#I saw something similar a few days ago and I had to think about mc | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

blues824 · 2 years

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i was just watching the movie tangled, and i couldn't help but realise how similar flynn and mammon are (if you look it up, they both have the same mbti of estp, which explains their similarities lmao). but i was wondering if you could do the om brothers with an mc like rapunzel (magical and long hair, personality, etc)? thank you, if so! <3

Fun fact: When I was younger, I didn’t watch a lot of Disney. I was more into Tim Burton films, and I still am! My Disney obsession only started a few years ago, and when a few Tim Burton films came onto Disney+, I couldn’t help myself.

Also, I took a few liberties and decided to do a mini-fantasy!Au here where the brothers act as the thief/Flynn, but with a twist for each brother. Another thing, Satan here reminds me of the prince from Into The Woods…

Since these scenarios turned out to be longer than originally planned, I will give you the three brothers I think fit best with this.

He was just trying to steal something for Prince Diavolo. You see, the crown had a gem that could save the lives of their people. He saw the tower as he was being chased by the Royal Guard and hid in there. Then he was hit with something made of metal.

When he came to, he noticed that he was stuck in a chair. He was tied down with what looked like… hair? He looked around and saw a silhouette in the tower’s window. There was also a chameleon that was perched on his shoulder. Now that he thought about it, his ear felt weird.

“Who are you, and how did you find me?”

Lucifer

“My name is Lucifer. Might I ask who you are and why I’m tied up?”

“Y/N. You didn’t answer my other question: How did you find me?”

“I was being chased and found this tower. I decided to climb in and hide.”

“You don’t want my- You know what? Never mind. You’re tied up because you are a trespasser and I don’t know who you are.”

First impressions aside, you actually get along just fine. You both worked out a deal where you would return the crown in turn to see the lanterns. He is slightly amused by how gullible you are and how you try to hide it. You try your best to break his walls down and get him to be more casual.

He’s glad that you don’t partake in the whole “damsel in distress” stereotype. If the whole frying pan situation didn’t give it away, you are quite different. You utilize what tools you have in order to survive, and he respects that.

The amount of times you turned a dire situation into a fun experience is too many to count. Usually, people as bright as you would dim in such gruesome places. No, you wouldn’t let that happen to yourself. You would stick to your principles no matter what.

You tend to see the beauty inside of everything. You won’t let anything get you down or defeat you. When Lucifer was in your tower, he saw how you maximized all of the space you had by filling the walls with your art. You also picked up many hobbies and could be described as ‘book-smart’.

When you both make it to the lanterns, he’s sad because this means you both would have to leave each other. But he would never admit it. He stares into your eyes as you both lean in closer and closer, but in the distance, he sees something.

He rowed the boat to the shore to see what was going on. He sees some of the demons that he partnered up with to steal the crown and goes over to give it to them. He was prepared for an ambush and had his dagger in hand. These demons showed such great promise in Diavolo’s court… such a pity.

What he didn’t expect was for you to be gone when he got back to the boat. He looked all over the island, getting more and more worried as more time passed and he still didn’t find you. You couldn’t have gone that far, could you?

Then he remembers: your mother. She must have taken you back to your tower! He started the long journey back to your tower on Maximus, who was also worried about your wellbeing. What took a few days the first time took maybe an hour.

When he was at the base of the tall building, he called your name. He received no answer and started climbing. He got to the window and dropped in, where he saw you tied up with your own hair. He was then stabbed by your mother.

After the whole ordeal of Lucifer cutting your hair and your hair causing your ‘mom’ to trip and fall out of the window, you noticed that his breathing was becoming labored. You knelt by his side and tried using your hair, but the magic was gone. You started crying and crying. You loved him. You grew to love him.

Then, with the magic that remained in your tears, Lucifer’s wound started to heal. Once it fully healed, he pulled you into a sweet kiss. The amount of relief you felt was immeasurable. Then you both realized what you had to do.

You, after reconnecting with your parents, talked to Prince Diavolo. He was the ‘acting King’, so he would have jurisdiction over the court. You told him that marriage between you and Lucifer would benefit both kingdoms, and Diavolo was all for it. He wanted to see his trusted advisor happily wed, so he granted your wish and let you both live happily ever after.

Mammon

“Who the hell are you? And why am I tied up?!”

“Answer my question or face the consequences, thief.”

“I am the Great Mammon. I was being chased and I found this tower and decided to hide here.”

“I am Y/N, and you’re tied up because I don’t trust you. Now, here’s what’s going to happen…”

He found this totally unfair! You just caught him off-guard! You had an unfair advantage! Now he has to take you to go see some stupid lanterns just so he can take the crown to Diavolo and get a big reward. If you just gave it to him, you both could go separate ways and never see each other again.

I’d say he’s also glad that you can handle yourself. You are actually saving him more than he saves you, so yeah. He’s concerned with how gullible you are. Y/N, don’t you know you could get hurt if you’re persuaded so easily?!

However, he likes how you can brighten up any situation. In the pub, you were able to convince all the demons inside to chase their dreams. They even helped you both escape the Royal Guard! Maybe you weren’t so bad after all!

He has noticed how you see beauty in the simplest of things. When in your tower, he saw all the paintings on your walls. You seemed to be obsessed with the lanterns. Through your hobbies, you have saved him and yourself numerous times.

He gets stressed when you both get to the lanterns. He will make up every excuse to stall and spend more time with you. You see, he grew to love you and he didn’t want to go separate ways after this. When the lanterns were released, you both leaned closer and closer, but he saw something in the distance.

He rowed the boat to the shore and told you to stay where you were. He gave the crown to the demons he worked with and called quits, but they said differently. He was ambushed and tied to a boat and headed towards the island where the Royal Guard was expecting him.

When he came to, he was arrested on sight. He was being walked through the prison when he noticed a few of the demons that ambushed him were also there. He pushed up against the gate and yelled at them, demanding your whereabouts. They fessed up, and he immediately grew worried.

When the demons in the pub and Maximus helped him escape jail, he immediately mounted the horse and rushed to your tower. That was the only place he knew you’d be, and he was going as fast as he could.

When he was at your tower, he called your name. After receiving no response, he opted to climb. He got to the window and jumped inside, where he saw you tied up. Then, there was an immediate stabbing pain in his stomach and he fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

After the whole ordeal of Mammon cutting your hair and your hair causing your ‘mom’ to trip and fall out of the window, you noticed that his breathing got slower and harder. You started crying. This was the first person you ever fell in love with, and you were not about to lose him.

With your magical tears, Mammon’s wound started healing. Once it closed, Mammon looked up at you and pulled you into a kiss of gratitude and relief. Once you both pulled away, you both knew the next course of action.

You talked with your birth parents (you were still the heir to the throne) and with Prince Diavolo about the matter of you two being wed. Your parents immediately accepted after seeing how he made you happy as well as him being the one to bring you home. Diavolo said yes because he wanted to party at the wedding, but also because Mammon matured through this journey.

And you both lived happily ever after.

Satan

“My lady, my name is Satan. I was being chased and found this tower and made the decision to climb into it. May I ask for your name and why I’m tied up?”

“My name is Y/N. Now, imagine someone breaks into your house and you don’t know them, but you have the element of surprise. Wouldn’t you take that opportunity?”

“Touche. Now, would you care to let me out of these confines?”

“Not yet. I have a few conditions…”

Well this was certainly not expected. You were threatening him to take you to go see some lanterns? Didn’t you know they come out every year for the heir’s’ birthd- oh. He had never pieced pieces together so fast. And you didn’t know?!

He’s always wanted to be the one to save the person in distress, but he finds it cool that you can handle yourself. You both share the work that comes along the way, and you both come to the unspoken understanding that you both have had many opportunities to stab each other in the back but you both have invested too much time and effort into this.

He would be both concerned and amused by how gullible you appear. But he’s also impressed with how you use that to your advantage somehow and you make a dire situation appear more bright. You’ve changed many lives and you didn’t even know it!

He guesses that being locked in a tower for 18 years might induce your creativity. He’s seen the art on the walls of your towers during his brief stay there. Plus, you weaponized a frying pan. You’re very clever, and he appreciates that.

He is deeply saddened by how ‘quick’ you both made it to the kingdom of Corona. That means you both will have to separate. Don’t you know his dream isn’t complete without you? When you get into the midst of all the lanterns, he leans in closer and closer until he sees something suspicious on the land.

He rows the boat to the shore and starts exploring. He had his dagger out when he was ambushed by the demons he partnered up with to get the crown, so he was prepared. He anticipated their every move, so it was an easy win for him.

What he didn’t anticipate was your disappearance. He came back to the boat and you weren’t there. He did see another set of footprints in the dirt, though… your mother was here. How else would the demons have known your location?

The person that kept you locked up in the tower for 18 years was taking you back? Not on his watch. There was no way he was going to let her take you away from him, or from your actual parents again. He called Maximus and rode like a bat from Hell to your tower.

Once he reached it, he called out your name, but he received no answer. He resorted to climbing up the tower, and when he reached the room, he was stabbed immediately. On his way to the floor, he saw you tied up

After the whole ordeal of Satan cutting your hair and your hair causing your ‘mom’ to trip and fall out of the window, you noticed that his breathing became labored. You knelt by his side and tried using your hair, but the magic was gone. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go! You wanted to see the lanterns with him again and again!

As more and more tears spilled from your eyes onto him, you noticed that Satan’s wound started healing. You have never felt so happy in your life. When he could sit up, he pulled you into a deep kiss. When you both pulled away, you both looked at each other in mutual agreement.

After reconnecting with your actual parents, you brought up how you wanted to be married to Satan and they agreed to allow it. After all, he brought their child to them! Then you both approached Prince Diavolo and asked him for his blessing as well and he gladly accepted! The amount of joy on your faces was enough to persuade him.

And you both lived happily ever after.

#obey me shall we date #obey me #obey me x reader #obey me!#obey me lucifer #obey me lucifer x reader #lucifer x reader #lucifer #obey me mammon x reader #obey me mammon #mammon x reader #mammon #obey me satan x reader #obey me satan #satan x reader #satan

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mimine666 · 6 months

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@madamairlock tagged me in this and I just saw it using my laptop. Quite excited to answer

1. How many works do you have on AO3?: 42 :)

2. What's your total AO3 word count?: 80,429 Pfiouf !

3. What fandoms do you write for? Mostly BSG and Major Crimes, but I loved For All Times and Dances with wolves and I have tons of ideas for both shows but will never find the time to write it down.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Ignoring my Tumblr Drabbles collection, they are:

Getting Caught

A Canadian Vacation

Intimacy

Safe From Harm : amused that you would my "deviant" ideas likeable

The Long Day is over (very surprised about that since this one is written in French)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I try to, usually. I just saw that I have a few comments waiting to be answered in AO3 since i don't always get a notification by email.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Not a big fan of Agnst but maybe this one, where Laura finds out her ex-husband is on New Caprica : Pity the fool that fell in love with you

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Most of if not all of them tend to have a happy ending or at least a neutral one. And I might add when it comes to smut, Sharon and Laura always get happy endings!!

8. Do you get hate on fics? I've received a few weird message on ff.net and tend to get away from that plateform because of that. In the past, when i was a teen, I got hateful comments on fics i wrote about ER and Dr House and ended up delating my account for a few years.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I love smut, love to write it. I'm into things that can happen in everyday life, usually I'm for tenderness and closeness.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? Never, yet but I have this big ideas for Raised with a Fist to meet with Laura from For all Times. Maybe one day i'll wrote it

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not sure. A few years ago, I received a weird email from ff.net stating that someone copied/pasted 2 of my fics then that a new publication was very similar to mine and asked me if a wanted to file a "complain". I did and never heard about it ever again.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? When I was young and in another fandom yes. Feels like a life time ago. Would love to do it again.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship? Just one?! the SpaceParents. I love the build up of their relationship on a solid friendship, I love their chemistry on screen something I feel Shandy is missing but I prefer Sharon Raydor caracter to Laura's.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? I really really want to finish A Canadian Vacation and can't wait for the weather to bring tons of snow to inspire me ahah. Intimacy : i really doubt i will finish it. I'm way more inspired for MC nowadays ...

16. What are your writing strengths? I think I try to stay close the characters and i try to make you feel what they feel.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Writing in English though now i comes more naturally than writing in French and because of that : grammar and vocabulary. I'm also quite dyslexic so even if i proofread it 3-4 times i don't usually see that a word is missing or things like that

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? Been there, done that. Would probably repeat it lol

19. First fandom you wrote for? ER I loved Elizabeth Corday !

20. Favourite fic you've ever written? I have a very soft spot for Intimacy and Getting Caught because they're so fun to write. And I love my one in Canada because I want fluffyness and love. On the smut ones, I really enjoyed writing Safe from harm, felt very liberating.

#fanfiction #thanks for tagging me!#that was fun #discoverd a lot of fitures on AO3 I didn't know about !

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coffeeheartaddict2 · 1 year

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Begin Again

Book: Open heart (book 2 rewrite)

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC Casey Valentine

Warnings: sexual content 18+, some fluff, swearing.

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 4529

Summary: Ethan and Casey reveal to each other how they truly feel about each other. Edenbrook partially reopens and Leland starts to set his agenda.

Disclaimer: Characters, dialogue actual and paraphrased belong to Pixelberry

Authors note: Well, here we are at the end of my rewrite of my book 2 ch 14-20 rewrite. You will note this chapter does not have too much from canon. Part 1 of When Egos Collide will follow on from the end of this. For those who have read and commented, thank you for reading and if there is anyone out there who has read both the original and the updated, I hope you have enjoyed the update.

🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺🩺

Ethan is alone in his apartment, enjoying a scotch, wishing that Casey was with him. It had been a roller coaster of a day. The prospect of Edenbrook being saved, seeing Casey and then seeing his mum for their combined therapy session. Louise appeared to be well and really appreciated the photo that he gave her. She was struggling with a heap of emotions and if he was being honest so was he. The therapy was helping him understand parts of himself better,however the more he learnt about his mum, the more disquieted he felt. He saw so much of his personality traits in her. The restlessness, the running away when things got too hard, the denial of emotions. Then he realised the main difference. And it all tied back to her, to Casey. She was someone whom he let in at a fairly tumultuous time. Casey who he trusted, professionally but also personally, she respected him, was patient, stuck by him when he pushed or ran away. She showed him what it was like to love and to be loved. He was still scared of Love but he knew he needed to tell her. He was about to pick up his phone to call her when there was a knock at his door. He was not expecting anyone. He got up and looked out the peep hole to see Casey standing there. He opens the door. “Come in Casey, I was not expecting you but happy to see you regardless.”

Ethan offers her a drink and they move to the balcony. Casey starts telling him about her day.

“After coffee I realised something. What had been bothering me with Leland was why me, after all this is a guy who just calls up hospital boards to get a diagnosis of his condition. Then it occurred to me. What if he was testing me. So I went to his mansion and told him I figured it out. He was always going to buy Edenbrook, he just wanted to see if he would have someone on the inside.”

Ethan asked, “What did you do with the cheque?”

“I handed it back to him. I told him I admired his vision and I was happy to work with him but I was not going to be a yes person, if there was something I disagree with he would know.”

“I am proud of you rookie.” He squeezes her hand. Casey squeezes his hand back and laces her fingers in between his.

“I suppose time will tell if I did the right thing with Leland.”

“It will but on the upside, if you don’t like where it is going, it will be the last year of your residency and you can do whatever you want.”

“This is true but The situation with Leland is not my main reason for coming over.” Casey lets go of Ethan’s hand and stands up. She walks to the railing and takes a deep breath.

“The main reason I came was to talk about us.” Ethan takes a breath, all of a sudden he is feeling nervous.

“Your confession a few days ago about your professional and non professional feelings being intertwined as they are threw me a bit and made me think through some stuff. And what I realised too, that my feelings are very similar. When I thought back on much of our pre Miami interactions it was the work that helped form us. The first day on the team after the first meeting where I was seriously questioning should I even be there, you were there for me, you helped me remember my passion because my passion was reflected in you. I don’t want to fight the inevitable anymore Ethan. If our out of work interactions have been anything to go by, you and me, Us, it is inevitable. Casey by this point had turned around to look out at the Boston skyline as she could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

Ethan sits in thought and it was his turn to be thrown. He knew he had an impact on her professionally but did not realise the depth.

“As you know, I was always finding excuses to not be with you, I have had feelings for you for a long time. I suppose Miami was the first time I acted upon them and despite doing everything to push you away you were still there for me. That night of the assassination attempt was quite literally the worst night of my life. And here we are several months later and I have still managed to push you away countless times and I regret that, especially when I managed to screw things up when they were going well. As you know I don’t easily open up to people, finding it easier to close them off but you were different and if I am being honest, the feelings I developed and have for you terrify me.” Ethan stands up and walks over to Casey and stands beside her.

“You see Casey, the feelings I have for you terrify me because I love you.”

Casey puts her hand over Ethan’s.

“I love you too, Ethan. I don’t think I have loved anyone as much as I love you. I don’t think I ever could.”

Casey turns to look at Ethan. A tear is running down his cheek and Casey wipes it away with her thumb. Casey gently kisses Ethan on the lips. Ethan returns the kiss and deepens it. Casey then cuddles into his chest. “I have missed this.” Ethan kisses the top of her head. “I have missed you too.”

Casey kisses Ethan again, with longing and Ethan responds in kind. Ethan then turns her around and starts kissing her neck and the sensitive spot behind her ear. Ethan then rests his chin on the top of her head and Casey sighs contentedly. They stand there, with no concept of time. The only thing that matters is that they are there together and they truly know how they feel about each other.

They eventually move inside to Ethan’s bedroom. Casey sits down on Ethan’s bed and he joins her. Ethan kisses her, with longing. Casey’s hand slips underneath his shirt and runs it up and down his back. Ethan starts kissing down the side of her neck. Casey lets out a quiet moan. Casey kisses Ethan on the lips again. Ethan finds the zipper of her dress and fiddles with it. Casey whispers in Ethan’s ear “I am all your’s” and kisses him with passionate longing. Ethan unzips Casey’s dress and removes it. Ethan traces his hand up and down her arm and her shoulder blade, mesmerised by the woman in front of him.

“What did I do to still have you here with me” he whispers before kissing down Casey’s neck and collarbone.

“I don’t know but I am more than happy to be yours to have”

A low growl leaves Ethan’s throat and he kisses her hungrily. Casey takes his shirt off and starts to undo his jeans. Whilst getting his jeans off she brushes her hand down the front and feels how hard he is for her and her alone. She frees Ethan of his underwear and strokes his length. Casey kisses down his neck and down his chest. Ethan lays down enjoying the sensation. Casey then teases his tip with her tongue. A moan escapes his mouth. Casey slowly takes his length in her mouth, her tongue playing with the shaft as she moves her head up and down.

“Oh god Casey” says Ethan breathlessly. Eventually Casey’s hand joins her mouth. “Fucking hell rookie that’s...” Ethan is getting close to his climax, so close that he can not complete the sentence. Casey sensing that he is close picks up the intensity again. Ethan’s movements and breathing become very erratic. He can not hold back any more. His climax racks his body. Casey is takes the load in her mouth and swallows. Ethan eventually regains his breath. “That was amazing rookie.” She says whilst stroking her hair. Ethan sits up and kisses her down the column of the neck, his hands caressing her breast through her bra. He removes her bra and massages her breast then gently pinching her nipple. He lays Casey down and starts to tease her nipple, whilst massaging her other breast. Ethan starts kissing her collarbone and his hand moves down to between her legs. She still has her underwear on but he can feel how how wet she is. He knows she is wet for him and him alone. Ethaan... she moans. Ethan eases her underwear off. He then moves his hand between her legs and teases her clit. He is eager to reciprocate but Casey moves on top of him and straddles him in such away that his penis is teasing her entrance. She kisses his lips with a passion and longing that Ethan was not expecting. He sits up and rests his head on her forehead.

“I love you Casey.”

“I love you too Ethan” Casey kisses him and moves slightly to allow him to enter. She rocks her hips getting into a rhythm. Ethan holds on to her waist to help maintain it. He thrusts his hips up to gain a deeper penetration and Casey lets out a half moan and scream. Ethan kisses her just below her ear, “Ethaaannn” she moans. She hungrily kisses him on the lips as they pick up more speed with his thrusts going deeper. Ethan’s hand moves away from her waist to her centre where is thumb teases her clit. “Fucking hell...” she screams, unable to finish the sentence as her climax is not far off. Ethan is equally as close so she squeezes tighter while he thrusts deeper. Ethan can not form words, he just moans as the sensation brings him to the precipice of another climax. He thrusts in deep again “oh god Casey” as he reaches his climax. His climax triggers hers and all she can do is scream. She collapses on top of him. Again, neither of them have no concept of time. Casey eventually slides off Ethan, ready to fall asleep.

“Good night Ethan” she whispers.

“Good night rookie” he says kissing the top of her head.

Casey drifts off into a deep sleep. Ethan sits up for a bit just looking at her, ever so thankful that he did not completely fuck everything up. She still wanted him, she loved him. He went to sleep in the knowledge that he was the luckiest man alive.

His body clock woke him early and he had to pinch himself to make sure the night before was not a dream. He gently got out of bed and proceeded to the kitchen to cook breakfast. He made bacon and eggs and he had some croissants as well. He made their coffee. He brought a tray into his room so they could have breakfast in bed. On her tray was the key that he was going to give Casey on the night of the fight.

Casey stirred and opened her eyes. “Good morning beautiful.” He said and kissed her. “Good morning handsome” she said. She sat up and looked at the tray. Looks delicious she said, then she noticed the box.

“What’s this?” she asked curiously.

She opened it to find a key attached to a chain with a big C on it.

“It is a key to this unit, Casey. This way if you want to come here and I am not here you will have a way in. I was going to give it to you the night we fought, I know we only full reconciled last night but I still want you to have a key. If you want to have some of your stuff here too that will be fine too and please tell me to shut up if you think I am moving too fast...”

Casey cuts him off with a kiss.

“We may have only being official for a short amount of time Ethan but I think we had fallen pretty far before we both admitted that we should give it shot so it is not too fast at all, especially since we will be working again soon, together because even though I have no idea what Edenbrook will look like under Leland, I know it is where I want to be because you will be there. And don’t worry, you always pushed me, even when you were in denial about your true feelings.” Casey kisses Ethan and they eat their breakfast.

Later that day Casey returns home and tells her roomies about her meeting with Leland and what she did with the cheque. On one level they are all relieved that we get to kick ass as 3rd year residents together but like Casey, were somewhat apprehensive about what a hospital under a Leland Bloom management would look like. Even Elijah, who entered medicine in the first place to be on the forefront of groundbreaking research was apprehensive. “This is why I gave back the cheque, he needs to be held to account and I refuse to be a yes person, he also needs to know medical breakthroughs take time also.” All of Casey’s friends agree that she did the right thing with the cheque.

Jackie then asks, “where were you last night anyways?”

“Ummm...yeah, Umm” Casey says nervously.

“So were you with a certain person last night?” Elijah Asks playfully

Casey remains silent, she knew her roomies meant well but was not ready to share everything just yet. Casey decided she would go to her room to get changed.

Casey was in the middle of changing when there was a knock at the door. It was Sienna. Casey let Sienna in.

“So Dr Ramsey last night?” Asked Sienna.

“That obvious huh” replies Casey.

“Yeah well for someone who is apprehensive about the return of Edenbrook you do seem rather calm, have you sorted stuff out?”

“Three words, eight letters Si, yeah we sorted our shit out.”

Sienna looked excited.

“Calm down Si” says Casey.

Sienna gives Casey a hug. Casey shows Sienna what Ethan gave her, a key to his unit. Sienna’s eyes went wide. “Omg!!!!!! Are you for real right now?”

“Yes, for real, he was going to give this to me the night we had our chat/fight. He decided to give it to me despite the break. It feels good that he trusts me fully. Office coffee machine was one thing but this is his space.”

“Well I am so happy for you both.”

“Thanks Si,“ says Casey giving her a hug.

A few days later, Casey receives an email. The email is advising that Edenbrook has been purchased by Leland Bloom. A job offer is also enclosed. Casey reads the document attached. Sure enough, Third year resident, junior fellow Diagnostics team. She is excited that the team is back, and hopefully June was not enticed back but she was apprehensive. Her and Ethan were public now and despite the lack of drama post gala, she could not help but feel worried. When their relationship was the primary source of gossip it nearly ended them with all the insinuations that Casey did not earn her spot on the team fairly. Sienna and Aurora then came out of their rooms, excited too. Then there was a knock at the door. Aurora opens it. Aurora lets in Ethan. Ethan makes his way to Casey. “I see you received official notification of the buyout and your offers.”

“So, I guess the team is back together again?” Asks Casey.

“So far, just you, me and Baz.” Replies Ethan. Casey is relieved that there is no June and asks about a fourth member. Ethan stated that they would be recruiting a fourth in due course. Casey quietly hopes that June is not on their radar. Ethan puts his arm around Casey and she rests his head on his shoulder.

“You too are so cute,” Sienna calls out from the kitchen, “would you like some coffee Dr Ramsey?”

“Ethan is fine out of the hospital Sienna and coffee would be wonderful.”

“Make that two” says Casey.

Sienna brings out the coffee. Ethan tells them about the proposals Leland is wanting to do with all the renovations and so forth. We are all excited but all share the same apprehension as Edenbrook as we all knew it was not going to be there anymore. Sienna and Aurora made their way back to their rooms.

Casey gives Ethan a kiss and asks. “Is the universe wanting to force us to have another what are we discussion?” While showing Ethan her screen of her job offer.

“One of two reasons I came over Rookie, one was to take you to lunch, I was thinking a picnic in Boston Common and two, to advise you that We have a meeting on Friday with the board and HR. I think we have had enough what are we discussions on what we are to last awhile.”

They go to have their picnic while Ethan explains what will happen and what evidence he has compiled. Ethan states he is cautiously optimistic.

“And if it is denied, what then?”

“We will figure it out, wherever you go, I go too.” Ethan kisses Casey.

“I love you- still feels surreal saying it.”

“I love you too Casey and yes it still feels surreal but also so right.”

Friday comes around and Casey and Ethan have their meeting with the board. Leland and Caroline are now on the board and much of the previous members are there too, even Naveen was enticed out of retirement to continue on as Chief of Medicine. Ethan and Casey advised of their relationship but after that part Casey leaves much of the talking to Ethan.

Ethan details the results of the work that Casey did within the diagnostics team last year, even during the times that they were together, he also reiterates along with input from Naveen that despite the competition ending early and Casey being installed on the team straight after the ethics hearing was the wish of Dr Banerji and that Ethan had no input. Ethan also reiterated how well Casey works with Baz Mirani.

One of the board members asked Casey how they planned to deal with any personal conflicts and work. Casey stated that whilst at work herself and Ethan had always put work and their patients first and would continue to do so.

