however, was the lack of aliens. The vast majority of the officers were human, a stark contrast from how diverse the Cerritos was.

Suddenly, Mariner stopped and motioned to the other three to get against the wall. From just around the corner, two very famous Starfleet officers could be heard.

"Is that Kirk?" Boimler asked

Mariner nodded, feeling just as excited as the rest of them but doing an excellent job of hiding it. Kirk and Spock were speaking with someone through the communication unit.

"Bridge to Captain Kirk." A young man with a Russian accent spoke.

"Kirk here." The captain responded

“Mister Baris is waiting on channel E to speak to you, sir."

Mariners’ heart was beating fast. She may have acted like she didn't care, but she did grow up as a Starfleet brat, and though she may have seen Captain Kirk in a holodeck simulation, it wasn't the same as being a couple of feet away from him.

"Mister Baris is coming on." The young man spoke again.

"Yes, Mister Baris. What can I do for you?" Kirk’s voice was pleasant

"Kirk, this station is swarming with Klingons." A man by the name of Baris replied.

"I was not aware, Mister Baris, that twelve Klingons constitutes a swarm."

"Captain Kirk, I consider your security measures a disgrace. In my opinion, you have taken this entire..."

At this point, Boimler had lost focus on that conversation as his eyes drifted to the other side of the hallway. There, a man with a deeper voice and a tall woman spoke. Both looked as if they were doing routine maintenance. The woman kept glancing back at the captain and the first officer.

"I had no idea." The woman began

"What?" The man replied, fiddling with some machinery.

“He's so much more handsome in person. And those eyes."

"Kirk had quite the reputation as a ladies' man."

"Not him. Spock."

Boimler noticed that, just like him, they looked out of place. He continued to listen.

"I can't believe you don't at least want to meet Captain Kirk."

"That's the last thing on my mind."

"Oh, come on, Benjamin. Are you telling me you're not the tiniest bit interested in meeting one of the most famous men in Starfleet history?"

Benjamin? He thought as he slowly went through all the people he knew named Benjamin in his head.

Benjamin Anderson

Benjamin Taylor

Benjamin Sisko

Sisko!

It was Captain Sisko! And the woman next to him must be one of his crew members. Jadzia Dax, maybe? His face twisted in confusion. What was he doing in this time?

"Guys, look!" Boimler whispered and motioned his head to the other side of the hallway.

"Is that... Sisko?" Rutherford asked. "He looks different," he added, still getting used to how everything looked in this period.

"Two famous Starfleet Captains in one day?!?" Tendi bounced on her heels.

"Why is he here?" Boimler looked at Mariner.

"I don't know, something to do with a Tribble and a bomb,"

"A bomb?!"

She shrugged. "Relax, it's on the space station. We will stay on the ship,"

"How do you even know all this?"

"I have my ways,"

The Ensigns decided that it was time to get moving. They didn't want to create too much suspicion by huddling up against the wall. The halls were so crowded, Constitution-class ships were certainly packed, even without the hallway bedrooms of the Cerritos. The colored lights enthralled Tendi. She was so used to sterile fluorescent lights that the soft blues, purples, and yellows were dazzling. She had read about these types of ships, but reading about it and seeing it were two different things.

"Gosh, I love Constitution-class ships," Tendi said.

But there was no response. She twisted her head back and forth, slightly panicking that she had lost her other three friends. She wanted to yell out their names, but that would raise too many questions. She would have to silently slither through the confusing corridors of the ship to find them, all while looking natural. Looking back and forth one more time, she decided to continue forward. Turning down a hallway, she noticed that there was a turbolift at the end. Inside were two men. One was a bulkier man in a red shirt, while the other man with slicked-back hair wore blue with a single strip of gold on the bottom of his sleeve.

"Deck twenty-one. Deck twenty-one. I said, Deck twenty-one." The man in the red shirt said. He's getting more frustrated every time he spoke.

"Maybe if you said please." The other man replied

Tendi remembered from Rutherford’s conversation earlier that turbolifts were not entirely voice commanded at this time. She continued to walk towards the lift.

"Maybe it's jammed. Help me get this wall panel off." The redshirt was starting to open a panel when the disguised Orion walked in. She put one hand on the wall handle and crossed her fingers, on the other hand, hoping that this would work.

"Deck fifteen." She spoke, and the lift started to move. She breathed a secret sigh of relief.

"I won't tell anyone if you don't." The medical man, with a British accent, spoke.

"My lips are sealed."

"Guys, where's Tendi?" Rutherford asks, trying to find one of his best friends.

"Aw Sh*t, we must have lost her" Mariner looked some more. "Tend-"

Boimler clamped his hand against her mouth. "Are you insane? You wanna mess up history?"

"Ok, then how do you want to find her?"

"Constitution-class ships only held about 300 people, so it shouldn't be too hard to find her, especially compared to a Galaxy-class ship," Rutherford suggested.

All three realize that the only way to find their friend was to just walk through the halls and hope they stumble across her. They started down the aisle, maneuvering their way through the mass amounts of people. At one point, Beckett hit somebody with her elbow.

"Oh, sorry." She said

The woman smiled and replied. She was wearing an operations red dress, and her hair was teased on top of her head. Her sleeves bore lieutenant stripes. "It's ok," she said as she walked away. She was making baby noises at something in her hand.

Mariner craned her neck just enough to see that in the lieutenants’ arms was a small Tribble. "It can't be long now."

Tendi saw the first baby Tribble in one of the turbolifts she was taking back down. She was alerted when she heard soft sweet cooing on the other side of the lift, and she couldn't resist. She picked it up, so happy to see an unneutered baby Tribble. At first, she only saw one every once in a while. Maybe one would be stuck to a wall. Another was in an older doctor's hands, and he was scanning it with a tricorder. However, the amount started to multiply, and before she knew it, Tribbles were lining every single hallway. They came and all shapes and sizes. Some were white with gray spots, and some were a beautiful shiny Brown. They stuck to the walls and the ceiling, and cooing filled the hallway, along with the occasional screech when someone stepped on one.

She tried to resist the temptation and only grab one, but every time she turned around, she found herself face-to-face with another ball of fur, and soon she had an entire armful of Tribbles. Curiously, as she wandered about trying to find her three friends, she saw Sisko and that other female officer scanning Tribbles. Both looked frazzled. She realized that they were scanning for a bomb of sorts and remembered that Mariner said it was on the space station, not on the Enterprise.

Speaking of Mariner, she finally found her friends walking towards her in a hallway. The pep in her step grew as she walked towards them.

"They are so cute!" Tendi showed off her arm full of at least ten Tribbles.

"Let's get to a private room, watch how a Tribble gives birth, and then get back to our own time," Boimler continued. "I don't want any time travel shenanigans on my file. It's not very Captain-like."

"Oh please," Mariner replied, "you realize how much stuff was on Kirk's record?"

The four came across an empty meeting room. They all walked in, Rutherford closed the door, and Tendi set one of her many Tribbles on the table. With her pad on hand, she was ready to take notes.

Tribbles reproduce fast, so it was only a matter of time before the one on the table, which Tendi lovingly named Warpy, gave birth. The ball of fur soon went from cooing to screeching as it tensed up half its body. Soon from underneath the adult Tribble, baby Tribbles emerged. Tendi was so excited, but the other three just watched with confused and uncomfortable faces. After she finished taking notes, Boimler suggested they leave.

"I'm going to miss the blonde hair, but I can't wait to have my old body back," Tendi spoke as Mariner pulled out her blue gem.

"Tell me about it; my eyes are the same color as my skin. That can't be healthy," she replied

"Maybe people look like this because of issues with the older technology," Rutherford suggested.

Mariner spoke to the gem the time she wanted to go back to. The portal opened underneath them.

"No one's got any Tribbles, right?" Mariner asked.

All of them nodded, and Mariner was the first to jump through the portal. Rutherford followed, and then Boimler. Tendi turned around one last time to her Tribbles.

"Bye, Warpy," she spoke as she jumped through the portal.

"Much fu*king better" Mariner cracked her back in the Cerritos’ shuttle bay. Tendi glanced over her notes and deactivated her disguise. Beckett came over to her and wrapped an arm around her.

"You had fun?"

"So much, thanks" Tendi smiled.

"How about we change and get some tacos?" Beckett spoke as she walked towards the doors.

"Okie Dokie" Rutherford and the other two ensigns followed.

As they walked to the mess hall, Mariner spoke to Boimler, “Glad you could join us. Ya know, you actually look confident in that old uniform! And kinda charming.”

“Thank you, I feel confident” He did a cheesy smirk.

“Annnnd now it’s gone.” She said, trying to hide the slightest blush.

They continued to their bunks to change. Unknown to Boimler, however, was a small ball of fur stuck to his vintage uniform boots.

Three days later

Ransom woke up for his morning shift at the sound of his alarm. When he reached over to turn it off, he felt a ball of fur right on his alarm clock. Upon opening his eyes, he saw that Tribbles filled his entire room, all cooing.

"Who brought an unneutered Tribble on board!?"

[terushimas-n1-hater]

𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 ٭

𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐩 𝐨𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Genre: kind of fluffy but its mostly angst

Warnings: toxic (abusive??) parents, arranged marriages, toxic relationships.

!Timeskip spoilers!

Playlists I listened to while writing this

"Good job..you did great out there."  You said with a hand on his shoulder.

"Ah" he smiled "thank you for your support, without you and many others I would've never won so, thank you"

He said with genuine smile on his face. He got closer to the sofa, he sat down letting out a long sigh "oh" he said as if he remembered something.

"Hey! Do you have a minute?"

"Yeah i guess"

"Okay okay here, i got you something."

he said handing you a bag "u- um thank you?" You're confused yet curious looking inside the bag you see a little box, it looked like a jewellery box...but why would he buy you jewellery? all you did was praise him and help him go through the tiring days because of training for the Olympics, so why would he buy you something expensive?

"You look curious, why don't you open it and see it for yourself." He said looking at you with a soft look. You took the box out of the bag opening it, What a gift....

It looks so beautiful

It was a pretty looking necklace. Its gold and Choker like with pretty little stars that go all around it. You remember wanting a necklace like this..

How did he know you wanted something like this?

Is this a coincidence?

You dont even talk to him that much?

What is he on exactly?

You looked at him and looked at the box again "uh..I saw you last month and how you were looking at that same necklace, it looked like you wanted it so um i got it for you" he said smiling softly

"But why? Is this out of pity or something?" You said with a confused face "what! Of course not! do..do you not like it?" "No no! I like it but its just kinda random.. since I didn't really do anything to deserve a gift like this.." You said sighing.

Your story with tooru was long.

You never wanted to marry a man. In fact the thought alone of a man's touch made you nauseous beyond all belief. But he.....wasn't any different from any other man you've always wanted to avoid. But with parents like yours, the moment they found out about your thoughts they completely lashed out on you saying that all those feelings and thoughts are not expected in their household. And Forcing you to marry a man that you never saw or knew about before in your life. I mean he wasn't mean to you never laid a hand on you.

But still, It didn't feel right.

You felt captured, you felt stuck in a dead end. Like there was no where else to go. Being a housewife for almost 2 years now made you fall in many depressive episodes. And he knew that, he knew so so well about all the depressive episodes you were in, He knew it all. He tried to help you, but there was nothing for him to do since he himself doesn't know you or anything about you.

Which made it harder for the both of you to understand each others struggles. He never forced you to stay inside the house and do stuff for him like how your parents want you to. He let you free, let you do what you want. There is nothing else for him to do. In fact the both of you thought about getting a divorce, but you both knew that both your parents would not let that happen. Although yes you both had something somewhat in common, you both loved space.

You specifically loved stars. And you could guess that he caught up with your love for stars. You wore a lot clothing and jewellery that had something with stars or space. He thought it was cute, so when he saw you looking at this very pretty necklace he knew you wanted it.

"First its not out if pity and second i got it for you since i kinda knew you liked stuff like this.." 

"Thank you tooru I really appreciate it."

I mean who wouldn't appreciate a gift like this?you loved and valued this gift but something just doesn't feel right with tooru honestly.. But it was just a gut feeling so you decided to just ignored it.

Again, tooru isn't the type that would keep you in his house and order you around. So you had many opportunities to get outside and have some fun you get me? Almost every weekend you'd get yourself all dolled up and go out with your friends For a little night out.

This not only made you happy and made you forget about all the shit you were going through, but it gives you a chance to do other fun things if you know what i mean. Hear me out, you knew it was wrong, so wrong actually. But it won't hurt anyone right? I mean tooru doesn't actually like you so, why not?

You did this with many people you meet at the club, specifically women. You loved it honestly. It made you feel more open and more happy about yourself. You didn't feel as captured as you used to, it was just great.

It was one of those nights again, you were laughing and chatting with one of your friends wearing (dress/suit wtv you prefer)

You felt so confident and happy. Moments later Your friend excused themselves to go to the bathroom, you nodded as they went to the bathroom. You were leaning on the bar and drinking your drink looking at the people on the dance floor drunkenly grinding and dancing together. You looked around to see this very pretty lady admiring you with a soft smile on her face, You smiled a bit while getting closer to her.

"Is there something on my face?" You asked with a cheeky smile

"No..i just thought you look pretty"

"Oh?"

"Very actually.." You giggled at that statement.

You and....aiko chatted for a pretty long time you kinda forgot about your friend. Aiko, aiko..what a pretty name, You were so interested in this girl honestly all you wanted to do is sit there and know all about her.

"What a pretty necklace you got there!" She said pointing at the necklace tooru gave to you.

"Oh! Yeah my.. brother gave it to me as a gift."

"Aww"

You both chatted for a while more and exchanged phone numbers

"Dont forget to text me!!" She said waving at you and blowing you a lil kiss.

You smiled and sighed, its probably time to go home.

You were looking for your friend to tell them that its time to leave, you took out your phone to call them and to know where they are until you saw you got some unread messages from them.

"Oooo ;)"

"Yall better make out after this."

"Okay I kinda ship bye"

"ANYWAYS..I'm going to leave this nasty azz club and leave ya too alone *wink wonk* "

"Love you AND DONT FORGET TO TEXT ME WHEN  YOUR HOME"

You smiled at the text messages. You really did appreciate having a friend like them..But, its time to head home now before it gets even more late. You paid for your drinks took your stuff on your way out.

You finally got back home, tooru was sleeping on your shared bed so now you have be extra careful not to wake him up.

After you changed and got ready for bed. Already texted your Friend letting them know you went home safely.

"Are you free this Tuesday?"

You just got a message from someone with the name "your bbg 😻" you chuckled remembering Akio saved here contact name on your phone that.

"Yeah i am!"

"Great wanna hang out? There is this café I went to before THEY SELL THE BEST BAGELS EVER"

"Oh sure!"

"Okay i will send you the location to the café tmr kk?"

"Okay goodnight bbg 😻"

"LMAO GOODNIGHT 💖💝💗💓❤"

.

.

.

¡A/n! : okay so ahm ahm I wrote this in a pretty bad mental state so, if there is errors or spelling mistakes OR ITS JUST BAD I apologise. But I do hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed thinking and writing about it!! I will be making a part 2 to finish this because I just realised that if I finish this all at once it would be a wattpad story type long lmaooo. Thank u and have a great dayy (ﾉ´ з `)ノ💕💞💓💗💖💝

[galaxina-the-pyro]

Isabella!! For the character ask

Bless your heart, I love you, thank you.

Favorite Thing About Them: Isabella is such an adorable bean and such a potent badass. Every time I see her in an episode, even for a moment, the enjoyment just increases. I guess you could say that I appreciate that she’s...a girl. She’s not a tomboy, not a girly-girl, not some kinda stereotype even though the show makes you think that at first, she’s just a girl. A girl who likes selling cupcakes, singing songs, being cute, all the stuff girls are stereotypically known for to the point of pink being her iconic color - and then you see her doing stuff like making a manly announcement about a truck rally, taking on Buford, being incredibly competitive and loving extreme sports, earning insane, non-conventional patches, FIGHTING ROBOTS, she’s a flipping beast. And she does it as HERSELF - there’s no one telling Isabella she shouldn’t like pink or should conform to one line of thinking. Heck, her whole shtick is just having a crush on a boy - and even though fans may complain about that, and even if the universe seems against Isabella at times, her friends never show disdain toward her feelings, it’s never implied that Isabella is WRONG for doing or liking things. She’s just...being her. She’s a girl - and a girl can like dolls and they can like bb guns. Heck, Isabella’s the character who made me realize how stupid labels really are, and that I should just focus on being me instead of trying to avoid being a stereotype.

