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wondernimbus · 4 years

Text

book-thief — james potter

pairing: james potter x female!reader

prompt: reader and james fight over the last book on the shelf.

please refrain from plagiarizing my work. requests are always open!

[Y/N]'s arm stills in mid-air, hovering over the spine of the lone textbook as she makes eye contact with a familiar-looking boy whose hand is similarly outstretched towards the same book: Advanced Potion-Making by Libatius Borage. It's the only one left on the shelf.

"Um," she says, pursing her lips as she grabs the book before he can even think about breaking eye contact. "Sorry. I got here first."

Diagon Alley is especially busy during this time of the year, less than a week before Hogwarts is set to reopen its doors to welcome a brand new set of first years and resume learning for the rest of the older students. Every single shop [Y/N] has gone into so far has been bustling with witches and wizards going about their shopping business—including Flourish and Blotts.

The bookshop's usually stocked shelves are almost empty. Most of the textbooks for [Y/N]'s year have gone completely sold out; according to the very frazzled manager, there had been an issue with the publishing house, hence they were short a good hundred textbooks or so for each subject. This meant that at least a hundred Hogwarts students were going to have to use a secondhand textbook or two during the school year.

And [Y/N] is not going to be one of them.

Feeling only a tiny bit guilty, she tucks the textbook under her arm, offers the strangely familiar-looking boy a half-assed apologetic smile, and resumes her shopping for textbooks. Weaving through the crowd of customers without even having to look up from the piece of parchment she clutches in her hands, she surveys her shopping list:

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6 by Miranda Goshawk Advanced Potion-Making by Libatius Borage Confronting the Faceless A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration by Emeric Switch Flesh-Eating Trees of the World Advanced Rune Translation by Yuri Blishen

Two textbooks left to go. So far she's been lucky enough to get most of them without much trouble despite the shortage of books (unless she counts the awkward encounter with that boy back there). She mutters occasional "excuse me"s as she slinks past other customers on her way to the Herbology section of the bookshop in search of Flesh-Eating Trees of the World.

There are only three other people in the Herbology aisle—an old witch mumbling something to herself about leaping toadstools, a little witch no more than age five surveying a book titled "Devil's Snare and Its Devilish Secrets", and—

It's the same strangely familiar boy from before. The one [Y/N] stole very reasonably took the last copy of Advanced Potion-Making from. (She had gotten there first.) But he's standing all the way at the end of the aisle, and she's standing on the opposite end.

Judging by the fact that he seems to be her age and goes to Hogwarts (which would explain that sense of vague recognition she gets when she look at him), he's here for the same book that she is.

It's more of an assumption than anything, but her legs kick into action nonetheless and she starts speed-walking towards the shelf that holds Flesh-Eating Trees of the World. But the boy seems to have the same incentive as she does, and at a pace much quicker than hers courtesy of his annoyingly long legs, he reaches the shelf first.

Her entire world seems to slow down. Before she knows it, she's standing two feet away from him—and he has the last copy of Flesh-Eating Trees of the World clutched in his hands.

"Sorry," the boy says with a flicker of mischief in his tone, smiling smugly as he holds up the book in a manner one can only describe as ostentatious. "I got here first."

She blinks, watching as he nods at her before turning and disappearing into a different aisle.

Great—now she has to use an old Herbology book this year and hope that she doesn't get one that's been thrown up on or jinxed to bite her hands every time she opens it.

She scoffs to herself, shaking her head in disbelief as she looks around in search of someone to share her incredulity with, maybe say "Did you hear that? Absolutely unbelievable" as a means of ranting. But the old lady and the five-year-old witch are hardly fit for such conversation, so instead [Y/N] huffs to herself and goes to look for her last textbook.

She walks faster than usual on her way to the Ancient Runes aisle, still reeling a little bit from the ridiculous situation that had just unfolded moments before and cost her her Herbology book. When she catches sight of the shelf she's supposed to find Advanced Rune Translation in, much to her delight, there is only one book left on the shelf. Hers.

But when she makes a move towards it, a certain someone rushes past her. It's that boy again.

Oh no, he's not—

His outstretched arm reaches out for the last copy of Advanced Rune Translation, and her instincts kick in—she grabs the book before he can, but he has latched onto it too.

Eyebrows furrowing, she tugs the book towards her. He tugs it back to him.

"I'm sorry," she says, keeping her voice level as she stares up at him, forcing a friendly smile. "I need this book."

His nose wrinkles before he smiles back at her—that same look of obviously insincere friendliness. "Sorry," he replies, lips curling, "I need it too," he tugs the book in his direction.

With gritted teeth, she grips onto her side of the book persistently. "I need it more," she insists, the smile on her face slowly fading.

"I don't see how you can be the judge of that," he fumes, his smile drooping into a scowl.

"I got here first—"

"No, you did not—"

The both of them have completely dropped all pretense of friendliness, now full-on scowling at each other as they stubbornly engage in an intense tugging match for Advanced Rune Translation.

"Fine!" she exclaims, letting go of the book as she takes a step back, frustration bubbling in her chest. "Fine. Merlin. Have it, then, if you want it so bloody badly."

The boy grins in triumph, looking much too pleased with himself. "Correction: I needed it."

"Yeah, whatever," she grumbles, glowering at him. And then, in a much lower tone, "Prat."

The smirk on his face drops. "Excuse me?"

"Hm?" she hums, glancing at him innocently. "Oh, nothing. You have a good day."

Spinning on her heel, she makes her way to the cashier, still seething as she dumps her very incomplete set of books on the counter. What a prat.

—

[Y/N] steps out of Flourish and Blotts onto the busy street of Diagon Alley. A bell chimes as the door to the bookshop closes behind her, but the sound is lost amidst the sounds of conversation coming from busy shoppers passing by.

Sighing, she purses her lips and checks her school supply list. She has everything—everything but two particular books that were unjustly stolen from her by a strangely familiar pain in the arse—

Okay, you know what? What she needs right now is to cool down—and what better way to do that than to get ice cream?

A few minutes later, she finds herself in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, sitting on a little table lined along the windows with a triple chocolate ice cream cone clutched in her hands. She tries not to look too sulky, but memories of that boy from the bookshop linger in her head that have her feeling irritated.

She's been staring out of the large glass windows for quite some time that her eyes have gone out of focus, so it takes her brain a while to register the fact that there's a boy standing right in front of the window, looking straight at her.

But it's not just a boy—no, this is the boy. The prat, [Y/N] has decided to call him inside her head.

She glares back at him. Annoyingly enough, he grins at her and raises his hand in a wave. What he does next has her gripping her ice cream cone so hard she's surprised it doesn't break, because the prat pulls out a book from his bag and waves it at her.

Written along the cover of the book are the words "Advanced Rune Translation".

Before [Y/N] can raise her hand and give him the middle finger, he averts his gaze and walks right into Florean Fortescue's.

She watches as he strides to her table before plopping down into the seat opposite her, setting the textbook down on the table. Her eyes flit to it before she looks up at him. If looks could kill, the prat would already be in the afterlife.

"Can I help you?" she asks, not bothering to hide the scorn in her tone. But just because she doesn't want to give him the satisfaction, she puts on a forced, sarcastic smile.

The prat grins. He crosses his arms, and whilst leaning forward in his seat, asks, "I suppose you go to Hogwarts?"

She regards him with a deathly stare. "Yes," she says, and then slowly, she repeats, "Can I help you?"

He ignores her question. "What house?"

Scoffing, she replies, "Ravenclaw."

"Aw, I was hoping you were in Gryffindor—but that wouldn't make sense because I'd be friends with you by now if you were."

She gives him an unimpressed glance. "Sure. Friends."

He raises his eyebrows, the impish grin on his face widening. In a flirtatious tone, he asks, "Were you hoping to be something more than friends?"

Her eyes widen and she scoffs again in disbelief. "Oh, Merlin," she says, shaking her head as she forces out a few breathless laughs out of frustration. "You are something else. Really."

The prat grins and leans back on his chair. "I'm James Potter. And you are?"

"Very annoyed," she takes an angry bite out of her ice cream cone.

Amused, he slides the book towards her on the table. "Because of this?"

"Because of a certain prat, to be more specific," she takes another bite of cone, chewing much too fast out of anger as she glares at him. "His name's James Potter—you might have heard of him."

The prat—James Potter—laughs. Actually laughs; a genuine sound of amusement. A look of feigned wonder comes across his face as he strokes his chin. "Why, yes, the name does seem familiar. Mind describing him for me?"

She rolls her eyes, but for some reason, she plays along. "He's tall. Looks like a tree."

"Interesting comparison."

"Black hair that strongly resembles a bird's nest—wow, he really does look like a tree."

He scoffs.

A tiny smirk tugs at the edges of her lips as she keeps going. "He's in Gryffindor, too, so that explains why he's such a prat."

He clutches his chest as though in pain. "Ouch."

"Oh, and I almost forgot. Silly me," she simpers, and then fixes him with a stony gaze. "He stole two of my textbooks."

James lets out an incredulous laugh. "Stole?" he repeats, shaking his head. "I got to the Herbology book first; it's only right that I took it. As for this one—" he taps the textbook on the table, "Technically, you gave this up."

She presses her lips together. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

He stares at her for a moment, mouth open as though to say something and his brows furrowed, and then he shakes his head and lets out a long breath. "You're lucky I find you pretty."

She narrows her eyes at him, ignoring the one—just one—butterfly that has been let loose inside her stomach at being called pretty by an annoying book-thief that a tiny, tiny part of her finds mildly attractive. Because he is a bit of a looker—she has to admit.

James Potter taps the book on the table and grins at her. "What if I decide to give this to you?"

"Bless your kind soul."

He laughs again. "No—really. What do I get in return?"

[Y/N] stares at him, trying to figure out whether he's being serious or not. Her lips bunch up to one side as she ponders her response.

"A name, perhaps?" James suggests, his eyes glinting.

She raises her eyebrows at him. "You want to trade a book for my name?"

He shrugs, drumming his fingers on the book cover. "Maybe. Yes."

"A book that you paid money for?" [Y/N] asks dubiously.

His bottom lip juts out as he contemplates his answer. Then he shrugs again, nodding. "Yes."

"Then you should've asked earlier!" she exclaims, sitting up straight and holding your hand out. "I'm [Y/F/N]."

James Potter lets out an amused sound, feeling something akin to fondness pluck at his heartstrings. He mimics the way she sat up straight, although his version is a little exaggerated—he quickly sits up, back rigid like a soldier being called to attention in a clear attempt to mock her. She gives the prat—James—a warning look; he grins at her.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, [Y/N]," he grips her hand firmly in his and gives it a shake.

Her lips tugging up involuntarily, she replies, "And yours."

Both of them drop their hands back to their sides at the same time as though afraid to hang on for longer than necessary. "So I suppose this is mine now?" she says, reaching out for the textbook.

James sighs heavily, shoulders slumping as he stares at the book with a dramatic, longing gaze. "I suppose so."

Hands hovering over the cover, she looks at him for confirmation. "You sure?"

He wipes a fake tear from his eye and nods. Rolling her eyes, she tries to hold back a laugh. "Alright. Okay. Um," she slides the book slowly towards her as if waiting for him to change his mind, but he doesn't. "Thanks.. um.. James."

He drops his dramatic act of despair and beams at her, crossing his arms as he props his elbows on the table. "You're very welcome, [Y/N]. Like I said—you're lucky I find you pretty."

She rolls her eyes, ignoring the warmth spreading across her cheeks. "Quite the flirt, aren't you?"

James shrugs. "Just being honest."

She gapes at him, at a momentary loss for words. And then she looks away, cheek twitching with a threat of a smile as she lets out a heavy exhale. "You really are something else," she mutters.

"Only for you, love," James grins. His eyes dart to the watch on his wrist, and his grin falters as he glances back up at her. "As much as I want to sit here and stare at you all day—"

"Annoy me, you mean."

James continues on smoothly like he hadn't heard her. "Unfortunately, I've got to go. I promised a friend I'd meet with him somewhere—his name's Remus, I'll introduce the both of you someday but hopefully he doesn't fawn over you too much. You've got the brains and the looks, after all."

She flicks her eyebrows up at him.

"Alright, well," James huffs, getting up from his seat. "I've really got to go—I'm already ten minutes late. I'll see you around Hogwarts, [Y/N]. Oh, and your ice cream's melting—I thought you ought to know."

With one final wink, James Potter backs away, keeping his gaze fixed on her as he goes. Just before he leaves the ice cream parlor, he gives her a mock curtsy, smiling, and then disappears into the crowd of people outside.

Feeling oddly breathless, [Y/N] blinks herself out of her reverie and then looks down at her ice cream. James was right—it is melting.

Couldn't he have said that earlier?

With a strange little smile on her face, [Y/N] finishes up the rest of her ice cream. And when she leaves Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour a few minutes later, there's a bounce in her step and a weird, fluttery feeling in her chest.

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pinkfadespirit · 3 years

Note

Cliché prompts for any DA2 pairing you like: 28. We literally ran into each other

Hello! Thank you for the prompt! I thought I'd try something a bit different for this one. I don't know if it's just because you requested it, Holly, but it felt like this would make a good Carver/Merrill prompt 😊 I've never written this pairing before. Or a Carver POV for that matter. So I hope it's a decent first attempt. I had fun with it anyway. These two make such a cute pair!

for @dadrunkwriting

Carver closed the door to Gamlen’s house and breathed a sigh of relief to be out of there. Nothing in particular had happened to get on his nerves (beyond the usual, anyway) but he’d been living with too many people in too small a space for far too long. And while Carver knew that he and his family could probably have it a lot worse than they did, that certainly wasn’t going to stop him from complaining about it.

When he’d told his family that he was stepping out for some air, Garrett had made a smart comment about letting him know if he managed to find any. Carver had rolled his eyes because of course his brother couldn’t just say ‘see you later’ like a normal person. Everything was an opportunity for a joke with him. But now that Carver was out, making his way through the smoggy Lowtown hex on which they lived, he had to admit Garrett had a point. Kirkwall didn’t exactly have an abundance of fresh air.

