#I still remember the shocked look on my coworkers faces when I said I’d just turned 18 lol. Very funny

[bytebun]

I see a lot of characters older than a teen protag slotted into dad/uncle roles in found family tropes but frankly when I was 15-18 if anybody wanted to parent me I would politely remove myself from the situation. n if they insisted I would probably bite

[blood-choke]

hiiii… i wanted to ask more about this particular val scene where mc and her talk about that portrait and mc is a bit stuck on the word husband and wants val to know theyre not a man. can i ask what inspired that type of convo? i wanted to know if it’s something you’ll touch up on again? is this underlying feelings mc had before their entombment… worried that val sees them as a man just because mc is masc? cause i know that’s kind of broader discussion in the lesbian community iirc….. was that why you wanted to incorporate it? this ask has so many questions LOL but basically i wanted to say i was intrigued and it did made me think more on those type of dynamics (thinking back to those resources you rb’d a while ago that go more into depth about diff things in the lesbian community)

oh boy get ready for another long-winded answer from me!

a lot of the feelings mc has about their gender are inspired by Leslie Feinberg's work (mainly Stone Butch Blues)

Feinberg was someone who lived & passed as a man for years of hir life, and wrote a lot about the complexities of hir gender and what it was like being a "gender outlaw."

there was actually a scene in particular from sbb that kinda put the kernel of an idea in my mind that led to this narrative of the mc feeling overshadowed by Standard and anxious about being perceived as a man. it's towards the end of the book when Jess (sbb's protagonist) meets Ruth (a trans woman that Jess falls in love with)

Jess offers to help Ruth carry groceries up to her apartment, and Ruth takes this the wrong way & is offended, partly because she thinks Jess is a man.

One Saturday afternoon I found her clutching two huge bags of groceries and fumbling with the downstairs front-door lock. I pulled out my key.

“Here, let me.” She didn’t say thank you. She hurried ahead of me on the stairs.

“Can I help you carry those?” I offered.

“Do I look weak to you?” she asked.

I stopped on the stairs. “No. Where I come from it’s just a sign of respect, that’s all.”

She continued up the stairs. “Well, where I come from,” she called out, “men don’t reward women for pretending to be helpless.” Once I heard her apartment door close I kicked the stair in anger and frustration.

later, after they get to know each other better, they have this interaction:

I laughed and picked at my salad. “Do you know if I’m a man or a woman?”

“No,” Ruth said. “That’s why I know so much about you.”

I sighed. “Did you think I was a man when you first met me?" She nodded. "Yes. At first I thought you were a straight man. Then I thought you were gay. It’s been a shock for me to realize that even I make assumptions about sex and gender that aren’t true. I thought I was liberated from all of that.”

I smiled. “I didn’t want you to think I was a man. I wanted you to see how much more complicated I am. I wanted you to like what you saw.”

i think the inspiration here is quite obvious, hahaha. i figure anyone that's read sbb can sense the similar through-line here in my work. though the conversation between mc and Valentina has a much different tone.

there's another scene later as well after something happens to Jess and she has to have her jaw wired shut. she's working at a new job and is unable to speak, and she's also passing as a man at this job. she overhears some of her female coworkers talking about her and they refer to her as a "creep" and speculate that she's always watching one of them. Jess overhears all of this and then walks out of the job, goes home and pulls the wires out of her mouth herself:

After I was sure I’d gotten the last piece of wire out of my gums, I rinsed my mouth with whiskey and then drank the rest of it so I could sleep without remembering how Marija’s words had stripped me of my humanity.

butches & gnc women still face this kind of dehumanization; compared or likened to men in a derogatory way, accused of being "heteropatriarchal," the predatory stereotype of the fat ugly lesbian, and on the other side they're also hypersexualized, especially online and in queer spaces. butchphobia is a specific kind of misogyny that hits from all sides, even from the people that are supposed to be a part of your community. and this attitude especially effects trans women and women of color, who are already experiencing all of these things due to transmisogyny and racism.

i also really wanted to use this to touch on the kind of gender essentialism that we see in a lot of these cis feminist discussions - to these women at this job, Jess had committed no real crime other than being quiet and being the “wrong” kind of man. something about this scene has always stuck with me and really bothered me, but it's hard to put into words; on one hand i can admit i have probably been one of those women who made some kind of similar remark about a man i barely knew, but i've also been someone on the receiving end, too, because of the way i look. the mc in blood choke is put into this box, but they can't fit in, as someone who has been on both sides and doesn't really understand where they belong because of it; how can she stand beside Valentina or Hana or Clear when they might see her as a perpetrator, someone who can't be trusted? how does this mindset harm both the women and the men of the council and everyone in between? how can we break this cycle?

one of the films i mentioned recently when talking about the character designs was The Same Difference, which is specifically about the Black lesbian community and the discrimination within that community based upon gender roles (though this is not something limited to just the Black lesbian community)

a lot of the women in that doc talk about the boxes they're put in as AG or stud lesbians - they can't have their hair long, they can't wear makeup, they can't do this or that, they have to be aggressive and hard or else they're not real studs. they discuss stud on stud (or butch4butch) and how other lesbians look down on those types of lesbians, as well as the disdain for bisexual women for "betraying" the community. it explores the way misogyny and the patriarchy still oppress these women and forces them into this restrictive gender role despite their refusal to adhere to the other role originally assigned to them, and the way racism specifically intersects and exacerbates it for Black lesbians. there's a stud that's an exotic dancer and wears a weave, and a lot of other studs have a problem with this because a weave is "a female thing." another section follows a pregnant stud, and how the community shuns her for that, because she "dresses like a man and acts like a man" so why is she getting pregnant when she should be "the man"?

mc doesn't remember how they felt before entombment, but waking up they feel this need to prove themselves - both in that they are hard and aggressive like a butch should be, but also in that they want to be this person for Valentina or Clear or Hana (or all of them) that is safe and comforting. but they aren't sure how to do that when the world perceives them as this one specific thing - as a husband, as Standard, as a man, specifically this man who hurt Valentina.

of course we've already seen this to not be true of the companions with the last chapter as the mc learns more and spends more time with everyone. but this is kind of the foundation of where this whole idea came from. it started with my novel & i chose vampires for that story & this one because there is a long history of lesbian vampirism (and also because it's sexy) but there's this "curse" that both Hana & Valerie talk about in their respective stories, the first one being the racism she's had to face, the transphobia, along with this alienation and perception of lesbians as predatory and conniving and aggressive, as vampires, which i just think really lends itself to expanding upon these issues lesbians & trans women face both in general and within the community.

anyways if you want to read more i suggest Stone Butch Blues, which you can get for free on Leslie Feinberg's website, as well as S/he, by Minnie Bruce Pratt, available on the internet archive, Gender Failure by Ivan E. Coyote & Rae Spoon also on the internet archive, and you can rent The Same Difference for $10 on vimeo.

[azikarue]

MayBlade 2023 : Day 18 : Unpopular Character

Alan, Max | FFN Rating: T | FFN Link ❖ Alan recognized his voice as soon as he ordered. It didn’t matter that he was the whole way in the back, hanging up his apron so no customers would bug him on his break, or that it had been years since they’d spoken – he’d know Max’s voice anywhere.

Somehow, it was still a shock to round the corner behind the counter and see him standing on the other side.

He could walk away. Head out the back to spend his break at the bodega like he always did. Max was staring down at his phone while he waited on his latte. He hadn’t seen Alan. If he walked away now, there was every possibility he’d never have to see him again or need to deal with the complex mix of emotions he felt in his presence.

“Screw it,” he thought and snagged Max’s cup off the counter before any of his coworkers could get to it.

His manager was out back on her third smoke break of the morning, so he didn’t have to worry about being scolded for working off the clock. He made Max’s drink to the specifications on the cup – vanilla latte, extra espresso shot – and set it down in the pickup area.

“Max,” he called.

Max’s head shot up.

“Alan?” His eyes widened and he looked Alan up and down, eyes catching on the tattoos spread sporadically over his hands and arms and the piercings in his ears; all old, but new since they’d seen each other last. Then he smiled and it felt like no time had passed at all. “I didn’t know you worked here.”

Alan came around the counter. Max clasped his hand and pulled him into a hug. He should’ve known that Max wouldn’t hold a grudge. Nevertheless, he felt some of his tension melt away with the embrace.

“I work weird shifts around my school schedule,” he said as they pulled apart. “What about you?” he asked, handing Max his latte since other orders were starting to pile up around it. “You can’t come by too often or we’d have run into each other by now.”

That, or word would have gotten back to him; between his coworkers and their regulars, somebody would have said something if Max Tate started coming in.

It was easy to forget that Max was actually kind of famous. All it took was the right combination of customers and conversation topics, and Alan could get a whole rundown on what was going on in his old friend’s life. According to the tabloids and gossip columnists anyway. Those little glimpses were more than enough for Alan, who still got the occasional pang in his chest when he heard Max’s name.

“I… uh…” Max trailed off, glancing over Alan’s shoulder.

Alan turned around to see a cluster of his fellow employees and one or two customers trying – and failing – to listen inconspicuously. He rolled his eyes and nodded to a table in the corner where they could talk with more privacy. Once they sat down and Max had a couple sips of his drink, the conversation picked up pretty much where it left off.

“I’m actually on my way to the airport to pick up my girlfriend,” he said. Alan didn’t miss the twinkle in his eye when he said it or the way he took another drink to hide the fact that he was blushing. “Her flight got delayed and I thought I’d stop for coffee to kill some time.”

“Mariam, right?”

Alan had taken their supposed relationship with a grain of salt the first time he’d seen their picture in the tabloids. Out of respect for Max or maybe, partly, because it always hurt to see just how out of touch they’d become since the whole mess with the rock.

When the pictures kept coming, he figured there was probably some truth to them.

“Yeah,” Max said with a faraway look in his eyes and a smile on his face.

“Must be some girl to have you looking like that,” Alan teased, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. Lucky girl, too; Max started opening doors for their female classmates in kindergarten and they used to liken him to Prince Charming when he was out of earshot. Alan remembered telling him once – he’d turned red as a tomato. There was no reason to believe he was any less of a gentleman now.

“I think so.”

Alan raised an eyebrow. “Why do I feel like that voice means there’s someone who doesn’t?”

Max hesitated, rolling his to-go cup back and forth between his hands, before answering, “My mom doesn’t really like her.”

Alan was taken aback by that. When they were growing up, Max was the kind of kid that took a liking to everyone. He was friendly to a fault and Alan couldn’t ever remember Judy being anything but encouraging. He guessed girlfriends must be different.

“Well, she liked me,” he said with a self-deprecating smirk. “Maybe she just isn’t the best judge of character.”

He’d meant it to be funny, but Max looked stricken. Alan mentally cursed; just when they’d been having a normal conversation that made it feel like they’d been friends all this time, he had to open his big mouth and call attention to the elephant in the room. Time to backtrack.

“How did you two meet?”

Max sighed, ignored the question, and said, “I forgave you a long time ago, Alan.” He had the same look on his face that he’d always get when his feelings were hurt and he had something serious to say about it – the one that made him look like a kicked puppy. For some reason, it mad Alan angry.

“Yeah, well, the fact that we haven’t talked since makes it feel like you didn’t,” he snapped, sitting back in his chair and glowering across the table. He immediately regretted it when Max’s shoulders slumped and the hurt flashed in his eyes.

Well, fuck.

“I’m sorry, Max,” he amended. His anger dissipated like air let out of a balloon, leaving him feeling just as flimsy and hollow. “That wasn’t fair. I could’ve reached out too, but… I didn’t.” He wasn’t meeting Max’s eyes now, too scared of what he might see.

“Why not?” Max’s voice was gentle. He didn’t deserve it.

“Embarrassment? Guilt? Pick your poison,” he spat, not because he was angry with Max, but because he was angry with himself. “Max, I’m ashamed of what I did.” He felt it anew every time he saw Max’s face in the news or picked up Impulse. Hell, since everything had gone down, he’d hardly beybladed at all. “And when I didn’t hear from you, I assumed you didn’t want anything to do with me.”

“I tried to write, but my letters kept coming back. I thought I might have the wrong address,” Max explained. “I tried calling too, but nobody ever picked up.”

“We did move, at some point.” He was a little hazy on the timeline, but their move and the rock had happened within the same year. It made sense that Max had the wrong address; he might not have ever updated it with Judy before he got himself fired. And he knew Max would never lie. “Mom told me she had to stop answering calls when the reporters got our number.”

Max nodded in understanding. “She probably didn’t recognize my number.”

He would’ve been calling from out of the country at that point, Alan supposed. His mom would’ve definitely ignored it when his number flashed on the caller ID. Probably figured it was the Japanese branch of the BBA calling to give her a piece of their mind about her son’s antics.

“Probably not.”

Max took a minute to digest that information, then hesitantly said, “My mom told me that her boss pressed charges. I’m sorry.”

Alan remembered Judy’s crestfallen face when she found out she couldn’t drop the charges herself. Her boss had decided that they needed to make an example out of Alan – they had other minors training at the facility and couldn’t let him get away with trading stolen property for bitbeasts. They brought the hammer down hard. A year in juvenile detention, and that was them going easy because his lawyer was able to convince the jury he was coerced.

“Don’t be sorry. It was my own fault.” He made a shitty decision and had to live with the consequences. “I’m doing better now.” In the back of his mind, he knew it helped not having Max around to compare himself to, but he’d never tell him that. “I’m going to school to be an electrician.”

There were plenty of lights on at all times in The City That Never Sleeps – he wouldn't have any issue finding a job. Plus, trade school was faster and cheaper than a normal university. And they didn’t care about his stint in juvie as much as a board of admissions might have.

“Like your dad,” Max said, before closing his mouth with an audible click, eyes going wide. He knew that Alan’s relationship with his father was pretty much nonexistent. It had been one more thing for him to be jealous of Max for; even when they were on different continents, Max and his dad were close.

“Yeah,” Alan said, trying to sound blasé. He’d finished mourning what could have been a long time ago, but he still hated being reminded of it. “He wasn’t a great dad, but he never missed a child support payment, so I guess it pays good,” he joked.

Max got real quiet instead of laughing.

“He just got back from the Bahamas with wife number three.” Alan had never even been out of the country. And he didn’t know why he was still airing his grievances when Max was obviously getting uncomfortable. He didn’t want their reunion to turn into a pity party, so he changed the subject and asked, “Are you in school? No, wait – don’t tell me. I’m gonna guess you are and it’s for something science-y?”

“Pretty much,” Max answered, finally cracking a smile. “I got a late start because of beyblading, so I’m stuck taking all the random classes I won’t need this semester.”

“Sounds like a drag,” Alan said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “Honestly, how do you get through your days with zero risk of electrocution?”

“I wouldn’t say zero risk,” Max shot back, his grin suddenly mischievous. “I’m living in the dorms. It’s only a matter of time before someone takes their radio in the shower or something.” They both laughed and, just like that, any lingering weirdness was gone. They were two kids again, poking fun at each other.

“Guess it’s probably fair to say you’re looking forward to Mariam visiting?” Alan asked, raising an eyebrow and shooting Max a suggestive look.

“Uh…” Max blushed and took a drink of his latte. It had to be lukewarm by now and the cup did nothing to hide the fact that his friend was almost red enough to cover his freckles. “You could say that. She’s definitely better company than my classmates.”

“I bet,” Alan laughed. He hoped this was the start of a rekindled friendship with Max, if only so he had every opportunity possible to tease him about his girlfriend. “What time does her flight land?”

“Oh, shoot!” Max’s eyes widened and he took his phone out of his pocket. The website to track Mariam’s flight was still open when he unlocked it. Sap. “A little over an hour now.”

“You should get going,” Alan said, surprisingly reluctant to say goodbye when he’d been debating even saying hello in the first place. “It’s gonna take you a while to find a taxi during rush hour. I gotta get back to work anyway.” He stood up. “Give me your phone.”

Max looked puzzled, but held it out.

Alan took it and plugged his number in, then tossed it back. “There – now you don’t have any excuse not to stay in touch.” He could tell Max was about to protest, promise he hadn’t making excuses, until Alan winked at him. “Don’t be a stranger.”

Max smiled one of his all-too-familiar megawatt smiles. “I won’t.”

Alan gave him a lazy salute, before heading back towards the counter. The rest of his day was going to drag now – he wasn’t stupid enough to think Max would text him when his girlfriend had just arrived – but it had already managed to be one of the better days he’d had in a long time.

“Hey, Alan!”

He turned around. Max was smiling still, his expression telling Alan everything he needed to know: they were okay.

“Thanks for the coffee.”

He smiled back.

“Anytime.”

Hopefully sooner, rather than later.

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

1 - “You didn’t have to scare me like that.” & 27 - Seeing each other for the first time in a while

So... do you remember when you talked about the Vardy AU of the Vardy AU...??

Oooh! I forgot all about that au! This takes place after the one story I wrote a while back. 

On with the fic!

--

They were back at Hardy's place, and it was just... surreal.

Lucian was here, with him, after so long, and Hardy had no idea how to react. So, he got right down to the point. "You didn't have to scare me like that."

The older man looked up, blinking. "Well, you had chased after me." He chuckled, taking this so well. "It's good to see you again, Alec. You look good."

"I look like death rolled over." Hardy scoffed. "You're just being nice."

"I know what I said to be true." He shrugged and Hardy was glad he hadn't drank much today, he was sure his face would be colored by that comment.

Hardy coughed, looking away. "What are you doing here, Lucian? I'm shocked that you've returned to the UK after so long."

Whatever joy Lucian had faded and he leaned back, trying to look like whatever he was going to say didn’t bother him. “I... I’m in hiding again, Alec.”

Hardy frowned at this, worried. “What happened?”

“It’s not something I’m comfortable with talking about right now. I’d rather just talk to you, catch up and all that.”

It was probably going to be a topic that Lucian would put off as long as possible, so it was best to just talk about something. “What do you want to know?”

“Well, we’ve had a lot of years between our last encounter, want to tell me what has been going on with you?”

Hardy shrugged and started to talk to him, telling him about what had happened after Lucian and his pack left back to mainland Europe. He spoke about finding a wife and then having a daughter. Lucian seemed surprised about that, but was very happy for Hardy.

“Are they here?” He glanced around, frowning. “It’s not a very big home.”