I can also very much relate TO her crush on Phineas - I’ve felt that same fear whenever I had a crush on a boy. Heck, my favorite Isabella centered episode, “Operation Crumb Cake” really nails down all the aspects of Isabella that I ESPECIALLY adore. Isabella’s loyalty to Phineas is just...so wholesome and loving. More on that later.

Least Favorite Thing About Them: Isabella is a feminist icon - probably more-so than even Candace, Vanessa, or any other female in the show. As a result, though it’s not TOO often, she’s usually the mouthpiece for certain propaganda regarding the whole “girls are better than boys” fallacy that seems to be littered in children’s programming, Phineas and Ferb sadly being no exception. On one hand, it can be done relatively well - I liked her interactions with Buford in “Got Game?”, as she never once implied that girls were necessarily better than boys, rather that girls COULD beat boys.

On the other hand, you have Mission Marvel, where Isabella complains that there are NO superheroines in the group, even though she’s never had a problem being the only female in the group in the past. It greatly weakens her character whenever she plays a propaganda mouthpiece - this goes without saying for any character, but a character like Isabella especially.

Favorite Line: “Oh, Phineas, yes! I've been right here in front of you all along just waiting for you to...oh...wait. You were talking about the puppet, weren’t you?” 

(Much like Phineas, Isabella has A LOT of good lines that are underappreciated - “Do we have chopped liver? What do you think this place is? Chopped li-- oh, that doesn’t really work.”, “See what I mean? One woman’s capris pants is another’s...what’d I miss?”, and ya’ll know how much I love her “IT’S EXTREME!” tangents.)

brOTP: Isabella’s got a good list of brOTPs, namely with the Fireside Girls, Candace, Ferb, and of course Phineas - since I’m just gonna be gushing about Phinabella in the next part, I’m just gonna talk about the obvious:

I like how The Fireside Girls are in sync, but they’re also not perfect. They’re a clique of sorts, but not necessarily in a bad way. They still make mistakes, like pick on Ginger, and they seem to follow Isabella a little too easily, but their bond is, regardless, part of what makes them all so likable. I really wish we had more Fireside Girls episodes, because those girls deserved more development, and Isabella ROCKS that uniform.

Isabella and Candace’s relationship isn’t as forward as the others, but I really like their interactions - Isabella’s always willing to give Candace advice even if it wasn’t asked for, and Candace was so earnest in comforting Isabella when Pinky went missing and was even supportive of Isabella’s crush on Phineas even though she personally didn’t get the attraction. These two are gonna be rad sister inlaws.

Then there’s Ferb, which was a very interesting development. Isabella went from simply acknowledging him, to outright trying to push him and the others out of the picture, to appreciating him, and finally to really truly getting to know how he thinks. Ferb is an awesome wingman, and a supportive friend - he’s also a total troll, and I love him all the same.

Edit: Adding this here, I also really love Isabella’s friendship/rivalry with Doofenshmirtz, like, they were kinda hostile at first but then she became like? So supportive? She gave him a patch and everything, and I think that’s like, so important, because not many people believe in Doofenshmirtz and assume the worst, and then here’s Isabella who’s gotten to know him and believes he can accomplish his goal enough to give him a patch revolving around it - it’s so wonderful, and if we ever get more content I want them to interact again because any positive reinforcement for Doof is fantastic.

OTP: Phinabella. That’s a given, let’s all be real here. Isabella’s love for Phineas has always been a personal source of joy for me, and I hope to be as devoted as her when I find that special someone. Phineas and Isabella are just...so very in sync, and have such a great bond with each other. Sure, it’s hilarious whenever Isabella’s shot down, but what REALLY makes this ship is just their interactions. Whenever they dance together, whenever Phineas involves Isabella with a project or asks her what they should do, the puns they shared in “De Plane! De Plane!”, how protective they are of each other, how much they care for their feelings - it’s just so darn sweet.

It actually is all the stronger given how oblivious Phineas is, because that let’s you know that those gestures are ALL the more sincere. Phineas just so very deeply cares for Isabella, and Isabella cares very deeply for Phineas. I wish “Act Your Age” showcased this more instead of tearing them a part for a while, because I have a hard time believing they’d lose touch even if Isabella were to try to move on from Phineas - because their friendship isn’t just BECAUSE of Isabella’s crush, and their chemistry isn’t because of romance itself, it’s from the fact that they’re deeply connected in the most pure ways imaginable. I just...love them so much.

I like shipping Isabella with other characters, mostly OCs and...well...Buford oddly enough, but I can’t really see any of those ships being truly endgame. It’s always Phinabella in my heart, it always has to be.

nOTP: Let’s see, uh...Doofbella, Isabella/Candace, Isabella x any of the Fireside Girls, Isabella x Perry...I’d put Ferbella here, but I’m actually okay with that ship. I don’t CARE for it, but I don’t outright despise it either.

Random Headcanon: Based on the events of “La Candace-Cabra”, pulling Isabella’s dress inside out reveals that it doubles as a goat costume; she claims that all the dresses of this particular style and brand do this, and that she only has this dress because “there was a sale at the Googleplex mall”. She ultimately despises the fact her dresses have this feature, but appreciates how soft the goat-costume fur makes the outfit.

Unpopular Opinion: I kinda sorta wish that there was an episode where Buford won against Isabella? Or maybe, just put Isabella in a position where she didn’t necessarily SUCCEED against an opponent. I’d find that kinda conflict interesting.

Song I Associate With Them: “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri

Favorite Picture of Them:

To be fair there’s like...too many pictures to count, but if I had to choose, it’d be this one...oh, and uh, this one too (I know it’s a gif, but c’mon, this is amazing):

Wow...I talked about Isabella A LOT. Maybe she really IS my favorite...

...nope. Still a three-way draw.

[i-write-sometimes-blog]

Are you an angel? (Padme Amidala x Skywalker!Reader)

Request: Padme x reader where reader is Anakin's sister and is competing with him over her by @boomboomjedi

Words: 2,764

A/N: Reader's older than Anakin, she's the same age as Padme so they kinda get a long slightly better. I hope you like this little thing, was fun to write! Thanks for requesting!

Flashbacks are in italics

When Obi-wan contacted you you were happy to hear a familiar voice after many years of barely know about him and your brother, you were sure Obi-wan was taking good care of Anakin. You were excited to meet them and catch up with your little brother.

Your orders were to wait in the hangars of Coruscant for your brother and the person you would be transporting but the Jedi Master never told you who was that special person you would be escorting and you wished he at least had warned you it was her.

“Y/N?” Padme said surprised to see you waiting outside the big starship. “Is it truly you, Y/N?” she asked with a big smile.

She looked radiant as ever, hadn’t change much since the last time you saw her a few years ago except for the fact that time had only made her even more beautiful. Her soft smile and tender yet penetrating gaze reminded you of the first time you met in a planet with twin suns.

“Boy, get in here! Now!” Watto yelled and a little Anakin ran in from the junkyard. "What took you so long?" He asked in the language of the Hutt.

"I was cleaning the bin" the young boy said in the same language.

"Never mind! Watch the store. I've got some selling to do here" the blue alien commanded. "And where the hell is your sister? Call her" He said and turned to meet his client, a man who needed some parts for his ship.

With a last warning to the gungan the man followed Watto outside the store to the junkyard, leaving the young woman and the gungan with Anakin who sat on the counter, pretending to clean a part but his gaze was glued to the young woman standing a big uncomfortable in the middle of the room.

"Y/N!" Anakin looked behind the counter.

"Give me a moment!" You yelled from the room in the back of the shop where you were fixing some small motors and parts Watto was unable to, he knew you were good with mechanics. You stood up and took a piece of cloth to clean your oil covered hands as you walked towards the front of the shop.

Meanwhile the young Anakin couldn't stop glancing at the girl and then he finally got the courage to speak to her.

“Are you an angel?” your brother asked surprising the lady.

“What?” she said with a bit of surprise.

You were entering to the room but stopped for a moment to hear your little brother speaking.

“An angel.” he continued “I’ve heard the deep space pilots talk about them. They live on the moons of iego, I think.” Anakin explained “They are the most beautiful creatures in the universe. They are good and kind, and so pretty they make even the most hardened spice pirate cry.”

You chuckled taking the last steps to the counter and you stayed behind it next to your brother to finally look at the young woman he was referring as an angel who was a bit silent, certainly not really knowing what to answer to a child like Ani admiring her beauty.

“Anakin!” you interrupted seeing the lady slightly blushed. Your gaze met hers then, she scanned your face, curious to know who you were. You saw kindness on her eyes and when smiled, Maker, you felt like you were melting. If Anakin wasn’t right about calling her an angel, she was the most beautiful creature you had ever seen. You almost freeze for a moment, stunned by her.

“I’ve never heard of angels” she said smiling at you before she returned her eyes back to Ani.

“You must be one.” Ani said “Maybe you just don’t know it.” he added.

“You’re a funny little boy” the girl chuckled.

“You must forgive my little brother” you told her with a gentle smile “He can be a bit mouthy sometimes” Anakin stared at you furious.

“I see that” she said with a bigger smile.

“He’s not really used to see pretty girls such as yourself” you told her and you saw her slightly chuckling, if your brother could make a move over this girl you were going to show him the proper way to flirt.

Padme blushed for a moment before she shook her head and gave you an intense, daring glance. “Now, who’s being mouthy?”

You went silent for a moment, not only was she beautiful but she had such a brave personality.

You hoped she would have stayed around a bit longer, but a man followed by a droid rushed into the store from the junkyard.

“We’re leaving” the man said and the gungar that was playing around with some small droid followed him. Padme doubted for a moment to follow the man.

“I’m glad I met you…” she said looking kindly at you.

“Y/N” you told her.

“Y/N. I’m Padme” she said with a smile and then she turned to your brother “I’m glad to met you too, little boy”

“My name's Anakin” your brother protested only to making Padme chuckle before she turned to leave the shop. “I’m glad I met you too”

You both watched silently how she left.

“I think she likes me”Anakin said breaking the silence and you couldn’t contain yourself from laughing a little too hard.

“And what you know about girls, Ani?” you mocked “You’re nine”

“Shut up! I know she likes me!” he told you. You laughed messing his hair a little, an action you knew he hated.

“Yeah, whatever. Now go finish your work so we can go home” you told him and he immediately jumped off the counter. Once he was gone you kept staring at the door hoping Padme would come back someday.

“I can't believe it’s actually you, Y/N” Padme said as she greeted you with a warm hug, you smelled her rich perfume and enjoyed her closeness.

“It’s so good to see you, Padme” you told her still keeping her close to you. Then you finally let go of her.

“For all the stars! Look at you, Y/N” she said smiling as her eyes traveled up and down your body. “You certainly inherited your mother’s beauty. I’ve really missed you, Y/N” She looked you in the eyes for a moment, you had forgot how much power this woman had over you, with only one gaze she could make the whole world around you disappear.

Anakin cleared his throat audibly, he wanted to remind you his presence there, just like when he was a little child.

“We better get going now” He said “For Padme’s safety” You finally took a look at your little brother, well he was absolutely not little anymore, he looked rather like a man, tall, strong but he still had the same mischief smirk.

“Good to see you too, Ani” you chuckled and he rolled his eyes.

“Where’s the pilot?” he asked.

“I am the pilot, Anakin” you told him “In fact, I own this ship” there was a bit of surprise on his eyes, admiration too but he decided not to show it too much

“Can that thing even fly?” he said looking with an arched brow at your starship.

"You can bet" you told him and turned to Padme gently offering a hand "Welcome aboard the Medusa, m’lady. Please let me show you around" you told her and she giggled as she took your hand it the same polite and classy way she would have done years before when she was monarch. You leaded her inside the ship leaving Anakin with the luggage and R2 beeping by his side.

*******

“You look more like mom every day” Anakin murmured leaning in the doorway of the cockpit, you watched him for a moment over your shoulder. “Have you seen her?”

“Not in a long time” you told him. “You?” he shook his head.

Pulling some levers the ship went into lightspeed, the you let the control panel to look at your brother. Time had really change him, he looked so professional on his Jedi robes. He analyzed the cockpit for a moment.

“So this is yours?” He said smiling “It’s nice”

“Thanks, I worked a lot to buy it” you told him as you got up pushing some buttons around the place. You stood in front of him before you smiled.

"What you're thinking about?" You asked, his gaze was focused on the distance but met yours to answer.

"Her" he murmured "I just can't stop thinking about her and she didn't even recognize me when she saw me"

"Well, you have changed quite a bit, little brother" you chuckled.

"But she remembered you immediately when she saw you" he said "and it's not fair. I have spent all this years thinking on her, dreaming about her… "

"Longing to see her again, to meet her intense stare and soft smile. To hear her firm voice when she speaks serious matters but warm when she's talking about her people" you murmured unconsciously, it was your heart speaking. "Time had only seem to make her more gorgeous" you said and only then you noticed that your brother was suddenly silent and when you turned to face him he had that mischievous grin.

"So you do like her, Y/N" he grinned. “I thought that for a time but I never thought it was truth”

"No!" You rushed to said feeling your face blushing. "We're just good friends" you lied.

"Good" he smiled "Then I guess it won’t bother you if I make a move" he teased.

"You're becoming a Jedi, Anakin. Love is forbidden isn't it?" He was going to answer you but you cut him off "Good thing I'm not a Jedi." You mocked "Now if you excuse me” you told him already walking out the cockpit “The Senator may be feeling lonely, I’m going to make her some company"

“No, I am going to keep her company” Anakin said “It’s my mission to protect her.”

“It’s my mission to escort her and also this is my ship” you told him. “And again, I’m a good friend of hers, we’re close, Ani” you said with a smirk.

"How close?"

"Close" you told him looking over your shoulder satisfied with the effect of your words on him, he seemed absolutely not happy with you. He followed in silence down the hall to the main room of the ship, he was plotting something you could tell, you knew your brother just too well so you were not surprised when he playfully pushed you, just like the old times in Tatooine when you two used to race.

“It’s that how it’s going to be, huh?” you chuckled and pushed back, rushing down the hall laughing. Anakin hurried to pass you, moving you out off his way when he reached you sending you to the closest wall “Seriously?” you said recovering fast from the small hit.

“Somethings never change, I’m still faster than you” he said slowing down for a moment.

“You’re still a cheater, that’s what you are, Anakin” you told him and rushed again but this time down a different hall, you knew the faster way to the main room, it was your ship after all. “I won!” you yelled just when he was arriving.

“No you didn’t!” he chuckled “I let you win, Y/N”

“No, I won”

“No, you didn’t”

“Yes, I did”

“What are you two doing?” a melodious voice asked surprising you, as a reflex both turned your head to find Padme standing in the other side of the room. She had changed clothes and was now in a delightful new dress.

“Nothing” Anakin and you said at unison making a sweet laugh fell from Padme’s lips.

“You’re such children” she told you.

“I can assure you, I’ve grown up” Anakin declared “I’m a gentleman now, Padme”

“A gentleman who slammed his sister to the wall to win a race” Padme said in serious like she used to do in the Senate “Yes, a gentleman indeed, Ani”

You smiled at Padme and she winked at you while Anakin seemed to be rather embarrassed.

“Captain Y/N, can I talk to you a for a moment” she said still in the serious tone and yet smiling playfully at you.

“I’m at your service, Senator” you gave her the same professional tone and a small bow with the head before you followed her leaving Anakin alone and pissed once again.

Padme was the one to start talking once she was sure your brother wasn’t following you.

“I’m really glad to see you, Y/N” she told you kindly “It’s been a long time since the last time I saw you, how many years had passed?” she told you with a smile as you walked through the ship and stopped in front of a big window.

“Eight years” you murmured.

“It’s a lot to catch up then” she chuckled.

“It certainly is” you chuckled too “After Naboo, life was an odyssey. It’s a bit strange to think we will be there in a few hours, had it changed? I mean, Naboo.”

You caught a nostalgic smile curving her lips.

“Not much, not since you left” she told you. “You could have stayed, you know?”