He looked up, trying to remember what the sky looked like when it wasn’t shrouded in thick grey smoke from the nearby foundries and found himself drifting back for a moment to a memory of Ferelden and how back there, before the Blight, the sky had mostly been covered with thick rainclouds most of the time. He might have complained about that at the time too but it was definitely preferable to the acrid scents of the city.

He was so lost in thought for a moment that he didn’t notice the other figure headed towards him until they’d walked right into him. Carver, tall and sturdily built, barely stumbled at the collision but the small elven woman, who also apparently hadn’t been looking where she was going, was sent flying to the ground.

“Ouch,” the elf grumbled from where she’d fallen. She took a moment to look at a scrape on her palm then seemed to remember why she was on the ground in the first place and looked up in alarm at Carver. “Oh Creators, I’m sorry! Are you alright?”

The question was not at all what he’d expected her to say. It took Carver a moment to remember himself before he replied, “Me? I’m fine, you’re the one… I mean, here, let me help you.”

He held out a hand to the elf and she blinked up at him in surprise before taking it. “Ma serannas. I mean, thank you. That’s very kind of you.”

Carver helped her to her feet then took a better look at the woman. He’d thought a moment ago that she looked familiar and now he was certain he’d seen her before. The is was the elf he’d met with Garrett out on Sundermount the other week and then escorted back to the City.

“Merrill?”

“Yes…?” She blinked those large green eyes at him for a moment then smiled brightly. “Oh I remember you. You’re one of the humans who came to Sundermount to deliver an amulet for Asha’bellanar… um… Carver? Is that right?”

“That’s right,” said Carver, pleased that she remembered. Perhaps a little too pleased. He didn’t really know why it mattered that she remembered his name when they’d only met the once but it was nice. She seemed nice.

And Carver, like a huge oaf, had just knocked her to the ground.

“Are you alright?”

“Oh yes! Yes, I’m fine,” Merrill answered cheerily enough. “That was probably my fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going. Again.”

“Neither was I,” admitted Caver. “Sorry about that.”

“Did you get distracted too?” Merrill looked much more interested than annoyed. “The buildings are all so tall here. I can’t help but look up and wonder what they’re all doing up there.”

“The buildings?” Carver was a bit lost.

“Yes. And then I look back down and realise I don’t know where I am. I keep telling myself I should pay more attention to that but somehow I always forget. Kirkwall is such a big place, don’t you think?”

“It is.” That much he could follow at least. “Where were you going? I’ve been living here for a while now. Maybe I could help.”

She looked relieved by the offer. “Would you really? I don’t want to be any trouble but if you could point me in the direction of the market, that would help a lot.”

Carver was starting to get the feeling that Merrill could be as much trouble as she liked and he wouldn’t even notice as long as she kept smiling at him like that. She was probably the nicest person he’d ever met in this awful city. Not that she was from this city. That was probably why.

She was here now, though and most likely in need of a friend.

“I could show you, if you like. It’s no trouble. I wasn’t really doing anything anyway.”

Carver didn’t know how it was possible but somehow Merrill’s face brightened even more. “Oh that would be wonderful. Thank you!”

She was only smiling at him, Carver thought, there was no need for his face to heat up the way it was doing. He hoped it didn’t look as obvious as it felt but then he was never that lucky. At least… he’d never felt that lucky before… He glanced at Merrill awkwardly as they fell into step together in the direction of the Lowtown market and thought, maybe that was about to change.

#dadrunkwriting #carver x merrill #carver hawke #merrill #dragon age fanfic #dragon age 2

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paper-mirio · 3 years

Text

Your Heart on Your Sleeve & A Knife in Your Back

Shindou Yo x Reader

Words: 7,229

Summary: When the two of you were young, you made a promise to each other that the two of you would be the greatest hero duo the world had ever seen. You would be the Pro Heroes Heat Wave and Grand, the best partners in the industry! And you weren’t going to let something as simple as going to different hero schools get in the way of your promise to your best friend. Before one can become a Pro Hero, however, they must receive their Provisional License. And really, since you’re so eager to talk to him about your classmates, can you blame him for using that information to his advantage? The answer, of course, is yes.

A/N: This was written as a Secret Santa present for a friend! It’s sort of a Christmas fic but since I don’t think I mentioned Christmas anywhere take it as a late generic holiday fic! Enjoy!

“I got in!” you shouted into the phone, prompting your dad to shout for you to lower your voice from downstairs. You called out an apology, gently setting down the hologram disc that came with your acceptance letter. The video had been paused near the end, and the smile on All Might’s frozen face paled in comparison to the beaming grin etched onto yours.

Instead of the excited encouragement you expected in response, you were met with silence. You waited, before hesitantly asking, “Shindou? You there?”

“...Yeah. Um, you got in where, exactly?” Shindou asked.

“Oh, yeah. I got into UA! They said I'm in class 1-A!” you exclaimed. You giggled excitedly, doing a small little dance. If Shindou were in the room with you he'd no doubt comment about how silly you looked, but you wouldn't care a bit. This was everything you dreamed of, and you felt like you were on top of the world right now.

“That's great, Y/N,” Shindou said, very clearly not as excited as you were. “So I guess that means you're not coming to Ketsubutsu, huh?”

You let out a sigh. “Yeah, guess not. I mean, I really would love to go to school with you, but Ketsubutsu is so far, and—“

“UA is your dream school, I get it! You don't have to make any excuses; if I were in your situation I'd choose UA too,” Shindou laughed. “Just don't get it in your head that this makes you better than me, alright? I may not be your senpai anymore, but I still have a year of experience on you.”

“If you say so,” you giggled. “Just get ready, I'll catch up with you before you know it. We gotta be on the same level when we team up, you know?”

Shindou chuckled. “True, true. I'll put in a good word for you with Yoroi Musha then. We’ll be able to get used to working together if he extends an internship offer to you.”

“Pfft, you won't need to! He'll be so blown away when he sees me at the Sports Festival this year, he’ll be begging to have me join,” you claim. Sure, you may have been exaggerating a bit there. After all, having the Number 8 Pro Hero as a mentor would be a very big deal. But you were confident in your skills, and Shindou made it sound so wonderful whenever he told you of his experiences working with the hero. You remember celebrating the night Shindou told you he'd been offered an internship at his agency, and you were still proud of him. He wasn't at the agency anymore, but was extended an offer to return once he'd gotten his provisional license.

“There you go again,” Shindou jokingly chided. “And they wonder why I worry about their ego...”

“Oh, because you're one to talk, right?” you joked back. You heard your dad call for you, and stopped laughing to let out a sigh. “Listen, I gotta go. I’ll call back soon, alright?”

“Yeah, talk to you later then. Bye.”

“Bye!” you said, quickly hanging up. You pocketed your phone and moved to exit your room when you caught sight of your acceptance letter. You squealed in excitement. You were gonna be a hero!

You entered Shindou’s apartment, giving a brief bow to Shindou’s mother on your way in. “Thank you for having me over on such short notice!” you thanked her.

She waved it off with a smile. “It's no problem, Y/N,” she said. “You're always welcome here! Besides, after what your class just went through we would've invited you over anyway!” Her eyes narrowed mischievously, and she leaned in and lowered her voice before continuing, “I know he's bad at showing how he really feels, but Yo’s been worried sick ever since the news broke. So I'm sure he'll be more than happy to see you here.”

You flushed at this, nodding in response and laughing nervously. “Haha, well, I guess I'll go see him now then!” You waved goodbye before rushing off in the direction of Shindou’s room. Once outside, you knocked a few times before placing your hand on the doorknob. “Shindou? It's me, Y/N. Can I come in?” you asked. You were met with complete silence. Your furrowed your eyebrows. “Shindou?” You placed your ear to the door, trying to listen for any movement on the other side. Nothing. Concern bubbled within you, and worst-case scenarios ran through your mind. Was your school the only one targeted today? Maybe someone had attacked Shindou without his family noticing. Trying not to panic, you called him once more. When no response came, you announced, “I’m coming in,” before twisting the doorknob and opening the door.

Quickly surveying the room for anything wrong, you sighed in relief at the sight of Shindou asleep in his bed, headphones covering his ears. Once the concern left you, you rolled your eyes in amusement. “Worried sick, huh?” you muttered, shaking your head and making your way over to stand at the side of his bed. Without warning, you flopped onto the bed next to him, throwing your weight into your fall. The mattress springs squeaked in resistance and Shindou was sent a few inches into the air, startling him awake. He ripped his headphones off and raised his hands into fists, seemingly ready for a fight before his eyes landed on you, casually lying in his bed with a devious smirk on your face.

His wide eyes blinked in confusion, and he reached up to rub at them before asking, “Y/N?”

You finally laughed at the confused look on his face. “Hey, Shindou. How was school today?”

At the mention of school, he was wide awake. The look on his face turned serious, and he gave you a slight glare. “I should be the one asking you that! A villain attack?!” He looked you up and down, concern etched into his features. “Are you hurt?”

Your smile turned soft, and you placed your hands on his shoulders. “Look, I’m fine! See? Not a scratch on me!” Except for the one on my back, you thought, but he didn't need to know about that. “As if I’d let some lowlife villain get the best of me!” you scoffed. “Besides, they really didn't know what they were doing with the whole attack. They basically made it easier for us all to fight back.”

Shindou raised an eyebrow, intrigued, yet still concerned. “They did? How?”

You giggled, finding humor in the convenience of the situation. “Okay, I probably shouldn't be laughing because I got really lucky they messed up the way they did, but it's just so perfect! We were at a training facility specifically for rescue training, so there were different zones for different types of disasters. And when the villains first showed up, they had their warper villain separate us into the different zones so they could pick us off individually, and—“

“So they were trying to kill you guys?!” Shindou asked, alarmed.

You sighed, frustrated at the interruption. “Yeah, they were. Anyway,” you continued, ignoring the growing concern in Shindou’s face, “we were all sent to the different disaster zones randomly. And, get this,” you giggled, pausing for dramatic effect, “they sent me to the fire zone.”

Shindou blinked, processing your statement before a bemused grin formed. “They didn't!”

“They did!” you cackled. The two of you laughed together for a few moments, with you hugging your sides. You wiped a tear from your eye, proceeding with your explanation of the day’s events. “Yeah, Ojiro and I took care of those assholes in no time.”

“Ojiro?” Shindou asked.

“Oh yeah, I haven't told you about any of my classmates yet. Ojiro’s got this really cool tail Quirk, and he's insane at martial arts!” You mimed some of the moves you’d seen your classmate perform earlier in the day, a large grin on your face. “With me practically giving them heatstroke and him kicking them into the concrete, they hardly stood a chance against us!” You smiled and leaned back in the bed, hands behind your head as you smiled at the ceiling. “I wasn't the only one who got a convenient placement, either. One of my classmates, Tsuyu, has a frog mutation Quirk. One of the many, many things she can do with her Quirk is swim fast.”

“Oh, let me guess,” Shindou cut in. “Flood zone?”

“Close,” you responded. “Shipwreck.”

Shindou snapped his fingers, muttering, “Damn.” He turned to face you, a small smile on his face. “You really did get lucky today, huh? You're sure you're alright?”

You nodded, returning his smile. “I promise, I'm perfectly fine. Other than this one kid with a really self-destructive Quirk and two of our teachers, nobody got seriously hurt. And those three are gonna be just fine, last I heard.” You let out a dreamy sigh. “Aside from, you know, the threat of death and all, it was cool seeing everyone’s Quirks in action. My classmates are all really cool.”

If you hadn't been staring at the ceiling, you might've noticed a certain glint in Shindou’s eyes. Having known him all your life, you would've immediately recognized the look as one he gets when scheming to himself. However, as you were looking away, he was met with no confrontation as a sly grin formed on his face. “Yeah,” he said. “They do sound pretty cool. Why don't you tell me more about them?”

You laid face down in your bed, unable to face the shame of meeting your friend’s gaze. Such a defeat had been humiliating, broadcast for the whole nation to see your failure. I can never go outside again, you thought. My entire career, down the drain. It was fun while it lasted. You'd survived an attack by villains, but this? This was your downfall.

“Y/N,” groaned Shindou, tired of your dramatics. “You got third place. That's good. What are you so embarrassed about?”

You lifted your head off your pillow to sent him a scathing glare. He rolled his eyes, not at all intimidated. “It wasn't good enough! I only got to the tournament round because Ojiro dropped out, and then I couldn't even last a minute against Todoroki! Me! Losing to the kid with the ice quirk!” You flopped your head back down, heaving another loud sigh into the pillow. “Who’d want to take me on as an intern after that mess I made out there...?” Your voice, muffled by the pillow, barely reached Shindou.

“Well, Yoroi Musha, for one,” Shindou muttered, rolling his eyes before letting out a laugh at the way your head jerked up in surprise.

“Wait, for real?!”

Shindou nodded. “You haven't gotten the offers yet, but he said he was impressed by your performance and thinks you'd be a good fit at the agency. Because, you know, you got third place and did a really good job, Y/N.” He watched as you processed those, waiting for the excited laughter that normally came when you received good news. This was a big deal, after all, and a great opportunity for your career. The laughter never came, however, as he saw you blink in confusion, your eyebrows furrowing. He sighed, realizing the issue. You still weren't satisfied with your performance, and you didn't understand why a high-ranking hero was impressed. Shaking his head, he moved to sit next to you on your bed, forcing you to roll into your back to make room for him. Lightly nudging your shoulder, he got your attention, asking, “Look, let's talk about what happened today. Maybe it'll get you to understand how well you actually did. Forget the second round and start with the first tournament match. Who were you up against?”

You sighed, grabbing your pillow and covering your face with it. “You watched the whole thing, you already know—“

“We’re talking each other through it,” he cut you off, ripping your pillow away. “Now, who did you fight?”

You let out a frustrated groan. “Fine. Kaminari Denki. My classmate.”

Shindou nodded. “Quirk?”

“Electricity.”

“And how did you beat him?”

“Kept my distance, since he’s better at short-range combat. Used my Quirk to make the air around us hotter, exhausting him faster and increasing the air’s resistance to electric current, making his attacks slower. I just waited for him to short out at that point,” you recited. You sighed once you finished. “Okay yeah, I did okay in that fight, but what about—?”

