#I’m glad this is how I spent my lunch break

[spineless-lobster]

“We want to hear the ghosts say fuck!”

I hear your cries and I shall deliver!!!! I’ve snagged some quotes from each of the ghosts and added ‘Fuck’ because with exams coming up I feel the same way! (Fuck!)

The Captain: “What the bally fuck is going on?”

Humphrey: “Ow! Fuck! Surely… (kick) that’s… (kick) enough!”

Pat: “Wow. It’s like a fuckin’ spaceship!”

Mary: “Lucky fucker…”

Thomas: “Answer the question damn your fucking eyes!”

Fanny: “Daddy’s NOT drilling ANY holes in ANY fucking walls!”

Julian: “I’m literally IN the fridge! How can I still fucking hear it?! AAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!”

Robin: “You’re a fuckin’ metaphor…”

Kitty: “I fucking love Love, Actually actually”

Plague Ghosts (well, two of them):

“You fucking killed my kids, mate.”

“Fucking technophobe…”

[joelsgreys]

jealousy l a safe haven drabble

Post Outbreak! Joel Miller x Female Reader

series masterlist

summary: When Esther invites Joel to her place for dinner, he reassures you that you have nothing to be worried about.

warnings/tags: 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI. jealous reader, soft Joel, infidelity, at this point these two are having a full on affair, fluff.

word count: 3k

“Helloooo? Yoohoo, is anybody home in there?”

“Ouch,” you gasp out as a foot connects with your shin underneath the table. You look up and shoot an annoyed glare at the curly haired woman sitting across from you at one of the smaller tables in the commune’s mess hall. You reach down, your hand rubbing over the spot where she’d kicked you with the hard toe of her boot. “What the hell was that for, Martha?”

Martha giggles. “Oh, hi. So glad you could join us again.”

Glancing from her to Maria, you frown. “What are you talking about?”

Maria playfully scoffs into her glass of lemonade. “Oh wow, she was so zoned out that she didn’t even realize she was zoned out.”

“I was not zoned out,” you counter, shaking your head.

“Okay, if you weren’t zoned out then tell me, what were we talking about right now?” Martha challenges, a grin tugging at the corner of her lips. It widens when she sees the uncertainty in your gaze. “Just now, what were we saying? Hm?”

Shit.

“You said that—um,” you rack your brain, desperately trying to remember what the two women had been chatting about. “Something about—it was something about the market, right?”

“Aha! I knew it,” Martha laughs again, pointing an accusing finger at you. “That proves it. You weren’t listening.”

“Alright, alright. You caught me, Sherlock. I wasn’t listening,” you admit, sheepishly. “Sorry. It’s just that my mind’s been a little preoccupied.”

“Yeah, we can tell,” Maria teases, shaking her head. “And judging by that big ol’ smile you’ve had plastered onto your face all afternoon, I’m guess that whatever’s on your mind is a good thing and not a bad one.”

You glance down at the plate of fresh garden salad on your lunch tray, avoiding your friend’s curious gaze.

It’s been a couple of weeks since you’d started meeting with Joel. Early on, you both decided it was safest to meet after midnight and spent a couple of hours together, going your separate ways in the earlier hours of the morning just before sunrise to avoid being seen by anyone who woke at dawn for first shift work duties. Once you were certain that Luke was fast asleep, you’d carefully climb out of bed and silently slip out of the house, then walk over to Joel’s where he would already be waiting for you on his front porch. You would sit together on his porch swing—you wrapped up in the warm embrace of his strong arms, your head on his chest as you talked, stole kisses, and held each other for as long as possible until it was time to return to reality.

The reality where you’re not his and he’s not yours.

You’d tell him stories about where you grew up, described to him the foothills of your town and talked about your family’s ranch with fondness, with such passion that at one point, Joel had started to feel like he’d been there before. You told him about your family, your childhood, the dreams you had before the outbreak had pulled the rug from beneath your feet—and he listened earnestly, wanting to know everything there was to know about you. In exchange, Joel would tell you about his own life before the world ended. He’d talk about his life growing up with Tommy in Texas, how the two of them became contractors and started their own business together. He wasn’t quite as open as you had been, and oftentimes, you could sense Joel wasn’t ready to fully open up to you about his past—not only his past before the outbreak, but everything in between then and when he’d arrived in Jackson with Ellie. He wasn’t ready to talk about any of it, and you didn’t mind it.

Just like with Ellie, you’re willing to be as patient with Joel as you need to be.

Maria’s voice breaks into your train of thought. “What’s got you grinning from ear to ear, anyhow? Is there something we should know about?” She pauses, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth before asking, “Is there some kind of special news that you maybe want to share?” Placing a hand over her small, but now prominent baby bump, she gives you a hint as to what she’s insinuating.

She’d never lost faith that, one day, it’s going to happen for you and Luke. But little does she know that your desire to carry your husband’s child died a long, long time ago.

“I’m not pregnant,” you tell her, causing her to frown in disappointment. You finally look up at her and shrug your shoulders nonchalantly. To add another casual touch, you reach for your glass of iced tea and take a sip before saying calmly, “I’ve just been in a good mood lately, that’s all. I don’t think that’s anything too out of the ordinary, is it?”

Before either of them can chime in and say another word, a familiar voice rings over the loud, lively chatter in the mess hall. “Ladies!” Esther hurries over to your table and drops down into the vacant chair beside yours. “I’m so glad you’re all here!”

“Where the hell else would we be?” Martha remarks with a snort. “It’s lunchtime, Estie.”

“Where’s your lunch tray?” Maria questions her. “Aren’t you going to eat anything?”

Esther waves her hand dismissively. “You will never guess what I just did,” she says, excitedly, looking around the table. She waits and when nobody responds, she rolls her eyes and urges, “Come on, take a guess!”

“We’re not teenagers,” Martha chuckles, tossing her an eye roll right back. “Just fucking spit it out. What did you do?”

“I asked Joel to come over for dinner tonight!”

As you’re about to take a bite of your lunch, you drop your fork and it clinks loudly against your plate. All three women glance at you.

“Sorry,” you mutter quickly, your cheeks burning. “Clumsy me.”

Martha turns her attention back to Esther. She shoots her a skeptical look. “You asked Joel Miller over for dinner—and the man said yes? Are you serious?”

Beaming, Esther nods. “Yes! He’s coming over to my place. Tonight.”

Your stomach gives a violent, nauseating churn and for a split second, you’re afraid you’ll be sick all over the table.

“Wow,” Maria says, incredulously. “I can hardly even believe it. My brother in law likes to keep to himself most of the time. I can’t picture him agreeing to a dinner date.”

Esther doesn’t seem offended—in fact, there’s a glimmer of pride in her eyes. “Well, you had best believe it,” she says with a smug smile. “Because tonight, I do in fact have a dinner date with Joel Miller.”

You still haven’t said a word. 

You can’t speak.

You feel like you can’t even breathe. 

All you want to do is get up and leave the table before you can hear another word come out of Esther’s mouth, but you know you can’t do that without raising suspicion—or making your jealousy painfully obvious.

Esther turns to you and waits expectantly for your reaction. “Well?”

“That’s great,” you manage to reply, giving her the best supportive smile you can muster under the circumstances. “I’m really happy for you, Esther.”

“Wait, so if you’re going to cook the man dinner, then does that mean you’re going to be his dessert?” Maria jokes, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“Of course,” Esther smirks. “Oh, with the things I plan on doing to him tonight, I’ll have to go down to the church house tomorrow morning and confess all my sins.”

The women burst into a fit of schoolgirl giggles. 

Suddenly, you feel even sicker than you did a minute ago, but you have no choice but to force yourself to laugh along with them.

“Alright, come on, my love. Let’s pick up the pace. That’s a good girl,” you murmur softly in encouragement to Luna. You’re outside in the paddock hand walking the mare and observing her legs, searching for abnormalities in her trot. Ellie had mentioned she thought she’d seen the horse in some discomfort while she’d been out on an afternoon ride. Wanting to see it for yourself, you decided to take Luna on a stroll out in the paddock while Ellie and Dina are inside the stables taking care of the grooming. “Come on, pretty girl. Little bit faster now—”

The sound of Joel’s deep voice saying your name causes you to stop in your tracks. Stiffening, you glance over your shoulder.

He approaches the paddock, his rifle hanging over his shoulder by a worn, black leather strap—you immediately know he’s just gotten in from afternoon patrol. He’d mentioned to you that he had been taking on extra shifts, even working doubles after there had been sightings of potential raiders fifteen miles south of the gates. Afraid they’d draw closer to the commune, Tommy decided to heighten security, placing more men and women on the wall as well as on every patrol route.

“Hi,” you greet him. There’s a cool edge to your tone as you turn back towards Luna. You don’t even realize how hard you’re gripping the lead rope in your hand until you look down and notice how tightly your skin is stretched over your knuckles. “Ellie’s in Shimmer’s stall brushing her.”

Joel chuckles. “S’good to know, but I came to see you, darlin’,” he states, lowering his voice. There’s no one else out in the paddock, but he’d rather be safe than sorry. Being seen together can easily be played off by the fact that his kid’s working in the stables—but being overheard would be detrimental to yours and his blooming relationship. “Listen, I had an idea I wanted to run by you. Was thinkin’ we could meet out behind the barn tonight. Might be a bit safer than hangin’ out on my front porch—no risk of the neighbors seein’ us. What do you think?”

You don’t reply. 

“We’re still on for tonight, ain’t we?” he asks, his hopefulness subtle, but present. “S’the first time all goddamn week I ain’t gotta work a double or do overnight patrol.”

You lift your unoccupied hand, resting it on Luna’s neck, focusing your eyes on her. “I don’t know, Joel. You tell me—are we still on for tonight?”

Frowning, Joel reaches out and places his hand on your arm—you immediately jump away, as if he’d burned you. “Hey, hey.” Though he’s confused, he remains composed. “What’s the matter?”

You try to meet his gaze, but you can’t even look at him. “Nothing, Joel.”

Stepping forward, he hooks a finger underneath your chin, lifting it as his eyes try finding yours. “Baby, look at me—”

“Joel, stop,” you hiss, swatting his hand away, your head furiously whipping around. “Don’t do that! Someone could see us.”

“Relax, darlin’. No one’s around. What the hell’s got you so worked up?” Perplexed by your strange behavior, Joel’s eyebrows pinch together. “There somethin’ I should know ‘bout? Did somethin’ happen with Luke?”

Your jaw clenches.

Either he’s a gifted actor or he’s genuinely clueless. 

But Esther is your friend.

Surely Joel knows you would find out about their dinner date.

“Talk to me,” he encourages softly. 

You release a small, but heavy sigh.

“I was having lunch in the mess hall with Martha and Maria today. Esther joined us and she told us all about how she invited you over to her place for dinner tonight.” You cringe at the way your own voice trembles. “She said you accepted.”

“Jesus, I knew that woman had a big fuckin’ mouth,” Joel mutters, irritably. He shakes his head. “Yeah, s’true. I accepted the invitation,” Noticing the disappointment—the hurt—that flashes in your eyes, he holds up his hands in defense as he begins to explain himself. “Look, it just happened. Me and Tommy were walkin’ to the mess hall after mornin’ patrol to grab a quick bite to eat before headin’ back out for afternoon watch when she came up to us and said hello. She asked me right then and there if I wanted to come over to her place for dinner—right in front of Tommy. She put me on the spot and I blurted out a yes ‘cause I knew Tommy would give me shit if I said no to her. Trust me baby, I wanted to tell her no. Almost did, but Tommy’s been insistent on help’ me meet someone. Figured acceptin’ one dinner would get his ass off my back.”

Crossing your arms over your chest, your eyes flit down and you stare at your boots in silence.

“Wait just a minute.” There’s a hint of amusement on Joel’s tone. “You ain’t jealous, are you darlin’?”

“I’m so glad you think this is funny,” you mumble, your face growing warm under his curious stare. You finally bring yourself to lift your gaze and it meets his. There’s no doubt in your mind that he’s being honest, but that does nothing to make you feel any better—or any less envious. Foolishly, you add, “She’s planning to seduce you, Joel. She said something about being your dessert.”

He smirks. “She really said that?”

You glare at him. “Are you fucking kidding me, Joel?”

Joel laughs. “Oh, c’mon now, peach. Y’know I’m just messin’ with you. Esther could serve me dinner naked and I still wouldn’t be tempted,” he reassures you, confidently. “Look, I’m just goin’ over to her place to have dinner with her. That’s all. After that, I’m gonna head back home and wait ‘til it’s time to see you. Alright?”

Anxiously, you nibble the inside of your cheek. 

You believe him. Of course you believe him. But there’s another part of you, the jealous part of you, that isn’t thinking rationally. Esther’s one of the most beautiful women in the entire fucking town—maybe he feels certain he’s not interested now, but all it could take is one look into her crystal skies to make him realize he could find happiness with someone he doesn’t have to sneak around with.

“I’ll meet you tonight,” he promises. “I will.”

“Joel, what if something happens and you decide not to show?”

“M’gonna show, peach.”

“But Joel—”

You stop abruptly as Joel pivots on the heel of his boot and begins to walk away from you. 

“Midnight,” he says over his shoulder. “Behind the barn.”

Squinting, you hold your watch up to the moonlight to check the time.

It’s five minutes after twelve and Joel’s nowhere in sight. 

He’s coming, you silently offer yourself the reassurance as the panic begins to settle in. Relax. He’s coming. He said he would be here, so he’ll be here. 

…but what if he isn’t?

For all you know, Joel and Esther could be in her bed right now, tangled up in each other’s arms as they—

A pair of large, rough hands grab at your sides, startling you out of your thoughts.

Squealing in fear, you whirl around.

Joel doubles over slightly, muffling a laugh in the palm of his hand. 

“Joel,” you hiss, narrowing your eyes at him. Slowly, your heartbeat slows, returning to its normal rhythm. “That wasn’t funny! You almost gave me a fucking heart attack!”

“Y’must have your head up in the clouds if you didn’t hear me comin’, darlin’.” Grinning, he reaches out and pulls you into his arms. He goes in for a kiss and chuckles again when you turn your face, his mouth meeting your temple instead of your lips. He gives your body a gentle squeeze. “C’mon, sweet girl. Don’t I get a kiss hello tonight?”

You lightly push him away. “That depends,” you state, taking a step backwards. “On whether or not you got a kiss from a certain blonde earlier this evening.”

Joel’s eyes twinkle. “Wow. You really are jealous, huh?”

You say nothing as you wait expectantly for his answer.

His smile fades slightly as he admits, “She, uh—she did try to kiss me tonight.”

Crestfallen, your heart sinks deeply.

“I dodged it,” he adds, quickly. “Look, Esther’s a nice woman and she’s real pretty—”

“Keep talking, Joel,” you mutter, crossing your arms over your chest. “You’re doing great.”

Joel exhales something caught between a scoff and a laugh. His fingers curl around your wrists as he tugs you forward into his chest once more. “But she ain’t you, peach.”

Surprised, you glance up at him, your lips parting slightly.

“Y’know what I was thinkin’ ‘bout the whole time I was with her?”

“What?”

“How fuckin’ bad I couldn’t wait for it to be over,” he tells you. “All I was doin’ was countin’ down the minutes ‘til I could go back home—and when I did go home, I started countin’ down the minutes ‘til it was time to come see you.”

The tense, taut muscles in your body finally relax.

“Really?”

“Swear it on my life,” Joel murmurs. “I’m hooked on you, baby. Been hooked since the first time you ever smiled at me. You remember that mornin’?”

“Of course I do. During winter, in the stables. You were in Buck’s stall, saddling him up when I walked by and saw you.” You laugh softly as you recall, “You didn’t smile back at me.”

Exhaling an amused huff through his nose, Joel presses his lips to your forehead. “Yeah, I know I didn’t,” he acknowledges quietly against your skin, his guilt evident. “But I couldn’t forget it. Even after all that time passed when I wasn’t here, I couldn’t fuckin’ forget it and I didn’t know why. And then when I came back, I saw you again and you gave me that same goddamn smile. You even know what it did to me, peach? Hell, do you even know what you do to me, baby?”

You lean forward, resting your head on his chest. Closing your eyes, you relish in the feeling of his heartbeat thumping softly against your cheekbone.

Joel nuzzles his face into your hair. “Don’t want anyone else but you,” he declares. “Swear it. You’ve got me, sweetheart. Alright?”

Eyes still closed, you make him the same promise. “And you’ve got me.”

[pink-sparkly-witch]

The Widow - Chapter Eight (Finale)

Chapter Eight

Summary: Sam and Y/N are happily married, but everything changes after a fatal car accident leaves her a widow. The Winchester motto: "Family Don't End with Blood," takes on a whole new meaning for Y/N as she navigates her new normal with the help of her brother-in-law, Dean. But what no one can tell her, is what happens when she falls in love again?   

Pairing: Sam Winchester x F!Reader (past) | Dean Winchester x F!Reader

Warnings: angst, language, feelings, heart-to-heart, fluff, kissing 

Words: 2,641

A/N: That's all folks! Thank you all for reading and for coming on this journey with me. I appreciate all of you more than you know! 💖 I'm sure going to miss these two, but it was fun getting them to where they needed to go.

Huge thank you again to my gorgeous beta: @negans-lucille-tblr I’m not sure this would’ve even been posted without your encouragement, and thank you doesn’t seem like enough 😘

Now… go and grab those tissues!!

You can catch up here!

My Masterlist     AO3    Ko-Fi

Y/N’s POV

The first few minutes in the car are spent in awkward silence and it kills you. The relationship you have with Dean has always been easy and to think it’s been damaged beyond repair makes you sad.

“So…” Dean finally breaks the silence between you when you stop at a red light. “Good lunch?” He glances over at you and you scoff.

“That’s where you wanna go here? How was lunch?” You laugh, but it’s not the humourous kind.

“If you don’t mind, I’d much rather we get to the point and just agree that last night was a mistake and won’t happen again. So let’s do that, let’s pretend it never happened, not talk about it ever again and try to go back to the way things were.” You finish and turn your head to look out the car window.

“Before we do that, I need to say something. Last night meant everything to me,” he looks over at you and waits until you turn back towards him and meet his gaze. “Everything, Y/N. I don’t know when it happened, but I do know when I realised I was in love with you.”

“Dean…” you mutter. His words shock you, that’s about as much as you know right now, and you’re glad Dean ignores the interruption and continues talking, because you have no idea how to respond.

“It was when your car broke down on the hottest damn day of the year,” he chuckles at the memory, “and you called me for a tow. I was driving down the road you were stopped on, and I saw you sitting on the hood of your car, and you looked so beautiful. I swear you were glowing in the sunlight. It was like you had a goddamn halo or something! And my heart just stopped, and I thought ‘shit, I’m in trouble here,’ since then, I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re the first thing I think of when I open my eyes in the morning and the last before I fall asleep. Fuck… I tried to stop, I swear I did…

“I know this is hard for you to hear and it’s probably the last thing you want to deal with right now and that’s okay. But, I need you to know you were not a mistake, sweetheart. I don’t regret what we did and I never will. I know we have something that could work if you give us a chance, because you can’t fake the kinda connection we had last night. But if you want to pretend last night never happened and go back to how things were, then I’ll do that for you… but if I’m right and you feel something more for me, please, tell me.”

You remain silent and take in his confession. He’s right, you do have feelings for him, the trouble is, you don’t know if you can trust yourself. Are they real feelings, or are you mistaking them for the comfort and familiarity Dean gives you?

And then you ask yourself where this can even go. He’s your husband’s brother; people will talk. And it’s not that you care what they’ll say necessarily, there are other factors involved here. Including how John will feel, and the impact such a “scandal” could have on the family business. More importantly, though, you don’t know if you can do that to Sam.