“Ah...” Hardy swallowed. “Tess and I are... not together anymore, divorced. Daisy lives with her, but we still talk.”

Lucian gave him a soft look. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, I’m fine. It was a few years ago, things are different now.” He almost wanted to say that was single, but Hardy would have felt like an idiot to do that! 

Yes, it was obvious he appeared to still have feelings for Lucian, like he had when they had spent all that time together, that there had been something between them... but so much has happened, it’s been so long. Best to just play it cool, slow.

...

Then again, Hardy was also the same fool who told Becca that it was alright if she stayed in his hotel room, so he’s about ready to just lay in the sun and see how long it takes before he’s a pile of dust.

“Well, that’s good. Good.” Lucian nodded, seeming unsure of what to say. “But are you doing well? Taking care of yourself?”

“As well as I can. And I’m trying, don’t worry. Miller keeps me in line.”

“Ah, the lady you were with.” Lucian chuckled. “A friend?”

“Best friend, coworker, and the one who makes sure I drink blood and get rest or else she threatens to kick my arse. And she will.” Hardy replied and Lucian laughed, it was so nice to hear it again.

Hardy was doomed. 

[mcyt-peach]

playground love

*:･ﾟ summary: a surprise visit from Phil's nephew lands you and George a babysitting gig

*:･ﾟ pairing: cc!george x gn!reader

*:･ﾟ warnings: mentions of injury, mentions of marriage (joke)

*:･ﾟ note: love George but you can't deny this man would be frustrating to work with because he'd keep falling asleep

*:･ﾟ series masterlist

"Y/n! George! Can you come up here for a bit?" Phil’s voice sounded out from the office window that overlooked the store.

"God I hope we’re not in trouble." George mumbles, climbing the stairs, still tired despite the slow day.

"What, afraid he’s gonna call you out for napping during your shift?"

"That was one time!" He tries to keep his exasperated tone quiet as the two of you approach Phil’s office.

"I’d like you both to meet my nephew, Michael!" Phil smiles, patting the back of a small child who's staring at his feet and tugging the bottom of his shirt. "Sorry to spring it on you two, but you’ll have to babysit him today."

You and George quickly share a look before Phil tacks on, "Don’t worry, he’s very well behaved." Another look was shared between you too, causing Phil to sigh and concede, "Fine, you can pick first for next week’s shifts."

You squat down beside the boy and give him a gentle smile. "Hi Michael, my name’s Y/n!"

The boy barely glances up at you and only mutters a polite "Hello Y/n."

George mirrors your stance and sends a small smile your way. "Hey buddy! Do you like coloring?"

Michael’s head snaps up as his eyes widen. You can't help but let out a slight laugh at his cute expression.

Both boys tear off towards the stairs as you shout a "Be careful!" after them. The sound of a tumble and then soft crying spurs a sigh from Phil. "Maybe you should get on that."

Right.

At the bottom of the stairs sat a crying Michael and an equally panicked George, who was desperately trying to calm the boy. Michael reached his tiny hands towards you and you brought the small boy into your arms in an attempt to comfort him.

One ice pack and two lollipops later, Michael was as happy as could be. He's perched on a comically large stool, swinging his feet back and forth as he draws next to your coworker.

"George! Why aren’t you drawing? You said you would help!" Michael whines a bit at the boy beside him.

Placing your hand on George’s head and ruffling his hair, you laugh. "That’s because pretty boy over here can’t tell his colors apart. Think you can teach him the colors, Michael?"

The boy’s face splits into a grin as he launches into an animated explanation of the rainbow.

The sound of the front door opening brings you back to the register. After checking out the customer, you feel a slight tug on your pants and look down to find a patiently waiting Michael. Once again, the boy reaches his hands up and you lift him into your grasp.

You give George a questioning look, but find no answer when he mirrors your confusion. Michael pokes your cheek to get your attention, holding a hand up next to your ear.

Leaning towards you, Michael asks, in the loudest whisper you’ve ever heard, "Is George your boyfriend?"

You can feel the shock run through your body at that moment. If you weren’t so utterly confused by this fever dream situation, you’d honestly be impressed by the fact that you didn’t drop the boy the second he asked you that question.

Instead, all you could do was stare at the "boyfriend" in question. His eyes were wide and his jaw might as well have been on the floor. His face was so red you would make a colorblind joke if you had the ability to. When you finally do remember how to speak, you sputter for a moment before managing anything coherent.

"W-what?! Michael, where’d you get that idea?" The boy looks at you with a very confused face, as if you just told him that aliens aren’t real.

"But you said he was pretty! And George said the same thing too. When we were drawing, I told him to draw something pretty and he drew you!" The boy might as well be exposing George’s deepest secrets with how much the Brit is groaning at him to stop.

George thought you were pretty?

"Michael! Your parents are here!" Phil’s voice once again makes an appearance from the office window and Michael hops down from your grasp.

"When you get married, can I come to the wedding?" The boy grins before racing up the stairs to Phil’s office.

Well, this was going to be an awkward shift.

taglist: @cultof-medusa @mooncaffeine @lemonedbeetle @patchesofwork @junebug-isunavailable @cryptidcritter @paradigmax @soot-and-co @alovestruck-fool @onehellofaweeb13 @stayacarat @ladylapize @satellitesunshine @hanaamara @nonetookind @tinylillx @jhinx-it @h0p33e @flowerguywashere @olibv @daydreamerwriting @mayempress @kaii-jpeg @msbonink @kkusuxa @oatnivison @crestentmoon5678 @nightmarefox15 @lous-blue @girlofthefandom @somethingsuperstupidsstuff @greatesthitz @thethiccestdaddy @hunneiuwu @megnotfound @missskyes @pressled @tokiyur @https-urwife @paranoia-agent11037 @cupidpebble @mhmelena @cupidpebble @elenawasfound

[yoursecondfirstlove]

Apple of my eye (part 3)

Edward Nashton x F!Reader

Gordon does some questioning and Ed does some bonding with our dear reader

Word count: 1304 words

PART 1 PART 2

Warnings: implied stalking, female reader

As much as (y/n) tried to act like her run in with the Riddler never happened it was impossible. Regulars at the diner still don’t look at her the same, her social media blew up briefly, people with riddler profile pictures flooding her comments, until she set every account she had to private. Her coworkers still treated her the same, thank god. Except maybe her manager Steven, who still would side eye her when the Riddler was mentioned.

It had been roughly a week now, the cute guy who always ordered pumpkin pie started coming in a lot more and every time he did Amber would just march right up to (y/n) and with a simple “he’s here” and (y/n) would be right on it.

He still hadn’t talked much, never did. All (y/n) knew was his name was Edward, he worked as “something boring…you don’t wanna hear about it..” and he was cute as anything. He looked at her like she was the most interesting, important person on earth. To him she was.

Every time she turned her back his smile would drop slightly, as he remembered his plans for the city…how could she be kept safe from the destruction? He’ll figure it out. He was sure of it.

One day, a familiar moustache walked through the door much to (y/n) surprise. “Lieutenant Gordon! What brings you here?” She’d definitely never seen him here before so she knew this wasn’t his usually coffee spot or anything. He smiled warmly, he was comforting to be around when he wanted to be “(y/n), hi” he brought his hand up to gesture to a booth. The two sat across from each other, both their arms crossed in front of them at the table.

“I’ve some follow up questions. About Riddler” he said it almost sombrely, like he was sure there would be some emotional turmoil and maybe staying soft with his approach would avoid any unnecessary mental damage. He was somewhat right, (y/n) could in no way stop herself from a bit of an emotional reaction, who could? But she just smiled tightly and slowly nodded her head “I’d figured you would.” Jim continued to look at her a moment, his face was gentle and then his questioning started.

“After your conversation with the Riddler, do any regulars stand out to you, any act similar? Talk similar? Anything like that?” (Y/n) shook her head. “Anyone new start coming here?” (Y/n) shook her head again, she thought it best to add “there is this guy that sits on the stools all the time who I’ve started noticing, my coworker Amber says he came in all the time when I wasn’t here before” Jim’s eyebrows creased “and he’s started coming in on your shifts just recently?” Jim’s interest in Edward made (y/n) nervous. Did Jim think Edward could be the Riddler? He couldn’t be, Edward was sweet, killers ARE NOT sweet.

(Y/n) knew if she told Jim about Edwards habits in coming to the diner it would only implicate Edward more to Jim, but what was she meant to do? Lie to the police? Absolutely not. She tried to remain nonchalant, as if the idea of Ed and the Riddler being connected hadn’t even occurred to her, cuz the idea was just OH SO stupid.

“Yeah, I noticed him a few days ago, I’m usually the one to serve him cuz Amber doesn’t like him all that much.” “Your coworker knows him personally?” Jim’s eyebrows raised. (Y/n) took a breath to speak but nothing came out for a moment “well no… Amber thinks he’s weird but Amber isn’t the biggest fan of most men so it’s not shocking” Jim’s eyes squint slightly as he nods slowly “okay… why does Amber think he’s weird? Has she told you?” (Y/n) waved her hand almost dismissively “yeah, they guys pretty quiet, she talks about how he just stares I guess” “stares at what?” “Nothing I guess, just like…generally”

Jim nodded again, looking to the side “has this guy ever given you a name?” Oh no, Jim was really interested now, but as much as it hurts her to drag the cutie who dishes out more than decent tips, she knows she can’t lie. “Just his first name, Edward” “has he ever used a credit card to pay? (Y/n) shook her head “only ever cash” Gordon stared off pensively for a moment before returning his gaze found its way back to her face, he smiled kindly but it was tight. “Thank you for your time” and with that he strode out.

As the day carried out as normal (y/n) couldn’t stop feeling guilty. She just implicated the sweet, cute nerd she’d grown the biggest soft spot for. She knew it wasn’t her fault, not really, Gordon asked about it she HAD to answer but now she can only imagine his confused adorable little face as he gets questioned by police for MURDER.

Once closing time came the sunken guilt still hung heavy in her stomach. She opted to walk out the front door as she didn’t want to walk around any back alleys this time of night but the moment she walked out a figure appeared next to her, she jumped, squealing a bit. “Woah! Hey…” the figure said softly as they reeled back a bit, once her eyes adjusted to the dark she saw it was just Edward. She let out a heavy breath, bringing her hand up to her beating heart chuckling a little at her own reaction. Edward joined in, laughing quickly “god I thought I was about to be killed” she laughed out, only half joking. Edward laughed, raising his hands up in a surrender jokingly “I’m not here to kill you, promise”

(Y/n) laughed as she locked the diners front door behind her. “I don’t blame you” Edward stated “for your reaction I mean. Gotham is a…a scary place sometimes” his voice trailed off a little as he spoke. (Y/n) turned to face him fully after locking the door. “Yeah…” she looked to her feet for a second. “Would you mind..maybe like.. walking me home?” Edward looked a tiny bit surprised at the suggestion “obviously if you don’t want to like no pressure you can say no” (y/n) rushed, Edwards eyebrows shot up even more “no no no no I want to!” He paused “I want to make sure you get home safe” he smiled, he looked elated.

(Y/n) grinned “alright” she said nodding “lets go”

The two walked, back and forth between comfortable silence and light conversation. Edward was far more talkative than (y/n) had ever seen him in the diner, maybe the lack of other people around increased his confidence a little bit.

After not long they had reached the small apartment building, (y/n) lived on the bottom floor so they walked right up to her door. “Well this is me, thank you…for doing this Ed” Edward grinned, simply shrugging.

Just as (y/n) reached for her keys it started raining, it started off light but it got heavier by the second. “Wait here!” (Y/n) quickly unlocked her door and grabbed an umbrella, shoving it in Edwards hands “here” Ed shook his head “no, no it’s fine, keep it! It’s yours!” (Y/n) shook her head right back “the only reason you’re still out right now is because you walked me home, please! Just take it. Both were starting to get wet in the rain, distracted by their arguing, finally Ed put up the umbrella, holding it over the both of them. “Thank you”

As he walked off (y/n) wished him a good night, he stuttered out a “y-you too” as his figure disappeared.

(Y/n) grinned to herself but her smile dropped after a few moments. God. Now she felt even worse about implicating the poor guy.

[immersed-in-mischief]

Prince Charming (Loki x Female Reader)- Part 2

I was too excited to wait any longer before posting part 2! This part is pretty long but it didn’t feel right to split it anywhere. Over 3k words! 

Summary: Things with Chaos begin to develop pretty quickly now that Loki his preoccupied with is new girl.

Warnings: none, just fluff 

 "Nice of you to join us, Sleeping Beauty!”

10 minutes late. Chaos had certainly accepted the challenge, alright. The sun was already peeking through the building outside your window when the two of you called it a night. Could it still be calling it a night when it wasn’t night anymore though? You had lost track of time in the shower replaying the conversation over again. The lack of hot water quickly brought you back to reality and you grabbed the closest outfit you could reach and threw your hair up in a bun as you raced to the conference room. You noticed Loki giving you a confused stare from across the table. He pretended to pay attention while typing a message out to you from his tablet.

L.Laufeyson: You’re staring off into space and grinning like a mad man. Stop it. It makes you look creepy.

You rolled your eyes and stuck your tongue out at him when Rogers turned his back to face the screen.

Who are you calling creepy? I know you only pay attention to the parts about hostile takedowns. Maybe I just really enjoy 7am mission briefings. You don’t know me as well as you think you do Mischief!

When Tony shared a look between you and Loki from his end of the table, you both put the tablets down and made a better attempt to pay attention. You tried to quietly hide your yawn. Maybe you could sneak in a nap later since you hadn’t actually gotten a wink of sleep.

Over the next few weeks, you not only talked to Chaos every night you weren’t away for a mission, the two of you had begun to exchange a few messages throughout the day as well when you both weren’t busy with work. Since you weren’t really hanging out with Loki much anymore, it was a welcomed distraction. You had come across him on his phone on several occasions with his book carelessly discarded somewhere nearby. He always seemed to get frustrated with you when you interrupted his reading so this girl must really be special to him. One afternoon, you swore you heard him sigh after putting his phone away. It felt like a punch to the gut. If he even noticed that you hadn’t had one of your movie nights or dinners together in nearly a month, it didn’t seem to bother him. It just gave you more excuses to return the flirtatious advances from Chaos. You couldn’t say that you were really fighting it all that hard though. It may have started out as a distraction, but it felt really good to feel wanted by someone again. Being head over heels for your best friend, coworker, and pretty much roommate makes dating kind of difficult.

With Rogers away on a mission, you cut training a few minutes short to hurry back to your room. A huge grin slowly spread to see the light in the corner of your tablet flashing. Even though it was hard, you resisted the huge to check the message and made yourself shower and change first. Once you were changed into your pajamas for the night, you curled up on the corner of the sofa in your room and slid the screen on.

Dove, I know you won’t see this until late this evening, but I didn’t want to wait another second to tell you that I truly missed our talks the last several nights while I was away. I’m anxiously counting down the minutes until you arrive home from work. You’ve quickly become my favorite part of my day

This guy knew exactly what to say to make you swoon. Part of you was glad he couldn’t see how often he made you blush. You noticed the message was sent just before you returned to your room and Chaos was still logged in.

What if you didn’t have to wait until late this evening?

The fact that he was immediately responding made you smile. Although it was foolish to believe the guy would be staring at the computer waiting for you, it still gave you butterflies when he was so eager to talk to you.

I’d say that’s the best news I’ve heard all day. Not that I’m not excited to see you online, but don’t you still have a few hours of work left, darling?

Grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch, you snuggled up on the couch with the charger for your tablet placed within reach.

Boss is out of town, so I cut out early today. Curling up at home to watch the rain while talking to my favorite person sounded better anyways 😉

Your secret is safe with me. Rainy afternoons curled up with a good book is on my list of favorite things, though speaking with you might have recently taken a higher position on said list. Would it be too forward of me to say that I would rather spend a rainy afternoon like this by your side instead of speaking through an electronic device?

There it goes again. You feel the heat on your cheeks as you bite your lip to control the grin on your face.

Were you really on a business trip or were you just spending time thinking of things to say to make me blush? Not that I’m complaining really. To answer your question, no it wouldn’t be too forward. I was thinking the same just now actually…

You always know how to make me laugh. Unfortunately, I’m not that smooth. I truly was away for business. I can’t help but wonder now how often I cause a blush to form on your cheeks. Maybe that will be my new mission, though it would not be a fruitful endeavor without seeing it in person. I’m sure it’s adorable

Not that smooth? I beg to differ! The number of times you make me absolutely swoon tells a different story. In order to keep my dignity, I won’t disclose what that number actually is at the moment. Let’s just say you must read classical literature and Shakespeare on a regular basis because it shows. Enough of my blushing and swooning! So, Chaos, if we were to be face to face on a rainy afternoon like this, how would we spend it? Not that I am assessing your dating skills or anything… or am I?

The fact that I make you blush and swoon often is quite flattering actually. I was raised somewhat old-fashioned I guess you could say. I was taught that a woman should be treated as a princess and that anything less is disrespectful. I guess you could thank my mother for that. If I’m being completely transparent, you tend to cause me to “blush and swoon” quite often as well, Dove. The feelings you stir within me make it nearly impossible to not let a smile grace my lips at the very thought of you…

Now that I’m sure I have a blush once again residing on your cheeks, I believe you inquired about my dating skills in a not-so-subtle way… Given the honor to have you accompany me on a date on a rainy afternoon such as this, I would say that a visit to a secondhand bookstore would be in order. I of course have a few around the city I like to frequent already. I would enjoy the opportunity to discover what books captured your attention and compare our favorites. Once we had found a few treasures and picked out at least one for the other to enjoy, we would find a place to sit and converse, just like we do here already. A quiet corner of a coffee shop would be a preferred place of mine. It would give us the chance to people watch as well. We could even make up stories about their lives and what we thought their day had entailed. If you didn’t feel it to be too intimate for such a date, I wouldn’t be opposed to finding a quiet place to curl up together to watch the rain and sit and read together.

I admit that I’m now quite curious, Darling. How does my answer fair in your assessment that you may or may not be performing on my ability to court?

You reread his answer a few times before you remembered that you now needed to write back. How could you be so flustered over….words? Now seemed like a good time to run to the kitchen for a snack. Something told you that you had already decided exactly how you wished to spend your evening.

As you made yourself a hot tea and let yourself imagine what a date like that with him would be like, you looked up to see Nat and Wanda standing there staring at you.