“Patience,” Shindou gently said, ruffling your hair as he cut you off yet again. Ignoring your pointed glare and avoiding your hand swatting his away, he nodded. “Next round. Who’d you fight?”

“Iida Tenya. Engine Quirk. I caused his engines to overheat,” you said, covering the questions you knew he'd ask before he got to them. “Harder to target him because he moved too fast, and he nearly got me out of the ring at one point.”

Shindou nodded. “Good, good.” He smiled down at me. “Now, the last round.”

You sighed, turning on your side away from him as your face flushed in embarrassment. “Do we really need to go over this one? It was embarrassing enough living through it.”

Shindou gripped your shoulder, rolling you back and laughing when he saw the pout on your face. “Yes, we do. It's important to understand your failures and learn from them. Can't be a good hero if you don't do that.”

You folded your arms over your chest. “...Fine. Todoroki Shouto. Half-hot, half-cold. I've only ever seen him use his fire against Midoriya, though.” You paused, frown deepening on your face.

Shindou poked your cheek at the corner of your frown, a smirk on his face. “Go on,” he teased.

“When the round started he sent ice to capture me like he did for everyone else. I used my Quirk to melt the ice, but I didn't evaporate it because the steam would have blocked my vision.”

“So the water was still on the floor of the ring?” Shindou asked.

“Yeah. I tried to get closer to him, since he seems like he prefers long-range attacks. Plus if he used his fire, I could've turned that against him. He didn't. And he kept avoiding me while I tried to close the distance until we basically circled the stage.”

“And,” Shindou added, “while this was happening you weren't focused on where you were standing.”

You shook your head. “Nope, just focused on getting closer to him.”

“So when you circled the stage—“

“I ended up back where I started,” you ground out between clenched teeth, “right where the puddle was from the ice I melted.”

“And the puddle?”

“Frozen over.”

“So,” Shindou continued, covering his mouth to try and stifle a laugh. “When you stepped on the ice?”

You sighed, sending him a pointed glare at his poor attempt to hide his laughter. “I fell on my ass, and Todoroki knocked me off the stage with more ice.”

Shindou snorted at the memory. He took in a breath, trying not to laugh too much when you were still embarrassed over the whole situation. “Now, if you had to do something different during that fight, what would you have done?”

You thought for a moment, your eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “Well,” you started, “I’d definitely get rid of that puddle, for one.” You continued to think, nodding to yourself. “I could try to do what Midoriya did and wait for him to overuse his ice, instead of chasing him around like I did. He'd either wear himself out from the cold or he'd use his fire, which I could turn against him.” You smiled, proud of yourself for your plan, before the smile dropped and you slammed your face into the pillow again. “Ugh, why didn't I just do that?!”

Shindou rubbed your back soothingly, a slight smirk on his face. “It's alright Y/N,” he said. “Now you know better, and you can probably beat him next time you go against him.”

You lifted your head, and his smirk vanished and was replaced with a smile. You sent him a soft smile, saying, “Thank you, Shindou. This was actually helpful. Think we can do this more often?”

He reached up to ruffle your hair, briefly blocking your view of his face as the smirk returned. “Of course! If you ever wanna go over a training exercise or something else you guys did in class, feel free to reach out.”

You sat up fully and leaned over to pull Shindou into a hug. You buried your face into his shoulder. Shindou blinked in surprise, his smirk dropping, but immediately returned the hug. For a brief moment, he felt a twinge of guilt, and considered telling you his real intentions. He shook his head, dismissing the thought and pulling you closer. They’ll understand eventually, he reasoned to himself.

Over the next couple of months, you'd taken Shindou up on his offer multiple times. After eventful Heroics classes, sparring sessions, or days where you just trained your Quirk, you'd call Shindou or visit his place to talk yourself through the experience. You'd go over the matches you'd win, detailing what strategies you'd used so you could understand which worked and which didn't. You extensively covered the matches you'd lost, analyzing together what your opponents did that got the best of you. Shindou would occasionally interject with his own ideas of how you could have utilized your Quirk, but for the most part he guided you to talk on your own.

When the time came to do your internship, you'd decided to join Yoroi Musha, who—just as Shindou had told you—extended you an offer to join him at his agency. Unfortunately, Shindou’s internship would occur in a different week, so the two of you did not get the chance to work together. Regardless, he continued to encourage you via text when you were free. Your regular analysis was put on a temporary halt, as you were getting plenty of feedback on your performance from your new mentor. Shindou, interestingly enough, did not reach out and offer to begin the conversation as much during this week, even though he was normally very enthusiastic in doing so. You shrugged this off, not seeing this as very unusual. After all, end of term exams had been approaching, and he was probably busy studying. This was a relatively new arrangement, after all.

When your end of term exams passed, however, his enthusiasm returned full force. He insisted you analyze the practical portion of the exam with very close attention to detail.

“After all,” he suggested, “it's not every day you get to fight against a Pro Hero.”

Finding no fault in his logic, you agreed. Interestingly enough, the direction he took when guiding your analysis wasn't what you expected. Rather than focus on the strategies you used against Midnight, Shindou had you focus on how well you worked with your teammate, and how you utilized both of your Quirks to your advantage. It all made sense why, however, after hearing him explain that in the field you'd likely find yourself having to improvise with a partner you haven't worked with before.

“But aren't we going to be partners?” you interjected, eyebrow raised as you teased him.

“Yeah, of course,” he nonchalantly responded. “But there might be times when we get separated for whatever reasons. You gotta learn to work with other people, you know?”

And after detailing how you were able to work together with Sero to win the match, that was the last analysis discussion the two of you would have. You told him about how your class would be going on a forest lodge trip during the summer, so you wouldn't be able to visit until you got back. He pouted when you told him, making you promise you'd visit as soon as you got back.

You giggled, pulling him in for a hug. “Of course!” You leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek, laughing as he blushed. “I know you'll get lonely without me, so I promise not to leave you alone for too long!” Shindou shook his head, muttering under his breath about you being embarrassing, but returned the hug. So you left, with the promise of a swift return and the sharing of any cool stories that happened over the summer.

And then the training camp was attacked. And your classmate was kidnapped. And you, without hesitation, joined your classmates in the rescue attempt. And though your rescue was successful, and you escaped without serious injury, and the villain that leveled the ward, leaving little behind was defeated—

It was all too much. You needed to get away, even if only briefly.

While the teachers made their rounds informing parents of the new dorms on campus, you made your way to Shindou’s apartment. Giving his mother the usual polite greeting, you were startled at her suddenly pulling you into a hug.

“We were so happy,” she said, voice wavering as she held back tears, “to hear that you were safe, Y/N.” She pulled away and wiped at her eyes, a soft smile on her face. “Yo is in his room. I know you came here to see him and not deal with me crying, so go on ahead.” She shooed you off in the direction of Shindou’s room, so you left her alone. You made your way to his room to see the door cracked open. You were about to announce your presence and walk in, when you heard another voice in the room.

“Wow, you got all that from one person?” The voice was male and was clearly coming from a phone speaker. You stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt his phone call, so you stood outside the door and waited for his to finish.

“Yeah, I have a friend in class 1-A over there, and they’ve told me a bunch about their classmates and their Quirks,” you heard Shindou say. “Strengths, weaknesses, fighting styles. All of it.”

“Wow! For real?” exclaimed the voice on the other end. “Are they trying to set up their class to fail or something?”

Shindou laughed in response. “Nah, I don't think they know that the license exam is a competition yet. We've been having these conversations so they can ‘improve their strategy’ when fighting. Which, to be fair,” he said, oh so casually like he wasn't breaking your trust and heart with every word, “we technically are. That's just...not the whole reason, is all.”

A moment of silence from the person on the other end, and you swear you could heart your heart pounding in your ears as the weight of how you'd been betrayed settled on you. The license exam? That’s why he'd been helping you? While you thought you were bonding with someone you'd known your whole life, he was gathering info to use against your class in an exam. To become a hero.

“...Huh. Your friend sounds kinda gullible,” the person on the other end, who you could only guess was one of Shindou’s classmates, finally responded. You scoffed quietly, shaking your head. Gullible. Because it was so wrong to trust that kind of info with someone you shared everything with? With someone who promised you to always be at your side and support you?

At Shindou’s laugh and the response of, “Maybe,” you'd decided you'd heard enough. You stood in front of the door, taking in a deep breath. You wiped at the tears in your eyes, swallowed down the burning pain in your throat, and hesitantly knocked at the door. Silence on the other side. “...Hey, I'll call you back later, okay?” you heard Shindou say into the phone. He must have turned off the speaker, as you heard no response before footsteps made their way to the door, which slowly opened to reveal Shindou on the other side.

Once he saw you, his eyes widened and he immediately pulled you into a tight hug. “Y/N,” he muttered, bringing his hand up to rest on the back of your head. “You’re okay...” Feeling the burning pain in your throat return, you resisted the urge to shove him away and yell at him over everything you'd overheard. Instead, you hesitantly raised your arms and returned the hug, embracing the warm feeling and trying to gain some sense of comfort in it. You didn't find much.

He eventually pulled away, frowning down at you as he placed his hands on your shoulders. “We were already worried enough when we heard your camp got attacked, but you had to go off and pull some stupid stunt that nearly got yourself killed again?” At your confused look, Shindou’s gaze narrowed on you. “Your dad called my mom. We know about how you and some classmates of yours rescued that Bakugou kid.” He let out a shaky sigh, his grip on your shoulders tightening. He closed his eyes tightly. “Just...don't do something that reckless again.” His eyes opened, and he gave you a small smile. “I can't be part of the best hero duo if my partner goes and gets themself killed, right?”

Still hurt over both his betrayal and how he had the nerve to act concerned about you after just bragging about how he tricked you, it took a bit of effort to put on a convincing smile. You knew, with how long the two of you had known each other, that it wouldn't be enough to convince him, so you pulled him into another hug so he wouldn't have to see it. “I’m fine. I promise I won't do anything like that again. You don't need to worry...”

He pulled away, giving a quick ruffle to your hair before he reached down to grab a bag on the floor, slinging it over his shoulder. “Good. Listen, as much as I’d love to stay, you kinda caught me at a bad time. I have to get back to the agency—my internship actually starts today!” He leaned forward to press a kiss to your forehead, and you did your best not to let the fluttering feeling in your chest make you forget what he did to you. “I’ll see ya soon, Y/N!” He waved and jogged over to leave his apartment after saying goodbye to his mother.

You let out a shaky breath once he was gone, the tension of holding in your emotion almost overwhelming. You wanted nothing more at that moment than to go home and have a nice cry session in your room, curtains drawn, with your favorite music playing at full volume. Before you could make your way to the exit, however, you were stopped by a call from Shindou’s mother.

“Oh wait, Y/N, before you go!” She stood in front of you, a DVD case in her hand. “I just found out the other day that Yo never let you see what happened in his school’s Sports Festival!”

Your eyes zeroed in on the blank DVD case, wide in surprise. “Huh. He never even told me that they had one....” Which, now that you thought about it, seemed silly. Every school had a Sports Festival. Especially every hero school. And while most weren't broadcasted, like UA’s and Shiketsu’s were, they would certainly record events for parents to view, right?

Shindou’s mother rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “Honestly, I can't imagine why not. He did excellently this year! Sure, there were a few moments he was embarrassed about, but we all watched your performance!” She handed you the DVD case. “Here, we had a spare copy, so I think you should have this one. Enjoy!” She hugged you before sending you on your way, making sure to call out a “Stay safe!” before you closed the door.

Standing outside the apartment, you stared down at the DVD case in your hands. On the disc, you'd be able to watch Shindou and his classmates’ Quirks in action. See how they fight, how they strategize, how they act. Every bit of information Shindou coerced from you, you would be able to watch. And his mother had handed it over with a smile on her face.

A grin developed, and you snickered to yourself. This? This would even the odds. You pulled out your phone, pressing on Midoriya’s contact before typing out a text. ‘Hey, you like analyzing Quirks, right? I have something you might be interested in watching...’

A manic grin was on your face as you dodged a ball thrown by a Ketsubutsu student. Your plan was working perfectly. Your classmates had been thoroughly informed of the Quirks and fighting styles of Ketsubutsu’s class 2-2. While you'd all been caught slightly off guard at how most of the examinees immediately targeted your class, you very quickly recovered and fought back.

You had to suppress a cackle when you saw Tokoyami strike at Nakagame, who quickly collapsed her torso into herself using her Quirk to dodge, only to be struck by Ojiro while her vision was obscured. Midoriya was spot on with his analysis, and your classmates had clearly paid close attention. For every strike they made, your class countered with peak efficiency. Even as Shindou’s Quirk scattered the class, they had prepared beforehand for this scenario and were not too shaken by the attack.

You hit the third target on a Ketsubutsu student, laughing all the while. “One down, one to go!” you cheered, quickly scanning the area to see if any other examinees were nearby. Upon spotting a familiar mess of brown hair out of the corner of your eye, you quickly spun to face Shindou, who was looking at you from a distance away. You got in a stance, ready to fight against him if he attacked. Shindou’s eyes narrowed, glancing between you and his classmate who you'd just defeated. His mouth settled into a frown, and he turned and ran to another area of the stadium.

You'd wanted to smirk at him, taunt him for being outsmarted by your class, but you instead found yourself mirroring his expression and his silence. You'd gotten him back after he tricked you; you should have been happy, right? Proud of yourself? Despite reasoning this to yourself, however, a growing weight filled the void your pride left.

You shook your head, breaking yourself from your thoughts. You didn't have time to think about how seeing Shindou had made you feel. You had one more student to eliminate. You could focus on him later.

Your name was there. On the list, plain as day for all to read. You'd gotten your license, and all your hard work, all the late-night analysis with Midoriya, all the heartache you'd felt over Shindou’s betrayal was worth it.

Your eyes drifted slightly, and you spotted “Shindou Yo” somewhere else on the list. You supposed all of Shindou’s preparation paid off for him, too.

After obtaining your license, you followed the rest of your class to the bus to return to the dorms. Before boarding, you caught sight of Shindou again. He was speaking to Nakagame, you noticed you and gave an awkward smile and wave. Shindou turned to see who she was waving at, and his eyes widened when he saw you. You two stared each other down for a brief moment, before you broke the tension by turning to board the bus.