“You know what? Forget I said anything. Your silence says it all, Y/N. Let’s just sweep last night under the carpet and chalk it down to bad judgement,” you know Dean is hurt because his voice comes out weak and defeated and you despise yourself for it.

“It wasn’t,” it’s barely audible, but at least you got something out.

“Wasn’t what?” Dean asks.

“Bad judgement,” you clarify. “And I do feel something for you, I just…” you sigh, and let your thoughts hang in the air as you try and decipher what this all means and what the best thing to do is.

“Alright,” Dean nods his head. “When we get home, we’re going to talk about all of this, okay?” Dean fixes his gaze on you and you nod in agreement. “We need to lay our cards on the table and hear each other out. It’s the only way we’ll be able to get past this, whatever this is, or ends up being.”

Again, you know he’s right. You need to get it all out in the open and be completely honest with each other because it’s the only way you’ll be able to keep Dean in your life.

“Okay,” you agree with a nod.

You go back to spending the journey in silence, but it’s not quite as heavy and suffocating as before, and you have the tiniest glimmer of hope that everything will work out just fine.

Sitting on your sofa next to Dean, you hand him a tumbler with a decent measure of whiskey and untuck the bottle from under your arm to place it on the table. In a bid for more time, you take a long sip from your wine glass as you desperately try to figure out what the hell just happened and how you ended up in this position. Dean speaks first and you sigh in relief as you’re at a complete loss for words.

“I just wanna start by saying I meant what I said,” Dean begins. “All of it,” he adds before you can question him. “I have fallen in love with you, and last night did mean the world to me.” With that, he downs the whiskey in one gulp and refills his glass. Now, at least you have your first question.

“So why didn’t you stay with me? Why did you get up and drink all night?” you ask quietly.

“We got so caught up in the moment, and neither of us even stopped to think,” he looks down at the floor and you can see and feel the shame radiating from him in waves.

“When we were finished and you were sleeping in my arms, it was like everything came crashing back to reality. I felt guilty for doing that to Sam, I felt ashamed for taking advantage of you when you were upset, I knew I’d ruined things between us and I knew I had no one to blame but myself.

“I didn’t mean to stay away all night,” Dean says, looking at you for the first time since he’d started to explain himself. “I only intended to have one or two to help me sleep, but I got upset and… two became four, and well… you saw me this morning.”

“You know you didn’t take advantage of me, right? That if I didn’t want it to happen, it wouldn’t have?” you ask him, reaching a hand out to cup his cheek and pushing gently to make him look at you. “Dean, I swear to you, I wanted it too…” you begin, but a scoff from the green-eyed man next to makes you frown.

“So this morning was what?” He looks at you pleadingly, like he was silently asking you to tell him that he hadn’t been a mistake.

“One big miscommunication, apparently,” you chuckle sadly. “Dean, when I woke up this morning, the first thing I felt was guilt for doing that to Sam. And when I turned over to seek you out, to get some comfort and to be told we didn’t do anything wrong, I was met with a cold bed.

“Fine, I thought, maybe he feels some of the guilt I do and was awake early, or couldn’t sleep… but when I came downstairs and saw the empty bottle and the bloodshot eyes, I went to the worst thing I could think of. Regret. And I went on the defensive, and for that I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left without talking to you.”

“And I should’ve never left you alone. I’m truly sorry, sweetheart. Not once did it cross my mind that you’d feel the way you did. You know, knowing that makes me feel worse than the guilt ever could.” Dean’s words are full of sincerity and you nod, believing everything he’s told you tonight.

“Okay, so we both agree we did nothing wrong and that it wasn’t a mistake, but I still feel like we haven’t resolved this,” you say looking up at him. Dean nods his head in agreement, but remains silent, staring at you intently. You know this part is up to you–he’s already told you how he feels–but you stall by taking a few more sips of wine.

“I know Sam is gone, and no matter how much I want it, he’s never coming back. I know he’d want me to be happy and to find someone to love and who loves me,” you glance up at Dean and see hope in his expression. “But I feel like I’d be cheating on him or something if that person is you. And,” you continue quickly, wanting to get everything out at once, “I don’t know if I really feel what I feel for you, or if I’m confusing your familiarity with Sam for real feelings.”

Dean nods and reaches his hand out to stroke your cheek. “I understand that, sweetheart. I feel the same way, but you’re right, he’d want you to be happy, and if that ends up being with me, then we’ll get through it together. And if it isn’t with me, then I’ll help you get through it.”

You think about what Dean said, your heart filling with hope that no matter what, he’d still have your back. “How do I know if what I feel is real?”

“Well, sweetheart,” he chuckles, “I can’t help with that, that’s gotta be all you. Only you know how you feel and what’s real or not.”

Placing your wine glass on the coffee table, you shift closer to Dean and tentatively place your head on his shoulder. You smile as you hear him sigh happily.

“C’mere,” he opens his arms and lets you cuddle into his chest before putting his arms around you and kissing your forehead. The warmth and safety of Dean’s embrace spreads over you like you’ve just lay down in a hot bath, and it makes you hum in pure contentment.

His arms squeeze you tighter into his body and you find yourself raising your head to look at him. Really look at him. His bright green eyes show you nothing but tenderness. You scan your eyes over the freckles that dust his face like a beautiful, undiscovered constellation; he truly is a stunning man.

Dean licks his lips, bringing your attention to them and your memories drift to last night and how those lips felt on yours and your body. Slowly, you tilt your head and move closer to him, gently pressing your lips to his.

Hesitantly, Dean opens his mouth and you take him up on his invitation, deepening the kiss and moaning as your tongues meet. The kiss is gentle and slow, neither of you in a rush to be anywhere but right here at this moment.

With your lips still attached to his, you straddle him and settle down in his lap. Feeling the beginnings of a bulge in his jeans, you grind your core into it, smirking at his groan.

“Y/N, sweetheart.” Dean is breathless, and you find the effect you have on him intoxicating. “If you want a repeat of last night, I’m all yours, but I need to hear you say it.”

“I want you, Dean.”

Six Weeks Later

“Hey, handsome,” you smile. “It’s been a while and I’m sorry for that,” you say as you sit cross-legged at Sam’s grave. “I’ve had some things going on that I needed to work out,” you pause and pick at the strands of grass around you. 

“Something happened that I never thought would. I fell in love again. He makes me happy, Sammy. And I know he’s a good man and he’ll treat me right. If he doesn’t I’ll kick his ass,” you chuckle. “Then I’ll come here and beg you to haunt him!” your smile quickly turns to a sob.

“It’s Dean, Sam. I fell in love with Dean but I didn’t mean to. It just happened. And I need you to know that I never…” you need to stop talking to make way for the tears that won’t stop falling.

“I never felt that way about him when you were here. And I need you to know that. This is new and unexpected for both of us. I’ll always love you, Sammy, and I miss you. So fucking much every goddamn day! It’s just that I love him too. And I hope you can forgive me.”

You sit in silence for a while, just being. You know you should leave soon. Dean and John are waiting and you know they’ll be starting to worry about you. Movement catches your eye and you turn your head to see a butterfly fluttering nearby.

It lands on Sam’s gravestone and you smile, feeling a childlike joy at seeing the red admiral so close and so late in the year, even with the mild fall.

It remains perched and unmoving for a while longer before it flies over and lands on your knee. That’s when you know that this beautiful creature is a sign, and that Sam is with you.

You can feel him next to you, and you have the overwhelming feeling that everything is going to be alright and that he approves of you and Dean. The red admiral takes flight once again and circles your body.

You don’t know if it’s a laugh that erupts or if it’s a sob–maybe it’s a mixture of both–but it’s something, and you feel at peace with yourself and everything around you as you sit by his grave.

All too quickly, the butterfly takes off and flutters back into the nearby shrubs.

“I love you, Sam. Always and forever,” you say as you kiss your fingers and place them on his headstone before standing up and brushing the dirt from your jeans.“I’ll be back soon. I promise not to leave it so long next time.” 

Walking away, you feel lighter than you have in a long time, and you know that finally, you’re at peace with your husband's death and with the path that has led you to looking forward to a life with Dean.

“Hey, sweetheart, you good?” Dean asks as you wrap your arms around his waist and hug him tight. You can’t bring yourself to speak, so you nod against his chest and once more you let the tears fall, knowing that this time, they’re happy tears.

“You’re alright, Y/N, I’m right here.” Dean murmurs, and you feel another hand stroking your back.

“Sam would be happy, you know that, don’t you darlin’?” John asks. “For both of you.”

Pulling away from Dean’s embrace, you wipe your tears away and smile, “I know he is.”

You saw a red admiral at every big life moment after that day at his grave. You saw one the day Dean proposed, and again at your small, intimate wedding. One flew in the kitchen window on the day you found out you were expecting your first child, and one appeared on the day you found out about the two that came next! On every birthday and holiday, on the day you gave birth to each of your children, and on their first days at school.

It gave you immense comfort, and though at first Dean, John, and Jody put it down to coincidence, after the first few times it happened, they started looking for the butterfly on the special days too.

THE END

@deans-spinster-witch @muchamusedaboutnothing @kazsrm67 @twinkleinadiamondsky @waters-2567 @leigh70 @waynes-multiverse @jesllianaquilesrolonsworld @chriszgirl92 @stoneyggirl2 @marilynnlew @ilovedean-spn2 @deans-baby-momma @acitygrownwillow @xxsovereignsarayaxx @frozenhuntress67 @lacilou @rach5ive @iprobablyshipit91

[wayward-dreamer]

Far From Innocent - Part 2

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Female!Reader

Word count: 2,874

Summary: Y/N's life is quite simple. She's engaged to be married in a few months, she has the easiest job at Vought American, and she stays out of the drama or away from rumors she's heard around the office. An encounter with Soldier Boy, Vought's most respected hero, quickly changes all of that and she soon realizes that there's more to life than what she's settled for. (Set in the 50s)

Warnings: Angst, swearing, degrading language, typical 1950s misogyny, sexual thoughts, thoughts of cheating, actual cheating, drinking, smoking, drug use, implied smut

A/N: I'm so glad y'all enjoyed the first part. Next one will be out in a few days. Happy reading and enjoy! beta'd by my darling @hintsofhoney

A few weeks had passed since Y/N had that brief glimpse into Soldier Boy’s private life. From that day she had done everything she could to avoid seeing him again. She kept her head down and distracted herself with as much work as possible, forwarding any request that had to do with him onto someone else. She had managed to keep to herself and be completely oblivious to what the supes got up to for the two years she had been working there, but suddenly since that moment, it wasn’t so easy anymore. The rumors she thought may not be true, now definitely were especially after what she had witnessed that day and since then.

She had tried so hard to not be anywhere in the vicinity of Soldier Boy, but a late night or two working at the office had their paths crossing. She had noticed him with Tek Knight and two women, trying to sneak into the building from the service elevator to his penthouse on one occasion. The other time he was chatting up a new female supe, one that Vought had been hoping to sign with, but Y/N hadn’t seen her again after that.

Despite it all, there was still an allure and mystery that she was intrigued by. She still found herself wanting to know more, wanting to do more, and do it all with him. She and Jim had tried to be intimate again, but he had of course fallen into the same problem and she was left to take care of herself once he fell asleep.

She wasn’t sure how much more of it she could take.

They hadn’t talked about it, and she wondered whether she should mention it to him, but she had a feeling that wouldn’t be the smartest idea. So she ignored it, pretended like everything was okay as they continued their lunch break tradition, went home together, spent weekends planning for the wedding and avoiding what she knew would be a touchy subject.

She also continued to ignore the forbidden desires she had been having about America’s greatest superhero, only allowing herself to think about those things at the hour of the lonely and dreaming.

“So, the country club is booked and I’m going for my suit fitting…”

Y/N drowned out Jim’s ramblings of the wedding as she continued to stock the coffee and tea cart with napkins, spoons, sugar packets and everything else she had been asked to do. They had been short staffed for the shoot and needed more people to help, so he convinced her and a few others to join. He didn’t tell her what it was for, and she didn’t really care. She just needed to avoid a run-in with Soldier Boy.

“Y/N?” he called out, waving his hand in front of her face and breaking her out of her reverie. “Did you hear me?”

“Yes,” she replied, clearing her throat. “Country club, suit fitting, it’s all settled.”

“And you’re going for your dress fitting with your mom this weekend, right?” he asked, taking her hand and making her face him.

“Yeah,” she sighed, mustering up a smile.

“Well, you better hide it before I come over on Saturday, ‘cause we don’t need any bad luck…” he whispered, leaning in and kissing her lips, softly.

Y/N hummed as she kissed him back, trying to pull away as she wasn’t a fan of public displays like that, but Jim cupped her cheek to keep her from moving. The sound of heavy footsteps reached her ears, causing her eyes to snap open just as a group of suits from advertising walked in, followed by hero management who flanked the star of today’s shoot, Soldier Boy. She pulled away from the kiss, watching as he marched past them, lighting a cigarette as he pushed through.

“S-Soldier Boy’s doing the commercial?” she asked, looking up at Jim.

“Yeah, who else would?” he remarked, shrugging his shoulders.

“You didn’t tell me that,” she murmured, frowning at him.

“So?” he questioned, confusion written on his face. “It’s not a big deal, sweetie. We just needed a couple people to help. He’s not even gonna notice you.”

That might be a good thing she thought to herself as she let out a heavy sigh.

“Don’t be nervous,” he told her, patting her shoulder before he walked away towards the supe.

“I’m not,” she whispered, rolling her eyes as she knew that was a lie.

Y/N stayed by the table as she continued to observe, her eyes never leaving the man in green and gold. He put out the cigarette as one of the assistants handed him the pack of Marlboro for the advert. He had the script in his other hand, throwing it at the assistant just as the director called for people to move out of the shot.

“And we’re rolling,” he announced, glancing behind him at the crew before turning back to Soldier Boy. “Whenever you’re ready, sir.”

Just as Soldier Boy lifted his head to look down the lens, he noticed someone standing further away near the food table. Y/N. He had wondered if he would ever see her around again, especially after he found her in his apartment, watching him. He saw as she stared back at him, her hands clutching nervously as the belt around her waist. His lips pulled up into a smirk, causing a sharp exhale to leave her, her gaze dropping to the floor just as he looked away from her into the camera.

Y/N looked down at her watch, hoping that in another few minutes they could dismiss her, and she could go back to her regular job. She needed to get away as fast as possible. She busied herself with making a pyramid out of the Styrofoam cups, briefly glancing up with every take that the director wanted. She smiled as Jim walked over, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he kissed her temple, nuzzling his nose into her hair.

“What do you say we sneak outta here and have some fun,” he mumbled into her ear.

“Actually, I think I’m gonna head back up and work,” she stated, shifting away from him.

“Hey, come on, we got some time to kill,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows as he pulled her into his arms.

“Jimmy, I can’t,” she laughed, lightly as she looked up at him. “I have a lot to do-”

“It’s nothing that can’t wait,” he cut her off, pressing his lips to hers.

She squeaked as she pushed at his shoulders, ripping her mouth away from his as she frowned up at him. “It’s my job, Jimmy.”

“I know that-” he started but she had him gulping with the glare she gave him.

“Do you?” she countered, raising an eyebrow.

“Sweetie, let’s not do this here,” he lowered his voice, briefly glancing around to make sure no one was looking at him.

“Oh, but you only wanted to have sex here,” she hissed.

His eyes narrowed as he stared down at her, taking a firm grip of her forearm. “Keep your voice down.”

“Let go of me,” she growled, pulling herself out of his grasp.

With one last scowl, she stalked away from him and stood closer to some of the other employees, all busy with their work. She crossed her arms across her chest as she watched them redress the shot, before the director called action. She moved slowly, standing a few steps behind him, her eyes focused on the supe in front of the camera. Just as he reached the end of the lines, he took out a cigarette from the pack, placed it between his lips and lifted the lighter, lighting the tip. He took a drag, his gaze locking with hers as he did. He blew out a long puff of smoke, their eyes never leaving each other. She felt her thighs quiver, making her press them together in order to keep herself from falling.

“…old fashioned flavor in the new way to smoke,” he recited the end, smirking at the camera as he took another drag.

“Cut!” the director yelled. “That was great, sir. Let’s run it again-”

“Fuck this,” Soldier Boy growled, standing up from the stool so fast it tipped over. “Give me ten…”

“Sir, we should really just keep rolling,” one of the suits interjected, trying to stop him from leaving.

“No, we take ten,” he snapped, his green orbs glaring at the man in front of him. “We square?”

“Y-Yes,” the guy stuttered, a shaky nod accompanying his nervous speech.

“Can we get you anything, sir?” Jim asked, walking over as he saw the situation.

“Jack,” Soldier Boy briefly acknowledged him, dropping his focus and fixing his glove.

“It’s Jim, sir,” he corrected, but the polite smile on his face quickly dropped as the supe turned to him.

Soldier Boy’s face was void of expression, clearly unimpressed. “Whatever. Coffee, iced.”

“On it,” Jim declared, about to step away but he saw the supe had something else to add.

“And uh… have your girl over there deliver it,” Soldier Boy added, nodding towards Y/N as she handed coffees out to some of the employees. His eyes took her in, a small grin on his lips as he slapped Jim’s shoulder, not bothering to look at him. “Thanks, kid.”

Jim sighed deeply as he saw Soldier Boy walk away into one of the small rooms across from the setup. He turned back and spotted Y/N at the snack table, making his way over to her. She quickly glanced up at him before turning her attention back to making a fresh brew.

“Listen, uh… Soldier Boy wants you to bring him an iced coffee,” he explained, scratching the back of his neck. “But I can-”

“No, I’ll do it,” she said, staring up at him blankly. “It’s not like I have anything else to do, right?”

“Y/N,” he breathed, shaking his head but he never got the chance to say anything else.

She strutted away from Jim, nervous to be facing the man she had been having sinful thoughts about for the past few weeks, but relieved to be anywhere but near her fiancé for a few minutes.

Y/N knocked on the door as she took a deep breath, letting it out in a long exhale. She waited for a few seconds, before she rapped her knuckles on the wood again, not wanting a repeat situation of a few weeks ago. She wasn’t sure who could’ve walked into the room while she was out getting Soldier Boy his coffee. A rasped “come in” came from behind the door, and she turned the knob to enter, a sigh of relief leaving her to see him alone. He looked up at her as he wiped under his nose, wiping the surface of the table before he stood up, his signature smirk on his face as he walked around the desk in the small office and she walked over. His helmet was off and sitting on the table, his flippy locks on display and only adding to his charm.

“Here you go, sir,” she mumbled, not meeting his eyes as she handed him his drink.

His gaze never left her as he took a sip from the glass, closing his eyes with a low hum of approval. “Ah, that’s fucking swell. Thanks, sugar.”

“No problem,” she said, nodding slowly. She needed to leave immediately, because there was no way she could survive the way he was looking at her. “Well, I should get back-”

“To that fiancé of yours?” he asked, a pointed look on his face.

She lifted her head to meet his eyes, slightly surprised that he remembered that. She didn’t think someone of his stature would.

“Things seem a little… tense,” he added, leaning back against the desk. “I might’ve noticed.”

She huffed, shaking her head as she clasped her hands in front of her. “That’s putting it mildly.”

“Let me guess… you two did the horizontal tango and he popped it too quick, right?” he prodded, raising an eyebrow.

Her eyes widened as she gasped. She couldn’t speak, far too shocked at what he had just said. Her reaction was enough of an answer for him.

“Anything I can help with?” he asked, his words incredibly suggestive as he kept his intense gaze on her.

She felt her cheeks heat up as she stared back at him, but she tried to remain stoic. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. That-That’s never happened.”

“Oh, come on, doll,” he chuckled, the sound deep and husky as he placed the glass on the desk and looked back at her. “You can’t fucking pretend you didn’t like what you saw that morning. If your guy’s got a problem with his pecker, there’s no way you’re gettin’ what you need.”