After the battle in Naboo you hoped to get training like your brother, unfortunately the Jedi council stated you were far too old to join them. You seemed lost for a moment not exactly knowing where to go or what to do now but Padme was kind enough to accept you in her court making you a lady in waiting. You learned manners and formalities at the same time Captain Panaka taught you more about piloting and fighting. It was a good life, calm but monotone, the only thing that was keeping you there was Padme. You got the chance to see her every day, to make her laugh while walking through the palace you would have stayed forever just for her but you left.

“I know, I thought about it but… I belong in the stars, you know me Padme” you told her giving her a wink.

“Always glancing at the stars” she gave you a warm smile “I have to confess” Padme said with a bit of sadness on her tone “I was heartbroken when you left, Y/N” she told you sincerely. She thought for a moment before finally speaking again. “Tell me something, please be honest”

“Anything” you told her.

“Would you have stayed if I had asked you?”

You took her hand and sftly guided it to your lips pressing a soft kiss on her knuckles, a simple way to show her your affection you used to do back when you were her lady in waiting.

“Of course” you murmured “You mean the galaxy to me, Padme. I should have told you a long time ago.” you confessed making a soft pink painted her cheeks as the most marvelous smile lighted her face.

Doubting she leaned close to you, her hazel eyes focused on your lips. Taking all the courage in you you closed the distance pressing a short but pleasant kiss on her delicate lips. She smiled briefly before pulling you into a new kiss forgetting for an instant about the world around you, it was a voice what made you two get back to reality.

"Y/N, where are you?" Anakin's voice rumbled through the ship. "You have to land this thing"

Breaking away Padme and you shared an annoyed glance.

"I'm going to kill him" you joked.

"Same boy from the desert" Padme murmured with a small laugh.

You gave her a loving stare as you keep holding her hand. You felt home again having her on your life after all this time.

"I'm going to land if you don't come here, Y/N" your brother yelled.

"Don't touch my ship, Anakin!" You yelled back making Padme laugh.

"And same lovely girl from the desert too" she told you caressing your cheekbone for a moment. "You should go, he's not my favorite pilot" she said.

"He's going to crash my ship" you agreed.

Reluctantly you left Padme's side to go to the cockpit. Looking over your shoulder you gave her a last smile and a complicit look. Once Anakin said that Padme was an angel, as a pilot you had seen those angels, he was wrong, there was no beauty in the galaxy to compare with hers.

[rockingelbows]

/NSFW: SEXUAL- LOVE MAKING\

Ship: BakuSero.

It all started with that one kiss one summer, that led to the love making of his life. It was hot. No, not the mood. The sun beat down on Hanta in waves, and the noirette was suffering. His hand was fanning his face, his hair now in a man-bun. Katsuki was in a chair, curled up on his hammok in his boyfriends dorm, reading a book with small reading glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. Hanta was doing homework at his desk, silently watching Katsuki when he got all of it done. He licked his lips, they were dry because it was so hot. He hasn't felt heat in months, since beibg incased in ice didn't suit his body well, and usually hed be estatic. But now? He was suffering. The blond in his hammok wasn't any better off, by the slam of the book hed guessed Katsuki was done with the book for now. Hanta watched, and their eyes met. The red-eyed blonds gaze softened at the sight of his sweaty, misrable boyfriend. "I haven't seen you this hot and bothered before."

Katsuki had a hard time controlling his quirk in the heat, that's why he had his fists clenched as Hanta gently grabbed his wrists. Hanta stood up from his rickety desk chair, and held the slightly smaller male to him. He bent his knees so he could snuggle into his boyfriends chest. "Hey, hey, I thought you'd be too hot for that."

Hanta shrugged, "I mean, I wonder what being Kat-defincent would be like. I cant just let myself do that."

Katsuki rolled his eyes and pecked Hantas lips. Hantas face lit up, like, red. It was already flushed by the heat, but by his slackened posture and by the way he tried to hide himself hid himself in his hair even though it was up in a bun (for the most part, anyway). The tape user huffed, puffing his cheeks out. Explosion boy answered in kind, which (of course) would be squishing Hantas cheeks together so the air would be let out. Hanta broke into a small, embarassed grin. Katsuki felt himself start to melt more from the small smile, and damn, did it melt him more than the heat ever could. Hanta was just so..pretty. He wanted to appriciate every part of skin on his boyfriend, and even parts (like his mouth) that would definitely make them ignite together. Hanta was so perfect, and theyve talked about making love before, but they've been nervous. Hanta gets overstimulated easy, and even when pleasuring himself, he has to drag it out but not let it go too far, or he'll become a whiny mess, as Hanta had told him. They haven't had any intercourse yet, Hanta finds it very important that love comes before pleasure, and with those eyes, Katsuki couldn't help but agree. Hantas eyes met Katsukis, and Katsuki said, "do you want to try to make love, hun?"

Hanta bit his lip, "its kinda hot though," he said.

Katsuki said, "because you dont have your 'ditioning on, dumbass."

Hanta pouted, separating from Kat with hesitancy and draggung himself to his controls. He turned the air on, and instantly felt the cold sweep across his feet and he gratefully took it. He fanned himself, slipping his ponytail holder out of his hair at the same time. Katsuki bit his own lip, and couldn't help but want Hanta more. Not sexually, just want his touch. Hanta looked over, sweat starting to go away. He immediately went to cuddle up to Katsuki, giggling and nuzzling his chest. "Yes. Im ready, honeybee."

The blond nodded, slowly bringing their lips together. Hanta didnt fight against Katsuki, only wrapped his muscular arms around Katsukis stomach. Despite that, his elbows rested against his hips. Its a great resting place, he doesn't have to work as hard to hold Kat like this. Hanta felt Katsukis lips part from his, and he took in a shuddering breath, feeling his body reacting to the stimuli that Katsuki was now giving him, not groping, gods no, seemingly appreciating Hantas behind. Ths calloused hands of the other muscular man were rubbing small circles on his butt, he couldn't help but start to feel embarassed. "Remember the safeword we talked about?"

"M-mhm. Soy Sauce. And slow down is Spicy."

"Just making sure, thank you, Hanta."

Hanta nodded, kissing Katsukis head and led him to his big bed. He laid on his back, beckoning the other male to come overtop. The blond did so, but ducked his head to slowly make love bites on Hantas exposed skin. He sat back up, appreciating the flushed face and the whine he pratcially felt vibrating in Hantas throat, waiting to be released. Hanta let put that high pitched whine when Katsuki started sweet talking him.

"Your body is perfect. Your elbows are so pretty on you. No one can amount to how amazing you look. Ever."

Hanta shook his head, the whine mentioned ripping through his throat. He gasped, "K-Kat," he felt himself about to cry as Katsuki kissed all over his face, and kissed the first stray, salty tear that made its way over the pale skin of Hanta. Katsuki spoke in a small, soft voice that had an edge of roughness. Hanta loved it. Its a great representation of his love. It may seem rough, his love, but he fell in love with Katsuki for a reason. Study session forgotten, books amd pencils abandoned, they started to slowly make out as the room seemed to heat back up again. The wet noises of their lips was basically the only sound in the room, besides the rustling of Hantas squirming legs desrately needing a hold on something. They found Katsukis waist, and brought him closer with his lips. Katsuki now leaned over Hanta on his forearms and elbows.

Hanta played with Katsukis hair as they started their intimacy. They didn't rush, theres no need to. They have each other, this is to show their love. Even if its cold, and Hanta is having trouble sleeping because of his anxiety, or if its cold he'll be anxious because he thinks he'll be trapped. Again. He never wants to experience that again, the shivering cold. But now, hes shivering in excitement, so he guesses Katsuki is the only reason that he'll shiver and smile at the same time for. Katsuki pulled from the session first, slowly peeling Hantas tank-top up. He kisses all the exposed skin he could, sometimes nipping at the skin. Hanta whined at the attention, feeling like royalty.

"I want to kiss every inch of you, because I want to kiss perfection. Every peice and inch of skin is so perfect on you, Hanta, baby. You are sculpted so well, you arent a beast but you are so strong. Not even just physically, Han. Just in general. You always tease me to push me to do better, and you believe in me. You make me so happy. And I know you sell yourself short. I see it in your face. But youre so perfect, so pretty, I cant help but love you so, so much."

Hanta let out a sob as Katsuki finished, now full-on crying. "B-but I'm just.. so plain."

Katsuki pulled the tank off Hanta, who just let him. His muscular chest was kind of like Katsukis, but not near as thick. Hanta blushed, still crying but it got worse as Katsuki splayed his warm hands on Hantas chest, fondling the muscles with gentle touches, but somehow loving. "Plain beautiful, baby. You drive me mad, sometimes. You are so f.."

Hanta didnt like excessive cussing during love time, so he corrected himself,

"You are so amazing. You have a good body. Your face is beautiful, and unique. Do people look like you anymore? No? Then youre not plain. You're unique. You will make such an awesome hero."

Hanta clutched Katsukis shirt, sobbing into it. Katsuki kissed Hantas cheek and the noirette peeled his face off Katsuki, tugging silently on the shirt with red-rimmed and tear-filled eyes. The blond pulled it off, anf Hanta latched onto one of Katsukis shoulders, making love bites. With marking Kats skin, his soft whines were muffled. "Those sounds are beautiful, baby. I love you."

Things continued to get more and more heated until Katsukis fingers were at Hantas quivering rim. Katsuki pushed a finger in and Hanta whimpered, mostly of embrassment. As he got stretched out, he whimpered and whined - not excessively, though. They came out short, and high pitched. Katsuki loved them. He took his time stretching Hanta out, his other hand holding Hantas. The noirette has always been embarassed about intimacy, something he never though hed deserve or get. But here he is, the love of his life, stretching him so they can make love. Hanta squirmed at the thought, and Katsuki kissed Hantas thighs. Hanta gasped, biting his lips. His thighs were sensitive, especially toward the insides. Hanta let out his first small moan when Katsuki slowly found his prostate, and with the pace he was going, brushed along it slowly. Katsuki flushed, hearing that sound. He was aroused, sure, aching. But this is about love, and he was going to treat Hanta like an ancient relic, all the love and attention he needs. Once Hanta was stretched enough, it only felt like a few seconds to them, but they took five minutes slowly preparing each other, physically (Hanta) or mentally.. (Hanta and Katsuki). The only thing left on the blond was his boxers, while his lover was naked. He pulled his fingers out and watched Hantas eyebrows furrow. He was still crying. Sniffling. It was cute, under the cicumstances.

Katsuki shimmied out of his underwear and hissed as the (now) cold air swept across his penis, holding it in place. Hanta peeked pver and squealed, hiding his face in his arms. Katsuki leaned over and moved the arms away, exposing the embarassed face and tear marks. Hanta whimpered and nodded and Katsuki asked "are you ready?"

Hanta took a huge inhale to relax himself as Kat pushed into him, a long, high pitched whine followed, not because it was /that/ good, but because it felt good to feel loved. He always felt like this was all about love, and the whine was something apong the line of " you love me enough to do this. "

He trusted Katsuki, and the two threaded their fingers together and held eachothers hands, Hanta started full-on sobbing again and Katsuki said nothing of it, just kissing away tears he could reach. "I love you," Kat said, voice deep with arousal. Hanta gasped in air that he desprately needed, and replied with a shakey "I love you too."

After Hanta adjusted, Katsuki started a slow, easing pace that made Hanta squirm. They kept going.

They had tested for any desiease any of the two might have, and Hanta found out hes sensitive to condoms (don't ask) so they went in raw. And, Hanta can't get pregnant. So, they hadn't thought about it. Hanta whimpered and whined until Katsuki gradually sped up, and the pace he went was still slow and love-filled. Katsuki was pouring his love into Hanta and the noirette couldnt help but keep crying. "You're so pretty, baby. You always make me smile, you know?"

"B-but doesn't everyone think I'm weird?"

"No, baby. You're perfect. They all care about you."

They both talked about problems while they made love, comforting each other and holding each other close. Telling eachother they love them. It was sweet, and even if theyre still in high school they still loved each other very much.

@bnha-kitten

[buckys-forgotten-plum]

I prefer Bucky, Doll ||3||

Read Part 2 Here

Prompt:  James Buchanan Barnes has been coming to your weekend market table for a while now and finally has something to ask.

Warnings: Angst, Swearing, Steven Rogers being an idiot, Y/n also being and idiot, a very sad and very soft James Barnes. 

wowzers a part three. At this rate I might have to actually become a regular writer and not be a lazy pos. 

Please, Like, Follow, Reblog, Comment, Sing, Dance, whatever you wanna do! 

Have a nice day guys and enjoy reading :)

                                                                 ~

“James you look so handsome in your uniform,” you compliment happily to the man standing in front of you.

James had just arrived to take you and Steve to his send off. It was a sad day but you still made sure to wear your prettiest dress and bake a dozen of your famous snicker doodle cookies for him. 

“Thanks doll, you look lovely as usual.” Bucky blushes and looks down at the small bouquet of flowers clutched in his hands. He was a bit embarrassed about his gift choice. why would I get flowers for a girl who sells them for a living. 

“Are you giving those to Stevie?” you joke and motion towards the pretty bundle of flowers that Bucky seemed to be holding on to for dear life. You couldn’t be too mad though, your grip on that poor bag of cookies was just as tight. 

Bucky let out a quiet laugh, handing over the flowers with a sheepish grin, “Sorry doll, can’t say I ain’t nervous or anything,” 

A soft breath of air leaves your lips, “I know, James. It’s going to feel a bit... Lonely, here. Especially at work,” You finish the sentiment with a tight smile. 

James doesn’t respond, only smiles back and takes your hand in his. 

________________________________________________________________

The send off was filled with tears and mothers yelling for their sons safe return. You don’t remember if Steve cried, too busy focusing on your own tears that clouded your vision. You remember Bucky’s mother holding onto him for almost up until he boarded the giant, dark grey ship. You remembered Becca sobbing loudly next to Steve. You remember the way, after his mother letting him go, how he held you. It was tight and all consuming around your smaller frame, his right hand tangled deep into your hair as his left arm wrapped around your waist and his hand was latched to your hip. You remembered how he breathed deeply, shushed you quietly as your violent tears soaked the shoulder of his forest green jacket.

“Don’t cry sweetheart, I promise everything will be fine,” Bucky mumbles into your hair. 

“You can’t promise that James. That’s not fair,” Your voice is scratchy as you cry out a reply. 

“You’re right, honey. But please promise me something? Promise that you’ll look after Steve for me, yeah?” He pulls away just a bit to stare down at your surely makeup stained face. 

“W-What?” your brows furrow, face tilting into the warmth of the soldiers hand. 

“It’s just... Steve’s always had me there, during his father, after his mother. I need you to make sure he stays out of trouble... Keep em’ safe for me alright? He’s kinda stupid,” The smile that adorned James’ face was beautiful as he spoke to you. 

You’d miss it immensely.

“Okay, yes-yes I promise.” You nod your head in agreement, pushing your cheek into his hand even more. 

A sharp intake of breath made its way to your lungs as you see a few tears run down Bucky’s face. You quickly wipe them away, leaving your hands to rest gently on each side of his face. 

“See you soon. Right doll?” His smile spoke volumes as he stared down at you. 

“Of course, Bucky. I’ll see you soon,” You answer, voice shaky and weak. 

With a small, lingering kiss to you forehead and one to each cheek, Bucky lets you go and steps back. With one final wave, he turns to the ship and begins to make the small journey to board. You feel the other three onlookers step beside you and gaze upon the heavy sea of green flowing onto the main deck. 

“Lord, please get my boy home safely. I beg of you,” Ms. Barnes words cut into your heart with a deep pity and you grab onto the sleeve of Steve’s shirt for stability. 

Your small group stands there, watching the process of everyone board as family after family says goodbye to their sons, fathers, brothers, husbands... 

At some point in time, you couldn’t remember when, James’ family went home, while you and Steve stayed at the docks until the sun had begun to set. You had stopped crying after you had run out of tears to shed, Steve being there to comfort you the whole time. He told you empty promises of James’ safe return in a couple months but you couldn’t believe him, you weren’t blinded to the fatalities and ugliness of war, for God’s sake your mother had been a nurse in the first World War, she had returned with an abundance of scars and lack of hearing, Your father wasn’t fortunate to be able to come home...

“You wanna get out of here kid?” Steve’s voice had broken you out of your seemingly endless train of thoughts as he quietly asked the question.