The weight in your chest felt heavier now.

The weight of the many presents you carried in your arms was only slightly heavier than the dread settling in your gut. Unwilling to admit to the tensions between you and Shindou, you couldn't come up with a plausible excuse to break the tradition your families had held for many years. Based on the warm greeting Shindou’s parents gave you when they finally answered the door, you assumed that Shindou hadn't told his parents either. You stepped inside and let the warm air rush over you, bringing feeling back into your numb fingertips and increasing the unnerving feeling in you.

“Shindou, don't be rude! Help Y/N out with those presents! Poor thing looks like they’re about to drop them,” Shindou’s mom scolded him, drawing your attention to where he'd been standing in the far corner of the room, partially obscured by the Christmas tree. You saw his mouth settle into a firm line; not quite a frown, but definitely showing discomfort. He pushed off the wall he'd been leaning against and made his way over to you. As he held out his hands to you, you stared at him dumbfoundedly. Here he was, standing in front of you after months of not speaking to each other, and he doesn't even say hello.

You were broken out of your thoughts by him clearing his throat. “You gonna hand them over, or...?” he trailed off, raising an eyebrow. You startled a bit, nearly dropping a present or two with how quickly you shoved the pile into his arms. As you saw him struggle to keep the pile balanced, you flushed in embarrassment and walked away, moving over to where your parents were engaged in a jovial conversation with Shindou’s.

Shindou’s mom saw you and smiled, holding out two steaming mugs of hot chocolate to you. “Just in time! I made these just the way you two like them. Oh, careful!” she warned, handing them over to you. “They're still pretty hot. Well, not that that would be an issue for you, but still...Anyway, why don't the two of you catch up on your own? We haven't seen you in a while, so I'm sure you have a lot to talk about!”

The cheer in her smile was something you couldn't help but smile and nod in return at, taking the mugs from her with a soft “Thanks,” and making your way over to the couch by the tree, where Shindou was sitting.

His eyes followed you the whole way over, not looking away as you approached. You, on the other hand, struggled to meet his eyes as you handed his mug to him. He accepted it, giving you a small nod before taking a sip. You stood where you were, bringing the cup to your lips to take a sip when you noticed his raised eyebrow. You returned it, asking, “What?” He tilted his head to the side, gesturing to the empty seat on the couch next to him. You blinked. An “oh” left your lips, and you slowly moved to sit in the small space next to him on the couch.

As you settled into your spot, you tried leaving a small amount of space between you two, though your knee still brushed against his. You spared a glance over at Shindou, only to see him staring intently at the mug in his hands. A small sigh left your lips, and you raised your mug to take a sip. The scalding feeling on your tongue, while not capable of actually hurting you, was a comfortable distraction from the awkward situation you found yourself in. For a few moments, the two of you sat in silence, with the only sounds heard being the distant chatter of your parents and the low hum of the heater. It was awkward, yes, but neither of you had mentioned the obvious source of tension yet. Maybe, you thought, today wouldn't be too unbearable.

“So, Y/N...” Shindou began, breaking the silence and shattering all your hopes of the evening being salvaged. “I think we both know exactly how my classmates got their info on yours...”

You snorted, lifting the mug to your lips. “Yeah, I know.” You took a long sip, hoping the burning feeling traveling down your throat might push down the angry words that wanted to come out. “Something about a ‘gullible friend in 1-A who doesn't realize this is all a competition’, right?” It didn't help much.

For a moment you thought you saw him cringe, and you heard a mutter along the lines of “...didn’t think you’d hear that...” before seeing him shake his head. “Anyway, I wanted to know how your class seemed so ready for the exam. You all were so coordinated with your attacks, like you knew our Quirks and strategies beforehand.”

You hummed, before raising an eyebrow and shooting him a smirk. “You know, I don't really think I owe you an explanation after what you did.”

Shindou visibly deflated, letting out a sigh and nodding. “Yeah, that's fair.”

You nodded with him. “But!” you began, a grin forming when you saw him perk up. “You probably know better than anyone how much I love bragging whenever I beat you at your own game.” Shindou pulled a face somewhere between a grimace and a smile, seemingly happy he'd get his answer yet embarrassed at the reminder of how thoroughly his plan failed. “Remember that day I dropped by after the Kamino Ward attack, and you headed off to your internship?” At his nod, your grin turned devious. “Well, your mother oh so graciously offered to let me watch the footage from your school’s Sports Festival this year. She gave me a spare DVD.”

His eyes widened comically, glancing over to where his parents were, causing you to cackle. “Seriously?” he asked. “That's all it took? We couldn't even get that much info from your Sports Festival, that's why we came up with that whole scheme in the first place!”

You nodded. “True, but I guess you all don't have a strategist like Midoriya in your class.”

Shindou raised an eyebrow. “The bone-breaking kid?”

You waved a hand. “He doesn't do that anymore. At least, not that often...but that's beside the point. I texted him about the DVD, let him borrow it, and he came up with plans to counter your classmates in the exam.”

Shindou blinked, processing your words. “Wow,” he started. He blinked a few more times before taking a sip from his mug. “That was pretty smart, I guess. He even planned for Makabe and Tokegi’s joint attack, and they've been working on that since the first year!”

You gave a confused hum, not quite sure who he was referring to before it hit you. “Oh! The ones with the boomerang and hardening Quirks, right?” At his nod, you grinned at the opportunity to ramble about strategy. “Well, the boomerang Quirk is kinda similar to Snipe-sensei’s, and we’ve had experience dodging his Quirk before. Also, while the hardening Quirk isn't exactly like my classmate Kirishima’s, it seemed like the hardness was similar enough. And since Ashido accidentally burned Kirishima once in a training accident even though he was using his Quirk, we figured if her acid was corrosive enough it could get past your classmate’s Quirk easily enough.” You paused your take a breath, devious grin widening further. “You all didn't take the corrosiveness into account because she kept it pretty low for the Sports Festival, and when you fished information from me about her I didn't know how corrosive it could be. We were pretty lucky on that part, but I still think we could've done just as well even if you had known.”

Shindou nodded. “You're right, then. You really did beat me at my own game.” He smiled at you and lightly nudged you with his elbow. “Not bad, Y/N.”

You smiled back, before the burning feeling in your chest returned with full force. Your smile dropped, and you turned away from him again. “Yeah, well, me outsmarting you after you tricked me doesn't exactly mean what you did was okay.” You clenched the mug tightly in your grip, bringing it close to your chest. The hot chocolate had gone cold during your conversation, and you stared down into it while trying to ignore the stinging tears in your eyes. “You said we’d be heroes together. Partners. What kind of hero sabotages their partner?”

Shindou’s eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled for what to say. “Y/N, I didn't...I mean, I wasn't trying to—“ he stammered, before you cut him off.

“But you did,” you cut him off. The mug trembled in your hands as you accidentally used your quirk, and steam began rising from it again. “You took my trust and used it against me and my classmates. And for what? There were so many other schools there you could've gone after. Hell, we could've teamed up and gone after them together! But it was more convenient to just use me, I guess.”

Shindou’s frown deepened. He reached out and placed his hand on your shoulder, only to quickly retract with a hiss at the heat you were giving off. Startled, you quickly stopped using your Quirk and gave him an apologetic frown. “Sorry,” you muttered. You sighed deeply, leaning your head back against the couch. “I guess I'm no better, huh? Your parents were being nice and I took advantage of that...”

Silence hung in the air. Both of your parents had left the room a while ago, and the droning of the heater settled into the background unnoticed. Shindou’s hand found its way to your shoulder again, more hesitant this time. When you didn't respond or shrug him off, he slowly pulled you closer to him, hand moving to your head and gently resting it on his shoulder. You frowned, feeling the tears well up in your eyes again, but didn't resist.

“I'm sorry,” Shindou said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. You snuggled closer to him in response, staying quiet. He lightly ran his fingers through your hair. When he was sure you weren't going to say anything in response, he continued, “Not that it means much to say this now, but congratulations on getting your license.” You snorted at the statement, many months too late. He lightly chuckled, saying, “Yeah, I know. But even though we haven't exactly been working together, it's been nice having you at the agency. Nakagame won't shut up about her ‘cute new sidekick’, even though we’re all sidekicks.”

You snickered. “Looks like I'm stealing your friend. Maybe she'll be my hero partner when we graduate...”

Shindou rolled his eyes. “If anything, she's trying to steal you from me. Not like that’s gonna happen. You're my partner, got that?”

You lifted your head slightly from his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at him. “Oh, am I now?”

Shindou nodded. “I promised you, didn't I? I know I've been a major idiot lately,” he started, ignoring your muttered comment of “Yeah, no kidding...” and continuing, “but if the two of us work together we’re gonna top the charts in no time.”

You smiled at him, leaning back on his shoulder. “Well, I'm looking forward to that!” You closed your eyes and let out a breath, feeling the tension wash away from you. Shindou’s head tilted, resting atop yours. Things weren't perfect, and you would probably need to have a more in-depth conversation later, but for now, things were better.

“Oh, Shindou?”

“Hm?”

“I gotta say, your performance at the Sports Festival could've been better. We have a lot of work to do if we're gonna top the charts.”

“...Shut up...”

#bnha #boku no hero academia #mha #my hero academia #shindou yo #shindou yo x reader #shindou you #shindou you x reader #bnha x reader #bnha reader insert

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afandommultiverse · 4 years

Text

KidNAP - Rhya LEMON

Words - 1868 Request - Alfirineth

A/n - I'm sorry I kinda strayed off with the request, I hope this is still good? I combined 3 soulmate AUs - name written in wrists - soulmate and enemies name written on your wrists but you don't which is which - a countdown clock to when you meet them Enjoy!

Y/n P.O.V

I looked up at the blue sky with tired eyes, counting the clouds floating across the massive empyrean hanging above me. Sweet chirps of birds and sweet melodies of the wind dancing through the green leaves branching around the border of my perception, luring me to a peaceful sleep.

SNAP

And all peace was lost.

"You're in my spot." I turned my head lazily to face the intruder, interrupting my way to a plentiful nap. My arm seemed to burn, all buzzing and swarming from the same place as I set my eyes on him. I looked down at my wrist, eyes widening as the 3 zeros glared back at me, blaring my time up and he was here. His name was written precariously under the blinking numbers.

Rhya.

"So, it's you?" I called turning back to look at the sky. I could him wandering over, his steps all the louder compared to the soft nature that once was my background. He was right beside me in seconds, sitting down and laying beside me.

"I guess so." Soulmates? All of my friends had already met all of theirs. Me? I took the longest and now that I'm finally here, it all feels the same. Nothing is different. If anything, it was just the same as it was 2 minutes ago before the clock ended.

Or was he my biggest enemy? I turned to look at my other wrist, its own clock still counting down, days away before I meet the second name written across my wrist. My eyes flipped to the sideways, watching the man beside me. He continued to look up at the sky, eyes empty as they stared dazedly.

"Do you know how we could figure this out? I'd rather not fret over this too long, sounds like it would be a drag." I mutter, already feeling sleepy again, bored with the situation as it was.

"I do, but for that, I'm gonna need you to come with me." My head snapped to look at him. Looking at him like he was crazy, I blurted.

"Do I look stupid to you? I can feel your mana! Anyone with some sense and the ability to feel it would know with the amount you have, you're all trouble. I'm too lazy to deal with any of that." Rhya slowly sat up, turning to look at me.

"Well, we can't know- unless we go. See, it even rhymes!" Rhya smirked. I only glare with rising boredom- and annoyance.

"No."

"Well, then I'm really sorry about this sweetheart." Suddenly he grabbed my shoulders before shoving me forward, moving to brace myself for the ground and roll out from under him, my stomach dropped when I didn't feel the impact of the ground. Instead, my body fell through an open chasm ripping apart the space and time of the earth, a spacial portal. Holding my breath, I waited until we made it to the other end.

Suddenly we were spat out, the end results surprisingly comfy. I looked around me, it was a bedroom, neat and mostly barren, but no doubt lived in. Rhya had flipped sometime in the portals. His body laying on top of mine was soon recognized and I snapped to look up at him.

"What the hell?!" He only smiled down at me, it was when I felt his hands grip my wrist gently did I realize he had them pinned above me.

"Don't you want to know what we are? Enemies or soulmates?" He whispered, pulling in close to my jaw to speak before pulling back and starting to kiss gently down my jaw and neck. It felt good, and even with how weird it all was, the kisses were comforting. I ripped my arm away from his lock, quick to put my hand against his chest and shove him back.

"You're lucky I don't obliterate your chest now." I hissed, flipping him over, my hand pinning his neck into the sheets, and by god did he look pretty. He only smiled back at me, his own hand coming to rest on my hip and swirl never-ending shapes into the fabric covering the skin. Skin that burned to feel the pad of his finger slide against it.

"I know a spell, sweetheart. Afraid we do have to get naked though." He was all smug, even as my fingers gripped a little tighter. Rhya lifted his hips, pressing the growing erection against my groin, quick to set a slow rocking pace.

Unprepared for the sudden friction, my thigh gripped tightly around his hips, only bringing him in tighter. I leaned forward, quick to cover any whines or moans that had threatened to spill out, meeting the complacent eyes of Rhya, watching me struggle slightly.

"Come on, Sweetheart, I know you're not completely against it." I wasn't. It had been quite some dry spell, and I wouldn't be unhappy to break with such an alluring man. Plus, if he did turn out to be my enemy, wouldn't it make it so much juicer if we had sex? Especially if it was good?

"What's the spell?" I question, rocking my hips a bit of my own, pushing up against him. He groaned and gripped my hips, eager to continue.

"First things first, you gotta strip." I ceased my rocking and sat back, moving to rid my clothes. When I had finished and sat nude, I was surprised to find Rhya in the same state. He beckoned me up, moving to situated me over him again.

"I'm going to draw these sigils on you with my mana, you will do the same thing for me," He fingers drifted across my breath, drawing a sign that glowed a bright blue against my skin. His hand drifted lower, resting on my lower stomach. "In the same places," He whispered, finishing the final sign, letting his fingers linger. He pulled my hand to his chest, and rested it above his heart, prompting me to go.