She stood frozen in front of him, unable to use her voice to contradict him because she couldn’t. She couldn’t deny the truth.

Soldier Boy took advantage of her stillness, his hand reaching out and slipping a finger under the belt around her waist. He pulled on it, a gasp escaping her as her feet shifted against the carpet, her body instantly pressing into the hard wall of muscle, her hands on his broad shoulders. Their faces were inches apart, his green eyes boring into hers that were wide like saucers, a grin spreading as he caught them glance down at his plump lips.

“And I think we both know what you need,” he whispered, his voice low and gravelly as his breath brushed against her mouth.

A small whimper left her as she stared up at him, breathing heavily at their close proximity. This was the closest she had ever been to him, a brief thought of wanting to be even closer crossed her mind, but she quickly pushed it away.

“What?” she squeaked out.

He laughed lightly, taking in every feature of her face. “To finally act on all the slutty things you’ve been thinking about.”

She let out a shuddered breath as they continued to stare at each other, her eyes still showing a hint of uncertainty, very slowly giving way to a glimpse of confidence.

“Maybe,” she breathed, a small smile pulling at her lips.

“Why don’t we find out for sure,” he suggested, his hands slipping down to rest on her hips. “Tomorrow night.”

“I-I can’t,” she stuttered, shaking her head. She couldn’t do that to Jim.

“I think you can,” he interjected, a cocky grin on his face. “I think you will.”

Just as she opened her mouth, a sharp knock on the door broke them out of their lust-filled haze. Y/N jumped back a few steps, his hands slipping away from her sides as he glared up at their door.

“Sir! We’re ready for you!” a man’s voice yelled from the other side.

“All a bunch of fucking cock blockers,” he muttered under his breath as he picked up his drink.

Y/N brushed down the skirt of her grey dress, adjusting the belt back into place before she looked up at Soldier Boy. He held his helmet under his arm, his drink in the other as he walked over to the door, turning back to her with that smile that made her knees weak.

“9 o’clock, if you change your mind,” he instructed, opening the door. “You know where I’ll be…”

And with that suggestion, she was left alone in the room to contemplate everything he had said.

“Fuck,” she huffed out, placing her hands on her hips as her eyes snapped shut.

He knew what she needed and was willing to help her, but there was no way she could take him up on his offer. She was engaged to be married, and even with how much they had been fighting lately and their problems in the bedroom, she loved Jim. She couldn’t do that to him.

Stepping out of the small office, she walked past Soldier Boy as he got back to filming the commercial, looking around others to see where Jim was. She saw no sign of him, sighing heavily as she wondered if he was upset with her. She shouldn’t have been so annoyed with him. She heard voices down the hallway, her heels clacking against the floorboards as she went to investigate. Her lips spread into a smile as she saw her fiancé walk out of the storeroom, fixing his shirt back into his pants and adjusting his tie. She frowned in confusion, but her eyebrows suddenly pulled into her a scowl as a blonde woman came out behind him, reapplying her lipstick. She quickly recognized her as Brenda, an assistant in the advertising department.

Y/N turned on her heel and stalked away before either of them saw her fuming, making a quick beeline for the elevators. She was going back up to the 40th floor, to get back to the job she was actually paid to do, and to continue to think about Soldier Boy’s offer.

All she knew was that Jim just made her decision a lot easier.

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[w2soneshots]

Hate -W2S

Words: 0.7k+

Warnings: angst with happy ending, break up, mention of drug use, social media hate.

In which you and Harry go through a break up.

sidemenupdates

Liked by y/nfanpage21 and 7,674 others

sidemenupdates: y/n seen today for the first time since her and Harrys breakup!

-comments-

y/nfanpage21: She's so pretty🤍

user98025639: I hope they get back together :(

ihatey/n: I'm so glad they broke up Harry deserved so much better than her

user46807521: I hate her

Since me and Harry broke up a few weeks ago I’ve been receiving an obnoxious amount of hate. I would usually just ignore it, but while trying to recover from a difficult break up (especially since we were together for three years) It has started to get to me. I got a call from Talia who I've kept in good contact with. "hey babe, how are you?" She asked once I accepted the call. "Im alright." I said. "are you free today?" She asked. "Um- ye?" I replied. "Im coming over I’ll be there in 20." She said and before I could say anything she ended the call.

I quickly tidied up my apartment, threw on a sweat set and brushed my hair into a ponytail. Talia arrived outside my apartment just under 20 minutes later along with a bag of groceries. She immediately brought me into a hug then went over to my kitchen and started unpacking the food. "You didn't have to do all this T." I said. "Are you kidding, I’m your best friend. You did the same for me when me and Simon were on a break." she said and continued to fill up the fridge. I smiled "well, thank you." She smiled back at me and said "right, let's go." My brows furrowed "what, go where?" I asked. "Shopping."

We spent the rest of the day buying new clothes and we also had some lunch. I thanked Talia profusely for taking my mind off of everything and cheering me up, but she joked saying "I just needed an excuse to by some more clothes and Simon is really boring to shop with." which made me laugh. She dropped me off outside my apartment and I made my way through the building while carrying multiple bags of clothes and new makeup.

Once I put everything away I made myself some dinner with the food that Talia brought me. After eating I sat watching Friends when I got a phone call from Freezy. "Hello?" I said through the phone. "y/n, listen we've tried everything but he's in a really bad place. I- I think he's been using again." I sighed "I'll be over in 10." I said. "See you then."

Just like I said I was at their apartment in just over 10 minutes. The door was unlocked so I opened it to see Cal (Freezy) sat on the sofa "thanks for coming, I know he's not really your responsibility anymore." he said. "I still care for him though Cal." I said and he nodded. I made my way towards his room soon after. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

He lay on the bed asleep in a pair of sidemen joggers and hoodie. "Harry?" I whispered and placed my hand on his shoulder, rubbing it lightly. He stirred slightly and mumbled "fuck off Cal." I sighed "Haz, It's me y/n." He immediately lifted his head to look at me. He didn't waste a second by pushing himself off the bed and pulling me into a tight hug. I could hear him sobbing slightly and my heart sank "shh, Im here, shh." I whispered rocking us back and forth lightly. "Im so sorry." he whispered into my neck. I just gave him a squeeze and then he pulled away. "I want to give it another go, I'll make time for you, I- I promise." he said. Me and Harry broke up because I felt like we weren't spending enough time together, were both very busy but I felt like he wasn't really trying anymore.

I nodded silently. "I realised the past couple of days how much I need you and all the things you do for me, I just- I- I understand if you don't want that but-" I cut him off by pulling him into a kiss. "I wouldn't want anything more." I said smiling.

[supernovafics]

strangers to lovers to enemies with steve harrington

(very much inspired by “in the kitchen” by reneé rapp)

wc: 1.6k

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

strangers

for the first time in a long time, you didn’t hate your job. 

when you found out robin would be working at the family video next door to the pharmacy you had been working at for the past year, you were glad that you would finally have a friend close by. 

it would make your boring job a bit more bearable. 

you went into family video during your lunch break on one of her first few days. she stood behind the counter with someone you didn’t recognize.  

“welcome to this side of town,” you said with a smile, grabbing her attention. 

she smiled back at you before then sighing. “do you know how many old people call here just to rant about how “disgusting” and “sacrilegious” the movie selection we have here is? answer: too, too many. they even hate the cartoons meant for little kids. i’m pretty sure i lose a year off my life every time a call like that goes past five minutes.” 

the only reason you found her words to be the slightest bit funny was because dealing with annoying old people was a staple to your job as well. “please don’t quit yet. the fact that you’re next door is the only thing that makes me slightly like my job now.”

“i’ll be here for at least a month.”

you laughed at that. “how generous of you.”

“this is steve, by the way,” she told you, gesturing to the guy next to her. 

you nodded at him and introduced yourself with a small smile before heading back next door. 

steve was smiling the entire time as you walked away, something that robin did not fail to notice. 

she lightly nudged him. “don’t even think about trying to get with her, harrington.”

to lovers

naturally, steve did not listen. 

because there was something about you and your personality that he was completely enamored by from that first very minor conversation he had with you at family video. 

therefore, one night when it was just him and keith in the store and no robin to stop him, he went next door to see you. 

you were stocking shelves and were surprised to see him walk into the store. 

“hi?”

“hi.”

there was something about his presence that made you feel slightly nervous, mainly because you didn’t know him well yet, and you always felt awkward around people you didn’t really know. 

“um, how’s it going?” you asked because that was the only thing you could think to say at the moment. 

“i just finished helping a lady find a movie that would ‘spice up her marriage.’ those were her exact words. we spent half an hour looking through pretty much every porn we have in the store, which for a place named family video was weirdly a lot,” steve responded and after your initial shock subsided, you fought the urge to laugh at his story. “and i’ll sadly never get those thirty minutes back. how’s it going here?”

“can’t say i have had experiences like that one today, which i’m very sorry for by the way,” you said. “but, earlier i did have to help an elderly woman pick out the best diapers for her husband, and she went into too much detail about why he needs the biggest size we have. i won’t tell you what she said because you don’t deserve to be subjected to that, but i’m scarred forever.” 

he then made a joke about how insane the people in this town are, which made you laugh, and the minor awkwardness fell away from there. 

“how long is your break?” you asked when it neared an hour of him being there with you. he started helping you stock shelves when after ten minutes of doing nothing other than talking, you told him that your boss would hate you if you didn’t finish stocking by the end of your shift.

steve glanced at the watch he was wearing. “yeah, i should probably be heading back. what time are you done here tonight?”

“i’m off at 10.”

he smiled at your response. “same here. do you wanna do something after?”

“okay,” you nodded and then turned away so that he didn’t see how happy you were at his question. 

that night you drive around aimlessly in his car, listening to music and talking, before stumbling upon a drive-in movie theater and deciding to watch the black and white movie they were playing. 

steve’s affectionate and sweet, and you get hit with the unfamiliar feeling of deeply liking someone that swells your heart. so, when he kisses you when he drops you off at your home, it just makes sense to you. 

to enemies

when robin entered the pharmacy on a random tuesday, a month after your first kiss with steve, she groaned. 

she didn’t know about you and steve yet, but there had been so many instances where you almost accidentally slipped and mentioned it. 

steve hadn’t wanted to tell her about you guys just yet because of how adamant she’d been about him not trying anything with you. you personally thought that after her initial surprise wore off she wouldn’t really care that the two of you were together, but you still understood steve’s hesitance. 

it was quiet in the store when robin walked in, and you were at the front counter, mindlessly flipping through a magazine. 

“what’s happening today?” you asked, knowing that she would have some sort of story to share about family video. for a job that seemed fairly simple, there was always something happening there. 

she sighed as she walked over to you and pushed herself up to sit down on the counter. “steve’s flirting it up with some girl right now. and laying it on very heavy, might i add.”

it would be an understatement to say that her words only surprised you. they confused you, made you do an inward double take to make sure that you truly heard her right. and when you realized that you did hear her correctly, her words immediately saddened you. and the worst part was you couldn’t tell her any of that. 

“oh?” you tried to hide the shock in your voice. you pulled your eyes away from hers and flipped a page in your magazine. 

“yup, and this is surprisingly the third girl this week that’s actually flirting back with him. i had to get out of there this time before it turned into a low-budget john hughes movie,” robin told you and then groaned again. 

you heard yourself responding with, “ew, that sounds horrible,” but your mind was in a completely different place right then, and all you could think about was steve and this girl, and apparently two other girls as well. 

before robin could question your sudden detached demeanor, you shoved everything you were feeling right then  to the side and plastered on a smile. “you can seek refuge here as long as you need.”

robin smiled back at you as she picked up a random magazine, which was actually the same as yours, and began flipping through it. “god bless you.”

she headed back next door twenty minutes later since she was off in an hour anyway, and that was when you finally let yourself sit in the sadness you were feeling. 

sadness that oh so quickly turned to anger. 

and when you saw steve hours later, moments after your shift ended, which was also the same time that his did too, you could feel your blood nearly boiling. 

“hi,” he greeted you with a smile on his face. 

you glared harshly at him before turning away and heading to your car.

“what’s wrong?”

“fuck you.”

you could tell that steve was taken aback by your words and you almost didn’t explain to him why you were acting the way you were, but ultimately you did. 

“robin told me that you were flirting with some girl at the video store today. ‘laying it on very heavy’ were her exact words. and she also said that this was the third girl this week that was actually reciprocating your flirting. third.”

he looked away from you and a part of you expected some sort of an explanation from him, to explain that maybe all of it was somehow some big misunderstanding. however, when no response came, you continued speaking. 

“i know that we didn’t have a full label on this ‘thing’ we have going on, but still, it’s pretty fucked up, and i can’t believe that i thought you actually liked me.”

“i do like you,” steve told you, full conviction in his tone. “but, this was never supposed to be something serious. i thought we were both on the same page with that.”

those words hurt you because in your mind the two of you were working toward something serious. it was still fairly early, but you liked him a lot and you thought he felt the same way. at least when you were making out in his car he made it seem that way. 

“well, i guess we weren’t,” you finally said, trying your hardest to keep your voice steady because you didn’t want him to see how much he hurt you. 

“i’m sorry,” he said, and you hated how you could hear the sincerity in his tone, and you also simply hated him in that moment. you didn’t want him to feel bad for you and you especially didn’t want to see him ever again. 

“just don’t talk to me anymore,” you told him. your voice was cold and harsh, and you didn’t wait to hear any type of response from him before getting in your car and finally driving away. 

on your way home, you realized through blurry eyes that your hope of never seeing him again was probably fruitless because he would be next door to you most days. 

suddenly, you were right back to hating your job. 

[kingofpopmj]

Conscious Decision

Part 3

July 15th, 1988

Katherine and I spent the day together exploring London. She suggested we do some shopping before having lunch. Of course the moment she pulled me into a bridal boutique I knew she had an ulterior motive.

“This would look stunning on you!” Katherine complimented as she pointed out the gown on display.

“Mama Kay, that’s a wedding dress.”

“You should try it on.” She cheered. “It’ll be fun!”

“It’s beautiful but I think I’m going to pass on that.” I laughed off her comment.

“Michael was looking for you last night. He did not buy the jet lagged excuse.”

“Well, I’ll see him tonight.” I said as I guided her towards the exit.

“He fired Tatiana.” She said nonchalantly.

“What?”

“She’s a sweet girl but her crush on Michael was getting out of hand. My poor boy was so embarrassed. He had no idea she would do that.”

“Is he okay?”

“I think seeing his best friend would have helped.”

“Oh you’re making me feel bad on purpose!”

“You’re always the first person he runs to when something goes wrong. Yesterday, however, was the first time you weren’t there. It did a real number on him.”

“I’m sure he’s fine.”

“My boy is experiencing the beginning stages of losing the woman he loves. He is in no way shape or form fine.”

“He doesn’t love me in that way and he’s not losing me. I just needed a break to be alone and avoid any further damage to our friendship. I didn’t mean for my actions to come off as selfish. I’m sorry.”

“Here we go again with all the friendship hoopla.” Katherine rolled her eyes shaking her head. “You are not just friends-“

“We almost kissed. On opening night.” I blurted out. “He ran away from me and hid from everyone.”

“Oh, I see.”

“That’s why I said I think we were wrong.”

“I’m never wrong.” She said sternly ignoring my confession. I couldn’t help but laugh at her stubbornness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Y/N! There you are!” Michael shouted standing from his make-up chair. “Finally!”

“Your mom and I had a girls day.” I smiled hugging him. He kindly asked for the room and his entourage dispersed.

“How is the jet lag?” He asked suspiciously.

“I’m fine. I just need some rest.”

“You didn’t even stay for our after show ritual.”

“Michael-”

“It’s tradition!” He spoke over me. “Why did you leave?”

“I didn’t feel well.” It was partly true. He continued to study my demeanor.

“Tatiana.” He stated. “I didn’t- she wasn’t supposed to do that. I’ve never been so humiliated in my life.”

“I’m really sorry that happened. You didn’t deserve it.”

“You know.. every love song I write is about you.” He muttered.

“What?” I stared at him but he didn’t repeat himself. He closed the gap between us pulling me into his chest.

Each time the wind blows

I hear your voice so

I call your name

Whispers at morning

Our love is dawning

Heaven's glad you came

You know how I feel

This thing can't go wrong

I'm so proud to say I love you

Your love's got me high

I long to get by

This time is forever

Love is the answer

Michael softly sung into my ear as he swayed us back and forth. He held me for a moment longer before leaving a lingering kiss on my temple.

“Michael?” I spoke gently.

“I have to finish getting ready. Can you help with my hair? You’re the only one that does it the way I like.” He smiled pulling me across the room to his vanity.

I watched him as he excitedly gathered all the tools and products I would need. Every time I think we’re on the same page he throws a curveball. It makes it even worse that he just changes the subject as if nothing happened. As I began styling Michael’s hair my mind drifted off to how he makes me feel. When he holds me like that it’s impossible to hide my emotions. Michael is my home. When he holds me I feel complete. He’s the only person I truly feel safe with.

“I love hearing you sing.” I said as I fixed his hair.

“Thank you.”

“I love that song. It’s really beautiful.”

“It’s one of my favorites. It’s like it was in my head my whole life and all I needed to do was write it down.” he met my gaze through the mirror. “It’s inspiring being in love.”

“In love?” I broke our eye contact and tried to focus on his hair. “That’s sweet.”

“Are you in love?”

“Michael-”

“Because I think you are.” He turned to me placing his hands on my hips. “Please tell me that you are.” He stared at me expectantly as he rises from his seat.

Here we are again.

Our chests became connected as I felt his fingers slip under the hem of my shirt leaving a strong tingling feeling along my hips. We were admiring each other’s lips and yearning for what came next.

“I am.” I finally spoke.

“Y/N, I-“ there was a loud obnoxious knock on the door as it swung open.

“Oh-oh- I-I’m so sorry” Greg stood there with an apologetic look on his face. “ I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“It’s okay.” Michael said. “What is it?”

“Princess Diana is on her way. They want us all in place for her arrival.”

Michael looked at me and I gave him a nod. He looked nervous as his lips met my cheek and he hugged me tightly.

“We will talk later.” He stated hopefully as he moved towards the door.

“I’m so sorry.” Greg mouthed before closing the door leaving me alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“This next song is very special to me. It comes from my heart.” Michael spoke as the lights began to dim. “I’m going to perform it a little differently tonight. I hope you don’t mind.” His beautiful voice filled the stadium.

I just want to lay next to you for a while

You look so beautiful tonight

Your eyes are so lovely

Your mouth is so sweet

A lot of people misunderstand me

That's because they don't know me at all

I just want to touch you

And hold you

I need you, God I need you

I love you so much

Michael’s intimate intro to ‘I Just Can’t Stop Loving You’ caused chills to travel down my spine. The longer I kept my eyes on him the more I thought about our moment in his dressing room earlier. There was so much emotion behind it. I just wanted to know what he was thinking. I took a moment to look out into the full stadium. The audience was lit up with thousands of lighters hovering over the sea of fans.

Wow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We all gathered backstage after the show to celebrate. I didn’t realize how many people would be here or how loud it was going to get. Nonetheless, I was really enjoying myself, I was sitting with the band when everyone suddenly went silent. I followed their stare and saw the man of the hour.

“Dance with me.” Michael held his hand out and I gladly accepted.

“You’re my favorite dance partner.”

My comment went unnoticed as Michael stared off. His grip on me tightened as we danced in silence. He placed my arms further around his neck pulling me closer to him. Two songs went by without a word from him.

“Michael?” I poked his cheek getting his attention. “What’s going on up there?”

“Nothing.” He spat. He never snapped at me. It made me feel awful. His coldness triggered me deeply making me feel insignificant.

“What’s your problem?”