“I’m sorry. What did you say?”

They shared a look before turning back to you.

“Nat, I think our girl just literally floated into the room. She also hasn’t stopped smiling for days now. Could it possibly have anything to do with this mystery guy that you keep dashing away to talk to on your tablet possibly?”

Wanda and Nat laughed as they stood and waited for their answer. Nat was even more forward.

“It’s no secret. You charge that tablet nearly three times a day now. When are you just going to meet him already? You obviously are already completely smitten with each other. It’s written all over your face and if he is making you look like this all of the time, he must be pretty dreamy.”

You willed the kettle to heat up faster to escape this conversation.

“I don’t know. Maybe we will meet up at some point, but things are pretty great right now. What if we meet in person and there is no chemistry?”

Nat came and put a hand on either cheek, holding your head in her hands.

“Sweetie, if this guy was enough to help you forget that you are madly in love with your best friend, then there is zero chance that you two lack chemistry.”

They both laughed at the shocked look on your face. Wanda patted you on the shoulder and whispered as she walked by.

“Yeah, we know about that too. You don’t hide the way you stare at him very well. The only person who can’t see your feelings is Loki.”

Squeezing the bridge of your nose out of frustration, you whispered under your breath.

“Are there no secrets in this building?!”

Wanda seemed to get an idea and turned back around before leaving the kitchen.

“The costume party! That’s how you can meet him in person! Invite him to Tony’s costume party next week. If you don’t feel it in person, you will be in disguise anyways since it’s a masquerade ball! It’s perfect! Your own little fairy tale!”

Just as Nat got excited as well, you put a stop to it.

“Absolutely not! That is so cliché even for you two! Plus, I’m not meeting him for the first time in the lion’s den. That’s just cruel. Get over it. I am not inviting him to Tony’s party, end of discussion.”

“Inviting who?”

Your head whipped around to see Loki standing at the edge of the kitchen. His wet hair formed soft curls against his shoulders and left damp spots on the tight t-shirt that hugged him in all the right places. The sweatpants that hug low on his hips didn’t help stop your breath from quickening. You felt frozen under his gaze.

“Who are you not inviting, Bug?”

Before you could answer, Nat spoke up.

“Her new Boy Toy…”

You shot a warning glare to her before turning back to Loki in time to catch the smirk form on his lips.

“Boy Toy? Is that who has been stealing you away from me? Well then, sit by me tonight for movie night and you can tell me why exactly he is not being invited to Tony’s party.”

“I uh… I can’t tonight.”

He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at you.

“Come on Ladybug. I haven’t seen you in days and we both know we haven’t had a movie night in ages. Don’t you love me anymore?”

You unsuccessfully hid the squeak that escaped at his question. The pout he gave you told you that he was joking and not actually acknowledging the fact that you had been head over heels for him for way longer than should be allowed. Just as you tried to come up with anything at all to say, Wanda covered for you.

“She has a date with the Boy Toy.”

He seemed to accept that answer.

“Fine. But I expect you to attend the next one, Bug. Better not keep the Boy Toy waiting now.”

As he turned to head into the living room, the kettle started to whistle, and you let out a sigh of relief. When you finished making your tea and grabbing enough snacks to not have to leave your room anymore tonight, you turned to face them one more time.

“You two better help me find a damn good costume… I can’t believe I’m going to do this.”

They giggled and high fived as you shook your head. On the way back to your room, your mind drifted back to Loki. It was time to move on. At the mention of you dating someone, there was zero trace of jealously or emotion in his face. He didn’t see you like that and he never would. You had a guy that showed genuine interest in you and freely let you know as well. There was no wondering if Chaos wanted something more with you than a casual chat online. Meeting a stranger in person couldn’t be any safer than in a high security tower surrounded by the Avengers.

You took a sip of your tea and smiled at the flashing light on the tablet on the couch beside you.

I hope your silence isn’t an indication of a poor assessment…

Sorry! No not at all! I just stepped away for a minute to get something to eat. Although it is fun to make you sweat it out a little…

To say I’m relieved is an understatement, Dove. I thought maybe I had made you uncomfortable earlier.

Quite the opposite actually. It sounds like the perfect date to be honest. I’m quite the cuddler when given the chance. In fact, I’m curled up with a blanket and a hot tea as we speak…

Then I shall be jealous of said blanket and mug since they get to cuddle with you instead of me… Since we appear to both have the same thoughts as to what constitutes the perfect date, does that mean you find my skills adequate?

I suppose… 😊

So, Chaos, if you’ve already put thought into the two of us on a date, does that mean that you might want more than just exchanging messages online?... now I’m the one worried about being too forward!

 As the bubbles appeared and you waited for a response, you started to regret being so blunt with your questioning.

Darling, I’ve wanted that longer than I care to admit, so no you are not being too forward. I’ve thought about breaching the subject of meeting you in person for some time but could never gather the courage to do so. I’ve honestly never had a connection with someone truly as strong as I feel with you. Is a face-to-face meeting something you might want as well?

Absolutely. I’ve been nervous to bring it up too. I didn’t want to assume that the connection was mutual and end up embarrassing myself. I’ve made the mistake in the past of letting my heart get involved to find out too late that those feelings were not returned. It’s not something I wish to go through more than once.

Dove, I can assure you that is not the case with me. I assure you that any feelings you may have developed are returned tenfold. I have never seen your face or heard your voice, yet you have my heart… Does this mean I will soon get the opportunity to see the effects of this blushing and swooning you speak of with my own eyes?

That is really good to hear and I guess I need to start hiding such effects now… So … there is a reason for my line of questioning actually…

Oh? It that so? Please continue…

I’ve actually been given an invitation to a party at Stark Tower next weekend being hosted by the Avengers. Since we did meet in an Avengers chat room, it seems kind of poetic that we meet up at an event hosted by them.

It really is poetic isn’t it? I’m aware of the event you speak of though I hadn’t planned on attending. I would be willing to reconsider however if I knew that you were in attendance as well. Is it a masquerade ball in fact, is it not?

Yes, everyone attending is expected to be in costume. If I was not only in attendance, but there as your date, would it be enough to help you reconsider?...

More than enough, My Love.

Well, it’s a date then 😊

It would be my honor, Dove. There is still one matter to discuss. If we are both in costume, how exactly will I know when I’ve found you?

Would it be too cliché to attend as Cinderella and Prince Charming? It is a ball after all.

Not at all. In fact, I find it to be quite a romantic gesture to meet my princess for the first time dressed as her Prince Charming. You deserve to have your fairy tale moment, Darling.

So, it’s settled then. Next Saturday. Do you need me to get you put on the guest list?

That won’t be necessary. You aren’t the only one with connections, Love.

[dollslayer]

Sweeter Endings

Sugar Daddy!Steve Rogers x Reader

Summary: Still reeling from the financial realities of losing your mother you turn to a lucrative website for help and get more than you could have bargained for.

W/C: 5,325

Warnings: Smut (no minors 18+ only), light D/S dynamics, brief mentions of alcohol consumption, unprotected sex, swearing

A/N: NO MINORS, I wrote this for @donutloverxo 's Sugary 4k Challenge (Congrats!!) I love sugar daddy AUs so I was really excited to write this!! If you like it then please like/reblog/comment I'm all ears! Also maybe check out my other stuff if you want! Cheers!

Main Masterlist

____

The saying ‘desperate times call for desperate measures’ was truer than you’d ever imagined and you found out the hard way. Life had hit you hard last year. You had watched your mother succumb very quickly to cancer. A cold that just wouldn’t go away turned into a doctor’s visit turned into three months left to live. Having no one else in her life, the cost of her funeral and medical bills fell to you. The bills outweighing the inheritance you had no choice but to drop out of school.

One year later you were hanging on by threads to keep yourself off the streets without turning to a loan shark or selling yourself. Stocking shelves at a bougie grocery store in Soho by day and bartending in Tribeca by night had you working six days a week. What free time you had you were too exhausted to do anything with. Something had to give or you were going to collapse from the stress, you just didn’t know what.

A couple weeks ago you had been casually venting about how broke you were with a coworker when she jokingly suggested signing up for one of those Sugar Daddy sites. You laughed along with her but it sounded better than getting a third job. You had quietly asked one of your roommates to borrow their laptop saying you needed to look at job postings only half a lie, really and locked yourself in your room.

You were just gonna check out the website, maybe sign up and poke around, it didn’t mean you were committing to anything, just looking. You remembered first looking at the website once your shitty wifi loaded it, promising ‘beautiful and successful people making mutually beneficial connections’. You balked after reading that but you couldn’t look at any profiles without making one yourself so you had set to work.

After making your profile you hadn’t gotten any hits in about a week so you shrugged it off. You couldn’t keep hogging your roommate’s computer anyways so you set off back to work. Your days at the store wore on into endless nights at the bar and you wondered what other options you really had when you had no degree and no experience in any relevant field.

___

6 o’clock on a Thursday night, the typical after work crowd begins to roll in. The bar you work in is upscale, classy. Definitely trying to lure in the businessmen that worked in the area and their wallets. It annoyed you to deal with the same type of customers you did at the store all over again but with the high end crowd came good tips so you couldn't complain too much.

It was busier than usual when a group of men in suits walked in together asking for a booth. You saw a lot of business meetings take place over whiskey sours in this place so you didn’t think much of it. You tried your best to keep tending to your regulars when a pair from the group came over.

One of the men had deep brown eyes and a sly grin that when split gave you the perfect view of the gap between his teeth. He was confident but he had a kind look to him. His friend had dirty blond hair and a beard that clung to his perfect jawline and you’d be lying if you said you hadn’t snuck a second look. You turned your back and continued filling orders to distract yourself when one of them cleared their throat behind you.

As you turned to face them you found it was the blond calling after you. His face held a hint of surprise but it was quickly replaced by a look of amusement as he smirked and one brow lifted, like he knew something you didn’t. He was like any other typical customer for you, professional and handsome, probably over-confident in himself. You returned his smirk and prepared your best charming banter. Time to earn those tips.

“Something to drink for you, gentleman?” You offered.

“We’d like a round of scotch for the table over there. You don’t mind bringing it over, do you sweetheart?” the brown-eyed man asked.

“Of course not” you answered. Pricks.

“Good girl” the blond said with a wink. Creep. A hot creep but still. Before you could ask he took his card out of his wallet and put it on the counter for the tab.

____

A round had come and passed, soon they’d asked for another but this time it was just the blond that approached you. You lifted your eyebrows in anticipation of an order.

“You here often?” he asked. Ugh, not even a good pick up line.

“Am I here at my job often?” You retorted with a playful smile.

The man’s shoulders shook as he chuckled. “Sorry you just uh, you look familiar that’s all. What’s your name?”

You supplied him with it and asked him if he wanted another round of scotch. He nodded.

“Smart girl, I’m Steve by the way.” He laid down his business card which you picked up with a look of challenging curiosity. Steve Rogers, CEO of Shield inc.

Oh. You didn’t recognize the name but you definitely knew the company. It felt like a quarter of their employees stopped in for a drink throughout the week and it was prominent enough of a company that you read about it weekly. Play it cool, these types want to feel like an every-man at the bar but still wanna feel important.

You raised your eyebrows again in recognition. “Nice to meet you, Steve, I’ll have your round right out.”

“Good Girl” he winked again at you. Okay so it’s hot, but he’s a total stranger and you don’t even know him. Stay on your game.

___

10 o’clock came around and things were thinning out slightly, regulars made their way out, awkward Tinder dates and rowdy young 20-somethings made their way in. The party of businessmen was still around but they were hopefully wrapping up after the 2 more rounds they’d had. Steve approached the bar once more and you preemptively picked up the bottle of scotch.

“Whoa, easy, girl! I’m here to pick up the tab” He said, taking out his wallet.

“What’s the name on the tab?” You decided to play dumb but based off the grin on his face he knew you were playing with him.

“Steve. Rogers.” He replied, his tone was stern but his eyes told you he was in on the joke.

You cashed him out and left him to sign his receipt so you could make more drinks. You saw him move in your peripheral and turned your head to see his face.

“Have a good night, sweetheart. I’ll be seein’ ya” he promised.

“Take care!” You smiled back.

A few minutes later you circled back to collect his receipt and found three $100 bills staring back at you. You blinked dumbly in disbelief, who the hell leaves a 200% tip? Looking around to see if Steve was still here he was nowhere to be found. You had no choice but to pocket the money.

____

Another week went by and left you wondering how much energy and concentration it would take for you to just evaporate, since that seemed easier than going to work today. Sadly still in solid form, you punched in at the store and stowed your things in your locker.

Your upscale customer base was a mostly pretentious and successful group of yuppies so even though you were grateful to not be on the streets you were constantly reminded of the professional success you couldn’t help but feel that you were missing out on. Stuck instead to listen to incessant whining ‘is this organic? I won’t eat it unless it’s organic’.

The upside of this job was that the time went by quickly because you always had so much to do. Plus with how monotonous the work was it was easy enough to zone out. So much so that you hadn’t heard someone calling your name and approaching you. A hand softly touching your shoulder snapped you into the present.

You looked up, startled to find a pair of blue eyes staring back into yours. You took a step back and processed who it was. “CEO guy?” Steve?

“‘CEO guy?’ I thought I recognized you, ‘barmaid’ or should I say… ‘stock girl?’” He joked using his fingers to make quotations.

Now that you thought about it, the store isn’t that far at all from the bar, it would make sense if he’s in the area. You smiled and tapped your nametag in response.

“I just came in on my lunch to grab a few groceries” looking down at his basket it held some protein powder, some eggs, and one lonely banana. “Clearly, I’m single. But you’d know that already, wouldn’t you?”

Your brows twinged together in confusion. What is that supposed to mean?

“Excuse me?”

He edged a little closer to you and lowered his voice “SeekingConnection.com?”

Your eyes widened in shock. The fucking Sugar Daddy site! I forgot about that! Surprise was quickly replaced with humiliation. You looked down and away as you felt your cheeks heat up.

“I don’t mean to embarrass you” Steve placated, “But I gotta say, I’m pretty hurt you never responded to me. I sent that message weeks ago and let’s just say I’m not used to rejection.” He kept his tone light, letting you know he wasn’t mad.

“I-I um, I’m sorry, I don’t have a computer and they don’t have an app, I was using my roommates’ computer and I guess I forgot about it…” You admitted.

Steve nodded in acknowledgement. Please say something to salvage this conversation. Please.

“Well,” Steve rummaged in his pocket for another business card. “You got a pen on you?”

You dug around in your apron and came up with one. Handing it to him you watched as he wrote on the back of the card. He held the card and the pen out to you.

“That’s my number, I’d ask for yours but I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable, you already look like you wanna sink through the floor” Not helping, but I do. You took them from him and tucked them away in the pocket of your apron.

“You do have a phone right?” You only glared at him in response. “Well, if you check your profile, you would’ve seen I asked you out to lunch, offer still stands. Just text me when you’re free”

Should I even say yes? I mean, the winking the other night was weird but he’s good looking and at least somewhat considerate. I mean, it’s not like I had any other intention when I signed up for that site. What the hell. right?

“I… usually work mid shifts so I don’t know if lunch is doable, they only give me half an hour but, maybe we could do coffee? I’ve got tomorrow off from the bar I could meet you” you suggested.

If Steve felt pity for you he hid it well behind the wide smile he made when you offered coffee instead.

“There’s a place around the corner from here, just up a block, you know it? I’m off tomorrow at 6, why don’t you meet me there?”

“Sounds like a plan.” He winked at you again and started walking away. What the hell just happened?

____

You did end up borrowing your roommate’s computer once again when you got home to look up Steve’s DM. Sure enough, there he had been in all his internet glory. ‘Steve, 33, CEO. likes: art, conversation, whiskey. Digging around further on his profile you found that he owned several houses here and in Europe, he had a dog that was cuter than he was, and that he was ‘Seeking deeper connection’. All of these things piqued your interest.

‘Hey, Doll. Saw your profile and I had to ask, what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this? Kidding, of course. But maybe you’d care to tell me your story over lunch? Your profile says we’re both in New York. - Steve’ Sent three weeks ago. Fuck.

You had texted him earlier to confirm, which is how you found yourself walking up the sidewalk towards the shop with a mind running rampant with nervous thoughts. What if he just wants to feel big about himself in comparison to me? What would I even really have to offer the relationship? A college dropout working two dead-end jobs with no social life. You needed to snap yourself out of it. You were just meeting for coffee doesn’t mean anything.

Pushing open the door you found Steve waving at you from a quiet corner. He was still in a suit, presumably coming from work himself. Even the buttons on his shirt looked expensive. You were wearing dirty jeans and a worn pair of work boots paired with a flannel. You couldn’t have looked more different if you tried.

“I waited for you to order,” He said. You smiled up at him, only now realizing how tall he was in comparison to you. He ushered you both towards the counter where you both placed your orders. You moved to take your wallet from your purse but he had already beat you there.

“Really? As if I’d let the lady pay, and on the first date no less?” He said playfully.

“Oh, so this is a date now, is it?” You kidded.

Steve shoved his hands in his pockets and gave you that boyish grin and a shrug. The pair of you made your way back to the table and waited for your drinks to be brought over.

“How was work?” You asked, “What exactly is it that your company does?”

“We offer security and surveillance software domestically as well as international. Stadiums, airports, other government buildings. Things of that nature. And work was fine, thank you for asking” Steve said with a genuine smile. “How was your day, doll?”

“Oh, my day was fine, more of the same but y’know,” You answered half-heartedly.

“You know, you never answered me, what’s a funny, pretty gal like you doing on a site like that?”

Embarrassment hit you again, this time maybe accompanied with a hint of shame. You were saved momentarily by your drinks being delivered. He seemed truly interested and since he was paying you supposed you owed him an answer.

“I was going to Columbia and I had a pretty good internship when my mom got diagnosed with cancer. She died three months later and since it was only always just the two of us I ended up footing the bill. I was on partial scholarship but between the hospital and the funeral I can’t really afford the rest of tuition on top of working for free so here I am” you explained, “Oh my god, I’m sorry I’m totally oversharing aren’t I? You probably don’t wanna hear about a bummer like this, sorry”

You tried to laugh to ease the tension you thought you’d created. Braving a look at Steve, he looked thoughtful and only a little bit like he pitied you. You could live with that.