I drew the same sign, my mana appearing f/c against Rhya skin, lighting up certain freckles spattered across his chest I couldn't quite see in the darkroom to begin with. As I continued on to draw the last symbol, drifting my fingers slowly, I felt the muscles twitch with each skimming touch. I recognized the symbols, making out the words 'Enemies' and 'Soulmates' each in their respectful places.

"What now?" I whispered peering down into Rhya's lustful eyes, feeling just as excited and as aroused as him, practically throbbing with need.

"We show each other a good time. Ladies first?" I scoffed and shook my head, moving to flip around pushing my ass back, and facing his cock. I looked back over my shoulder meeting his blown-out eyes, distracted with the sigh of my puffy pussy, glistening, and eager for touch.

"I hope you don't plan on leaving me hanging, do you?" I emphasized it by arching my back more, pushing myself closer, and even shaking my ass slightly, like dangling food for a dog. I felt his hand drift up to my thigh, smoothing over the globe of my ass before finally resting besides my opening, pulling flesh around it to get a better look.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Sweetheart." I moaned as a finger slid up my slit, pushing lightly against my hole before moving back up, rubbing a small circle into my clit, he continued this pattern until I finally began to show him some attention. I licked at the tip on his cock, catching salty weeps of pre-cum on my tongue. Wrapping my lips around him, I sucked on his tip gingerly before moving down and hollowing my cheeks, sucking softly. I could hear him groan behind me, his fingers stuttering faintly as he played with me.

Swiftly, a finger entered the center, gummy walls quick to pull him in and accept any erosion. The newfound pleasure had me whining around his cock, sending vibrations only making him push further into my needy cunt. He rubbed at my walls, pushing forward to find that spongy patch that would have me seeing stars, when I pushed forward, nudging his cock down my throat and swallowing.

"God- y-you are really... g-good at that." He sighed out, moving his second hand to rub at my clit while he continued to thrust into me, adding a second and third finger. My stomach fanned with heat, making my body buzz alive in apprehension in what's to come. I cried out around his cock, stiffening around his fingers cumming with the last strum against my clit.

I pulled off his cock to breath, getting ready to go back again, Rhya pulled me off, turning me around and raising me above his burnished cock. "As much as I would love to cum down your pretty throat, Sweetheart," He rubbed his tip against my slit, teasing me before finally setting into place and beginning to push forward. "But I want to cum in this tight thing a lot more." I moaned and he pushed in, filling me with several thick inches of good cock, rubbing against every nerve in every good way.

"Rhya!" That was the first time I said his name when he was stuffing me full of cock. He groaned and pushed to fit in more, brushing against my cervix. "That sounds pretty good falling from your lips, Y/n." I pushed my hips against him, ready to start moving if he wouldn't. As if reading my mind he began to move, pulling back and thrust back in gently. I held by lifting my hips, grounding down with his upwards thrusts, following a consistent rhythm.

I moved my lips to kiss him, pressing against his own which were surprisingly soft, pillowy, and plush. Our tongues dance in a sloppy exchange, neither fighting for the top, just touching and exploring one another. Pulling back to watch a single string staring to connect us, I moved my lips to kiss down at his neck, even biting some to hear his gorgeous gasps. A particular thrust hit the perfect spot, making me cry out against his ear I had previously been biting at.

"Oh yeah? Right there?" Rhya questions, slowing down to readjust before kicking back into gear and hitting that same spot with almost every furious thrust. I moaned against his neck helplessly, reveling in the feeling of his powerful thrusts, echoing throughout my body and making my head hazy, craving to reach that end again. I felt my stomach warm again, but this time hotter, butterflies tickling me bordering on the edge of sickening, I looked down to see the lovers sigil begin to grow brighter, burning into my skin.

Rhya's hand slid to press against the sigil, watching the light of it slip through his fingers as they continued to dance down, finally meeting their destination at my clit.

"You know what that means, Sweetheart." He began to rub furiously at my clit, pressing almost too hard on the pebbled bundle of nerves, but it was perfect, it was all I needed to finally snap. White-hot pleasure surging throughout my entire body, my vision goes dim, head bursting with hormones in a satisfying relief.

"We're soulmates."

#lemon #Black Clover #black clover oneshots #xreader #rhya x reader #rhy x reader lemon #fluff #request #smut #oneshots #black clover rhya

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ariddletobesolved · 4 years

Text

Days We Spend Under the Sun

Written for @helsa-summer-event 💖

Fandom: Frozen

Genre: Romance, Family, Fluff, Whump

Rating: T

Summary: Summer is not her favourite season, but a certain Admiral from the neighbouring kingdom is going to change that.

This is a continuous work which consists of eleven chapters for seven prompts. External links for better reading experience are in the notes.

—

Prologue

The ballroom was crowded. Too crowded, or at least she thought so.

After ten months, the war had finally ended, and when summer rolled in, the people of Arendelle could finally rejoice. Celebration came in the form of the Queen's birthday ball, which was held in late June. The ball, of course, was held for the people and some dignitaries or ambassadors from neighbouring kingdoms, who had been generous enough in helping Arendelle during that time of need.

"The party is too dull for your liking?"

At the familiar voice, she didn't turn. Focusing her eyes on the smiling queen, who was talking to some members of the Royal Council, she half-shrugged.

"On the contrary," Elsa said, "I find it rather grand. It's been a while since the last time I attended this kind of celebration."

"I don't believe that is a reason to not enjoy the party, Your Highness." The man standing beside her added.

She smiled, before shaking her head. "I told you not to call me that, Hans." Feeling a hand resting on the small of her back, she bit her lower lip, before turning to him. "And I told you not to do that."

Hans raised a brow and threw her a look. "What a contradictive order! First you told me not to address you with the title, then you told me not to touch you because we're in public?" He said, before leaning closer to murmur, "Elsa, you need to be specific."

Elsa blushed furiously as she tucked her hair behind her ear. It was obvious that the close proximity did something to her.

"I mean, I don't think the title is necessary." She replied. "I'm just Elsa to everyone."

He stood before her, placing a finger under her chin, certainly ignoring her previous request. "We are now officially courting, and the Councilmen know that." His emerald gaze softened. "Also, you are not just Elsa to me."

Elsa blushed. She hated to admit that she was in love, but she couldn't help the strange sensation in her stomach, as her heart beat a little faster. "Yes, the Councilmen know, but the people don't."

But instead of complying, Hans held out his hand for her. "Would you like to dance, or would you like to go to the balcony to get some fresh air? You look like you can use some."

Exhaling, Elsa knew she had no other choice. "The balcony would be fine." She took his hand.

Once they stepped out to the deserted balcony, thoughts began to run through her mind. Sure, they were officially courting, but what would happen next was uncertain. With Hans still having both his Southern Isles citizenship and his position as an Admiral in the said kingdom, Elsa thought that he would be leaving soon with the last contingent. After all, he was still under his king's direct order, and with the war ended, his service to the Arendellian Navy was no longer in use.

Elsa laid a hand on the railing. She wished she was back in the Enchanted Forest at the moment, even for a brief second, to get a taste of freedom. Deep down, she regretted not agreeing to Honeymaren and Ryder's offer to go back to the Enchanted Forest with them the day before, but she had a birthday ball to attend. Besides, Hans was still needed in Arendelle for the final preparation before the last contingent could leave. The thought of him leaving once again gave her a slight pang in her chest.

"Elsa." He gently called her name.

She didn't turn. From the way he spoke, it was obvious that he was about to tell her something.

"I'm staying."

His words, which she didn't expect to hear, were enough to catch her attention. The faint music from the ballroom was playing in the background, yet his voice was loud and clear in her ear.

"What?" Elsa's blue eyes widened. "But, I thought—"

Hans quickly placed a gloved finger on her lips, silencing her. His emerald pair bore into her blue ones, as he gently rubbed her cheek with his knuckles.

"You really thought I'd leave you here forever, after that confession?"

If she wanted to be honest, yes, she did think so. At this point, anything is possible, since the future is full of possibilities.

"Not forever, though." Elsa sighed, giving into his touch. "It's just, you said you'd go back to the sea, to continue your job as an Admiral."

"Elsa," his tone was gentle, as he tucked a few strands of platinum hair behind her ear. "You do know that my brother only made me an Admiral so that I would die in the battlefield, don't you?"

She nodded slowly, her brows knitted.

"And now that the war is over and I'm still alive, let's say my presence back in the Southern Isles is not wanted. I love my job so much, yes. But something has captured my heart here."

Her heart swelled, as the corner of her lips tugged upwards. "The sea?"

Hans smiled. "Nah, more like someone." He poked her small nose with his finger. "You."

"Well, Admiral Westergaard," she began, "I think you deserve a reward for that."

"Tell me, Fifth Spirit," he pulled her closer by the waist, "what would the reward be?"

Her gaze fell from his eyes to a pair of lips that looked ripe for her to capture.

Leaning in, she murmured, "a kiss."

Pulling him in by his cravat, Elsa pressed her lips against his. She smiled to the kiss as she combed her fingers through his auburn hair, before settling on the back of his head. His hand settled on the small of her back as he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Warmth spread on his chest, as he, too, was smiling to the kiss.

Once they pulled away breathlessly, Elsa stared up at him. She rested her forehead against his, smiling ear to ear. Her blue eyes were still closed, as she breathed in his familiar scent.

"Are you really staying, Hans?"

Her eyes fluttered open when she felt him moving. "Kaere," the nickname had always succeeded in making her blush, "I am." Hans tenderly cradled her face, as he pressed a small kiss on her nose. "At least for the entire summer."

She let out a giggle. "Okay."

At least having him stay for the summer was better than him leaving soon. Elsa decided that they should make the most of the time they had, but what he said next was something she didn't expect.

"The other day, you said that you need to go back to the Enchanted Forest to check on the spirits and Ahtohallan." He paused, taking both of her hands in his. "What do you say to a trip starting tomorrow?"

"Hans, what?" Her mouth was agape, as her brows knitted in confusion.

Hans placed one hand on her waist, while the other was still holding her face. "You see, I'd love to spend more time with you. This summer is the perfect opportunity for us, and I think we should travel north tomorrow, after breakfast if possible."

Elsa was too stunned, but travelling with Hans? She had never thought that she would end up with him as a significant other, let alone adventuring together. Of course, she would love to! But before she could answer, footsteps came approaching. From behind the door, Queen Anna walked out.

"Admiral Westergaard—oh, Elsa!" Anna blinked, but the corner of her lips tugged upwards. With narrowed eyes, she asked, "I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

Elsa smiled. "No, actually." She then turned to the Admiral. "We were just talking."

He bowed. "Your Majesty, is there anything you need?"

Anna quickly composed herself as she cleared her throat. "Yes, actually, Admiral. I remember you wanted to talk to me about the arrangement?" For a moment, Hans blinked in confusion, as if he tried to remember. "The arrangement regarding the last contingent, Admiral."

"Oh, forgive me, Your Majesty! It seems like I have had too much champagne tonight." He smiled sheepishly, still holding a smiling Elsa.

The blonde glanced between her sister and the Admiral, and wondered what they were actually up to. She opened her mouth to speak, when Anna came approaching with a smile.

"Alright, then." The queen said. "Oh, and Elsa, it's good to have you here." She kissed her sister's cheek, ruffling her hair slightly.

"It's your birthday ball, Anna, of course I'm here." Elsa let go of Hans' hand and returned the gesture with a quick hug.

Anna beamed. "Well, I guess I should leave you both to it. See you in the morning, sis." Turning to the former prince, she added, "I'll be in my office with Prince Kristoff, Admiral."

"Your Majesty." He bowed.

The queen, not forgetting to wink at her big sister, then made her way towards the door, before disappearing into the dim hallway. Once her footsteps faded, the couple was finally left in silence. It seemed like the party had ended, and people began to retire.

"Hans?" The blonde said, reaching out for his hand. She smiled gently when she saw the look of worry on his face. "I'd love to travel with you. I need to check on the forest and Ahtohallan too, so yeah, we can leave after breakfast."

"Really?" Gone was any trace of worry, as Hans beamed in excitement. "I mean, sure! That's great!" He exhaled in relief, before leaning in to press his lips against her forehead. "I love you, Kaere."

Elsa closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth that was slowly engulfing her. "And I love you too."

As he rested his forehead against hers, she opened her eyes and stared into his emerald ones. Never did she think that she would end up with him. The history they shared wasn't exactly pleasant, and sometimes they were still reminded of the past, especially being in Arendelle. But the past year has taught them so much. Love did save, after all.

#helsa #helsa summer event #hans x elsa #elsa x hans #hansla #iceburns #mary's writing #days we spend under the sun #helsa post frozen 2 au

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quokkalatte · 5 years

Text

Mixtape pt. 4 [M.YG]

Part 4

Category: One Shot series

Pairing: Min Yoongi x Female!Reader

Summary: Living as an aspiring rap artist in Seoul, all you want to do is work on your music and try to get your name out there. Of course when you have someone as annoying and spiteful as Min Yoongi makes that extremely difficult. Until he decides to help you out.

Warnings: smut, language, some Namjoon action (which ofc is a warning cause oof), angry Yoongi, alcohol consumption, perhaps some angst but not really

Warnings for this chapter: Honestly none except slight mentions of sex

Author's Note:so sorry it took so long to get his out thank you for being patient ♡ this chapter is short. Like really short but I'll try to make the next one longer ~ Autumn

Tags; @notsolovelykarsyn @psychoticshawtyy

Cannot tag: @deesixx2801

[Message me to be added to the tag list so you can be notified for new updates]

× × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × ×

It was like clockwork, waking up again and feeling angry and bitter at myself. Making myself something to drink and brooding and contemplating telling Yoongi not to come, tell him I'm sick. Any excuse not to see him again.

I sat on the couch, staring at Yoongi's contact, chewing my lip. I pressed his contact and texted him.

Me: don't come today, I've come down with something

Jerk: OK

I sighed, putting my phone down, going to take a long shower and try and get over the pounding in my skull, drinking was never a good idea. I undressed, stepping into the shower and allowing the steaming water to pour down my body, my eyes closing in content. I lathered myself in soap and wrapped myself in a towel, ruffling my hair with another to dry it faster. A faint knock had me frowning, dropping the towel I was drying my hair with I quickly adjusted the one covering my body, making sure I was appropriately covered, I went to the door, checking the peep hole and nearly yelped in shock.