“I’m not too sure yet Stevie... You can go on home if you need, I know you get sick real easy and it’s gonna start gettin’ cold soon,” your voice was hoarse and painful as it ground its way from your lips. 

“Y/n, you know I would never leave you out here alone! Come on, let’s get some food in ya,” Steve stood up and held his hand out for you to take. 

You hesitated for a moment before allowing his hand to grab yours and stand up. 

________________________________________________________________

Steve ended up taking you to the same diner that Bucky had taken you to on your first (and sadly last) date. It was warm and quiet inside, the newest big band record playing from the jukebox filled the air quietly, creating a comforting environment that soothed your aching heart just the slightest bit. 

“You want some pancakes, Doll?” Steve asked, a small teasing smile gracing his lips. 

You pull a sad smile on to your face and shake your head, “Just a malt is fine Stevie, thank you,” 

“Comin’ right up,” he assured, lightly knocking on the table you had chosen for your visit before heading up to the counter to get the waitress’s attention. 

As you waited, your fingers messed with the hem of your dress, tugging at the soft material and running your fingers over the few wrinkles that had managed to set themselves into it. It wasn’t long until Steve had returned with too delicious malts in his hands. You both drank the majority of them in a comfortable silence, enjoying the warm atmosphere and  each others company. 

“He’ll be alright, I know he will,” Steve mumbles, his eyes gazing up at you and just for a second, it seemed as though Steve was trying to convince himself more than you. 

You reached across the table and placed your hand upon Steve’s, “You’re right, he will,” You tried to put as much confidence in your voice as you could muster, hoping it would be enough to calm you friend. 

“Are you ready to go?” 

You nodded in agreement, Steve wasting no time in standing up and offering you his hand like the gentlemen he was. “Thank you Stevie,” 

“No problem doll,” he smiles gently, removing his hand from yours and placing it lighting on your back.

The walk back to your apartment, you assumed, would have been uneventful, until Steve had seen a recruitment center, making his feet stutter in their movements. 

“Y/n your apartment is just down the block right?” he asked absentmindedly. 

A sigh escaped your lips before you could even think about responding, “Steven don’t-” 

“It’s fine, I’ll only be minute if you don’t feel comfortable walking the rest of the way,” Steve mumbled and began walking towards the entrance like he was in some sort of trance.

“Steven Rogers you will not sign up again. You’ve done it so many times your bound to get caught, you’ve never passed one before-” “Y/n my best friend just left on a boat to go save countless lives, I owe him this,” 

You hurriedly followed Steven into the mess of canopy and folding chairs, refusing to back down.

“You owe yourself your life Steve. This is ridiculous, there are so many other ways you can help,” Your hand reached out and gripped onto his arm, turning him towards you and staring into his eyes.

“What? Collecting scrap metal like little Timmy?” “Steve-” “ Working in a factory? Y/n men are laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them, that’s what you don’t get. It isn’t about me,”

Your brows scrunched in frustration, “right, cause you got nothing to prove? At all?” 

Steve’s jaw clenched as he glanced away from you, “You can’t stop me from doing this, Y/n. I’m sorry, you just can’t,” 

You let out another begrudged sigh and refrained from slapping the man in front of you, “Fine. I’m coming with you then,” 

“What? No you’re not, the war is no place for a girl like you,” You blanched at his words. 

“A girl like me? Steve I grew up with three brothers, I have two master's degrees, and I have more than enough knowledge on what goes on in war due to what my parents went through before I was born, so excuse me but you have your views completely backwards. Now, let’s get this done and over with so I can go home because today has been complete hogwash,” You huff, grabbing Steves wrist and dragging the frozen man over to the check-in. 

________________________________________________________________

Steve was now sitting on an exam table, shoes pushed off into the corner and sleeves rolled up. You sat in another corner, ankles neatly crossed and hands folded stiffly in your lap. A young doctor stood at the small counter set up, quietly going over the documents in hand. You had no doubt they would reject Steve, just like the other five recruitment offices. Steve had the longest list of illnesses and disabilities you had ever seen, when he had first introduced himself to you it was after he had suffered an asthma attack while walking around the market with Bucky. 

Everything seemed fine until a pretty nurse walked into the room, quietly whispering into the doctors ear and leaving with him in a hurry. You could see Steve stiffen from where you sat as he quickly looked over his shoulder, his eyes roaming to the sign above your head, stating that it was illegal to lie on your form. 

“Steve,” you bit quietly in warning, your ankles uncrossing and getting ready to dash out. 

“Yup, got it, leavin’, you were right,” he agreed immediately and jumped to put his shoes on. 

“You’re damn right I was,” you mutter under your breath, too stressed to remain ladylike. 

Another man enters the room and you both freeze from your escape, two sets of wide, cautious eyes stare at the intruder as he casually walks over to the counter.  “So... You want to go overseas, kill some Nazis,” the accent made the both of you perk up a bit as you stared in awe at the doctor in front of you. 

“Excuse me?” Steve asked, slightly taken aback. 

“Dr. Abraham Erskine, I represent the Strategic Scientific Reserve,” the man walks over to you, offering his hand for you to take, which you quickly do, shaking it firmly and quietly saying you name before the doctor moves back to Steve. 

“Steve Rogers,” the man introduces, stiffly taking the others hand. 

Doctor Erskine turns away and begins to shuffle through his stack of papers once more, “Where you from?” Steve asks suddenly. 

“Steven,” you gasp at his rude intrusion and the meaning behind it. 

“It’s alright miss, I live in Queens, but if it’s that important to you, I originate from Germany, this bothers you?” Erskine’s response is calm as he turns to Steve, giving a pointed look at the other man. 

Steve shakes his head quickly, “no,”

There’s a beat of silence before the doctor responds, “Where are you from, Mr. Rogers? Mmm? Is it New Haven? Or Paramus? Five exams in five different cities,” 

He had been figured out, a sigh escaped your lips and you clapped your hand to your forehead in a mixture of defeat and frustration. 

“That might be the wrong file-” “forget about the exams, I do not care about the exams... Five different tries, now that is something I am interested in. Do you want to kill Nazis?” the doctor asked, eyes locked onto Steve's. 

“Is this a test?”

 “Yes;” 

“I don’t want to kill anybody, I just...Don’t like bullies,” Steve answered, his voice quiet but firm. 

“There are many big men fighting this war, have been for a long time, maybe now what we need,” the doctor paused for a moment, glancing in your direction, then back to Steve, “maybe we need a little guy,” 

Your eyes shot up in shock, “You’re taking him?” 

“I can give him a chance,” the doctor answered. 

“I’ll take it,” Steve agreed quickly, hopping to his feet. 

Doctor Erskine turns to you, “Miss Y/L/N, you seem... Upset,” 

“I made a promise to someone I care deeply for that I would keep Steve from doing anything stupid,” you let out a dry laugh, standing up and looking to the man who had sealed Steve’s fate. 

“So that means it would likely be best you accompany him, yes?” 

“What?” Both yours and Steve voice ask in shock, glancing at each other then back to the seemingly crazy doctor. 

“It doesn’t take much to look up a last name in these files and see if any family has served before, Miss Y/L/N. Your parents are highly decorated service members, I can only hope you have inherited their gifts?” 

You smile proudly and look Doctor Erskine in the eyes, “Fully graduated with a Masters in molecular biochemistry and another in Bioengineering sir,” 

“Your parents must be very proud, you have a chance to build upon that pride. I have a place for you on my team,” 

“A-Are you serious? Would I be staying alongside Steve?” Your voice shook as you tried to understand your situation. 

“Assuming that he doesn’t waste his single chance, that is correct. So, are you truly willing to keep your promise to that person? Will you be joining us?” Both men stared back at you expectantly as your mind reeled to catch up with what was happening. 

It only took a moment to figure out your only option. 

“When are we leaving?” You ask, finality in your voice and a new feeling beginning to bloom in your chest. 

[mirkwoodshewolf]

Time travel rescue pt.2; 11th Doctor x teen reader ft. Queen

*Author’s note*

Okay ya’ll so I hope you enjoyed the first part, now we get to pt.2 where Freddie and Roger take up majority of this chapter, so you get to see the craziness that I hoped I managed to get in based off of stories of their friendship and videos of them together so I hope I did this wonderful soulmate shipping justice. However fair warning that P**l Pr**ter makes his appearance so prepare your stomachs.

Taglist:

@psychosupernatural

@plethora-of-things

@ixchel-9275

@waddles03

@platawnic

@bensrhapsody

@queendeakyy

@kairosfreddie​

@geek-and-proud​

____________________________________________________

The next morning I woke up and found myself in a hotel room of sorts.  At first I didn’t know what happened, it was all such a rush last night I—I had this dream that I had gone back to 1975 and actually met my favorite band, and that Roger actually allowed me to sleep in his room.

“Morning (y/n).” I heard that familiar soft voice call out from the kitchen.  Oh god it wasn’t a dream. I am actually in 1975 and I really did—or well currently meeting the band and Roger did give me his room for the night.  I looked up and said.

“Morning Roger.”

“How’d you sleep last night? The clothes work okay for you?” he asked.

“Yeah they—they worked out fine.”

“You hungry? I’m making eggs and cutting up some bread and bacon, I hope that’s alright.”

“That’s fine. I’m—actually quite hungry.”

“Well come on over to the kitchen and I’ll put an extra plate.” I got out of the bed and followed him to the kitchen.  I sat down at the kitchen island bar and he said again, “I don’t know how you like your eggs, so I made them scrambled which is what I prefer. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Well then you’re lucky that scrambled eggs is my favorite. Besides sunny side up makes me yack.”

“I know right, why do people claim that’s the best way to make eggs?” he exclaimed.  Wow so Roger Taylor and I have the same view on how eggs should be prepared, that’s amazing.  He handed me my plate and he asked. “Shall I prepare a cuppa?”

“I wouldn’t mind a cuppa.”

“Coming right up.” He then prepared me my drink while he had some coffee.  As the two of us sat down around the island and ate he asked me. “How are the wounds?”

“Doesn’t hurt as much as it did last night. You and your friends really know how to be doctors.”

“Well even though Brian and I would’ve been different doctors, I don’t think we did too bad. But I will need to change out the bandages and put some more antiseptic cream on it. Just to be on the safe side.”

“Whatever you think is best Roger.”

After breakfast, he put away the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen and that’s when he grabbed the first aid kit under the sink and guided me over to the couch.

“Alright, let’s see how this looks.” He then took a pair of scissors and slightly snipped an area of the bandage before slowly unwrapping it allowing my arm to breathe.  Once the bandages were off, I could see the gnarly scars that I now bore on my arm. Long and thin but thankfully not so deep that I need stitches. “Well it seems to be closing up quite nicely. With how bad they were yesterday, I was beginning to think they wouldn’t. At least not in this speed.”

“Guess I just got enhanced healing powers or something.” I joked. He smiled and rubbed some more cream on my scars before taking another roll of bandages and wrapping it around my arm.  Just as he was about to finish, the door suddenly opened and there stood Freddie all dolled up and ready to head out.

“Let’s go my darlings it’s shopping time!”

“In a second Fred, I’m still wrapping up her arm.” Roger told him as he went back to wrapping my forearm delicately. Freddie came over and sat on the other side of me and he asked me.

“Did you sleep okay dear?”

“Yeah, like a baby actually.”

“Good. That’s just what you needed after what happened to you. But are you sure you don’t want to make a police report about this?” he said as he stroked his fingers through my hair.  Aww Freddie god bless you, why were you taken away from us so soon? We really could’ve used you in today’s society.

“I’m sure Fred. Besides I doubt they’d believe me. I didn’t even see their faces. They wore black masks over their faces so I couldn’t even see their faces.”

“Alright darling. Well once blondie’s done here, I know just the thing to help boost your spirits up. A nice, well deserved shopping day.”

“There, I’m done.”

“Marvelous my darlings, let’s go!” Freddie stood up gracefully and raised his hands over his head and clapped them once.

“Hold on you rotter, we still need to get dressed. I’d rather not go out in my pajamas in the bloody cold.” Roger guided me towards the bedroom once more and I said to him.

“Uhh Rog. What am I gonna wear?”

“Just relax love, I’m sure I got something.” He went through his closet and pulled out a pair of denim jeans as well as a queen hoodie that looked like he had taken from Deacy.  He also took out a fur coat and said. “Will this do?”

“Yeah. Again I really appreciate you sharing your clothes with me.”

“Like I said last night, it’s no trouble. When Queen was first starting off, we barely had enough money to buy new clothes so we pretty much shared clothes with each other. I think we each had a chance at wearing one shirt for different photoshoots on separate occasions.”

“Wow I—I never knew that.” Liar. Of course I knew that, I’ve seen the pictures of the guys wearing the same shirts on tumblr that someone posted.  Once again I got changed in the loo and once I got out, Roger went inside and proceeded to do his health and beauty stuff.

While he brushed his teeth and brushing through his long blonde hair, I couldn’t help but stare at him.  Now I’ll admit, I did fall for the handsome 1970’s Roger Taylor (in fact 70’s and 80’s Roger I had a crush on) but then my crush slowly faded away and turned to something else, it’s like I—kinda pictured a sorta brother-sister relationship.

“Could you take any longer getting ready Rog? I swear you take longer than me!” Freddie complained as he leaned up against the bedroom door.

“It’s called a miracle Fred. And envy is an ugly thing on you.” Roger teased to which Freddie flipped him the bird.  God they really were soulmates, I can’t imagine just how hurt Roger was finding out Fred died when he was just about to see him in a matter of minutes.

“Are we ready to go yet?” Freddie whined as Roger fluffed his hair out and shook his wild mess of hair like a lion shaking his mane and said.

“Alright you impatient bugger. Let’s go (y/n).” I was then put in between them and we left Roger’s room.

As we drove through downtown London, we soon came across a shop that closed down before my time but it was starting grounds for both Roger and Freddie, Kensington Market.

“Hope you don’t mind coming here love. We would take you to Biba but that’s all the way on East London and we’re scheduled for a rehearsal by noon.” Roger said.

“I don’t mind. I’ve—heard some good things about this place.”

“You know Rog and I once had a stall in this joint together before I officially joined the band.”

“Really? What did you guys sell?”

“Oh any old clothes that we could find. Though I’ll never forget that jacket you and Brian tried to sell. That was my favorite jacket.”

“Well then you shouldn’t have had it on the rack then, should you?” Roger mocked as he shut the engine off after finding a parking space. “Plus it’ll be cheap and not as crowded as the stores are right now. Last minute Christmas shoppers and all.”

“Agreed.” We all got out and quickly walked inside the market.  And inside I saw anything and everything.  From antiques, to bridal wear, clothes, furniture, everything small and large you could imagine. “Whoa.”

“I know it’s a little intimidating at first but no worries lovie, you’ll get used to it.” Roger said as he wrapped an arm around me.

“Alright my darlings, let’s head down memory lane. To the clothing stall!” Freddie then dragged us down the store almost towards the end of the building where a clothing stall was all set up.  Behind the counter there was a young black woman with an afro, she wore a Christmas sweater and jeans and was sucking on a lollipop.  “Well I’ll be damned. Billie. Billie Tyler?” she looked up and grinned.

“Oh shit no. Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor! Never did I think I’d see you two bastards here again.” She grinned.

“So you’re working our stall now?” Roger asked.

“Yeah. Ever since you two boys got all rich and famous, I went ahead and took over the stall.”

“Well hate to burst your bubble but we’re still not rich and famous.” Said Roger.

“What? After all the big success you guys did at the Rainbow last year?”

“That’s the thing. We don’t get paid on our tours. In fact just recently we left our first company because they screwed up our payments. Our manager didn’t even want to give any money so that Deacy could marry Veronica.”

“What?! Those stuck up bastards! I hope Deacy got the wedding he deserved though.”

“It was a small court ceremony but it was still sweet. Although had we had the money, I would’ve planned the perfect wedding for them.” Said Freddie.

“Oh please Fred, you’d invite half of London along with all crazy people you invite to the after parties.” Said Roger.

“So who’s this? Little groupie?” she asked gesturing towards me.

“No. This is (y/n).” Roger said introducing me. “(Y/n), this is Billie Tyler. When Fred and I worked here, she worked at the boutique just across from us. We’d hang out and have lunch on our breaks, she was basically our first fan.”

“Nice to meet you Billie.” I said reaching out a hand to her.  She shook my hand immediately and she said.