“I’m really sorry about your mom, mine also got really sick before she died, I know it must’ve been hard. What were you in school for?”

___

You and Steve talked for hours, trading anecdotes of childhood and talking about each other’s interests. You had a similar sense in humour so you got on swimmingly. The evening seemed to be coming to a close as the night sky sent in through the window.

Being with Steve was probably the most relaxed you’d felt since before your mom was diagnosed. It became difficult to focus on anything but your financial situation and even though that’s what brought you here in the first place you had managed to forget all about it.

“So look, us getting together wasn’t exactly the most conventional on meet-cutes but to put it bluntly,” He said, “The CEO life makes it hard to meet real people and it gets kinda lonely, I mean, you saw my grocery basket” You both laughed at that. “You need money and I need company, I feel like we could help each other out. Whad’ya say? Think you could put up with me?”

You knew what this was but hearing it put so plainly was a little surprising. At least he was to the point.

“So if I said yes what does that mean, exactly?” you inquired.

“Well,” he started, “We take care of each other. Let me cover some of your bills at the very least, make it so you’d be comfortable quitting at least one of your jobs. And you’d keep me company, we go on dates, maybe you could come over, there’s the occasional work event or charity gala I’d need you on my arm for. Thoughts?”

God I can’t even imagine what it’s like to work only one job anymore. Maybe I could even save up and go back to school. He’s cute and he seems sensible, why not?

“Could we maybe take things slow? What you describe is something I’m down for but I don’t want to make myself completely dependent on you. But I’d love to be there for you, and I have to admit, the thought of only working one full time job is pretty crazy to me” You laughed.

Steve swallowed and placed one of his large, warm hands over yours.

“I can do things the old fashioned way, if that’s what you’d feel good with. I gotta say though, with looks like that it’s not gonna be easy” he jested.

You smiled shyly and looked away. You both stood to leave and he held the door open for you.

“I’ve already got your number from when you texted me earlier but I’ll talk to my assistant about my schedule and maybe I could take you out to dinner this weekend?”

“I um, I’d really like that. It’s a date” You stated.

“Oh, so you think this is a date now?” He jested.

You lightly punched him in the arm and he took the opportunity to pull you closer to him. You looked up to find his face inches from yours. You could smell his aftershave and his deep voice gave you goosebumps when he spoke next.

“I kinda want to kiss you goodnight, would that be okay?”

You could only nod as he shut his eyes and closed in. Your lips met in one perfect, chaste kiss. You sighed and leaned into his hand as it briefly cupped your face.

You broke apart and made promises to see each other soon. You felt like you could’ve floated home as you boarded the subway, caught up in the swarm of newly forming feelings.

_____

You sat in the break room when your phone buzzed to life, ‘Saturday at 7?’

You were about to type out a yes when you forgot you worked closing at the bar. Your thumbs moved quickly to tap out the reply ‘Working, sorry :/ the pitfalls of bartending. Sunday at 7?’

You were nervous telling him no and asking to change plans. You hated not being able to make things work but you only just met the man and the weekend tips were killer, it’s not like you could turn the shift down.

‘Ah yes, almost forgot. Sunday works too, I’ll text you the details. What’s your address? I’ll pick you up’

Oh, God. Steve can’t see my building! His cufflinks probably cost more than my rent!

‘I’ll just meet you there, don’t worry about it’

‘Not a chance, doll. Just tell me where and I’ll come get you’

You let out a worried sigh but knew you had to let it go. You sent him your address and went back to work.

____

Saturday was maybe the longest day in your entire week, in fact you loathed it. Mornings at the store followed by running immediately to the bar. Last call in New York was 4am so it’s a good thing you didn’t try to make brunch plans with Steve for Sunday. But ultimately both your shifts passed without major incident and now it was Sunday and you tried to ready yourself the best you could.

The place Steve mentioned was fancy, you knew that much from a quick search. Panicking instantly upon realizing you don’t really have any nice clothes you turned to your most fashionable roommate for help. She loaned you a cocktail dress that was revealing enough to draw interest without giving everything away. You just hoped Steve would like it.

‘Downstairs, doll. Silver BMW’ you exhaled. Hoo boy, here we go.

____

Steve handed his keys to the valet and rushed around to open your door for you. You held his hand and you clambered onto the sidewalk in your heels. His warm hand on the small of your back as he steered you towards the doors was a comforting weight.

Dinner has been lovely so far, he chose a place that wasn’t completely white-glove but was upscale enough to make you feel only a little underdressed.

You joked back and forth with him over the course of the meal, talked about your lives, and even found out you both have a guilty pleasure for cheesy rom-coms. It wasn’t until dessert and your third glass of wine came that you realized how much time had passed. You frowned slightly thinking of the early morning ahead of you followed by a long night at the bar.

“What’s wrong, doll?”

“Oh, nothing I just didn’t realize how late it was, I’ve got both jobs tomorrow it’ll just be a long day that’s all” you tried to wave it off but Steve frowned in response.

“Quit the bar” he stated.

“What?”

“Quit the bar. This is your card, I’ve already loaded $3000 on there. Put me in touch with your landlord and I’ll get you taken care of.” He slid the card across the table to you. Your name printed on the front. This got real very quickly.

“Steve, that’s.” You were in shock, a loss for words almost “that’s too much, I don’t know what to say.” You felt embarrassed taking the money. You knew that was the essence of your arrangement but actually taking his money had you feeling uneasy.

“Honey, this is what I’m here for. Let me take care of you. Give up your late nights. I wanna take you out on the weekends and you’ll need to be available for events. You can stay at the store if you want but quit the bar, you don’t need it.”

You took a deep sigh. He did say he wanted you to be comfortable quitting one of your jobs; it's just making the change that scares you. But something about Steve felt safe so you nodded and looked up to him.

“I’ll put in my two weeks”

“Good girl” he patted your knee and you involuntarily clenched your thighs. He smirked at that but let it go.

____

A few months had come and gone since that night and your time with Steve had been great. Only working the one job gave you so much more free time. You'd spent a good chunk of it just trying to form a normal sleep schedule but all the time you spent with Steve made it difficult. Not that you minded especially since your allowance was monthly but he’d showered you with gifts here and there.

They started off small, perfume, chocolates and flowers, or a simple pair of white gold hoops that reminded him of you. They gradually became pricier and more elaborate. You’d felt guilty accepting it all at first but he was insistent you deserve the best. He had even mentioned you moving out maybe finding a better place but you reminded him you needed to go slow.

He’d also been nothing short of a gentleman. Out in public at least, you’d learned the hard way that he was an absolute animal in bed. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep your hands off of him.

Something you had appreciated about Steve is that he never made you feel bad or less than for being broke. Never held his money over your head like leverage. You’d felt equal to him in all aspects, understanding you had just as much say as he did.

Still, there was a small nagging voice in the back of your head that reminded you Steve is not your boyfriend. This isn't a relationship and he's looking to get something out of just like you are. But if you were being honest you were catching feelings, it was hard not to when the man was giving you the fantasy. You decided to push that voice aside whenever it came up and let yourself be swept away. Maybe that would bite you in the ass but for now you were happy.

____

You were buzzed into Steve’s building and on the elevator ride up to his penthouse your phone buzzed. ‘I have to make a quick call- I’ve got a present waiting for you in the living room.’ You couldn’t help but feel giddy.

The doors opened and Steve was nowhere in sight but as you entered the living room a bag from Chanel and the Apple Store sat on the table. Oh god, what this time? I swear this man is too much.

You opened the smaller bag from Chanel first and found a beautiful black and white evening bag. It was sleek and simple, very much to your tastes. You were nervous to open the Apple bag, Steve always went overboard. Shakily removing the paper you pulled out the slim case in disbelief. A MacBook Air and a pair of AirPod Pros. The man well and truly spoiled you.

“You said you didn’t have a computer.” His voice came from behind you and startled you.

“Steve, this is too much. You’re too much.” You swung your arms around his neck and kissed him.

“Nothin’s too much for you, doll.” He kissed the top of your head.

“Think you could take a couple days off of work? I just got off the phone and confirmed plans for my house in Nice.”

A trip? France?? Oh my god. How is this my life? You felt so overwhelmed that you grabbed Steve by the collar and brought his face down to meet you in a kiss. His tongue swiped your lips and you granted him entrance. Moaning into his mouth your hands traveled up into his hair, pulling softly and coaxing a groan out of him.

He guided you to sit on the couch and brought you down into his lap. You ground down onto him and felt his hard-on through his slacks. Your hand moved slowly to undo the buttons of his shirt as he kissed down your jaw towards your neck. You sighed softly when he found your sweet spot and started sucking.

He helped you take off his shirt while you got started on his belt and undid his pants. He lifted himself off the couch slightly to move them down to his knees, taking his briefs with them. His cock stood proud and an angry red, leaking at the tip.

“I wanna ride you, I can’t wait.” You pouted as you writhed against him in need.

Steve tutted at you “that’s no way to get what you want. Ask me nicely, baby. Beg to ride my cock,”

You ground down even harder and whined. “Please, sir, please let me ride your cock. I need to feel you, I can’t wait any longer please.”

“Good Girl” Steve's hands flipped up your skirt and found your panties, ripping them to shreds. They were La Perla and had cost a pretty penny but he didn’t care.

He lined himself up and brought you down harshly gripping your hips. You moaned loudly in surprise and satisfaction and wasted no time moving back and forth. Steve made you feel so close and connected to him whenever he fucked you but he still made you feel sordid and dirty. You couldn’t get enough of the feeling, you’d gladly chase it.

His eyes were hooded as watched you chase your own pleasure and giving him some in return. His hands kneaded your ass and smacked it just to get a gasp out of you. He grabbed the back of your head and brought you in for a searing kiss that was all teeth and tongue. He’d nip at you and lick the pain away.

His hips met yours, finding your rhythm and speeding you both up when he gripped your hips.

“Can’t wait to have me, you had to fuck me on the couch huh?” Steve panted, “my dirty girl. So fuckin’ gorgeous.”

You put your forehead against his and went harder, pushing your clit to grind against the muscles of his abs.

“Only yours, sir.” Your orgasm was building. Steve was a pretty relaxed dom but you still needed permission.

“Sir, please let me cum I can’t wait any longer” you tried your best to slow your movements a bit.

“I think you can hold it baby, I wanna enjoy you a little longer”.

You could only whine in response and tried to slow your pace but his grip on your hips and his own movements pushed you further and further towards the edge. You tried to squirm out of his grasp but his hands only tightened. It felt like forever until Steve finally gave you permission.

“Go on baby, cum for me you earned it. Fuck your self on my cock and cum all over me”

Your movements were frantic, desperate to chase your orgasm when finally the perfect angle of his cock inside you and your clit against him set you free. You cried out above him and dug your nails in deep.

Steve held you firmly in place and started slamming into you from below, finally letting himself think about cumming. All you could do was hold on for mercy. Moments later he brought you down onto him one final slam as he came inside of you with a cry.

The only sound in the room was both of you trying to catch your breath. You sighed again and collapsed against him, nuzzling your face into his neck. He kissed the side of your face and let you make yourself at home while he caressed your back.

____

One shower and two more orgasms later you were both clean and made your way to the kitchen. Steve was gathering the ingredients for dinner when you hugged him from behind. Your head resting against his back. Steve twisted around and hugged you in full. You both stayed like that for a moment until you looked up at him.

You were so content. Moments like this where you were just domestic were some of the best between you. It wasn’t about money or material, it was just the two of you making dinner and enjoying each other, no barriers.

“Are you really going to take me to France?” Your voice came out muffled against his chest.

“Of course, doll. After dinner I want you to use your new laptop to buy some outfits for the trip. I left my card in your new purse.”

You lifted onto your tiptoes and kissed his nose.

“You really do think of everything, don’t you?”

“What can I say? I’m a planner” he retorted.

You didn’t know it yet but Steve was going to ask you to become official while you were there. He wasn’t worried in the slightest. In fact he’d never been so sure about something in his life.

[luxwritesfanfic]

On Tap

Sherlock insists that it would work better with the reader on top and after the night they’ve had, there’s no point in arguing. Or, the one where reader plays superhero for poor Greg and her beloved detective. Thanks for reading!

Sherlock Holmes/Reader

You hadn’t even taken your shoes off when your phone started ringing in your purse. Sighing, you dug around for it with one hand and reached for the lightswitch with the other. Work had been incredibly stressful since you were working short during flu season and everyone in London had been feeling under the weather apparently. You had told your coworkers that if they really needed you that you would come back even though you had put a solid 16 hours in. Sherlock and John had gone out for John’s bachelor party so you didn’t mind working late, and Bucky was visiting his brother in the States so all your time was truly yours. You had thought about soaking in the bath or catching up on that show you always missed, but all of those thoughts were stopped in their tracks when the ringing persisted.

“Hey, what’s up?” You tried not to sound like you’d rather chew on glass than clock one more minute into the hospital but you weren’t sure you were so convincing.

“Come get him. Please, for the love of God, come get him.” At hearing Greg’s voice, you were both relieved yet confused. Sherlock must’ve invited him last minute to celebrate with them, you didn’t remember him saying that he was coming along.

“Oh, I didn’t know you went out with the boys! Where are you guys?” It was nice to know they were all having a good time. You liked Greg and thought he was a really good friend for Sherlock and John. You had plopped down on the couch and had started pulling one of your shoes off when he said, “No, I didn’t go with them. They were brought to me. Someone called the cops on them and now I’ve got tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum arguing about the solar system and taking turns puking in my waste bin. Please, I beg of you, come get him. Matter of fact, I can bring him home. If that makes the process quicker--- I mean easier.” You heard Sherlock trying to take Greg’s phone in the background, asking to talk to you and then quickly after arguing with John once more if it was really that important he knew they orbited the sun. Greg sounded just as exhausted as you felt and you could only imagine how annoyed he was by the drunk detective that he was already annoyed with most of the time sober.

“Yeah, yeah of course I’ll come get him. I’m actually at my flat though, so if you could meet me at his place that would be awesome. I’d just need a few minutes to finish up here...” You mourned the hot bath you were never going to get to take and worked on shoving the shoe you just took off back on, “did you call Mary for John?”

“Yes, she’ll be over soon. As soon as she gets here, I’ll bring Sherlock. You’re doing the Lord’s work, thank you.” With that, he hung up and you went to your room to pack an overnight bag. You were exhausted and if you had to go all the way to Sherlock’s, it would be easier for you to crash on the couch than to try to come back home late.

By the time you got to Sherlock’s, you were dragging your feet up the stairs and you could barely keep your eyes open. You had received a text from Mary when she picked John up saying “good luck” and you wished you knew what you were walking into. You had never seen Sherlock drunk, or heard any stories of him being drunk, but you were sure he was even more eccentric than he was sober. If you weren’t so tired, you’d be jumping with joy at the experience to see Sherlock so out of character. 

You went into Sherlock’s room and laid out some pajamas for him and went ahead and put a water bottle and some Advil on his nightstand because you were sure he would need it. After doing that, you changed into something more comfortable too and rummaged through his fridge to see if there was anything to eat. Thumbs, unsalted butter, and milk that shouldn’t look like blue cheese was what was on the menu and you had decided sleep for dinner sounded much more appetizing. You’d go shopping for him tomorrow.

Greg had texted that he was outside but Sherlock didn’t have his key so you made your way down the steps to meet them. Upon opening the door, Sherlock looked up at you like he hasn’t seen you in ages. He stumbled towards you and held you at arms length with a look of wonder on his face. “Finally! Y/N, I was thinking I’d die from being surrounded by total stupidity, and here you are. Ever the shining light and the beacon of hope.”

You felt the heat from his stare and turned to Greg to try and keep your composure under all his attention. “Uh.. I— thank you. For bringing him home.”

Still staring at Sherlock and shocked by his outburst, Greg met your eyes with a knowing smile. “It’s no trouble. He’s your problem now. Good luck, my dear.” He was gone in the blink of an eye, leaving you with a very drunk Sherlock Holmes and a dozen steps to climb.

“Okay,” you clapped your hands together, turning towards the door, “do you think you can get up the stairs? Or do you want me to help you?”

“Don’t be an idiot,” he started until his eyes widened like he forgot who he had been talking to. It had only been a second but he saw the look that flashed across your face. You hated when he made you feel dumb because you always tried so hard to keep up with him, and he knew that. You didn’t have a chance to react before he quickly interrupted. His previous statement was immediately followed by, “I’m sorry. Forgive me. Please help me.”

You just nodded, unsure of what made him have such a quick change of heart but you were happy he did. You hated him thinking you were dumb. In comparison to him, maybe, but you were intelligent in your own right and you did a better job of keeping up with him than most. He threw his arm around your shoulders to steady himself and allowed you to lead him carefully up the stairs. He started telling you about his night and it honestly sounded like he had a great time, and so did John. You were really happy that it all worked out even if they did end up with Greg at the end of it all.

As soon as the back of Sherlock’s legs hit his chair, he was down in a clean swoop and you took the opportunity to start untying his shoes. He seemed like he was lost in thought and was quiet for a few moments but you could tell from the way he was swaying that he was too far gone to sober up before the morning.

“I already put your clothes out for you and I’ll help you to the bathroom so you can brush your teeth. You’ll love me for that in the morning.” You smiled at him as you pulled off his loafers and moved to stand up so that you could figure out how you were going to get him out of his chair.

“Will I, though? Will I tomorrow once I’m in my right mind?” He asked, and while he didn’t say it in an ignorant tone, it sounded like Sherlock, and that was close enough.

You looked at him hoping he’d say something else. But he didn’t, and he looked back at you with a look of confusion as if he was really expecting you to answer that. It seemed like just last week he was in your bed trying to convince you that he didn’t have eyes for anyone besides you and now he’s reminding you that he’s not even sure of that. Sherlock could have you at the top of the poll and then have you kissing the ground in the same hour if he tried.

“It’s just a saying. I didn’t really mean...you know, let’s— let’s just get you to bed. It’s late and you have a date with a hangover in the morning.” You could tell he was on the verge of passing out which was good in the way of no more awkward conversations but horrible in that you’d never get him into bed as dead weight. So you pushed things along and eventually got him in bed before he was out like a light.