Yoongi stood outside the door, container in hand and two drinks in another. His blonde hair was tousled and he was peering down the hall at something, scratching at his neck for a moment, pushing the grey goodie he wore for better access. I let out a short gasp. I told him I was sick! What was he still doing here? I backed away, from the door, eyeing it like it was deadly or toxic.

"Open the door Y/n I know you aren't still asleep, you texted me 30 minutes ago" Yoongi's aggregated voice came from the other side of the door. I swallowed and glared

"I told you I was sick Yoongi"

"And? Just let me in please your druggy neighbor keeps peeking at me and it's unnerving" he says, the last part fading into a whisper. I groan, pulling the door open, and Yoongi steps in quickly. He freezes once he sees my attire. Color floods his pale cheeks, and I blush darkly. "Uh, did I interrupt something?"

"N-No I just got done showering. I wasn't expecting you to still come" I mumble, excusing myself to dress, leaving Yoongi in my living room. I quickly pulled on a hoodie and sweatpants. I found him peering around my desk, and I clear my throat, and he turns to me. "Finished?" He asked and I roll my eyes.

"I still don't know why you're here, I told you not to come"

"I was already on my way when I got your text, and it wouldn't be the first time I've been around you when you're ill" he prompts, walking over to my kitchen island and setting the box and drink tray down.

"Have you considered maybe I don't want to see you?"I snap, fed up with him already. Memories of last night kept swimming in a haze, the alcohol making it dim to remember everything, but I understood the jist of watching Yoongi stick his tongue down some girl's throat and going to bed with her.

"Have you worked on a song yet?"

He completely ignored my question, opening the box and the tempting smell of sushi wafted towards me. I folded my arms, and huff

"You didn't answer my question"

"You didn't answer mine" he smirks, plucking a sushi roll and plopping into his mouth. "I brought you some too come eat" he mumbles, his cheeks puffed as he chewed. I growl in frustration and take one. "Well?"

"Yes I've worked on the song" I grumble, remembering the furious drunk scribbling I did last night in anger. Yoongi swallowed, taking a drink from his cup and dusted his hands on his pants.

"Let's see then" he asks, and I walk over to my desk and snatch the papers and handed them to him. He raised his eyebrows at me, before scanning the angry lyrics. I knew what they were, those were the one thing I remember about last night. The lyrics spoke of harsh love, love that wasn't reciprocated and the pain of having to watch him move about and not do anything about it. I suddenly realized the inspiration of the song was reading it, his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth formed the words. I grew nervous, wanting to know what was running through his head. He read through them twice before handing them back to me.

"They're very meaningful, full of emotion. I'd tweak the grammar a bit and take out a couple of repitions" he says, but his mouth moved as if he wanted to ask something else. His tone was guarded and he took another sushi roll and chewed it. I nod, returning the paper to the desk. The silence that followed was awkward. Yoongi wanted to ask something, I could see it in his eyes. It did nothing more than agitate my already hostile mood with him. He chewed the sushi in silence, eyeing me as I watched cars come and go out the window above my desk. It got to much.

"Just ask what you want to ask Yoongi" I sigh, turning to look at him. He seemed embarrassed that I had caught him, but as he eyed me, his nervousness quickly snapped and he spoke.

"Is the song about the guy you're with?" He asks, tone cold and judging.

"What guy?" I frown at him, halfly with exasperation

"The Panda Express guy" he said impatiently, like I was an idiot of some sort. My eyes widened and a blush rose on my cheeks.

"I'm not seeing the Panda Express guy Yoongi" I growl.

"Are you sure?" His tone mocking.

"Positive."

"Then what are the looks he gives you every time we go out after a session?"he accuses. I groan, this boy. He acts almost like he's jealous. Which couldn't be true considering the activities he had partaken in merely 12 or so hours ago.

"That's what they are Yoongi. Looks. He kept trying to ask me out but I turned him down. He thinks we have something special after we drunkenly kissed at a friends party over a year ago" I scoff. Yoongi squinted at me, trying to see if I was telling the truth.

"Jimin?" I groan, wanting to strangle him.

"Just a friend"

"You sure?" His tone was sharp "you seemed awful cozy last night"

"Dammit Yoongi I don't like Jimin! I don't like the Panda Express guy! I've never done more than kiss a guy so stop treating me like I'm some common whore" I yell, fists clenching in anger. Yoongi blinked, taken aback my my outburst. He looked guilty for a split second, and he eyed me. I blushed, realizing I had admitted my viginity to a guy who had probably taken many.

"You've never had sex?" He asks after a pause. I turn my eyes to the ground, not meeting his gaze

"No. Never found a guy I liked enough to do things with" I mumble. I didn't like the silence. That all that seemed to be happening were bouts of awkward and tension-filled silence. I just wish he'd speak. Yoongi was always bad with words, except when he was rapping. Then he could spit out words faster than I could comprehend.

"Neither have I" I was caught in my thoughts that I almost missed him saying it. I looked at him, and he looked back. This pissed me off. I balled my fists, walking over to him, and grabbed him by his hoodie. He yelped as I dragged him towards the door. The shock must have allowed me to do so, considering Yoongi was taller than me and more built. I shoved him towards the door.

"Get out" I snap. "I don't want you here again. If all you're going to do is patronize me and slut shame me and tell lies then I don't want you here. Ever" Yoongi sputtered at me

"What are you-"

"No!" I cut him off "you don't get to listen to me announce my intact viginity only for you to reply with you haven't had sex either" I growl, pointing my finger in his face.

"I havent-"

"Liar! You had your tongue down some poor girls throat just last night! I saw you so I dare you to deny it" I hiss. He swallowed cautiously.

"I won't deny it, but I didn't have sex with her" I snort and he glared at me. "it's true. I was going to, but I stopped. I always stop. I can't bring myself to do it" he mumbles, running a hand through his hair. I frown, not fully believing him. He always had girls at parties, every single time. He'd take a girl upstairs, and now he's trying to say he's never slept with them? I was doubtful.

"Why do you stop? They're pretty and eager" I ask

"Because I don't like them. I don't want to have sex with someone I don't care about. It needs to mean something." He says. I study him before replying. He seemed honest and genuine, I didn't see a trace of a lie on his features. My next question I knew would anger him, it was a touchy subject, but I couldn't deny my jealousy that wiggled it's way into my head.

"The girl in the song you wrote for, is she special?" I ask. Yoongi's gaze was intense, and I had to will myself not to look away. I stared into his brown eyes as he spoke.

"More than she could possibly know" he says, his voice low and calm. The air sparked with a new kind of tension, created from his words and gaze. It sent pickles of emotion up my spine and caused a round of goose bumps to grace my arms. The jealousy egged me on, I wanted to know more about this girl that apparently plagued his thoughts enough to have a song written for her. Did she know about the crush Yoongi was harboring so deeply for her? Maybe not, or they'd be together already.

I didn't realize how close Yoongi was to me. His face hovered inches away from mine. I could feel the exhaled breath fan across my face and the heat his skin put off warm the air between us. It chilled me, him being so close and my cheeks spread with warmth as I realized he hadn't broken eye contact. He licked his lips, and leaned forward just slightly, his breath setting me aflame.

The loud sound of a phone ringing caused us to jump. Yoongi stumbled back into the door and I turned to find the offending noise. Yoongi phone was vibrating and ringing nest to the food and drinks. I tried to still my rapid hear beating as Yoongi quickly walked over to it, picking it up and answering it.

"Hello?" His voice was higher pitched and his cheeks were flushed pink. Incomprehensible words came from the other side. Yoongi hummed "okay I'm in my way. Try to get him not to move it" he says and hangs up. He glanced at me "I need to go"

"What happened?" I ask, instantly worried. He wrinkled his nose

"Namjoon's roommate, Seokjin, got his hand caught in the sink. Reached down to grab something and it got stuck. I need to go help get it out while Namjoon panics unnecessarily" he says. I open my mouth to respond, to tell him I wanted to come, but he was already out the door with a quick slam and a rushing sound of clothing, leaving me alone and confused.

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spideyxchelle · 7 years

Note

Hi, I'm a bit shy to ask but would you mind if I'd ask you some spideychelle hc with trans Peter? Sorry I'm new in this I don't know if you take this kind of request but I love this headcanon and since I'm queer and I've lot of trans and nonbinary friends it make me so happy to see people embracing this headcanon like superheros (even if not canonically) can be trans and supercool and it's good because trans people are PEOPLE not aliens and Spider-Man can be a trans boy and still be supercool

OMG DO NOT BE SHY, PLS. I have written an MJ as non binary head canon before which you can find here and there is a slight nod to Peter being trans in that. SO I have no problem filling these kinds of prompts. people deserve to have representation in media, to see themselves in their heroes and if you want to head canon Peter Parker as trans then omg you totally should.

I will say that as a cisgendered straight woman I do want to express that this head canon is not my story or my experience to tell authentically. and I recognize that my privilege may inadvertently effect this head canon (I could never know what it is like to be trans or queer), so I’m sorry to all of the trans and queer people that read this if I misspeak. that was NEVER my intention.

if you’re looking for LOTS OF AMAZING TRANS PETER CONTENT I suggest @transpeter

Peter knows he hates the name Petra. his Aunt May jokes that he’s hated it since he was about four years old (there was an incident with a Barbie doll that Aunt May loves to retell). and he would absolutely agree. Petra is a fucking terrible name.

he used to really blame his parents for naming him PETRA of all things but he’s seven when they die and at the time he couldn’t really remember why he hated the name so much. all of his emotions were muted beyond the pain of losing his parents. and he was their little Petra so how could he hate the name then?? the name they gave him??

but when he’s nine he starts to hate Petra, again. the name (and himself a little bit because he doesn’t quite fit in). the little girls in his class don’t want to play with him. apparently, he’s strange and weird and spends too much time with computers to be normal. but computers don’t tease him or make him feel shitty about himself so he’d rather take the computers over the girls in his class.

and he would rather take the girls in his class over the boys. the boys are horrible. in his head, he assumed that maybe he and the boys would have more in common than him and the girls but that was because he always considered himself one of the guys. the boys in his class do NOT consider him that.

so school is pretty miserable.

that’s when Aunt May and Uncle Ben start looking into alternatives. because Peter doesn’t deserve to spend every day of his school life feeling tortured for not fitting in. at the time he didn’t know why he wasn’t QUOTE UNQUOTE NORMAL. he was just a kid, trying to play with other kids. but kids are cruel. kids are so, so cruel.

its during the hunt for a new school that Peter sees Laverne Cox for the first time. Aunt May is watching some show on Netflix and he remembers thinking that Laverne Cox is beautiful. transfixed, he guided himself down on the seat next to his aunt and asked the question that changed his life, ��who is she?” Aunt May paused the show and answered, “Laverne Cox. she’s beautiful, right?” Peter nodded dumbly and Aunt May kept talking, “she’s trans, Petra. do you know what that means?” he shook his head. “it means she was born in the wrong body. she was born as boy but is actually a girl.” Peter blinked, “how can she do that?” “there’s nothing to do, sweetling,” May said gently, “she just is a woman. that’s how she feels on the inside and so that’s who she is.”

Peter had gnawed on his lip, and innocently told his aunt, “I think that happened to me. I think, I’m in the wrong body.” Aunt May had nodded, he would always remember her face, and sat up a little taller, “okay, then. what do you want me to call you, then, buddy?” AND HIS LITTLE MIND HAD EXPLODED BECAUSE THAT WAS IT?! it was THAT simple? he could just be himself??

but of course it was that easy. Aunt May always made things easy.

he remembered throwing his arms around his aunt and whispering, “Peter. my name is Peter.”

three days later Aunt May had Peter in with a pediatric doctor that specialized in trans children and they were discussing their options. Uncle Ben couldn’t come, he was at work (Peter found out after Ben had died that his uncle took every extra shift available to make extra money for Peter’s transition, Ben and May had set up their own fund).

the doctor had asked Peter what felt like a hundred questions and then began to explain to May the way things they could as a family progress from there.

five days before his eleventh birthday he started hormone blockers. two weeks after he starts his blockers, Peter tests into the Midtown school track (a middle school and high school for super geniuses) and that is when Peter feels the most relieved. because he won’t be forced to go back to that terrible school where everyone still called him Petra. he could just be Peter. start fresh.

and so when he starts Midtown middle school at 12, everybody does call him Peter. that’s how he introduces himself and so that is who is he. he’s a little smaller than the other boys in his class but he IS one of the boys. and if kids know (and he prays they don’t), they never say. he’s just Peter Parker.

the one constant between his old public school and midtown, though, is Doctor Nedal. Doctor Nedal is his therapist, a woman who specializes in queer children related issues. and they meet once a week to talk, check-in and work together. he’s not sure why he still goes to her when he hits thirteen (he’s been living as PETER for almost four years now) but when he asks Aunt May, she reminds him that having Nedal on their side will make it easier for Peter to start his hormones when he’s ready.

he hits fourteen and he’s ready. they talk to Nedal about starting testosterone and he’s warned about everything that may happen. the increased irritability, the options (pills, injections, gels), the potential aggressiveness, the fact that it may stint his growth slightly. but Peter knows what he wants.

so he starts T. and while his body isn’t everything he wants, the hormone blockers helped keep some things under slightly more control. besides, his aunt May always assures him whenever he’s having an off-day, he can always get surgery when he’s older. it’s going to be okay.

and then everything is not OKAY because Flash Thompson starts Midtown when he starts his freshman year. he’s barely started testosterone when Flash comes barreling into his life.

he takes one look at Peter, sneers meanly at him, and calls him Pretty Parker. and its devastating. some other kids snicker. kids he’s known since he was 12. kids he trusted. and Peter starts to panic that Midtown is going to be JUST like public school. and he can’t do that again. he was so miserable.

but before he can have a full-on breakdown another new student, Michelle Jones, call Flash an idiot. he sputters like he’s afraid of her (and he does find out a few years later that MJ and Flash grew up together because they both had wealthy parents in the suburbs) and tries to shoot back, “I’m not an idiot.” she crosses her arms, “uh, yeah you are.” and that comeback is the ninth grade equivalent of cursing someone out. Flash is humiliated and flees.

peter mumbles a thank you and MJ rolls her eyes and storms off. (over the next few years he’ll grow very accustomed to MJ storming away from him).

but the day drastically improves when he meets Ned Leeds. and they’re instantly tight. Peter even considers disclosing the fact that he’s trans to Ned. he’s not sure how much kids gossip or if Ned even knows, but he still wants to tell him. he wants to have that moment.

he tells Ned when they’re sitting on his living room floor watching Empire Strikes Back, the best Star Wars movie. and Ned grins and knocks his shoulder against Peter, “cool. thanks for telling me, man.” and that’s it. Ned doesn’t push or ask a hundred questions. he’s still just Peter to Ned. and they’re nerdy and best bros and everything is awesome.

and it gets even MORE awesome around Christmas time when he goes on a field trip to Oscorb with his chemistry class to look at some of their tech advancements. personally, Peter is more interested in Stark tech than Oscorb tech but beggars can’t be choosers. especially since Tony Stark is a FREAKIN’ superhero now. he doesn’t have time to invite genius kids to look at his work.

its on this field trip that Peter gets bit. and his whole life goes CRAZY TOWN. he gets sick for a few days after, like insanely sick and Aunt May worries that maybe something went wrong with his testosterone injection, but when he comes out of his sick haze he has FUCKING super powers. insane, something out of a comic book superpowers.