“Nice to meet you too (y/n). How’d you come across these two lugs?”

“Poor dear got jumped last night, thankfully Rog was around to help her out.” Said Fred as he placed a hand to my shoulder.

“Oh my god—are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just a really bad scratch along my forearm but nothing too bad.”

“Well I would’ve honestly preferred to run into Bri had I been jumped but I’m glad you had Roger to help you out.” Roger looked at her crossly and she playfully stuck her tongue out at him. “So what brings you three here to Kensington market?”

“Well darling, we were hoping to get (y/n) some clothes. She—kinda came with just one set of clothes and has been sharing Roger’s style since last night. So we’re hoping you might have something that just screams her.”

“I think I might have some stuff. Come with me (y/n) and we can get you out of those boy clothes and into some stylish clothes I have.” She took my uninjured arm and pulled me into the stall and took me towards the changing room she had installed in the back room.

It was then I was given the full 1970’s fashion show.  Both Billie and Freddie practically took me and started treating me like a doll, forcing me to try on clothes, hats, coats, bell bottom jeans, the whole nine yards.

“And I’m telling you it’s flea-bitten Fred. I wouldn’t even dream of someone wearing that!” exclaimed Billie dramatically.

“Oh don’t be so dramatic darling, I think (y/n) would look cute in this.” He said holding up a ragged old fur coat that looked like it hadn’t seen the light of day in years.

“You guys do realize she’s a person. Not a doll, let her speak for herself once in a while.” Roger said.  He turned towards me and mouthed out, ‘I’m so sorry.’ I waved it off.

“Alright then, why don’t we ask (y/n) what she’d like?”

“Yes let’s. (Y/n) darling please tell Billie and that devil mind of hers that you’d want this coat over the decade’s old 60’s coat. This just screams you.”

“Ah, ah, ah! No antagonizing the fashion star here Mercury.” Billie warned him.

“Actually guys, something did catch my eye earlier.” I then hopped off the podium and went over to a large brown jacket that had fur ends on both the sleeves and along where the front part meets with the zipper.  

It had an elegant pattern on it, kinda reminded me of old Norwegian drawings that I once saw back in 1031 when the Doctor and I were helping out against the threat the invading reindeer people (I forgot their real names, plus it was in Norwegian tongue so I just called them the reindeer people).

But anyways, I looked cute and it wouldn’t make me stand out as much.  I picked out a cute sweater, a scarf that almost kinda resembled what the Doctor could’ve worn, and one of the many pairs of bellbottom jeans I was given.

“How’s this?”

“Oh my darling, it’s like looking at a Renaissance painting. You are—phenomenal.” Freddie praised.

“But something’s missing.” Billie said.  She then went over to the hats and picked out dark grey flat cap.  She handed me the hat and I placed it on top of my head. “There. Now you’re an aesthetic.”

And that was that.  I got a few sweaters, a couple of turtlenecks, bell bottomed jeans, some boots similar to what Deacy always wore throughout the 1970’s, and any brown furred or faux fur coat that Billie had.  When everything was rung up, Roger asked.

“Okay how much do we owe you Billie?”

“For you guys it’s on the house.”

“Oh no, no, no darling we’ve got some money to spend now since we left the bastard at Trident and switched to EMI. Now how much?”

“I’m feeling generous today. Plus I hadn’t done a fashion show like that in years. Most customers just demand my stuff and that’s it. So this time it’s on me. But if you want a payment, come by next week after the New Year.” Freddie and Roger looked to each other and that’s when Freddie said.

“Throw in you coming to my New Year’s Eve party and you’ve got a deal darling.”

“It’s a deal Freddie.” They leaned in and kissed each other’s cheeks sealing the deal. “Good luck with the concert guys, I’ll be watching it from home. And it was nice meeting you (y/n).”

“Nice meeting you too Billie, and thank you for the clothes.”

“No problem. Cheers guys. And Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas Billie!” Rog and Fred proclaimed as we walked out of Kensington market.

After that, we headed down to the nearest grocery store for the simple items that I needed like toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, socks, gloves, and Roger passed by some sunglasses and he had me try them on to which I said I looked ridiculous but to him, he thought I looked cute (which I won’t deny made me blush a little).

Once all the shopping was done, we headed back to the hotel and Roger helped me unpack my stuff.  As he was helping me put some of my clothes into his closet he asked me.

“Now (y/n), about that friend of yours. What exactly does he look like?” At that point I thanked god that the Doctor at least appeared human, because if he looked like anything else how do you explain that to your hero?

“Well, he’s got short brown hair, he’s pretty tall and lean. Kinda like Brian but not exactly the same height. Oh and he wears a bowtie.”

“What? Seriously?”

“Yeah he says they’re cool. But hopefully that helps. Oh and he basically wears a suit. All the time.”

“Okay what is he a doctor or something?”

“Something like that.”

“Do you recall where you think he might’ve ran off to?”

“That I—I don’t know. I guess I must’ve been knocked just before he ran. God I—I hope I can find him.”

“Hey, we will. I’ll turn all of London upside down if I have too to help you.” Roger said assuringly as he placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.  I looked up at him and softly smiled.

“Thank you Roger. I—literally don’t know what I would’ve done had I not ran into you.”

“Think nothing of it love. I’m glad we met last night.” He playfully ruffled my hair making me exclaim while he grinned and softly laughed.  It was then there was a knock at the door.

“Roger! Roger open the door now!” Oh no it couldn’t be. But as I saw Roger roll his eyes and make a disgusted face as he hauled himself towards the door.  I peeked over from the bedroom to see him open the door to reveal the man I feared I would come in contact with.

Paul Prenter.

“What do you want Prenter?”

“You were supposed to be at the Odeon theater 2 hours ago! Where the bloody hell have you been?!” God just hearing his Irish accent made me feel so dirty.  The bastard who became a bad influence on Freddie, and the greedy snake who would go on to sell off Freddie’s AIDS story for like 30,000 pounds was now standing right before my eyes.

“Unlike you Prenter, I know how to have fun.”

“Well your fun has costed the band two hours of rehearsal. Reid is livid right now!” It was then he somehow saw me and that’s when he barged in and said. “Is this the reason you’ve delayed the rehearsal? For some teenage hussy!?”

“Excuse me!?”

“You have no right to be in here. In fact I can have you arrested and charged with stalking.” Paul threatened.  That’s when Roger stepped in between him and I.

“You even think about that and I’ll have you thrown out the bloody window faster than you can blink!” he snarled protectively.

“You’ve been saying that for years Roger and yet you’ve never done it. You don’t got the nerve.” Bragged Paul.

“Do I?” it was then I watched as Roger dragged Paul towards the back door of the small balcony and forcefully pinned Paul’s head to the stone railings. “Wanna rethink that statement?”

“Okay! Okay! Okay just let me go!” Paul wept.

“Then get the hell out of my room and don’t even dare think about calling the police. Or else there’ll be a new decoration all along the pavement of the Marriot.” He picked Paul back up and forced him out of the room before slamming the door and locked it tight.

Holy shit! I wish that was shown in the movie. Damn Roger Taylor is a lion.

“I am so sorry about him. Paul can be a right up arsehole. I’ve been trying to convince Fred to fire him but somehow he still keeps him around.”

“It’s okay Rog. I’ve—been called worse than hussy.” It’s true.  When you’re involved with a gang, you are called way worse things, especially if you’re a girl.  I’ve been called the B word mostly, the P word and even the C word, all before I was 15.

“Who has called you that? What did they say?”

“Just some school punks back in primary school. You know how little boys are.”

“Even so, my mum taught me to never be rude to girls. Men who do such things like that aren’t even worth living. Nor should they even deserve to call themselves men.” As Roger said that, I noticed this harsh, distant look in his eyes.

Was he—I mean I remember reading a story of how he was a victim of domestic abuse.  There’ve been some theories that it was probably his dad since he was never really spoke much by Roger.  So—could that really be true?

“Rog? You—okay?” I said after he didn’t speak for what felt like 2 minutes.  He snapped out of his daze and said.

“Yeah. Yeah I’m fine. Well come on let’s head out and see if we can’t find that friend of yours.”

“Actually. Since I already got you and Fred into more trouble than I’d like, you should go to the rehearsals. I can search for him on my own.”

“Are you sure? I—wouldn’t want you to get hurt again. I have no problem coming with you.”

“Really Rog. It’ll be daylight, more witnesses so I doubt anyone’s gonna jump me. Besides I’ll bet Deacy and Brian are probably pissed at you and Fred for skipping out. Go, rehearse. I’ll meet you guys at around lunch time? Maybe even see you rehearse the concert?”

“I’d like that. And I’m sure Fred would too. If anything happens, here’s the number for the theater as well as my roadie/assistant Crystal.” He took a piece of paper from a notepad and quickly put down a couple of numbers before handing it over to me.

“Thank you.” I said as I took the notepad paper.

“Stay safe love.” And my heart literally stopped when I actually felt Roger kiss my cheek before grabbing his drumsticks and headed out the door.

Oh my god, I can’t believe I just got a kiss on the cheek from my idol.  I’ll admit internally I’m screaming my head off and melting right on the spot.  I placed my hand over the cheek he kissed and I just felt this warm, gooey feeling inside.

“Oh nana would not believe this.” I then got myself ready and headed on out of the hotel and proceeded to walk around the London streets.

As I saw Christmas decorations and lights on almost every corner, I kept muttering to myself.

“Oh Doctor where are you?” I listened carefully for any wheezing and groaning sounds, an eye for a blue police box, or a tall, lean man wearing a purple suit and bowtie.  But after about 2 hours walking along the streets I saw no one, not even the usual suspicious character that usually follows you once you break the time stream.

I sighed heavily and decided to just head over to the Hammersmith Odeon, because I swear if I stay out here any longer, I’m gonna freeze my organs off.  So I headed eastward towards the theater to meet with Roger and the rest of Queen and finally see my favorite band perform right before my eyes.

[esselley]

you're into kazetsuyo now?? ahhh i'm so happy

I’ve been steadily into KazeTsuyo since about mid-way through the season airing!!! I was just quiet on here cuz I didn’t have any fic to show for it… XD that’ll hopefully change now [spoilers for the show follow]

KakeHai ARE my absolute favorites, even though I love everyone and all the ships in the show. Kakeru is my bias, but I really love Haiji too (even more now that I started writing him). I’ve sunk myself so deep into this show that it’s kinda hard to explain why I love them so much in one sitting but I will try (I’m writing fic for that purpose anyway XD)

Haiji is, as many qualified people have already pointed out, BEAUTIFUL – but also he’s very intensely complex. He’s more than a little bit terrible, but also, wonderful, and most of it is for the same reasons, which I love. He is really selfish!!! But somehow also utterly selfless? It’s because he knows he wants so much from other people that he gives of himself freely in return. He is hurting inside but he opens himself up to these 9 somewhat disastrous other men, he is as much at their mercy as they are at his, and he allows himself to be healed. He is their home. And yet he still thinks he is weak? He is an ogre full of paradoxes and he deserves the world. Separate to how amazing he is as a character, I love how he can flip from being an extremely grounding and wise presence to an utter SHITLORD. He’s hilarious, and I really love that about him, because it’s two extremes I don’t see mixed all that often. Normally I feel like characters like him are either entirely practical and level-headed or totally off the wall nuts but he walks this fine line between the two that makes him so utterly endearing. He is NAUGHTY!!! Kiyose Haiji is a naughty boy, he will stop you from throwing hands with your old high school rival but then he will talk shit with an angelic smile at said rival before they know what hit ‘em. WE STAN.

Kakeru, as a character, basically feels perfect to me? I love him intensely so it’s hard to be objective, but like??? Everything good is encapsulated within him?! He starts off as sort of a typical shy, withdrawn, awkward anime protag (which is already devastating) but over the course of the show we see just how multi-dimensional he is!!! My heart was not ready, nor will it ever be ready, for the ultimate fulfillment of him being SO! FREAKING! PROTECTIVE! Like!!! GET YOU A MAN who will break someone else’s nose for picking on people who are defenseless/unnecessarily shitting all over his friendships!!!! (Haiji did. Haiji got that man. GJ HAIJI) I love that we see that Kakeru actively worries about his ability to connect with people from the start, but once he stops being afraid of alienating his new team and opens up to them, he’s warm and encouraging and quick to laugh with the others, and I thought that was super refreshing. It’s rare, I think, that we see these kinds of character archetypes actually laugh uninhibited, and it made him feel so real to me. The depth of his caring is so expansive, and he was trying to keep it squashed down, but he couldn’t, and I love that.

KakeHai as a couple… this is already long enough and I could write thousands of words on why I like this ship. The way they were both lost and found themselves in each other. The way they are each others’ sun and stars. 

But one of my singular favorite KakeHai moments is tiny, and yet to me feels just as significant as the big revelations in their relationship. It’s this right here:

This happens in episode FIVE. Kakeru isn’t even talking about RUNNING here – his one big wish is that he can connect with people and make them understand him better, because he is AFRAID of pushing people away. 

And Haiji loves that. He is 100% gone. He loves Kakeru’s heart, and his desires, and he believes in him. Look at how soft his eyes get!!! That is a quintessential “wasted and head over heels” expression. He’s so fucking fond. I know the last two episodes are the Big Gay Episodes but I didn’t even need to get there to know Kiyose Haiji would sell his soul to make Kakeru happy; Kakeru just needed to look up and realize it, and the entire series is actually him doing exactly that.

*cups my hands to my mouth* THIS SHOW IS ABOUT RUNNING BUT IT’S ALSO A METAPHOR FOR HAIJI LEARNING TO LOVE AGAIN, AND KAKERU LEARNING THAT HE IS WORTHY OF LOVE, HE IS LOVED, AND HE CAN LOVE IN RETURN and their roads start with and lead to each other.

[atruththatyoudeny]

Monthly Reads | June 2019

Happy 28th! Like last month @kingsofeverything is posting your self-recs, so, authors and artists alike hop on over and let her know about your work! As always my eternal thanks go to all you lovely authors who share their work with us ♥ Here are all the fics I read and loved this month:

Tired Tired Sea || MediaWhore || famous/not famous - past alcoholism - recovery - slow burn - strangers to lovers - hurt/comfort - mutual pining - 113k As a B&B owner on the most remote of all the British Isles, Louis Tomlinson is used to spending the coldest half of the year in complete isolation, with his dog and the sea as sole companions. Until, one day, a mysterious stranger on a quest to rebuild himself rents a room for the winter.

The Cyber Sphere || jacaranda_bloom || Louis/Dermot O'Leary - strangers to lovers - twitter - fluff - 17k The one where Liam likes to think he’s Batman, Dermot has terrible taste in sporting teams, and Louis should really get a cat.

Breaking Through The Atmosphere || dinosaursmate || Space AU - friends to lovers - angst - mild homophobia - 40k Working in recruitment wasn't exactly Louis' lifelong dream, but his job takes him to a far away planet to help build a new civilisation, and a brand new life for himself.

Sisterwives || jaerie || a/b/o - dubious consent - polygamy - religion - implied brainwashing - self-discovery - mpreg - cults - emotional manipulation - 32k This was it, the moment Louis had been waiting for his entire life. Giddy excitement bubbled up as he held hands and stared up at his soon-to-be alpha and husband and grinned. The ceremony was small and simple, but Louis didn’t mind. Fresh flowers pinned into his hair and a brand new outfit was all he needed to feel special in front of their few witnesses. It was just some members of his family and a few of the church elders in attendance as was customary for any marriage beyond the first wife within the faith. First wives were the ones to have elaborate weddings with the whole community involved. An alpha’s first wedding was a celebration of an their coming of age, his first steps into fulfilling God’s prophecy. There were many glories for an omega that came with being a first wife but also many responsibilities. Louis had never aspired to be a first wife or even a second. He wasn’t experienced enough to be the leader of an alpha’s many wives and children and he didn’t think he’d be up to the task. Louis was just fine in the position he was stepping into as the seventh. Or Louis thinks he's getting everything he's ever dreamed of. Harry helps him find what makes him truly happy.

Becoming Us || sweariwouldnt || tv series AU - amrried at first sight - miscommuniaction - 59k Married at First Sight is a television show in which hopefuls looking for The One are matched by experts deeming them to be the perfect match. The twist? They meet each other for the first time at the altar. When they exchange their 'I do's'. And get married for real. One Harry and Louis find each other at the altar. They have five weeks to make or break the set-up marriage.