Leland finally speaks. “I personally have no issues with a relationship between Dr Ramsey and Valentine. I have seen them work in close quarters on two occasions, once when I was gravely ill and most recently with Caroline. I was not aware of any personal relationship between the two, especially more recently and they worked well together. I know your HR policies have rules in regards to this but I have no qualms that what they are designed to prevent will occur.”

None of the other board members have any concerns either or if they do they choose to keep quiet about it so they were able to keep Ethan as her direct supervisor. The meeting then ends.

“How the hell did we get away with that?” Asks Casey “don’t get me wrong I am beyond relieved but how.”

“The main reason I was cautiously optimistic was because of Leland and Caroline and well your record on the team especially when we were not so great outside of work.”

“Well I am glad it was successful” Casey said whilst squeezing Ethan’s hand.

“Me too Rookie, me too. I was starting to get sick of hiding our relationship.”

“Wait... what now?”

“Ever since I kissed you at the gala, I have felt this massive relief at not being in hiding. I know we were all too busy with the clinic but it was as if no one finally gave a damn.”

“Do you think if we were more open earlier, do you think the gossip after Dagger Mountain would have had less of an impact on our relationship than it did?”

“Honestly... I don’t know rookie, I guess there were always going to be those who assumed what they vocalized and what June did gave them the freedom, I guess we never really knew how many people really felt that way and I suppose there will be those that feel that way but at the end of the day it is not their business.” Ethan squeezes her hand as the approach his car.

“Well it will be good to be back at work.”

“Agreed.”

A few weeks later it is the day of the reopening of Edenbrook or Bloom Edenbrook as it was going to be known as. Despite a massive renovation schedule, the hospital was going to be opened partially so that they could care for patients. There would be a period of complete shut down for the more extensive renovations to occur. Casey hung out with her friends and Kyra was looking really happy.

“Good news Kyra?”

“Yes indeed, as of my appointment yesterday I am Cancer free”

“Oh my gosh that is fantastic!!!!!!!”

Everyone joins Kyra in a massive group hug. Kyra states that she will not be working here, despite enjoying the work, she has has enough of hospitals to last her two mu lifetimes. I am going to travel a bit and then work but it feels good to be free and for that I will always be thankful for this place.”

The speeches start, Leland is the first to speak, there is a section of the atrium set aside for the ceremonial first dig of the new Bloom Edenbrook, but in true Leland style he makes his way to the glass door and smashes it. “Well of this is anything to go by then things will be in some way unconventional.” The speeches part soon wraps up and everyone starts to mingle. Ethan comes up to Casey and asks her to dance.

“Why so formal?” Casey asks.

“Well the invite did state it was a formal occasion.Casey and Ethan danced, eventually his hand moved to cup her cheek, his eyes dark with longing. He leans in and kisses her. Casey moves one of her hands around his neck to deepen the kiss. A few doctors nearby look at their direction but Casey and Ethan for once don’t care. Ethan whispers in her ear “let’s get out of here.”

Casey and Ethan make their way to his apartment. As soon as they enter his lips are hers with a deep hunger. Casey kisses back and his tongue desperately seeks entry to her mouth. Casey lets it in and she moans into his mouth. Finally Casey pulls away slightly out of necessity to breathe. Ethan has a mischievous glimmer in his eye, window or bedroom he asks. Since becoming official, many more surfaces of his apartment had been christened but tonight Casey felt like the bedroom. The multiple rounds were physically and emotionally intense. The sex had always been great but since saying I love you it had been better. Neither knew why but neither were complaining. “I love you Ethan” said Casey sleepily.

“I love you too, Casey.” Said Ethan has he kissed the top of her head and drifted off into a relaxed sleep.

The next day comes and it is back to work. Casey heads off to the ward to do morning rounds. While she makes her way she is flagged down my Ines.

“Hey Casey, can you please do the stitches for one of the residents, they cut their hand in one of the construction areas.”

“Sure thing Ines”

Casey is shocked when she is face to face with Dr Ortega.

“What are you doing here?”

“Yeah, well the DA did not end up dropping the charges, I am guessing they were afraid of losing in court and eventually myself and the Coates family managed to ditch our respective lawyers and have a chat and lo and behold no more law suit.”

“And the hospital just gave you your old job back?”

“Yep, and now I know who I can and can not trust .”

Casey finishes the stitches and states that there will be a scar and also adds that she can be trusted.”

“Yeah, I don't think so.”

Casey hopes against all hope that Esme does not cause too much drama but she suspects that it will not happen.

Casey is wandering the halls and she spots Ethan. “Good morning Dr Ramsey.”

“Good morning Dr. Valentine.”

Just then Leland calls Ethan into a meeting. Leland is wanting to find a fourth member the team and by the looks on Ethan’s face, he is not liking Leland's suggestions.

She catches up with Ethan later and he declines to talk about his meeting but Ethan states that he is trying to hold off on recruitment until the hospital is complete.

Meanwhile, Leland is wanting the fourth spot and filled fast. He knows the type of Doctor he wants. Frustratingly Ethan was not on board but Leland did not care. He prepares an offer for Dr Terrence Mendoza, hopeful that his visions will come to fruition.

The end of second year is fast approaching and Casey and her friends make arrangements to bring in their third year at Donahue’s. So much has changed for Casey this year, if you told her a year ago that she would be dating Ethan Ramsey exclusively she would have laughed at you but here we are and Casey could not be happier. Ethan was happy that Casey had her friends and was adamant that she bring in the new year with her friends. Ethan also reminded her that they could celebrate themselves in private. Casey finally makes it to Donahue’s for the end of year celebrations and Casey meets the gang in the beer garden. Casey takes her drink and they count down the seconds to midnight. They toast to kicking ass as third year residents. They are all excited for what is to come. They reflect on the year that has been and share their hopes.Bryce is jealous as his residency is four years. Reggie calls last call. Casey separates from her friends and joins Ethan. They head back to his apartment.

“I can not believe it has been a year since we stayed back past last call and I kissed you.”

“A lot has certainly changed and for the better. As it turns out there were some things that even I could not control.”

Casey laces her fingers between his and smiles.

“Could not be controlled for better I am sure. I love you Ethan Ramsey.”

“I love you too Casey Valentine.” Ethan still felt like the luckiest man alive and he hoped that this year would hurry up and end for he was already looking forward to this night in 12 months from now and he was hopeful that Casey would once again make him the happiest he has been.

Tagging: @jerzwriter @jamespotterthefirst @liaromancewriter @genevievemd @cariantha @peonierose @lucy-268 @bex-la-get @crazy-loca-blog @a-crepusculo @binny1985 @schnitzelbutterfingers @trappedinfanfiction @potionsprefect

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

#open heart #ethan ramsey #choices fanfic writers creations #casey valentine #rewrite of a rewrite #book 2 #choices fanfic #play choices #fic of the week

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vynegar · 1 year

Text

luke 3rd birthday card, part four

part four. birthday plans are taking shape!

same disclaimer and notes from part one.

youtube link to Axr’s video of the card story

links to other parts: one two three

more tot translations here

do not repost

[PART FOUR]

[23:28] Luke’s House

For the next several days, I searched through my mother’s contact list for mutual friends between her and Luke’s mother. Whether it was their hopes or concerns, I wanted to find any kind of video or recording where Luke’s parents talked about his future. My mother should have been the person who knew Luke’s parents the best, but she and my father were involved in a secret experiment. I didn’t get a single reply to my numerous attempts to contact them, and was left with no other choice but to compare each entry on their contact lists and send emails to their old friends.

MC: (I hope I’ll get responses.)

When I sent the last email, the afternoon was already over. Just as I got up to stretch and move around, Luke suddenly hugged me from behind.

MC: L… Luke, when did you wake up?

Last night Luke had been up all night for a case, so when he returned today, I urged him to catch up on sleep.

Luke: I just got up…

His voice had the lethargy of someone who had just woken up. He yawned then perked up, looking curiously at my laptop in front of me.

Luke: Whatcha you doing?

Luke was about to come near me, so I hurried to turn around and hold his waist, looking up at him.

MC: Nothing. I was thinking about how to celebrate your birthday this year.

Luke: Nothing too fancy. I just want you there with me.

Just like before, his answer was that he just wanted to be together with me.

MC: Then how about we replicate the celebration from your second birthday? I think it would be pretty fun.

I made the suggestion to test the waters. Luke froze for a moment, and it seemed like he wanted to refuse but was also a bit hesitant.

MC: (I think Luke secretly wants to be “close” to his parents.)

He just needed a little push.

MC: Didn’t you feel like an onlooker earlier when you were watching your parents celebrating your birthday? Then this time let’s especially celebrate to try and feel what they felt. Even though most people wouldn’t really remember their second birthday, if you see a similar scenario, maybe something would come back to you…

Hearing my eager explanation, Luke looked at me with great interest.

Luke: Will I really remember something?

MC: Hm… even if you can’t remember anything, we can still kind of experience what your parents felt when they were celebrating your birthday back then.

Maybe because he saw how hopeful I was, Luke also seemed somewhat moved. He looked at me and smiled helplessly.

Luke: Alright. Whatever you say.

[…]

After Luke agreed, we immediately began preparations. Referencing the video, we purchased the same type of balloons, streamers, and other decorations online. There were quite a few things that were out-of-fashion and had been discontinued, however, and I sighed in disappointment.

MC: I didn’t think that this kind of birthday hat would already be discontinued.

Luke: It was from over twenty years ago after all. We can just pick some similar ones.

MC: We have no other choice.

[…]

Although not everything was ideal, we still assembled everything we needed. By then, it was already dark out.

MC: It’s already pretty late. That’s probably enough for today.

Luke: Okay, I’ll order takeout.

MC: Alright. I’m gonna chat with some people.

Luke: Sure.

[…]

[26:06] Luke’s House

Because we were busy all day with birthday preparations, the only time I was able to check my email was after Luke had gone to sleep. He was normally a light sleeper, waking up at my slightest motion. But lately, I didn’t know if he was tired from his cases or affected by thoughts of his parents, Luke slept very soundly. I quietly left the blanket, and Luke stirred as if he had felt it.

Luke: Mm…

MC: !!!

He didn’t wake up, only switching his position and continuing to sleep. I breathed a sigh of relief and crept out of the bedroom.

[26:30] Detective Agency

In order to not disturb Luke’s rest, I went down to the detective agency on the second floor to check my email. A majority of the responses were apologies that they couldn’t remember anything like that. Although I had been prepared for it, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed to see that outcome.

MC: So there really aren’t any?

I checked my inbox again. There was no change. Just as I decided to close my laptop and check again tomorrow, there was a notification on my inbox and I clicked it immediately. The person who responded was Ms. Yu, who had long since immigrated overseas. She had been a mutual friend of my mother and Luke’s mother. In her email, she mentioned that Luke’s mother had recorded something like that when she was pregnant with Luke. I checked the time and saw that it should be the afternoon for her, and I asked if it would be alright if I could call her.

[27:03 phone call with unknown number]

MC: Hello, Ms. Yu. This is MC, the person who sent you the emails.

Ms. Yu: Hello, MC.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Ms. Yu, I got straight to the point and brought up what was on my mind. Ms. Yu understood and began to recall events from the past.

Ms. Yu: That was over twenty years ago now. I remember that when Yan was pregnant, I was about to immigrate, so everyone decided to get together. Unfortunately, your parents were busy and couldn’t make it. That day everyone was so happy and excited that they all said a bunch of well wishes for the future. When it was Yan and her husband’s turn, they talked on and on about their plans for their child, just like all new parents do.

Ms. Yu’s voice had a hint of nostalgia as she reminisced about the past.

MC: You said in an email that Luke’s parents recorded what they said, right?

Ms. Yu: That’s right, Yan had bought an MP3 player that she loved, so she recorded everything that they said.

MC: That’s great! Are you still able to find the recording from back then?

Ms. Yu: Oh dear… I can’t find it. Back then I was moving, and so many things got lost. But Yan’s MP3 player should have the original copy.

MC: Then do you remember what that MP3 player looked like? I’ll look for it.

Ms. Yu: Give me a minute, I still have the group photo from that day. I’ll send it to you.

Several seconds later, I received a photo from Ms. Yu. In the photo, Luke’s mother sat on the sofa and his father on the arm of the sofa, both of them slightly younger than they were in the videotape. On the coffee table in front of them was an exquisite MP3 player. I zoomed in on the photo and screenshotted the MP3 player, then saved the photo and sent it to my phone.

MC: I got it. Thank you, Ms. Yu.

Ms. Yu: You’re welcome. Oh right, how is Lukey?

At the mention of Luke, Ms. Yu’s voice became a bit sorrowful. I thought of Luke’s face deep in slumber, and the corners of my mouth tugged upward subconsciously.

MC: He’s good. Right now he’s doing work that he enjoys, and… we’re engaged.

Ms. Yu: Really? That’s wonderful, congratulations! Yan and your mom were best friends, I’m sure she’d be delighted about that.

Ms. Yu was sincerely happy for us and seemed to want to ask something else, then suddenly remembered that it was currently very late in Stellis.

Ms. Yu: Oh gosh, it must be midnight at Stellis right now. I got so excited that I forgot. You hurry up and rest now, even young people shouldn’t stay up too late.

MC: Okay. Next time Luke and I will come visit you, Ms. Yu!

Ms. Yu: Okay, I look forward to it.

[29:32 end phone call]

After hanging up, I was lost in thought about the MP3 player that Ms. Yu had described. I remembered Mom had said that after Luke’s parents passed away, she went to their house to organize and bring home everything that had to do with Luke. There was no way that she had missed that MP3 player, but I hadn’t found it in the box that had Luke’s name written on it.

MC: (Is it not in that box?)

With that question in mind, I decided to search through all the storage boxes once again.

[…]

Earlier when we organized all the boxes and found nothing missing, we just left them in Luke’s detective agency for temporary storage. I pulled out the storage boxes and searched through them one by one, but didn’t find the MP3 player from the photo in any of them.

MC: (Did it get thrown away?)

I shook my head. Considering my mom’s approach to things, it was impossible for it to have been thrown away or forgotten. Just as I was deep in thought, I heard Luke’s footsteps approaching.

Luke: There you are.

MC: Why are you awake?

Luke: You weren’t in the bedroom when I woke up, so I came looking for you.

Luke glanced at the open storage boxes surrounding me.

Luke: Are you looking for something?

MC: Yeah, I’m looking for an MP3 player. I didn’t notice it before, but today I realized that it’s not here.

I deliberately hid the origins of the MP3 player. I didn’t want to let Luke know about it before I could confirm if it had the recording.

Luke: MP3 player? What does it look like?

I showed Luke the photo I saved onto my phone.

MC: It’s this one.

Luke inspected the MP3 player in the photo, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. Then he gave the phone back to me and smiled.

Luke: This MP3 player is limited edition. If it’s not in the storage boxes, then it’s possible it was stolen by the thief.

MC: He stole a MP3 player that’s over twenty years old?

Twenty years ago MP3 players may have been fairly common, but now their functions were pretty much all replaced by phones. Luke saw my confusion and smiled as he explained.

Luke: Limited edition MP3 players are collectors’ items. I’ve seen some people online buying them at high prices. Anyway, we can first ask Captain Morgan.

MC: Okay.

Luke’s words reminded me to collect all the information and send that with the photo of the MP3 player to Darius.

Luke: Alright. It’s way too cold in here, let’s go back to the bedroom for now.

Only then did I notice that the heating wasn’t on in this room, and I felt the chill in the air.

MC: I didn’t even notice until you said it. Let’s go back right now.

I took Luke’s hand, and we quickly walked toward the bedroom.

[END PART FOUR]

[PART FIVE]

#tears of themis #luke pearce #tot luke #xia yan #tot translation

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burningrubber · 2 years

Text

Kissing a Stranger | CL16

pairing: charles leclerc x reader

word count: 4.2k

warnings: nopety nope nope, just fluff and soft boi charles

request: from anon "Hii love!! I think you’re still taking requests? Could you maybe write one about Charles with #1 and #53 from your prompt list? I also absolutely loved your vacation Charles fic, it was so cute 🥺 thank youu! X"

authorns/n: breaking up the angst with a bit of fluff. love this request, and i'm a big fan of those prompts like #1. and the potential for a part 2??? Maybe??? Lmk. get ready for chaotic and clueless MC energy. All the love ♡

_______________________________________________

masterlist

gif credit to owner :)

Of course it was just your luck, that during your day out shopping, you would run into your ex boyfriend. The heartbreak was still lingering, but at the same time you were over the relationship long before it had ended. Despite him not being the worst, he wasn't all that good either, always saying something to dig in at you. Luckily, you managed to end it quickly and quietly, not letting yourself fall into a trap with him and not caring what he thought or did.

That didn't mean that you didn't want to hide away from him, potentially make him somewhat jealous after his actions. Clouded in impulsive decisions, that's how you found yourself sliding in the closest shop before he managed to see you or come in. A quick message being sent to your sister in the meantime, as you walked with as much confidence as you could muster towards a male that seemed to be of similar age to you.

You shook your head, trying to get rid of the slight embarrassment that was creeping up your spine as to what you were about to ask the person in front of you. The request was at the tip of your tongue when he turned towards you, his hazel eyes going a bit wide at your proximity to him,

"Hi, my ex just walked in. Would you hold my hand please?" you forced the words out, his face flashing with confusion and shock at your question. The emotion just seemed to intensify somewhat when you stuck out your hand palm up for him to take, no point in being shy now. The two of you stood like that for a few more beats, a hand combing through his hair as he mulled over your words.

Your eyes flicked around the shop and saw your ex stood a few railings away, talking to someone over the phone. You turned back to the stranger with slight anxiety, but managed to pull off the best puppy dog eyes at him. It clearly worked, the male shrugging at your request before taking your hand in his and looking over towards who you had seen a few seconds ago and pieced the information together. His hand gave yours a gentle squeeze and your heartbeat increased, his golden green eyes trapping you, attention solely focused on him.

But that didn't last long when you started to panic, seeing the shadow of your ex over your momentary fake boyfriend shoulder. All thoughts went out the window as your body acted on its own, a hand curling around the stranger's neck and playing about with the short hair there. It was very soft. You put on your best smile and pulled the stranger closer to your level, a blush spreading over his cheeks in the cutest way possible. Cursing yourself about what you were about to ask of this kind person, trampling over any sort of boundaries that stood between two strangers.

"Can I kiss you?" you whispered to him, your eyes going back and forth between his, clearly lost for words at your actions and requests. You were indeed as stupid as they came, it all probably overwhelming to someone that didn't know you. The anxiety brewing within you was starting to seep out, hands becoming a bit more shaky as fight or flight mode started up to get you out of the crazy situation that you got yourself in.

He must've sensed this as he closed the gap, his lips gently skimming over yours as they parted slowly at him leaning in towards you. When your lips locked, it was like no other kiss you had ever experienced, the rhythm coming naturally. Your thoughts melted away and you were stuck in that moment, not one brain cell drifting away from what was happening right then and there. One of his hands travelled up and cupped your cheek, effectively deepening the kiss as your hand travelled higher to the longer strands of the brown hair.

You were lost in the moment, wanting it to last forever, because how could a stranger kiss you with so much passion, not knowing you. But, the burning in your lungs from the lack of oxygen could only be ignored for so long, and as soon as you started to pull away he chased your lips for a second. The blush on your cheek spread at the intensity of the moment, heat travelling through your body. The smile that spread over his face was breathtaking and you took a few seconds to admire it before your consciousness came back in full swing. Your ex was gone and Mia was most likely waiting in the car park, but your eyes kept going back to his lips.

"I'm sorry," you finally managed to get about, "About all of that," and with those as your parting words, you had let go of his hand that you only now realised he was still holding, turning on your heel and leaving the shop. You didn't stop for a second, not until you were out of the centre and in your sister’s car.

"I know you didn't just kiss your ex, so what the fuck did you do Y/n?" her smile was full of amusement at your state, body twisted to face you and take in how flustered you were. Putting your head in your hands, you tried to escape her judgmental eyes and calm down the redness that was covering your skin.

"I just made out with a stranger," your muffled voice could barely be heard to you, never mind your sister, so she pulled your hands away. You gave her a sideways glance before repeating, "I made out with a stranger so escape my ex,"

"That is pure gold!" she laughed, shaking her head and turning back to face the front, starting the car, "never expected you to do something that rash,"

Your fingers traced your lips, the lingering feeling of his lips still there as you smiled at the thought of it. It was true though, you were one of the most outgoing people you knew, but you respected boundaries, not daring to go out of your way to make anyone uncomfortable or awkward. You kept to yourself, and when you had asked him for a kiss you expected a single peck, not whatever he did to you. Your mind was still a bit of a mess, his face the most prominent thought.

Mia had started spewing out questions about his looks and his voice. How well did he kiss you on a scale of one to ten. The blush subsided, but didn't leave your face completely, it all still a bit too fresh so the words that were coming out of your mouth barely made sense to your sister. You recounted how handsome he looked, how his stubble was groomed just right, and his eyes were the prettiest hazel colour you ever saw. But you didn't say much about his voice, only now realising that you hadn't really let him speak. That thought led to another, and now your hopes were dying out to ever see that stranger again. He had that foreign look to his face, meaning that he was most likely a tourist or something like that.

However, when the two of you finally arrived home, the conversation shifted from the mysterious, brown haired stranger to the weekend ahead. Mia was always an avid watcher of formula one, and now that she could volunteer at the circuit she applied, forcing you to do it with her. You rarely ever watched the races, seeing the cars zoom about in passing as you walked through the living room to the kitchen when it was playing. The two of you managed to bag a volunteering position in the Alpha Tauri hospitality motorhome from Friday morning till sunday night. She had tried to teach you who each driver was, and a bit about the team, but you didn't really pay attention as you didn't find any need for it. Despite the volunteering work.

At least it was something to do, something new that you probably won't get a chance to experience again. And it also gave you the chance to make sure that Mia didn't embarrass herself, knowing full well how hyperactive she could get when in adrenaline high environment.

____

Friday came quicker than you had anticipated, your sister running round the house grabbing things that she would most likely not need, while you were sitting on the couch cross legged and eating some cereal. Watching her pace with entertainment.

For a few days, your mind constantly wandered back to the day in the shopping centre, your dreams even staring him one night. It was quite peculiar for you, to linger on an event like that for so long, but it was one hell of a kiss and although most of the hope died out you still thought that somehow the two of you would meet again. The anxiety came with those thoughts too, what if you spent so many hours thinking of him and he didn't even spare you a second after you left the shop. How awkward would it be if the two of you somehow ran into each other, and he didn't even remember you.

Pushing the thoughts down and getting up from the couch, you washed your dishes before fixing the Alpha Tauri top that you were required to wear while in the paddock. It somewhat matched the team wear that Mia told you about, but not quite, probably to distinguish staff from volunteers. When you returned to the living room, Mia had looped the lanyard around your neck, your eyes skimming over the pass that was hanging from it as you grimaced. Not the most flattering of pictures that your sister chose.

Grabbing your day bag, you picked up a water bottle that was chilling in the fridge overnight hydrate or diedrate, letting Mia know that you were ready before pushing her out the door so that she wouldn't make the two of you late. Still running through the mental list about things she needed on the short walk to the car.

"We get food on the job at least," she muttered when the two of you were settled in the vehicle, a bright smile on her face as she oozed out excitement for the day ahead. Anticipating what this volunteering gig might bring.

"Oh yum, cafeteria food," you frowned, yet hoped that with an organisation so big the food would be of a higher quality than those school lunches you used to have. Your sister rolled her eyes before reversing out of the drive, starting your way towards the circuit. It wasn't too far of a drive, just over twenty minutes or so, but with the traffic trying to get to the same place as you it definitely stretched out the time. However, your anxiety riddled sister prepared for this and despite running round the house you still set off earlier than usual.

The men at the gates checked your passes before letting you know the best area to park in for the day. So, after a few deep breaths on your sister's part, the two of you finally got out of the car and made your way to the turnstiles to get into the paddock. You felt quite privileged being on this side of it all, a true once in a lifetime experience even if you weren't as involved in the whole formula one world.

Once you got to the volunteers area, you were provided with a schedule of the day, your responsibilities outlined in all the boxes along with your break time. You and your sister were two out of the five that were working the hospitality area and decided between you to rotate throughout the day so as to not get bored. Your times would be split up between counter work, coffee runs, and clearing of tables. It was simple enough and your days as a waitress were definitely coming in handy.

Once settled into the area, the five of you got to work with setting everything up for the day. Making sure that everything that could be stocked up was, and preparing what you would need for the lunch rush that was going to happen in over an hour. The other volunteers were easy going, cracking jokes with you and giving the downlow on what to expect as they had worked at one of the hospitalities the previous year.

Lunch time was as entertaining as it could get, Mia and you manning the counter and cracking jokes with some of the staff members while complimenting others. Creating an atmosphere that was warm and welcoming, the area always full of anticipation for the practice sessions ahead. You had also managed to catch a glimpse at one of the team drivers, Yuki Tsunoda, who was having his break with some of his team members. Although you didn't directly interact with him, he gave the two of you and the other volunteers a wave from his table. A thank you floating your way before he had left the motor home.

After the rush was over, you walked out back to throw out some of the rubbish bags that accumulated over the morning and early afternoon. It was peak heat out and you could definitely feel it through the dark clothing that you were wearing today. The Australian sun was a bit much right now, but you still went round front to take a short breather.

"Hey, excuse me," a male was walking your way, looking directly at you. From his racing gear get up, you assumed he was one of the drivers, his overalls matching Yuki's that you noted before. The only difference being that he had the arms loosely wrapped around his waist, probably to try not overheat.

"Are you talking to me?" you still decided to double check despite his eyes being on you, and you only. Shielding your eyes from the sun, you realised that he had the better idea of wearing a cap. His smile was bright, but not as pretty as the strangers that you saw a few days prior, as he nodded eagerly at your question, "Can I help you?"

"Did you kiss someone at a clothing store the other day?" he asked, the query throwing you completely off balance as you expected at least some sort of an introduction. Heat creeped up your neck at the memory of the kiss though, and the driver immediately caught on that you knew exactly what he was asking,

"That's a very specific question to ask someone," you replied, a nervous chuckle escaping you as you looked around the paddock, looking for a potential escape but you knew full well that apart from your sister you knew no one. He rolled his eyes in a playful manner before crossing his arms over his chest,

"Are you avoiding it? Is it because you did?" he laughed, and while you both knew that it was you, it was still embarrassing and very puzzling as to why a formula one driver knew anything about the situation. Maybe he knew the person? What if they were here? You were immediately interested more in the conversation than previously,

"Well, it is weird that you out of all people is asking me such a question. Are you a mind reader or something?'' The rhetorical question was left unanswered by the male, the blush still lingered as your emotions were a whole mess of embarrassment and hope.

"It must be fate," he concluded, nodding to himself with somewhat happiness in his eyes. He looked around some after looking at his watch, clearly his break time was coming to a close,

"How do you know about that anyway? It is a bit weird," you mentioned, wanting some more sustenance in his answers instead of being interrogated. Your mind was already running wild with theories so if he could somehow tame them with a good enough answer, that would be nice.