“I asked you to dance with me why do you feel the need to pester me.” I stepped away immediately looking at him as if he was a stranger. “Y/N-“ he said softly reaching for my hand.

“You’re being so ugly to me.” I shook my head walking away leaving him standing alone. I shoved the dressing room door open swiftly gathering my belongings.

“Jet lagged again.” I heard Michael’s mocking voice behind me.

“No actually at the moment I’m extremely fed up with you.”

“Me?”

“Yes you!” I pointed at him as my vision became blurry. “Why would you ask me to dance just to speak to me like that? You’ve never treated me like that before.”

“No! I wanted to dance with you because- I just- some of the guys from the crew were talking about you. I couldn’t- I tried to keep my cool but they were saying- I didn’t like it-“

“Wait.” I wiped my eyes. “You asked me to dance so no one else could?”

“I-“ he was frozen in place and I felt myself begin to tremble from how angry I was.

“You know what Michael. How about you figure out what you want because I can’t handle this anymore. One minute you’re serenading me asking me if I’m in love and the next you’re acting like this. You keep saying all these things and I have no idea how I’m supposed to take them because you never explain. It feels like you’re toying with me and it isn’t fair. Do you know how terrifying it is to be in love? The thought of losing that person destroys you because he’s one of the most important people in your life. Every time he gives you a shred of hope that he may feel the same he disregards it just as quickly- and it doesn’t even matter because to me- to me he is everything. He’s my everything. This back and forth is- it’s mentally exhausting Michael, but I’m still here.” I frantically caught my breath, Michael’s wide eyes brought me to the realization that I said way too much. He remained silent. I wanted to evaporated. Silence. I just shook my head brushing past him.

Nothing was going to be the same ever again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 16th, 1988

A bright golden beam of sunlight streamed through the curtains seeping through my eyelids. I sighed pulling a pillow over my face. It’s too early for this. The events of the last two days begin running through my mind as I closed my eyes. I’m a complete mess. If I could stay in bed all day I would. Michael was giving me so many mixed signals but, after last night, I’m afraid he may never speak to me again. I sat up throwing the pillow across the room with force.

“You weren’t aiming for me right?” My head snapped to the side to see Michael standing in front of the window looking out at the London sky.

“Michael!” I yelled pulling the comforter up to cover my pajamas.

“I brought us breakfast.”

“How did you get in here?”

“French toast! Your favorite..” he sang placing the take out trays on the table.

“How long were you watching me sleep?”

“I got extra syrup and fresh strawberries.” He danced taking a big bite of a strawberry.

“You scared me! Why are you here this early?”

“I knew the only way you’d listen to me is if I showed up unannounced and brought food.” A smile spread across his face. “Come on sit.”

“Give me a minute.” I sprinted to the bathroom and softly shut the door behind me. I brush my teeth and wash my face but my nerves are still through the roof. Michael’s here in my room acting suspiciously normal. I focused on my breathing as I walked out back into the room.

“My mom.” He stated as I took the seat across from him.

“What?”

“She had a spare key. I was just answering your earlier question.”

“Oh, then yes.” I smiled taking a bite.

“Yes?”

“I was aiming for you.” I answered sticking my tongue out.

“Ha. Ha. Ha. I have a comedian for a best friend folks!” He announced to an imaginary crowd.

“What would you like to talk to me about?” I asked laughing.

“I need you to promise me something first.”

“What is that?”

“I need you to let me say everything I need to say to you without interrupting me.”

“Is everything okay?” His tone beginning to make me nervous.

“I’ll explain everything.”

“I promise. No interrupting.” I held my hand up letting him know I took the oath seriously.

“Well, I want to thank you for visiting me. It’s the sweetest thing anyone has done for me in a long time. This tour has been incredible, but I have missed you very much. It’s just- everything is better when you’re around.” He slid his hand onto the table slowing inching it towards me. He gave me a small smile and I knew exactly what he wanted, so I placed my hand in his. “I know I’ve been all over the place and I’m sorry. It’s just- it’s such a tough situation. I would never intentionally toy with your feelings. I know that’s why you were avoiding me. I understand why and it’s okay. It was just for a few hours but knowing you didn’t want to see me was the worst feeling in the world.”

“I’ve kept something from you for a few years now because I truly believed it was for the best. It was easier when we were kids. We didn’t have to worry or stress. Once I got to the age where I understood my feelings it became more difficult, but not impossible. I told myself it was better to have you as my best friend than not have you at all. I wanted you in my life. I need you and I hate the idea of my feelings ruining our friendship. Then, my career took this incredible albeit insane turn. All the hard work, struggle and pain of my childhood was finally paying off, but it came at a cost. I’m constantly ridiculed, bullied and betrayed. They all misunderstand me because they don’t know me. I’m just a punchline to them.” He places his hand over his eyes leaning his elbow on the table in attempt to conceal his watery eyes. “I knew I had to protect you from this world. The media attacking you. The paparazzi stalking you. I couldn’t bear leaving you vulnerable to it all. There has always been an excuse. And they all seemed like great excuses. It wasn’t until yesterday that I realized it was fear holding me back. The fear of losing you, but let’s face it you aren’t going anywhere and neither am I. Y/N, there is nothing in this world that is worth keeping my distance from you.” His hand fell from his face and landed over mine.

“Y/N, I could never close my heart to you because it’s yours. It has always been yours.”

“I’m terrified but I think- I hope you want this too. I hope you want me- us.”

“I know what happened opening night hurt you. I know because if I had to watch some schmuck kiss you… or dance with you…” he paused his rant shifting in his seat “I would loose my mind. It would break me.” He squeezed his eyes shut softly shaking his head back and forth. “I could feel your pain. I could feel the ache in your heart. I could feel your tears. It was unbearable. I never want to be the cause of it again. Ever.”

“The reality is if we become more it will change your life in an instant. I pray that you feel I’m worth it as much as I feel you are. I know you are. It won’t be easy, but I vow to do everything in my power to keep any harm from coming to you. I will always protect you.”

“Lovely, in all the ways I’ve pictured my life, you are always in it. You and I are inevitable. We are predestined. It’s in the stars. Everything in me chooses you. You are it. You’re the dream of all dreams. You’re my dream come true. I love you. I love you infinitely.”

Michael’s shoulders relaxed as he let out a deep sigh. He stood up and pulled his chair over to sit beside me. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. My Michael.

“I um- that was probably too much to throw at you all at once. Goodness it’s hot in here.” He started playing with his hair and I knew he was panicking.

“Can I talk now?” I whispered. He hesitantly nodded.

“Michael, please look at me.” His eyes were closed and he shook his head no. “Michael”

He didn’t move and I could tell he thought I was going to reject him. My hands landed on his broad shoulders, his eyes still closed as I ever so gently turned him towards me. I tried to focus on my breathing as my hands traveled to the back of his neck. My fingers running through his curls. I took a brief moment to catch my breath before I leaned in.

As our lips met, a strong bolt of electricity ran through my body. I felt his hands tenderly cup my face as he deepened the kiss, his lips moving against mine with a gentle urgency. In that moment, nothing else mattered - no excuses - no fears.

Surprisingly, the thought of being pressed up against Michael never crossed my mind, but now that it was happening, I didn’t want it to end. Michael’s hands were strong as he affectionately caressed my body. Our lips slightly parted - our breathing heavy - our gazes falling onto one another. Michael didn’t waste time letting his eyes travel. His breath hitched as he lustfully scanned my legs on either side of his hips.

“Oh lovely.” He quickly caught my lips again gripping the back of my thighs. He stood up carrying me with ease as he moved over to the bed.

I felt the plush mattress form to the curves of my body as Michael hovered over me leaving sweet kisses across my collarbone.

“I love you Y/N” he mumbled against my skin with each kiss.

“My entire life...” he stopped and adjusted himself to look into my eyes. “My whole life I’ve been completely in love with you.” The corners of his lips curved up and he buried his face into my neck. “Michael, I love you with my whole heart.”

“Please don’t let this be a dream.” Michael pleaded.

“This is real.” I smiled finding his lips again. “This is happening.”

“Y/N?” He said against my lips.

“Yes Michael?”

“Can I take you on a date? A real date. Just the two of us. Tonight after the show.” He moved to the space next to me as we both shifted laying on our sides to face each other.

“I would love that.”

“I want to kiss you forever.”

“I would love that.” I repeated flirtatiously.

“My girl.” He smiled leaning his forehead against mine. “You’re my girl..”

“Oh I am?” I teased.

“I would like you to be mine. Do you want to be my girl?”

“Hmmm.. let me think.”

Michael began singing and my heart melted further with each lyric.

You know how I feel

I won't stop until

I hear your voice saying

"I do"

Michael watched me intently waiting for my answer. He leaned closer and I smiled kissing him deeply “I do” I said against his lips.

This thing can't go wrong

This feeling's so strong

Well, my life ain't worth living

If I can't be with you

I just can't stop loving you

I just can't stop loving you

And if I stop

Then tell me, just what will I do

I just can't stop loving you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There it is part 3!!!

Ahhhhh! Maybe part 4?

I hope you all enjoyed this rollercoaster lol

Let me know what you think. Also, should I put together a tag list?

[theanonwriter]

friends close, enemies closer: part 1

A/N: hey guys!! i’m starting this JJ fic bc i am currently obsessed with outerbanks and wanna live my hot girl fantasy! join me if you want ;) LOTS OF LOVE!

-

Summary: When your parents unexpectedly become wealthy from good investments, you're forced to leave your old life in the Cut and move to Figure Eight.  Right when you finally start to move on (thanks to the help of your best friend, Sarah Cameron), your old friends are suddenly forced into your life again. Getting comfortable with them means discovering their new lives and making amends for the past. And just when things couldn't possibly get any more complicated, you have to deal with your lingering feelings with a certain hot-headed blond. 

Word count: 2.9k

Warnings: just swearing for this one!

-

You hated lunch at Kildare Preparatory Academy. It wasn’t that it was bad or anything, but it was certainly not good. There was no added butter, no oil, and obviously no love. It all tasted like it would have been sold downtown, at one of the new juice bars or vegan cafes. 

Sarah didn’t seem to mind, though. She was digging into her panini and pasta salad, gossiping with you as you sat at a table in the sun. You listened in silence, letting the warmth cover your bare legs. You were glad you met her. There was always a cliche in movies that the pretty, popular girl bullied the introverted new girl. But that wasn't true. Sarah accepted you into her circle. She invited you to parties, showed you the cool way to plait your hair, and made Kooks see you as one of them, rather than a Pogue whose parents hit it big.

Even though moving schools during freshman year was hard, it was moments like this that made you glad that your family made it. Kildare County High School was a mess, falsely beautified by newly lacquered gym floors and covered in finger-print-smudged windows. Kildare Prep was gorgeous, wrapped in ivy with Tiffany blue glass stained windows. You sighed contentedly and opened your eyes again to find Sarah staring at you. 

“I have something to tell you.” She announced, looking like she would burst. You raise your eyebrows expectantly, waiting for her to spill whatever it was that had been weighing on her mind. “I started seeing someone.”

You wanted to pretend that you were shocked, but you weren't. Sarah had a bad history with men. The bad part being how fast she went through them. 

“I know what you’re thinking: ‘Sarah, another one?’ I know! But I actually really like him. He’s not like anyone else I know.”

You grin at your friend, seeing the blush rise on her cheeks. You send her a knowing smile. Witnessing Sarah giddy with excitement was a special kind of happiness. “Who is it?”

Her smile faded slightly, and she took a deep breath. “Well, it’s- hm. It’s…John Routledge.” You open your mouth to burst in, but she quickly talks over you. “I know! I know you know each other, and I know you’re gonna be so pissed, but it’s different! He is so sweet, and he just understands me, like everything that's going on with Rafe and Dad." She pauses briefly and searches your eyes. "You know I’m right. You would know better than anyone.” 

You knew all too well. Before your family earned big on investments your dad made, you used to live right next to John B. He, along with Pope Heyward and JJ Maybank used to be your best friends. You spent all day together, fishing and surfing, getting so sunburnt that you couldn't walk. They were always there for you, no matter what.

After you moved, it was radio silence from them. Not that you wanted it to be, but they never reached out after you left their side of the island. Ever since then, you became a stranger to them.

“Sarah.” Is all you say, mouth left hanging open. You can't help but stare at her. 

“Close your mouth. You’ll catch flies.” She deadpans, a slight smirk extending across her face. “Plus, tell me that you never miss them. This could be good for you!”

“And if you break up?”

“Then nothing will change! You don’t talk at all. Please, Y/N, don’t be mad at me.”

Her reaction takes you back. Being mad never even crossed your mind. Shock that she would even hang out with Pogues, yes, but never anger.

“Mad? I’m not mad. I’m…I want to be happy for you. It might just take me some time to warm up to them again.” You reply, stealing a piece of pasta salad off Sarah’s plate with your fingers. You scowl as you taste the vinegar, far too strong for your liking.

“Then why don’t you hang out with us this weekend? Just to get you comfortable with them again. I've never met his friends, and I want you there. You’ll see, he’s so mature now. Plus, he’s hot too!”

Hot? That was never the word you would associate with John B. Nerdy and kinda bashful maybe, but definitely not the "hot" boy in the group.

“Ew! If I say yes, will you stop bugging me about a boy I grew up with, who at one point was practically my brother?”

She laughs out loud, arms spread wide and face set towards the sun. “Yes! I swear, I’ll be quiet forever!”

You grin at how happy she is. She looks so free like this, smiling at the sun with her golden hair practically blinding you. “I don't want you to be quiet forever. Just for now. And maybe for the next week."

-

The ride back home was slow. Sometimes, you wondered what life would have been like if you stayed in the Cut. Would your car be packed full of your old friends? Dopey boys changing the station, or a certain blond trying to light up in your front seat? Would your parents even be able to afford a second car at all? You feel like a loser thinking back on stuff that you can’t change now, but you can’t help it. What Sarah said to you weighed heavy on your mind today. What happened to the friendship you had with them?

You pulled into your lengthy driveway, spotting your brother's dusty car sitting in the garage. It was the end of May, so he would be coming back to the island soon. You missed him so much, it physically hurt you. 

With him home, there was only one thing left to wait for: summer. 

As much as you needed your days free, along with the ability to call your friends whenever to go get ice cream, summer only led to what you dreaded: college applications.

You didn’t know what you wanted to do with your life. How the hell would you? You were still a child, how could you figure out what you were supposed to do for the rest of your life? With your family's new wealth, your parents were very stubborn about the fact that you and your brother would go to a prestigious school where you would get a top-notch education.

However, that was not something you were interested in. Your brother went to school in Indiana, at Notre Dame University. They expected you to follow him. 

You wanted to stay local. Not commuter close, per se, but close enough that you could drive him if you needed more contacts or a new prescription. You couldn't stand to be far from the water, the only place that brought you stability and comfort. 

But your parents insisted that you would leave and see what else there was. So you would.

You parked your car and jogged up the stairs, kicking your shoes off and hanging up your backpack before heading to the outdoor shower to change into your wetsuit. In the warmer months, you taught younger kids how to surf in the afternoon. You loved the challenge of trying to get kiddos to not be spooked by the waves and going under. 

The beach had been the first place you and the Pogues had for yourself. Your parents were never there and there were no concerns about not having enough money to fill the boat with gas. Your surfboard was second-hand and coated in wax, but it was yours and that was enough. 

You used to all have matching anklets, constructed from pieces of sea junk and old rope found in John B’s surf shack. You lost yours swimming with Sarah the year before, but you wish you still had it. It was one of the only reminders you had of them. 

You changed quickly and headed to the beach. Lessons were exhausting, but the little girl that you taught today made you smile. She was six years old, and her name was Penny. She had long, blonde hair and shiny blue eyes, just like she was meant for the coast. She looked so similar to JJ, who was your absolute rock during your girlhood.

He was always at the beach at the same time you were. You never talked to him and he never even looked at you. He made you feel like there was never anything even there between you two, which hurt you more than you cared to acknowledge. Yes, you two had grown apart. But to act like a stranger? There was a point in your life where you would call JJ your brother, your best friend. Now you were nobody.

He was with John B and Pope, laughing and chilling on their boards in the water. Every now and then, you could see Pope splash at his friends, rolling his eyes when they said something idiotic. When a wave came by, they rode it together. You constantly saw them chuckling when they wiped out and help each other cough salt water out of their lungs. 

When John B caught your eye, he smiled a bit and waved. He always either nodded or half-smiled, but a wave was foreign to you. You grinned back shyly, unsure of how to respond. When the other two boys looked over at you, you suddenly felt like a target.

JJ did not seem as forgiving as John B. His eyes narrowed at you, scoffing a bit and mumbling something before he turned back to the group. 

Pope smirked at his comment, but John B did not seem impressed. You watched him yell at his best friend, and though you couldn't hear what he said over the waves, you could guess it wasn't nice. 

The fact that you knew they were not only making fun of you but arguing because of you, made you uneasy. The last thing you wanted was to create a rift in the friend group, as you knew how much they all depended on each other. You glanced around for Kie, but you couldn't find her. 

You guys had kept in touch when you both moved, but you never were the best of friends. You spoke at parties and occasionally you saw her strolling the boardwalk, but you never hung out. If you were honest, you were a bit jealous of her. Why wouldn't you be? She still had them. 

Growing up together as the only girls in a group of boys, you constantly were pitted against each other. Always being compared over everything, especially your looks, became tiring for both you. It wasn't either of your faults, but it created a barrier between the two of you. 

Soon enough, the class was over, and you could flee the beach. You practically ran home, desperate for a shower and dying to call Sarah and tell her what happened. 

The phone rang twice before she picked up the call. 

“What’s up? Are you okay?”

You switched your board from under your left arm to your right, and readjusted your phone. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just need to tell you what just happened because I’m like, kinda geeked.”

You described the situation to her, breaking in the middle to let Sarah ask her most pressing question: Which board shorts was John B wearing? The blue ones with the suns or the stripes?

“Well, I’m glad he stuck up for you. I’m confused though. I've heard that JJ was nice. Maybe he was having a bad day? Or maybe he wasn't even talking about you.”

You puff out your cheeks and let out a deep breath. “I don’t know man, he seemed pretty pissed at me.”

“Well, there's nothing you can do about it now. Hey, are you coming to the club tonight? There's that barbeque for Memorial Day that my parents are making me go to.” Sarah asked, shutting the door to her closet and walking down the hallway. You heard Ward in the background questioning her, but she muted and gave you the "one-sec" motion before she answered him. 

You texted her that you were gonna hang up, but that your parents were also forcing you to go so you could suffer together. You made a fart noise into the speaker before you pressed the little red button, and laughed to yourself at the thought of Sarah hearing that as she squabbled with her dad. 

By the time you made it to the club, Sarah had already finished her food. She rolled her eyes as she saw you speedwalk to the table with your plate in hand. She took a long sip of her lemonade as she examined you up and down. “Well, at least you look good.”

“Shut up. I had work,” you reply, sliding into the chair next to hers and placing a napkin on your lap. “Plus, most of the food was gone. There was like, nothing left.”

“Maybe you shouldn't have been late then! I don’t know, just a thought.” Sarah mocked, laughing at your side-eye. “Hey, real talk though. I need some advice.”

“What?” You ask, covering your mouth with your hand as you chowed down on your pulled pork sandwich. 

“Well, John B said that when we all hang out Kie is gonna come. And it’s not that I don’t wanna see her, it's just that- well, I guess I don't wanna see her.”

“Why?” 

You knew why. Everyone knew why. You really hoped their beef wouldn't make the reunion any more awkward than it already would be. 

“It ended so badly between us. She literally left school because of me. I was such a bitch.” Sarah sighed, pushing some of her golden hair over her shoulder. 

“Yeah, pretty much.” You laughed, raising your eyebrows at her. “Sarah, be real. Do you think he would invite her if she was gonna make it a big deal?” 