Si Pudiera Volar || messofgorgeouschaos || historical - a/b/o - fake/pretend relationship - arranged marriage - strangers to lovers - miscommunication - emotional hurt/comfort - 68k When Harry’s fiancé leaves him for his cousin, he looks the other way for the sake of his happiness. He’ll do anything to forget about him, including joining a monastery. It isn’t until his cousin’s former lover, a pirate, appears that he realizes everything is not as it appears, and an honest pirate might be the only person worthy of his heart. Or, a fic loosely based on Corazon Salvaje.

Orion's Belt || LadyLondonderry || Stylinshaw - a/b/o - soulmates - hurt/comfort - 24k Louis and Nick have been in a happy committed relationship for two years, their matching soulmarks on display for the world to see. It’s been them against the world, the alpha/beta singer and radio DJ power duo. All that changes on February 1st, when they wake up to a third matching soulmark. As they say, the course of true love never did run smooth.

Forgive Me This Lie Bigger Than Us || evelynemesis || magic - witch curses - miscommunication - angst - 25k The magic!AU where Louis is cursed to live a life of pain and solitude and Harry just happens to fall in love.

Still Deep In Us || graceling_in_a_suit || fantasy - post-apocalypse - mermaid - mentions of death - mentions of grief - magic - angst - 41k AU. The village Harry has called home his entire life sits on six shaky legs, held aloft from the ocean which claimed the entire world twenty years ago. Harry's just a grieving tinkerer trying to do his best, and Louis is a mermaid that ruins The Village's delicate balance of power (and perhaps, just maybe, wins the heart of a boy).

Hard for me to know i might see you around || Anonymous || Tinder AU - airport - 4k A TINDER AU where Harry swipes left on Louis' joke of a profile, then ends up stuck next to him on a trans-Atlantic flight.

A Long Way From The Top || jaerie || vampires - death - mountaineering - 11k Harry needed to find a purpose in life. Mount Everest wasn't the place he'd expected to find it, but he'd take what he could get. He also hadn't expected to come home with extra baggage.

That Mouth of Yours || Awriterwrites || PWP - 3k “Did I–” Louis panted around the sexiest moan Harry thought he had ever heard (at least since the last time Louis moaned–which was about 5 minutes ago). “Did I ever tell you about that guy that I let rim me at one of Liam’s parties in college?” Something dark and furious unfurled inside Harry, making him pull away from the sweet oblivion that was Louis’ arse. “Wh–” He wiped his mouth off on the back of his hand. “What?” Louis shot a smirk over his shoulder. His hair was a mess and his face was flushed and his eyes were glazed over but he was still himself–still teasing. Still a menace beneath angelic blue eyes and a soft voice. “Just some guy. Never got his name.” He turned his head back toward the pillows, giving a slight shake of his arse in Harry’s face. Not that that wasn’t distracting or anything. A little drool slipped out of Harry’s mouth.

Hello My Name Is Harry || abrighteryellow || famous/ not famous - school reunion - 3k Louis’s 20-year high school reunion takes a turn when a celebrity classmate – who also happens to be Louis’s long unrequited crush – unexpectedly shows up. A famous/not-famous AU inspired by Chris Evans.

Challenging Nature: A Look Into Male Lactation || jaerie || lactation kink - male lactation - 11k Even taking into account all the bizarre things Harry has subjected himself to in the past for the sake of an article, Harry has received his strangest assignment yet. It comes up as a random misunderstanding in a meeting and builds into a conversation — can men breastfeed? Internet searches reveal documented cases of male lactation popping up at different times throughout history, but are any of them true? Can a man will himself into lactating? Harry has two months to make it happen.

Freaks from the internet || jaerie || lactation kink - male lactation - a/b/o - exes to lovers - smut - milking - 3k Harry sells his breast milk to freaks on the internet. Louis turns out to be one of those freaks. He also happens to be Harry's ex.

Tied to Fate || littlelouishiccups || ghosts - angst - magic - 52k After his estranged father’s death, Harry inherits a castle in England that has belonged to his family for generations and he knows nothing about. When he breaks up with his boyfriend, Harry decides England is the perfect place for a small vacation. He isn’t prepared to meet Louis Tomlinson, a ghost who once lived in the castle and has haunted it for over five hundred years. He’s even more unprepared to fall in love with him.

I Want You S'more || 2tiedships2 || a/b/o - strangers to lovers - humor - fluff - 17k The one where the least alpha-y alpha and the least omega-y omega show that secondary genders aren’t set in stone and sometimes it works when you kinda share that.

His and Mine || glitteredcurls || soulmate-identifying marks - dystopia - mentions of surgery - religious imagery Á symbolism - 66k Harry legally isn't supposed to meet his soulmate-- he's rendered physically unable to recognize him even if he did-- but yet, of course, he does.

Salvation Let's Their Wings Unfold || twoshipstiedup || fantasy - angels - demons - fluff - humor - 14k Harry is an ex demon who gets banished back to Earth. Louis is an angel who gets sent down there for work. Naturally, they end up together.

Found My Hallelujah || Anonymous || cruise ship - hurt/comfort - pining - 34k As an engagement gift from his parents, Harry and his fiance receive an all expenses paid cruise trip for two. But one week before they're set to sail, Harry walks in on his fiance cheating on him. Newly single, with the cruise tickets in hand, and his bags already packed, Harry brings along his sister instead. And maybe the cute bartender on the ship might just be the person Harry needs to help him put back together all of his broken pieces.

Under the Moonlight || Anonymous || friends to lovers - fluff - fake/pretend relationship - mutual pining - 15k Harry and Louis have been friends online for years. They've never met despite living only a few hours from one another. One fateful summer a silly little lie, a family vacation and an accidental meet up lead to a week of fake dating on Mallorca. All in all, a holiday Louis won't easily forget.

[danurso]

Dimensional friends AU

*RWBY, JNR, oscar, qrow and maria are walking down argus streets*

Ruby: so, how are we supposed to get to atlas now?

Maria: i don’t know, with that old devilish hag blocking the way i think it's going to be pretty hard.

Jaune: i...think i have a plan.

Ruby: really? What is it?

Jaune: i talked with a old friend of mine and he’ll take us there, but it's going to take some time for him to arrive so we should get our weapons checked before this.

Weiss: is this old friend trustworthy?

Jaune: yeah, totally.

Yang: who could guess we would be saved by one of vomit boy’s old friends, i didn’t even knew you have friends before us.

Jaune: ha...ha...very funny, but just like you, i have my past.

Ruby: but you never actually told us right? I mean, you know what happened with me and yang in the past and we all know what the rest got through, but you never actually told about your past.

Jaune: well, my past is not a big deal, so i never had much of a reason to tell you.

Yang: i imagine, you probably spend the days reading comics and watching anime right?

Jaune: *sheepishly* yeah, pretty much.

Blake: so, where can we get our guns checked.

Jaune: i know someone, lets go.

*in the shady part of the town*

Ruby: *nervously* jaune...where are we going?

Jaune: we need to check our weapons right? I know someone who can help us with that. *gets inside a building passing a pair of tall bulky mans and getting into a large store full of weapon parts*

Ruby: *with stars in her eyes* thats a modified muzzle for a vulcan mk.3!? Ohh and this is a stock for a ballistic 1190!? I thought you could only find these in the black market!!

Weiss: *staring at some components* these parts could really be useful, but how can someone sell these pieces legally in such a place.

???: *in a russian accent* that is because they are not legal.

Weiss: *turns to see a really tall and bulky man that seemed more like a wall, he was bald with a long black beard, a scar over his blind left eye and with a robotic left arm* err...g-good afternoon...?

???: what kids are doing in my shop?

Qrow: *sweating profusely* w-wait, i know you, you’re vlad, skullbreaker vlad or colossus vlad, leader of the biggest black market of remnant.

Vlad: *with a shivering scowl* you little man know too much, i hope you not with police, are you?

Qrow: m-me? N-n-no im not.

Vlad: *staring at the group* what about you? You do not look good for business, specially the schnee girl, me have my mens to take you out or me will crack your heads myself *cracking his metal fingers with a deadly look*

RWBY, NR, Qrow, oscar, maria: *sweating profusely*

Jaune: you’re not doing this with your best friend are you?

Vlad: *stares at jaune for a moment* ...jaune?

Jaune: in flesh and bone.

Vlad: *stares for a bit longer before laughing and pulling him into a crushing hug* GHAHAHAHA!! IT HAS BEEN A WHILE!! HOW ARE YOU DOING LITTLE FRIEND!?

Jaune: *breathless* i’ll tell you after you stop crushing my spine.

Vlad: sorry little friend *lets him go* me forgot how fragile you are.

Jaune: yeah, im so fragile that i saved your ass back in budapest.

Vlad: that was after me save you in hong kong.

Jaune: but you forgot that hong kong was after malasia, where i saved you not only once but twice.

Vlad: hahahahaha!! Me will give you victory this time little friend, so, what can this old man do for you?

Jaune: me and my friends need some new weapon parts for our next travel, think you can help us out?

Vlad: sure! Any friend of jaune is my friend too, take anything you want, it is on me this time, a little thanks for your help last time.

Jaune: *sheepishly* i said you don’t need to thank me for that.

Vlad: me insist, thanks to you i can lay back in peace with wife and daughter by the end of day, so it is only natural for me to pay back for favor.

Jaune: right, thanks vlad.

Vlad: *with a huge smile* no problems little friend.

*later on*

Weiss: jaune…

Jaune: yes?

Weiss: what was that?

Jaune: vlad is a old friend i met, we hung out sometimes to do some stuff and he owes me a few favors, nothing much.

Blake: nothing much? Your friend is the leader of the number one black market of remnant, not only that but on our way back you talked with several other dangerous criminals like it was something normal.

Jaune: well...i just got some things on my past that led me to meet them, nothing much.

Ruby: *hugging crescent rose* at least now we got some awesome parts for our weapons.

Weiss: still we-

*BRUMMM*

Ruby: what's going on!?

Oscar: look! *stares at a giant robot leaving the mountain and going directly towards a giant godzilla-like grimm followed by a horde of other grimms*

Yang: thats not good.

Ruby: let's go! We need to help them!

*on the edge of the city*

Qrow: *slices a grimm in half* shit, they’re already invading the city.

Ruby: *staring at the fallen robot and the still up giant grimm* and the big one destroyed the robot, what do we do!?

Yang: we can’t fight that thing, but we can’t evacuate the city in time, anyone have a plan?

Jaune: i do! Give me a second. *takes off his glove slashing his hand drawing some blood from it and reciting what seemed like a chant in a weird language*

Ruby: jaune what are you do-

*ground starts to shake and the skies start to glow brighter before a pillar of black fire comes from the ground and a pillar of white light comes from heaver, both side by side*

Weiss: W-WHAT IS GOING ON!? *the white pillar disappear to reveal a woman with light fair skin, wavy golden hair, cyan blue eyes, clad in white robes and with a pair of white feathery wings*

Yang: w-what the… *staring at the man from the black pillar with pale white skin, red slitted eyes surrounded by black scleras, two black horns, a pair of bat like wings and clad in black robes*

???: you called?

Jaune: schiffer, steph, i know its too sudden but i need your help, these grimms are invading the city and several peoples are getting injured because of it.

Schiffer: *grins looking at the grimms around* sure, it will he fun. *raises his hand summoning a pitch black sword and raising it opening several portals from the ground which released a horde of demonic creatures that attacked the grimms*

Steph: *nods with a gentle smile* i’ll help the injurieds. *raises her hand summoning a white staff and raising it to summon portals from the skies that released human looking creatures with white feathery wings that started to help and heal the civilians.* i will help as well *flies off to the city*

Schiffer: and i’ll join the action *grins flying off towards the grimm and punching the grimm with enough strength to make it fly back several meters*

Jaune: *sighs in relief* i think we’re safe now.

RWBY, NR, Qrow, oscar, maria: *with jaws on the ground* w-what the hell is going on?

*a few minutes later*

Jaune: *sheepishly* sorry to call both of you here so suddenly, i would have warned if i could.

Steph: its okay, we don’t mind.

Schiffer: yeah, and it was kinda fun as well, not too challenging but fun nonetheless.

Jaune: of course it wasn't fun, you sliced that thing in half five seconds after the first punch, what did you expected?

Weiss: CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE!?

Jaune: oh right, sorry guys, these are my friends.

Schiffer: *with a small grin* i’m schiffer, the demon prince, nice to meet you jaune’s friends.

Steph: *with a soft smile* and i am steph, the angel princess, it's nice to meet all of you.

Blake: wait wait wait...demon prince and angel princess?

Jaune: yeah, they’re the firstborns of the kings of their respective races, they used to be in war since the beginning of times but things changed recently.

Schiffer: yeah *grips steph’s hand* thanks to jaune i realized that having steph in my life was way more important than the war we were fighting.

Steph: *with a bright smile and a light blush* agreed, i don’t think i can live without schiffer in my life anymore, all that thanks to jaune.

Schiffer: its thanks to him we’re married today, and that our races can now coexist in peace.

Nora: so that means fearless leader stopped a war from the beginning of times by making you two fall in love for eachother?

Steph: basically.

Weiss: wha-bu-an-w-that doesn’t even make sense!

Schiffer: maybe, but you humans are still too young to comprehend the elder races *turns back to jaune* so, is that everything?

Jaune: yeah, thanks for the help, sorry again for disturbing you two.

Steph: don’t worry about that, after everything you did for us this is nothing.

Schiffer: call us if you ever need out help again. *hugs steph’s waist* now if you excuse us, me and my honey have some business to take care off. *grins*

Steph: *blushing slightly* d-darling, you’re too naughty.

Schiffer: ohh, i know i am. *looks back at the group* later everyone. *disappear in a gray pillar of light*

Qrow: ....what the hell just happened?

Ruby: jaune...you have a lot of explaining to do.

Jaune: *staring at his scroll* sure, but we should talk about this later, my friend arrived, we can already go to atlas.

Blake: and where is he? *gets then covered by a shadow and looks up to see a massive ship flying above the city*

Jaune: *deadpaning* a valiant super heavy cruiser? Really?

???: general said it needed to be this one.

RWBY, NR, Qrow, oscar, maria: *turns around to see a tall man clad in green armor and helmet, holding a hi-tech rifle and with the number ‘117’ on the left side of his chest.*

Jaune: really chief? We’re only going to atlas, a small ship would be enough.

Master chief: general insisted that i should bring the cruiser.

Jaune: why? It's just a short travel, there’s no need for that.

Master chief: still, you know how the general is, he has you in high regards since you’re the one who settled the balance and peace between all the races of the universe, it's only natural that he would be carefull with you.

Jaune: *sigh* whatever, as long as we get to atlas i think it's okay, it's good to see you again at least chief.

Master chief: i could say the same thing, now let's go, the ship will leave in twenty minutes.

Jaune: okay, i'm right after you *starts to walk but stops and looks back at the group who is frozen with jaws on the ground* what is it?

Ruby: are these peoples space warriors?

Jaune: more like space soldiers, but basically yes.

Weiss: how do you know them?

Blake: and what does he means with you establishing the peace between all races in the universe?

Jaune: *shrugs* some things just happen and you can’t avoid it.

Yang: *stomping towards him and gripping his shoulders tightly with a deadly look* vomit boy, you’re telling us everything about your past on our way to atlas, okay?

Jaune: *sweating profusely* o-okay…

Yang: *deadly serious* is there any other friend we should know about?

Jaune: i-i don’t think s-

???: *teleports behind jaune* wha-? This isn’t king kai’s planet.

???: i told you you were doing something wrong kakarot.

???: oh, hey jaune, it's been a while.

Jaune: *nervously* h-hey goku, vegeta, could you come back later please, im a bit busy now.

Goku: *stares at a fuming yang emanating a fire aura* t-this ki is just like chichi’s *nervously* we’re leaving, see’ya jaune, good luck. *teleports away*

Jaune: *nervous chuckle* i'm probably going to have to explain that too right?

Yang: you just read my mind.