"Just do," well that surely wasn't helpful to you, he just shrugged before taking a step back at his name being called, "if you're still here after practice then I want you to meet someone,"

"Listen, I'm just an ordinary volunteer here, this is all already peculiar," you thought out loud as you eyes the driver that was backing away from you, your curiosity was already peaking as is and you didn't know if you could wait hours to find out what he knew.

"Just trust me ok? I'll see you later," he waved before turning around, jogging back in the direction of the garage. You stood there confused at everything, still finding it peculiar how an F1 driver knew anything about your actions from a few days prior. Shaking off the conversation, you went back into the hospitality, your skin prickling at the change in temperature as the AC was working overtime in the motorhome.

When you got back to the counter, you apologised to the team but they assured you it was completely fine. They had seen you talking to Pierre Gasly, the other Alpha Tauri driver, and were interested as to why he came up to talk to you rather than the other way round. Mia had some suspicions, but the rest of the volunteers were obviously clueless.

Not wanting to share anything with the rest of them, you dismissed their questions and only started talking about the frenchmans weird queries to Mia when you were on your break. It was practice session time, and so hospitality was dead, everyone in the garage or in the stands watching on and looking at data. The two of you wandered around and managed to find a place where you could see some of the cars go round the track from a distance. You even managed to be your sister’s personal photographer for a few minutes as you took pictures of her for a scrapbook, happiness flowing through her as she got to be in the paddock.

The second part of the shift seemed to go by slowly yet so fast, you were serving people in between short chatter with the others. Your eyes every so often glancing at how much time there was left of the practices. After the fact, a lot of members were thrown into debriefs and working on the car before tomorrow's practice and qualifying. While those were happening, the five of you were cleaning up the area and restocking things for the morning so that you didn't have to do too much in the morning. It also took your mind a bit of Pierre's words from earlier.

When everyone left, you and Mia took a seat on the motorhome steps to wait for the Alpha Tauri driver. The two of you talking away about the events of the day and how much you were actually enjoying yourself volunteering.

"You actually waited," Pierre's voice caused you to jump slightly, which caused a laugh to escape Mia. Shaking that off, you stood up to greet the driver, who was dressed in more casual clothes this time,

"I'm Mia, her sister and ride home so I hope you don't mind me tagging along with you," she had said to Pierre when his eyes travelled to her, a small smile on her face as her nervousness caused her to play with her rings,

"Not at all," the Frenchman replied and started walking, you sandwiched between the two of them on your way to what seemed to be the exit of the paddock. Who had asked Pierre who you were walking to meet, but were met with silence and a knowing smile from his end, your sister eager for what was about to happen.

"Hey Charles!" Pierre called out from beside you, hands waving to a man in red team wear that was near the turnstiles. He was animatedly chatting away to someone, and when he saw the three of you nearing he said a quick bye and turned towards you.

Time seemed to stop when you met his hazel eyes, the hazel eyes, which widened when recognition flew through him. His mouth opened slightly and you couldn't seem to take in any more air right then. His eyes flicked between you and Pierre, as you felt your sister's intense gaze in the side of your head.

"It's you," you finally managed to croak out, tongue dry as the embarrassment returned. You whipped around towards Pierre to calm yourself down somehow, smacking his arm gently in offence, "couldn't you tell me instead of being so inconspicuous before?!"

"Did you just hit me?" he laughed at your reaction, very entertained at how you were acting despite kissing his best friend with such confidence a few days ago. You were definitely turning into a walking tomato. Charles let out a laugh too and it drew your attention back to him, you would listen to that laugh all day if you could.

"Is that why you were being so weird and giddy after lunch?" Charles looked towards the other driver, his voice was even better than his laugh and definitely not what you imagined. His accent highlighted at the ends of the words as it rolled out with his speech. You were melting at an alarming rate.

"You made out with Charles Leclerc?!" Mia shouted from your side, and you quickly turned to look at her wide eyed. The two other men even more amused by your sisters reaction,

"I didn't know he was someone in F1!" you defended, becoming more flustered by the second, "This is so embarrassing, holy shit," you added in a whisper. That day was unlucky as is, and now you found out you kissed someone that was clearly a name in formula one, your sister making that very clear. She was still standing there gobsmacked at the answer to her many questions, but was being gently coaxed away by Pierre to leave the two of you alone.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Charles, I'm Y/n," you introduced yourself when you finally scrambled your mind together, meeting his hazel orbs once more. The golden hour that was currently happening was doing him all the favours as your brain mapped out his features to retain them in memory,

"You know my name, but I'm Charles, a driver for Ferrari here," you gestured around the two of you with a chuckle, his eyes going soft as you nodded. Oh he was even more known than just a team member, you had kissed a famous driver in motor sport on accident.

"I'm really sorry about the other day! I hope that you didn't get into trouble or something because of my rash actions," you apologised once more for good measure, not wanting him to think that you did it just because he was famous or something. But now the question of whether someone saw it, what if it got to the press and you didn't realise?"

"You really don't have to apologise, mon cherie, no one found out about it apart from Pierre who was there with me that day," he explained, and that french term in between made your mind swim with endearment. You definitely needed to translate that later, "no need to apologise for the kiss either, especially with how good it was," his confidence was addicting despite the slight glint of shyness in his eyes. But that is exactly what your brain needed to hear right now.

"I'm glad you felt the same," you managed to say back, a blush spreading over your cheeks at the way he was looking at you. His hair looked soft for the amount of time he had spent in the helmet, and you wanted to touch it again, "It's all quite the coincidence though isn't it? I'm glad Pierre recognised me,"

"I'm happy he did too, gives me the chance to actually have the time to ask for your number, maybe?" his hand scratched the back of his neck, and you immediately took it as a nervous tell. You pulled out your phone in answer and handed it over to him,

"Maybe we could meet up one day, I don't know how long you're here for," you said hopefully, as he typed away on your phone, sending a message to himself so that he would have your number. When he looked back up at you, he gave you another one of those breathtaking smiles,

"I was going to ask you out for dinner, I'm here for a few days after the race," Charles' words somehow managed to make you even happier and you nodded at that. The two of you would hatch out the details later on as you told him you knew of a few nice restaurants round Melbourne.

He walked you back to the car, and you gave him a kiss on the cheek goodbye, giddy on the inside that you got to see him again and you would for the next few days as well. His face was flushed when he ran back to his friend as you got in the car, the questions already spilling out of your sister. It must have been fate for the two of you to meet again.

🏁🏁🏁🏁

Thank you for reading ♡

724 notes · View notes

maatryoshkaa · 3 years

Text

between the lines | lee minho

𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐘 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐒 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒!𝐀𝐔

✑ Late fines, shared lockers, and a missing love letter:

In which a frantic search for an overdue library book leads to you finding other things that are...long overdue.

✑ PAIRING: student librarian!minho x bookworm!reader

✑ GENRE: retro!high school au, slow burn, slice-of-life romance, slight enemies-to-lovers shenanigans

✑ WORD COUNT: 9.7k

✖︎ TAGS/WARNINGS: fem!reader, mild language, bullying themes, skz are all around the same age. mc is insecure and a bit of a valentine's day grinch. minho is whipped but too hardheaded to admit it. also, an embarrassing amount of classic literature/pablo neruda references.

Ah, Valentine’s Day.

Call it the most romantic day of the year if you will, but in the treacherous hallways of Levanter High, it meant a minefield of hormonal couples, crushed chocolate boxes, and supermarket rose bouquets. Clutching your backpack with a grimace, you narrowly dodged a pigtailed cheerleader as she leapt into her jock boyfriend’s waiting arms. Turning into another hallway, you plugged your ears to block out a senior boy’s cold rejection of a freshman’s nervous love confession.

You finally caught sight of your locker and breathed a sigh of relief. Levanter High’s lockers were split in half lengthwise—one top row, and one bottom row. You dropped to a crouch to wrench yours open—you’d lost your lock a couple of weeks ago—trying to block out the early morning commotion as you rummaged for your English books.

“Hey, watch ou—”

The locker above yours opened with a screech, and you looked up just in time to see a pink avalanche of cards and chocolates raining down on your head in a painful, deafening crash. The student who had called out the warning was frozen with a comical look of shock on her face. You swore the entire hallway fell silent, blood rushing to your cheeks as you slowly raised your gaze at the person who had opened the locker.

Lee Hana—head cheerleader of Levanter’s pep squad, and in your humble opinion, the spawn of Satan herself.

“Ohmigosh,” she exclaimed, raising one hand to her mouth in mock horror, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there.”

The crowd around you was beginning to snicker and point, and you felt your face growing redder by the minute. “What are you doing here?” You asked tersely, motioning towards the locker above yours. “That’s not even your locker.”

Hana smiled and held up a small, glittery package. Oh. You didn’t have to look closer to know that the envelope was a love letter, elaborately tied to a box of expensive chocolates—the kind your parents would probably have to work overtime to afford. “My Valentine—for your locker buddy,” Hana replied matter-of-factly, then added, “Not that you would understand, hm? Since you’ve never received one yourself, and all.”

A smattering of laughs erupted from the crowd that was building around you. Biting back a retort, you looked down at all the other Valentine’s trinkets that had spilled around you. Of course—you should have gotten used to it by now. After all, your locker was right underneath the one that belonged to the student librarian, school heartthrob, and the absolute bane of your existence, Lee—

“Minho!” Hana exclaimed, and you looked up to see him shuffling through the crowd, his eyes briefly falling on yours. You immediately turned away as the pretty cheerleader skipped up to him, and shoved your books into your bag. Slamming your locker shut—twice, because Levanter’s damned lockers always jammed before shutting properly—you snatched up as many of Minho’s fallen Valentine’s Day trinkets as you could before shoving them back into the now-emptied top locker. The metal door was still swinging wide open. You’d overheard Minho complaining to the boy who always did the announcements—Han Jihyun? Han Jisung?—about how he kept losing his own lock. Both of you seemed to have a habit of misplacing things (not that you liked to admit to that similarity).

Out of the corner of your eye, Minho was still watching you over Hana’s shoulder, his lips tilted in a half-smile. Your gut twisted unpleasantly. Four years and counting—that was how long you’d ended up with a locker right under Minho’s.

“You’re so lucky!” Lia—your best friend—had gushed, while you had scoffed in utter disbelief.

“Oh, sure. Just my rotten luck.”

“Come on, y/n. Are you still hung up about that love letter from freshman year?”

Yes, you had thought sourly. “No way,” you had snapped, and Lia had giggled, unconvinced.

It wasn’t like you’d always had a personal vendetta against Minho. In fact, in ninth grade, you’d been head over heels for him, just like the rest of the student body—to the point where you’d even slipped a small love letter into his locker on Valentine’s Day, too. It had been one of those gaudy 99-cent corner-store cards, and you'd saved up your pocket money just to buy a matching pack of candy hearts. Then you’d spent the day with butterflies in your stomach, anxiously waiting nearby his locker to see his reaction.

But when he hadn’t shown up, you'd shrugged and begun heading home—and that was when you had caught sight of Minho, throwing all the love letters he’d received straight into the Dumpsters in the back parking lot.

Talk about a reality check.

As if that hadn't been traumatizing enough, you’d been forced to face him nearly every morning for the following three years. To make matters worse, being Minho’s involuntary locker mate also meant that all the girls—and guys, for that matter—saw you as little more than a stepping stone to him, always asking you to relay party invitations or trying to curry favour with you to get to him.

“We’re not close,” you’d insist to his persistent admirers every time, but it didn’t help. Minho, on the other hand, you thought bitterly, seemed to think he was too good for anyone—he didn’t even respond much to Hana’s advances, and she was drop-dead gorgeous. There was no way he’d even look twice at you—you’d been firsthand witness to that. You finally gave up trying to clean up the fallen Valentines, and stood up with a sigh. Throwing him a death glare, you pushed past the crowd just as the bell rang and students began scurrying away.

What did it matter if Lee Hana was trying to get with Minho? If anything, they were a match made in heaven. Or hell. With a decided huff, you plopped yourself down at your desk just as your English teacher began class.

“We’re starting the poetry unit today! Remember, you’ll be writing a love poem of your own for the final project—so I suggest you all get started on reading!” You teacher had winked and clapped her hands excitedly while a collective groan had swept through your class. A few couples had nudged each other meaningfully, already promising to write their poems about each other, and you’d thrown up a little in your mouth.

Romance was a bit of a touchy subject for you— now, you didn’t hate the notion of love, per se, you’d just always been somewhat...wary of it. After watching your friends fall in and out of disastrous relationships and fleeting feelings from the sidelines too many times to count, your own defense mechanisms had skyrocketed, and now you found yourself trying not to roll your eyes at every piece of romantic writing you read. Still, this inexperience only made you more determined to get a head start on the topic— and so, once the last bell had rung, you made a beeline for the school library. You would tackle love the only way you knew how to—by hitting the books. Pushing open the door, you overheard Hana and her friends muttering in disappointment and immediately recoiled.

“You said he’d be in here!”

“Well, I thought I saw him! Let’s wait for a bit.”

You peeked over the librarian’s desk, and sure enough, it was vacant— save for a tray of half-shelved books and stamping cards. Maybe Minho left early today, you thought, shrugging. That’s a relief. Then you shook your head quickly. What’s it to me whether he’s here or not? You tried to ignore Hana’s disdainful glance at you, heading straight towards your favourite nook at the back of the library instead: a cozy alcove tucked behind the last row of shelves. With a deep sigh, you pulled out the first book of poetry your teacher had assigned—Shakespeare’s Complete Sonnets—and sank into the bean bag chair.

‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May…’

A couple lines in, and the Englishman’s words were already making your head spin. You grimaced, massaging your temples. ‘A summer’s day?’ Seriously? You could swear you’d seen something less cheesy on a dollar store card. After a couple of pages, you could already feel your treacherous eyelids beginning to droop, fighting to stay awake as you tried to make sense of Shakespeare’s verses. But thy eternal summer...shall not fade...nor lose...possession…

“The library’s closing.”

You jolted awake, hands fumbling blindly before you could even force your eyes open. The library came into focus first—the lights had been dimmed, the flickering EXIT sign from the empty hallway casting a warm glow through the panelled window across the room. A dull headache still throbbed in your temples.

“Sorry,” you mumbled, rubbing your eyes groggily. You had to practically peel your cheek away from the Shakespeare book, fingers gingerly feeling the dent the cover had left in your cheek. “I-I’m so sorry, I must have—lost track of time studying.”

A familiar chuckle sent your heart plummeting to your stomach. “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

When your eyes finally adjusted, your expression automatically soured into a glare.

“Now that’s more like it.” Smirking, Minho crossed his arms, leaning back on a bookshelf. He glanced down at the book in your lap—the book that you clearly hadn’t been studying. “Didn’t know you were one for Shakespeare.”

“I—” You threw your hands up in exasperation. “I’m not. His writing gives me a headache. It’s like it’s all in another language or something.”

Minho raised an eyebrow. “Old English. Why are you reading it, then?”

“We’re doing poetry in class—and our final project is to write an actual love poem, based on the poets we’ll study. Shakespeare was just first on the reading list, so…” you felt yourself trailing off, flustered. Why were you even bothering to explain this to Minho, who probably couldn’t care less? “Nevermind.”

You felt his piercing gaze on you as you shoved your books into your bag, glancing outside at the nearly emptied parking lot. If you squinted, you could spot a couple—Seo Changbin, judging by the male’s iconic leather jacket, and his lover—making out under the bleachers. You shook your head incredulously. Valentine’s Day. Love poems. Hormonal couples galore. It was like the universe was playing a long, cruel joke on you: Ha-ha, look who’s spending Valentine’s Day studying in the library alone.

Well, alone except for a student librarian with whom you had a mortifying history. Not much better. Eager to leave, you got to your feet, only to see Minho flipping through a smaller book he’d pulled off the shelf next to him. “If you want some real inspiration,” he began slowly, pushing up his glasses, “I’d suggest you start closer to our time period.”

You looked down at the book he was holding up, brow furrowing as you read the title out loud. “Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair. Pablo Neruda.”

“The best Chilean poet of the 20th century,” he nodded. “‘I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way, because I do not know any other way of loving but this.’”

It took you a second to realise Minho was quoting a poem, and you were suddenly grateful that the dimly lit library hid the flush of red that had betrayed your cheeks. Clearing your throat, you mumbled, “That actually sounds...kind of pretty.”

He didn’t look up, but you thought you saw the corners of his mouth shoot up ever so slightly. Maybe the shadows were playing tricks on you? Flipping through the book, Minho fished out a pad of sticky notes from his back pocket and marked a few pages. “Here. ‘The Song of Despair’...‘Tonight I Can Write’...‘Here I Love You.’ Those are good.” Clamping the book shut, he held it out towards you.

You almost thanked him, but the words faltered on your tongue as you took it from him suspiciously. “What’s with the sudden helpful attitude?”

He shrugged. “It’s my job.” You raised an incredulous eyebrow, and he smirked. “Consider it my apology for this morning, then.”

That left you at a real loss for words, and for the first time, you struggled to find a retort. “That’s...considerate of you, apologising on behalf of your girlfriend and all.”

“Hana’s not my girlfriend.”

You breathed a small laugh. “Soon-to-be, then. Don’t break her heart.”

Minho scoffed, bringing the book to the front desk and scrawling your name on the sign-out card. He stamped the dates, then held it out at you before glancing out the window. Dusk had fallen, the empty football field lit only by rows of flickering lampposts. “You can get home safe?”

“Screw off, Lee Minho.” You eyed him warily, shoving the book into your bag before practically running to the double doors. The strange atmosphere that had suddenly built up in the library felt terrifyingly foreign to you, and your first instinct was to be rid of it as soon as possible. In the hallway, you spotted a janitor dumping a bin into a trash bag. A familiar avalanche of pink envelopes and gifts caught your eye, and you felt a wave of humiliation. Just the memory of Minho throwing yours out—after reading it and having a good laugh, no doubt—made you want to ram your head into the lockers all over again. You’ve got no chance with him, y/n, you thought blearily. Right when you’d thought you’d finally come to terms with Minho’s brutal (albeit unintentional) rejection, here he was again: crashing back into your life like some...cat-eyed, pointy-nosed meteor.

“Oh, y/n! One more thing.”

You’d already had one foot out the front door when Minho called your name again, making you jerk your head back in surprise. Minho had his bag slung over one shoulder, a pile of books in his arms as he waved to get your attention. His smile looked almost...genuine in the warm shadows, his round glasses softening his usually sharp gaze. Despite yourself, you felt your heart skip a beat.

Then Minho made a wiping motion over his face and grinned. “You’ve got drool on your chin.”

Your face reddened, and you slammed the library door shut, earning a glare from the janitor down the hall. Smacking the heel of your palm against your forehead repeatedly, you stormed out of the school muttering curses under your breath. Typical Lee Minho.

To your surprise, you practically devoured the poems in less than a week, taken aback at how much you genuinely enjoyed them. It was the first time you didn’t find yourself cringing at romance—and sure enough, in a couple days’ time, you found yourself reluctantly standing back in front of the double doors of the school library once again.

Carefully, you craned your head to peep into the panelled window, scanning the room for Minho. As per usual, a gaggle of girls were huddled on the other side, blocking your view.

“Looking for someone?”

Flinching, you nearly tripped on Hana’s long legs as she came up beside you. Before you could respond, she fixed you with a withering look. “You’ve got some explaining to do, Little Miss Perfect.”

“I—sorry?”

The cheerleader rolled her eyes, sneering. “Don’t act all innocent with me, you sneaky b—”

Sighing, you pushed open the doors before she could finish. Hana followed you into the library, still sputtering angrily. Her hand snatched your arm, French manicure digging painfully into your cardigan.

“The Valentines,” she hissed, and it finally clicked.

She’s talking about the love letters, you realized. The ones Minho throws out every year.

Gut twisting, you looked up to see all the other girls crossing their arms and looking back at you expectantly. “None of you...got a response?” You asked incredulously, already knowing the answer. This happened every year: Expectant admirers showered Minho’s locker with gifts, Minho wouldn’t even glance at them— and then, for some reason, you were left to take the blame. A twinge of annoyance shot through your chest.

“You stole them from his locker, didn’t you?” Hana continued accusingly, pupils shaking. “You sneaky, jealous bitch— of course you did.”

He threw them all out, you wanted to scream back at her, but the words wouldn’t budge from your tongue. Somehow, saying them out loud felt like tearing off the stitches of an old wound; a painful reminder of your personal humiliating memory. And—though you hated to admit it—a small part of you still didn’t have the heart to throw Minho under the bus just yet, even after all that he’d done.

Feeling defeated, you sighed and turned towards her. “Why would I want to do that?”

Hana scoffed, tossing her chocolate curls over one shoulder. “Oh, please. We all know you’ve had a massive one-sided crush on him since ninth grade.”

A rush of heat flooded your cheeks, the other girls’ snickers at your reaction drowning out any of your protests. “That’s not—”

“Not true? Then—is it mutual?” Hana sneered mockingly. “Don’t make me laugh. He wouldn’t be caught dead with the likes of y—”

“Can I help you with anything?”

The small crowd fell silent as Minho appeared from one of the aisles, eyebrows raised slightly in his usual nonchalant manner. A chill of panic rushed down your spine, palms growing clammy with cold sweat. H-how much did he overhear? In your peripheral, Hana was practically batting her eyelashes at him, but Minho’s mild eyes were focused on yours expectantly.

“I—uh. Well,” you stammered eloquently, your entire body suddenly paralyzed. Hana’s cherry red lips were twisted in a smug smirk, clearly waiting for you to embarrass yourself. “The book,” you blurted, immediately rummaging for the poetry book in your bag and holding it out to him.

Minho took it from you, fingertips grazing yours slightly. They were surprisingly warm. “How’d you find it?”

“R-really good, actually.” Then, you hesitantly added, “I...like the way Neruda uses imagery—he’s precise without being plain, and artful without deviating too much into purple prose. I think I liked Tonight I Can Write the most— y’know, ‘Tonight I can write the saddest lines...’” You swallowed, then instantly began regretting having ever spoken. Great job, y/n, now you sound like a full-blown nerd.

But Minho nodded, his eyes gleaming. “‘I loved her, and sometimes, she loved me, too.’”

“That’s the second verse,” you muttered automatically, and his lips twitched.

“It’s one of my favourite lines.”

The other girls had begun to awkwardly shuffle out of the library, their absence easing your racing heart. With just a few mildly spoken words, you noted, Minho had managed to make you feel as though you had blocked out the rest of the world. Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted Hana glaring daggers at you, and the small smile dropped from your face.

“Do you need something?” Minho asked her blankly, his gaze trailing down to Hana’s hand, which was still painfully latched onto your arm. With a roll of her eyes, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the library.

As soon as she was gone, you breathed an audible sigh of relief. Minho was peeling the sticky notes off from the poetry book you’d returned, eyes still watching you intently. Giving him the side-eye, you deadpanned, “She’s pretty, you know. Maybe you should go talk to her sometime.”

There was a small smile on Minho’s lips. “Does she like Chilean poetry?”

You could only give a short—slightly too shaky for your liking—laugh in response, ruffling your own hair as you tried to calm your frazzled nerves. Don’t forget, y/n. One, that he’s out of your league. Two, how this was all his fault to begin with.

“Is that all you came here for?” Minho’s voice broke into your thoughts again, making you jump. There was a glint of amusement in his eyes. He finds this—me—amusing.

“Well…” you looked down at your feet, then grudgingly nodded at the poetry book you’d just returned. “Do you...have any other recommendations?”

Minho’s face broke into a shit-eating grin, and you bit back a groan. before your pride got the better of you and you changed your mind, he was already heading towards the back of the library, sliding books out as you struggled to keep with his pace. “First of all, Dickinson. Hit-or-miss, but you never know. Then there’s Sylvia Plath, some Emily Brontë…”

Before you knew it, you’d been whisked into a world of verse and metaphor, flying between numerous time periods and continents as you and Minho perused the shelves. Just like the time when you had accidentally fallen asleep in the library, the library seemed to grow cozier, quieter, more peaceful during moments like these, as if the entire world was holding still as you lost yourself in pages upon pages of books. Soon, you found yourself heading to the library nearly every day after school. Despite yourself, you found yourself looking forward to that sunset hour, the fleeting period where most students had left, and the entire library would glow warm as though it were blushing under the swathes of golden light. And in these same fleeting moments, you found your gaze lingering more and more on Minho—the way he would push his silver glasses on, furrowing his brow in concentration whenever he searched for a book, or run his long fingers over their worn spines whenever he was lost in thought—

“Like what you see?” With a flinch, you realised Minho had begun walking back towards you, a crooked smirk on his lips as he set a new pile of books down at the desk you were sat at.

“No!” You snapped, too quickly. “Just—spaced out for a bit. Too concentrated on the project.”

The smirk hadn’t budged from Minho’s face, and you resisted the urge to throw a copy of Emily Dickinson’s Selected Poems at his long, pointy nose. “Mm. You seem to be coming here a lot more often.”

“That’s because the due date is coming up.”

“No. I mean, you seem to be talking to me a lot more.”

You rolled your eyes, snatching a book from the top of his pile as you muttered, “Screw you, Lee Minho.”

His eyebrows shot up in wicked mischief. “You’re more than welcome to try.”

With a cry of exasperation—and surprise at having been heard—you hoisted your book bag onto the table, building a makeshift wall between the two of you.

You didn’t catch the way Minho’s laughter slowly faded as he rested his head on one hand thoughtfully, quietly watching you read. Your lips were pursed in concentration as you muttered your notes under your breath. Cute, he couldn’t help thinking.

Minho had always been good at memorizing things, but he couldn’t remember exactly when you’d begun disliking him so much. You had always intrigued him—what with the way your locker always seemed to be overflowing with books, or how you used to lend him your copy when he forgot his, back in ninth grade. That Valentine’s Day, four years ago, your name had been the only one he’d hoped to find as he rifled through the cards he’d received. But he’d come up empty, and so he’d thrown them all out. And for some reason, you’d been cold to him ever since.

Minho had assumed that you were probably annoyed with all the letters that would fall out of his locker and onto you, and so every year he tried his best to get rid of the Valentines as soon as possible. Nevertheless, you only seemed to be getting more and more annoyed with him.

And now here you were, right in front of him, four years later, and he still couldn’t bring himself to ask you why. Confrontation had never been his strong suit—his words always seemed to come out too blunt, too cold, too soon, and so he’d always avoided bringing it up with you again. Minho sighed, raking a hand through his hair. Written words—that is, books—had always been so much easier than people.

He did, however, remember when he’d started falling for you.

Tenth grade, literature studies. He’d begun arguing against your thesis during one of your presentations, and the two of you had ended up bickering the entire class—pulling out quotes from nearly every chapter of Pride and Prejudice before the class president had to intervene, and your teacher had sent you both to detention.

You had glared at him once, and he’d fallen head over heels.

These violent delights have violent ends, he’d mused in his head back then—Romeo and Juliet—and with the murderous stare Minho sometimes caught you fixing him with, he was willing to bet that you were wishing a violent end on him, too.