Draping the blanket over him, you watched as his eyes fluttered behind his lids and how his lips twitched as fell into a deeper sleep and you were sure then that you would never love anyone more. You would never understand how he didn’t realize how beautiful he made the ordinary and how easily he made everything extraordinary. Afraid that you’d turn to stone if you spent any more time staring at him, you turned off his light and made your way to the living room where the the couch had never looked more inviting. It didn’t take you long to get settled in and asleep seeing as the TV in the background ended up being the perfect thing to mask Sherlock’s drunk snores and you had never been more tired in your life.

—

“I thought you were staying over?”

It had only been a few hours since you  had put Sherlock to bed when he found himself looking over you on the couch, wrapped up in his bedsheet.

“M’right here.” You murmured into the pillow, body still turned away from Sherlock on the couch. He was probably still drunk and you were hoping if you laid still enough he’d wander back to bed.

He didn’t respond to you, instead he continued to stand and stare with his lips pursed and brows furrowed. You had drifted back off only to be nudged awake once more.

“I won’t fit like that.” He gestured with the hand not holding the sheet to the couch, sounding exasperated like he had been explaining this to you all night. “It’ll only work if you’re on top, so get up so I can lie down first.”

You didn’t process what he said really, you just knew that if he was being persistent and you didn’t do as he asked he’d never let you go back to bed. You squinted as your eyes adjusted to the light and swung your legs off the couch, standing on stiff bones. Sherlock immediately made to get comfortable on the couch while you stood dazed and confused and he cleared his throat expectantly when he had finally got settled. He was on his back with one arm holding the sheet up between himself and the back of the couch allowing room for you to climb over and snuggle right into him.

All you could do was blink and hold his stare as he waited expectantly, still holding the sheet for you. You didn’t think he was asking you to lay with him, especially with how close you’d two be. Sure, you shared your bed before, but there was always enough room for you both to have your own space. You could tell he was getting embarrassed by your reaction, or lack there of.

“I didn’t think this would be rocket science, even for someone like you.” His nervousness was showing as he yanked his arm back down and curled into to himself like a child. You jumped into action so you wouldn’t upset him any more and shook his shoulder as you whined, partially from exhaustion and from missing the chance to sleep next to him.

“I’m tired, I’m sorry! I didn’t realize what you were asking. Come on, open up. Let me in.” You continued to shake at his shoulder until he looked back at you. He looked wrecked from drinking all night and you knew this bout of sobriety wouldn’t be as easy on him in the morning but you were sure he looked holy.

Sherlock reluctantly brought his arm up again and you wasted no time sliding under the sheet and tucking yourself under the crook of his arm. He smelled like beer and mouthwash and Sherlock and you thought you were going to go into cardiac arrest when he brought his arm back down on you, subsequently pinning you down to him. It was definitely a tight fit especially since the couch barely fit Sherlock but you had decided that if you had the opportunity to sleep with him like this every night that you would. Back pain be damned.

The steadiness of his heartbeat was already working you back to sleep. Sighing content, you let your body fully relax and sink further into him.

“You never answered my question.” He shifted next to you and kept you close to him all the same, his head leaning to rest on yours.

“Hmm?” You made an incoherent sound, your breath evening out as you fell asleep.

“My question,” he whispered more so to himself as he worked it out in his head. The feelings he found himself harboring for you were ones he had never felt before. He thought  so highly of you in a way he couldn’t understand even if he wasn’t the best at expressing it. You were patient with him when he got on your last nerve and was amazed by him when other people would tell him to piss off. You were always kind and warm and made him feel human even after he spent so long separating himself from his feelings. He couldn’t stand the idea of you looking at anyone else the way you looked at him when you thought he wasn’t looking.

So yes, he thought. Yes, he would love you in the morning. He’d love you when you’re angry with him for putting himself at risk during a case and he’d love you when you were overly tired and petulant after he made you stay up all night to keep him company in the lab. He loved that you valued him regardless of what he offered you, and that you always showed him that even if he never reciprocated it. You were never embarrassed by him, you always tried to learn about what he was interested in, and you never doubted him even when he was wrong.

Girlfriends weren’t naturally his area... but he didn’t think he would mind if it was you. He liked being close to you and physical touch wasn’t something he had sought out often before. He found that he chased the opportunity to be near you at all times. He thought you looked lovely in scrubs and a lab coat and even lovelier in your everyday wear, even if you considered it plain. He had begun to notice the way other people stared at you when you walked by and it left him with the most unsettling feeling. But then you’d smile at him and despite himself he’d smile right back and he wondered if anything in the world mattered to you besides him. Because in those moments, nothing mattered to him besides you.

Sherlock woke up alone again the next morning with the worst headache he’d ever had. Light was shining through the curtains and he cursed the sun for rising another day as he covered his eyes and groaned. Peaking through his fingers, he saw that the Advil and water had been moved to the coffee table for him and when he reached out for it he noticed the note on the table. He sat up with one hand gingerly holding his head as he read it.

“Got called into work to help the girls. John and Mary are coming over for lunch, so text me what you want me to bring home. We can’t serve our best friends buttered thumbs for lunch. I’ll see you soon!

  -Y/N xx”

He held the note in his hand, contemplating what his next move would be. You were interested in him, that he knew for sure. He’d contemplated casually mentioning to everyone that you were dating, but he technically hadn’t asked you to be his girlfriend and you two had never talked about any mutual feelings. Maybe he’d kiss you when walking you to your taxi, but he knew he’d make you stay with him instead of letting you go home. Possibly tonight when you were laying in his bed he’d tell you it had to be you, it could only ever be you.

Leaning back against the couch, he rubbed at his eyes and decided he’d call John over early and he’d help him sort it out. John always helped him. Standing up was harder than it looked apparently, as Sherlock wobbled to the side and fought the urge to puke. Perhaps he should shower first, surely you wouldn’t say yes to being his if he didn’t look his best.

He remembered how he looked and acted last night and winced. On second thought, maybe you would. You had already given yourself to him for better or for worse and soon enough, he smiled, he would give you himself in return.

[sunflowergirl522]

Tinder Match 8

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: You look at the older people on Tinder joking about finding a sugar daddy. That’s when you stumble upon a man claiming to be 106. Intrigued you swipe right and match with him.

Warnings: Language tfatws spoilers

Word count: 1281

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

“Can we get out of here please?” Bucky says to Sharon before turning to Sam and sending him a nod.

“Hey, Buck?” 

“Yeah?”

“You said you wanted me to meet someone? Who is it?” Bucky can’t help the smile that stretches across his face.

“Let me get Sharon somewhere to heal up and you deal with whatever he wants.” He motions with his head to the man waiting to speak to Sam beside the ambulance. “I’ll send you the address to meet at.” Sam gives him a nod before they both part ways.

Meanwhile you’re getting ready to pop open some champagne to celebrate the new Captain America while your friends are trying to convince you to just put the bottle away.

“Y/n I’m not taking care of drunk you again that was too much to handle. Just give me the bottle and you can open it up when James gets back.” Peter says as he tries to reason with you to put the bottle in his outstretched hand.

“But I want to celebrate now. What if he doesn’t come back?”

“I’m sure he will, he said he’d be here after he took care of his thing.” Peter wasn’t going to bring up how he was very clearly on the news but you didn’t notice it because you were too excited about Sam being Captain America.

“Okay fine.” You hand it to him and get off of your coffee table that you were standing on ready to spray champagne everywhere. But when there’s a knock at your door that you immediately recognize as James you jump up from the seat you had just taken and grab the bottle back from Peter. “That’s him time to fucking celebrate!”

“Bucky, what are we doing above a bakery?” 

“Shut up Sam.” You don’t pay any attention to the muted voices from behind the door, not like you could hear them anyways over your excited yelling.

“James,” you start as you fling open the door, “have you seen the news? Sam Wilson is Captain America!” You still haven’t looked up from the bottle you’re shaking slightly in your hand. You open it with a pop and it sprays everywhere for a second and you hear your friends gasp. The proud smile on your face puts one on Bucky’s and Sam looks between the two of you for a second before it clicks.

“You're the girl he’s been talking to!” The stranger's voice brings your attention to the men in your door and you gasp as you realize immediately who’s standing in front of you. You’re thankful that Peter takes the bottle from your hand before you can drop it.

“Oh my god. Peter pinch me I’m dreaming. You’re Captain America. Like you’re the Sam Wilson oh my God!” You grab onto his arm and pull him into your home. “Come on in make yourself at home. Oh my God Falcon is in my house. Do you want anything to eat or drink? I just popped open the champagne to celebrate you omg. James and I made cookies earlier do you want some of those? They’re good, not the best though he doesn’t seem to have much practice with baking. I could run downstairs real quick and grab you some of my finest baked goods.” As you ramble on Sam just sits there shocked to see this reaction from someone because of him. He’s seen plenty of people act this way for Steve but this is the first time it’s ever really happened for him. You’re about to walk to the door to go to the bakery when Bucky stops you.

“Doll, hey calm down. Sam doesn’t need any of that stuff I’m sure he’s fine aren’t you Sam?”

“I don’t know Buck. I kinda wanna try those cookies you made.”

“I’ll go get you some.” You’re about to walk away but Bucky without thinking grabs your wrist to stop you with his metal arm. You immediately freeze at the feeling of the cool metal and turn to look at him with confusion written on your face. You grab his hand as he’s about to take it back ready for a negative reaction. “What’s this?” You turn it over in front of you to study it and follow the metal up to his shoulder. “Is this why you wear the gloves all the time?” He just nods at you. “Why would you do that this is fucking cool! I mean I’m sure how you got it wasn’t but now that it’s here might as well embrace it y'know?”

“Babes here I think you could use this.” MJ hands you a glass of orange juice that you can already tell has the champagne is it and turn back around to face the Captain on your couch.

“So James are you going to explain to me how you know Sam fucking Wilson?”

“Well you know my coworker Sam?”

“Yeah.” Something in your brain clicks as you realize it. 

“So you’re telling me that your work Sam is Sam Wilson? Then that must mean that you’re like a superhero or something too right?”

“So are you gonna introduce me to your girl or what Buck?”

“Sam, this is Y/n. Doll, I’d introduce you to him but you already know who he is.”

“Hi Y/n Y/l/n it’s an honor to meet you Captain America.” You hold your hand out and he takes it to shake.

“Please you just have to call me Sam.” You let out a little giddy squeal at that and look at your friends. 

“Sam, this is MJ, Peter, and Ned. They've had to deal with me the whole time that asshole John Walker was Captain America and not you.” You down the drink in your cup before placing it on the table.

“This is some girl you’ve got Bucky. I think I like her already.” 

“Why does he keep calling you Bucky?” You ask as you sit on his lap in the armchair you have next to the couch.

“It’s his nickname, Steve gave it to him.” Sam answers before he has the chance to.

“Oh, can I call you Bucky? Wait. Steve? Like Steve Rogers?”

“Yeah.” Bucky answers slowly, not sure how you’ll take the next set of information. “He was kinda my best friend.”

“That’s cool.”

“Hey Y/n, you remember when we learned about Steve Rogers in history class. You know we learned all about him and his best friend Buc-”

“Bucky Barnes.” You finish for Ned before whipping your head around to look at Bucky. “You’re telling me that you really weren’t lying on your Tinder profile, you’re actually 106?”

“Wait I’m sorry Bucky was on Tinder?” Sam bursts out laughing at the thought of it.

The night rolls on with all of you having a good time and continuing game night eventually with Sam having a blast with you guys. He bids you goodbye while inviting you and Bucky down to Louisiana for a cookout that his sister is already planning to celebrate everything. You were quick to accept telling him you’ll bake a cake or something for it. And it shocked you a bit when he pulled you in for a hug but you were quick to return it. Peter and everyone left soon after him and when it was just you and Bucky you turned to him ready for some answers.

“Alright, I’m going to need you to explain everything to me.” You had yawned after saying it and Bucky smiled at you as you stretched in front of him.

“I’ll explain everything in the morning for now doll let’s get you to bed.”

Series Taglist: @kittengirl998​ @fxckyou4ever​ @safetypinxtales​ @starstruckgardenstudentzonk​​ @oofkatisanerd​​ @chiakitoga​​ @ihavemjolnirinmypantss​​ @accioholland​​ @nykie-1dluv​​ @pheonixisded​​ @paniniirae​​ @sillygamingartghost​​ 

Bucky Taglist: @puddinsqueen​​ @koressecretidentity​​ @stevieintheimpala​​ @unmagically​​ @panickingqueer​​ @thomasthetankson​​ @joeysbumpkinbatch @the-chocoholic-writer​​ @perksofbeingatrex​​ @99-cats​​ @rachmmb​​ @quokkatrash​​ @mylifeiscrazy0423​​ @vanillamaa​​ @strawb3rrydr3ss​​ @that-sarcastic-writer​​ @spp2011 @spideyycents​​ @mackycat11​​ @crystalsoul2​​ @rosiemotion​​ @dissectiontime​​ @franzthelentil @lmf​​ @jacelynenursalim​​ @aiyanalevina​​ @mooncaffeine​​ @fanofalltheficsx​​ @jewelsrocks99​​ @lharrietg​​ @yoongisdumplingcheeks​​ @clubcesspool​​ @sailormajinmoon​​ @girl-obsessed-with-things​​ @corvusmorte @sophielovesbarnes​​ @enlyume​​ 

Marvel Taglist: @its-the-autism-innit-luv​​ @xxspqcebunsxx​​ @amourtentiaa​​ @obsessedwithbuckybarnes @thenormanreedus​​ @rorysreallyrandom @sxtansqueen​​ @fandomrejects @stephyra @myalupinblack​​ @mirakeul​​ @aya-fay​​ @just-a-musical-fan @lieswithoutfairytales​​ @cr4b-rav3 @kakakatey​​ @sugarbutterbailey​​ @1-800-ch3rry​​ 

Everything Taglist: @peterssweetpea​​ @ninuffi​​ @i-love-superhero​​ @kolakube9​​ @lexy9716​​ @hehehehannahthings​​ 

[dreamywriterinthedark]

Recess sobs and bedtime resolutions

Pairing: fem!Reader x Spencer

Request: Ok so the reader is a psychologist and is married to spencer and they have a 5 year old daughter who gets in trouble for punching a kid because they picked on her because they didn't beleive her dad was in the fbi If that makes sense any who if you don't write this i get it I just want to see speancers reaction

Trigger warnings: bullying, physical violence. (let me know if i forgot something)

Category: fluff, slight angst.

A/N: thank you so much for this request! I hope you like it. The daughter sounds a bit older than 5, in my head she’s in the early stages of elementary school. Let me know what you think about it! I’d be glad to receive some feedback. (Btw I hurt my own feelings writing this, you can’t even imagine...)

You were in your office, a typical Tuesday afternoon until you heard your office phone ring once more. You held up your finger to make your client pause what they were saying, you picked up the phone only to hang up.

“I apologise for the inconvenience. Now where were we ?” you said trying to get your client comfortable again despite the ringing. As she was about to speak up again, your cellphone rang, Spencer’s name lit up your screen and that’s when you were starting to get concerned.

“I’m so sorry I have to get that.” You said exiting the office to take the call. You were happy to hear your significant other’s voice nonetheless you knew he wouldn’t normally call you during working hours.

“Hi darling, is everything okay ?”

“No, not really. The school called, there’s an emergency.” he responded wrapping his scarf around his neck as he was making his way to the elevator.

“What happened ?” you asked getting more and more worried.

“She punched a classmate in the face. Can you believe it ?!” he pressed the button 0 waving goodbye to his coworkers.

“What ? Our daughter? Jane ? Are you sure it’s not her evil twin ?”

“Eviler twin you mean ? No offense, Y/n, but if she had one, I’m pretty sure you would remember…”

“Alright, I’ll tell my secretary to cancel all my appointments for the day. I’ll meet you there.”

“Love you, bye.”

“Love you too.” You answered before hanging up. You made it a little bit of a rule to yourself to never say ‘goodbye’ to him because you thought that if you did it may increase the chances of you never seeing him again. You knew it was a bit silly but with all those times he was close to death, you’d believe in any superstition if that meant he would get home safe.

After taking care of your client and letting your secretary handle the rest, you hurried out of your office to drive to your daughter’s elementary school.

You pushed the interphone button, once you were allowed entrance you walked to the principal’s office. You softly knocked, when the door opened it showed Spencer sitting in a chair right across the desk, next to it was an empty chair meant for you.

“I’m sorry, I came as I soon as I could.” you apologized.

“Well, I assume you’re Jane’s mother. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Principal Walker.” he greeted shaking your hand. As you sat down, Spencer gave you his best polite white smile.

“Do you know what you’re here for ?” he inquired.

“You said our daughter was involved in a conflict with a student...” you answered.

“Your daughter punched a student in the face.” He said bluntly.

“Right…”

“Are you sure it’s Jane ?” Spencer asked still struggling to believe it.

“Wait until you see her knuckles...”

Spencer put his face in his hands in defeat, you rubbed his shoulder to bring him comfort.

“What happened exactly ?” you asked.

“Well, it was during the 10AM break. Jane went out to play with her classmates when a boy started arguing with her. Next thing we hear is a scream, the boy is on the floor crying.”

You and Spencer both looked at each other with an immense look of stupor.

“The boy, did he bully her ?” Spencer asked trying to find some innocence in the sweet child of his.

“Not that we know of.” answered the principal.

“Is he okay though ?” you questioned.

“Yes, just a minor injury. He went back home.”

You nodded, “So what happens next ?”

“We are giving her a warning but the next time something like this happens there will be harsher consequences than a simple punishment. Understood ?”

“Yes. we understand. Thank you for your time, sir.” you said as you rose up from your chair. Spencer and you both exited the room finding your daughter in the waiting lounge looking guilty as ever. You saw Spencer’s face look puzzled and hostile. To torture your daughter with even more guilt you told her to ride back home with her dad which she did not love but couldn’t protest.

Spencer hardly spoke to Jane the entire drive. He was dry, so much it looked like he ignored her. Jane was desperate to get him to talk to her.

“Please, dad. Don’t be mad at me!” she exclaimed.

“I’m not mad, I’m disappointed.” those words he pronounced cut like a knife. You knew that by seeing her dad’s reaction she would become aware of the gravity of her actions. And he actually wasn’t mad, at least not until he saw her pouting face. He loved her too much to be angry.

“Okay but can you just talk to me!” she whined.

“Oh we will, back home with your mom.”