(Confuse? If so then my job here is done)

[westcoastclarington]

You Are My Home || HUNTBASTIAN

Ever since Hunter and Sebastian had decided to move to Australia, it had been a whirlwind of a time. Sebastian had stopped to make sure Hunter was positive multiple times over because while he was ecstatic about moving back home, he didn't want Hunter to think he was forcing him. But each time Hunter would tell him that yes, they'd made the decision and each time he became a little more confident than the last. And they'd discussed the pros and cons of selling vs renting their house but they'd both agreed on simply renting it out. It wasn't as final as selling it and - as they were both US citizens anyway - they could legally rent it out with no dramas. They just appointed an agent to do the rental inspections since they of course couldn't. It meant that they would always have a link to San Francisco too, should they ever chose to return. Sebastian stared down at the vase in his head and his brow creased in confusion as he tried to remember when they'd even managed to acquire it. It was... interesting to say the least (ugly, it was ugly). "Babe!" He called out, walking from the living  into the dining room where Hunter was sorting things on the dining table, "please tell me you have no attachment to this vase and we can leave it for the renters?" He knew generally the furniture that furnished a rental property was the basics, not so much the decor, but he truthfully couldn't see it surviving a trip to Australia and really why did they even need a vase to begin with. "Or donate it?"

Hunter would had been lying if he said he wasn't nervous about the idea of moving to Australia. To uproot his whole life, everything he had ever known, so he could go and live in a country in which he had to adopt, and adapt to maybe a whole different culture, laws, weather and such. It was a huge thing. And he had spent hours on the phone speaking to his grandma, the only family member who actually cared about his life, and she had been the  main supporter, and yes sponsor of his decision. It had been a while since she had finally let go of the trustfund she had for Hunter, and now he had his own money to invest. Everything was changing. But in the end, the one most important fact to have under consideration was Sebastian. The man he loved. The man he couldn't see his life without. The man that had stirred up his life upside down since the  night they hooked up at that bar. The man of his dreams. And this was to be an adventure, a huge adventure, and nervous as he was, he couldn't wait to take it on with him. Packing all their necessities after deciding they would leave the place they had worked so hard on for rent was one of many things to consider, and that day Hunter was focusing on the books and other small, packable things to go into boxes. He looked up when Sebastian walked into the living room and frowned. "Where the hell did you get that thing? It's ugly. Leave it here, and for the next people to live here to be a problem." He winked at him and chuckled.

@sanfransmythe

Sebastian looked down at the vase and shook his head. Maybe it had been a house warming gift, long forgotten and they'd set it aside and never thought about it. He was glad Hunter didn't recognise it though - as soon as he'd asked him he was instantly worried it had been a gift from his grandmother and he'd just insulted it. Though he'd met Hunter's grandmother on numerous occasions now and was sure she'd have much better taste than that. "Perfect, here it stays," he replied with a laugh and set it aside for now, walking up and wrapping his arms around Hunter from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder. "The house hasn't looked this empty since the day we moved in," he said, looking down at the book Hunter had in his hand, "it's getting real now, huh?"

Hunter chuckled. "Yeah, I can feel your suffering from way over, babe" he said, then closed the lid on the box he was working, just in time to have Sebastian's arms around his waist. He held onto him and looked around, a soft sigh leaving his lips as he did. They  had put so much work into that house, so much to make it a home for them, and that's what it had been those past years. But the thought of this new chapter in their lives was also exciting. And yes, somewhat overwhelming. "Very real. And kinda scary, but good scary." He turned his head a bit, his eyes locking on green beams that looked back at him fondly. "But you will hold my hand through all the scary, right?" He leaned in and pressed his lips on Sebastian's, his hand holding the side of his face as he did. He pulled back and reached out for another empty box. "How's your stuff going? Everything yours packed up yet?"

Sebastian resisted the urge to ask Hunter if he was sure again and smiled instead, "of course, babe... I'll hold your hand, your head... your cock. Whatever you need." He winked at him, not being able to help himself. The comment had been right there, begging to be said. "Mmhmm," he let Hunter pull back to continue packing, "mostly. Just the stuff that we're still using." Thankfully - because they were renting - they didn't need to pack everything. The furniture was staying, the decor (like the awful vase) could stay - as well as a lot of stuff in rooms like the kitchen. But their personal belongings was what they were packing, and sorting into take and donate. They were preparing a few boxes to ship over to Australia, the stuff they wanted to keep, and then would obviously take their suitcases with them. Though most things they would buy again when they got there so a lot was getting donated too. "How about you?"

Hunter looked at him and chuckled. "Any cock holding will be happening in private, babe" he said, teasing him, then he walked around the table to grab a couple of bools that were there. "Yeah, it's almost packed. All of it. My books and the things that we'll ship out.  When do are we sending them away? Because I need to double check before closing everything up.

"I should hope so," Sebastian replied with a laugh, "you should know I don't share." He looked down at the boxes Hunter was packing his books into and then back up to his boyfriend, "I don't know... we've still got a fortnight before we leave - so some time early next week maybe? We'll probably arrive before all the boxes, but it won't matter if they arrive first since we're shipping them to my parent's. They said we can pile it up in the spare bedrooms until we find a place to live. At least we can stay with them and actually go and look at places in person and not pick one based on pictures online, because that's a dangerous ball game."

Hunter had actually gotten an earful from Sebastian's mom when, at one moment when they were talking to her on the phone and about them moving there, it was barely mentioned by him that they could stay at a hotel while they looked for a place to live. And the result of that was they were arriving to Sebastian's parents place, period. "That's useful, yeah. And once we're there we can look at everything firsthand." He put the box down and pulled Sebastian close by putting his arms around his waist. "We're doing this. We really are. Are you excited?" He smiled at him, then kissed him softly on the lips.

Sebastian smiled, kissing Hunter back and then nodded, "of course, babe... you know that when I first came to the US I had planned to stick out my first year of college and then transfer back to a university at home but somebody -" he looked at Hunter with a pointed look, "made me realise that maybe I did have a reason to stay here. And I'm glad I did - for us, yes, but also just that San Fran is a beautiful place and I've loved living here. And I'm glad we'll always have this home... but I am excited, yes. I miss home and I can't wait for you to experience it... but this is about us. So if at some point you're unhappy or something, you tell me, okay? I don't want you to resent me over something like living in Australia." He looked at Hunter so the other man knew how serious he was about that. "Because as sappy as this may sound - and I may need to punch something to feel manly again," he laughed, "home isn't a place anymore. It's you."

Hunter moved his hands down the sides of Sebastian's body to rest on his hips, his lips curling into a smile when he looked at him pointedly like that, and he pulled him closer by the hem of his sweats. "You know I'm all about the direct approach, babe. If there is something I don't like, you better believe I will tell you, just like this Vegemite business which I think will take us long to agree." He chuckled, then scrunched his nose and put his hand on his own face. "Ouch... I think a cavity just popped out from the sweet." He laughed soundly, then pulled him for a passionate kiss, his hands now squeezing his ass and pressing him against himself. "But you're right. I could live inside a box, under a bridge, but I'd be happy just to be with you. Although, just for the record, I like sleeping on a bed." He chuckled, then nodded. "You're my home too, Bas. I love you. And now-" He pushed him a bit gently. "Let's go eat something salty to suck on all this sweet, shall we? I'm hungry." He smiled, then took his hand and led them both into the kitchen.

Sebastian groaned when Hunter's hands found his ass, pushing their bodies together but it was over all too soon as Hunter pulled back, leading them into the kitchen. He smirked, his hand in Hunter's, as he followed him to the kitchen. "I can think of something else I'd like to suck on right now," he said flashing Hunter a wicked grin. And hey, who could blame him, Hunter had walked right into that one. "But I suppose you're right - we have a lot to do before we leave and I guess we need food for all that energy."

Hunter looked at him and winked, not a doubt in his mind they would end up having sex at some point while making dinner, or maybe after, or maybe all through the night. "Good man. Now let's get on with that, and they get to the 'other' things." ------- The day finally arrived. Every box that was meant to be sent had already been shipped out, and Hunter stood in the middle of the living room, looking around. It was almost like looking at the carcass of a dead animal, only the basic furniture there, some of which had been there when they first arriived, but pretty much everything that made it a warm home was gone. He walked around the room, his hands shoved in his pockets, looking at every corner, every spot of wall, everything they had done together to make that house a home, after everything they had suffered and been through. He walked over to the sliding door that led to the backyard and looked outside, sighing and he let the thought of them finally leaving their home, and their country, for good.

Sebastian walked through the house, looking for Hunter, when he saw him standing at the back door. He heard the sigh and immediately a part of him worried that Hunter didn't want to move, didn't want to leave... but he'd asked him so many times, made sure so often that surely he would have told him by now. "Hey," he said, coming up behind him, leaning his back against the door and turning his head sideways to look at Hunter, "are you okay?"

Hunter didn't feel Sebastian walking up behind him, didn't notice him until he saw him standing at his side. "Hey" he said back, a small smile on his face. "I am, I promise. I was just remembering at the many things that happened in this house. And also everything before that, everything that brought us together." He took Sebastian's hand and squeezed it gently. "I know I always want to appear tough, and that nothing ever affects me. But... I'm scared. I really am. And the only things that makes it a little less scary is knowing that you'll be there with me. I may sound lame but-" He shrugged and pulled him in his arms.

Sebastian laughed softly and let himself be pulled into Hunter's arms, "babe, the other day I told you that my home was where you were... we can be lame together. And isn't admitting you're scared supposed to be the tough thing to do? Bottling things up is easy... admitting them aloud is hard." He paused and then smirked, "aren't you glad I took that one psychology lecture, babe?" He winked at him and then turned his head to the backyard. They've never finished it perfectly, it was always sort of an ever evolving project... but the deck was built and there was a nice lawn for the renter's kids to play on. "I'm glad we found a way not to sell our house. We'll always have this place... it'll always be ours. Maybe now we just get to make our mark on a new place."

Hunter grunted, then chuckled. "Oh yes. We're lame as fuck. Who knew that a couple of hot pieces of ass like  ourselves could actually be like that, huh?" He turned his head to look at him and smiled. "I'm sure that will come in handy more than once, babe" he said, then looked outside again. "Me too. If, or when we come for a vacation we could maybe come here again, right?" He shrugged, then turned around fully and pulled him for a sweet, long kiss, as if that was their goodbye to the house. "How long before we have to go to the airport?" he whispered against his lips, then grinned. "Do you think there's time for... one more for the road?"

Sebastian hummed into the kiss, his hands wrapping around Hunter's waist and holding him tight as they kissed. He chuckled at Hunter's question, slapping his shoulder playfully, "you're terrible. That was a sweet moment, babe." He shook his head and kissed him again. "But we've got time," he said, his lips brushing against Hunter's as he smirked, "but don't forget the beds have no mattresses... you might have to improvise." He winked, pulling him back inside and kicking the door shut behind him.

Hunter grinned against Sebastian's lips, his hands moving down the male's back and grabbing his ass hard. "And when has us not having a bed being an impediment for me to fuck your brains out, babe?" he breathed against his lips, then he captured them with his own, their hands working in hot tandem to take each other's clothes off, their lips pulling back just long enough to take their t-shirts off. He pushed Sebastian against a wall, then pressed himself on him, his hard on poking the other's ass. "See? No problem at all." ----- A couple of hours later they finally arrived to the airport, their phones filled with snaps they had taken on their house just before leaving as souvenir, and they made their way to check-in counter to leave their suitcases there, and also to confirm their plane tickets. They had first class tickets, so that gave them a sort of VIP treatment, meaning they didn't have to stay in line to check their lugagges. The butterflies were still oding the rumba inside his stomach, as every step they took made things that much more real, and even if he was nervous, he was also very excited. After their luggage and tickets were checked, he turned to face Sebastian and took a deep breath. "Okay, so that's done. Now give me some coffee before I had a breakdown." He chuckled, then held his hand and they both made their way to the door that would lead them to where the duty free and waiting lounge were, when a much too familiar voice stopped him on the spot. "And just where the hell do you think you're going, boy?" Hunter turned around, his eyes wide as plates as he looked at the man standing before him. "Father.."

Sebastian chuckled and shook his head. He knew moving to Australia was a completely different experience to Hunter - but he could relate to some of the apprehensions of moving somebody you'd never really been from when he'd first moved to America. Though back then he was adamant he was only staying for a year, so the situations were very different. "Coffee," he said with a smile and a nod. He froze when he heard the man's voice behind him, taking a few more moments to echo Hunter's movements and turn around. They hadn't heard from Hunter's father since the wedding, and Sebastian had stopped looking over his shoulder after months had passed without a word. But surely the man wouldn't be stupid enough to attempt anything at an airport of all places.

There was a time when the mere sound of that voice was enough to make the blood freeze in his veins, and it was usually followed by a grab on the arm, or even a blunt hit to the face; but after everything he and Sebastian had gone through he wasn't about to let that be the case right now. "Well, as you can see, I'm about to take a plane. I'm moving to Australia with Sebastian. And that's all you need to know." Instead of cold in his veins he felt a heat, and that was the anger he was feeling to see the man he hated the most in the world once again wanting to meddle with his happiness. He stepped up to him, almost face to face. "So what you're going to do now? Make a spectacle here in the airport and risk an arrest? Not even you are that dumb." The older man took another step and fisted his hand into a ball, almost as if he wanted to hit him, but Hunter didn't budge. "What if I cut you out for good? What you're going to do without any money?" Hunter chuckled and shook his head. "Oh boy, you really are dumb. Did you think I wouldn't have a plan B? I know you too well not to. Now, if you excuse us, I have some needed coffee to have." He held onto Sebastian's hand and made it through the metal detector and the counter where they handed their passports, the one place where Hunter's father couldn't follow them.

"Hunter," Sebastian hissed when his boyfriend took a step closer to his father, wanting to pull him back but knowing also that he needed to do this - needed to show his Dad that he couldn't bully him anymore. His brow creased in confusion when he heard Hunter's Dad's words, but he didn't say anything, just let Hunter take his hand and lead them away. They separated momentarily to go through the detectors and passports but soon enough were on the other side of the terminal. "Well, that was unexpected." He took Hunter's hand again and nodded towards a coffee shop which they both headed over and lined up to order coffee. Standing in line, he looked up at the menu over the top of the counter but spoke, "babe ... what did your Dad mean, when he said he was going to cut you out, no money? Didn't he do that after the wedding?"

Hunter was happy to walk away from his father's presence, even more so to leave any trace of life that might include him behind. He held onto Sebastian's hand as they made their way to the Starbucks there, then while they stood in line to make their order he turned to look at him and shrugged. "Back then it was only my trustfund. I guess he went ahead and blocked my bank account and credit cards... So this coffee might be on you, babe." He chuckled. "But don't worry. I have a safety net. Just... not in this country." He winked at him and moved forward.

Sebastian chuckled at his mention of not in the country. He honestly hadn't been aware that Hunter's Dad had fully cut him off after the wedding, so it was a surprise to hear he had still been using his money through his bank and credit cards. Not that Sebastian blamed Hunter, his father was a dickhead and owed Hunter plenty more than that. "I can pay for the coffee," he added with a laugh, "and we can figure everything out when we land... we can always stay at my parents until we find jobs and a house and settle in properly."

Hunter smiled and held onto Sebastian's hand. "I think that's the idea, right? I mean, I wasn't expecting us having a house to ourselves as soon as we landed." They made their order, then stood on the side to wait to be called out. "Remember when I told you my grandmother was saving some of my money away from my father? Well, it was well away. As in, a different country. She was smart and withdrew my mother's part of the money and saved it in a Swiss account, so now that we're moving away, I can access it from any place in the world. So my father can suck it. I'm free of him for good."

Sebastian looked over at Hunter and smiled, though there was a sadness behind it. He was glad Hunter was rid of his father, the man was a piece of work and he didn't really want him anywhere near him or Hunter... but he was sad that Hunter had a father like that to begin with. "For good," he echoed with a nod, squeezing his hand just as their name was called out. They collected their order, Hunter taking the the cups in a cardboard tray and Sebastian taking the plastic tray with the food on it. Just a light meal for the wait before the plane.

They grabbed their order when their name was called out, curiously enough it been 'Huntbastian', since apparently the barista was lazy enough to write their complete names on the cups, and they took a seat at one of the few available tables nearby the coffee shop. It was outside the shop enough for them to be able to hear the speakers above all the crowded sound of the airport, just in case any last minute announcements were done. "Is it just me, or this flight looks kind of crowded?" He chuckled and looked at Sebastian. "Are we all flying West you think?"