He couldn’t pen a love letter to save his life, either— and so, he resorted to pettily glaring at any admirer that approached your locker like Gandalf—you shall not pass—until they backed off. Minho didn’t think you would appreciate him revealing that, either. The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous his actions seemed—and like a poorly written plot twist, you had ended up stumbling back into his life again. Never in his life, however, did Minho think that Pablo Neruda would become his wingman. Glancing down at his portrait on the back cover of the book, Minho could almost imagine the Chilean poet pointing his pen threateningly: “Don’t screw this up.”

“Hey, Minho?” He snapped out of his thoughts to see you waving your hand at him from the other side of your book bag. “You were right. I don’t get any of Dickinson’s poems.”

Your words took a moment to register, Minho caught off-guard by the soft golden hour light illuminating your pretty features. You waved your hand in his face again, and he blinked, breath caught in his throat. Almost tripping over his tongue, he finally quipped, “How on earth are you passing AP English?”

You glowered and smacked his shoulder, the near-silent library ringing with Minho’s laughter once again.

With a week left to the deadline, you were planted at your desk in your room, the wastebasket littered with crumpled up half-sheets of notebook paper. To your dismay, none of the words seemed to be coming out the way you wanted them to. Gnawing the back of your pencil in frustration, you dumped the contents of your book bag onto the desk, and spotted your latest library book—100 Love Sonnets, by Pablo Neruda. Inexplicably, out of all the poets Minho had introduced to you, you always found yourself coming back to him.

Flipping through the well-thumbed pages, your fingers stopped at one titled Sonnet XVII. “I love you without knowing how,” your eyes scanned the verse curiously, “or when, or from where. I love you simply…”

It was the poem Minho had quoted that evening in the library, you realized, heart skipping a beat. “...without problems or pride / I love you in this way, because I do not know any other way of loving / but this, in which there is no I or you / so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand / so intimate that when I fall asleep, your eyes close.”

With a sigh, you buried your head in your arms, lying face-down onto the desk. Maybe the reason why you instinctively disliked reading love poems so much was because of the sheer sincerity of them all. You envied their ability to put feelings into words—with unabashed, unapologetic ardour, and be celebrated for it, to boot. Eyes scanning the verses again, your mind wandered to the way Minho’s eyes had lit up as he’d explained the lines to you, his brow furrowed in focus.

At Levanter High, you had grown used to being pushed around and out of the spotlight. It was either the popular girls and their backhanded compliments, or the boys who spoke to you condescendingly just to a) get you to do their homework, or b) get in your pants. But Minho had always taken you seriously, albeit while driving you half-insane with his infuriating remarks. And as much as you hated to admit it, that same fiery look in his eyes whenever he got worked up—so different from his usual reserved facade in front of the teachers and swooning students—had always made your heart skip a beat. In tenth grade—back when he seemed to pick a fight with you nearly every English class until Bang Chan had to hold the two of you back from killing each other—you’d thought you’d successfully quashed your feelings for the mild-voiced, hazel-eyed librarian. Yet every time he spoke, he left you feeling vulnerable, disarmed, and you were back—though you refused to admit it—to square one.

“‘I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul,’” you whispered, fingers tracing the words on the paper. Feeling a sudden surge—of confidence, or simply exasperation, you weren’t sure—you seized the pen and began scribbling on a new piece of paper. For years, you’d been afraid to face your feelings, terrified of the humiliation if Hana—or anyone at school—found out. But if getting them all out in one cheesy, hot mess of a love letter could give you some closure, you thought tensely, you were more than happy to oblige. You would write it all out under the guise of a love poem, and then it would never have to see the light of day again.

Words began coming to your head like a floodgate had been thrown wide open, and you began scrawling onto the page. “‘I love you as the plant that never blooms, but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers,’” you quoted thoughtfully as you drafted your own poem. In a way, it felt cathartic—you could get all your feelings out, pass it off as an assignment, and never think about the forbidden fruit again. For all you knew, it was a win-win situation. The pen kept wobbling, ink spilling out haphazardly and skipping, but you relaxed slightly. Maybe this assignment wasn’t too bad, after all.

Head filled to the brim with poetry, you set the pen down and dozed off.

“You’re not coming to the football game?” Lia flashed puppy eyes at you, and you smacked her hand playfully, swiping a french fry from her plate.

“Lia, since when have I ever gone to one?” The two of you had dropped by the Sunshine Coffee Shoppe for a quick pick-me-up during lunch hour, but one smile from the cute waiter—Yang Jeongin, if you remembered his name correctly—had dazzled Lia into ordering an extra burger combo, complete with a plate of fries. “Sports and crowds—not my thing. And I have an English project due the next day.”

She pouted. “Oh, come on! Knowing you, you’ve probably already finished it by now.”

You grinned, thinking back to your love poem and fighting the urge to cringe. You’d read it the morning after, and it had taken every fibre in your being to hold yourself back from ripping it to shreds. Piercing, catlike eyes, you’d written in one line. Silver spectacles. Long fingers on dusty pages. Shuddering, you’d stuffed it into the Neruda book before banishing them both to your locker and going about your day. Love poems are supposed to be cheesy, y/n, suck it up. It’ll only be this one time. Besides, it wasn’t like anyone other than your teacher would ever read it.

When you dropped by the library after school, you spotted Hana’s familiar figure by one of the cubicles. As she tossed her hair over her shoulder with a laugh muted by the plexiglass windows, you saw that she was talking to a grinning Minho.

“Are you sure you’re not coming to the game on Thursday?” Hana was whining as you pushed open the doors to the library. She patted his arms playfully. “You could be on the football team if you wanted to, you know! Why don’t you try?”

He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m not that quick on my feet.”

“Well, tell you what. They’re having a party at Hyunjin’s place right after—his parents are out of town. If you don’t feel like coming to the game, at least join us at the afterparty to loosen up a little—have a little fun.” She blew him a kiss and stood, throwing her purse over her shoulder and spotting you. You instinctively froze, bracing yourself for whatever slew of insults she had for you today, but all Hana did was beam and wave at you.

As she passed you by the door, she threw you a knowing wink. “Have fun on your little study date!”

Her words made your ears grow hot again, but to your surprise, there was no trace of venom in her voice — only a lighthearted teasing, as if she had been your friend all along. Hana really did look sweet when she smiled genuinely, and you could see why she had so many people easily wrapped around her finger. Maybe people do change. Or she’s just in a good mood. Before you could shrug and turn away, you sensed Minho’s presence behind you and yelped.

He held his hands up in mock surrender, and you could swear he was suppressing a laugh. “Here to work on your project again?”

Hana’s strange exchange with you on her way out had left your mind reeling, and you scrambled to form coherent sentences. “No, I, um—I actually finished it last night. I just…” Thought I’d just drop by to say hi. But your pride turned the words to mush before they had even formed, and you ended up trailing off awkwardly.

“Really?” There was a flash of disappointment in his face, then Minho’s gaze landed on the book-borrowing register on the front desk. “Right—your book is due today. Did you want to return it?”

Your eyes widened, silently cursing at your own forgetfulness. “Um—yes,” you lied, pretending to search in your bag before giving an awkward laugh. “Yep. I think it’s in my locker—let me go get it.”

After jogging to the other side of the school, you flung open the bottom locker, making another mental note to replace your missing lock. Still catching your breath, your hand sifted through the notes and textbooks before coming up empty. Where is it? You could swear you remembered putting it there, unless—

Breath catching in your throat, you shut the locker with a mortified bang. The English classroom. You practically sprinted down the hallways, earning another dirty look from the janitor as you raced past. Bang Chan looked up in alarm when you nearly crashed into the English classroom door. The entire room was empty, save for the class president, who looked like he was helping to file the teacher’s papers.

“Where’s the fire?” He asked jokingly as your eyes frantically raked the room.

“Have you—seen a book, by any chance? 100 Love Sonnets. Pablo Neruda.”

Chan frowned. “We shelve all the books after class, and if it’s one we don’t recognize, we keep it until the students come back in the morning.” He shrugged. “I don’t remember seeing anything.”

Your heart sank, and you saw the corners of Chan’s mouth lift bemusedly.

“What’s the hurry, anyway? I thought you hated love po—”

With a groan of frustration, you left the baffled class president staring after you as you turned on your heel and back into the hallway. Your mind was racing, panic making your ears buzz. The love letter’s in there. Where the hell did I put it? You sprinted to the Sunshine Coffee Shoppe next, but only got an apologetic shrug from Jeongin even after you’d scoured every nook and cranny of the diner. The sun was already beginning to set as you trudged, defeated, back to the school. Spotting the library’s dim windows in the distance, you wrestled with your options — if it weren’t for that cursed love letter, you could’ve probably just told Minho you’d misplaced it. But now the book—along with everything you’d never dared to tell anyone, crammed onto a sheet of notebook paper—could be anywhere, and there was no way in hell you were going to stop looking until you found it. Heart heavy with dread, you did a full 180 and began walking home.

It was no use. You’d practically pulled an all-nighter tearing your room apart searching for the book— and then, the better part of the following day running around town. But no matter where you looked—the record shop, Blockbuster’s, or even the laundromat—you came up empty.

It’s like it’s disappeared entirely, you thought as the lunch ladies piled your tray with a few sad-looking burritos. The cafeteria was buzzing with teenagers jittery with caffeine and sugar, and you had to duck as a boy chucked an apple at another across the room. You passed the cheerleaders’ table, trying to avoid eye contact, but their giggly conversation carried over the chaotic commotion.

“Did you see how cute Hyunjin looked today on the field?”

“Are you sure he doesn’t have a girlfriend? Maybe Hana can talk to him for us—if he doesn’t fall for her first.” The blonde cheerleader that had spoken nudged the older girl insistently.

“Me?” There was a smile in Hana’s voice. You could feel her eyes on you as she mused, “Oh, I don’t know, Hyunjin’s not my type. I much prefer boys with—how should I put it—catlike eyes, silver spectacles, and long fingers perfect for turning dusty pages…” She clasped her hands together in mock adoration, and her friends erupted in giggles.

“What the hell was that? Sounds like a cheesy love poem.”

You had frozen stiff as soon as she had uttered the words, stunned eyes finding Hana’s only a couple feet away. She gave you a winning smile—the same one you’d deemed friendly just a couple days ago—and winked.

“Give me my book back.”

You pulled her aside after the last bell had rung, voice shaking. Hana only tilted her head innocently, eyes round as a puppy’s. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Before you could spit a biting retort back at her, the taller cheerleader tapped her chin thoughtfully with one bejewelled nail. “But I might think harder if...I got a little something in return.”

You grit your teeth. “What do you want?”

“Make your librarian boy come to Hwang Hyunjin’s party as my date,” Hana beamed, “and tell the office you want to change your locker.”

“You’re crazy,” you blurted, and her face immediately darkened. Dropping her voice, she leaned in closer, until her voice was right beside your ear.

“Oh, I can be even crazier. What would happen if I made copies of this little letter on Monday, hm? Or published it in the school paper for everyone to read? I’m sure Han Jisung would love that—”

Your eyes trailed down to the slip of paper she’d pulled out of her purse, the sight of your own familiar handwriting making panic surge through your veins like ice. Snatching it from her hand, you quickly began tearing it apart before noticing the calm smirk on Hana’s face.

“Photocopy, silly,” she giggled in a sing-song voice as you peered more closely at the shredded pieces, hands shaking. “Oh, all right, don’t cry. If you want the original so badly…” she leaned in again, cruel smile on her lips. “Then you might want to look in the library.”

Eyes widening, you immediately pushed her away and bolted for the stairs. “Don’t forget the deal! Thursday night,” Hana called after you, and you broke into a run.

Most of the classrooms were already empty, their dark windows reflecting your own face back at you as you hurtled past them. Your heart pounded in your chest as the library finally came into view at the end of the hallway, but you nearly came to a screeching halt when you saw that the lights had been turned off. Had Minho gone home early? Chewing your lip anxiously, you peered past the plexiglass. Aisles empty, books all shelved neatly, chairs stacked. The library was quiet as a tomb. Desperately, you tried the knob—and to your surprise, the door creaked open. Maybe he forgot to lock it. You had nothing to lose. Holding your breath, you slipped in.

Even the faint click of the door closing again sounded deafening. You rifled through the front desk first, dropping to a crouch as you inspected the carts and borrowing-bin. To your dismay, they were all empty—they must have all been re-shelved already. Heart sinking, you began tip-toeing through the shelves, fingers trembling as they ran over the laminated Dewey Decimal labels. Please, please, please…

You reached the poetry section at the back of the library, eyes squinting to try and read the spines of the books under shrouds of shadows. Poets— Nash. Naidu. Nemerov…

“Neruda,” you gasped, eyes falling on the book you had practically gone through hell searching for. 100 Love Sonnets. Almost sobbing in sheer relief, you reached out to grab it—just as another hand shot out from beside you. Your yelp of surprise broke the still, dim quiet, and you didn’t have to look up to know who the warm, pale fingers belonged to.

“Care to explain what you’re doing here?”

Spectacles glinting under the twilight, one hand in his pocket, nonchalant as ever, was the boy that had gotten you into this mess. Lee Minho.

As you stared back at him, mouth slightly agape, you felt as though your entire world was balancing precariously over a yawning abyss— as if one wrong move would send everything you’d spent the last two months—no, the last four years—repatching. You swallowed hard. His hand had landed a split-second later than yours, holding both you and the book in place, and you tried to ignore the feeling of his warm fingers on your chilled skin. Forcefully, you yanked the book from the shelves and out of his grasp. “The—book. I-I realised I still needed it for the project. It’s due this Friday, you know.”

He raised his eyebrows, unconvinced. “Today’s only Wednesday. Why not come back tomorrow morning?”

Shit. “I, um, promised Lia I’d go with her to the game tomorrow,” you fibbed, flipping through the book quickly, ready to grab any stray piece of paper that flew out. Nothing. “So I—need to finish the assignment today. Could you renew it for me?” Trying to plaster on an unbothered smile, you flipped through the book again. Still nothing. Had Hana lied to you?

In your peripheral, you saw Minho slowly shift his weight, crossing his arms as he mused, “Well, I’m not too sure about that. We’re getting...careful about letting students borrow books for too long. People tend to leave some...strange things in them.”

Your eyes snapped up, fingers freezing on the fluttering pages. “What—then did you—see anything? S-strange, I mean.”

A flicker of amusement passed through Minho’s eyes, and then it was gone. He cleared his throat, humming thoughtfully. “Why? Do you have something in mind?”

The strange intensity of his gaze seemed to corner you into the shadows, and you swore your heart was pounding so hard it seemed to echo through the room. “Nothing,” you stammered, throwing your hands up in exasperation, “I mean, I just—accidentally left—” Kill me now. You shook your head rapidly. “N-nevermind. I’m heading home.”

“Y/N—”

“Oh, one more thing.” You turned, remembering Hana’s sly words to you back in the stairwell. “You’re invited to Hwang Hyunjin’s party, after the game on Thursday.” Then, hoping you sounded more convincing than you felt, “Hana’s really counting on you to be her date.”

Minho chuckled. “You know I go to parties as often as you do.”

You rolled your eyes, but there was no malice in his words, only that same, airy indifference Minho always carried himself with. “Please? Hana—I mean, it would make her really happy if you went.”

“Would you be happy?”

The strange question caught you off guard, making you look up again. Minho was no longer smiling. His hand was still resting lightly over the missing space the book had left on the shelf, and his expression looked strangely lost under the twilit sky.

“Would it make you happy if I went?” He repeated, and you felt your mouth go dry.

Make your librarian boy come to Hwang Hyunjin’s party, and I won’t publish your little love letter for everyone to see on Monday. You nodded firmly, laughing in an attempt to ease the strange atmosphere that had settled over the two of you once again. “Y-yeah. Ecstatic.”

You turned on your heel, breath leaving your lips in a shaky sigh. If the poem wasn’t in the book, where on earth could it be? Option one: It had fallen out somewhere along the way, and hadn’t fallen into anyone’s hands. The best case scenario. Option two: Hana had been playing with you again, and she had had the original all along. Option three…

“By the way, Hana told me not to give this to you.”

You whirled around in surprise, and your eyes landed on a horribly familiar piece of notebook paper dangling from Minho’s fingers. Option three, damn it all. Mortified, you snatched it from his hand, crumpling it into your fist as he laughed lightly.

“It’s a very good poem.”

“Shut up, Lee Minho,” you wailed, wishing the ground would just swallow you up and bury you six feet under for all of eternity. “It’s a cheesy, cliché wreck.”

He hummed in amusement. “What were you writing about?”

Paralyzed, your eyes flickered towards the window before sputtering, “The—sunset. Figurative approach, you know? Emily Dickinson-inspired—”

“Mm. Then what was that quote about—” He tilted his head in thought, fingers snapping. “Catlike eyes, silver spectacles, and long—” He stopped when you plugged your ears instinctively, eyes glowering at him in disbelief. If looks could kill, Minho was sure he’d now have died more times than the characters in a Shakespearean tragedy. “—was that about the sunset, too?”

“Of course,” you snapped, your voice a tad too pitchy for your liking. Damn Lee Minho and his knack for memorizing things. “Haven’t you ever heard of extended metaphors? Rest assured, Lee Minho—I will never, ever, ever—have feelings for you.” You crumpled the sheet of poetry into a ball as you spoke with a note of finality, jamming it into your back pocket for good riddance.

Minho looked unfazed, the light curve of a knowing smile playing on his lips. After a moment, he took a step towards you, making you stumble back in alarm. “‘You can cut all the flowers,” he mused, glancing down at the crumpled love letter, “‘but you cannot stop spring from coming.’”

“Wh-wha—”

“Neruda quote. Tell me if I’m making you uncomfortable, and I’ll stop,” he murmured, eyes growing serious for a moment before his lips twitched with mirth, “but something tells me I deserve to hear more about that sunset from your poem.”

Gulping, you felt hot tears brimming in your eyes, and suddenly wished you were anywhere but here. This confrontation had been your worst nightmare, what you had always wanted to avoid. Your pride’ll be the end of you, y/n, you remembered Lia remarking when you’d sworn up and down that your feelings for Lee Minho were a thing of the past. And it was true—your pride had always gotten the better of you. You were a hypocrite, and a terrible one at that—always telling yourself you had gotten over that stupid, ninth-grade heartbreak, before unravelling into a nervous mess whenever Minho so much as threw a glance at you. And now, you could feel everything you’d feebly repressed for the last four years caving in. Crashing down on you like an avalanche of cheap supermarket chocolates.

“It was about you. You, alright?” You hissed, voice coming out more wounded, rather than venomous like you’d intended. “There. Are you happy now?” You were glad the shadows hid the humiliated tears beginning to roll down your cheeks, and wiped at your eyes furiously. Damn it all. So much for not crying.

“Then why didn’t you—”

“Say anything?” You breathed a short laugh. “Because I didn’t want to see you just throw it out again, okay?”

The silence that met your words was deafening, and when you finally mustered the courage to lift your gaze you saw that Minho’s look of disbelief mirrored your own.

“'Again?'”

Damn Lee Minho and his two-faced ass. Had he already forgotten? “In ninth grade. I left you a—stupid love letter in your locker, with all your other Valentines. Then I s-saw you throwing them all out, behind the school.”

“But I read every name on the cards,” Minho insisted, running a hand through his tousled hair. I left you—a stupid love letter in your locker. Your words sent his head spinning, and he felt his flustered cheeks heat up as he mumbled, “I’ve never—seen yours on any of them.”

Now it was your turn to blink in confusion. Minho’s brow furrowed in vague recollection. “But I did see Hana pulling an envelope out from my locker that day. She said that—she’d heard someone had been sending chain mail on Valentine’s Day, so she was helping the principal clean them up from people’s lockers.”

Hana? Your mind flashed to the missing locks, and the cheerleader that always seemed to be hanging around your locker, and suddenly everything dawned on you. “What did the envelope look like?”

“A corner store card. With—”

“Candy hearts. Right.” You muttered, watching Minho nod slowly. Your anger faltered slightly, feeling a slight shame wash over you, but you weren’t willing to give up just yet. “That still doesn’t explain why you dump out all the gifts you get every year.”

He sighed. “Look. Why would I keep love letters from people I don’t like? That’s just...narcissistic. And I don’t...like chocolate, either,” he added as an afterthought, and you couldn’t help exhaling a short laugh at his ridiculously blunt sentence. Another silence fell between the two of you, the angry tension in the air replaced with an almost childish awkwardness.

“I really did like the poem,” Minho spoke tentatively after what felt like an eternity, and you buried your head in your hands.

“Shut up, Lee Minho, oh my g—”

“And I wouldn’t have thrown it out.” The soft edge to his voice made you stop, peeking out of your fingers to look at him questioningly.

“Why not?” You asked, swallowing hard. “You said keeping letters from someone you don’t like would be narcissistic.”

He was barely a foot away, and the sheer proximity of his face from yours made your stomach flop—with irritation or butterflies, you weren’t sure you wanted to find out. Nonetheless, a tiny voice at the back of your head told you that you were heading towards the latter.

“You know, for someone who reads so many books, you sure are dense,” Minho murmured, shaking his head.

“Wh—”

“I throw out all my Valentines every year because I never see your name on them, alright?” His expression was as careless as ever—that cool, calm facade he wore like a suit of armour—but you didn’t miss the slight tremor in his voice, the flicker of apprehension in his eyes. Lee Minho, you realized with a jolt, was nervous. “I...only ever wanted to receive one from you.”

Your eyes widened, hands lowering from your face in shock. The book tumbled from under your arm to the ground. “But—Hana always told me about how much you hated me.”

“Hmm.” He dropped down to pick it up before fixing his piercing eyes on yours. “Funny. She’s been telling me the same about you. How you’re a two-faced, back-stabbing...such-and-such,” he smiled at the indignant look on your face before his face grew serious. “You’ve always let people walk all over you, and you never retaliate. It’s both admirable and frustrating to watch.”

“I’m not good at confrontation,” you mumbled, still shifting your weight from one leg to the other nervously. “Every time I think I’ve finally got the guts to try and say something back, I...I get all terrified that the words’ll jumble up and I-I’ll start to cry like an idiot again—”

“You’re not an idiot,” he interrupted sternly, “You’re probably more clever—and genuine—than everyone in our grade combined. Your thesis was brilliant.”

You snorted incredulously. “Then why did you keep attacking it every class?”

“It was the only time I could get you to talk to me.”

“Weirdo,” you muttered, but you couldn’t find it in you to make the word sound insulting anymore. Minho chuckled, hand grazing yours as he handed the book back to you. You didn’t move your hand away, and neither did he.

“It is weird. I must be out of my mind. Whenever you look at me, it’s like the whole world stops, and suddenly every cheesy line of poetry I’ve ever read just seems to make sense.”

Your heart was pounding so hard you were more than certain Minho could hear it. The way he was looking at you was nearly overwhelming, stomach fluttering with a feeling so strange and foreign it terrified you. Never in your wildest dreams had you thought that you would be here, in this delicate, unreal moment, and you felt all your insecurities threatening to swallow you up again. Out of everyone in the school, he likes you? A voice snickered at the back of your mind. Don’t kid yourself.

Shrinking away, you mumbled, “Y-you—don’t have to say stuff like that, you know. I mean, i-if you feel bad because of the letter and everything, you don’t have to pretend you lik—”

There was a flash of an exasperated smile on Minho’s lips. Before you could finish, his hand reached to pull your chin towards him again, and suddenly his mouth was pressed flush to yours. You froze, lips parting in surprise, but the kiss was light—barely even a brush of soft skin, and bringing with it the faint scent of vanilla and old books. Minho pulled away almost as quickly as he’d pulled you in, stammering, “I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

That seemed to send what was left of your hesitation crumbling into dust. You grabbed the collar of his dress shirt to pull him back in, and the library fell silent again.

Minho kissed the way he talked—soft but firm, and always leaving you struggling to catch your breath. Each touch had the growing intensity of something long overdue, starting out careful—as though you were treading over the newly shattered, four-year-old misunderstandings of one another—before your hands instinctively tangled in his hair and Minho pulled you in impossibly closer. You could feel his heartbeat pressed against yours, the crumpled poem and Neruda’s sonnets long forgotten on the carpeted ground.

The click of the library door opening sent the two of you flying apart, Minho hitting his head on the shelf with a comical thud. The kiss left you dazed and out of breath, and Minho’s face was flushed as both of you whipped around to see a livid Hana at the front of the library. Mouth opening and closing in silent fury, she shot you a death glare before storming out the door, leaving both you and Minho blinking after her.

Several moments passed, the whiplash of the unexpected interruption having sent both of your heads reeling. Then, the two of you broke into stunned laughter, slowly sliding down to the carpet as you doubled over in giggles.

When you finally stopped laughing at the ridiculousness of it all, Minho’s gaze was fixed fondly on your face. You poked his cheek. “You’re blushing, asshole.”

He didn’t respond, eyes falling to your lips again, and you felt your own face flush. “W-what?”

Minho grinned. “And you have drool on your chin again.”

“Hey, Minho! Minho, you won’t believe this!”

That enthusiastic voice belonged to none other than Han Jisung—voice of Levanter High’s morning announcements, and notorious school gossip. He hurtled down the bustling hall towards you and Minho, hunching over with his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

“Shit, ‘sung—did you kill somebody?”

The dark-haired boy shook his head rapidly. “Did you see the school newspaper?”

Your mouth went dry, Hana’s lingering threats still ringing clear in your ears. Jisung continued excitedly, “Two people submitted anonymous love poems over the weekend—at the same time! Can you believe it? I’m supposed to cover it on the announcements in a bit!”

Two? You peered at Minho, who hadn’t looked at you, and glimpsed a knowing glint in his eyes. “W-who submitted them?”

“Well, Lee Hana was handing out copies of the first one to everyone first thing this morning. But when I showed her the other one, she refused to tell me who the first belonged to.” He pouted.

Minho looked like he was trying hard not to laugh. “Do you have a copy of the paper, ‘sung?”

The dark-haired boy grinned. “Yeah, ‘course! You guys can have mine. See ya!”

As Jisung disappeared into the crowd of students, you turned back to Minho. He had been in the middle of putting a new lock on your locker, and was now setting the combination on his own. “They’re matching,” he’d pointed out when you’d gone into town together to buy them, and you’d groaned.

“Gro-oss.” The old, PDA-hating you would have probably thrown them away on the spot, but now the sight made you smile like a dork. If you can’t beat em, join ‘em.

You looked down to read the papers Jisung had deposited into your hands. Sure enough, on the left column, you spotted a photocopy of your own love letter. But on the right, there was a completely new one—and you had a sneaking suspicion you knew who the anonymous writer was.

“You know, Minho,” you deadpanned, “I don’t think either of us are cut out to be poets.”

“I stayed up all night writing that love letter, you know!” Minho exclaimed indignantly, and you just shook your head laughing. “But you’re right. I could feel Neruda turning in his grave.”

“You’re going to be the end of me, Lee Minho.”