That car ride lasted longer for Jane than usual. No music, no anecdotes nor laughs, just plain silence and introspection while gazing at the landscape.

Your house was in the suburbs near a forest, Spencer had all sorts of scientific arguments as to why living near nature was beneficial but you just loved the paysage before your eyes when taking your morning coffee. The location was perfect; in nature which means less pollution, noise and lower criminal rates yet a short car ride from the city which was full of cultural spots and with high quality education.

Jane tried to run up the stairs in hope to avoid her parents’ correction but was interrupted by your strict toned voice; “Not so fast, young lady.”

She shut her eyes stopping dead in her tracks, she lifted her stuffed animal and said to it “It was nice knowing you, fluffy.” She then turned around and sat on the couch.

Spencer was pacing around, “Why did you do it ?” He asked his daughter his voice slightly higher than before. She started melting in tears which truly pained him. You walked up to her, as you were sat on the couch next to her you started stroking her arm and drying her tears.

“It’s okay. We’re just trying to understand why you did that. There’s no way you would’ve done it without a reason.” you told her.

“Jeremy kept making fun of me…” she struggled to get out whimpering.

“How long has he been making fun of you ?” Spencer asked.

“Since Valentine’s day when everyone was exchanging cards but my box was empty.” You glanced at Spencer in shock of how long you hadn’t known your daughter was getting bullied, silently suffering.

“Honey, I’m so sorry you had to go through this.” you reassured her kissing her cheek and running your hands through her hair. “But what happened exactly that made you punch him ?”

“He made fun of dad, he wouldn’t believe he was in the FBI.” She answered tilting her head up. “I asked him to stop but he wouldn’t so I defended myself.” she affirmed seeming not so guilty anymore. You unwrapped your arms from her giving her a frown.

“That’s not how you deal with problems.” Spencer said sitting on the low table across the couch.

“Yeah, you could’ve talked to us first but you didn’t even try. You know you can tell us everything ?” You backed him up.

“I know but I thought I could deal with this problem on my own. You guys always seem so good at it. And I want to be just like you when I grow up.”

You glanced at Spencer both slightly smiling at each other.

“If there’s one thing I learned from my job at the FBI is that violence is never the answer. It’s only justifiable if it’s legitimate defence; when you life is in danger.”

“Dad, do you still love me ?” she asked watching her feet swinging on the edge of the couch.

“Of course, I love you. I always will, no matter what.” he responded taking hold of her hand. “Okay?” She nodded. She didn’t seem to understand that punching someone is wrong. You needed to have a talk with Spencer;

“Now go to your room and do your homework, we’ll talk punishment tomorrow morning.” You said.

“But-“ she protested.

“No buts, go to your room.” You ordered.

You joined Spencer on the couch, he looked completely defeated. “Hey, are you alright ?” You asked him while taking a seat next to him. “Yes.” He answered a bit too quickly. “I mean…No…Not really.” You knew exactly why he was feeling like this. “It’s not your fault, Spence.” you reassured him playing with his hair.

“This whole time…And I didn’t know she was struggling. What kind of father am I ?”

“I come home every night and I didn’t know about this. It’s not because of your job, it’s not because of us. I’m blaming the school, here. They’re the ones who are supposed to prevent bullying from happening.”

He rummaged his hair with his hands whilst his elbows rested on his knees.

“Plus it’s a good sign, she doesn’t get along with kids her age…” you said slightly smirking.

“How?!” Spencer asks slightly irritated due to his public middle school flashbacks.

“It’s a sign of high intellectual potential. Her emotional age is too advanced for kids her age to understand, they tend to be too insensitive for her. She believes animals and inanimate objects have emotions and that they are intelligent. She talks to her stuffed animal like it’s a pet. She took the pepperonis out of her pizza! Also she has an enormous amount of creativity and she’s highly sensitive to her surroundings. Have you seen how she profiled your every move and suddenly her emotions followed ? Just like you she’s protective of the ones she loves. She only punched that kid because he wasn’t exactly talking highly of you…”

“So you’re saying…”

“Our daughter could be a genius.”

“As mother as daughter.” he complimented with a smirk.

“Oh come on we know who’s the genius here!” you said slapping his shoulder playfully.

You both chuckled. You kept talking for at least half an hour to come up with a plan you both agreed to. It’s not good for a child to watch their parents disagree.

~slight time lapse~

An hour after dinner, you went up to your daughter’s bedroom as it was her bedtime. You leaned on the door frame admiring Spencer, sat next to Jane on her bed, reading a story to her about conflict to teach her what to do in the type of situations she got in. He learned that from you since you were a psychologist. He admired how resourceful and clever you were. He couldn’t be more proud to have you as his significant other and the mother of his child. Your foot made a cracking noise on the hard wood floor which caught Jane attention.

“Mommy! Come!” she exclaimed shaking her little hands.

“What’s up?” you ask sitting next to the bed.

“Me and dad were reading this book you got me and now i understand. I’m sorry for not coming to you first. I just didn’t like what they said about dad.”

“Honey, it doesn’t matter what people think of you. Seeking validation from people can be so unhealthy. If you keep bottling up your emotions you’re going to explode like a bomb and that’s no good.”

“Can you forgive me, mommy ?”

“Of course. You’re still growing, as long as you learn from your mistakes I’m confident you’re going to be alright.” You answered squeezing her hand. Spencer watched in awe, it reminded him how in love with you he is.

“Yes, please don’t ever do that again!” he said a bit too quickly with a high pitched voice that made you all burst in laughter.

“Alright, you should get some sleep.” you told her giving her a kiss on the cheek and tucking her in; “Good night, my love.”

Spencer kissed her temple and set aside the little book he was reading to her wishing her good night as well. You walked out switching the lights off. As you walked down the stairs you asked Spencer to stop in his tracks pointing your finger up; Jane was talking to her stuffed animal. You both had to muffle your laughs. The future looked bright.

[honeydh]

PURPLE HYACINTHS

NA JAEMIN

GENRES: angst, hanahaki au, cheating-ish

REQUESTED: Can I request something 👉👈 anything with hanahaki disease will do 🥰😌

It started as a dull ache in your chest. You paid no mind to it for weeks, until finally caving and going to see your doctor when it turned sharper. The starting of hanahaki disease, she said. What?, you laughed off. It couldn't be. The trained professional made a mistake. You were in a happy relationship with your boyfriend, had been for over a year! No one else even came near to catching your eye besides him. You did not have hanahaki disease.

You couldn't.

Absolutely improbable.

"How did your appointment go?" Jaemin asked, eating a piece of steak and chasing it down with his drink.

You shrugged, pushing your food around. Jaemin noticed, setting his fork down to hold your hand in his. The feeling of his thumb rubbing the back of your hand usually comforted you, but not this time. To your horror, the feeling of bile rising to the back of your throat accompanied his touch. Quickly, you jumped from the table and rushed down the hallway to the bathroom, bumping off the wall in your hurry.

Hunched over the toilet, tears escaped your eyes as you threw up. Fear coursed through you as you stared down at the single purple hyacinth sitting atop the toilet, stained red with your blood.

"Baby? Are you okay?" The knock on the door startled you, your eyes flying away from the toilet to the door you had subconsciously closed and locked.

As if you were hiding something.

Was it your fault? Had you unintentionally fallen in love with someone else? You wanted to curl into a ball on the cold bathroom floor and cry.

"I'm okay," you said shakily, clearing your sore throat when your voice caught, freshening your cheeks with more tears. "I must've ate something bad at lunch."

Jaemin hesitated. "...Okay. Do you want some water? Anything?"

You stifled a sob behind your hand. "Yeah, some water would be nice. I'm just gonna take a bath and then go to bed."

"Okay baby. I'll get your water and clean up the kitchen."

"Thank you."

Once his footsteps faded, you collapsed fully to the floor, empty cries shaking your body.

You kept the news about your new disease to yourself. Jaemin knew something was up, you could feel his eyes following you in concern every time you were in the same room together.

“Are you pregnant?”

You startled at the sudden question. “What? What makes you think I would I be pregnant?”

“You’re always rushing off to the bathroom to throw up lately. Is it morning sickness?” You averted your eyes to the counter after retrieving the cup you’d come to the kitchen to get. “Are you afraid I don’t want kids?” he asked.

You had to huff a laugh at that. Jaemin wanted kids, if you were pregnant you knew he’d be more than thrilled. “I’m not pregnant Jaemin. I’m… not sure what’s wrong with me,” you lied. I have another doctors appointment tomorrow though.”

Jaemin nodded, coming up behind you to pull your back into his chest. “I hope they can figure out what’s going on,” he whispered into your neck.

“It’s progressively getting worse. I’d say you have half a year.”

You stared in shock at your doctor, hoping she was joking. Not a single bit of mirth was present on her face.

“But how can this be?!” you exclaimed, finally at your breaking point. “I’ve been with my boyfriend for almost two years now, I love him!”

The pity on the doctor’s eyes almost had you seeing red. “…Is there a chance he could be cheating on you?”

“Never!” you exclaimed, chest tight. Tears sprung to your eyes. Jaemin was beyond loyal, he would never!

“You know… it happens more than you think. Unintentionally falling in love with someone else. Some don’t even notice, still holding affection for the partner they’re already with,” she explained gently.

“No way,” you denied, shaking your head as you fell into tears. “No way.”

No way.

You repeated it in your head, over and over, like a mantra. You just wanted to go home and curl into bed and sleep this whole nightmare away. But stepping through the door, you were met with the once comforting smell of your apartment, the smell of Jaemin lingering everywhere. Now, it just sent another wave of nausea and you raced to the room you were most acquainted with recently.

Denial had been your best friend through the whole thing. But denial would work no longer when you accompanied Jaemin to a work party a couple weeks after your doctor’s visit.

Managing not having to rush to the bathroom to throw your insides up for a while now, you stayed clung to Jaemin’s arm as he made rounds around the room.

Thirsty for the first time that night, you left to retrieve drinks for both of you. You took your time; coughing flowers into the toilet multiple times a day really exhausted one more than you’d think. Your lethargy played a role in the small collision you had had with another person, half of one drink spilling on the floor and splashing your shoes.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!” the man exclaimed, quickly grabbing your arms to keep you balanced. You smiled tiredly at him.

“No, it’s my fault, I’m sorry.”

“Not at all! I should really watch where I’m going. I… haven’t seen you before. Do you know someone who works here or…?”

“Oh,” you lightly laughed. “My boyfriend works here.”

The stranger’s eyebrows went up. “Really. Lucky man.” Your gut turned sour at what he thought was a compliment. “Well, I’ll see you around!” And he was gone. You remained there though, staring down at the small puddle of juice until a server walked by and you could inform them of the small mess.

One refill later, you set out to find your partner in the crowd of unfamiliar faces. For once, your chest didn’t stir uncomfortably at the sight of Jaemin. That realization alone was almost enough to send you over the moon. Maybe the past three months had all been a mistake. You even felt warm as his face brightened for your arrival back to his side.

Until you realized, it wasn’t for you. You stopped dead, watching as a pretty woman made her way to your boyfriend, the same happy look on her face as his. She lightly grabbed his forearms with her slender fingers, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. The same coworkers that had been with Jaemin when you left to get the drinks didn’t even blink an eye, telling you everything you needed to know.

Vaguely, you could feel more juice splash onto your ankles, feel the glass bounce off your skin.

But really, all you remember is the cold swing door against your uncomfortably hot hand.

The cold, grouted tile under your knees.

And there, in the bowl of the toilet: a dozen bloodied hyacinths.

[letthebodyfall]

Those who were responsible for this will die. They will perish in the most agonizing way that they would ever imagine. By her hands, she will- The door opened, the quietness of the creaking loud to her ears.

Masterlist

Part 4

CW: A brief description of injury.

She swore to herself that those who hurt him will pay. And pay they will, in due time. But for now, she has a husband to take care of.

---

They settled into a routine rather quickly.

It wasn't difficult considering how accommodating Nightshade was when he started living in her home. She's a freelancer, she said one night while she made dinner. An artist.

When asked about how she managed to afford this apartment through her wages as an artist, she merely turned to his place at the table and grinned.

---

Today was long.

It was tiring, exhausting, and every word that is synonymous to bone fucking tired.

Due to several bomb threats, school was cancelled for a week, which means many of the semi-active villains had all the time throughout the week to wreak havoc.

It didn't help that many of them were some of the more powerful villains on the roster, so them having the opportunity to do shit at the same time was worrying enough that most of the major agencies were put on high alert.

So far Nightshade was keeping her end of the deal so Voltage didn't have to worry much about being murdered by his in-laws during such a busy work week.

He, Savillon, and Carver were on top of one of the smaller buildings in the city keeping their perimeter, with Carver carefully nursing one of the gashes Brightbolt managed to inflict on her just minutes before, but making sure to make her grievances known by the sound of her active swearing.

"You can scream poetry instead of swearing, you know," Savillon chided, eyes gazing the citizens on the streets and long fingers twirled long, blonde locks.

Even without looking, he could tell that Carver was grimacing while giving him the finger.

Voltage just snorted as he rolled on the balls of his feet. It was near end of shift and he was dying to get home, take a ridiculously hot shower, and maybe watch a movie.

He spoke too soon.

The next thing he knew was pain, pain, and pain.

Groaning as he pushed, pushed himself up, ears ringing from god knows what, chest heaving because he couldn't fucking breathe-

Eyes suddenly wild, he surveyed the scene, adrenaline pumping as what was once a quiet rooftop spot now turned to rubble. Massive chunks of concrete and steel in mangled heaps.

"Savillon!" His voice sliced through the silence that gathered, eyes desperately trying to find his comrades. "Carver!"

"Here!"

Head whipping to the side, he saw Carver's familiar mop of dark hair, an arm waving at him as she and Savillon pushed at a rather large piece of concrete roofing.

"You okay?"

"My foot's stuck." Savillon sneered, pushing at the concrete to release his foot but to no avail, cursing as none of them were particularly known for their spectacular strength.

It was rare to see him like this. Normally, he would be the one to calm the troupe, to keep the banter up, but seeing him this frazzled was almost sort of refreshing.

Stepping up, feet sweeping the smaller pieces of rubble on the floor, Voltage took flank at the other side and heaved, heaved-

"Stop what you're doing."

At her command Voltage stopped, though eyes furrowing at her direction. "We need to release his foot, no?"

"Yeah." But her eyes were hard, looking at his midsection. "But you're not equipped to do that now."

A cold chill ran down as spine as he stopped, breathed, and looked down.

Metal jutted out from his midsection, crimson waves of blood bloomed against his suit. He couldn't feel it, but knowing well enough that once is adrenaline subsided, it'll be a bitch.

"I think I'm going into shock."

---

He was late.

It was near midnight when he managed to get home. It took a lot of bitching and whining before he got the all clear. Broken and tired and with another round of medical leave, Maxwell wasn't feeling all the great.

Opening the door as quietly as he could so as not to wake Aleksandra, he shuffled inside. Slowly, slowly made his way to the living room.

"Max."

Head sharply turning to the direction of the voice. With wide eyes he stopped, mouth opening to say something before shutting.

She's seen the news reports, the footage.

The drone camera that often flew across the city gave her a clear view of where he and his friends were at.

She remembered smiling before, even thought about making them lunch for the next day.

Aleksandra heard about the ruckus with the semi-active villains from her siblings earlier on so she was prepared for the venting that usually happened on shifts like this, even started to prepare his favorite "venting soup" as she liked to call it.

It was for but a moment, her eyes away from the screen when she heard it.

The explosion rang out even from the footage and she felt as if every single cell in her body turned to ice. Dark, dark eyes glued to the screen as the world shifted, buckling, forcing her to sit onto the plush sofa.

She couldn't see him. Not from the smoke or the angle from the drone. From all around her the sirens blared, emergency personnel rushing to the scene.

But she heard nothing.

Everything was a dull, muffled sound. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't stand. Couldn't speak.

A frigidity engulfed her like a hand made of ice slowly, slowly wrapping around her heart.

Her phone never rang.

For hours and hours and hours, her phone never rang.

She called every single hospital that she could get a hold of. She called his superior, his friends, his coworkers but nothing. No one could provide her with anything.

She sat so still. Never leaving her place on the sofa. Waiting, waiting for a sign, a call, anything.

She didn't know when the anger arrived, roiling, burning anger slowly freezing into rage.

Those who were responsible for this will die. They will perish in the most agonizing way that they would ever imagine. By her hands, she will-

The door opened, the quietness of the creaking loud to her ears.

A foot shuffled in and then a body, and then the bright, bright red of his hair came into view.

It was like a floodgate.

Sensation flooded her all at once, air rushing through her lungs and heat rushing to her eyes.

He was here.

"Max." Her voice was calm, still, but her knees buckled the moment she tried to stand.

Aleksandra saw him rush towards her, catching her by the elbows, the warmth of his touch like embers stark against her frigid skin.

"Max."

"I'm alright." She never realized how soothing his voice can be, how much she craved to hear it. But she held out a hand.

She scanned his face, his body, taking note of the padding over his midsection.

Injury.

She'd have to take a look at that in the morning.

He saw her struggling, trying to find the words but nothing coming out. He could see the storm in her eyes. The conflict, the regret.

She held up her hand and he stopped, letting her asses him.

"Sleep," he heard her mutter, seeing her force a smile. "You need sleep." And without another word, she ushered him into his bedroom.

Before closing the door, he could swear he heard her breathe shake.

---

Hello! Thanks for reading this! Things are slowly building up tho I assure that this is far, far from the end of the series. I'd love to get some feedback or some suggestions for the series! I still don't know what to call this, honestly lol

I'd also love some ideas for possible heroes and villains and their names haha

Masterlist

Part 4

Part 6

[triptuckers]

New In Town (part four) - Kaz Brekker

Request: nope Pairing: Kaz Brekker x reader Summary: after successfully stealing a valuable necklace Kaz Brekker also had his eyes on, you start a dangerous cat and mouse game to see just how much you can get away with Warnings:  language Word count: 3.1K A/N: I'm trying to finish writing all of the parts before college starts again and woaaaaaaa I'm going so fast lol PREVIOUS PART | NEXT PART TAG LIST (all grishaverse fics): @ayushmitadutta @mrs-brekker15@dancingwith-sunflowers @thegirlwiththeimpala @parker-natasha @story-scribbler @romanoffstarkovs @daliareads@meiitanoia @itsnotquimey @sanktaesperanza @whymyparentscheckmyphone @aleksanderwh0r3 @ilovemarvelanne1 @marlenaisnthappy @brekker-zenik @just-deka @graceknxwlson @the-very-tired-mess TAG LIST (Kaz Brekker): @mufnasa @janesofia7 @stairscortana @parker-natasha @illicitghosts @brick-by-brick553 TAG LIST (New In Town series): @calums-betch add yourself to my tag lists here

The high of successfully stealing something gang members had their eyes on, lasted for at least a week. The necklace was safely hidden away in your room, you didn't want to sell it when everyone would be looking for it.