Sebastian's eyes scanned the airport and he laughed, "maybe... it's a big plane. But they could be for other gates too. But I think you're right, it's going to be a packed plane." They finished their coffees and then strolled around the airport, though not straying too far, to stretch their legs out before the flight. There was a non-stop flight from San Francisco to Melbourne which meant nearly 16 hours on a plane... less hassle in that they didn't need to worry about multiple customs, or offloading and getting on a new plane... but cramped and long. When they announced their flight they made their way through the gate, Sebastian's heart beating in his chest. This would be good for them - a fresh start, together. But it was nerve wracking all the same, and he would imagine even more so for Hunter. Once they had their tickets scanned, and collected a blanket and a set of headphones each, they made their way onto the plane, being directed to their seats. His parents flew  a lot for their jobs and had used some of their points to bump them up to business class (a rarity even for Sebastian) due to the length of the flight, so they'd be more comfortable. "Oh yeah," Sebastian groaned as he stretched his legs in front of him after they stowed their bags and got in their seats, "this is the life... though I may change my mind after 16 hours, this is pretty good now."

Never is his life had Hunter been in business class in a plane, so the perpective of being couped up for 16 hours was a little less daunting now. After their bags were stowed in above their heads he sat down and stayed alert for when the flight attendant started with their rundown with the emergency procedures and such. Hunter would later looked closely at the in flight brochure about it too. You could never be too careful. His heart made a little jump when the plane finally started to make its way down the runway, to the head of it to wait for its turn to take off. He looked at Sebastian and held onto his hand. "Here we go" he said, his voice now drown under the noise of the engines roaring to full power, and off they went, soon taking off after a long run. And at that moment Hunter looked outside the window and sighed, his heart torn between what he was watching disappear, and what laid ahead.

Sebastian squeezed Hunter's hand on take off, watching out of the window with him. When the ascent had been completed and the seatbelt sign switched off, he lifted the arm rest separating their two seats and leaning into Hunter, resting his head on his shoulder. "Should we put a movie on?" He asked, knowing there was a while yet before any meal services were brought around, though he was sure there'd be drinks soon.

Hunter didn't even realized they were already high enough, or that the seatbelt light had been turned off even, his eyes still looking out the window when there was nothing to see out there but clouds. It was only when he felt Sebastian's hand on his shoulder than he snapped back to reality and turned his head to look at him with a smile. "Sure thing. Do you know what the choices are?" he said, pulling his own earplugs out of his pockets and reaching out to grab the in-flight magazine to see if there was any information in it.

Sebastian shook his head and turned on the screen, accepting some light snacks and refreshments they started handing out. They had two screens but could synch up their headphones to one screen in business class which was useful if they wanted to watch a movie. They flicked through, finding some action movie which they watched the kill the first few hours of the flight. It was nearly 16 hours long, but at least the seats in business class were a little more spacious and comfortable to sleep in. He stretched out once the movie was over, and as if on cue, the first of the three meal services began. "I'll have... the chicken, please, thank you," he said to the flight attendant who then looked at Hunter with a smile, placing Sebastian's meal and sides on a tray, "and you, sir?"

Hunter would have been lying if he had said he didn't nod off a couple of times during the movie, not because it was boring, or much less because the company was boring, but because of his nerves about the moving he hadn't slept properly the last couple of days, so he took that chance, leaned and almosr snuggled against Sebastian to take some rest. But by the time they started to pass on the meal he was fully alert for it, because he was hungry by then. "The chicken too, please. And some lemon soda." He smiled at the flight attendant when he was handed his tray, then kissed Sebastian on the cheek. "Bon apetite" he said, then started to cut through the chicken filet. He had once heard it was never really recommended to eat fish during a flight, especially such a long one, so chicken it was, and as it turns out, it was quite good.

They ate their meals and the rubbish and trays were collected by the airline staff shortly after. He stretched out with a yawn, resting his head on Hunter's shoulder. They'd already killed time for the first couple of hours of the flight, but he had noticed Hunter dozing off during the movie, and at least the seats were more comfortable in business class that they should at least be able to get a few decent hours of sleep, especially as they would dim the cabin lights soon, once all the meal trays had been collected. He pulled a blanket over the two of them so they were sharing one, and shut his eyes, trying to ignore the general plane sounds and get some sleep. 

 A few hours later Sebastian woke suddenly from a jolt in the plane - nothing bad, just a spot of turbulence that had been enough to wake him from a restless sleep. He turned and smiled at Hunter, who's eyes were still closed and he reached up to brush some hair out of his eyes. He'd constantly asked Hunter if he was sure - if he was okay - so often over the past month, but he knew that despite Hunter's affirmations, he was still nervous. And he couldn't blame him. Sebastian had moved from Australia to America and that was hard enough - and for him it had been temporary. He hadn't planned on staying. Of course, then he met Hunter and things sort of snowballed from there... but still, Hunter uplifting his life and moving to Australia was leagues above his move to America. 

He glanced around, pulling the curtains shut on their little area. There was still a window and the curtain only covered so much but still... with the lights dimmed and other people sleeping, it was about as private as they were going to get. With both of them still under the same blanket, it was easy for his hand to slide over Hunter's thigh and his lips brushed Hunter's ear. "Babe," he whispered, giving his thigh a squeeze, "are you awake?"

Hunter didn't know when he fell asleep exactly, but being snuggled up against Sebastian so comfortably, and under the blanket that kept them both warm, that hadn't been that difficult really. He shifted a bit on his seat, his body slightly reaction at the warm touch of his hand, and he hummed softly, his eyes still closed. "Getting there" he whispered back, then he turned his head just a little, but enough to see Sebastian in the eye. "Wanna help me get there, babe...?" he said quietly, his own hand sliding down carefully and resting on his thigh as well.

Sebastian chuckled and pressed a kiss to the corner of Hunter's mouth, humming quietly. "I could," he replied, keeping his voice low, "but that'd be very risky. And we both know I can be good and quiet when you tell me too... but, can you?" The corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk, as he raised his eyebrows at Hunter.

Hunter could feel the warmth growing inside just by looking Sebastian in the eye, the way that wicked glint made him bite his lip down, and that damn smirk that was able to agree to almost anything. "You make a very good point..." he said, also whispering, their lips now brushing on each other. "So, how about you go to into the bathroom, and we make this trip even more memorable with yet another visit to the High Mile Club?" He grinned, then kissed his lips gently. "Think you could handlle that, babe?"

Sebastian gave a soft groan, slipping his hand out from under the blanket as his head thudded back onto the seat. He knew Hunter was right though - they'd probably get into some serious trouble if they didn't go to the bathroom and he doubted his parents would be very happy when they landed if they were escorted off the plane. He smiled into the kissed and then nodded, "mmm... I think so. I'll meet you there, then. Knock on the door, bathroom on the left." He unclipped his seatbelt, standing up and stretching his arms over his head, his shirt riding up as he did. He winked at him as he turned and walked down the aisle to the bathrooms at the back of business class. 

The plane was dimmed and most people were sleeping or had headphones on and given there was no meal or drinks service, even the crew were seated (though awake, of course, ready to help any passengers) so he truly doubted anybody would notice. He slipped into the bathroom and locked it behind him (to prevent anybody else from walking in because... no) and deftly ignored the fact that really - plane bathrooms were gross. Because right now, he literally couldn't care less.

Hunter followed Sebastian's moved as he stood up, his tongue licking his lips when he saw the spot of skin shown when he stretched his arms. The warmth in his groing got only higher as he watched him walk away for as long as he could, then he looked at his phone and waited a whole minute, which felt like an eternity before he too stood up and made it as quietly as possible to the bathroom. He got to the door and knocked on it gently. "It's me" he whispered against it, just so that Sebastian was sure it was in fact him, then just as the door opened he made it quickly inside and shut it behind him without even looking at it. All he could see was the man he loved in front of him, sporting that damn smirk on his face, which he proceded to kiss away right on the spot. He grabbed his face with his hands and clashed their lips together wantonly, his tongue parting Sebastian's lips in an instant and claiming his  mouth at will. As best as he could he moved his hands down and started to undo his pants as well.

When Sebastian heard Hunter's voice on the other side of the door he wasted no time in unlocking it swiftly, pulling the other man inside. There were no words exchanged between them in that moment, they both moved in at the same times, their lips colliding somewhere in the middle. They didn't have a lot of time, he was sure that - especially given they were in business class - two empty seats would be obvious before long. His hands slipped down to help Hunter undo their pants, sliding his hand under the band of Hunter's briefs to wrap around his cock. "We gotta be quick," Sebastian said, lips brushing Hunter's, "my parents will kill me if they have to pick us up at the airport after being escorted off or banned from the airline." He chuckled and started stroking Hunter's cock, "I got lube and two condoms in my back pocket and I'm pretty sure I'm still stretched from this morning, if you want to cut right to the chase" he said with a wink. Normally they wouldn't bother with condoms, but given the small space it would prevent... well, mess.

Hunter chuckled against Sebastian's lips. "Mmm babe.. Ilove it when you get romantic like that on me"he said teasingly, then pushed his hips onto his lover's hand. "I do like things cut to the chase, so how about you get on your knees and get right to it, hmm?" He looked at him and winked wickedly.

"Sir, yes, sir," Sebastian replied cheekily, winking at Hunter as he slid to his knees in front of him. He looked up at Hunter, not breaking eye contact as he quickly (no time to be slow) unbutton his pants, sliding them and his briefs down quickly to reveal his cock. He licked his lips, and - without taking his eyes of Hunter's - wrapped his mouth around the tip of his cock before slowly sinking his mouth down around him.

There wasn't a single thing Hunter didn't love about the things he and Sebastian did together, but his definitely favorite one was to be able to look into his eyes at all times. The connection he felt when that happened felt as strong as how his lips wrapped around his cock felt. Since the space was really small, the moment he leaned his head back it hit the wall a bit, which made him chuckle in a way, giving where they were at the moment. He reached down and grabbed onto his hair, pushing his head further on his groin.

Sebastian groaned when he felt his head being pushed deeper onto Hunter's cock, and he reached his hands up to hold onto Hunter's thighs to steady himself even though the small space would hold him up enough too. He swallowed down around him, tongue swirling with practiced expertise. He wondered how much time they had before somebody noticed that they were both not in their seats.

Hunter bit his lip down to keep quiet, his hand grabbing onto Sebastian's hair and pulling it hard as he kept on fucking his mouth. He pulled him on his feet and kissed him hard again, then turned him around and pulled his sweats down enough to expose his ass. He kneeled behind him and spread his cheeks wide open, the tip of his tongue taking a slow swipe at his entrance before he started to eagerly eating him out, his other hand reaching between Sebastian's legs and also stroking his cock.

When Sebastian felt Hunter's cock pulled from his mouth he whined, but was already being pulled to his feet so there was no complaints as Hunter kissed him, then turned him around quickly. He bent over as much as he could in the small space that was provided to them expecting Hunter's fingers so when he felt his tongue press against his hole he had to bite down on his arm to stop himself from being a little too loud. "Mmm..." his groan was muffled against his arm as Hunter's hand worked around his already hard cock and jesus fuck, Hunter always knew exactly how he liked it. "Babe.... ngg, fuck... you keep doing that and it's going to get really messy, really fast." He let out a breathy laugh, because that normally wouldn't be a problem, but in an airplane bathroom, it could become one pretty fast. "Condoms, in my back pocket."

As much as Hunter loved to  make Sebastian squirm in any way possible, he knew they had little time before someone would realize about their mischevous ways in there, and as hot and kinky as the idea of anyone hearing them at that moment was, he didn't want to get them into any trouble either. He pulled his tongue out of him and quickly searched into Sebastian's pockets to get condoms for both of them. After they put them on he stood behind him and pressed his body against him a couple of times, his hand reaching up to hold him by the neck and kissing him as he slowly pushed himself inside of him, the tightness swallowing perfectly, like it always did.

Sebastian's groans were muffled by the kiss Hunter pressed against his lips, timed perfectly. When they'd woke up in the morning, they hadn't been able to resist some lazy morning sex - the last they'd have in America (they'd stayed at a hotel the last two nights to ensure the house was emptied and cleaned for the new tenants, though of course they still owned it). It allowed Hunter to press into him with ease, though the familiar burn he loved so much was still there. "Mmm... fuck..." he said, lips brushing Hunter's, "keep moving."

Hunter kept Sebastian steady by the hips as he pushed himself in, and even if they had already had a go earlier that morning and his boyfriend would be somewhat loosened by then, he wasn't keen on hurting him, especially when they still had long hours ahead before landing in Australia. Definitely not the best way to spend it sitting inside of a plane. He gave slow thrust to help him ease inside of him, until he was finally buried to the hilt. He put his arms around him, one of his hands holding him by the neck as they shared one more kiss. "I fucking love you" he whispered against his lips as he begun to move, slowly at first, then a bit faster.

Sebastian's body opened for Hunter, slowly at first, briefly, but then he felt himself relaxing as Hunter eased himself in. "Fucking love you too," he said in reply, kissing him again eagerly as their bodies continued to move together with each one of Hunter's thrusts. There was a haste to their movements, knowing that this wasn't the time to drag it out, they would have plenty of time for that once they had settled in. His fingers on one hand dug into Hunter's shoulders as he steadied himself, while his other hand wrapped around his own cock, stroking himself over the condom.

Hunter was more than glad with covering Sebastian's lips with his own, because not only he loved the way his lips tasted, but because it was a perfect way to muffle the moans he was making him do. He reached down and pulled Sebastian's leg a bit, pressing his knee against the wall of the small space, which made his thrust to hit up directly on his soft spot. He grunted, feeling himself already close to the end, and he pressed his lips hard on the back of Sebastian's neck, his hand covering his mouth, the other holding around his waist tight, while he slammed his hips up and hard.

Sebastian groaned as Hunter continued to thrust into him, hard and fast and almost desperate in a controlled manner. With his own hand stroking his cock, and the fullness of Hunter's inside of him it only took a few more hard thrusts before he came. "F-" He bit down on his lip to stop the shout, spilling his load into the condom, muscles clenching around Hunter inside of him.

The moment he felt him clenching around his cock when he started to come, Hunter put his hand over Sebastian's mouth, his hips pushing forward once more before he stayed completely still inside of him, while his lover spill his slick inside the condom. Without letting him go of his high he started thrusting again, hard and repeatedly, a couple more times before he came as well, ropes of peraly slick filling the rubber. "HOly fucking shit... nngg..." He moved his hand away and made him turn his head so he could kiss him again, his lips and tongue lavishing on the remaining buds of their combined taste in Sebastian's mouth. "I love you so much... fuck... mmm..." he said, almost out of breath, then carefully pulled out of him and put his arms around him before he leaned his head on his shoulder.

Sebastian kissed Hunter back with all he had left to give, both of them riding out their highs as their bodies rocked together. "I love you too," he replied, leaning his body weight back against Hunter when he put his arms around him, "but if anybody asks us what we were doing in here, I was motion sick and you were just checking on me." He chuckled and turned around in his arms so he was facing him and kissed him again, this time much softer and gentler.

Hunter chuckled just as their lips pressed together again, his fingertips caressing the bare skin under his now untucked shirt. "And, just of how much help could I had been in that case, inside of a space with barely enough space for one person?" he said with a soft snicker, then bumped their noses together. "I would've done that though. For you. Now we should clean up a bit and get out of here before he get banned from ever flying this airline ever again." He winked at him, then they cleaned up the best they could, washing their hands and everything before they fixed their clothes up. "I'll go out first" he  said after he was done, then kissed Sebastian one more time before he opened the door and headed back to their seats.

Sebastian laughed, "you'd have been moral support, babe, obviously. A comforting hand for your poor, sick boyfriend." When Hunter said he'd go out first he nodded, hoping there was nobody waiting for the bathroom who would try to come in before Sebastian could leave. Thankfully though, the plane still seemed quiet and restful, with most people sleeping so after a few moments, he too exited the bathrooms and joined Hunter back at their seats. 

The rest of the long flight passed by mostly uneventful, switching between sleeping and watching movies, or pausing for meal service. They played a rousing game of Battleship, holding a tray table between them so neither could see the other's screen. Hunter won and Sebastian pouted for a bit but all in all, the flight was good and after over 15 hours in the air, their plane touched down with only a little bit of turbulence. Sebastian turned to Hunter with a smile and gave his hand a squeeze. 

"Welcome home, babe." 

END SCENE.