His face broke into a mischievous grin at that, pinning you playfully to the lockers and stealing another kiss as you yelped in surprise.

“Can it be a happy ending?”

2K notes · View notes

obeiii-mee · 3 years

Note

I saw that you’re ask box is open!!!!! I had to come and ask, if you want to that is, please do a reincarnation or somehow MC survives the whole sacrificing themselves for Lilith post please. Something with a happy ending to that post? My heart just broke for all of them and I just want them happy, if you don’t mind that is ☺️

————————————-

I got two very similar asks and I decided to merge them as one because I’m lazy, ig. In regards to the previous angst post I created about this topic, I have to admit my writing wasn’t the best it could’ve been so I tried even harder on this one which is why it took so long to make. I hope it was worth the wait, even if it’s just part 1. I tend to write a lot for angst requests so I always end up splitting them in half lmao.

The gist of it all is that the brothers stumble across MC right before they manage to complete the spell/curse and somehow stop their imminent death. Obviously, MC themselves is not in good shape since that was basically a suicide attempt and is therefore suffering mentally speaking. This version has a happy ending but it still has angst in it littered throughout because angst-comfort is one of my favourite tropes. If you haven’t seen the original ask, the links are here:

Link to the original posts:

Self-sacrificing MC (Lucifer, Mammon, Levi)

Self-sacrificing MC (Satan, Asmo, Beel, Belphie)

Warning: Obviously mentions of mental illnesses, death, blood, gorey stuff in general. If you are sensitive to these sort of things, please proceed with caution. I get really detailed with some of them.

Part 2 (Satan, Asmo and The Twins)

—————————————————————-

The Brothers stopping MC from sacrificing themselves ( Alternative Ending):

Part 1

Lucifer:

-“MC, what do you think you’re doing?”

-To say he surprised you would be an understatement. It was way too early for him to be home, considering it was still very much midday and he was supposed to be at Diavolo’s palace for tea that afternoon. And since everyone knows how punctual Lucifer is and how much time he devotes to Lord Diavolo, you didn’t have any reason to believe he would be back at the House of Lamentation any earlier than expected. Except he was.

-You would later find out that the meeting was postponed by a few hours because something had come up rather abruptly in Diavolo’s already busy schedule. Therefore, Lucifer went home to finish the last of his paperwork during this extra time off he just received. To think that he had almost completely passed by your room without seeing what you were up to, terrifies him even now. Who knows what you would have actually managed to do if he hadn’t thought of checking up on you.

-He hadn’t seen much of you that day. Lucifer caught a glimpse of you at breakfast and spotted you a few times at R.A.D but didn’t actually have time to walk over to you and talk. Which probably explained why he was in a foul mood to begin with. He was tired, irritated and had no energy but all of those feelings seemed to evaporate the moment he set foot in the doorstep and acknowledged the situation you were in, instantly tensing up and straightening his back.

-The floor was basically covered in books. They seemed to have been borrowed from Satan’s room and, even though he didn’t notice at the time, all appeared to have an occurring theme on the cover; Souls. But that didn’t matter to him. Because you were also on the ground, looking exceptionally pale and sporting a sort of....dagger? in your left hand. The last time he had seen you look this dead was...well...when you died at the hands of Belphagour all those months ago.

-I don’t think he immediately understood what exactly you were trying to do. His mind had flown into panic mode, definitely noticed how sick you appeared to be and his first instinct was to practically leap at you and check for injuries. You hadn’t gotten that far ahead thankfully but you were damn near close to. Lucifer continuously ignored you as you tried to push him away. He wasn’t having it. Whatever it was that you were doing, he wasn’t having it. He didn’t even let you explain. He glared at that dagger in your hand like it was more sinful than any demon he’d ever met, including himself, before snatching it out of your hand.

-“Lucifer, I need that-“

-“No you don’t.”

-Even your voice was significantly weaker than before. Strained and raspy, as if you had a sore throat. This wasn’t going the way you had hoped to. Lucifer wasn’t meant to catch you by any means. He was shoving away all of the books now, so he could have an easier time picking you up and laying you on your bed. You looked as if you just had a very serious human cold. Which would’ve been fine, you had gotten lots of those during your stay here. But this was something different. He could tell. He could.

-“Lucifer, I-“

-“Don’t speak.” His harsh tone startled you a bit “You’re wasting your energy. Rest for now. We’ll talk later, after I get Solomon over here. And Satan to tell me the effects of these spells in these...cursed books. And trust me, we will talk.”

-He looked calm enough but there was such a chilling note in his voice that legitimately sent shivers down your spine. However, at that point you were both too weak and exhausted to argue or explain yourself. The spell you were trying to do drained every last bit of energy from you and now even twitching hurt like hell. So you slept for a while, insistently drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness as the hours ticked by.

-By the time you actually willed yourself awake, you felt much better than before. If you had to guess, you must’ve knocked out cold for a while, maybe a day or two, judging by how well rested you felt. Your head seemed clearer and it no longer hurt to move around. You felt stronger. Refreshed even. Which means that Solomon did in fact come over at some point during your unconsciousness to heal you. And knowing Lucifer, probably another 30 demon doctors. He was upset with you. You knew. That’s why, when you woke up, you didn’t have the nerve to look him in the eyes, despite his burning holes into your head.

-“Do you realise the gravity of your actions? How extremely unsafe those spells are? Do you know how much danger you put yourself in? Do you?” Of course he went with the rhetorical questions. He loves starting with those at the beginning of each lecture “If I were to take a guess, I’d say you knew exactly what you were doing, MC. You may be reckless and impulsive but you’re not stupid. You wouldn’t go out of your way to pull something like this without a reason to. How are you going to explain this one to me? Go on, speak.”

-You didn’t. You opened your mouth to answer him, or at least say something, anything. But no words came out. And tears were starting to build into your eyes now because this wasn’t supposed to happen and you ended up getting the opposite reaction you wanted from him. Lucifer kept quiet too and you sat in a tense silence for a couple of minutes. You glanced at him, after a while, noticing the look of concentration that washed over his face as he took his gloves off with a sigh. He seized your hand and gave it a light squeeze before he started speaking again, brushing his thumb across the back of it. His hands were warm. Or maybe yours were just cold.

-“What’s gotten into you, love?”

-You had to cough a couple of times to regain your voice “I... I thought this would be for the best. I mean, you said it yourself many times before right? My existence is....unimportant?when it comes to you and your brothers. It was an impulsive thing, I think. I thought that...you would all be happier to have Lilith back, you know? If all I had to do was to exchange my life for her, I figured you would be better off...” Your voice trailed off. Trying to justify your actions out loud made you realise how morbid it actually was. It made sense to you at the time but now you failed to see the logic behind it.

-You couldn’t read his facial expression at all. He didn’t even seem to have acknowledged your confession. Lucifer went so deadly quiet, you could feel your muscles tensing up again. You didn’t really know what to expect from him because you’ve never seen him like this.

-“That is absolutely ridiculous, MC.” His voice startled you and you eyed him as he grabbed both of your hands into his own. His head was lowered for a moment and when he came back, his eyes had darkened. Being on the receiving end of that glare made it seem as if the room’s temperature dropped about 30 degrees “Out of everything you’ve done so far while living with us, this has to be the most outrageous thing.”

-You opened your mouth to speak again but he shushed you “MC, listen to me. I loved and will continue to love Lilith for the rest of eternity because she was my sister. At the time, she was one of the most important people in my life and I was more than willing to give my life to ensure her future.” Lucifer closed his eyes for a brief moment “Her death and departure to the human realm hurt me. A lot. It was taking a toll on me and you could say that, to this day, it still does. However, as much as her leaving us behind hurts, I know in my heart that she lead a happy life. I know that she never suffered once as a human and I know that she got to live the life she wanted, alongside her loved one.”

-He cradled your head in his surprisingly soft hands, simultaneously checking for a high temperature “I have no regrets. And I’m sure she didn’t either as she took her last breath. I...I know it can be difficult, seeing us mope around whenever we’re reminded of her and to an extent, you may feel like you’re her replacement. That’s not it. You’re not Lilith. You’re...MC. Our reckless human that really can’t take no for an answer, even at the cost of their life. So, I don’t expect you to trade your life for my, or my brothers’, happiness. Because...we’re happy the way everything is right now. You should know, I’m over Lilith’s death, thanks to you even if I still suffer because of it. It would hurt too much to lose you as well while the wounds of her demise are so fresh in my heart. You bringing her back will accomplish nothing. And I want you to realise you’re a lot more precious to me than you might think. Now that we got that out of our system, would you like some tea? I made some for you earlier while you were resting. Should help soothe some of your cramps or any pain you might be in.”

-This is probably the most you’ve ever heard him speak at once. You start feeling a little overwhelmed again, from his words and you think you might start crying again if you focus on his speech for too long. Lucifer often has such a strong leash on his emotions; seeing them out in the open like that, in the privacy of your bedroom no less, feels like an out of this world experience. Pushing back more tears, you wordlessly sip some of the tea handed to you, feeling his hand petting your head as means of comfort. You still felt like you’ve done him a disservice; by being unable to finish what you started. But you didn’t care as long as you got to stay with him like this a little longer.

-Things will have to change slightly, of course. Lucifer knows that as a human you’re in a very vulnerable position at the moment, so he can’t risk leaving you unattended. Him and his brothers will have to keep a closer eye on you, at the very least until you’re no longer plagued by your own thoughts and until you can actually stand on your on two feet. RAD classes should be cancelled in your case for now too. You’d do well in online course with Levi for the time being, until he figures out how he can help. His brothers are aware of the situation and have been banging on the door to your bedroom for a while now, desperately wanting to be let in and see you. Diavolo will also have to be notified at some point.

-But not now. He wants to prolong this moment with you for as long as possible.

Mammon:

-“Hey-OI MC?? WHAT THE HELL IS ALL THIS???!! GIMME THAT-“

-He scared the shit out of you, truth be told. Everyone knows how loud and obnoxious Mammon can be, you perhaps more than anyone else but you didn’t expect this. Mere moments ago, the only thing you could hear was the pitter pattering of your own heartbeat in your chest so the door slamming against the wall startled you quite badly, making you flinch and giving yourself an cut on your finger. Bad timing really; he came in just as you picked up the knife.

-He stomped over to you, kicking some of things lying around on the floor in your room (and admittedly almost tripping over them) before crouching down at your level, with a strange look in his eyes. Mammon snatched the sharp dagger out of your hands and twirled it around in his own, inspecting it and scowling at it every few seconds. He ended up chucking it behind him then bent down to help you to your feet.

-“Wh-Where did ya even get this from??! Oi, MC-have ya lost yer damn mind? What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack? Stop struggling will ya? I’m trying to help ye get in bed.”

-You were still reaching for the knife he tossed away, annoyed that you hadn’t acted quickly enough. The problem is; you hesitated. Hesitated plunging that thing in you and now it’s too late to do anything about it because you’ve been caught.

-“Mammon, don’t just toss it away! It took so long to get my hands on one of those-shit, can you just give it back? And let go of me! I don’t want to lay down!”

-“G-give it back??! Have ya hit your head human? Is that it? Give it back my ass-stop trying to get up, don’t make me nail ya down.”

-Mammon being so stressed out was definitely not a good sign, seeing him so antsy made you nervous in return. It might’ve dawned on you that you royally fucked up because the second eldest looked sicker than you did, with his shaky, clammy hands trying to tuck you in. Letting out a string of curses as he almost tripped over a book again, so visibly irritated that you had to sit up and offer him your hand. He grabbed it without saying a word. And then he avoided your gaze.

-Thank Lord Diavolo he finished that fucking photo shoot so early because otherwise who knows how long it would’ve taken to find you. And by then, it would’ve likely been too late-just the thought of it made him shudder in anger, almost crushing every bone in your right hand as his grip tightened.

-Thing is, now he doesn’t know what to do. I mean you’re obviously sick and all weak and fragile as all humans are when they try to kill themselves with powerful, cursed spells and he’s definitely not an expert at any of that. Calling Lucifer for help wouldn’t be a good idea; he wasn’t in the mood to hear him yell at either of you. Satan was a good option, he was definitely more knowledgeable about these sorts of things than he was. He intended to go but for some reason, he was rooted right where he was, by your side next to the bed.

- Eventually he had to go get his brother because he thought you were getting worse by the looks of it and he came back sprinting while dragging a confused Satan behind him. Honestly, once he found out how close you actually were to dying, he started crying on your bed as if he was just told that all of his Grimm would be taken away. He was half sniffling and half yelling at you from his position next to your bed and he just soaked your entire pillow with tears because he was frustrated he left you alone long enough for you to even think about doing this. Most of it muffled because his head is was still in your sheets but you could just about make out what he was saying.

-You honestly had to no idea what to say. All attempts at calming him down were futile by the looks of things and you had no words of comfort to offer him. Your voice got stuck in your throat and all you could really do was to stare at him as he hiccuped and weeped besides you. You wanted him to stop-he was making you regret your decision and you already decided prior to this that the ends justified the means. Trading your life for Lilith’s seemed fair and Mammon seriously shouldn’t have been crying over you.

-“Mammon, please stop crying-“

-“DON’T TELL ME TO STOP!”

-He snapped his head up and glared at you with wet eyes, bringing a shaky hand to wipe the tears off. There was a moment of stillness and then the demon basically climbed in bed with you, continuing to kneel as you propped yourself up in your elbows. He kept quiet. A long silence. The sound of rustling bed sheets. And then you sighed.

-“Mammon, don’t you miss your sister?”

-His glare hardened and he pressed his lips into a straight line, trying to read your expression. Or rather, trying to figure out what you meant seeing as what he heard didn’t really sound right. Judging by the spell Satan told him you were trying to cast earlier, he more or less put two and two together. And his mind was on the verge of snapping like an elastic band.

-“It would be heartless of me to say I don’t,” He murmured at some point, averting his eyes, “She was so kind, and patient and I loved her so much. We loved her so much. And she loved us in return.” Mammon scrunched up his face, coughing a couple of times to cover up the way his voice cracked at the mention of Lilith.

-“To this day, it still pisses me off so much.” He carried on, now sitting cross legged on your bed, his hand on his knees “The way my brothers used to hog her attention all the time. The twins especially, always, completely glued to her, refusing to go anywhere without her tagging along. I barely ever got any time with her and even if I did, it was always limited, ya know? I wasn’t even jealous-I was still an angel back then and feelings like those would’ve been…Uh…forbidden I guess? I was just sad. Lilith was always right there but for some reason, I could never reach out to her even though I wanted to, so badly. Without realising ‘m sure, my brothers got so greedy with her, I didn’t get to bask in her warmth for long enough. And then she ‘died’ and we fell and I had to move on.”

-There was a lump in your throat now. You couldn’t even look at him, let alone say anything. Just stood there, motionless; thinking about your ‘fool proof’ plan. Turns out it had holes in it. As you had this thought, Mammon scrambled over to you, grabbing you by your shoulders and forcing eye contact for the first time ever. As far as you know, he’s never been this brazen, not even the day you met him.

-“So that’s why!” He shut his eyes and yelled, pulling you into a hug “That’s why I can’t lose you too! Not when I didn’t get to spend enough time with you either MC. There’s never going to be enough time and that’s fine by me because you’re not leaving!” He shouted, hiding his face in the crook of your neck, gripping the side of yours arms tight enough to leave marks. You tried to ignore the wet splashes you felt on your skin “It’s my turn to be greedy, OK??!”

-“But, Mammon, would you not want to bring her back?” You wrapped your arms around him despite this.

-“Of course I do! But not in exchange for your life, you complete idiot! If anything, I’d rather die and know that you’re both alive instead of having to sacrifice you. But I don’t want to do that. Because you’re here and my brothers are here and I don’t want to leave any of you behind. I lover her so much, MC. But the love I have for her is different than the one I have for you and I can’t imagine mixing the two of you up, ya hear??? She was happy. Lucifer told me she was so shut up and stop trying to save the day like a suicidal maniac, alright?? I don’t want you to be a hero-just…stay here, OK?”

-He cupped your face in his palms, swiping your tears away with his thumb while letting his own stream down his cheeks. The two of you stayed in that uncomfortable and awkward position for a short while, until he told you to lay back down and rest. As he said that, he sat on the stool by your bed and held your hand, intertwining it with his as he hazed at you. He gave you some pills Satan recommended and forced you to drink more water even though your originally refused, insisting you looked thirsty. The tension in the room disappeared and the atmosphere seemed to have softened little by the little now that everything was out in the open. You were tired and he told you to got to sleep and so you did. Closing your eyes, you smiled at him as genuinely as you could, to convince him you were really alright and Mammon’s world, after hours of edging despair, finally clicked back into place.

-“You worry about us too much, human. Lilith wouldn’t agree with something like this, she wasn’t the type. She would love you too, a lot, if she was here. I’m happy the way things are. And you don’t need to feel guilty because the Great Mammon is tellin’ ya that you’re not at fault. So don’t go around getting anymore ideas like this, promise?”

- You may not think you’re all that important but to the Avatar of Greed, a demon who consistently yearns for more, you’re more valuable than any jewel he ever laid eyes on and more precious than gold itself.

Levi:

-“MC….? Hey….what-what’s all this?”

-It’s become a daily routine; the two of you meeting in his room and starting to binge watch some new show he just recently got addicted to. It just sort of…became your thing-something only you and Levi ever did and he treasured this a lot. Anyone trying to get in between this allocated space of time in your life would be committing a severe offence in his eyes and would be punished accordingly. Besides all that, you promised to let him know in advance if something comes up and your ‘date’ has to be postponed which he was fine with as long as it wasn’t too last minute.

-You didn’t come. And that put him on edge a little bit because you didn’t text him to let him know what’s up. In the end, he figured that it’s been a busy week and from what he’s heard from his brothers, exams were taking place every other day that whole month. Supposedly, you were in your room or the library studying and simply forgot? That doesn’t sound like something you would do though. Maybe you overworked yourself again and passed out-it wouldn’t be the first time at all. Even so, he came by your bedroom to check up on you and make sure you weren’t hibernating or anything.

-Truth is, Levi never felt all that special. His brothers who, in his eyes, were much cooler than he could ever dream to be, definitely achieved more in a century than he could in a lifetime and Levi just…doesn’t meet the high expectations that have been laid out for him. I mean, sure, he has a navy and an army at his disposal but that’s about it. All of that seems pretty insignificant to how Lucifer has the whole of DevilDom kneeling at his feet whenever he walks by or how capable Asmo is at charming others into worshipping him and the ground he steps on. Honestly, even Mammon has more charisma and popularity than he does.

-But who really cares, right? He came to terms with this a long time ago. He’s not gonna back out from his own personal point of view. He’s not special, as much as he pretends to be sometimes, especially when you’re around. Role playing as Lord of the Shadows and having you play as Henry is fun and all but it’s just a fantasy. Not to mention even then, he still gave you the title of the main character. Perhaps he doesn’t think he deserves something as prestigious as that. Or perhaps, he thinks so very highly of you to the point where he conveniently forgets about his down desires to be recognised. Either way, he’s never protested when others mocked him for being considerably softer than the rest of his brothers.

-That’s why literally any one of them would’ve been better off finding you! Lucifer, Satan, Beel-Hell even Mammon could pull off saving you from something like this like the protagonist of a romance manga! It makes so much more sense, does it not????

-“M-MC? What are…you….I mean-why….”

-You were still awake, thank goodness but it was pure luck he got to you before you passed out. Levi felt like passing out too, if we’re being honest. A large puddle of blood had started to collect on the ground right next to your bed, staining your sheets and your clothes while simultaneously making the air almost suffocating with the scent of metal.

-He was panicking and he was panicking hard. He spent a good few minutes freaking out besides your bed as you continued to bleed out. This sounds pretty bad written down, but he was genuinely torn on what should’ve been done and he didn’t know exactly how to help, despite yearning to do so.

-After a short while, he finally pulled himself together and tried to think of the best course of action at the moment. You had a pretty deep injury on your lower back, a place you could easily reach if you bent your arm far enough. You did still have the knife in your hand but he didn’t think anything through right away since his mind was on autopilot and so, while bandaging you up, he was concentrating on that and nothing else. And by bandaging I mean he wrapped you in said bandages like a fucking mummy, making sure to tighten it in order to put more pressure on the wound.

-Levi was aware it wasn’t really good enough. He didn’t disinfect it or anything but at least he blocked the bleeding. The problem was; the only experience he had with human injuries were from these doctor VR games that he plays occasionally and so he didn’t really have any clue on how to properly treat you. He could only hope that Lucifer or Satan would get home before you could get an infection or something like that. Actually, he had been frantically calling them for a while but no one picked up???? So now he has to try and keep you alive before they get there.

-While he waited, Levi definitely refused to leave you alone and so he pulled up a chair and just sat down; watching you drowsily trying to keep your eyelids open. It got him thinking, all this silence and you struggling to stay awake as the bandage he had used was beginning to get more and more red with each minute that passed by. There was no one else in the house. And you seemed fine earlier today when he saw you after school. So who was responsible for this? The only conclusion was, obviously, that you had done this yourself but he really couldn’t glue the pieces together.

-“MC, I don’t know if you trust me enough to tell me, hell I’m a stupid shut-in who barely comes out of his room, but why….why did you….”

-Being so emotional, he couldn’t even finish his sentence and he stared at you as you wiggled around a little on your bed; twisting your head a bit to make eye contact with him

-“I-I just…Levi, do you think of Lilith often?”

-The third eldest just gazed at you with a piercing glare and tilted his head to the side like a confused puppy. Once he processed your words, he was startled and jumped a little, almost toppling the chair he was on backwards. He gripped the armrests. It took him a bit but now he understood.

-“NO!” He shouted then quickly covered his mouth when he realised what he had said “I m-mean, of course I do! But-“

-“Wouldn’t you rather you traded her for me?”

-“MC, hold the fuck up a minute there. Are you crazy? This isn’t a manga y’know? It’s real life and the decisions you make here will have that stupid butterfly effect on everyone, not just you!”

-“But-“

-“MC, I miss Lilith. Sometimes it hurts really badly and I’m not sure it will get much better than this. But if you were to bring her back, I’d just start missing you instead and I’d be just as miserable!”

-“Levi, don’t be ridiculous. I’m just a human. My existence is expandable, my death wouldn’t matter to you.” You coughed a couple of times, which soon turned into a string of wheezes, forcing to lay back down on your stomach.

-Levi was stomping his feet in frustration like a child “You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to feel all sorry for yourself, MC! That’s my thing! You’re amazing and I would give away my entire video game collection just to have you here with me!” He looked down at the ground “I know I said you were my protagonist but I’d rather you were not if being one means you’re willing to self sacrifice like this for a matter that’s already been resolved.”

-You didn’t respond. Levi was biting on his fingernails.

-“MC?”

-“…what?”

-“How could you even think of leaving me behind? Do you hate me that much?” There were tears pouring down his cheeks and he wiped at them with his sleeves. He looked as if he would have a mental break down soon enough.

-You were holding back tears yourself and gritted your teeth in agitation. You were having second thoughts about this. It all seemed like such a solid plan a few hours ago, so what exactly happened? Seeing Levi all distraught like this almost sent you into a spiral of despair. You motioned for him to get closer and you cupped his face.

-“Don’t say that! You know that’s not true! The reason I was doing all this was to make you happy!”

-“But it wouldn’t make me happy!” Levi snapped back, holding your hands in his own “I would rather die than have you leave me as well!”

-Again, you stayed quiet. Levi seemed to have been made aware of your proximity together and leaned back on his chair, tips of his ears red. He glanced at the wound again.

-“Does it hurt?”

-“Yeah-“

-“Stupid normie,” He rubbed his eyes “You’re not Lilith. And you never could be. No one can be like her, believe me. And no one could replace you either, by the way. You’re more than enough. To me and my brothers anyway and who cares what anyone else thinks?”

-There was a lump in your throat now as you spoke, voice still a bit weak “Levi…you know I think you’re more than enough too, right?”

-He swallowed, chuckling anxiously under his breath as he nodded, fiddling with the strings of his headset.

-He couldn’t let you leave because of something as idiotic as this. Not when you had the ability to make him feel special and wanted, made him feel like he was every bit as good as his brothers and brought him so much comfort all the time. To think he was this close to seeing the life fizzle out of your eyes horrified him and he wants to beat that image out of his head. He always had a soft spot for his sister of course, but the idea of choosing between the two of you was more than dissatisfactory, to say the least.

-He was crying again because of course he missed Lilith. But you dying as well would only leave another hole behind in his heart. And you didn’t deserve to go through something like that either way, just so that his brothers’ are content. Everyone is content. And they have been for the past while. Levi was too embarrassed to look you in the eye again, but still intertwined his hand with yours and then he told you to try not to fall asleep, not until Satan or someone came over. For all he knew, you could end up passing away in your sleep.

-“Should I try calling Simeon or something?”

-“No, I’m fine.”

-“OK.”

-Eventually, his brothers did get home and as soon as the front entrance opened, Levi shot out of his seat and just yelled at his siblings downstairs that “MC is dying and you’re out shopping” or some shit which understandably caused absolute chaos and wreak havoc amongst all of them. The peaceful but tragic moment you two shared was gone now since his brothers were crowding you and Satan was doing all these reverse spells and Lucifer was trying to make human doctor appointments for you.

-Levi stood by the door, wanting to come near you again but deciding against it because he knew his brothers would just push him off again. He exhaled, getting rid a deep breath he didn’t even realise he was holding until now, relieved that you were alright and that he found in time. Otherwise, he really wouldn’t have been able to forgive himself. Still leaning against the doorframe, you lock eyes again and you send him a small smile and he smiles back and thinks that he loves you too much for his liking, getting attached to a human normie but still doesn’t want you to go anywhere.

-Recovery went on for a few months but before long, you fall into the same, old routines you had as before and he’s glad, because he missed his quality time with you. And he was sick of watching his brothers fuss over you too. You were fine now. However, every once in a while, while you’re cuddled up to him watching some new show together, he spares you a glance and thinks back to the moment he almost did let you go. If he hadn’t reacted as quickly as he did, you probably would’ve. He’s not crying again, they’re just cutting onions on screen!

-The Avatar of Envy is jealous as much as he is in awe of you. In his eyes, you might just be the best thing to happen to him even back when he reigned over the heavens with his brothers. If you were to die, Lotan would be the last of everyone’s problems, he can attest to that. Cross his heart and hope to die; by sticking a needle in your eye.

———————————-

Yo I actually finished it whoa. This sat in my ask box for way too long dude I’m sorry. I was so adamant on doing it properly I kept rediting ;-;

Who’s ready for more angst? At this point I’m just force feeding you it, thank you for reading!

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mercurytrinemoon · 3 years

Text

Me debunking astrology generalizations and misconceptions or smth idk...

Squares and oppositions aren't pure evil.