She cocked her head to the side, eyes searching for something on the pristine golf course before shaking her head. 

“No. No, I don’t think so.”

“Exactly. You worry too much. If I can do it, you can too. My situation is worse, I’d say.”

Sarah giggled and drained the rest of her drink. “Yeah, probably. Hey, are you seriously okay about hanging with them? I know it might be a little awkward.”

Honestly, you didn't want to go back to them. It would be painful, to hear their inside jokes that you no longer had any idea about and re-acquainting yourself with the life that could have been yours. As much as you loved the life your parents has built for you, there were times that you missed the easygoing nature of the Cut and evenings at the Chateau with Big John. 

 “It’ll be more than a little awkward at first. I mean, JJ can’t even look at me and Pope can’t help but to laugh at JJ’s snide comments. But I’ll do it for you.”

“What do you remember about them? JJ and Pope?” Sarah asks, pulling her cardigan tighter around her tan shoulders as the wind started to wind up.

“Well, Pope is a genius. Always has been. Kind of a suck-up, but that’s just him. He’ll always help out if he can, and he’s super genuine. I honestly don’t think there's a bad bone in his body.” You stop and take a deep breath. You didn’t really like to allow yourself to think of them too often. “And JJ, he’s-”

“You used to like him, didn’t you? I feel like I remember you saying that.”

You instantly blushed at Sarah's words. You had drunkenly told her that one night during one of your “ladies' nights”. In other words, you each stole a bottle of wine from your parents and got wine drunk. 

“Well, yeah kinda. I guess. It was strange. He was my best friend. He was always there for me, especially when my dad was going through it. We were similar in a lot of ways. He was proud and courageous. He taught me how to surf on a board he stole from a random tourist. He said the most out-of-pocket shit, but somehow when he says it, it’s just funny.  He’s so fucking funny.” You smile, but it doesn't reach your eyes. When Sarah notices, she grabs your hand. 

“Sorry if that was too much, we can stop. I know it’s hard for you.”

You watch the sun disappear under the water, the sky filling with oranges and light pinks while the steady May breeze brushes over your skin. You felt Sarah's head lean on your shoulder, and you placed yours on top of her own. 

“You are the best person I could have ever hoped would come into my life. I love you.” Sarah sighed, feeling the smile grow on her face from where she was propped on your shoulder. 

“Love you more.” You replied back, watching your father play golf with other men of the club as you soaked up the lays rays of the holiday sun. 

[sickficideas]

🍎 for ryūnosuke?

Sick or Treat!

of course i skip to him right away cause he's my favorite hehe...

(Warnings: emeto/vomiting, a little angsty, vague references to his terminal illness)

🍎 (Food Poisoning) - Akutagawa + Gin and Higuchi

“I’m the worst person ever,” Ichiyo laments, totally meaning for that thought to stay inside her head.

“You are not the worst person ever,” Gin assures her, sounding almost like a kindergarten teacher consoling a child. She’s busy clipping Akutagawa’s hair back with barrettes in wake of Ichiyo’s failed attempt to use a hairband. She's already had to wash some vomit out of his hair.

“You couldn’t…couldn’t possibly have known,” Akutagawa barely manages, leaning against the side of the shower door, beside the toilet, where he’s spent the last forty-five minutes, at least. He looks a little more comfortable now with the comforter Ichiyo brought to him, but he’s still downright miserable. He has enough stomach issues as it is, he really didn’t need food poisoning on top of all of that. Ichiyo will certainly cross off the restaurant they went to for lunch as a possibility for the future ever again.

She feels awful, seeing Akutagawa so sick, completely able to do anything to truly help him feel better. It was only an hour or two ago when he first told her over the phone that he was feeling sick to his stomach, simply asking Ichiyo if she could pick something up for him. She should have known it was this bad. He wouldn't ask for help otherwise. He had even managed to avoid involving Gin, but Ichiyo has undone that attempt.

“I'll be right back,” Gin says.

Akutagawa seems to doze off for a few moments, and Ichiyo is glad that he has a second to, but it doesn't last for long. A quiet, half-asleep cough turns into a gag, and without much warning at all, he's haphazardly brought his hand up to his mouth, too late to catch any of the vomit that falls down the front of the comforter.

Ichiyo squeaks and scurries to get next to him to lead him back to the toilet. For a second, she thinks he might be done, but it sounds like his body is still so nauseous from it all that it's still forcing gags, and bringing up more of his evidently undercooked lunch splashing into the toilet water. He can't even get a few seconds of sleep with how awfully nauseous he is. His poor tummy.

He's almost distraught, this time, he didn't have any chance of making it to the toilet in time but Ichiyo does what she can to comfort him, keeping a hand on his back that's starting to feel much too warm to be normal. He groans from the pain. His breathing starts to get irregular again.

“I'll take it to get washed right away,” Ichiyo promises, since he's clearly more concerned with the vomit on the comforter than how he's feeling. She can't help but pout when he lays his cheek on the lid of the toilet seat, his eyes feverish and face red, still visibly nauseous. She carefully reaches for the comforter, still halfway over his lap, and folds it up, tucking it away in the corner. “I'm so sorry, Akutagawa…”

“You didn't…you didn't do anything wrong, Higuchi,” he says with a few unsteady, nauseous sounding breaths in between. He coughs, too, because of course his lungs won't give him a break. “You…shouldn't have gone out of your way to…to help me…”

Ichiyo’s always thrown off when he talks like that, it's not like him to say things like that at all - to anyone, but especially not her. He's always so docile when he's sick like this.

“I'll always try to help you. However I can,” she says quietly.

Gin is back in the doorway with a glass of water that she sets on the sink counter just in time for Akutagawa to weakly lift up his head and choke up a mouthful of vomit. She kneels down beside him and rubs his back, gently and methodically like she's done it a million times. He's sick so often, Ichiyo doesn't even want to think about how many times they've been in this situation. And it's only been getting worse, in the last few months.

She sneaks out with the folded blanket and wanders into their laundry room to dump it into the washer right away. There's a sweater down at the bottom too that's got vomit stains on it too. That's what he was wearing when she found him, curled up on the kitchen floor, his stomach causing him so much pain that he couldn't move. Her eyes flood with tears. It is her fault. She took him to that restaurant. He wouldn't be so sick if she had picked somewhere else for them to eat after their shift ended, even though she was just trying to get him to eat at all. She was glad he even agreed to it.

She rubs at her eyes, knowing Gin will pick up on any sign of her crying if she starts now, but she's too late. She jumps. There's a hand on her shoulder.

Gin doesn't ever turn the stealth off.

“Higuchi,” she says with a frown full of pity. “It's okay. He'll be okay, he always is.”

The tears stream down her face when she says that and Gin doesn't waste any time wrapping her arms around her, tight, and Ichiyo does it right back. Gin is so used to seeing her brother vulnerable that it doesn't hurt her nearly as much as it does for Ichiyo, but she feels her grip shake. She's worried too.

“Thank you for coming to take care of him. And calling me,” Gin says gently. “I'm really grateful that you're so kind.”

“Gin…” Ichiyo murmurs, her tears clouding her vision now, as she buries her face in Gin's shoulder.

[bellaireland1981]

Stubborn Hearts |3

Summary: Reader (Firecracker, Sunshine) has been in love with Bradley since she was a young girl. Growing up the two were inseparable, apart from short periods of time when she was on the West Coast with the Kazanskys. One faithful decision by her dad to block Bradley from going to the Naval Academy resulted in a huge rift between father and daughter and left her without Bradley in her life. Now all grown up, she’s called back to the west coast at the same time as her father and Bradley. Her mission, according to her dying godfather, is to mend fences with her dad and Bradley. Can stubborn hearts be healed?

(I suck at summaries for real).

This will have multiple chapters… this is 3 of ??

Characters: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Mitchell! Reader, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell x Daughter! Reader, The Dagger Squad, Shay (OC), Penny, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky

Word Count: 6578 (OOPS)

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Death of character, TGM Spoilers, Illusions to Smut (later on ), Turbulent relationship with parent, Friends to lovers, …Please let me know if I’ve missed any!

A/N- This is my first time writing for TGM. I do not own the characters or plot lines from the movie. I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO COPY OR REPRODUCE MY WORK ON THIS OR ANY OTHER PLATFORM! Reblogging is always welcome! Feedback is MUCH loved and appreciated. THANK YOU to @waywardodysseys​ for all support and bouncing ideas!!

Ch 1    Ch 2

Taglist: @gracespicybradshaw​ @memoriesat30​, @khaylin27​, @snekssss,

(IF I FORGOT ANYONE WHO ASKED TO BE TAGGED, MESSAGE ME!)

You spent the next day helping your aunt by running errands so she could stay home with your uncle. You could tell he was getting weaker and more tired by the day. It broke your heart seeing him that way.

Determined to take some of the burden off your aunt though, you’d offered to go get the groceries and pick up new meds, the doctor had ordered for your uncle to keep him comfortable.

You were in the produce aisle of the store when your phone dinged with an incoming message. You pulled the cart to the side, out of the way of other shoppers and checked your phone.

Shay:  Still on for the Hard Deck tonight?

Deciding it would just be easier to talk to her, you called her so you could continue shopping.

“Hey!” She answered, picking up on the second ring.

“Hi!” You replied, “I’m grocery shopping for Aunt Sarah so decided it was just easier to call. Are you busy?”

“Nope!” She replied, “I’m on my lunch break. I actually brought lunch to Aunt Penny. We’re just soaking up some sunshine and eating outside of the bar.”

“Sounds great!” You said, “To answer your question, yes, I’m still planning on coming tonight, but the original terms and conditions still apply.”

“Yes!” She exclaimed, laughing, “Also, Aunt Pen said she wants to hear all about your chat with your dad. I’ll just put you on speaker.”

“Hey, Kiddo!” Penny greeted you. “Spill the tea!”

“You’ve been listening to Amelia too much” You laughed, “It went really well… better than I obviously thought it would. We hashed a lot out and I realized it was mostly lack of communication, stubbornness, and neither of us knowing how to navigate any of it. I think we both realize neither of us are mind readers and being hard headed doesn’t get us anywhere.”

“Anyone could have told you both that.” Penny laughed, “I’m glad you both finally came around. I know you didn’t believe me before but your dad really did miss the hell out of you.”

“I missed him too. Honestly, I didn’t realize how much until I saw him and it all hit me in the gut.” You admitted. “He’s coming over after work to see Uncle Tommy and have dinner, so it’ll be a little later when I get there tonight.”

“That’s fine.” Shay said, “Time with your family right now is more important.”

“I’ll definitely be there after dinner though.” You assured her. “I’m gonna finish up here so I can get Uncle Tommy’s meds and get them back to him.”

“Give them both my love.” Penny said, “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Call me when you’re on your way so I can be on the lookout and start my duties as your bodyguard!” Shay said, only half teasing.

“I will” You replied, laughing, “See you both later!”

You quickly grabbed the rest of the food on the shopping list, adding a few extra treats you knew your cousins liked, before heading to the checkout. It wasn’t long before you had everything loaded in the Jeep and was on your way to the pharmacy, the final stop before heading back home.

After arriving home, you carried all the groceries in, putting them away while your aunt took the meds to your uncle. She came back down as you were putting away the last of the groceries.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” She said hugging you, “He gets so tired so quickly, I hate leaving him now.”

“Of course, Aunt Sarah” You replied, “I’m happy to help in any way that I can. I wish there was more that I could do.”

“You being here does more than you know.” She assured you. “You were essentially our first child, Sweetheart. Before the kids were born, we lived for those stretches of time you’d come to stay with us. Tom loved having his little shadow follow him around when you were little. He loved taking you to the base and showing you the planes. Everyone called you Ice Nugget or Little Ice until you were about 10 I think. Do you remember that?I think when your dad came back from deployments he was always a little jealous of just how close you and Tom were. Tom would mope for weeks after you’d leave.”

“I do remember.” You said, wiping tears that had started to fall. “I used to mope around the house in Virginia after having to go back too. Bradley would do his best to cheer me up. Carol used to have to sooth dad’s ruffled feathers, assuring him I did in fact still love him too, but it was the stability I was craving and mourning when we’d get back.”

“I know it wasn’t easy getting bounced back and forth all the time but never think you weren’t wanted and loved by all of us, Sweetheart.” She said, reaching over the brush the stray piece of hair that had fallen in your face. “You had a whole village that loved you and helped to raise you.”

“I never doubted you and Uncle Tommy loving and wanting me, or Carol for that matter.” You assured her, “I knew my dad loved me but it really did feel like he didn’t want me. I know now that that wasn’t the case.”

“I would have told you how much your dad wanted you, sweet girl” She said, smiling, “His way of showing his love and his need to care for you was making sure you were with people who loved you as much as him when he couldn’t be there.”

“I’m glad he’s coming to dinner tonight. He needs time with Uncle Tommy.” You said, “I promised Shay I’d meet her at the Hard Deck tonight after dinner though. If she doesn’t live up to her promise of protecting me from Bradley she has to buy me copious amounts of alcohol. I’m not sure what state I’ll be home in.”

“Maybe Brad will have had an epiphany and realize he’s an idiot for pushing you away. That way you two can talk things out and your liver won’t suffer.” She offered. “If not though, call us, your dad or an uber to bring you home.”

“I doubt he will have been enlightened in the 48 hours since I’ve seen him, so I promise to call for a designated driver in the event that I need one.” You said. “I’m going to go shower and figure out what to wear in the meantime. I might even do my hair and make up. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet another hot aviator tonight and forget all about Bradley Bradshaw.”

“Or… you get all dolled up and show him what he’s missing.” She countered, “Make him jealous. Worked like a charm on your uncle when he was too stubborn to act on his feelings with me.”

“That only worked because Uncle Tommy was madly in love with you, Aunt Sarah.” You reasoned, “Brad would have to first be in love with me, and he doesn’t even like me.”

“I wouldn’t bet money on that, my sweet, clueless niece.” She teased, “I would bet money on him having feelings though.”

“Why does it feel like everyone has a magic 8 ball or sees something that I’m clearly missing?” You ask, shaking your head, “I swear you’re all drinking the wacky juice and are seeing things that aren’t there.”

Your aunt just laughs, tells you you’ll see it one day as she starts pulling things out to get dinner going.

You head upstairs to your room. You pull your hair into a messy top knot to keep it from getting wet, then jump in the shower. Deciding what to wear takes a lot longer than you’d anticipated. By the time you made a decision it looked like a tsunami of clothes had hit your room. You’d have to clean it all up tomorrow for sure. You shoved all the clothes into a pile to sort then. In the end you settled on a simple white gauzy sundress that came to just above your knees. It had spaghetti straps that tied at your shoulders, leaving you back bare. You planned on wearing your crop denim jacket with the dress, knowing it would get cooler when the sun went down.  

With your outfit finally chosen, you left the dress hanging up on your closet door and tackled your hair. You carefully pulled it down from the top knot and  combed it out. It fell in natural waves to the middle of your back. You decided to go with the waves instead of fighting to tame them. Adding a little product to help define the waves, you scrunch your hair until it was styled the way you wanted it. Finally satisfied, you washed the product off your hands and decided to do light makeup. You hated the way a full makeup look felt on your face so you often just tended to do the bare minimum. You did however, make sure to add mascara and eyeliner so your eyes pop and lip gloss that you’d have to re-apply before you go to the bar later.  All that was left was to get dressed and you decided you’d do that after dinner. You pulled on cut off jean shorts and an old Navy t shirt ended up with from somewhere and headed downstairs.

“Well you look…. Cute” Your Aunt said when you’d entered the kitchen. “Not the outfit I thought you’d go with… but the hair and makeup look good.”

“This isn’t what I’m wearing” You laughed, “I chose a sundress but decided to be comfy until after dinner.”

“Fair enough.” She said, “Go keep your uncle company and play scrabble with him while I finish getting this all ready.”

“Ok!” You agreed, “Let me know if you want me to help with any of the dinner prep.”

“I’ve got it covered, and the kids will be back soon to help too.” She assured, shooing you out of the kitchen.

You grabbed a couple of bottles of water and headed into the living room where you Uncle sat, staring out the window that faced a huge backyard.

“Hey, Uncle Icey” You said, using your old nickname for him and sitting down next to him, “Wanna play scrabble?”

He looked over and smiled widely at the name. Nodding his head and sitting up straighter.

“Ok! I’ll grab a TV tray stand so we can set it up closer to us.” You said, “That way you’re still comfortable.”

You set up the board and the two of you started to play, quickly losing track of time. In the end, your uncle still managed to beat you with some crazy 30 point word you weren’t fully convinced actually was  a word.

“I’ll take your word for it, but I think you cheated.” You grumped at him playfully, cleaning up the game while he sat back against the couch and beamed while watching you.

“Still giving her a run for her money, huh Ice?” Your dad’s voice sounded from across the room.

You looked up and smiled at him, motioning him into the room. “Always, but he cheats!” you exclaimed. “Did today go any better?”

“Yes and No.” Mav answered, coming around the couch to where you stood with your uncle.

“It’ll get better, Dad” You assured him, “Give them time to get all the cockiness outta their system, then they’ll listen.”

Your uncle quietly chuckled from his position on the couch. You beamed at him and winked.

“It worked for the poor instructor that had you and Uncle Icey at Top Gun!” You laughed, “I’m going to go change and see if Aunt Sarah needs help.” You hugged both your uncle and dad before heading out of the room to let them talk.

________

Up in your room, you changed into the dress you’d chosen for the night, slipping on some strappy tan sandals to go with it. You’d thought about wearing your converse sneakers but decided you’d go the more dressy route. You picked out some simple gold hoop earrings and your favorite pendant necklace to finish out the look. The necklace had been a gift from Bradley the last birthday he celebrated with you before life had imploded. It was a small gold sunburst with an opal stone in the middle on a dainty gold chain. There’d been a time when you’d never taken the necklace off. It had meant the world to you that he’d picked out such a beautiful and meaningful gift. You wore it for a while after he’d left but eventually it just became a painful reminder of what you’d lost. Wearing it again felt good. You decided that no matter what happened with him at this point, you’d continue to wear the necklace… if nothing else, as a reminder of happier times.  

Ensemble complete, you gave yourself a final onceover in the mirror, satisfied with the overall look and headed downstairs for dinner.

“Now that's what I meant by dressing for the part.” Your aunt said, catching sight of you when you entered the kitchen. “You look absolutely breathtaking.”

“Wow, Y/N!” Your cousin said, looking up from where she was getting plates out. “You look so pretty!”

“They’re right, Firecracker.” Mav said coming into the kitchen. “Absolutely beautiful. You look so much like your mom.”

“Thank you.” You said, twirling and laughing, “It’s fun to dress up once in a while.”

“That’ll definitely capture Brad’s attention.” Your aunt teased, “Make him regret being an ass at the last encounter.”

“I don’t know that Rooster deserves my girl’s attention.” Mav said, in full on dad mode. “I don’t know that he’s good enough for you, Firecracker.”

“Dad, you’ve always said that nobody is good enough for me.” You reasoned, shaking your head. “It doesn’t matter though because he isn’t interested in me. He doesn’t even  like me or want to be in the same room. I am dressed up for myself.”

“Regardless, if he hurts my kid, he’ll be doing far more than the 200 pushups he’s been doing.” Your dad remarked.

“DAD!” You exclaimed, “Why are you making him do 200 pushups?”

“The squad made a bet, whoever gets shot down in training does 200 push ups.” he explained, “They were cocky, thinking they’d best me and before you get mad, they came up with the terms.”

“Idiots.” You sighed, “Navy aviators are all idiots.”

“If it makes you feel better, Rooster almost had me.” He said, “He hesitated though. That worries me. He also got in his head and ended up leading us below the hard deck.”