So you kept working at the bar, sleeping in your little room, waiting for the right time to find a buyer. And then you could find yourself a bigger room to rent, preferably not right above a pub.

Though this job was entirely your idea, and not a job for someone else, you got an adrenaline rush like no other out of it. Whenever you thought back to outsmarting a handful of criminals, you couldn't help but smile to yourself. And so far, no gang members had showed up at the pub, which meant Kaz, Jesper and the others that were with them didn't know it was you.

You tried to talk to your coworkers to find out the best place to sell something valuable, but they couldn't give you the answer you'd hoped for. You figured they'd be on the right side of the law, unlike you.

When they couldn't tell you anything, you went to the streets. Looking at shops, listening to conversations in the hopes you might hear something useful. It took you another week, but you finally found a promising store you could try.

It was a small, dusty antique shop. It was located near the edge of the "good part" of the city, and you were on high alert. You still had your weapons on you, safely hidden beneath your clothes, but you still didn't know Ketterdam as well as you'd like. Better safe than sorry.

The owner of the shop was old and had a crooked nose. You could tell it had been broken at least twice, and had been poorly set back in place. Thankfully, he didn't ask a lot of questions. He paid you handsomely, and the first thing you did when you got back to the pub was tell the owner you would move out.

You found a slightly bigger apartment, in a larger building. There was no pub underneath it, though it was located dangerously close to the Barrel. At least it was clean, and you had a nice view of the street below.

Given that you didn't have many belongings, it took only one trip to move your stuff to your new apartment. While you hadn't done a lot that day, you were still exhausted when you finally lay down in your new bed.

When you wake the next day, you're determined to walk the streets surrounding your new apartment to figure out which are the best escape routes.

The roof looks promising, and you can easily climb down to your room. If someone would be chasing you, you could climb a building and jump from roof to roof until you got to your building.

Behind the apartment complex is a small alley, which leads to a fire escape as well as the back door. The back door is very heavy, but most of the times it isn't locked, so that's a good thing. And you could easily jump up and climb the fire escape to your room.

Plenty of routes to take if you ever got in trouble.

It's not like you often find yourself in a situation which called for escape routes, but you liked to be prepared. And something about Ketterdam told you you'd have to escape a lot more often than you had to in Ravka.

You had quit your job at the pub, not wanting to walk the streets late at night after a shift, and are looking for a new one.

But there wasn't anything nearby, and though the necklace had earned you quite some money, you were slowly running out. You needed a new job, and soon. Otherwise you'd get thrown out of the apartment and you'd be forced to find something else.

Day after day you walk the streets, trying to find a job, but so far no luck. Until one day you see a familiar figure in the distance.

They probably hadn't figured out it was you yet, so there was no harm in walking up to him.

'Jesper!' you say and you jog up to him.

He seems surprised someone calls for him, but smiles when he sees you.

'Hey!' he says. 'You're the bartender, right?'

'I was, yeah.' you say, stopping in front of him. 'I quit.'

'Too many annoying tourists?' he says.

'Something like that.' you say. 'What are you doing here?'

Jesper gestures down the street. 'Just going to the Slat.' he says.

You give him a confused look. 'The Slat?' you ask.

'Oh, it's where we live.' he says. 'The building looks like it can collapse any second but it would be an exciting death. Like a mystery, tall handsome man buried in collapsed building.'

You laugh at his words. Even without having a beer, Jesper seems like a fast talker and genuinely nice company.

'I'll make sure to keep an eye out when I pass it.' you say.

This time, Jesper frowns. 'I've never seen you in the Barrel.' he says.

'You live in the Barrel?' you say, genuinely surprised to hear him say that.

'That's where the Slat is, yes.' he says.

'I don't make it to the Barrel that often.' you say.

'Too many drunks?'

'Too many gangs.'

'You'd be surprised.'

You quickly go over questions in your head, wondering how much you could ask Jesper before getting suspicious. After all, you had to find a job. And if you couldn't find one at a bar or cafe, you had to turn to someone in the Barrel.

'Why do you live in the Barrel anyway?' you say, hoping you don't sound too curious.

Jesper chuckles. 'It's not like there's a lot of different options. It's cheap, and I've been there for years. I don't feel like leaving just yet.'

'If it's cheap, I might have to move there as well.' you say.

'How so?' he says.

'I've been looking for a job, but can't find one. And if I can't pay my rent, well, I'll have to find another place.' you say.

'I'd say come work for Kaz like I do, but I don't suppose you fancy joining a gang?' he says.

You fake an expression of shock on your face. 'Wait, you live in the Barrel because you're part of a gang?' you say.

'What did you think I do for a living?' says Jesper.

'Well, I don't know. Running errands or something.' you say.

Jesper laughs. 'If it makes you feel any better, you can call it that.'

'I wouldn't want to keep you from running any errands.' you say. 'I have to find a job anyway.'

'I'll see you around.' says Jesper with a wink, and he turns and walks off.

You turn around as well but stop when you hear Jesper's voice.

'Hey!' he says.

You keep your face as neutral as possible. Surely he hadn't just figured out you are the one who stole the necklace? You hadn't given him any information besides the fact you moved and quit your job as a bartender.

'I never asked for your name.' he says.

'Y/N.' you smile.

'I'll see you around, Y/N.' says Jesper.

Oh, he'd definitely see you around.

Now that he's confirmed he's part of a gang and works for Kaz, and that he lives in a building called the Slat, you can find out more about the gang he's in.

If Kaz knew about the necklace, you didn't doubt he had more expensive targets on his mind.

It looked like you had to pay more visits to the Barrel.

The next day, instead of looking for a job in a pub or cafe, you head to the Barrel. It's early, and there aren't a lot of people on the streets. You spend the morning walking around, carefully taking in your surroundings.

It didn't seem like a bad neighbourhood to you. Maybe you just had to wait til nightfall.

You walk the streets, looking for the Slat. But all you knew was the vague description Jesper had given you, of a building on the verge of collapsing.

To you, any building looked like that.

When it's almost midday, and your stomach is growling, you've lost count of the many buildings that you think may be the Slat. But then you stop in front of the most crooked building you've seen so far.

Like Jesper said, it looks like it can collapse if you give it a good kick. This had to be it. You look around, there are some people on the streets, but it's not overly crowded.

You'd hang around for a while, not too long, and then you'd head back. You didn't want to risk Jesper spotting you, not a day after he told you where he lived. Or risk Kaz seeing you.

Besides Jesper, he was the only one who would recognise you. And you had a feeling he would still be trying to figure out who took his necklace.

You stay behind, listening to conversations, taking in and remembering the people you see. But today you can't get your hands on any valuable information, so you head back home.

Back in Ravka, you were well known amongst the right people. You were good at your job and it allowed you to pressure clients in giving you the payment you wanted.

But in Ketterdam people didn't know you, and you had to be careful.

Which meant you couldn't march up to someone in the Barrel and demand a job, you had to be patient.

You knew as soon as people found out who you are, you'd have to look over your shoulder every time you left your apartment. On the other hand, it also meant you would get jobs that payed well.

But this isn't Ravka, so you'd have to go back to the Slat tomorrow, to see if you can find out more about Kaz' gang, and its jobs.

Yet again, you are grateful you learned to have patience.

You didn't find a job, but you spend the next few weeks getting to know the people of the Barrel.

By eating only the cheapest - and most horrible - food, you were able to pay the rent of the apartment, even though you didn't have a job.

Your patience was rewarding.

You learned there are a few Dregs - Kaz' gang members - who are Kaz' most trusted members. He calls them Crows. Of course, Jesper is among them.

You've learned he's a sharpshooter, and indeed gambles a lot. You watched him gamble one night, and he lost quite a lot of money. Maybe that's why he couldn't get out of the Barrel; all the money he made, he lost while gambling.

Then there's Inej, a small Suli girl. It took you a while to find things out about her. She had her ways to sneak off so silently, you started to think she was a ghost. You noticed the way she climbed gracefully on roofs, her knives glinstering in the moonlight.

There's Nina, a heartrender. She's very flirtatious, like Jesper. You could think of a number of reasons why it would be useful for Kaz to have a Grisha like Nina with him.

Most of the times, Nina's accompanied by Matthias. One look at him and you knew he was Fjerdan. You didn't know what he was doing so far from home, but apparently he was useful to the gang.

Then there's Wylan, who didn't look like he belonged in the Barrel at all. You figured he was a lost student the first time you saw him. But he kept coming and going from the Slat, so you knew he must live there as well. Often, his shirt or fingers would be stained, and you'd guessed he'd be handling stuff like explosives.

And of course, Kaz himself. You didn't know a lot about him, no matter how hard you tried to find out information on him. All you knew, was he always wore gloves, and always had his cane with him. You knew he was their leader, so he'd probably come up with the targets and plans, but other than that, you didn't know anything about him.

When you've found out as much as you can of each member of the crows, you start to search for information on their jobs. It would be perfect if Jesper and Kaz had a conversation like the one they had in the pub, but they were more careful in the Barrel. You thought it must have something to do with the fact there's more than one gang in the Barrel.

Again, you are patient. And after another week of cheap but gross food, you overhear Wylan talking to Nina about an upcoming job. You follow them at a distance, concentrating on their words.

It seems like Wylan is nervous about the job, and Nina is telling him it'll be alright. You linger long enough to hear it's about a shipment coming in next weekend.

Satisfied with the information you gathered, you head back to your apartment. At least it's something. You have one piece of the puzzle. A shipment next weekend. The next step would be to find out what dock and what time. Then you could make sure you're there before Kaz and the others arrive. And you could finally have a decent meal again.

This time, you have to act quick. The weekend is coming up, and you have to find out a location and time.

You climb your way to the roof of the Slat early in the morning, so no one sees you. You knew Kaz' room is on the top floor, all you have to do is wait.

Occasionally, you doze off while waiting, only to make yourself shake your head to wake yourself up. You didn't want another cheap meal, and this was the first promising information you got.

Finally, around noon, all of your waiting turns out to be useful. You hear Kaz' voice through the open window.

'Now that you're all here, we can go over the plan again.' he says.

Someone groans loudly. 'We all know the plan, Kaz.' It's Nina.

'Then recite it word for word.' says Kaz in a serious voice.

'Fine. But I'll give you the short version so this meeting doesn't go on and on like they always do.' says Nina. You hear how she clears her throat and draw closer to the open window beneath you.

'There's a shipment on Saturday night, arriving at the third dock. It arrives at 11 pm, so we'll be there by 10:30 pm. We snatch the one crate that has jewellery and run off before they can shoot us. There. That's it, now can we go?' says Nina.

'One thing.' says Kaz, and you can hear Nina groan again. 'How do you know which crate to take?'

'It's the one addressed to a merchant named Winston.' says Nina.

'Alright. What about the backup plans?' says Kaz.

'We know those as well, Kaz.' says Jesper quickly. 'Now, can we go?'

'Fine. But I expect you all to be here tomorrow at 9 pm sharp to prepare.' says Kaz.

You hear how chairs are moved and people walk toward the door. Just as you're about to climb down, you see a gloved hand reaching out for the window. You draw your head back just in time before Kaz closes the window.

You hold your breath, waiting for him to go away. After some time, when you're sure he's gone, you climb back down. You almost skip happily in the streets, now you've figured everything out. You couldn't wait to see the look on their faces when once again, their prize became yours.

When it's Saturday evening, you move swiftly toward the dock. There's no one around yet. You find a spot that's well hidden, but you also have easy acces on and off the ship that'll arrive.

You check your watch and just like Nina said, the six of them arrive at 10:30 pm. They don't see you, making you smile to yourself. Maybe you preferred this way of working to accepting jobs from clients. You love to see the looks on their bewildered faces when they realise someone has outsmarted them again.

In the distance, you see the ship slowly approaching the dock. The crows take their places, hiding in the shadows just like you. But when the ship has docked and the crows are waiting for the goods to be loaded onto the dock, you climb aboard the ship, looking for the crate.

There's bigger ones, but you find a small one near the back that has the name Winston stamped on it. You open it quietly, making sure to stay out of sight. You begin to load your pockets with the shining jewellery, and then you leave the ship just as quickly as you boarded it.

You go back to your hiding space even though you could already go home. When the crows make their moves, you see how they switch the crates, and then wait for everyone else to leave.

Wylan opens the crate and you can hear Jesper curse loudly.

'It's fucking empty.' says Jesper.

Upon hearing his words, Kaz walks over to Wylan and looks over his shoulder.

'It should be here.' he says.

'Got a backup plan for when the crate is empty?' says Nina.

Kaz is silent, looking at the crate. 'My information was correct.' he says, looking at the others as if they know more than he does. 'I trust the source. We got played.'

Suddenly, he looks up, narrowing his eyes and focusing on something in the distance. 'Again.' he says slowly. 'Someone's messing with us. First that necklace, now a crate full of them. Someone has been selling information.'

'You don't know that, don't start jumping to conclusions.' says Inej. 'Maybe your source isn't as reliable as you think.'

'They are reliable.' says Kaz, clearly frustrated. 'We'll get another job. Let's just go.'

You smile to yourself, feeling the weight of the jewellery in your pockets. If only Kaz knew you were planning on taking much more from right under his nose.

On your way back to your apartment, you can't stop thinking about the looks on their faces. Sure, they were smart, and Kaz is good at making plans. But you are great at ruining them. You wonder how long you can keep this game going, and how rich it would make you.

And now you know you can listen to their meetings from a spot on the roof, you're already excited about their next job.

A/N: If you want to request something, make sure to read my house rules Here’s the list of characters I write for. Everything that I have written can be found on my masterlist. Please don’t repost my work, as I spend much time and effort on it!! Thank you for reading! Much love, Marit

[lokislastlove]

Best Laid Plans (Fluffy Bucky x Reader) p3

Summary: Bucky is determined to woo you properly, no matter how rusty he is at dating these days.

Warnings: Some smut at the end, oral (fr), Bucky has bad luck, but we love him anyway. 18+ only please.

This is my first attempt at Fluff, it is not my strength, to say the least, so by all means ignore this. @saiyanprincessswanie I wrote this for you, I hope you like it and with any luck maybe it brings a tiny smile to your face when you need it. 💕 Also remember this is fiction, I know Bucky’s arm is fancy as hell and has no flaws.

Chapter 3 -

🌹 The Third Date 🌹

The office is abuzz with rumors of your new romance. For obvious reasons Pepper never shuns coworkers dating, but does caution that she expects everyone to remain professional regardless of the outcome. Bucky is one of the most sought after bachelors in the building so naturally people notice when he fixes his attention on you. For the two days following your fruit-filled frolic in the hills Bucky is constantly around. He brings you coffee, flowers by the dozen every day, saves you a seat during the meetings, cooks you lunch and even brings Kal in to see you.

“Okay, I can’t wait any longer. You willing to give me that second chance, tomorrow?” Bucky bursts into your office an hour before you leave Friday evening.

You gasp as the door slams against the wall and he cringes, “uh, sure. I’m free tomorrow. Should I just go ahead and wear my yoga pants?”

“Ha ha. Very funny. And no. I let Steve pick the date idea this time. Just don’t wear anything that you don’t want getting a little dirty,” he winks.

You let out a sigh, “wouldn’t it be easier to just tell me what we’re doing?”

“That’s no fun, Angel.”

——

The next morning you wake up to a text from Bucky, just like you have every morning since your first date.

Good Morning, Beautiful! Can’t wait to see you today. I’ll pick you up at 11am. 😀

Bucky has managed to make waking up a highlight of your day, something you never thought possible. Plus you got him to start using emojis, which Steve claims he will never forgive you for.

You choose some dark wash jeans and a V-neck t-shirt with a jacket and boots. Stylish but casual, you feel good, excited to find out what adventure Bucky will be dragging you into this time.

Your phone dings as you race out the front door and gulp when you see the bike again. God he looks good with it though, his light brown leather jacket highlights his olive skin and his dimpled smile has you swooning as you reach him. Determined to get a hang of this motorcycle thing you jump on back and cling to Bucky with a bit more confidence today.

Bucky reigns in his speed this time, and you find yourself enjoying the rush of the wind on your face and the warmth of him in your arms. To your shock Bucky leads you to a ceramic shop not far from Avengers tower, specifically for couples pottery class.

“Steve assures me that this is supposed to be fun and romantic,” Bucky says as you find yourself sitting next to him on a dirty stool with a spinning round table in front of you.

“Steve hasn’t been watching old romance movies again, has he?”

Bucky squints at you, “Actually, yeah but he said it had ghosts in it, and I got enough of those.”

You grab his hand and give it a squeeze before taking a deep breath, “Ok, let’s do this!”

It takes about a minute to realize what a terrible idea this is as Bucky curses under his breath and his arm starts making strange whirling noises.

“Oh shit, uh is clay good for your arm?” You ask, nodding at the way the plates of his metal arm seems to twitch and groan as the wet clay slide and congeal between them as they shift.

“Fuck,” Bucky curses as he shakes out his metal arm and you grimace at the worrisome noise it makes before it stops moving all together.

“Do you want to take it off?” you offer.

Bucky looks frustrated with a hint of panic as he sits there contemplating the best move. He still isn’t very comfortable going without his arm in public.

“Or we could just decide not to take Steve’s dating advice anymore and go back to the tower and get cleaned up?” You laugh and bump him with your elbow.

He scoffs out a laugh, “yeah. You know I used to be the one that was good at this stuff, I was the charming one who helped get Steve a date.”

“Oh is that so? Well I think you’re doing better than you think you are,” you smirk.

“Yeah?” He asks hopefully.

“Yeah, now come on Casanova,” you stand and wipe your hands on the towel nearby.

You can’t help but laugh as you follow him out the door, looking at the light gleam off the metal that isn’t covered in clay.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, it’s just… gonna be hard to convince me you’re not a complete mess after this one.”