I can't believe I have to say this because I thought ya'll have learnt the characteristics of every aspect but here we are. Nothing in astrology is black and white. And I saw some ridiculous statements (not necessary here on tumblr) that said things like "if your Venus squares someone's ascendant then you don't find that person attractive AT ALL". Or "Mars square Mercury people can't speak politely and have an annoying voice". Like????? First of all, that's ridiculous. Second of all, square in not "everything bad" just like trine is not "everything amazing". Squares bring tension, which leads to motivation, they’re stimulating; sometimes excitement or charisma; sometimes they can make you overdo things. I'm not saying they're oh-so-marvelous because the challenges are still there, but they're not as bad as people paint them to be. Squares happen between two signs that are in the same modality so they have a bunch of things in common. Besides, some of them (Sagi-Pisces and Gemini-Virgo) are ruled by the same planet so there's a special type of chemistry between those (especially when applied to synastry). Oppositions work in two ways, planets either meet in the middle - opposite signs usually complete each other and fuel each other up. And worse case scenario? Natally this means being pulled in two different directions; synastry-wise, you can completely miss each other like two passing cars - so there may be some misunderstandings but I don't think that's the end of the world... And, as per usual, may be mitigated by other positive aspects.

This is me debunking other people's attempts at debunking Sun sign compatibility.

Sun IS very important but when people ask about compatibility and go with Suns... and then someone tries to be a smartass and debunk the "compatible-incompatible" and does the same thing without even realizing it. Like, "oh I actually see a lot of Aries and Pisces having amazing relationships because *insert someting that is a total stretch and refers to their Sun sign traits*"... But you seem to forget that they're neighbouring signs... which means they probably have personal planets in those neighbouring signs... which means they're compatible not because of some made-up stuff that you're trying to come up with but because their other planets are compatible with each other. But you're still feeding into the Sun sign compatibility talk. (So like, what I'm trying to also say, yes, the entire synastry chart comes into play; Also, side note, everyone can get along on some level if they’re mature enough).

Planet in a sign is NOT the same as planet in the house.

There may be some overlaps in some of the sign-houses associations (like in the overall energy; like for example, it sort of makes sense that 3rd, 7th and 11th are referred to as “air houses” because they’re the most social) but in NO WAY there are similarities between planet house position and the "ruling" sign. That association started a few decades ago and some would say that NOT linking houses with signs is a purely traditional approach. But there’s plenty of professional modern astrologers with 20/30/40-year experience who still differentiate between sign/house position... because they know (and have learnt along the way) that there’s a huge difference.

I'll give you 3 quick examples: Gemini planets and 3rd house planets both may put emphasis on communication, mental stimulation and gathering data. But Geminis are often scattered in their approach, they may be easily distracted, may be indecisive, may be jack of all trades and talkative jokesters. They actually hate routines and dullness. "Spice it up" is probably a Gemini's philosophy. Now 3rd house planets may indicate you actually LIKE doing things on the regular - like running errands every other day in the mornings or going to that one specific coffee shop to pick up a snack. You may actually work in logistics or as a postman (especially if your chart ruler or MC ruler is in the 3rd). Planets in the 3rd talk about your siblings, neighbours or school experiences - like having Venus in the 3rd may point to positive experiences within those areas - something Gemini Venus has nothing in common.

Venus in the 9th can study at an art/beauty or fashion school (or even teach there if the MC is involved); can be very attached to spiritual and religious matters; can also find love in a foreign land. But imagine it being in Taurus - rather shy, needing those stable values to feel secure, being an exceptionally great student at that art school thanks to its domicile. Venus in Sagittarius on the other hand, likes adventure, things being shaken up from time to time, lightheartedness and exploration. But what if we flip the scenario and that Sag Venus is in the 2nd house. This can denote earing money through travelling and looking for ways to expand but in a financial matters.

Continuing with the Venus examples, having Venus in Aries is completely different than Venus in the 1st. What do people usually say about Venus in the 1st? That it makes the native charming, lovely, well-put together, with great manners, maybe beautiful, graceful, maybe a bit shallow. When in Aries? None of these characteristics fit, on top of that, it's in its detriment. Our poor gal Venus is uncomfortable and confused in Aries. She's like, "conquer? Swords? Selfishness? Obnoxiousness? Sparring? You're telling me to fight people? What am I doing here???"

And I'll leave you here with that cause those examples weren’t that quick lol and in fact, I could give you a 100 of those. Besides, this actually inspired a 3-page rant that I've already posted not so long ago that you can read HERE.

There's no such thing as "more accurate" astrology.

Both western and vedic are valid. Both can show you the same things. JUST KEEP THEM SEPARATE AND DON'T MIX THEM WITH EACH OTHER. And don't say things like "sidereal shows your soul" - omg I saw this statement soooo many times, who the hell even came up with this?! Actually, if anything, it's the modern western approach that "psychologized" (yea I just made up a word, you mad?) astrology while Jyotish still sticks to the very real "here and now", sometimes fatalistic predictions of how exactly your life is going to roll out... But hey, reach for hellenistic methods and they can tell you the same things, just with different tools. So no, they do not show different things, it's just their language is different.

If you say you don't identify with your chart then you're just reading it wrong.

This partially connects to the last one in some ways... Switching to a different astrology or different charts is not a solution. Learn how to read your natal. If you say it doesn’t describe you, I can guarantee you that you haven’t studied it properly. (Now this hasn't turned into a rant yet but I may actually do a whole-ass post on this because if I start elaborating on it now I'll end up with another 3-page essay).

Learn how and when to generalize. Also learn how to take generalizations.

I understand that you have to pick up on every single thing separately in order to put everything together. It's like learning a new language: first you need to learn individual words and then you need to know the proper grammar to create a full sentence. This is 100% understandable and necessary, but it's important to take the entire thing into consideration. And this goes for all branches of astrology, but I guess it's especially annoying with synastry. This, again, comes down to the very black and white approach. You know, like when you see those long paragraphs where people elaborate on all the intricacies of Venus-Pluto aspects or whatever as if that one thing was determining the entire relationship between two people. (Side note, no shade but some of ya'll should start writing fiction or poetry cause the amount of fluffy speech and waffle that I see floating around here on tumblr is insane sometimes). Why are you wording everything as a make it or break it type of situation? And on the receiving end - learn how to take *properly phrased* generalizations constructively. Example: it IS a rule that Aries is a competitive one, maybe you're not one of them (for many reasons) but don't make a fuss about someone saying this. It IS a basic rule that energies of the same sign in two people are going to get along (well that depends on the planets involved but I digress), if that, for some other reasons, doesn't apply to you, don't go yelling that it's bullcrap because you hate people of the same sign. You know? Like, learn the difference.

DON'T SCARE PEOPLE WITH ASTROLOGY.

I had a mini-rant on this one a while ago, but I think this deserves a constant reminder (and refers to the last point), I don't want to see any more posts that would say things like "xxx house placements will bring you suffering" or "stay away from people with planets in your xxx house" or, even worse, making a (completely untrue btw) prediction based on one single thing like "someone with so-and-so aspect is going to harm you". And you're so casual about it??? You know there are sensitive people in the world. Learn some ethics. Learn some counseling skills. Don't be ignorant. Don't throw these random stuff at people just like that. And learn some actual astrology cause most of these aren't even closely describing that particual aspect. LIKE WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

Ok now I'm pissed again.

Studying astrology and believing in free will doesn’t go well together.

It's not just psychological and spiritual. It's useful to know that western astrology made it like that because there were still people threatening astrologers for using it as a divination tool. So they moved away from the predictive/deterministic aspect of it. Now, I'm not here to change anyone's beliefs cause that's a very personal thing that everyone should develop on their own. But once you start diving deeper into astrology you'd notice that there's a heavy emphasis on fatedness and things being predetermined. That includes both the good and the bad stuff and you should learn to accept that. And with the bad things specifically, let's not excuse it with some "oh that was an opportunity for growth". Like yea, maybe, occasionally??? But just acknowledge that sometimes things happen not because there was a deeper meaning in them... but because you have a Pluto-Mars conjunction in the 6th that makes an applying square to your chart ruler and you were going through a profection year where Mars was your time lord and it transited that chart ruler while making a conjunction with Neptune so you were attacked by a baby crocodile while swimming and it bit off your toe and you got a nasty infection and that’s it (I just made that up btw, I don't actually know anyone who was attacted by a crocodile). So like, sometimes shit just happens and there's nothing psychological about it. Also, I bet your free will didn't want to be attacked by that croc.

#thank you for coming to my ted talk #that was supposed to be short #i can never keep it short #you know how many ideas i had for that house-sign differences?!#i could write an entire book #also i may do a part two #some day #astrology #mercurytrinemoon

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awesomeanimelover39 · 3 years

Note

howdy hey

could I request headcanons with the red army ( maybe also black army if that's aight ? ) with an alice whose similar to black widow ( natasha romanoff ) ? like her being a master martial artists all those stuff ,,

I've always wanted to request but was always too scared to do so off anon :,] so this is my first time you could say (??)

that's all, have a nice day man 👀💦

Hi! YES this is such a great idea!! I love it! Sorry it took so long to get to, I've been going through some stuff with my family, so I didn't get the time. But now I am able to get back to writing and finally answer requests. I love this idea so much I HAVE to do both armies.

Requested by: @schleepyflocci

Red and Black Armies with an s/o who is the equivalent of Black Widow

Black Army

Ray Blackwell:

To say he was surprised would be an understatement

He always thought his s/o would need his help when it came to fighting

But after watching you training when you thought you were alone,

He realized he was wrong

He wants to spar with you now

And Ray is not the only one, all of the Black Army does once they find out

You beat all of them

Including Ray

Pouty baby

You assure him that even though he lost, it's only because you are the best at what you do

MC just got cocky

He wants to win one day so badly

But, in the end, you truly are the best

And he loves you for it

Sirius Oswald:

Okay here's the deal

He is impressed

But now he finds himself worrying about you more than ever

Why? You have no idea

He actually made a list of things you can't do

No practicing unless he is watching, no sparing with the others, no weapons of any kind inside, and there are many others and they are all stupid

He just doesn't want to see is s/o hurt

All of the movements you can do all of the strength that is within your body could damage you or others

Its cute how he thinks he can stop you from doing it anyway

You have to tell him over and over you know what you are doing

And after he gets past most of his fears, he can't stop watching you

He really is with the most talented fighter in the world

Luka Clemence:

Whoaaaaaahhhhhh

So there is someone out there who trains as hard as him

Pls train with him

He doesn't always want to be alone when he does it

And watching you do it motivates him to get even better

You can't tell if he likes your abilities or not, but he seems to be happy

Deep inside he is amazed

(He can't wait to shove this in Jonah's face the next time he starts bragging about something)

You went into battle with the Black Army once

Those Red Army soldiers didn't stand a chance against you

No one does

Seth Hyde:

Teehee

He always knew there was something you weren't telling him

As soon as he saw you training he knew your fighting skills were top-notch

To be honest he liked saving you but, he kinda likes feeling like the princess in the tower for once

No one has ever impressed him as much as you have

And he loves you even more

There is not a soul on earth the would screw with you two when you're both mad

A man tried to kidnap you once when you were on a date

Oh that ended well

For you guys 😇

Never before had you seen such fear in a mans eyes

Some part of Seth is even a little afraid of you

But he loves it

Fenrir Godspeed:

No freaking way

So his s/o is beautiful, smart, and an excellent fighter???

How many gifts have you been blessed with

Its become really hard for you to practice because every time he sees you, he runs up to you and begs to watch

Which wouldn't be so bad if he was only watching

But he is "woahhh" ing so loud and asking so many questions its hard to focus

But you love his enthusiasm 😃

He just HAD to show you off to Ray right now

You now spar with both Ray and Fenrir at the same time

You actually like training with them way more than being alone

Red Army

Lancelot Kingsley:

He's a little bit scared

I mean he's happy you can defend yourself but...

He hope you never get into a really heated argument with him

You have had to tell him multiple times that you would NEVER hit him

And that he has magic

You have no idea why he's nervous at first

You were way more nervous of him when you first met

After he gets used to it, he thinks it's impressive

He won't say anything about it, but watching you makes him happy

wether you are training or sparring he is impressed

Knowing that no matter what people can't hurt you even he is not around is comforting

Jonah Clemence:

Dear god

He didn't think you were capable of these sorts of things

You were not sure if you should show him at first

He doesn't take new things well

You didn't want it to turn into a whole dramatic thing

What you didn't predict is that he would be even more upset that you DIDN'T tell him

He had to find out from Edgar of all people

You hadn't meant for Edgar to find out, he just has silent steps and had snuck up behind you

After Jonah found out he went to find you immediately

You had been having a peaceful training session until you saw him storm up to you

Wow he had been jealous and upset about you not telling him first

You assured him you were going to tell him even though you really hadn't been planning on it

He forgave you

But now he demands to watch you every day

Its his favourite thing now

Edgar Bright:

Haha

He knew a loooong time ago

But he didn't know you were this good

Someone had stollen your wallet out in central

He had just happened to be patrolling around there

All he saw was you sprint after that man like a cheetah and tackle him to the ground

In one swift motion you had his hands behind his back with one hand and your wallet in the other

You let the man go and he was tripping over himself to get away

Then you heard Edgar clapping behind you, a smirk on his face

"That. Was. Awesome."

You are teaching him that

He has to know where you learnt that, how long you've been able to fight, and what kinds of other moves can you do

He feels the need to hide you when Claudius is anywhere near there

He loves you even more now

He is never letting you go

Kyle Ash:

Uhhhhhh

Please don't put more people in the infirmary

You haven't yet or anything he's just thinking ahead

You have never seen him so stressed

Or thirsty

After he calms down a bit, you ask him to watch you train

Just one time, and if he doesn't like it, he doesn't ever have to watch you again

He did like it

He could watch this all day

After that he started watching you spar with the others

Your movements are so quick and smooth

He is never going to tell you how attractive he thinks it is

Zero:

Yesss

Oh he thinks it's awesome

But you have no idea he feels that way

He wants to spar with you all the time

Ahh he wants to learn

After watching you for a while he learns a few things

You thought it was so cute that he was learning your style

It meant a lot to you

Before long you two together become very strong

Your connection with him has grown stronger too

You really are amazing

#ikemen revolution headcanons #ikemen rev #ikemen revolution #ikemen revolution ray #ikemen revolution sirius #ikemen revolution luka #ikemen revolution lancelot #ikemen revolution fenrir #ikemen revolution edgar #ikemen revolution seth #ikemen revolution jonah #ikemen revolution kyle #ikemen revolution zero #I love this request #black widow

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jenojaemssss · 3 years

Text

happier

synopsis: in which mark was happier with you.

pairing: mark x reader (i attempted to write the mc as gender neutral, so lmk if there are any tips on how to be more considerate! i wanna be able to write as inclusively as possible heh)

genre/category: angst, exes!au

word count: 2.4k

a/n: i have an assignment due in like 20 minutes (so i did not get a chance to proofread!!) but i got distracted thinking about mark while listening to my 2017 simp playlist :D so here's a mini-fic (that was supposed to be a drabble) based on this song!

I saw you walk inside a bar.

When Mark looked up from the almost-empty bottle sitting in front of him, he didn’t expect to be greeted by the sight of you. But what caught him even more off guard was that you were entering the bar hand in hand with someone new.

You, not yet noticing your past lover's hunched figure, walk towards a set of empty bar stools, another man's arms wrapped around your waist like possessive belt. Mark began to stare then. He stared at what used to be his reason. What used to be the one who'd wake him up in the morning, who used to be his reason for coming home when the days were too long, yet somehow eventually bled into nights. He continued to stare at what had been his true source of happiness.

In his eyes, you still were. You were his only radiating source of light that made him feel warm. You were his comfort, like a warm blanket during a rainy day, or an iced tea when the weather was too hot to do anything else but lounge around the house with all fans on full blast.

He said something to make you laugh.

Mark noticed how the one that accompanied you looked at you with a small spark in his eyes as you cover your mouth in attempts to shield your erupting laughter. That was a cute habit of yours when you laughed, and he used to stare at you the same way; he was staring at you almost identically as he's sat across the bar at that moment. The only difference now was that Mark stopped being the reason for your bright smiles and warm laughter.

I noticed how both your smiles were twice as wide as ours.

The first encounter between the two of you would forever be engraved in the mind of Mark Lee.

He was walking around a lake during a camping trip with a few of his friends, mindlessly swinging his arms around to cool off. Mid swing, though, he made contact with something he later found out was your face. He apologized so many times that you had almost busted a lung laughing at the poor boy's terrified features.

Soon, Mark joined you, laughing in harmony because apparently being smacked in the face by someone was the funniest thing to the both of you. Mark proceeded to awkwardly ask for your contact information, hoping to make up for the mishap, and you complied because the man was so darn cute.

One meet-up (he never specified it as a date) turned into two, which turned into three, and soon, you were seeing each other everyday in a small cafe hidden within the corners of your shared campus.

The two of you attended the same university, but due to being in different departments, there was never really a chance to come across one another while running to your next classes, but this cafe was the one spot you two had in common.

The cafe meetings soon turned into cafe dates (he clarified this time that they were in fact, dates), and soon enough, you were both head over heels in love, moving in together as you approached your final years of college.

Mark and your's relationship wasn't perfect, but it was always so much fun. Mark was always able to make you laugh because of how awkward he was, and one time you to left him behind on a trip to the grocery store because he was so embarrassing, making stupid puns at the poor worker just trying to stock the shelves of the cereal aisle. That day, you bought a watermelon the size of both your heads combined to make up for leaving him behind.

Mark bitterly smiled at his recollection. That was one of the last times he and you were able to smile together.

You looked happier.

The last time Mark saw you, it was on a sunny, Saturday afternoon. You were on your way back from a trip to your local convenience store, bags of chips, a tub of ice cream, and boxes of candy spilling out of the watermelon themed reusable bag he had left behind after moving out. You were still wearing his hoodie, then. He left that behind for you too.

It made him smile, knowing that you kept it.

Ain't nobody hurt you like I hurt you.

You felt as though you couldn't breathe. When you entered Mark and your shared apartment, you sensed that something was wrong; that something was missing from your normally warm environment. Mark and you have been arguing more frequently recently, and the night before, it was the worst it had been in years.

Mark had been going out later into the night, sleeping on couches of friend's houses more than in his own bed. Your shared bed. You more often than not woke up to nothing, the radiating warmth missing from your side.

You'd had enough of it, and confronted the man when he walked into the apartment at 2 am. Words spewed from either side, along the lines of "I'm sick of this" and "What is there to be sick of?" Mark ended up sleeping on the couch that night while you cried yourself to sleep, clutching Mark's pillow and attempting to hold onto what used to be the warm, delightful love of your life.

The next day when you woke up, he was gone. He texted you saying he had to leave early for work and that you should go ahead and start your day without him, and you did. You began planning ways to talk things out, to fix things with Mark over a nice dinner.

You set your plan to action and made your way to the local market. When you returned home and stepped foot into the kitchen, though, your eyes landed on a small note placed right in the center of the dining table. Written on that note in Mark's sloppy handwriting were the words, "I'm sorry, but I need to clear my head."

You dropped the note and ran into your bedroom, only to see that Mark had taken almost half of his belongings from the cramped space, along with one of the suitcases the two of you placed behind the closet when you first moved in. He was gone.

But ain't nobody love you like I do.

He'd been gone for about 10 days when you receive a call from Donghyuck. The brown-haired boy informed you that Mark has been sleeping on his couch for over a week and would be stopping by within the next few days to take up all of his friend's belongings he'd left behind.

You hummed, almost numbly, and before hanging up, you mustered up the courage to ask Donghyuck if Mark was currently there with him. He hummed in response, and you mumbled a good before dropping the line completely, falling to your knees and sobbing until you no longer had tears to let fall.

You were broken, and it was all because of Mark, yet a piece of you continuously hoped and prayed that he was safe. That he was living in a proper home with a place to sleep, and that he wasn't too cold because he often got cold very easily.

Mark, on the other end of the line, was silently holding in his cries as his best friend hung up the phone, disconnecting him from his one true love. Mark never intended to hurt you the way that he did, but in his mind, because he loved you so much, too much, he had to let you go.

He was noticing how much he was holding you back, from job opportunities to your social life, he believed he was the reason. He was the reason you declined the job offer in the neighboring city because that meant you'd have to either move out or drag Mark with you, and you chose on neither and stayed. He was the reason you never left the house on weekends because only then was he ever home. He was the reason you had bags under your eyes, he soon realized.

You'd been staying up night after night, waiting for him to come home. You'd been crying because he would come home with bags darker than yours. You'd been losing sleep because you spent too much of your time worrying about him.

He was holding you back by loving you.

So he decided to let you go.

Promise that I will not take it personal, baby.

A few months have passed and Mark's finally settled down in a new place in the town you had rejected the job offer from all those months ago. A part of him wished that moving away would offer you closure, knowing that Donghyuck explained his side of the story to you. Mark wanted so badly to be the one who spoke to you that day, but he was afraid of the confrontation. He was scared he'd break and hold you into his arms and promise to never let you go, bringing himself and you back into the endless loop.

So he left. He moved away and had Donghyuck clean up the mess he'd made. Mark owes him one.

The other part of him, though, hoped that you contacted the agency that offered you the job all those months ago. The selfish part of him prayed that the agency granted your request and offered you the job you passed up on in this new city. He hoped that you and him could start over in a different setting, and maybe a few years from now, run into each other again. You'd be in better places in your lives and the two of you could start over.

He knew he was hoping for too much, but oh a man can dream.

If you're moving on with someone new.

Mark was brought back to the present when he hears a loud shattering of glass. He averted his eyes towards the source of the ruckus and landed his eyes on you. He noticed how your eyes grew into large saucers when he displayed similar shocked features.

Shit.

He quickly and clumsily packed up his belongings as he waved down one of the waiters, asking for the tab. Noticing Mark's shaken composure accompanied by the glares being sent in his direction from the other side of the bar, the waiter sympathetically printed out the bill as fast as he could and didn't let out a peep when Mark underpaid about 10 bucks.

Mark rushed out of the bar, only to be caught by the sound of your voice calling out to him.

"Don't you dare run away." The voice was cold.

"Not again, Mark." It was almost shaking.

You caught up to the man. He turned around, slowly, wishing that this was all just a messed up dream, and the alcohol was only playing tricks with his mind.

Indeed, though, this was his reality. Mark remained silent, only staring at his feet as you approached him.

"Look at me," your voice was softer now, but he noticed the stern edge laced within your words. You were never one to raise your voice, not even when Mark would spew incredulous things at you during an argument. You were always calm.

Mark shifted his gaze from the ground towards your face and noticed you looked wiser. He noticed how your soft features were now more sharp. He noticed how you wore your hair differently. He noticed how you'd ditched your casual jeans and a shirt for something more business-casual. He noticed how your aura had changed into something more serious. He noticed every little change about you.

He also noticed how, beneath all the physical changes, you were still you. You still had the same stars in your eyes. You still had his favorite scent. You still had the same quip in your lip when you spoke. You still had the same smile.

You were smiling at him.

Mark finally managed to meet your eyes, and as you opened your mouth to speak, he cut you off before you could get a sound out.

"You look happier."

Your smile dropped a bit at his observation. He was right, you were happier than you were after the breakup. But you were happier when you were with him. Using other men to distract yourself from Mark worked for a while, but it was never the same.

It's been over a year, and you still missed him. You missed everything about Mark; his smile, his laugh, his posture when he was furiously typing away at his keyboard because he had an essay due in 10 minutes. You missed the way he'd sing to you at night when you woke up from a nightmare, and the way he'd pet down your hair when the two of you wake up in each other's arms after a nap.

And although you missed him, a part of you was still angry at him. Angry that he left without an explanation, and had Donghyuck be the bearer of bad news that he wanted you to be happier. That he wanted you to have a life not revolving around him and his actions.

A part of you hated how he was so selfish, and how he never looked to you for his decision. Yet the other, wiser, part of you was thankful. Thankful that he cared about you enough to let you go, cared about you enough to put your priorities above his own feelings for once. Most importantly, you were thankful that he was your first heartbreak.

Before he was the boy who broke your heart, he was a friend.

You tilt your head a bit sideways, plastered another smile and nodded in response.

"It's a process."

He smiled back, toothy grin warming your heart. "I'm glad you're doing okay."

Maybe it was the universe finally hearing Mark's wishes of starting over, or maybe it was just a mere coincidence that you ran into each other that day. But nonetheless, the encounter made him realize one thing.

"I was happier with you."

#mark lee #nct mark #nct 127 #nct dream #mark lee angst #mark angst #mark fic #mark scenarios #mark lee scenarios #nct dream fic #nct dream angst #nct 127 angst #mark lee fic #literally i'm just simping rn

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perriewinklenerdie · 3 years

Text

Follow my steps (Ethan Ramsey x MC)

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Claire Herondale

Word count: 3,8 k

Summary: OH3 Chapter 12/13 added content. Claire gets fed up with the way Ethan’s been treating her lately. She gives him one last chance to make things right, at Boston Opera House - for old time’s sake.

Warnings: It’s angst time.

A/N: I don’t even know what’s going on lately. I wanted angst and here it is. My girl C really is running thin on her patience for her man’s bullshit (and so am I).

Are you okay? was the first message he received from her that day. He left shortly after he revealed his departure from the team, so her concern really should be no surprise. Still, he sighed deeply, silenced his phone and turned it screen side down, then went back to cooking, unsure what his answer would be.

Minutes dragged by, yet somehow turned into hours and before he knew it, the sun was racing towards the horizon. Almost completely consumed by it. He reached for his phone, planning on heading to his living room and rest his mind after he spent what felt like ages of grueling research into his options. His face twisted into a frown at the sight of his screen. Immediately after, blood drained from his face.

Ethan, please let me know you’re in one piece.

A simple ‘I’m fine’ would be enough. Seriously, I’m getting worried.

He battled with his brain, still uncertain what to tell her. She had enough on her plate with the team and the Boards, she didn’t need his problems to be added onto the already enormous pile. He replied with the only thing he could think of in that moment, resenting himself for letting her worry about him for so long.

I’m okay.

By the time he sat down on the couch and some ridiculous show was playing in the background – Claire was the one that introduced him to it, and he would never admit it, but he enjoyed their debates about it – a new message was waiting for him.

Oh, thank god.

Followed shortly after by a longer one, contents of which made him feel a pit opening in his stomach.

So, want to share with class why you went radio silent for the whole day, instead of, I don’t know, letting your girlfriend know that you’re not dead so she could worry a bit less?

He had no answer to that. How was he supposed to tell her that he was terrified of what was to come and that it could possibly be fatal for him? How was he supposed to say that he didn’t want her to be even associated with the case, because he cared about her too much to risk her getting affected by it too?

In the end, he didn’t reply. And she didn’t say anything else. An impasse, of his own doing, that he had no idea how to end. He knew he had to do something – she was a very patient woman, much more patient than him, but even she had her limits. And this? This wasn’t the first time he’s pushed her away in a similar manner.

Although he was aware of that, he still refused to call her. It was getting late, she was probably studying or getting ready for bed. She needed her rest, the next week was incredibly important for her future as a doctor.