“He feels he has a lot to prove.” Sarah guessed, “It’s messing with his head.”

“That is dangerous up there and in missions.” Mav stated.

“Just… don’t rule him out yet, Dad.” You pleaded, “Give him the chance to prove himself.”

Dinner went well. It was nice to all be together. For a little while you could almost pretend that nothing was wrong. That your uncle wasn’t reaching the end of his life rapidly. Your dad wasn’t training the only guy you’ve ever loved to fly a mission that could get him killed. It was just… a normal family dinner. Well as normal as could be with your less than conventional family.

After dinner your aunt shooed you out of the house, insisting you go have fun. Mav offered to stay behind and help with cleanup and visit some more until your uncle was too worn out.

“Have fun, Firecracker.” Your dad said as you gathered your stuff to leave. “Give him hell. If you need a ride home, just call me and I’ll come get you.”

“Thanks, Dad” You replied, hugging him tightly, “I’m really happy to have you again.”

“You never lost me.” He reminded you. “Never will.”

With a final wave to your family, you headed to the Hard Deck. As promised earlier, you’d texted Shay to let her know you were on your way. She promised to be waiting when you got there.

You spent the drive over giving yourself a pep talk and deep breathing to calm your nerves. Worse case scenario, you could always leave if it was too bad. You knew Shay would forgive you. You also had Penny who would have your back if needed. It would be ok… you hoped.

Pulling into the lot, you found a spot open and parked the Jeep. You glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure your eye makeup and hair still looked good, then with one final deep breath you got out and headed into the bar.  There were already a lot of people in the bar, but you spotted Shay immediately as she was already heading your way.

“Hey! You made it!” She exclaimed happily, “And you look fucking hot! Let’s grab drinks and claim a table tonight!”

“Thanks! You’re going to give a certain Aviator heart failure tonight yourself!” You replied, “Drinks sound amazing… I think I need liquid courage to be your wing woman tonight.”

You followed Shay as she weaved through the people and made her way to the bar. You kept your eyes straight ahead, refusing to scan the bar looking for anyone in particular.

“Well, hello again beautiful ladies.” You heard the familiar Texan drawl saw as you reached the bar. “It must be my lucky night.”

You could see Shay blush at his words, as she slid up to the bar next to him. You opted to stand on her other side, so she was sandwiched between you and Hangman.

“Play your cards right, Hangman and it may just be your lucky night.” You teased, nudging Shay. “You’ll have to up your game though to be worthy of my friend, Shay here.”

“Wouldn’t expect anything less.” He winked at you before leveling Shay with a downright smoldering look and megawatt smile. “You two feel like joining my friends and me tonight? Get to know one another better?”

Shay gave you a look, letting you know it was totally up to you and she’d go with whatever made you most comfortable.

“That’s up to Y/N, Hangman.” She said, even though the purpose of the night was to help her get to know and possibly score a date with him. “Before any decisions are made though, we need drinks.”

“I can take care of that. And, please, call me Jake.” He said, turning to get Penny’s attention. “Penny, my dear, these ladies are drinking on my tab tonight.”

“You don’t have to do that,” You said quickly, “I appreciate it, but it’s not necessary.”

“My momma raised me to be a gentleman, Y/N.” He informed you with a playful sincerity, “Also, Penny is kinda intimidating too.”

You and Shay laughed at that, happily accepting the drinks.

“Alright, but next time I’ll return the favor.” You declared. “I doubt your mom would be mad if you let a friend buy you drinks.”

“Fair enough.” He agreed. Penny brought the drinks over to you and Shay. You’d both opted for cocktails this time. Both needing something stronger to calm the nerves.

“Before it gets too busy in here, how did it go at dinner tonight? Did Mav say if he was coming in?” Penny asked.

“It went well. I think Dad and Uncle Tom had a good visit. He didn’t sound like he was coming in but he wouldn’t take much convincing if you wanted to see him.” You teased, “And he said to call him if I needed a ride home.”

“You missed it the other night before you got here…” Shay said, her aunt’s comment triggering the memory, “Your dad got the bell rung on him! Then his card got declined so the second bell meant he was tossed overboard!”

“Shut up! No way!” You laughed, “Penny! You’re a legend! Who got to do the honors?”

“That would be Payback, Coyote, and Hangman here.” Penny supplied, laughing at the shocked look on Jake’s face.

“Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is your dad?” He asked, recovering from the shock.

“Y/N Mitchell” you introduced yourself formally. “In all fairness, until just recently, we had a…complicated relationship. And, knowing Penny, he probably fully deserved to be tossed overboard.”

“It made for a little bit of an awkward first day of training.” Jake laughed, “Payback and Coyote are going to die when I tell them this.”

“Tell us what?” The aforementioned pilots asked, joining your little group at the bar.

“We tossed her dad overboard the other day, boys.” Jake said, “This is Y/N Mitchell. And this beautiful lady, is Shay Benjamin. I’m trying to convince them to join our group tonight.”

“No way!” Payback exclaimed, tipping his head back, roaring with laughter. Coyote joined in, shaking his head, “That’s too much.”

“Rules are rules.” Shay said smiling before taking a sip of her drink and looking over at Jake.

“Absolutely.” You agreed, “Like I told Jake, he probably had it coming so no worries.”

“Well the two of you should definitely join us.” Coyote said, catching on that he needed to play wingman for Jake.  

You took a large drink of your own cocktail, hopping the liquor would hit your system faster.

“Lead the way.” You said, attempting a brave smile, one you hoped nobody saw through.

“Yes!” Jake said, happy at the victory. “Right this way, ladies.”

As the self-proclaimed gentleman he was, he offered his arms to both of you, leading you over to the rest of the group gathered at the pool table. Coyote and Payback stayed back to get a round of drinks for everyone else.

Thankfully, upon reaching the back table, there was no sign of Bradley. You remembered Phoenix from the other night you’d been there. The other aviators were unknown to you.

“Alright, we’ve got new friends!” Jake said, “Shay, Y/N, meet the squad!” He went around the table pointing to and providing a name for everyone.

“Yes! Females!” Phoenix cheered happily, “Halo, we have more chicks in the group!” f

“Finally!” Halo agreed, “Welcome to the squad!”

“Are we allowed to join a squad if we’re civilians?” You asked, laughing at their enthusiasm but understanding the lack of females in their immediate circles.

“Y/n, your dad is Maverick. Shay’s grandfather was an admiral…” Jake said, “I’d say you both qualify as squad members.”

“Holy Shit!” Phoenix said, “You’re THAT Y/N?”  She threw a look to Bob, who subtly nodded back.

“Um… maybe?” You said, completely lost.

“Oh, tonight is definitely going to be interesting.”  She replied, seemingly to herself.

Deciding you were going to need much more alcohol for this, you tossed back the remaining cocktail, swallowing it down. Thankfully, a refill wasn’t too far behind and another round appeared at the table. Shay and Jake headed to the Jukebox to pick out music while you got to know the others around you.

They were quick to set you at ease, telling you stories from training so far but also from their first time through Top Gun. You especially tuned in whenever they mentioned Brad. You didn’t want to be obvious and ask where he was, but not knowing when he’d pop up was setting you on edge.

After finishing your second cocktail you excused yourself to go to the bathroom, partly because you really needed to use it but also because you needed a minute to collect yourself.

You were washing your hands when the door opened and Phoenix walked in.

“You ok?” she asked, coming to stand next to you.

“Yeah, I’m good” You smiled back, drying your hands off with a paper towel before tossing it in the nearby trash. “Why?”

“I should have put it together the other night when Rooster came back to the table looking like he’d seen a ghost, then took off quickly after he watched you leave.” She said, “But when Jake told us who your dad is, it clicked into place. You’re Rooster’s Y/N.”

“I’m not Rooster’s anything anymore.” You corrected her, sadness seeping into your voice. “He made it abundantly clear.”

“I don’t think that’s the case, Y/N.” She said, “When we were in Top Gun together, we became pretty close friends. He was drunk one night and told me all about you. I think it was your birthday or some important day. He’d been off all day and then made it his mission to get as drunk as possible. You’re definitely something to him still.”

“Not the impression I got the other night. Or in the last decade of radio silence.” You said, “It’s ok though. I’ve learned to live with it and move on.”

“He’s a guy. They’re idiots by nature, with the emotional maturity of toddlers.” She said, “Doesn’t mean they don’t feel the emotions though.”

The door opened and Shay peeked her head in. “Hey, just wanted to warn you that Brad just pulled in. He hasn’t actually entered the bar yet.”

“Thanks, Shay.” You said, smiling, “I guess it’s show time.”

“I’m ready to be your bodyguard.” She said, “As promised.”

“You’ll have more than one if you need us.” Phoenix said, “But maybe give him a chance.”

“She tried that last time and it didn’t end too well.” Shay said, coming to your defense.  “Although maybe now that the shock has worn off?”

“Exactly!” Phoenix said, “Let’s go get you a fresh drink and claim the pool table.”

The three of you headed out of the bathroom and to the bar. Jake cocked his head in silent question when he saw the trio of you together. Shay smiled and shook her head. You offered a smile of your own letting him know you were ok.  Your first impression of Jake had been right. He wasn’t your type, but he would make a really good friend.

“Penny, we need more alcohol!” Phoenix declared, “A certain barnyard animal is incoming and my new bestie here needs to be far more drunk than this!”

“Coming right up” She said, laughing, “Hangman’s tab still?”

You said no at the same time as Shay, Phoenix and Jake himself said yes.  You hadn’t even seen him sneak over to join your group. Glancing over though, you saw him standing behind Shay, his hand resting on her hip. You smirked at him, knowing at least tonight seemed to be working for Shay. You would endure whatever was about to go down for her sake.

Penny pushed the drinks across the bar towards you all and you grabbed them before heading to the pool table.

You sat down at the high table close to the pool table, your back facing the door. You didn’t need to see him come in to know he had. The others in the group called out to him when he walked through the door.

“About time Bradshaw.” Jake yelled. “Recovered from all your pushups?”

“Fuck you, Hangman.” Bradley shot back, “You did more than I did today.”

“And I’m clearly in better shape than you are.” Jake retorted, throwing a wink your way as he delivered the line.  “Rooster, meet our new friends. This is Shay, and Y/N. They’ve become honorary squad members as of tonight.”

Shay waved and you kept staring at your drink like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

“Nice to meet you, Shay.” Brad said, “Y/N, can I talk to you?”

“I’m good here with my new friends thanks,” You replied, sipping your drink. You knew it was a petty thing to say, but you never claimed to not be petty. Shay laughed quietly, understanding the dig.

“Rooster, I feel the need to beat you at pool tonight.” Phoenix said, jumping to your rescue.

“Sure” He said, going over to pick up a pool cue, his eyes staying on you as he did so. You continued to sip your drink and ignore him, focusing instead on whatever story Jake was telling across from you. At least, you tried to pay attention.  You absently played with the sun pendant on your necklace, your nerves absolutely wrecked.

“Y/N, Shay said you’re a pilot?” Bob asked, pulling you out of your head.  

“Yup!” You answered, “I was bitten by the aviation bug at a young age. My dad and Godfather were pretty key in that.”

“Who’s your Godfather?” Jake asked, “Anyone we know?”

“Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky” You supplied, “I just call him Uncle Tommy though.”

“Holy shit. He’s a legend.” Jake replied, “Also, I’m sorry to hear he’s not doing well health wise, Y/N.”

“Thanks” You said, looking down at your drink. “He is a legend.”

“With connections like that, why didn't you join the Academy or enlist or something?” Coyote asked, joining the conversation.

“Zero interest.” You simply said, looking up to catch Bradley standing rigid, hands locked like a vice around the pool cue and watching you with a look in his eyes you couldn’t place.

“So what do you fly?” Bob asked, guiding the topic back to safer ground. Bless that sweet man’s heart.

“I flew charters when I lived back East. I own my own little Cessna too, that I try to log as much flight time in as I can.” You answered.

“Did your dad ever give you a call sign?” Jake asked.

“Not really a call sign” You laughed, “My dad calls me ‘firecracker’. My uncle and other aviators here on North Island called me ‘Little Ice nugget’ or just ‘nugget’.”

“Firecracker is pretty appropriate” Jake laughs, “I thought it would be ‘Sunshine’ though, or something like that with the necklace you keep messing with.”

“No…” You said quietly. “The necklace was a gift from another lifetime.”

Jake was quick to pick up on the shift in your tone, but didn’t know what he’d said to cause it. Shay, noticing your drink was nearly empty again, suggested the two of you head to the bar to get another one. You were 3 drinks in and figured another wouldn’t hurt. You’d already have to call an Uber or your dad to come get you.

You carefully hopped off the stool, swaying a little from the alcohol, but Coyote was quick to steady you. You thanked him before following Shay to the bar.

“Thanks” You said when you were away from the group. “On the bright side, he seems content in not talking to me, so that’s great.”

“Y/N, he hasn’t taken his eyes off you the entire time he’s been here.” Shay said, “He definitely wants to talk to you… you just did a great job shutting him down.”

“I’m too afraid to talk to him.” You admitted, “If I don’t talk to him I can hold onto hope that someday maybe I’ll get my best friend back.”

“How’s it going over there girls.” Penny asked, coming over to the side of the bar you were standing at.

“Need another drink, please.” You replied

“That good, huh?” She said, “I may get the pleasure of seeing your dad tonight.”

“Penny, you don’t have to wait for me to be drunk to see my dad.” You laughed.

“Pen, can I get another beer please?” Brad asked, coming up behind you. You shot a look at Shay for not warning you, only to see her making flirty heart eyes with Jake across the bar. “Add Y/N’s drink to my tab too.”

“Her drinks are already on Hangman tonight.” Penny said, winking at you.

“They were. I’ll get the rest of them.” He said firmly.

“Why doesn’t anyone think I can pay for my own damn drinks?” You complained.

“Sweetheart, never complain about men wanting to buy drinks” Penny said laughing

“You planning on ignoring me forever, Sunshine?” Brad asked, taking a drink of his beer, “Or can we talk like adults now?”

“Careful, Rooster.” Penny said delivering your drink, “Don’t make me ring this bell on you. You’ll be buying drinks for more than just Y/N here.”

“Sorry, Penny,” He said, looking sheepish. “Can you please, convince her to have a conversation with me?”

“Ugh, Fine!” You said, exasperated and tipsy. “MIght as well get this over with while I have a good buzz going. You want to talk, Bradley? Then by all means… talk.”

“Can we step outside? Or at least find a place slightly more private?” He asked, not unreasonably.

You picked your drink up and headed towards the door that would lead out to the patio overlooking the beach. Bradley followed close behind, nodding at Phoenix and Jake on the way  by.

Once outside the noise level immediately dropped. The music was muted by the sounds of the ocean.

“You didn’t seem too inclined to want to talk the other night.” You said quietly.

“Sunshine, it was a bit of a shock seeing you.” He admitted, “I probably didn’t handle it the best.”

You stayed quiet, looking out to the water instead. Honestly now that you were face to face with him, you weren’t even sure what to say or where to start.

“I’m surprised you still call me ‘Sunshine’.” You commented quietly.

“That’s your name.” he shrugged. “I’m surprised you still have the necklace.”

“I haven’t worn it in forever.” You admitted, “But couldn’t part with it.”

“Did you know?” He asked.

“About dad pulling your papers? Or about him being here at Top Gun as an instructor?” You asked, needing clarification,

“Both.” He said.

“I didn’t know about him pulling your papers until you’d stormed into the house yelling, and then slamming out of the house…and my life.” You said, struggling to keep your voice steady and devoid of the emotion swirling inside. “I confronted him after you’d left, asking him what the hell had happened… he told me then what we’d done. I was furious. I tried calling you but it went straight to voicemail every time. I went to your house the next day but you weren’t there either.”

“And now? Did you know he was here to be the instructor for this mission?” He asked, his own voice rough with emotion.

“Yes. But not until I got here and Uncle Tommy told me.” You replied

“The other night when I saw you here, you didn’t think maybe I could use a heads up? Knowing what happened in the past? Did I really deserve to be blindsided?” He asked, his tone hardening to cover his feelings.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now, Bradshaw?” You seethed, years of anger and hurt breaking through the walls you’d built and flooding your system. “You do not get to get mad at me and tell me about what you deserve and don’t deserve. I fucking tried to tell you but you cut me off saying you needed to get back to your friends! So, FUCK YOU Bradley Bradshaw! Fuck you for you leaving ME when you were made at my DAD. FUCK YOU for throwing away our friendship. You know who didn’t deserve to be treated like trash, to be thrown away on the drop of a dime? ME! I didn’t deserve your anger Bradley. I didn’t do anything except love you. All I’ve ever done was love you.”

You hadn’t realized you’d started to cry until you felt the drops of tears fall onto your hand, You angrily wiped them away, not wanting to let Bradley see you cry. It had felt good to release the anger you’d kept locked in but the stretching silence wasn’t helping to calm the bubbling anxiety you now felt.

“Would you rather I stuck around and allowed the anger and resentment I had towards Maverick eat at me and cause me to lash out at you too? I thought by walking away I was saving you from getting hurt.” He said quietly.

“Newsflash, asshole, you leaving and going radio silent hurt fucking worse than anything.” You said, your voice cracking.

“Yeah, well, having your Godfather pull your papers to the academy, and block you from following in your father’s footsteps didn’t feel so great either, Y/N” He yelled back, “Especially when he’s the reason your father is no longer alive. So forgive me if I felt the need to cut myself off from the person who ruined my life. If it meant cutting you out of my life too, well it was just collateral damage I suppose.”

You felt like you’d been slapped. For what felt like forever you couldn’t get air into your lungs. Whatever buzz you had going for you coming into the conversation was now completely gone. In its place was left a horrible pain where your heart should be.

“Then let me do us both a favor and remove myself from your life once more.” You whispered, not trusting your voice anymore. You would not let him see any more of your tears. He no longer deserved the right to your pain. Reaching up behind your neck, you unclasped the necklace you’d once loved, but now knew would only bring pain in seeing. You removed it and carefully set it down on the wooden table next to you. You didn’t care what he did with it now, you just didn’t want anything from him, anything to remind you of him. You started to turn away when his hand landed on your wrist, desperate to keep you from walking away.  

“Sunshine, no.” He said, immediately realizing he’d fucked up, once again. “Please, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I wasn’t thinking. Please, don’t do this… put it back on. I didn’t mean it. I don’t want you out of my life…not anymore.”

“I stopped being your ‘Sunshine’ a long time ago, Bradley.” You said, defeated, “It’s too late. All we seem to do is hurt each other at this point. Maybe you did us both a favor before.”

Not giving him time to respond, you pulled your hand from his grasp and walked back into the bar. You desperately needed to hold it all together until you could get home and then you’d allow yourself to break down.

“I’m going to beat his ever loving ass!” Phoenix said, seeing the look on your face when you walked over to get your purse.

Jake and Shay turned towards you at Phoenix’s outburst, Shay immediately coming over to you.

“Sweets, you ok?” Jake asked, coming up behind Shay.

“Y/N, what happened to your necklace?” Shay asked.

“I’m going to go.” You simply said, not trusting your voice. You were barely hanging on as it was.

“Y/N, you can’t drive like this.” Shay said, “Even without alcohol, you’re in no state to drive.”

“I’ll call my dad to come get me.” You said, “I just can’t stay here.”

“I can take you home, Y/N.” Bob offered, “That way you’re not waiting long.”

You looked up when the door opened, seeing Bradley coming in, you quickly agreed to the offer.

“Thank you, Bob.” You said, “Shay, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

She gave you a quick hug before Bob led you out the front to the parking lot.  In your haste to get out of there, you once again missed the look of complete remorse and devastation on Bradley’s face as he watched you leave. You also missed Phoenix punching him in the arm and calling him every name in the book.