Tony later tells him that the testosterone he was taking mixed with the spider bite made his whole body freak out. see here: eight pack and arms for daaaaays. if he hadn’t been trans, if he hadn’t been taking T, he never would have become Spider-man. it was the mix of both ingredients that made him extraordinary.

and, like any other reckless teenage boy, Peter uses this new found powers to fight crime. he has a television. he’s obsessed with Tony Stark. he sees the Avengers. and he starts to dream that maybe he could be one.

he has his powers for thirty-three days, nine hours and fifty-four minutes when Ben dies. he’s on his way back from the therapy with Peter in the front seat when someone tries to hijack his car. Peter is so frozen the whole time, shocked by the exchange, that he misses when the gun comes out. but he doesn’t miss the sound of the gun shot as it hits Ben. the killer freaks out that he actually killed a guy and runs off. but Peter does nothing. he cries for help, PLEASE SOMEONE HELP, and he holds his uncle as he passes. before he goes, Ben calls him Peter one last time. then, he’s gone.

May is devastated. Peter is horrified. and their whole life is falling apart around them until Tony Stark shows up in his living room with the promise of greatness. he tells him that he likes to save the little guy because “when you can do the things that I can, but you don’t, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you.”

then he’s BASICALLY an Avenger and then he’s into Liz and then he’s screwing everything up and then homecoming happens and FINALLY his life starts to finally even out.

he lays off of patrol, somewhat, and being a superhero starts to feel like only a part of his life. not entirely who he is.

he hangs out with Ned and he trains upstate and life is great. Flash upgrades Pretty Parker to Penis Parker (which is crazy hurtful) but he’s not so upset about that anymore because Flash is irrelevant to his life. and he’s awesome.

and then, MJ happens. she’s his sort-of friend, then the captain of his team and then one day he realizes he’s been looking at her too long and it hits him that he likes her. he likes all the good and the bad parts of her. he likes her dry sense of humor, her passion for human rights and the way she smiles at him when she thinks no one is noticing. fyi, he always notices.

but he’s not sure how to do this. not really. he’s never really dated. sure, he took Liz to homecoming but that was a dance. dating someone for real is a lot more complicated than just ditching someone as soon as they arrive at a dance.

and he’s also terrified that MJ won’t be interested in a trans guy. which is dumb because lols of course trans guys are amazing. but he can’t beat away that evil voice in the back of his head. that voice is really mean.

so he procrastinates. he keeps putting off asking MJ out even though the more and more time he spends with her at school and at practice and on the occasional outing with him and Ned convinces him that he really does properly like her.

and THEN, she finds out he’s spider-man. more like she tells him that she’s always known. they’re walking through downtown and he’s munching on a churro when she asks, “are you ever gonna tell me you’re spider-man or…?” and he chokes on his food. MJ stands there expectantly while he works his shit out before he finally can speak, “um, excuse me?” “spider-man. you’re him. wanna tell me I’m wrong?” he shakes his head, “no, just, um, how did you know?” “i’m observant. duh.” and his face heats up read because damn, she is observant. how observant, tho? like, does she know other things about him, too? again, he’s never 1000% certain what the gossip mill says about him.

they walk in silence for three more blocks before he blurts out, “i’m trans!” and that is so not how he wanted to tell her. he wanted to gently prod at her about her feelings toward queer people, feel out if she would be open to dating a trans person and THEN tell her. but his dumb mouth says it before he can execute his master plan. that he’s been procrastinating on. really, um, he was gonna tell her. eventually.

or now. now apparently is the answer.

her lips turn up just slightly, “is that the last confession you wanna tell me today, Parker? or do you have one more?” he flushes and turns back to his churro, “dunno what you mean.” “yea, you do.” and he does. he can tell from the way she’s looking at him that she knows about his big, FAT crush on her.

he eat another bite of his churro, sends a prayer up to whoever is listening and takes the leap, “I like you.”

when MJ leans down and kisses his cheek Peter’s her ACTUALLY stops. not really, but that’s how it feels. it feels like he can’t breathe and his life is over and he wants to call Aunt May. he has so many questions about all of the feelings a simple kiss on the cheek could bring about.

“I like you, too,” MJ says, stealing what is left of his churro. Peter grins real big, “you do?” “I do,” she rolls her eyes. “even though I’m…” “you’re Peter,” MJ cuts him off. and yea, he is. he’s Peter FUCKING Parker.

and the fact that Peter FUCKING Parker is dating Michelle Jones seems to interest nobody at Midtown is even better. because it feels normal. because it is normal. because Peter is trans but that is not all he is. he’s a superhero and a best friend and a nephew and a boyfriend.

he likes being someone’s boyfriend a lot.

he likes going to pride with MJ and having her on headset with Ned during his patrols and making out with her. making out with her is great. and she’s super aware of his dysphoria which helps. she never pushes him to do anything he doesn’t want to do and, frankly, there is a lot of other things they can do. AHEM. they��re teenagers. they make it work while being respectful of Peter’s boundaries.

but his favorite thing about dating MJ is the way she always seems to catch his eye across the room. no matter where they are or what they’re doing, MJ finds him. and its nice to feel like someone is looking out for him. because that’s all he ever does as Spider-man, look out for the little guy.

now, though, he has an MJ. and sharing Spider-man with someone he loves is way better than doing it alone.

#headcanon ask #trans peter

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worldsentwined · 7 years

Text

Sweet and Savored

For this week’s @synchronisedscreaming challenge.

Prompt: Lalli/Any - Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker (I meant for there to be liquor too, but ended up with just candy. Also, this is set in a modern AU, possibly the BIWC-verse, and is not NSFW but gets quite suggestive).

"The popcorn is ready! Do we have everything else?" Tuuri plopped down on the couch beside Emil, knocking a few kernels of popcorn into his lap. Emil picked them up and popped them into his mouth.

"Yeah! I've got a whole assortment here." Emil was in charge of the candy for movie night, and he’d outdone himself. He’d painstakingly poured all the candy into bowls, color-coordinated and separated by type. They looked nice, all lined up on the table in a sugary rainbow. He almost hated to eat any.

Fortunately, Tuuri had no such compunctions. "Looks great!" she said, snatching a random bowl and the remote control. She pressed 'play' and settled back to watch.

Emil, for his part, was having a hard time focusing on the movie. At first, it was his own fault. He'd wanted to get a little bit of every candy, and in taking a few pieces of each, he'd landed himself in a sticky situation. He juggled his handful carefully, trying to keep the chocolate candies from melting while also savoring the sweet fruity flavor that was currently dissolving all over his teeth. But when he finally managed to get all of the candy into one hand, and was carefully popping them in his mouth one at a time, he ran into a whole different problem.

"Mmmph!" He nearly choked at the first touch, undeniably gentle but also...moist. Tuuri shot him an odd look, but she turned back to the movie when she saw he wasn't about to stop breathing. Carefully, Emil turned his eyes to the person on his other side.

Lalli stared back at him, eyes wide and innocent. His mouth was stained with chocolate and artificial colors—Emil noticed, as if from a great distance, that the candy dishes nearest him were empty. Apparently Lalli had decided to move on to the next nearest source of sugar, which happened to be Emil's chocolate-smeared hand. While Emil watched, he lowered his head and gently sucked on the tip of Emil's finger.

It felt like Emil's heart would stop. He thought he might catch fire, or at least heat up enough to melt a hole in the couch. But he didn't move, and Lalli went from sucking to licking, running his tongue up the length of Emil's finger. Emil bit back a moan.

"Something wrong, Emil?" Tuuri asked around a mouthful of popcorn.

"Noooo, I'm fine, everything is fine!" Everything was not fine, but he couldn't bring himself to care when Lalli's tongue was snaking between his fingers, or when he moved his attention down to Emil's palm. Oh, god. I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe this is happening and TUURI IS RIGHT HERE so I can't do ANYTHING about it!

Afterwards, Emil couldn't have told anyone what the movie was about. But he'd tell anyone who asked that it was one of the longest movies he'd ever endured. He forced himself to sit still and try to focus, but it was completely impossible. Lalli licked his hand clean, and when he'd gleaned the last hint of sweetness, he kept hold of it. Lalli's deft fingers trailed over Emil's skin, tracing the ridges of his knuckles and the curve of his nails. It was amazing—and also maddening because there was nothing he could do but sit there unless he wanted Tuuri to notice. Or unless he pulled away, but there was no way he was going to do that.

Fortunately for Emil's sanity, halfway through the movie Tuuri got a phone call. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She looked at the screen and leaned forward to pause the movie. "I have to take this, I'll be back soon!" She hopped off the couch and dashed up the stairs, chattering away to the person on the other end.

Before she could come back, Emil whipped around to face Lalli. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

Lalli blinked, looking confused, and released Emil's hand. "I was just...I thought you'd like it." He averted his eyes.

Emil stared at him. "You thought I'd—of course I like it, do you have any idea what you're doing to me? It's, I...Lalli, I like it." Now it was his turn to look away. "Too much, maybe."

"So...you like it when I do...this?" Lalli caught his hand again, and Emil felt a faint brush of lips against his wrist.

"Yes, Lalli," he said, resigned to embarrassing himself forever, "I like that."

"And this?" The lips moved higher up his arm, and this time there was a hint of tongue.

"God, yes. Lalli—"

"This?" A soft sucking at the crook of his elbow.

"Shit, Lalli—" Emil turned to look at him, certain that his desire must be written all over his face. Lalli didn't seem to care though. He actually grinned, looking more pleased with himself than Emil had ever seen.

"I like it, too," Lalli said. And with that he abandoned his own seat and climbed right into Emil's lap. "I like you. Too much, maybe."

"Uh—" Emil couldn't seem to make his mouth form words. Not when Lalli's was so close to it, lips parted slightly and ready to devour him any second. So Emil gave up trying to talk, and pressed forward to kiss him, instead.

Lalli kissed back, filling Emil's mouth with the taste of candy and the memory of his own skin licked clean. His hands tangled in Emil's hair, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. Emil sank down onto the couch, falling slowly so Lalli could fall with him. The world narrowed to bodies pressed close, fingers dancing along his scalp and Lalli's mouth going everywhere at once: mouth, throat, chest. They paused just long enough for Emil to breathe out, "Not...too much. Perfect," before pouring themselves back together.

The next time they parted, it was Lalli's doing. He pulled back, sitting up and cocking his head to the side. "Tuuri's done," he commented. Before Emil could start to panic about the state they were in—nevermind his blushing face or the uncomfortable bulge in his pants, his disheveled hair would give him away in a second—Lalli rolled off him and pulled him to his feet. "My room," he said. When Emil simply stared at him, open-mouthed, Lalli rolled his eyes and shoved Emil toward the basement stairs. "My room. Go, I'll meet you." Somehow, Emil managed to make his legs work enough to get him into the kitchen and out of sight before Tuuri came downstairs. But he could still hear her exchange with Lalli.

"Sorry that took so long, we can start—oh! Where did Emil go?"

A rattling of bowls on the coffee table, then Lalli's voice, "We're going to play video games. This movie is boring."

"Aww, but I kind of like it—well, if you're sure. I'll just take this to the kitchen, then—"

That was all Emil heard, because his legs caught up with his brain and propelled him down the stairs to Lalli's room. When Lalli joined him a minute later, he was standing awkwardly by the edge of the bed. "So. Umm...where were we? You don't really want to play video games, do you?"

Lalli flashed that grin again, and Emil had to sit down hard on Lalli's bed. "No. But I thought of something else that's fun." He held out a candy bowl half-filled with brightly colored bits—Emil recognized the chocolates that had melted all over his hand earlier. "Would you hold these? Just for a few minutes?" He poured a stream of candy onto each of Emil's hands, and Emil curled his fingers around them.

"And then what?" Emil asked.

Lalli hoisted himself onto the bed, settling his knees on either side of Emil's hips and his hands on Emil's shoulders. "Then we wait for them to melt." He leaned down to kiss Emil again, and this time there were no interruptions.

#my writing #stand still stay silent #emil vasterstrom #lalli hotakainen #tuuri hotakainen #synchronised screaming #flash fic #ssss hipster band AU

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little-red-and-his-wolves · 7 years

Note

Hey I'm sorry you're feeling down. ❤ I'd love to submit a prompt. AU mermaid Stiles that's curious and mischievous and Derek the poor gruff that Stiles wins over with his charms. Either like pirates or seaworld type exhibit or anything!! I really hope whatever's got you down goes away soon. ❤

Hey, thank you for the prompt! It was really fun to write. And thank you for your kind words. Unfortunately part of what has me down isn’t likely to go away for the next few weeks but the rest should, hopefully, be temporary. Regardless your prompt was a blast to fill and I hope you like it!