That’s what he told himself for the next two days. Every time he felt a tingle in his hand to contact her, he reminded himself of her commitments and pushed the thought down. Despite that, every single time his phone made even the smallest sound, he threw himself towards it, hoping that it was her.

It wasn’t. Two days of no contact between them.

Realizing how long it’s been made him think of their conversation a few months back. They were sitting in the exact same place he currently occupied, close to each other. His hand holding hers with certainty.

They promised each other no more secrets. No more pushing each other away. And honest conversation. All of which were his ideas. He whispered all of them with deep sense of urgency, in a fever-like state that surprised her. She nodded her head eagerly, muttering words of affirmation, then let him pull her onto him, their lips meeting again and again in a soft reassurance.

He’s broken the rules he wanted them so much to have. And not even once. No wonder she didn’t try to get in touch with him – he’s given her every indication that he didn’t want to talk about it, and she pushed only until a certain point was reached.

“I can take a hint, you know.” She once joked, poking his ribs when they walked out of the patient’s room, their initial consult being far from ideal. He smiled sadly at the memory, his chest aching from her absence.

As though he called her with his thoughts, his phone announced an incoming message. He planned what he would say, what he would do once he saw her – and what he would not do in the future. He hated when they didn’t talk to each other, and he hated the thought of losing her even more.

Instead of her words, like he expected, the screen greeted him with a single picture she sent him. Two tickets, for an evening show at Boston Opera House. A clear invitation, an olive branch that she should not have been pushed to extend – she didn’t do anything wrong. He looked closer at the photo, zooming in on the time the show was supposed to start.

Two hours. He had two hours to get himself together. Two hours until he’d see her again.

Heart pounding, he jumped up from his seat and began preparations, dialing another phone number and giving clear instructions to the person on the receiving end of the call.

He doesn’t think there’s ever been a time he was this nervous when stepping into the Opera building. And it was a different kind of nervous, a kind he never wanted to experience again. He was used to the anticipation that came with every date they ever had, the good kind of nervousness that stemmed from his inability to wait until he saw her. This, however, was torture in its purest form, and he admitted to himself with a pang of guilt that he subjected himself to it on his own.

His hands were full. Full of flowers that the florist somehow managed to put together when he called frantically two hours ago – he left a hefty tip with a grateful nod. His fingers traced the stems of the white roses, shaking nervously. From time to time, he tugged on the collar of his shirt, restlessly, the uncertainty of what was to come making his breathing labored.

“Nice tux.” She called out, waiting patiently for him to face her. It didn’t take long – her voice made him turn around haphazardly, his eyes drinking in her face and then widening when he noticed the dress she was wearing. Suddenly, he couldn’t see anything else but the way the fabric hugged her in the classiest way.

“Are you trying to kill me?” he breathed out, his brain short circuiting. Her lips curled in a subtle smile. She touched the pearl necklace he once gave her in wonder.

“Haven’t decided yet.”

Ethan took a step towards her, extending the bouquet slightly with an uneasy look. Her eyes fell towards the flowers and, for a moment, he thought he could see her gaze softening. She took the roses from him, the scent reaching her in waves.

“Thank you.” she muttered without looking up at him. Despite her being just mere centimeters away from him, he could still feel the chasm between them – and he felt like the space was suffocating him.

“It’s not nearly enough.” He tried again. Claire hummed, not disagreeing with his words. She reached into her purse, taking two tickets out and handing him one of them. He accepted it gratefully, combing his mind for something that would start a conversation between them. The silence was killing him.

He looked closer at the ticket and noticed something was off. “You didn’t book our booth?”

The corners of her lips shot up slightly at ‘our’. “No, I got us seats in the booth on the other side. I needed…” she hesitated, avoiding his searching gaze. “A change of perspective.”

His mouth opened and closed. She rarely said anything without thinking it through, so the choice of words she used made him feel unease all over again. Claire finally looked up at him, giving him a teasing smirk.

“Before you say anything, I didn’t go bankrupt because of those.” She nodded towards the tickets in their hands. “I have more than enough money to spend on things I want.”

“That resident salary is treating you that well, huh?” he tried joking and it worked. She gave him a laugh, shaking her head.

“A resident that’s also on the Diagnostic Team. And you’re clearly forgetting what my family does for a living.”

“Did you just flex your family muscle on me?” Ethan grinned, taking another step towards her. She nodded, challenging him with her stare. “Are you trying to impress me?”

“That’s your job tonight, babe.” Claire shot back, walking around him swiftly. He froze in place, turning towards her like a sunflower towards the sun – always following where she went. Her hips swayed from side to side alluringly as she walked, and he couldn’t look away. Suddenly, she stopped to look over her shoulder, smirking at the look he was giving her. “Are you coming or not?”

The lights from the stage illuminated her face just enough for him to see her features. Since they sat down and the show has started, he’s spent a total of maybe five minutes watching what was happening on stage. Remaining time was occupied by her, on the forefront of his mind and right before his eyes. Her cheeks were reddened slightly – something he noticed when a particularly bright light shone on her face.

They’ve done it countless of times before. Dates. He never got used to nerves that accompanied them, and he hoped he never would. It was a part of the allure that made it all the more exciting. Claire’s always made him feel nervous, since the first day he’s met her. Three years later, he still felt the same spark that ran through him when he first touched her hand.

He turned to her again, unable to ignore the pang that hit him every time he saw her stopping herself from reaching for him. She may have been the one that organized their evening, giving him a chance to make things right between them, but it didn’t mean she was going to ignore what was obviously there.

She’d never make him talk if he wasn’t ready to do so. Their relationship was built on mutual respect. They recognized when the other needed to talk and when they needed some time to gather their thoughts. Through the time they’ve known each other, they learned to find those cues and signs.

That’s how Claire knew that Ethan wasn’t really ready to tell her what exactly happened, hence why she stuck to texts instead of calls or visits. His lack of any contact, however, hurt her – more so when his previous behaviors similar to this were taken into consideration.

In light of this, her hesitation to initiate any sort of contact between them made perfect sense. All he had to do was let her know that he was okay, however relative it was to say in his current situation, and none of this would be happening. All he had to do was let her in, even if only a little – she’s never asked for anything more. And yet, he couldn’t even give her that, not immediately at least.

It became clear to him that he needed to let her know how much he trusts her. When she said she knew him. When she said she understood him – better than anyone, he added with a grin. When she said she’s falling for him. He trusted all of those words, but his actions didn’t support it. He could see it in her eyes when their gazes crossed earlier that evening. She thought he still sheltered himself from her, and him disappearing, again, was the proof that spoke the loudest.

Slowly, he reached for her hand. A soft brush of his finger against hers, testing the waters to see if she would flinch, if she would push him away or avoid him. When she did none of those things, he carefully covered her hand with his, only to, after a moment, lace their fingers together. Ethan gave her a squeeze, unable to bring himself to look away from the way their hands fit together like two pieces of the same puzzle. She squeezed his hand lightly, still refusing to look him in the eye.

Music swelled around them, tugging on their emotions until it was difficult to breathe. He noticed how her face twisted gently, revealing more of her feelings to him than he’s seen the entire evening. The characters on the stage have separated, each singing their hearts out about the feeling of loss – Claire couldn’t have known that, but the pain in their voices was enough to bring her to the edge of tears by the time the break in the show began.

Before Ethan could say anything, she excused herself breathlessly and walked out of the booth, leaving him alone to his thoughts. And he’s been alone with them for quite some time now.

He began reflecting on the first time he took her to see an opera. The similarity of the situation was striking – he suddenly knew why she suggested this out of every place they could go to. Her thoughtfulness really shouldn’t surprise him, yet he was always amazed with how well she knew what needed to be done. Oftentimes, she neglected her own needs to accommodate others, which left not much space for her in it all. That’s what became one of Ethan’s priorities early on in their relationship – make sure she remembered about herself.

She was taking care of him too, sometimes even unknowingly. Making him take breaks in the middle of the day. Bringing him coffee when he was stuck in meetings and couldn’t walk out of the room for even a second – the whole Board by now knew about their relationship from their first-hand observations, sending him meaningful looks when she left the room.

One thing that spoke more of her feelings for him than anything else was how she persistently stayed by his side through it all. His world was quite literally falling apart, and she was the one holding it in place. She told him that she knew how it felt to risk losing something you’ve worked for, how it felt to come so close to having everything slip away and that she was going to help him in any way she could.

Claire told him all of that when he broke the protocol – yet here they were again. If there was one person between the two of them that had a pattern of behavior, it was him – running away when things got too complicated. Or, as it stood right now, when he didn’t want her to get impacted by his problems. She’s told him that she wants to be impacted, that she wants to help him, because she cares about him. She’s by his side because she cares about him. And he told her he knew and understood her concern, but clearly, he didn’t register it enough, if he was in the exact same position right now. It’s as though he hasn’t learned a thing.

Perhaps she was getting tired of it. If he continued to act the way he’s been acting up until this point, she’d surely be pushed enough to leave him – and he couldn’t imagine a fate worse than that for himself.

It was the last time I let myself run, he thought to himself, cursing for even allowing it to get to this point. Where was his brain when he even considered it a viable option? In what universe would that behavior be okay? Her resolve and persistence became even more striking to him – he knew that he most likely didn’t deserve her.

She was still here, though, so he must have done something right. But one good deed wasn’t enough to make up for letting her down, time and time again. Ethan didn’t need her to tell him that what he was doing was unacceptable – he’s realized it on his own.

It’s never happening again.

Claire walked back into the booth, leaning against the wall to watch him. He was perfectly aware of what she could see in his posture. His nervousness in the way he played with the edge of his jacket. She’s been gone a moment too long and he was a second away from standing up from his seat to go after her.

Ethan turned around at the sound of her steps, refraining from saying anything until she was seated. His hand itched to reach for her, to feel her skin again. He got the permission to do just that, when their gazes finally crossed and she nodded gently. Letting out a shaky sigh of relief, he laced their fingers together, feeling the soft fabric of her dress under his skin.

“I’m sorry.” He muttered, raising their joined hands to kiss her wrist. Claire guided the movement, pressing her palm to his cheek. The gesture ensured their eyes didn’t stray from one another and allowed them a moment of clarity.

“Aren’t you tired of running?” her words were laced with emotions so much, it felt like a mental blow to both of them. It was a simple question that he already knew the answer to. Nothing was more obvious to him.

“I am.”

She held his gaze, silent for a moment, then placed her second hand on his shoulder. “Don’t do it again.” she whispered, a hint of a tear shining in her eyes. “We’ve talked about it before, Ethan. I’m tired of going in circles with you.”

“I know.” He brushed the tear away, bringing her closer to rest his forehead against hers. “You don’t deserve this.”

“No, I don’t.” Claire agreed, nodding her head. She leaned away, lowering their hands and resting them in her lap. “You can tell me anything, in your own time. I’m the last person to judge, because I know that some things need that time. But I would never cut you out the way you just did, especially if I knew that you were worried.”

Ethan lowered his head in shame, finding no words to defend his dense behavior. He knew she was right – his behavior left a lot to be desired. Claire continued.

“It tells me that you don’t view me as your equal. You don’t trust me enough to confide in me. Every time something happens, it’s always the same story.” She sighed, falling deeper into her seat. Her hand was still in his, allowing him that form of contact. “I need transparency here, Ethan. We have rules, that you came up with, that you break every time things get tough.”

He winced at the vulnerable edge in her voice. More than ever before, he felt as though the ground was about to be pulled from beneath him.

“You can’t be in a relationship only a little. Or only on weekends. You’re either in it for good, and you take everything that comes with it, the easy and the difficult, or there’s nothing left to say.”

And there it was.

Ethan’s eyes widened. A hand wrapped around his heart and squeezed, making him feel lightheaded. If he ever had gotten a wake-up call before, this one was the loudest one. And the most devastating.

“Claire, wait.” He said, his voice strained when she tried to pull her hand out of his hold. She glanced at their hands, then up at him, her eyes glassy. Ethan breathed out heavily, pleading with his whole being for her to stay where she was. “You’re right. I haven’t been fair towards you.”

“That’s saying it mildly.”

“I know I don’t say it enough, but you’re my person. I trust you more than anyone else, even if I’m utterly useless at expressing it.” He gave her fingers a tender squeeze, his eyes finding hers urgently. “I’m an asshole for making you worry, and an even bigger one for keeping you in the dark. You deserve better, and lately, I’ve been messing up.”

“Can’t say I disagree.” She mused, tilting her head slightly. “Is there a reason for that?”

“I don’t know.” Ethan’s thumb traced her ring finger “It’s as though there is this outside force that’s making me do all those idiotic things, and before I realize what’s going on, everything’s already going to hell.”

“Sounds like you need to work on your impulse control.” Claire said, a tiny grin appearing on her face.

“You’re my impulse control.”

He cupped her cheek with his free hand, stroking the line of her cheekbone softly. She leaned in, just a fraction of a centimeter. Her gaze was a mix of feelings Ethan couldn’t describe – it made him feel a bit more at ease and at the edge of his seat, all at the same time.

“I’m sorry, Claire.” He muttered, voice low and thick, overcame with emotions. Claire nodded her head, a sigh filling the space between them. Her eyes, even though they were growing softer just a moment ago, were now hardened and serious.

“Don’t ever do that to me, ever again.”

“Of course. I know.”

“No, I don’t think you do.” She cleared her throat, straightening her posture. “If you don’t start treating me like your equal here, I will leave you. There’s only so much I can take, Ethan, and I draw the line at this.” Ethan’s entire body froze at a very real perspective of her walking away. The feeling of ground disappearing from beneath him came back, twice as strong. He shook his head, words rushing through his head. “And that would suck, because I don’t want to leave you.”

“I can’t lose you, Claire.”

“Then don’t lose me. Don’t push me away.” She breathed out, at last, squeezing his hand tightly. The atmosphere between them was heavy and it became difficult to breathe. Ethan knew they were not out of the woods, but he felt a bit less nervous when she cracked a smile. “Do I need to tie you down so you’d stop running?”

“You already did.” he mused, waiting for her permission, then leaning in to kissing her cheek softly.

They missed the second part of the show. He leaned close to rest his chin on her shoulder, his arm wrapped around her waist to keep her by his side – she wrapped her hand around his forearm in return. Voice low and quiet, he finally began telling her everything, sparing nothing. Once the show ends, he’ll follow her lead – after all, he’s never gotten lost with her by his side.

Notes

Am I above dissing PB in a fic, of all places? Hell no, I’m not.

Opera because C is clever like that - and we love throwbacks to better times.

PB is making Ethan act like an angsty teen. And don’t get me started on the ‘prying’ bit. Ma’am, it’s not prying, it’s called caring about your husband boyfriend because something is clearly going on and it seems as though he’s covering someone else’s ass and taking a fall for it. It’s called *concern*.

Thank you for reading! <3

Tagging separately

#ethan ramsey #open heart #playchoices #ethan x mc

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mysticpetals · 3 years

Note

Sorry for bothering you, but I had another idea! :D If you don't mind me sending two requests, how about a headcanon (or imagine if you want, you can choose what you like best) where Jake will meet MC's parents and he is super nervous because he is afraid of what they will think of him and if they knew that he is a hacker. But when Jake and MC arrive at her parents' house, they are quite different than Jake thought.

I'm sooooo sorry that this is super late but life got in the way and I just couldn't bring myself to write. And when I did have the time, I was almost ashamed of how long it had been and delayed it even further.

So this is me, finally writing what I should have done months ago. Thank you so much for your patience!!! ❤️

Jake and f!MC headcannons

(meeting the parents)

There aren't a lot of things that phase Jake

In fact, he's seen so much over the years he was on the run, done some illegal things too

But nothing and he meant nothing, could terrify him more than when his girlfriend told him that her parents had invited them over to have dinner together the next week

"next week? Like....like seven days later?"

"yes." she nodded and his brain short circuited.

"oh my god, oh my god."

MC amused herself by looking at Jake panicking about it for a few minutes and then grabbed his shoulders and made him look at her

"relax, babe. You don't have to. I can tell them that you're busy or something."

Jake calmed down for a moment but then he noticed the sad smile on MC's face

And he doesn't like seeing her sad

At all.

So despite his nervousness, he steeled himself to do this

"why don't we go? I think it'll be fun."

MC's face was priceless.

Shocked beyond belief, she cupped his face in her hands and leaned forward, eyes wide

"are you sure, honey? You don't have to force yourself."

She looked so hopeful and excited to hear his answer

And they had been dating for a while. So it was only natural that they meet each other's families

And since MC had already pretty much met his (only the people he considered as one!), it wouldn't be fair if he didn't make an effort too

"yes. We should go," he smiled and MC squealed excitedly, pressing a quick kiss to his lips

"oh my gosh, I'm so excited!! I'll go call them right now!!"

:))))

Did he make the right decision?

Wellllll, standing in front of MC's house, he was sweating profusely

He had worn his best outfit, a white button up shirt and black jeans

And they had already been late because MC liked his look a little too much

Anyway!!!

He was anxious about making the best impression and he really hoped that they wouldn't be put off by his shyness

Or his profession

About which they didn't know

It's fine it's fine it's fine—

MC's hand slips into his, she gives him a soft smile and the world around them fades away

"I'll be with you the whole time. Tell me if it becomes too much."

Jake swears he's never been more in love

Okay, he can do this!! Absolutely!!

He nods resolutely and MC leads them to her parent's doorstep

Jake's heart is pounding but he's ready

The door opens and he's immediately engulfed in a bone crushing hug

He thinks he can't breath and he looks at MC with wide eyes, asking what to do and she just rolls her eyes in fond exasperation

"really feeling the love here, dad. Not like your daughter is here."

And the weight immediately lifts off of him and turns towards his girlfriend who is laughing as her father hugs her to himself

She squeezes him tight in return and Jake feels himself smile

"it's been too long. I wish you'd come by more. And Jake! Welcome home, son!"

Jake is flabbergasted by the warm welcome. Especially coming from MC's father.

Aren't fathers supposed to threaten the boyfriend?

The flashcards he used to prepare for today did not cover this

"Um, thank you," he stammers out somehow and the man laughs

"My daughter here did say you were shy but no matter! Come on in, I won't bite."

He led them inside and Jake just knew that MC was enjoying all this a little too much judging by the amused tilt of her lips

He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw a stern woman sitting on the couch, watching them walk in

"mom! How have you been?"

MC immediately went in for a hug while the older woman kept staring at him and MC's father leaned close to him and whispered

"She's a tough cookie to crack. Good luck, son."

He was so screwed

Jake gulped and watched the smallest of smiles cross her lips as she regarded her daughter, who was talking excitedly

"and this is Jake! My boyfriend!"

Jake literally felt the temperature inside the room drop, when her mother looked him in the eyes

"h-hello ma'am."

She nodded at him and well, that meant she acknowledged who he was, right?

She immediately turned away from him and started asking her daughter how she had been

Well, apparently not

"sorry, Jake. She's not trying to exclude you. She's just....a little hard around the edges."

He appreciated MC's dad because at least one parent didn't seem to hate him

"I appreciate that, sir."

He looked horrified at being called sir

"please don't call me that. Makes me feel old. Call me dad!"

Jake was once again astounded by the man's openness and not wanting to offend him, nodded hesitantly

He smiled widely and Jake was immediately reminded of MC's face when she laughed

"that's more like it! Come on now, the ladies shouldn't be left alone, they'll talk the night away."

MC smiled as soon as Jake entered in the kitchen where both the women were cooking and bringing out the cutlery

"had a nice chat, you two?" MC asked and her father nodded enthusiastically

"I like him! He's very nice, I approve."

"you've known him for two seconds." MC's mom deadpans and Jake smiles nervously

"can I help you with anything ma'am?"

She appraises him for a few moments and then nods

"then please help MC set the table."

Jake literally sighs in relief when the two of them come out from the kitchen

"your mom is scary."

MC laughs and pinches his cheek

"only because you look terrified of her. She enjoys making you squirm."

"well I almost wet myself because she looked at me like I murdered her dog or something"

MC laughs loudly and her father pokes his head out of the kitchen

"alright you two?"

Jake fights off the blush he knows he's sporting and prays that neither of her parents heard what he had said

Table was set quickly, with MC telling Jake about her childhood memories and her parents brought out the food

Jake thought he might have seen MC's mother smile when he made MC laugh but he wasn't sure

Dinner was a loud affair, with MC and her dad competing about who remembers the most about MC's childhood and Jake and her mother listening quietly

He definitely knew where MC got her charisma from

MC's dad was sweet to include Jake in their conversation, addressing him directly and asking him about his own experiences

He slowly found himself relaxing in their presence and telling them about his own hobbies and pet cat

MC's mother gave an approving nod at his choice of pet and asked him to bring him along the next time

Next time

Jake's brain short circuited at the thought that she wanted Jake to come over again

Does that mean tonight was successful?

"so Jake, you didn't say what you do for a living."

Ahhh

Well, it had to go wrong somewhere, right?

Jake froze and looked to MC to see her in a similar state and immediately deduced that she had not told them about his profession

Well

He knew this was going to come up eventually

"I'm a hacker."

Pin drop silence

You couldn't even hear anyone breath over the quietness

MC's mother put down her spoon slowly and opened her mouth to say something but Jake interrupted her before that

"I know you might think it's not a respectful job but it's what makes me happy. And MC supports me every step of the way and I promise you that I'll do everything in my power to honor her confidence in me. Keeping her safe and happy and healthy is my priority and I'll give my all to make sure that she's never unhappy with me."

Everyone at the table looked at him, MC with tears in her eyes and her father looking very proud

Her mother's expression was still unreadable until she smiled at him

The first smile directed at him

"I was going to say that's very interesting. I myself work in cyber security so I've had dealings with hackers. I've found that they're usually very polite."

What

The

Fuck

Jake blinked slowly and MC shifted guiltily in her seat

"haha what a coincidence, right?" She smiled nervously and her dad picked up quickly at her hint

"oh definitely! Why don't you two talk about work stuff and MC and I can clear up the table?"

MC and her father practically fly out of the dining room and Jake and her mom are the only ones left

It was MC's mother who initiated the conversation this time and Jake replied to her questions

He found it quite pleasant to be honest

It was not a regular occurrence that he could chat with someone who knew about computers so this was a nice change

And MC's mom was quite knowledgeable

She even offered to hire him the next time her company had a need of someone to check their software

Jake had no problem agreeing to her wish

He found that she was actually a very kind but fair woman who loved her family dearly, judging by the way she spoke of MC and her father

His heart warmed to know that MC had grown up in such a loving household, even if his heart gave a twinge at never having felt something akin to parental affection

"okay, you two. I think that's enough chatting for today," MC's father said and Jake looked at the time

Holy shit

How is it so late??

MC gave him a discreet thumbs up behind her mother's back and he had to stifle a laugh

"as much as we loved having you two, you should probably get going if you want to reach the city before midnight."

The goodbyes were a little sad and Jake found himself getting a bit emotional too

He really felt like he belonged here and not like an outsider

And MC's parents are so nice and inclusive

No he did not cry

Not at all

To Jake's surprise, MC's mom pulls him into a hug

"take care of my daughter."

And then he's getting roped into another hug, this one much tighter by her dad

"you hurt her, I'll kill you."

And when he stepped back, he was smiling as usual and Jake almost thought that he imagined his words

Anyway!!!

They are in the car and MC is already planning their next trip

And before he would have been scared but now, after spending time with her family, he knew he had found people worth considering his family

#duskwood #duskwood jake #everbyte duskwood #duskwood game #everbyte #jake × mc #duskwood jake × mc #jake × player #duskwood headcannons #duskwood fanfiction #duskwood fanfic #duskwood fic #duskwood jake x mc #duskwood jake fic #everbyte studios #everbyte game #duskwood player

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ravenadottir · 3 years

Text

a rocco route

so much love for rocco on my dash got me thinking... what a rocco route would look like if he stayed in the villa on day 8.

everything up to that point could stay the same. his mistakes, the things he and mc say to each other, all of it. perhaps a tweet that would make him think twice though, like:

"______ made a huge mistake. he should've kept in his pants because the girl he dismissed is amazing. he doesn't know what he's missing out."

or something a little more impactful.

rocco anc mc have a dreaded conversation that somehow was provided by bobby, because he would probably tell marisol that no matter how much she likes him, mc deserves an apology.

they occupy a daybed and have a dreaded conversation where rocco might be incredibly lost for words. he makes a comparison to a similar situation he went through before to going to the villa, and there's probably a fun anecdote where he made a huge discovery about himself.

mc can just forgive him, or she can give him a hard time. if he's supposed to stay and be an li, then he'll realize that just because he had feelings for marisol it didn't mean the ones he had for mc were gone.

he's now feeling guilty about the betrayal and tries to find a way of fixing things, but it might be too late. he could be out here making food, mocktails, offering a massage, acting all distracted to pay attention to anyone else that isn't mc.

at the recoupling, mc has the power to pick him. when she does, he shoots an apologetic look at marisol, and that would make her have resentment towards mc.

they have the opportunity to go to the hideaway, and if that happens, rocco might lose his mind over her, because i believe he associates intimacy with love. he's very confused at this point, but the choice of bedding him is yours.

the next day, operation nope happens, which leads me to believe he would be hearing about it sooner than the others. because bobby will ask marisol and she might comment about it with rocco.

he's now worried, that mc would get revenge, and stay put, quietly watching and hoping she won't. if she does, he's disheartened, but doesn't say anything besides "i made a mistake, you made this solely to hurt me, even after what happened between us last night."

he might go to marisol's arms if mc participates actively in the operation. if she doesn't then he's fucked, because now he's sure those feelings are growing stronger every day.

in the meantime, he might've talked it out with gary and apologized for going behind his back, even though he doesn't know it's possible gary had a couple of kisses with mc while they were coupled up.

when chelsea arrives, that's what concerns me, because i really think he would be charmed and that's just another moment that would make mc doubt his loyalty. enough to say something to him.

"no, i made that mistake once. you should know how i feel before thinking i would trade you for someone new."

"rocco... you traded me for someone who was here... i don't know if i can trust you."