A/N: I PROMISE to start fixing the broken hearts!!! :) Thank you so much for reading!!! 

[piedpiperart]

Menagerie part 4

PART THREE

“Let’s take a break,”Aizawa instructed. The two teens had been fused for more than an hour now and the pro hero couldn’t see any viable signs of quirk exhaustion, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He didn’t know if there was a limit on how long Izuku could hold them together, but so far, they’d never gone past two hours at a time. “Then we’ll run through it again without quirks.”

Zura nodded, wild blueish brown hair bouncing and covering their eyes. They huffed and ran a hand through their hair. “We can work on kicks after, right?” “If both of you manage to repeat what we just did alone, then sure,”Aizawa conceded. 

“Yes!” Zura exclaimed, and promptly unfused. The two kids burst apart in a small cloud of dust and a comical ‘pop’. Uraraka managed to stay standing, but like last time, Izuku stumbled to the ground. 

“You alright kiddo?” Aizawa asked, making his way over to the downed teenager. 

“Yeah,” Izuku panted, giving a weak thumbs up. “Just.. tired…and sore.”

Aizawa turned to Uraraka, analyzing for any injuries. “I’m good,” Uraraka waved,”Though I feel a bit more sore and tired than last time. Is it ‘cause we fused for longer?”

Aizawa inclined his head. “Could be that the longer you fuse the more tired you get. It could also affect Izuku more because it’s his quirk holding you two together, or that it takes his energy first and then yours. We’ll have to keep an eye on it.”

“Cool,”Izuku croaked from the floor, and Aizawa glanced over with a fond look. Despite the kids sweaty appearance, the hero could tell his harsh breathing had calmed down a bit. 

“You’re sitting out of this next part,”Aizawa instructed, much to Izuku’s distaste. He ignored his foster kid’s grimace, adding,”We don’t want you wearing yourself out, and you can use the time to practice meditating.”

“Fine,”Izuku huffed, dragging out the word and managing to prop himself up to a sitting position. Aizawa frowned at the way his hands shook. 

“Take a moment, then you two can get lunch,”Aizawa said, and Uraraka went to sit next to Izuku on the mats. “Uraraka, we’ll go through the same thing Zura just did and see how much of it you can remember on your own.”

“I think I remember it pretty well,”Uraraka said with a thoughtful expression. “It’s weird, like I remember muscle memory of doing it, but also learning it in a way. I think? Yeah.”

“Stuff our fusion learns becomes stuff we learned?” Izuku clarified, and Aizawa was happy to note his voice wasn’t as scratchy. Still, he tossed him a water bottle anyway. 

“Yeah! That,” Uraraka nodded enthusiastically. “And ever since we used Zura’s quirk, I’ve noticed my quirk is like, different? I think I understand it a bit better I mean.” “Wh- you think you can increase gravity with it too?” Izuku asked, perking up form his seat despite his previous exhaustion. Izuku fumbled with the cap tot he water bottle before opening it and taking a long sip. 

“You can talk about quirk theory later, go head to lunch,”Aizawa said exasperatedly. He knew from experience now how long Izuku can go on tangents about quirks. It was useful information and fascinating to think about, but he didn’t want the two to miss lunch. 

“Yes sir!” Ochako saluted, and helped Izuku up. They continued their conversation on the way, leaving Aizawa in the gym to prepare for the next task. 

The pro hero smiled a rare smile as he heard Izuku’s laughter in the hall. Despite his rough exterior, Aizawa was happy he got to get to know the two kids. He didn’t realize how lonely his house had been until he actually had to take care of someone else who wasn’t a cat. On top of that, Izuku was a really great kid, and he couldn’t imagine going back to living alone now that most of his time was spent with him even after spending only a few days with him. 

Of course, Uraraka was also a welcome guest. No matter how much pestering she did, he was glad Izuku had a friend like her. Aizawa wasn’t ashamed to say that he’d looked into Uraraka’s home life too and found she’d been living alone in an apartment rented by her parents. Aizawa saw nothing wrong with it since Uraraka was given enough money to take care of herself, and that her parents video called her every night. Still, he talked to Uraraka’s parents and offered to keep an eye out for her. 

A week later, Uraraka often came over to Izuku and Aizawa’s house after training. She stayed the night so often Aizawa was considering just asking Uraraka’s parents to let her stay with them full time. Even so, it seemed a little too fast, since they’d all only known each other about a week, but Aizawa figured he’d bring it up next week if classes went okay.  

Training had gone well, and they learned more about Izuku’s quirk, Zura’s quirk, and thanks to Hound dog and Recovery Girl they knew a lot more about mental health when it came to mind/body altering quirks. Aizawa had insisted on therapy for Izuku at least, given his behavior and past history as someone quirkless. The pro hero was learning more about helping the kid cope with nightmares, dissociation, and dealing with triggers in a healthy way. Aizawa had found out the hard way that the smell of burnt sugar or caramel made the kid shut down. 

The pro hero had suspicions about the kid’s middle school, and made a note to talk with Nedzu to look into it. As of now, the two of them were still learning to live together. Both were more or less used to taking care of themselves, so he could admit it was a bit awkward at first. He could say he enjoyed cooking with the kid though, since they both were pretty good at it and got to share their recipes with each other. Aizawa ended up finding out that Izuku enjoyed casual head pats or hair ruffles, and hugs when he had a rough day. 

Today though, was their last day of training, nearly two weeks after they’d all met at the entrance exam. Zura was stretching, getting ready to fight Aizawa one on one, or one on two depending on who you asked. “Woo! Kick his butt Zura!” Mic called from the sidelines. 

Not one to be left out of the drama, Present Mic had ended up watching from the sidelines or helping instruct the past week. The man had caught wind of Aizawa fostering a kid, and upon learning said kid had had a new quirk develop demanded to help his new nephew. Aizawa agreed on the basis that Mic would not tell Midnight just yet. 

Izuku and Uraraka adored Hizashi though, and after their first meeting Mic had not so subtly invited himself over to the Aizawa household most nights for dinner. Aizawa had the sneaking suspicion that he was also there for the food, since the blonde man couldn’t cook at all. Most nights now consisted of Shouta and Izuku cooking while Mic and Uraraka sat at the countertop, keeping running commentary of the two in the kitchen or just talking. It was the first time in Aizawa’s life that his house felt full, in a good way. It first surprised him how happy he was now that he had two kids to look after with his best friend. Not that he would tell them that. 

“Thanks for the support,” Aizawa drawled. His hair was up in a half-bun and he had his capture weapon ready to face the two turned one. 

“Oh come on,”Zura snarked,”You’ve never lost against us, we need more support than you!”

“You’ll need more than support to beat me,”Aizawa snarked back, and before they knew it the hero was snapping his capture weapon out at them. 

Rolling away, Zura popped back up to the balls of their feet and ran towards their teacher, hoping to get in a hit up close when Aizawa dodged. He kicked towards their leg, but Zura slid and redirected to punch. Aizawa flipped out of their range, snapping out with the capture weapon as Mic booed in the background. Dodging, Zura ran to get close, sliding on their knees to avoid the scarf again and came up behind the man with a kick. Aizawa grabbed their leg but they spun out. They gritted their teeth and went in for a punch when suddenly their feet gave out on them, sending them backwards onto the ground with a yelp. 

They’d forgotten about the capture weapon, Zura realized. They let out a groan as Aizawa let out a huff of laughter. “Forgot about the capture weapon again?”

“Yeah,”Zura laughed scarf with caution and annoyance. “It’s like a snake,” They grumbled, distantly hearing Mic call out a ‘good try!’. 

“You’ve improved over the past two weeks, give it some time before you’re able to go longer than that against me,”Aizawa smirked, but bent down to untangle their feet from his weapon.

Zura sat up, reaching over to help untangle them but held back when they realized Aizawa was much better at it than them. “Do you think I’ll be able to beat anyone in class?”

Aizwa huffed,”If any of those brats have even learned a form of martial arts instead of practicing their quirk,”he grumbled. Zura grinned at the familiar rant. “You’ll be fine.”

Mic came bounding over to the group with excitement,”Alright!” He cheered,”Time for lunch kiddo!”

Before Mic could get to the two, the mat suddenly erupted into bright light, and the blonde hero froze at the sight of one person standing where the two- or three should have been. Hizashi stared slack-jawed at the long wavy black hair with purple undertones, a capture scarf in shifting colors, and what looked like a more stylish and colorful version of Aizawa’s hero suit. What really amazed the hero though, was that the person had four arms rather than two. 

“Sorry!” The figure immediately blurted out, waving some of their hands erratically. One of the hands tugged at their hair while another hand directed it away from their hair and held it. Mic was still staring, but to be fair it was a lot to take in. “No, it’s- take a breath- it’s okay. “They took a few exaggerated breaths.

”We’re fine. We’re fine,”The figure repeated to themself. Once they seemed to calm down Mic broke out into a grin. 

“Holey smokes!” Mic exclaimed when he’d finally gotten his bearings. The figure looked over at him with wide eyes, and he could see a multitude of colors, as well as two sets of eyes. “How do you guys feel? Everything alright?”

“We- I- It’s fi- good? Yeah,”They responded, getting the hang of talking while looking down at their multiple arms and stylish clothes. “I’m… I feel okay. Safe.” They smiled almost shyly. One of their hands came up to brush their bangs out of their face, and they turned to Mic with wide eyes. “Wh- Do we- I- Is this okay? Are you okay?”

“Of course I’m okay, what about you?” Mic said, bounding up to the three. He gently took hold of two hands, making a show of looking over the fusion. “Is three people okay? You don’t feel anything off? Izuku gets tired, right?”

At those words, the figure froze. “Izuku-”They gasped, pulling their hands back from Mic before a bright light shone in front of the hero, momentarily blinding Mic. The light faded with a sharp ‘pop’, and three bodies fell to the ground. 

“Izuku!” Someone yelled- judging by the black blur and deeper voice Mic assumed it was Shouta. He was still blinking the spots away from his eyes, when he caught another blur heading for the third body. 

“Is he okay?” Uraraka asked, her arms outstretched to where Izuku lay passed out on the ground in front of them. She didn’t touch him, but hovered her hands like she was afraid he’d disappear. 

Aizawa let out a sigh of releif, sitting back. “He’ll be fine. He’s just exhausted, most likely from the strain of holding three people together.”

Uraraka and Mic let out matching sighs of relief, and they all crowded around the sleeping boy when Aizawa rearranged him to rest his head on the hero’s lap. “We didn’t mean to,”Uraraka began hesitantly. 

“I know,”Aizawa returned softly. “It wasn’t bad, you’re not in trouble. In fact, this is what training is for. The only person Izuku had fused with before is you, and no one knew he could fuse with more than one person.”

“I mean, we talked about it before but,”Uraraka paused, biting her lower lip.”He said he can fuse with people who trust him, and who he trusts back. It’s like a.. Friendship? Like he can only fuse with friends.”

“I get it,”Mic chimed in,”Both parties have to have equal positive feelings towards each other in order to fuse. That way it can never be forced, and neither side can get hurt. So on some level both of you guys were willing to make that connection, it just happens when you make contact.”

“We just have to make sure it doen’t happen at any contact. Knowing who he can fuse with is important, but also controlling when the fuse happens so it won’t become an issue,”Aizawa added. He was looking down at Izuku, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully, and carding a hand through his hair. After a moment, it seemed like Izuku was starting to stir. 

“Still, it’s awesome you three can fuse! What was it like? What are you gonna call them?” Mic asked, still a bit giddy about meeting an amalgamation of his pseudo-family in one person. He felt oddly excited to have the chance to fuse someday. It seemed like fun. 

“We kinda freaked out when it first happened, but it was nice? Aizawa-sensei is very good at keeping us calm and thinking rationally,” Uraraka thought aloud. Aizawa ducked his head into his scarf to avoid the look he got from the other hero. “What about Aizura? Or Shurazu?”

“It doesn’t have to be a combination of your names,”Mic added.”You could be.. Akaizu?” 

“That still sounds like a combination of names,”Aizawa pointed out. Uraraka stifled a laugh. 

“Well, I don’t know what your quirk was, so I don’t have good ideas for a hero name,”Mic huffed. Aizawa pondered whether or not ‘Present Mic’ and ‘Eraserhead’ counted as good hero names. 

“I like it! It’s cute,”Uraraka nodded vigorously. At that point Izuku had started shifting, and Aizawa watched cautiously as the kid’s eyes fluttered. 

“Kid? You with me?” The hero asked gently. The other two watched on, hopeful that the kid was waking up and would be okay. 

Izuku’s face scrunched up. “...‘Zawa?”He murmured, but relaxed when Aizawa continued petting his hair. 

“You overdid your quirk a bit, kiddo, how are you feeling?” Shouta asked. Maybe if he was just tired he wouldn’t have to carry him to Recovery Girl’s office. 

“T’red, head’che,”Izuku grumbled, pressing his eyes shut and cuddling closer to Aizawa. “Sore.” He added on, but it was muffled. Uraraka snorted. 

“Alright, seems like just quirk exhaustion then,”Aizawa sighed. “Go back to sleep, I’ll wake you up when we get home.” He added, but Izuku had already drifted off. 

‘Phew,”Uraraka exhaled. “I thought he was really hurt, but it’s just quirk exhaustion? So he can’t actually fuse with three people?”

“No, no he can,”Mic interjected. “Think about it like your quirk. If you use it too much or on heavy things you get nauseous, but the more you train your quirk the less nauseous you get.”

Uraraka brightened.”So he just has to train? Do you think he’d be able to fuse three people again?” 

“Let’s wait until we know more about how two people work first,”Shouta said, giving her a knowing look. “Then we can try it again.”

“Yes!” Uraraka fist-pumped. She then frowned, looking over to Izuku. “Does this mean training is done for the day?”

“No way kiddo!’ Mic exclaimed, but quietly as to not wake up Izuku. “While these two take a nap, you and I can practice grappling!”

Aizawa sighed in exasperation at the two extroverts bounding away towards the mats. Shaking his head fondly, he lifted Izuku into his arms and stood, making his way to the door. He almost smiled when Izuku brought a hand up to clutch at his capture weapon and murmured softly. He was glad he knew how to handle quirk exhaustion like this, at least. Judging by the symptoms, it wasn’t too bad, but still the worst side effect they’d encountered with Izuku’s quirk so far. But it made sense, Aizawa thought, given that Iuzku’s quirk was so powerful. 

Usually Izuku didn’t get too tired after an hour of fusing with one person, but after that he had to take a nap afterwards. Given that he’d already fused with Uraraka today for about two hours on top of attempting a three person fusion for as long as he did, Aizawa was glad the kid had only passed out with an additional headache. It could have easily gone worse, and he berated himself for not looking out for the kid more. 

The hero walked with his kid towards the teachers lounge, grabbing his bright yellow sleeping bag and settling everything down on the teacher’s couch. If Hizashi and Uraraka came by an hour later with lunches, only to find Izuku snuggled on top of Aizawa while both of them were cocooned into the sleeping bag on the couch, then obviously a bunch of pictures were added to Mic’s ever-growing scrapbook. 

PART FIVE

[afreakingdork]

Weak Spot - Chapter 3

Warnings: Aged-up Turtles, Romance, Meet Cute, Villain Donatello, Cussing, Crushes, Xenophobia

Synopsis:  When falling in love is the easy part where does the difficulty lie? In a society where we’re defined by our job, it’s those little details as a relationship goes on that ends up setting a course for whether or not a couple can make it in the long run.

Also available on Ao3

First 💜 Previous

You were not going to let him get away with dropping what could almost be a relative confession like that. At least, not until after work when you had the time to harass him about it.

You: So…

Rolling over from where you had collapsed on your couch you watched as predictably the message was read and no response came. You’d resigned yourself to a fight earlier in the day after deciding to press the issue, but a part of you could always dream.

You: Are we going to talk about how you ran away?

You chewed your bottom lip as the little read check mark appeared. You tried to picture what he was up to. Glancing to the nearby windows, you spied the last vestiges of twilight waning orange. When your attention returned to your device you saw the response bubbles percolating.

He must have written and deleted several versions because the one he landed on seemed far too short for the amount of time it took.

Donatello: Laughable.

You giggled to yourself. Not that you’d been able to indulge in it, but texting removed the usual bearings in an interesting way. Where in real life you had to hope you caught his micro expressions, his texts would be stuck on display for longer analysis.

You: I’m glad we agree!

You: Though I’m laughing at how cute it was that you got embarrassed

Again the check came and this time the bubbles appeared instantly. The pot was essentially stewing.

Moving to sit up, you wondered how he’d handle the stripped down context. He was obviously drafting something, but he must have realized the same as you that this type of conversation was far easier to abandon. Frowning and worrying that you might have pushed a little too hard, your stomach clenched as a reply came.

Donatello: I see what you’re doing.

You: Oh? I don’t consider this breaking the ‘no frivolous’ texts rule because it’s important to me

He saw it and you curled up into yourself. You’d spent most of the public transit ride home thinking of all the little contingencies he might use to get out of a conversation. Obliviously you had no real remedy if he chose not to respond, but you’d tried to prepare for anything else he could lob your way.

Donatello: For the time being you may exploit the loop hole, but only due to my lack of oversight.

“Just admit you like me.”

You gave a breathy sigh and pulled your device to your chest. A shred of you still wondered, but for the most part you were sure he was interested in some way. His staunch nature prevented absolutes and there was always a chance you were conning yourself, but even the fact that he was indulging these messages seemed to point in your preferred direction. Where that road ultimately lead you hadn’t given much thought, but the fizzy soda excitement was a high you were happy to chase.

You: Should I expect a contract at tomorrow’s lunch?

Donatello: Be prepared to sign in triplicate.

You blew you a puff of air into a smile. With him a line like that could both be a joke and deadly serious. You imagined him pulling out a briefcase and removing large daunting stacks of paper. He’d make for the world’s most annoying lawyer.

You: I’ll bring my embossed pen

You: Back to the original topic though…

Donatello: I’d rather discuss the pen.

You: I’ll share all the juicy details after

You: Spoiler alert: the engraving isn’t what you’d think!

Donatello: In other words, not your name.

You: Elevator explanation first

With your phone balancing on your knee you watched as he again hitched the conversation between intermediary dotted lines. You wondered if this kind of loading screen would be a good real world comparison for the time it took to him formulate verbal conversation. Staring fondly at the screen you dismissed it only because surely that mind of his cycled through so many more possibilities than you could fathom which meant a loading screen as a pathetic comparison.

Donatello: What exactly are you hoping for?

Wasn’t that the million dollar question.

You had a strong sense of the matter at hand and had even voiced your desires aloud just a few moments ago, but there was an undeniable unknown quality to the whole thing.

It had only been two days.

The time frame deflated your otherwise impenetrable smile.

That’s what was holding you up. Unfurling, your phone lowered with your legs and you watched it lull to sleep. The crush exhilaration had shrouded your mind in tittering hormones that made for a high chasing addiction. As much as you wanted to know everything about him, in reality there was no rush. Something so simple seemed like a sobering revelation.

Glancing over your shoulder at the kitchen, you wondered how he’d handle it if you passed on a slapdash response in favor of eating. Meals were quite high on the list of mind clearing activities and would give you a chance to compose something that wasn’t based on pure instinct.

Setting your phone on the arm rest, you stood and moved to the fridge. Taking your time would also shift the tone of the conversation. Grabbing the handle to the ice box, you opened it so its cold air washed over you in time with your second epiphany of the evening.

You didn’t want this to end after two more sandwiches.

Exchanging the freezer door for the fridge proper, you pulled out some leftovers. As odd as he seemed, you craved more. Trying to part the giddy fog in your mind, you set up a mental pros and cons list as you warmed your food. On one hand there had been a few undeniable red flag actions, he was exhaustively closed off, you knew next to nothing what he did outside of getting lunch, and he held vice grips on conversations in a dauntingly manipulative manner.