(It got a bit long so I also posted it on AO3 if you like to read it there.)

Don’t go to thesurface, he’d said.

It’s dangerous,he’d said.

There’s nothingworth seeing, he’d said.

I swear to God,Stiles, if you don’t listen to me, he’d said.

Joke was onFather then. Stiles never listened and there was definitely something worthseeing. Specifically six feet of something tall, dark, and gorgeous.

Stiles dippedbeneath the water again so he was mostly submerged, letting the current carryhim towards shore a little more. He took shelter behind a rock, clinging easilyto its slick edges as the waves beat against him, the water lapping in and outof the shallow alcove rhythmically.

The man, whoStiles had taken to calling Beasty, grumbled to himself as he tuggedfruitlessly at his tangled net before throwing it away with a huff and kickinga bucket for good measure. Stiles laughed quickly ducking fully beneath thewater when Beasty spun around at the sound.

Slipping easilythrough the water Stiles resurfaced on the other side of the pier grasping thewood to pull himself up far enough to grab the net before diving back into thewater prize in hand. He heard a shout echo muffled from the surface fading awayas he swam deeper pausing about part way down to examine the net. It really washopelessly tangled. He settled at the edge of the shelf, staring absently outinto the deep blue while he let his fingers work at the knots. Eventually heworked them all free and had the net untangled. He cast it out to make sure itwas completely free of knots before carefully bundling it up and securing itwith a strand of seaweed.

Beasty wasn’ton the pier when Stiles returned. Instead he had his back turned to Stiles ashe fought with one of the lines on his adorable little boat that wouldn’t lasta day out beyond the harbor. Stiles smiled hauling himself up to rest hisforearms on the pier as he watched Beasty trip over a bucket and promptly loseall the tautness he’d managed to gain in the line.

Stifling downhis laughter Stiles glanced over the pier taking note of a small leather objectresting beside a metal bucket full of chum and a metal ring full of keys. Heset the net aside and stretched across the pier to snag the edge of themysterious object. When he flipped it open Beasty’s face greeted him, gloweringup from a small square covered in the odd symbols of the landwalker’s languageStiles had never bothered to learn how to read. He spoke it well enoughlearning from those merfolk who had walked among the landdwellers and fromlurking along the shore, but he’d never seen much point in learning the writtenwords. Now though, he wished he knew what the lines meant.

He stroked afinger over Beasty’s picture before cocking his head to the side to look at theother picture. It wasn’t the same material as Beasty’s, far more flimsy andworn, but it was devoid of words. Stiles picked Beasty out amongst the otherfaced easily, settled in-between two girls and smiling. It was odd seeing suchan expression on Beasty’s face, but Stiles had to admit he had a nice smile.Nice enough that Stiles kind of wanted to see it for himself in reality.

Somethingclattered against wood and Stiles jerked back, glancing over to the boat andshocked to find Beasty staring at him slack-jawed. Stiles just stared back amoment, some part of his brain urging him to flee while another tried toconvince him to stay. Several long moments ticked by and then Beasty moved.Stiles’ hand darted forward almost on its own volition, snagging the keysbefore he pushed off the pier and dove back into the water. He swam straightfor the shelf and then beyond it out into open water keeping his hands clutchedtightly around his spoils.

“The…mermaidstole your wallet,” Laura said slowly looking like she was about three secondsfrom suggesting they take a ride to the county hospital. Not for the first timeDerek questioned his decision to tell her the truth rather than continue lyinglike he’d been doing for the past few months.

“My keys too,”he added. “And my watch. And my water bottle. And a couple pieces ofsilverware. And my shoes. And one of my coats. And my cell phone.”

Laura blinked.“You told me you accidently dropped your phone off that stupid boat.”

“Yes. Because Ifigured you’d call me crazy if I said I thought a mythical sea creature tookit,” Derek said dryly.

“I wouldnever,” Laura protested pausing when Derek arched a single eyebrow to sighdramatically. “Fine, okay, maybe I would have been concerned about your mentalhealth. But, really, Derek, can you blame me? You’re out here for weeks on endall by yourself with this stupid fishing boat. What are you even doing?”

“Hey,” Dereksaid mildly offended even if he also thought the boat was stupid though likelyfor much different reasons. “You’re the one who said I should get a hobby.”

Laura rolledher eyes. “Yes, like yoga or krav maga or even crocheting. Not…fishing orwhatever it is you do out here.”

“Not a lot ofactual fishing to be honest.”

“And that’s mypoint, Derek. What are you doing? Like, what even is that?” she asked pointing at the small bucket Derek had forgotten toclean out earlier. “It smells awful.”

Derek frownednudging it with his foot. “It’s chum. Supposed to lure fish in.”

Laura wrinkledher nose. “Does it work?”

“Not really inmy experience, no,” Derek admitted a bit forlorn. Nearly ten weeks and he stillhad yet to actually successfully catch anything. “But I think I’m doing itwrong.”

“Okay,regardless, what made you change your mind now?” Laura said turning a little onthe pier to face Derek fully. “Why tell me about your mermaid?”

“I think he’sactually a merman,” Derek corrected squinting against the sunlight glinting offthe water. “And because I actually saw him. Stared at him for a full coupleseconds really. I’d always just caught him out of the corner of my eye before.But this time…I literally watched him steal my keys. He just dove across thepier and snatched them before diving off.”

“Okay,” Laurasaid again pausing before continuing. She kicked her feet in the water,drumming her fingers against the wood. “For the record I still think there’s apossibility that smelling that fish chum all day has rotted your brain andyou’ve lost your mind. But on the off chance that you haven’t…do you thinkhe’ll come back?”

“I don’t know,”Derek replied honestly, but a small part of him certainly hoped.

Derek spent thenext few weeks keeping an almost obsessive eye out for any not-so-mythical seacreatures peeking up from the water but the surface remained frustratinglyundisturbed. Derek took to leaving odds and ends scattered about the pierhoping that one morning he’d come out to find something missing. By the end ofthe third week he had a collection of a couple shot glasses, a small wolffigurine Cora had given him years ago, a keychain with a fork bent into a peacesign, several pens, a screw driver, a big mug shaped like Darth Vader, an oldcell phone that hadn’t worked in years, and several coins scattered over thepier.

He’d prettymuch given up any hope of the sea creature coming back, and started seriouslyquestioning exactly why he found that thought so disappointing, when it finallyhappened. Derek was once again swearing at the stupid boat for not justcooperating for him when the hair on the back of his neck stood up and hecaught a slight disturbance in the water out of the corner of his eye. He frozefor a second, surreptitiously glancing over his shoulder at the face justbarely peeking up from the water by the pier, large eyes trained Derek’sdirection. After a moment Derek forced himself back into motion all butignoring the merman’s presence. The head dipped back beneath the water andDerek felt a pang of disappointment before the merman resurfaced on the otherside of the pier.

He hovered justvisible for several long minutes before slowly rising more, one webbed handclutching the edge of the pier as the other carefully plucked one of the shotglasses up for inspection. One long finger stroked over the glittered lettersas his lips moved silently almost like he was trying to puzzle out the words.

“It says‘fucking magnificent’,” Derek said, not raising his voice too much and keepinghis tone purposefully calm.

As expected themerman pushed off the pier, backing away several feet but not diving beneaththe surface. Derek kept himself focused on the ropes in front of him onlyglancing over every once in awhile.

“A gift from mysister,” he explained. “She thought it was hysterical. Something about theunicorn really spoke to her.”

Derek paused,kept his fingers twined in the rope as he glanced over his shoulder pleased tosee the merman still bobbing in the water even if he looked a bit suspicious.He raised the glass again to look at it, running his finger over the image. “Ithought this was a horse?” he said and Derek almost dropped rope in shock.

The merman’svoice carried easily and was surprisingly clear though accented. It held athroaty, almost guttural undertone and Derek wondered if it was from notspeaking often or from not speaking above the water.

“It is,” hefinally replied. “But the horn on its forehead turns from just a horse into aspecial horse. A unicorn.”

“A unicorn,”the merman repeated staring at the glass contemplatively. “And these words,what did you say they were?”

“Uh, fuckingmagnificent,” Derek said.

“Very special.I see. Because it is a unicorn.”

“Right,” Dereksaid weakly watching at the merman swam closer again to peer at the otherglasses. Derek swallowed easing off the boat and onto the pier.

“What aboutthis one?” he asked pointing at one that Derek wasn’t even sure how it came tobe in his possession. It was just one of those things that showed up in hisboxes between one of his many moves, and he’d kept it because the quote kind ofspoke to him.

“It says ‘theregoes the last fuck I gave.’”

The mermanfrowned, smooth brow furrowing in confusion. “What’s a fuck?”

“Uh, in thiscontext its…an element of caring. It means you don’t care anymore. At all.”

“I see,” themerman said plucking it up from the pier. “I like your things.”

“I noticedsince you’ve taken a lot.”

The mermansmiled at him, sharp teeth peeking out from behind pale lips. “You shouldn’tleave it laying about then,” he said. “If you don’t want it taken.”

And beforeDerek could reply he slid a shot glass between his teeth, snatched an objectoff the pier, and dove back into the water slapping the surface with his tailas he did so to send a wave up over the pier leaving Derek drenched andsputtering.

Father would beso disappointed, Stiles thought as his head broke the surface of the harbor.Beasty wasn’t on his boat today and there wasn’t a collection of odd itemscluttering the pier. In fact, the only thing on the pier was Beasty with hisshoes off, pants rolled up to his knees, and feet kicking gently back in thewater as he stared out across the horizon.

Stiles had keptaway as long as he could after Beasty had first seen him and their secondinteraction had left him craving more. He crept over to the pier, surfacingagain behind Beasty and hoisting himself up lifting his tail out of the watercarefully. He tried to do it quietly but, well, water and fins.

Beasty nearlyfell of the pier as he spun around just barely managing to keep his balance onthe edge. Stiles grinned and thumped his tail against the pier causing itbounce erratically and dump poor Beasty right into the water with a squawk andflailing limbs. He resurfaced a few seconds later sputtering and spitting waterout of his mouth as he glared up at Stiles.

“What thehell?” he snapped scrambling back onto the pier and looking quite ridiculous.Stiles didn’t know why exactly, but unlike merfolk landdwellers looked patheticwhen they were soaked. “Do you enjoy ruining my stuff?”

Stiles cockedhis head to the side. “I haven’t ruined any of your stuff,” he argued. Surehe’d taken a lot of stuff, like, a lot but he could bring it all back if hewanted. He didn’t.

“Really? Whatabout my wallet or my keys or my phone?” Beasty said shaking his head so waterdroplets rained down on Stiles.

“Phone?” heechoed confused.

Beasty pausedthen held his hands out about six inches apart. “Little rectangle with a smoothside wrapped in red plastic. Has a round button the bottom. You might have seenme holding it to my ear and yelling in it.”

“Ah, of course.The magic brick,” Stiles said remembering the most interesting of objects he’dtaken. It was the only one he and no one else had recognized. “You know itstopped working once I took it.”

“Yes,” Beastysaid dryly sounding amused again. “Probably because it’s not made to workunderwater.”

“Then it wasn’tvery well made,” Stiles replied with a sharp grin because seriously why wouldsomething be made to purposefully not function under water. “Now was it?”

Beasty sighed,running a hand through his wet hair and settling down nearer to Stiles on thepier. He stuck his feet back in the water without bothering to fix the one pantleg that had fallen down. “My name is Derek,” he said after a moment. “Ifigured that even though you stole my wallet you couldn’t read my license.”

Derek, Stilesthought mulling the name over. Derek. It was a nice name. Strong. It suited theman. He had no idea what a license was, wished suddenly that he’d broughtBeasty’s wallet along so he could have the name pointed out to him.

“Here,” Beastysaid jogging Stiles from his thoughts. Stiles looked down surprised to see aninteresting object in Beasty’s hand. It was small sitting nestled in Beasty’spalm. There was a clear sphere with a fish inside attached to a base with morelandwalker lettering on it. Stiles picked it up turning it around forinspection as he tried to figure it out.

“What is it?”

“It’s a snowglobe.”

Stiles noddedcommitting the name to memory as he shook it and watched the little whiteflakes flutter around the orange and white striped fish. “And this fish inside?I know the name in my language but what do you call it?”

Beasty clearedhis throat. “Uh, it’s a clown fish.”

“You know thisisn’t as much fun if you just hand things to me,” Stiles said even as hewrapped his fingers around the item.

Beasty just shrugged.

“Derek,” hesaid trying the name out for the first but hopefully not the last time, “thisis the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

The water wasfreezing as it beat against him, choppy as waves rolled around the two of them.It was the dead of night but the moon and stars were bright making it all tooeasy to make out Stiles’ features. The smooth expanse of his skin glisteningwet with ocean water and illuminated by starlight. Once again Derek foundhimself breathless as he stared at the beautiful creature before him. The firsttime Derek had seen Stiles he wouldn’t have used those words.

Intriguing.Sleek. Captivating.

But notbeautiful. No, that had come later.

“Do you trust me, Derek?”

Derek spit outmore water, kicking his feet to keep treading water with some difficulty as thewaves rolled around them. “Not at all,” he replied and Stiles laughed, thesound just as musical to Derek’s ears now as the first time he’d heard it allthose months ago.

“Remember,”Stiles said bracketing his hands on either side of Derek’s face. Stiles’ skinwas cool, fingers long enough to nearly wrap entirely around his head, andDerek shivered as Stiles stroked his thumbs along Derek’s cheekbones. “Don’thold your breath. And don’t let go.”

Derek pulledStiles closer, wrapping his arms around Stiles’ waist and letting the powerfulmotions of his tail keep them both afloat as he whispered, “I won’t.”

Stiles grinnedat him, eyes bright and mischievous, near mesmerizing as they reflected thestars from the sky and water all around them. “Are you ready?”

Throat too tightto reply with anticipation, Derek simply nodded, heart beating double time inhis chest as Stiles’ impish grin softened into something fond and sweet as heleaned in. His lips sealed over Derek’s, cool and exhilarating, echoed momentslater by the water that closed over their heads.

#ask #katsa-the-graceling #prompt #teen wolf #thank you!#fic

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