"i understand. but i want you to know, i have been rethinking my decisions and the more i do, the more i know for sure you're the girl i want to share this journey with."

things get heated with the tension of operation, and after the disaster recoupling, i would make gary or bobby choose mc, leaving rocco distressed and upset. he could say something to gary like "i thought we had put the past behind us." or if bobby, "that was the snakiest thing you could've done mate, and that's coming from me!"

it depends on who has a higher 'heart score' with mc, and this is the order i would put them in:

jakub = hope

noah = priya

ibrahim = lottie

gary/bobby = chelsea

gary/bobby = mc

rocco = marisol

he's forced to choose marisol, which increases the angst because now he's gonna share the bed with the girl he liked just a few days ago, and who's eager to be with him again.

before anything else happens, casa amor days come, and i would make rocco have the almost fight with the boy that stole mc, and that boy is the one bringing blake back.

mc would have a discussion with them on the roof terrace, and say "i thought you were my friend, and i expected this from rocco, but a betrayal like this coming from you? i don't know if i can forgive you."

at the bean bags the other boys, noah, ibrahim and rocco, are talking and you have the same dialogue. he asks mc for a moment alone and says the same thing the others say on the paid scene. "i missed you, that's all."

during this playthrough i would love to insert some moments where rocco and marisol share the coping of the pool, or the kitchen space while talking, to get that angst high.

the stick or switch brought blake, but the next recoupling is for mc to save someone, and the ones endangered depend on whether mc brings someone or not. if she did:

chelsea stays coupled up with bobby/gary (her partner that stayed loyal)

lottie saves noah

bobby/gary (who stole mc) saves hope

and everyone else goes home, which would be unfair to rocco.

if he left here, i would make him give a really hurt speech. "i thought i could have a second chance, but i understand why you wouldn't be able to trust me again." he sniffs while putting his things in the bag. "i caused this, and i'm really sorry for hurting you. if anything, i brought this on myself."

but if mc stayed loyal, then these islanders are single:

mc // chelsea's partner (bobby/gary) // rocco // lottie

lottie saves noah

mc saves either jakub/elijah or the boy that stole her

chelsea's partner saves hope

rocco saves chelsea (and cmm would make sense, but i digress)

this would be a turning point to make chelsea tell you about her crush, but she doesn't, and tries to shake it off, not saying anything, like she does in the game.

elisa and jo come in, and i think it would be delightful to see how into jo's stories rocco is. same as mc's partner at this point.

once the next recoupling comes, i think it would be feral (but also amazing) to make marisol talk to mc about rocco, because she thinks she has a chance with him. when asked about graham, she responds "graham is nice and all, but i really think i have a shot with rocco."

to which mc would reply "i want him. it's his decision who he wants to be with. we've been through a lot, but i reckon if he likes you, i don't see why i should stay in the way. but marisol, asking me this, after everything that happened, is really selfish. you have someone that likes you, and i should have a chance to be happy."

rocco picks mc, saying "i'm so relieved because i thought you and bobby/gary were getting along... i didn't wanna lose the chance to be with you. already did that once and i'm not gonna repeat my mistakes."

returning!hannah and lurik come, lurik is all over mc, hannah is all over rocco, saying how much she wished she had a shot back then, and that they always shared so much about their vision of what love is.

another angsty moment except rocco is not giving her the time of day, but that's not clear enough for mc to see. he knows if he fucks up, mc is gonna run towards anyone that would take her, which is a lot of people.

after couple trouble, he says 'i love you', and completes with

"i knew it a while ago, i just didn't say anything because i didn't want to scare you, or to put that pressure on you. i know how intense it can be when someone says 'i love you' too soon, and well..." he laughs. "i wanted to do it right."

i would like to see rocco being eager to participate on the 'baby challenge', because i really believe he loves children and would be comparing notes with noah. plus, i know rocco stans would have their uteruses skipping several beats with the edit of him holding the doll in that... thing that carries the doll on their chest lol

i think from here on it's pretty standard. the last date might contain a very sweet speech, but for a rocco stan it would mean the world, because after the mistakes he made, i think this redemption would be great.

everyone in there made mistakes, and the fact that i don't like him doesn't influence on the fact that he was an interesting character. he just had a really short term in there, but if he had stayed, i think his route would be the most flavorful, given marisol would be trying to be with him, and she's charming as fuck!

anyway, hope you rocco stans like this. a post i saw today got me thinking about it and i needed to put it somewhere.

#litg rocco #litg chelsea #litg s2 #litg season 2 #love island the game #love island the game season 2 #fusebox #alternative routes

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chibsytelford · 3 years

Text

Not Usually Like This

- Gif credit to creator - @thedevilsmoonshine

A/N - this is based of the song 'not usually like this' by Cian Ducrot. He is my newest obsession and I recommend you listen to his music. ❣

You can join my group chat HERE for updates.

We used to be like the lovers, the ones that you'd see in a movie, I felt like I was your Noah and I thought that you were my Allie

When you and EZ first met it was like a page from a book, a scene from a movie where you just lock eyes and instantly click. It happened exactly like that. EZ holding the door open for you to exit La Carniceria like a proper gentleman. You looked up to thank him and the moment you made eye contact you knew there was something special about him. And he thought the same about you. He soon realized you were smart, trusting, caring and loyal. Or so he thought. He trusted you quickly and soon told you about the ruthless Mayans MC. You had seen them around town a few times, riding their bikes like they owned the town and they did in a way. Most people were scared of them, most people hated them. And you understood why.

You and EZ made it official after a few months, and the club took you in under their wings. Made sure nobody messed with you, made sure you were looked after which you were thankful for. They were a good bunch on the most part.

It took EZ 6 months to say the words 'I Love You'. You hadn't said it back, telling him you really liked him but you weren't quite at the love stage yet. He smiled and said 'take your time' and he was great. He didn't push you to say it. He was thankful for your honesty.

But we weren't out of a book,

And I never wanted to hide it

But I had my heart set on you

When I guess you still hadn't decided

It was around the year mark when EZ realised you still hadn't told him you loved him. He didn't normally push, but he needed to know that you felt the same way he did. You were the one for him, yet you hadn't reciprocated his deep feelings. He showed you every day that he loved you. Made sure that every guy who walked through the clubhouse door knew you were his. He was quick to tell any hangarounds that he was taken, that he was in love. If only you did the same.

When he approached the subject - one night as you both sat having a drink - about if you loved him yet, you laughed. You once again told him 'I really like you EZ. You're a good guy'. He had sighed and given you a smile that never reached his eyes. He didn't bring it up again, too scared that he'd lose you for good.

But I was so fucked up when I saw the way you looked at him

Did you fall out of love? Did he give you something I couldn't give?

One night he finally broke. Finally admitted to himself that you were never going to feel the same way he did. He sat with Angel who tapped him on the shoulder and pointed in your direction. The brothers looked at you and saw you chatting with a guy from another charter, but EZ didn't recognise him. Angel had asked him "bro, you gonna interfere?" And EZ had shaken his head saying "Nah, leave her. She's never looked at me like that". Angel had looked at him sympathetically. "You can do better than her anyway" and EZ being the ever loyal person he is told him off. "Stop it Angel. I couldn't, she's amazing and everything I've ever needed". Angel had shrugged and walked off, leaving his younger brother with his thoughts.

EZ had watched you for the next 30 minutes - looking at the way you touched the guys arm when you were talking to him, how your smile lit up your face when he made you laugh, how that there seemed to be nobody else in the room except him. He was jealous. Sad. Hurt. He wished that he could have been that guy.

What did he have EZ didn't? They were both in Clubs. The other guy couldn't offer safety anymore than EZ could. He couldn't promise a life without pain or hurt, just like EZ couldnt either. So why him? Why had you ignored EZ for the last few hours, throwing away the past year for a guy who was very similar to himself?

No, I'm not usually like this

And I don't think I'm ready for change

You know I could usually fight this

EZ had spent the rest of the night just watching you and this guy. You had even looked over at him a few times, offering a small smile before turning back to the man who had all of your attention. Any other time EZ would have stormed over, grabbed the guy and laid into him before whisking you away. But he knew that it was pointless this time. He knew that you wanted the man to talk to you, to give you attention. EZ should have confronted you, called you names, been angry with you but he respected and loved you too much for that. So all he did was sit back and watch. Watch his lover love someone else.

And I know it's hard sometimes

But I wish you could stay for a moment

He wished he stood a chance. He wished that he could turn back time a few weeks and change himself. But honestly, he didn't know what we could do differently. He listened to you when you said he was spending too much time with the club, so he made effort to get home early and have some days off as hard as it was. He did everything you asked and still that wasn't enough. He would kill for one last touch from you, one last kiss but inside he knew it wasn't going to happen.

I thought I got over this feeling

'Cause it's been six years now

But I saw you last week on the street and

I caught myself turning around

Six years later and EZ had just about managed to stop thinking about you everyday. It took him a while and multiple interventions from his brothers to finally stop chasing after you. To let you go. It was hard but he got through it and felt like he could finally move on. He might have only known you for a short time but the impact you made on him was instant and he would always remember you, for the good and bad times.

As he waited to cross the road to check on his pops, he saw you exit the shop with the same guy from before. He stopped in his tracks and just watched you. You looked madly in love and extremely happy as you laughed at something the guy said. He didn't have his kutte on and EZ wondered if the guy had left for you. Maybe that was something he offered that EZ wasn't sure if he ever could. Did you know that before him? Did EZ know for sure himself that he would have chosen the club over you?

The memories of that night came back to EZ. The night that he had just about managed to bottle away and keep closed and deep down in his heart. He mentally scolded himself, remembering what his brothers had said. "The club comes first Ezekiel" "You will find someone else who loves you for you". He didn't believe it at first but as time went on he slowly accepted that you were not coming back, and that someday he would have to move on from you.

And he did. Eventually. A year ago he met someone. He was hesitant at first to open his heart again, but he managed to. He had learned his lesson and he was taking it slow, this time not saying the special 3 words until he was 100% sure that the girl felt the same. He thought it was coming soon. It was like night and day between you and his new girlfriend. She treated EZ like he deserved to be treated, and he accepted it - hesitantly at first - but he was getting there.

EZ composed himself, shook you from his thoughts and crossed the road going into his pops' shop. He never wanted his new girl to feel the way he did, so he vowed to never think about you again. He wouldn't do that to anyone. He knew how much it hurt him.

@rebelwrites @encounterthepast @yourwonkywriter @everyhowlmarksthedead @pancakeisreading @phoenixhalliwell @angelreyesisdaddy04 @angelreyesgirl @lauraashley93 @louisianalady @withmyteeth @mayans-sauce @jasminee97 @calif0rnia-lovers @gemini0410 @rocketqueen @kid-from-new-zealand @est1887 @meteora-fc @mrsmarvelous1995 @multiyfandomgirl40 @destynelseclipsa @lovebishoplosamiguelgalindo @starrynite7114 @scuzmunkie @blessedboo @sheeshgivemeabreak @elcococruz @anangelwhodidntfall @talicat713 @i-love-scott-mccall

#ez reyes #ez reyes x you #ez reyes reader #ez reyes fanfic #mayans mc

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skyholders · 3 years

Text

Gavin: Shooting Star Date [Translation]

Credits to @acrispyapple for the karma CGs used in this post :)

Translations under the cut!

[Section Zero]

Phone buzzes

After receiving great feedbacks from the company’s recent collaboration with the Special Task Force, many similar invites have been flowing in constantly. I was just busily handling the newest collaboration when my phone rang once more.

Letting go of the documents in my hands, I faced my screen when an unexpected name popped onto the screen.

MC: “Gavin? Why are you calling me?”

Perhaps my surprise had been too blatantly obvious, because Gavin’s voice carried a hint of laughter in it.

Gavin: “Is it surprising that I’m calling you?”

MC: “Haven’t you been very busy recently?”

Gavin: “Mm. But I have something to tell you. Will you be free in a while?”

I glanced towards the piles of files on my desk, and pondered for a few seconds.

MC: “Yeah.”

Gavin: “That’s great, I’ll be waiting for you in the cafe close to your office.”

He paused briefly,

Gavin: “Since it’s almost time for dinner, we can have it together too.”

Gavin: “I’ll see you in a bit.”

Hanging up the phone, I walked out of the office, and was suddenly held back by Kiki.

Kiki: “Boss, there’s a package waiting for you. It’s urgent.”

MC: “Just leave it there for a moment, I’ll have to go out now.”

I said that, but as I looked at the seemingly ordinary package, a strange feeling suddenly creeped into my heart.

MC: “Wait, can you bring it over for me to take a look?”

I ripped the package open, yet all there was inside was a simple black envelope. When opened, there was a handwritten line:

The sky-full of stars shall fall tonight. Please allow us to invite you to witness the annihilation of justice.

The handwriting subtly revealed an eerie sense of insanity, and I felt a shiver up my spine.

Kiki: “..Is this a prank? April Fool’s so long ago.”

Kiki tilted her head towards me, her eyes concerned, and a wave of uneasiness swept past my heart as I thought of Gavin’s call.

MC: “Who sent this?”

Kiki: “The address looks fake, and the sender’s name was written as fan of our programs, which was probably why it could be sent here without a problem.”

I lifted my head to check the time, and put the strange letter into my bag, wanting to go and meet Gavin. It’s a weird occurrence no matter how you think of it. Maybe it’s related to the thing Gavin’s mentioned.

[Section One]

As I pushed open the doors of the cafe’s entrance, a wind chime hung on top of the door rang lightly. The small café was quiet, and surprisingly, I couldn’t see Gavin.

MC: “Weird.. can’t be that something urgent has happened, has it?”

I picked a seat by the window, and was just about to call him when I saw a familiar car stopping on the opposite of the road.

A casually dressed Gavin walked out of the car, his steps light and quick as he crossed the road towards the other side. In the light of a warm sunset, Gavin’s posture was held straight, seemingly carrying along gusts of wind with him, his appearance striking compared to that of the people around him.

Maybe I was merely too fixated on him, but his eyes met mine from a short distance away, and nodded lightly towards me, his pace quickening a little more.

Gavin pushed the doors open, and sat on the seat across mine.

Gavin: “Have you waited long?”

I shook my head.

MC: “I have just arrived. Plus, there’s a lot of things happening around the task force, your time must be tighter than mine.”

Gavin’s brows loosened, yet his gaze was not fully relaxed.

Gavin: “Something suddenly came up, it’s actually related to the thing I want to tell you.”

MC: “Yeah, what’s happened?”

Gavin looked at me, and he must’ve noticed the exhaustion on my face, because he was a bit bewildered.

Gavin: “Let’s eat first, it’s getting late.”

Gavin: “They have a few nice dishes here, I think you’ll like it.”

Gavin said nothing much while we were eating, it was only until we’d finished the meal - after he’d seen me putting down my pair of chopsticks and confirmed that I was full – that he finally opened his mouth.

Gavin: “The task force has been tracking an EVOLVER down. Evidence showed that he had been somewhere close to your office.”

MC: “Are you saying that our company’s being held as suspects, or.. have we become the targets?”

“We’ve checked, you’re currently not a suspect, but we’ll have to look for clues from you.”

Gavin: “Has anything suspicious happened these past few days?”

MC: “There has been, but I’m not sure if it’s just a prank or something, so I’ve brought it over here for you to see.”

I took out the black envelope from my bag, and laid it onto the table.

MC: “I received this before I arrived here, the address on the delivery package was made up, and the name listed was one of the fans of our programs.”

Gavin inspected the few words on the letter, his lips quirking up slightly.

Gavin: “It’s a threat letter. There’s been a few of them, but no one’s been hurt so far, even though they have caused quite a bit of damage.”

Gavin: “It all makes sense now, he had appeared near your office, most likely to send you this letter.”

Gavin: “This is the location it’d pointed to..”

MC: “Is it our office?”

Gavin: “No, right here it said 'sky-full of stars', and lately there have been lots of news of meteor showers appearing out of nowhere.. maybe it is the planetarium.”

MC: “It can be the planetarium!”

Gavin and I said in unison, and he looked towards me with a hint of shock, followed by a smile which reached his eyes. He nodded briefly.

MC: “But let’s say his location was in fact the planetarium, why would they send me the letter personally?”

MC: “It’s as if he wants to show his true intentions through me..”

My heart leaped, and when I looked into Gavin’s eyes, he nodded lightly.

Gavin: “If we follow his criminal patterns, he does seem to have his attention towards the STF.”

Gavin: “We have also found out from the criminal database that he was arrested with force by the task force because he had violently resisted arrest from the police.”

Gavin: “This person escaped as soon as his EVOL became stronger. He still hasn’t been arrested till this day. Looking at this envelope, I think I’ve suddenly realised something.”

MC: “Can it be he’s seeking revenge after his escape, and it just so happens that the program from the production company and the STF has been trending recently?”

MC: “And in reality, all of this is just an act too provoke the task force?”

Gavin nodded, and kept the letter away.

Gavin: “Since we have a lead, I’ll arrange tonight’s operation.”

And I immediately said,

MC: “I’ll be with you.”

Gavin: “I can handle this on my own.”

MC: “I am worried, and I can’t just sit and watch about idly.”

I looked at Gavin, determined. After a while, he nodded in agreement.

Gavin: “Okay. But you’ll have to listen to me throughout the entire operation.”

MC: “No problem!”

[Section Two]

The planetarium’s located on the outskirts of Loveland City, and to avoid any extra attention, Gavin and I were dressed as typical tourists. I pulled the door to the passenger seat open, and felt a bit nervous. But upon turning to see Gavin sitting right beside me, it all disappeared.

I reached for the seatbelt, trying to casual joke about with Gavin.

MC: “I was just having dinner with you, who knew it’ll end up like this?”

Gavin: “I still have time to send you back to your office if you want.”

Gavin’s voice was serious, and was just about to turn back when I immediately stopped him.

MC: “That’s not necessary! I really don’t want to go back face those reports.”

Seeing my struggling expression, Gavin couldn’t help but laugh as he turned back to the road and gripped tightly onto the steering wheel.

Perhaps it’s due to the recent news of those meteor showers, but there were more cars than usual on the road exiting the city. In a matter of moments, we were trapped in the middle of the road.

MC: “What’s going on?”

Gavin’s brows furrowed as he heard of the news coming from his phone, and turned to meet my eyes soon after.

Gavin: “There has been a car accident on the highway ahead, the road exiting the city is blocked.”

MC: “..This is too coincidental.”

Gavin: “Accident or not, this is beneficial for the both of us.”

Gavin looked out to the unmoving line of traffic, and parked the car to his side, unbuckling his seatbelt.

Gavin: “Let’s get down.”

MC: “But there’s still a long way left, how will we go there? If you use your EVOL, you’re going to expose your identity straight away..”

Gavin glanced towards me, smiling.

Gavin: “Don’t worry, leave it to me.”

He leaned towards me, and reached out to help me unbuckle my seatbelt. His side profile appeared right in front of my face, and I subconsciously held my breath.

It was only until the seatbelt fully unbuckled that I had came back to into reality. I quickly pulled the door open and got out of the car.

Gavin: “Wait for me here.”

Gavin walked towards a vehicle on the side of the road, its owner sitting by the side.

He spoke to the young man for a few moments, before the owner looked at him, his eyes wide open. He quickly dug out the keys to his motorcycle for Gavin.

Witnessing all of that, I couldn’t help but be tempted to find out what had just happened, and what was spoken between them.

But within a minute or two, Gavin was already driving the motorbike towards me, passing me a helmet.

Gavin: “Let’s go.”

The scene in front of me seemed to have merged wondrously with that of another similar memory, stored and kept somewhere deep in my mind. On the motorbike, he still held an aura of vigour and bravery – I couldn’t help but be slightly shaken, the words in my mind slipping out without anothet thought.

MC: “Gavin, have you possibly committed grand theft auto?”

Gavin was temporarily stunned.

Gavin: “Why do you think so?”

MC: “Uh, I..”

I looked back towards the now vehicle-less your man, abandoned by the side of the road. He waved towards me happily, his face showing not even a single hint of unwillingness.

MC: “Aren’t there scenes in movies where someone will say, “I’m a special agent, your vehicle will now be under the requisition of the task force.”

Gavin chuckled at my comical impression, and reached towards the helmet in my head, skillfully strapping it onto my head.

Gavin: “Those movie clichés should probably stay as they are. Now hop on.”

I sat behind Gavin, an awful familiarity clashing unto me once again, until I was brought back by Gavin’s words.

Gavin: “Hold on tight to me, the inertias of motorbikes like these tend to be quite powerful when you first start them.”

As soon as he’d said that, a violent inertia threw me back, and I quickly reached out to hold on tightly to his waist. On the back of the motorbike was an exhaust pipe, proudly facing up towards the sky, and I could do nothing but lean against Gavin’s back.

MC: “This method of transportation is not suitable for low-key stakeouts at all!”

Between sweeps of strong winds and gushes of air, I could hear Gavin laugh.

Gavin: “But we’ll be there faster than we thought we would.”

Gavin: “Hold me tight.”

The motorbike seamlessly drove through the traffic jam, subsequently leaving behind our immobile car as we dashed towards our destination.

The colours of the evening sky and the winding mountain roads seemed to not affect Gavin at all, and the street lights merely became fleeting, glowing lines.

MC: “You seem to be familiar with this road.”

Gavin: “I used to come here occasionally, and that’s how I met the owner of the bike.”

MC: “No wonder his expression was so.. He must’ve been pressured by you at some point then.”

Gavin: “Can’t remember. Maybe.”

MC: “Can’t believe you have these types of impulses.”

Gavin: “This doesn’t count as an impulsion.”

Gavin: “Plus, there aren’t many things that will make me impulsive.”

Gavin’s words were slowly swayed away by the winds, and as the stars in the sky grew closer and closer, a dark colour had already enveloped the whole of the sky. We drove through the night. It was silent, and we were far away from the city. It was as if the world was quiet if not for the sound of the bike’s engine, and for just a brief moment, I was hoping the road did not have an end.

But just as quickly, the white planetarium appeared in our lines of sight.

It seemed ages ago since I’ve last came here.

[Section Three]

The hill outside of the planetarium were filled by the recent news, with astronomy enthusiasts wanting to witness a meteor shower. As the planetarium was closed, they were crowded along the observation area outside of the building.

After Gavin showed a staff his police badge, he pulled me into the planetarium.

We walked towards the observation deck at the very top, and was met with a serene silence, with only the sounds of whirring machines.

We soundlessly observed our surroundings.

MC: “Isn’t it a little too quiet here-“

Before I’ve even finished my words, the sounds of rumbling was heard right behind me, and the ground shook lightly.

Gavin: “Don’t leave my side.”

Gavin turned his earpiece on, and gave immediate orders for his teams.

Gavin: “Group A evacuate the people outside the planetarium. Group B, guard and secure every entryway.”

There were responses from his teammates, and everything began going according to plan, albeit in a strange atmosphere.

In the silence, the doors behind us were met with a clicking sound, and suddenly, they were slammed shut. There weren’t any other movements after a couple of minutes, with only the moonlight spilling onto the deck.

I couldn’t help but say what was on my mind.

MC: “If he wants us to have a taste of our own medicine, then why didn’t he do anything? Is he waiting for a chance to strike?”

Gavin’s gaze swept across our surroundings, his lips slightly curling into a smile.

Gavin: “From the past few instances, he likes to take his own responsibility, and wants to rouse attention and fear. If he’s waiting for an opportunity, then it’ll be an opportunity that will cause the most harm.”

Gavin pondered for a brief moment, before immediately coming to a conclusion.

Gavin: “He wants to use the power of the meteor showers to change the gravitational force, and destroy this place.”

As if a confirmation that he was right, a brilliant shooting star suddenly flew across the night sky.

MC: “A comet did appear!”

MC: “No wonder the letter had said to witness the “annihilation of justice”, if it was just a regular officer here instead, this should be very difficult to hold back.”

MC: “Thank goodness for your team. We came prepared.”

Gavin looked up towards the sky, the meteor sweeping past him. Then, a few lit up one at a time, and the sky was morphed into a curtain of light. The big groups of meteors were as if droplets of rain, falling from the sky, rushing towards the surface.

Gavin: “They will fall onto the planetarium.”

Gavin pressed into the earpiece on his left ear, and calmly gave his order:

Gavin: “The target’s in action. Currently expecting him to be within a kilometre’s radius within the planetarium. Start tracking the source of the EVOL.”

Seeing Gavin efficiently explaining his plans for the task force, I felt a mix of emotions as I asked:

MC: “You’re making yourself the bait to draw the snake out. You’re currently shouldering all of the dangers. You..”

It was apparent that Gavin did not understand me, as he answered:

Gavin: “Don’t worried. I’ve promised to come with you, and I’m confident that I can protect you.”

Gavin: “I won’t let you be harmed in any way.”

Before I could say anything, the meteor which was being controlled was falling vertically, crashing straight onto the surface. It was as if I could also hear the deafening, ringing sound of its collision against the atmosphere.

Gavin: “Give me your hand.”

Gavin reached out his hand, and I gazed deeply into his eyes, without an ounce of worry or doubt, only with the courage he’d given me.

MC: “Alright, then I’ll trust my safety onto you and your team.”

MC: “I won’t let you be hurt either.”

Gavin looked at me, dazed, but I laid my hand into the warmth of his palm, determined.

MC: “We’ve always been walking together since the very beginning, haven’t we?”

Gavin nodded lightly, his grip on my hand tightening a little more.

Gavin: “Always have been.”

Countless shapes of wind surrounded us, and Gavin pulled me to his side, leaving the planetarium as a sky full of white dashing lights clashed onto the ground. Within a short period of time, they have all inched closer towards the surface.

The meteors were constantly brushing past us, yet they were carried away before it’d ever crash onto the ground. Instead they were wrapped by the winds, and dropped into a valley a distance away.

It was as if a firework exploding a arm’s reach away, as if we were in the midst of a brilliant display.

Gavin: “If you’re scared, close your eyes.”

Gavin’s breaths were right against my ear, his voice carrying a gentleness in which I could detect.

With him, the current moment’s dangers transformed into a beautiful splendour, shining brightly in against an inky dark sky. It’s like the same scenes have rewinded back into my sight, those meteors, just as grand and bright.

I closed my eyes lightly, and opened them once more, the reality mirroring right into my eyes. The warmth of holding one another, his steadfastly strength, they have all pushed away any fear left in my heart.

MC: “You’re here, of course I’ll not be scared.”

Surrounding us were the falling stars, shielded by the gusts of winds, swallowed by its strength - its light burning brightly at the very ends of its life before burning out completely.

It was a show, and we were the only audience.

MC: “Even though we’ve avoided the destruction, we still haven’t caught the guy yet. What if we’ve let him escape?”

Gavin: “Don’t worry. Him controlling such a vast area in such a short time makes it easier for me to secure his location. The task force members have also sealed every surrounding area, he can’t escape.”

I felt relieved, and the “meteor shower” was coming to its end.

The gorgeous display of light came and went, only leaving a quiet darkness. My heart was slightly moved, thinking of the possible objectives of such a daunting crime.

He was desperate to prove his own meaning of his existence, desperate to show that his powers could destroy the lives of others.

But it all went to waste at the very end. He couldn’t understand that faith and justice can never be wiped away so easily.

I looked at Gavin, finding that he was sharing the same gaze, the same thoughts.

But fortunately, we were under a sky full of glimmering stars, and a long, long time ago we’ve already found our very own eternity.

No matter the twists of memories, no matter the turns of time, once a person walks with you, you’ll never walk alone.

A distant star carried a light millions of light-years away, and this memory shall be stored in its glow forevermore.

[END]

Thank you for your patience and support. Have a safe day!

Also a shoutout to Cheri for sending me a link to the date on Bili-Bili. Wouldn't have found the video without her.

And a happy belated Vesak Day / Buddha Day if you celebrate it :)

- Shio

#mlqc #mlqc gavin #mlqc spoilers #恋与制作人 #mr love queen's choice #mlqc translation #evol x love #mlqc cn

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