——

You could tell Bucky’s confidence had taken a major hit, well three major hits to be honest. And while he constantly berated himself for everything that went wrong, you couldn’t help but love him even more with each blunder. And when he doesn’t insist you give him another shot after that disastrous pottery date, you seek out Steve’s advice.

“Do you think I should try to make a move? Ask him on a date maybe? Or is that insulting to … men from your era,” you finish awkwardly.

Steve laughs softly, “I think Bucky could use a sign that you aren’t willing to give up yet. You should give it a shot, as long as it’s what you want and not just out of pity.”

“Of course it’s not out of pity, you really think I’d do that?” you ask, trying not to get too offended.

“No, doll, of course I don’t. But that’s likely what he’s going to think.” He placates and gives you a knowing look before walking out of your office.

You push back your shoulders and pull out your phone to text Bucky.

Hey if you’re free tonight you should come over to my place. Maybe around 8pm? No dress code. 😘

🌹 The Fourth Date 🌹

Bucky arrives at 7:50pm that evening and you push the buzzer to let him in. You leave the door cracked for him and finish the final touches.

“Angel?” He calls as he knocks and you hear the door creak open. “Uh, hello?” His voice falters as he closes the door behind him and takes in the candles neatly arranged along a path of rose petals.

You hear him remove his heavy boots and call your name as he follows the path further into your apartment and closer to where you’re waiting for him. You shift nervously on your feet as you wait with baited breath for him to appear around the corner.

“Angel, what’s going..” His voice gets caught in his throat as he stands in your doorway and sees you waiting for him.

You’re wearing a simple nightgown, a silky robe and stockings. The thin straps and sleek material drape softly over your curves, enticing enough to make him pause but not overly revealing to be considered scandalous. You didn’t want to be too bold and scare him off too fast, or make yourself appear too desperate.

“Hi, Bucky,” you smile as you watch his pupils dilate and his chest strain against his shirt as his breathing gets heavier.

He clears his throat and his cheeks glow pink as his eyes flick up to meet yours, “uh hey, Angel. Am I dreaming?”

You laugh as you take a few steps toward him and he mirrors you, “I just thought that maybe I’d surprise you with a date, this time. If you’re up for it.”

“Well, I will admit that my interest is quite peaked already.” He jokes, his eyes roving down your body once more as he gently takes your hands and holds them out to get a better look at you.

You giggle and rolls your eyes, “Nothing crazy, just a simple movie date, and I have the perfect set up. Follow me.”

You pull him over to your bedroom window and climb out onto the fire escape, he follows closely, his curiosity climbing with each creaky step.

“You sure this is safe?” He asks as the stairs rattle under his weight.

“No,” you say simply as you reach the top, “but it’s worth it.”

Bucky’s eyes widen as he takes in the rooftop space that you’ve meticulously decorated for him. Strings of lights hang on the low rooftop walls. A large air mattress is tucked between the pipes and vents, facing a large projector screen. You made sure to add mountains of fluffy pillows and soft blankets to keep you cozy under the stars.

“This is amazing,” he mutters as he eyes the plate of snacks and bottle of wine waiting on the bed.

“I know, isn’t the view amazing? I’ve always loved it up here, but I didn’t know it had this much potential until now,” you remark as you look out onto the glimmering view of the city skyline.

Bucky’s fingers slip between yours and curl sweetly as he guides you over to the soft bed. He flops down and settles in before opening his arm for you to join him. You grab the remote and the wine and curl up next to him. Drawing up your legs and letting them rest against his muscular thigh.

“I don’t deserve all this,” he utters sadly as he watches you pour the wine.

“Steve said you’d say something stupid like that,” you laugh as he looks stunned for a moment. “So let me just settle this right now.” You take deep breath and let it out with a quiet huff.

“I have been the happiest I’ve ever been since you asked me out on that first date. I look forward to waking up every morning knowing I’ll get to see you and possibly, maybe, do more than just ogle you from afar. Oh don’t look at me like that!” You laugh and smack Bucky’s shoulder when he smirks at you and wiggles his brow.

“I know you think you blew it after our first three dates but all I remember is seeing a passionate man willing to chase down a dog through the mud, even if it meant embarrassing himself. I remember you saving me from a potentially fatal injury, and I remember a man so desperate to impress me that he took advice from Steve Rogers,” you bite your lip as you watch Bucky choke out a laugh at your jab at his best friend.

“You may think all of these moments are flaws, but honestly I wouldn’t want to change a single thing. So let’s just –” Your speech is cut off when Bucky’s hands are suddenly on the side of your face and pull you in for a blazing kiss.

It’s as though you’ve unlocked something in him as he devours you, his tongue trailing across your lip and delving into your mouth when you open for him. You moan as his hands slip down to your neck, his thumbs pressing ever so slightly on your pressure points before he pulls away just enough to kiss and nibble along your jaw. The pleasure and passion is dizzying and you feel your body bend to his will. Your hands grasp at his shirt as he nuzzles and sucks along your neck now, making his way to your clavicle.

The feather pillow braces your head as Bucky lays you down and hovers above you, his body heat warming you as the cool night breeze tickles over each spot he kisses.

“God, Angel, you have no idea how badly I want you right now. How badly I’ve wanted you for so long.” He groans against your chest, dragging his nose over the thin material between your breasts.

“Me too,” you breathe.

You push at the lapel of his jacket, trying to urge him to take it off. He sits up, fixing his eyes on you as he slowly strips off his coat and tosses it away, followed by his shirt immediately after. Your breath hitches as you let your fingers lightly glide down his stomach, feeling every ripple of firm muscle under his heated skin.

“Wow, the girls at work would be so jealous right now,” you kid.

“I’m almost offended that you think this is my best feature,” he scoffs gesturing to his stomach, his eyes glinting mischievously.

“By all means, show me more. I did come up here for a show after all,” you tease, tilting your head and biting your lip as you eye the growing bulge in his pants.

“Oh, I think I know how to keep you entertained,” he smirks and lowers himself over you, his hot breath leaving goosebumps on your skin as he dips lower down your body.

You look down as he pauses over your quivering center and lifts the hem of your dress up to reveal your lace panties. He growls lowly and hooks his finger under them, pulling them quickly to the side. You twitch as he blows lightly over your lips, the cool air hitting the slick arousal already pooling between your thighs. He chuckles as you grip the blankets tightly and he pushes his long thick tongue between your folds, circling your bud at the top. You let out a long moan as his fervor increases, the feeling of his rough tongue dipping into your dripping hole and then back up to flick over your clit is driving you closer and closer to the edge.

After the past two weeks of the most intense sexual tension you’ve ever experienced it doesn’t take much for him to have you squirming under his touch. Your toes curl and a broken scream echoes over the rooftops as you come on his hungry lips.

“You’re so beautiful,” he coos as your eyes flutter open and see him hovering over your face once more.

Your jaw slackens, pupils blown as you take in his debauched state, his tousled hair, lips and beard glistening with your come. You reach up and pull him down to you, tasting yourself on his tongue. You feel his metal arm fumble with his jeans between you as he pulls out his aching cock. Your eyes flick down in curiosity and you can’t help but gasp as you gaze at his veiny, thick length.

“You see how hard you make me?” He moans, fisting the base of his leaking cock.

You bite your lip, feeling an overwhelming desire to let him use you in any way he wants. Your body arching into him and your hips rolling desperately. Your submissive side blooming under his dominant tone.

You whimper and meet his eye, “fuck me, Bucky. Please.”

Your voice is soft and timid, nothing like the typical commanding confidence you have in your daily life, and it sends a thrill through Bucky. He latches onto your thighs and pushes them up toward your chest, exposing your cunt to him and he guides himself inside, moaning freely as your walls stretch to fit him.

“I’m never letting you go. My perfect, Angel.”

[rax-writes]

Love Letters

Fandom:  Stranger Things Pairing:  Steve Harrington x Reader Warnings:  None Notes:  Once again, I thank @mxgyver​ for the inspiration. It appears that we’re both suckers for mutual pining. ♥

As you waved goodbye to your two best friends and left Scoops Ahoy, Robin watched Steve intently. She took note of the goofy, love-struck smile on his face, and the way he blatantly stared at your ass as you walked away, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Steve asked, redirecting his attention from you to his coworker – but only after you were completely out of his line of sight, not wanting to miss a second of his opportunity to admire you.

“You’ve got it bad, Harrington,” Robin observed, still chuckling.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Steve said, shrugging with feigned nonchalance as he leaned against the counter.

“Sure you don’t,” Robin responded sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “You need to just ask her out already.”

“Why? Do you think she’d say yes?” Steve asked quickly – a bit too quickly – which caused Robin to start laughing again. “Hey, I’m serious! You’ve been friends with her for way longer than I have. If anybody would know whether or not she likes me, it’d be you. So, come on, spill the beans.”

Steve wasn’t wrong. You and Robin had been best friends since middle school, but you had only recently befriended Steve, after you’d both gotten wrapped up in the Demodogs / Upside Down situation last fall. And yes, she definitely knew how you felt about him – specifically the ginormous crush you’d developed on “King Steve.”

Before now, Robin never would have pictured the two of you together. You used to be more of the nerdy type, preferring to keep to yourself and your few friends, whereas Steve was one of the most popular kids in high school. But now that she knew Steve outside of school, and from seeing how the two of you interact with one another – she thought you were the perfect pair.

“Well, obviously, I would be a terrible best friend if I were to, as you say, ‘spill the beans,’” Robin began, using air quotes to reference his previous comment.

“So there are beans to spill,” he noted, sounding excited.

Ignoring him, Robin continued, “However, I will say this: You remember that teddy bear you gave her earlier this year? That tiny, little red one?”

“Yeah,” Steve said, smiling warmly at the memory. “She wouldn’t admit it, but she was kind of sad because nobody sent her one of those dumb, anonymous carnations on Valentine’s Day at school, and everybody else had gotten at least one. So I ditched last period to run to the store and get her something, and that bear was pretty much all they had left. It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but she seemed to like it. She’s probably thrown it away by now, though.”

“She sleeps with it every single night.” Robin watched as Steve’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. “And the carnation you got? With the little note that said “I think you’re perfect”? That was from her.”

“What?!” he exclaimed, his jaw dropping. “There’s no way! I thought – I hoped it was her, so I compared her handwriting to the note, but it didn’t match!”

“That’s because she had me write it for her, so you wouldn’t know it was her.”

“Why didn’t she want me to know?” Steve asked, sadness tinting his voice. “I’d have asked her out on the spot.”

“I asked her the same thing, but she was adamant that you didn’t see her that way at all. She was worried that things between you would get weird if you knew the note was from her, but she still wanted to get it off her chest in some way, even if it was in secret.”

“Wow,” he murmured, staring at the ground in shock. “She’s the smartest girl I know, but she’s somehow so clueless…. I’ve been in love with her for months.”

“Well, I’ve said too much already, but I’ll reiterate: you need to ask her out already,” Robin stated, and Steve just nodded, lost in thought as he continued to stare blankly at the tile floor. After a couple seconds, he abruptly looked up at her, and she could practically see the lightbulb going off in his head.

“I know just the thing.”

Steve called you right when his shift ended at 4:00 PM, and asked you to come pick him up, claiming that his car wasn’t running and he needed a ride home. When you got there, he was waiting for you outside the mall, having changed out of his work uniform into a sweater and jeans (and touched up his hair, of course). He jogged over to your car just as you parked, and waved for you to roll down your window.

“Hey, before we go, would you mind coming in with me? There’s something I want to show you.”

If it had been anyone else, you might have said no, that you're tired and you'd rather just go home. But this was Steve, and he was looking at you with those big, brown puppy-dog eyes. So, you smiled and nodded at him, then got out of your car to follow him. He took a second to double-check the mall map just inside the front doors, then grabbed your hand, saying, “Come on, it’s this way.” You were really glad that he was busy navigating to wherever the hell it was he was taking you, because that meant he didn’t notice how red your face got.

The fact that Steve fucking Harrington was holding your hand dazed you to the point that you weren’t paying attention in the slightest as he led you through the mall. Eventually, he stopped in front of a store, which was evidently your destination. You looked up to see a sign saying ‘Build-A-Bear’ atop the doorway. Steve just grinned at you, excitement written all over his face, as you raised an eyebrow at him.

“Uh… are we at the right place?”

“Yep!” he answered simply, before pulling you inside. You tried to hide your frown as he let go of your hand, before he placed his hands on your shoulders and spun you to face the wall of... what appeared to be empty stuffed animal carcases. “Alright, pick one.”

It finally clicked then: he took you here to have you make one as a gift. You turned to him with a bright smile, “Really?”

“Yes, really,” he answered, mirroring your smile. “Whichever one you want.”

You spent a good ten minutes figuring out which you liked best, before deciding on a soft, dark brown bear. You told Steve that you just thought this one was the cutest, but really, it was the fact that its color reminded you of Steve’s eyes, and its fluffy fur reminded you of Steve’s hair. (And yes, you’re well aware that that’s super cheesy.) The employee smiled kindly at the two of you as you brought the bear over to her for stuffing. She gave you the same spiel that she’d have given a child – such as instructing you to place a kiss on the tiny felt heart before she put it in the bear’s chest, so “she’ll always know how much you love her!” Steve watched you with adoration as you followed along with all the steps, before the lady asked if you’d like to record something on their little gadget and place it in the bear’s paw, so that whenever you squeezed that spot, it would play.

“Yes, yes we do,” Steve interjected, and you glanced at him. He ignored your confusion, asking the woman, “Is it okay if I borrow it for a minute? I want to record something, but I don’t want my friend here to hear it just yet.”

The lady handed him the device, and he shot you a grin before holding up a finger to signal that he’d be back in one moment, then jogged outside the store. After about a minute, Steve jogged back in and returned it to the lady. You continued to look at him with a raised brow, but he ignored you, standing silently next to you as he watched the employee. She was careful to not press on the device, which would ruin Steve’s little surprise, as she placed it in the bear’s paw, then added your desired amount of stuffing to the bear with their fancy machine, sewed it up, and handed it back to you. She guided the two of you over to the register, where Steve paid for your bear, then walked with you out of the store, heading back to the parking lot.

“So when exactly am I allowed to listen to this super secret message?” you inquired, glancing up at Steve, who just smiled slightly. Wordlessly, he took your free hand, just as he had on the way to Build-A-Bear, and you held the bear tightly to your chest with your other arm. The same blush from before crawled its way up your neck and onto your face.

“You can in just a minute, when we get outside.”

You nodded, then cleared your throat and started speaking about the first thing that came to mind, to try and distract yourself so that the blush would fade. Unfortunately for you, what you ended up rambling about only caused you more embarrassment, and the blush worsened.

“I forgot to say it earlier, but thank you so much for getting this for me. It was an awesome surprise. This is probably kind of dumb, but I, uh… I’ve still got that one you gave me on Valentine’s Day. It’s getting kind of worn out, so –” you cut yourself off, realizing that you almost admitted to sleeping with the damn thing, which would probably sound super weird to him. “Well, I mean, it’s just sitting up on a shelf or whatever, so it’s not getting worn out, just… dusty. Yeah, it’s getting dusty. Um, anyway, this is a nice upgrade from that one, and I appreciate it.”

Steve chuckled as he nodded, then responded sincerely, “It’s no problem. I’m glad you like it – and I’m glad you kept the one from Valentine’s Day.”

He held the door open for you as you exited the mall, and headed back over to your car. The anticipation began to bubble up inside you, as you started to seriously wonder what in the world he would have said on the recording. Steve remained silent as you maneuvered through the parking lot, and both times you glanced at him, he looked almost… nervous? Must have been worrying about what’s wrong with his vehicle or something, you thought. Before you could ask, you’d arrived at your car, so you quickly leaned against the hood and faced him.

“Can I listen to it now?”

Steve took a deep breath, then gave you a worry-laced smile and said, “Yeah, go for it.”

You practically squealed with excitement as you held the bear in front of you and squeezed his paw, then you heard Steve’s voice through the tiny speaker.

“A little birdie told me that you’re the one who sent me that carnation on Valentine’s Day senior year. And I just wanted to say… I think you’re perfect, too. And I love you. Will you be my girlfriend?”

You felt your heart stop and your breath catch in your throat. You stared at the bear for a few moments, before you determined that yes, the recording had actually said that. It wasn’t a figment of your imagination. Steve Harrington just said that he loves you and asked you to be his girlfriend. Holy shit. Holy shit.

“So, um…” Steve began, snapping you out of your stupor. He cleared his throat and shoved his hands in his pockets. “If you don’t feel the same way, that’s totally fine. I mean, Valentine’s Day was months ago, so I get it if your feelings have changed or whatever. I just… I don’t know, I wanted to give it a shot, but you don’t –”

Without even thinking, you lunged at him, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him into a kiss. You poured as much warmth and passion and love into the kiss as you could, and relished in the feeling of his arms wrapping around your waist, holding you tightly against his chest. It felt like the kiss lasted for an eternity, but it still wasn’t long enough before you pulled away slightly to catch your breath, and respond how you should have responded a few minutes ago, if you hadn’t been stunned to silence.

“Nothing has changed, Steve. I definitely still think you’re perfect. I love you too, and I want nothing more than to be your girlfriend.”

“Oh, thank God,” he muttered, then let out a loud exhale. “You got so quiet after you played the recording, I was scared shitless.”

“I’m sorry,” you said, chuckling at how visibly terrified he was. He just smiled at you.

“It’s okay. The most amazing, beautiful, intelligent, kind-hearted woman I’ve ever met is my girlfriend now, so I’d say I’m doing alright,” Steve quipped, then kissed you again, slower and sweeter this time. He abruptly pulled back a bit, “Oh yeah, by the way, my car is fine.”

“So this was all just a clever ruse to get me here, to Build-A-Bear?” you asked, grinning. Then a realization dawned on you. “Wait, Robin told you about the note?!”

Steve burst into laughter, then nodded. “Don’t be mad at her, though! She only told me about it to convince me to ask you out. Just like you with the carnation, I’ve been terrified to tell you how I feel, because I was scared to make things weird – or worse, lose you as a friend.”

“Hate to break it to ya, but you’re stuck with me, Stevie,” you stated, giving him another quick kiss. Steve smiled down at you, his eyes full of adoration.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”