With a poke you checked if your food was warm enough. The lukewarm response said no, so you popped the dish back into the microwave and the newly sauced digit into your mouth.

Other the other hand he was handsome, mysterious, he’d exhibited multiple times that he was capable of concern or remorse, his vigilante watch translated as attentive, and he’d even been protective over a perceived threat.

Your microwave reminded you it was done and you retrieved the food. The plate stung your finger tips and you set it on the counter to watch the steam roll off.

If you thought about either list for too long, you noticed how each tick skewed the line. For his protection, he’d also taken a worrying satisfaction in scaring another human being. Where he refused to talk about himself cropped up the alluring unknowns. His staunch control issues were what lead to him needing to make amends in the first place.

You leaned over to pop a drawer open to grab cutlery. Once outfitted, you pinched the cooler edges of your plate and transported your dinner to the same spot on the couch. Collapsing into its relenting cushions, your phone lit up and read no new notifications. You flipped it over with one hand and then sought the remote. Whatever app the TV was last on buzzed to life and you let it run with listless curiosity as you took your first bite.

All of this back and forth was nothing unheard of though. Though the serial killer conversation had been partially a joke, there was an undeniable game that had to be played whenever you tried to puzzle a new person into your life. No two people were perfectly made for the jigsaw, but time snapped the piece together regardless as long as they were a close enough match.

A few more bites and your stomach was already feeling warm.

Maybe the puzzle metaphor wasn’t the best.

A personality buzzed about something on the television and you found it caught your attention. Between the video and hearty chews, you felt your resolve stabilize. By the time your plate was clean you’d even found that a tapestry was a much better analogy and even had ancient roots in the fates. Setting your plate aside of a coffee table, you snatched up your phone.

You: I guess you could say your little stunt made me wonder if we should reexamine our current contract

Donatello: Which terms do you not find agreeable?

You tilted your head as you read the question several times over.

You: The length

Though it was by your hand, you found it frustrating that you’d accidentally put yourself into another veiled conversation.

Donatello: Elaborate.

A little surprised hum escaped your throat.

It was almost as if he’d thought the exact same thing.

You certainly weren’t going to waste a chance to make the conversation definite.

You: I’ll just say it then

You: If I’m wrong though, don’t rub it in. I’ll be torturing myself enough

You watched his response stew and quickly typed out a few nonsense letters so your own to signal him that you weren’t done. It took a moment, but his disappeared and you cleared the text to start anew.

You: I think you’re interested in me too, but there’s been mixed signals

Your heart was beating so fast your blood pressure waned in your ears.

You: It was that look you gave me

You watched the quiver in your thumbs as you typed.

You: Would you want to keep seeing each other after you move on to the next sandwich quadrant?

You gave a shaky smile at the ridiculous terms this whole thing was perched upon.

You watched as a read receipt appeared and you tapped the cursor off the text bar to signal the end of your clarification. Your chest felt heavy and you brought one hand up to press your sternum in a pathetic attempt to release the pressure.

Not even his typing notification appeared.

Nerves already frayed, your mind went into overdrive.

Reading back over your texts you winced at the one about not rubbing it in.

Had that not been clear enough?

Mind split right down the middle, your thumbs flew back to your keyboard. For each satisfactory letter that was typed out an equal part of your brain screamed at you for doing so.

It was so much easier to blurt these things out in real time.

You: The nature of which doesn’t have to be specified. Just,

You cursed aloud as when you moved to edit the comma placement, you’d sent the unfinished text.

Staring at it harshly, the fight or flight warped leaving you unsure of what you’d wanted to clarify at all. Coming down, it took over a minute for you to realize the check mark hadn’t appeared. You lowered your screen instinctually. He wasn’t actively in the chat anymore. Putting your device to sleep, you leaned over and set it next to your plate. It wasn’t that strange as you’d left him in a similar manner when you’d made your dinner. Still, you could feel your blood moving through your veins so you desperately palmed the remote for a suitable distraction. You forced yourself to sit through a 27 minute video before you allowed yourself to pick up your device.

You nearly dove for it as the personality on TV recommended something else.

Suddenly in a surprise juggle with your device, the blurry notification disappeared as you mistakenly clicked it. You watched the screen temporarily black out before coming fully to life in the text window.

Donatello: I should have expected two days wouldn’t be enough time to improve one’s taste.

Half on and half off the couch from the phone debacle, you squinted at the message.

It somehow feel perfectly in line with what you expected while being nothing at all what you anticipated.

It was also fascinating how he seemed to take something that should be self-depreciating and make it seem like an insult to the other party.

That party being you, of course.

You: I’ll have you know I gave it a lot of thought. I made a pros and cons list and everything

Donatello: Your data collection capability is abysmal. Have you even considered your sample size or standard deviation? 

You: Nope. Want to teach me?

That was truly terrible.

You laughed to yourself.

The way his response bubble appeared and popped multiples times either meant that line had miraculously worked or he was also seized with the comedy of it all.

There were surely more options than that, but you preferred to consider only those two.

Donatello: Ever presumptuous, tenuous, and ludicrous.

You stared as an even bigger smile spread on your face.

You typed out your next text.

With a thumb hovering over the send button you considered how badly this next statement could go.

You had a feeling it wasn’t in your favor, but there was just something about the three adjectives that he had sent.

You gave a single chuckle and slammed your screen with an audible tap.

You: Funny, I believe it was you who gave me your number of your own accord

He left you on read.

-

You didn’t necessarily regret your choice.

However, you didn’t really love it either.

As lunch loomed eerily close, you checked your bag from under your desk for what must have been the hundredth time. Every time your heart surged not with tempered hope, but fear that your boss would catch wind. The last thing you needed was that guy adding anymore undue stress. That aside, there was still the unmistakable possibility that you had messed up your chance. It definitely stung, but it also wouldn’t be the end of days.

You had only known him two days.

Giving a little sigh, you tucked your bag back into its slot. Deciding you might as well get some semblance of work done, you brought up several useful screens and moved to tack the time away on your keyboard. You’d gotten into a groove when you heard two employees pass with lunch curiosities on their lips. Checking the time said you could slip away with minimal complaint and, even though your plans were still up in the air when you’d left this morning, you’d still kept your docket open just in case. With a final glance to make sure all work was in order, you swiveled in your chair. Catching your bag in the motion, you got to your feet and headed for the elevator.

Pulling your phone out was almost an afterthought as you debated what to get.

At least, that’s what you told yourself when you saw the notification preview faultily clip an image.

You scarcely heard the elevator arrive and stepped back so no one would hold it for you. Against the opposite wall, you opened the message and stared at it curiously.

Donatello had simply sent a screenshot receipt of a sandwich purchase. Clicking it larger, it read the ever present specifications he’d deemed standard. It also had a sum of two sandwiches so he was presumably going to be in attendance. The payment information had been specifically cropped out, but the header for the shop read its address. Tempering your excitement, you flipped back and forth to type it out in your map app. It was predictably nearby so you stepped forward to push the elevator button.

The trek down and lunchtime rushed streets swept you to the location with little time to overthink. You spied his hulking black coated form through the window and slipped through the door with a pleasant chime announcing your entry. You glanced up at the little bell before heading over to Donatello.

His shoulders held staunch as he passed you only a glance before continuing to stare at the pick-up counter. For a moment you let him continue his oddly petty act before rolling on the balls of your feet and prodding your inner cheek with your tongue.

He hadn’t outright rejected you, but something was definitely off.

The overwhelming desire to poke the bear superseded concern.

If you were already in hot water, might as well take a bath.

“You really streamlined the process of asking someone out.”

Already staring at him, you caught the flicker of recognition in his eye before his pupil nearly rolled. When his gaze landed on you, he seemed to note that you had seen the move and flattened out his expression.

“My other line was something about how it’s presumptuous to just buy someone lunch without asking.”

“You’re overanalyzing.”

You rose up on the tips of your toes to get his full attention. He parted it as you entered his personal space and you did your best impression of his patented look.

His jaw flexed as if he grit his teeth though no pearly whites shined through.

“We’ll discuss it while we eat.”

You gave a curious hum that was cut off when an employee set a sack on the counter. Donatello was in motion before the employee could depart and strung a finger through the bag’s handle. He then followed through by turning to the dining room and going straight to a table. You watched his departing form for a moment and couldn’t help but imagine how he must have thought all this through while he was waiting.

How much earlier than his pick-up time had he arrived?

You followed him languidly and made a show of taking a seat. He slid your sandwich across the table and tucked your bag away beside your chair. When you surfaced you found him sitting still with his untouched sandwich wrapped in front of him.

“Should I be worried?”

The question processed in his gaze and seemed to awaken his limbs.

“That depends.”

Though he made it a statement, the end felt clipped away.

You wondered what else he meant to say as he robotically went through the motions of undoing the wrapping and folding it back. You left him to his routine and instead separated the halves of your sandwich to eat one with the parchment peeled back. You had just gotten down your first bite when you caught him picking up his meal without his usual measured grab.

“I don’t think you understand the gravity of what you’re requesting.” 

Pausing, you turned the sentence over before taking another bite. “I’m not asking you to marry me.”

His head lolled slightly with dissatisfaction. Though his face didn’t betray it, you could feel the a dissatisfied aura coming off of him. “The weight doesn’t lie in the fraternization.”

You squinted at him.

He brought his sandwich up and narrowed his gaze at it.

“Is this… related to that taste thing?”

“Yes.” He punctured the single syllable with a sharp bite of his sandwich.

You watched openly as one of his lids twitched. He gave an odd side to side chew of the morsel before lowering the sandwich back to the paper. He seemed to struggle to get it down and his dark mood further clouded.

“Something wrong?”

“It’s me I don’t think you understand.” He grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth and pushed his meal a few centimeters away from his person.

“That’s sort of the point.”

“Y/N.”

You broke away from staring at him to look at his sandwich.

“Even if we could set aside what is rapidly becoming willful ignorance, you don’t seem to have considered the fact that I’m a mutant and you’re human.”

“So?” Your own meal came down with your brow.

“Which is exactly why I still have reservations about your motives.”

“I’ve never been with a mutant before. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve even talked to one before you.” Flicking eyes between your lunch and his, you made quick work of unwrapping your bitten half.  

You could feel his gaze intensify, so your brought yours up in an open show of your honesty. His pupils darted around taking in an unknown amount of information before he looked away towards a window.

With his attention parted, you reached across the table and snagged the corner of his parchment. As soon as you started sliding it towards you, he caught the motion and returned his gaze. He didn’t stop you, so you brought both meals next to each other and started to reach for his. Seeing your hand’s descent triggered something in your mind and you halted. As you twisted to grab your bag, you saw Donatello go for something in his pocket. When you both returned to the table you stared at each other and your travel sized bottles of hand sanitizer.

You immediately laughed in spite of the tense air.

He gave the barest huff and returned his own bottle to his person.

“Great minds.” You mumbled, trying to taper off your giggles as your disinfected your hands.

If he responded, you couldn’t hear it as you finally reached for his sandwich. Peeling back the bread on the half he’d bitten, you grimaced at what lie underneath. His lettuce was a pathetically wilted smear against his oily tomato. Peeking out from underneath that was an alarmingly pale piece of bacon. You picked at the tongue that slumped off the side of the sandwich and found it to be just as floppy as it looked.

“We ordered the same thing.” You remarked before quickly moving to uncap your sandwich. Yours, in comparison, looked like a meal that was ready for its menu shoot. “Are both sides like that?”

He again didn’t seem to respond, so you moved to remove the bread from the rest of his meal. The other half continued the same trend. You sat back in your seat and considered the dichotomy. Confused, you finally swept your gaze to your companion.

Across from you, Donatello’s irritation continued to waft off of him, but he was directing it into his person. It was all such a strange show that it left you unnerved. It reminded you of the day prior when the mystery of the supposedly unknown sandwich shop loomed overhead.

You blinked.

Straightening up, you spun around in your chair. The speed of the move meant you just caught the way the whispering employees departed from each other behind the counter. Your eyes widened to a degree that nearly stung. You spun back around to find Donatello staring at you with a dark knowing expression.

That’s why he had brought up human/mutant relations.

“They gave you a gross sandwich on purpose.”

He gave a curt nod.

“But…” You leaned into the table, but in doing so it brought your face closer to said offense. You sloppily reconstructed it before messily squishing the parchment down to hide it away. “How would they know you’d take the intended one?”

The way Donatello stared evenly back made several things clear.

He had in fact arrived to the shop early.

He’d seen and let them make him a subpar meal.

He then accepted it in a way that ensured he’d get the gross one and not you.

The deep frown on your lips stung your cheeks. “If… If they saw you order it, why weren’t both sandwiches gross?”

“The wait.” It seemed like a struggle for him to get the two words out evenly.

Your lips parted.

There had been a wait from when you’d arrived to when the sandwiches had been ready.

Those whispering bastards had seriously rushed to remake a sandwich as soon as they found out a human was on the order.

As the pieces of the events fell into place, confusion melted away under budding fury. “Why didn’t you say something? That doesn’t seem like-!”

You bit down to keep the presumption from coming out.

He leaned forward in a similar manner as you had done.

It brought your voice down and you spoke before he could. “Yesterday at the building, they weren’t glaring because we were there. They were mad because we were together?”

His chin tipped up the barest amount, but you couldn’t take in his appreciation for your correct guess based on its content.

“That or… that’s just how they look at you.”

“Both.” The single syllable dripped with disdain.

Considering he could barely keep a lid on his resentment, it made very little sense why he allowed this to happen. You forced yourself to swallow your own anger in mustering up a pleading eye. “I don’t understand…?”

His expression was pulled so taunt it seemed like a piano wire about to snap. “I needed to talk to you first and foremost, but trust me when I say the retribution will be swift.”

There was a manic flash to his eyes that you only barely caught before a tidal wave of emotion flooded you. Any remnant thoughts on it washed away as your heart buoyed to the surface. You could feel your eyes rapidly watering. With both of you craned over the table into one another, you knew he had a front row seat. Screwing your eyes shut, you hoped he wouldn’t see it as pity or sadness. You certainly weren’t going to celebrate and you were already forming your own just recourse, but the man in front of you had endured blatant xenophobia in silence just so not as to upset these plans.

You didn’t care.

Whatever terrible things he thought of himself.

Whatever things he might have done in the past.

Hell, for all you knew he was still doing it.

It simply didn’t matter.

You wanted him.

 More than ever.

Your eyes popped open in time with a smile on your lips.

He seemed to wince against the brightness of it.

“First things first.” You sat back and grabbed your uneaten sandwich half.

“That’s yours.”

“And?” You pushed it towards him. “You’re not eating that.” You waved off his appalling excuse of a meal.

“You’ll be stuck at work and I can get something else.” He reached out with a single digit and used it to slide the sandwich half back.

“It’s not up for discussion.” You reached out to do something similar, but he hadn’t lifted his hand. You glowered at the offending digit and moved to send that same dissatisfied look to his face.

A resolute blank stare sat there.

“Split then.”

“It’s not even.”

You groaned loudly.

He remained unmoved.

With your uneaten half ensnared, you moved to your bitten half. Searching around, you found a loose plastic knife on the table and made a cut that bisected the sandwich in a way that severed off the contaminated half for yourself. He kept a close eye as you then made a show of folding your parchment into as close of a version as how he did and set the clean segment upon it. It had some sort of effect on him because he finally relinquished his hold. Moving fast in case he changed his mind, you cut the uneaten half and the doled out the sandwich into two meals.

“Obviously this place is not a contender, but it would be annoying if you couldn’t pass proper judgment on it.”  

You felt his gaze linger as you took an annoyed bite of your bread. You chewed a little harder than necessary and when his stare continued to linger, you brought a staunch eye to him.

You expected any of a dozen things to be there.

What you didn’t expect was a softness to his features that could almost be read with affection.

You nearly choked as you swallowed prematurely.

“May I see that?” He nodded to the sandwich in your hand.

It seemed like an odd request, but you were still dumbfounded by the kindness in his eyes. You nodded numbly and held it out to him.

With his hands tucked beneath the table he leaned forward. You wondered if there was something gross in your meal that you had neglected when his mouth suddenly opened. Before you could do anything else, his hands surfaced to steady yours and he took a big bite straight of where you had taken your last one. He retreated while chewing and moved his attention downward, finally doing his pick-up calculations.

Several incoherent sounds puttered off your lips as you brought back the little left of your sandwich.

He had just made such a fuss about it being even too.

You waited numbly until he swallowed his mouthful, having a sense that he’d speak on it.

“For clarification. I’m not a germophobe, just cleanly.” 

You gaze snapped from your meal to him.

“The hand sanitizer?!”

He didn’t respond, but you were sure you saw the quirk of a smile as he got the right angle down and lifted his own meal to take a bite.

“Don’t think you’ve escaped the discussion.”

“Your far more dangerous in how unpredictable you are. I don’t know if my heart will be able to take it.”

This time you actually got substantial peek of the upturned corner of his lips between bites. “If that’s what you label as dangerous, you might as well leave now.”

“No way, after what I’ve seen? I’m more invested than ever!.”

He shook his head and polished the food he had. “Mediocre.” He gestured to the parchment.

“Agreed.” You nodded into another bite. “But regardless of what I say, it’s still a two-way street. If you don’t want to see me after the next shop, I’ll understand.”

“You opened changing the terms of the agreement, who’s to say I didn’t terminate it early?”

You paused and gave him a suspicious look.

The even gaze he returned seemed to still be genial.

“I can’t tell if you think you’re messing with me on purpose, it’s teasing, or you really mean it.”

“Consider that something you’ll have to contend with.”

“List some more; for my sample size, I mean.”

He tipped his chin up and you finally had a chance to bask in that satisfaction.

“You’ve seen my disposition: Don’t expect flowers and chocolates. I wasn’t built for the machinations of formulaic romance. I’m evil and you will be kept in the dark about many things that widely range from what I simply don’t wish to expound on to legal ramifications.”

You stared back at him for a long moment, but he didn’t buckle under the pressure.

That amicable air had all but evaporated so you took to checking your surroundings for a hidden camera.

Finding you were not in fact on a twisted TV show, you returned your gaze to him to find him leaned back in apparent wait.

“I doubt you’ll believe me if you’re still hung up on the mutant thing, but I swear I’ve already taken pretty much all that into account.”

His gaze narrowed the slightest bit and you let him evaluate you in the same way.

You both came away in a similar stalemate: all evidence said the other was being honest, but it was hard to believe.

“Do you need a list like that for me?”

“No, I’ve gathered sufficient data.”

Now that you needed no consideration over.

It just made sense.

“So…?”

“I’m adding ‘stubborn’ to your negatives.”

“If I wasn’t, I doubt you’d even have given me a second glance.”

You weren’t sure what it was about that, but it seemed to irritate him more than another other jab you’d sent his way.

You hadn’t even meant it to be one.

“We have another shop to explore and then we’ll take it from there.”

“That’s the best I’m going to get out of you, huh?”

He gave you his trademarked look.

You gave a lazy smile and finished up your sandwich. He hadn’t made his usual move to clean up the table and you suspected it was the first of many disrespects he’d be giving the place.

You smiled inwardly.

He had no idea.

“I’m gonna guess I just took another long lunch?” The fact that fewer suits passed outside signified the hour had passed.

Donatello gave a nod.

“This is either the one weird thing my boss turns the other cheek to or he’s building up to something.”

“Best of luck with that.”

“Not a trace of sympathy!”

“It’s your occupation.” His head tipped slightly to one side.

“Thanks for not saying ‘just quit.’”

“Nothing in life is so simple. Are you at least applying for other jobs?”

You laughed. “I absolutely am.”

“Fine then. I detest those that complain without even attempting to change their station.”

“Oh! Your first deal breaker! I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“You can use it as an easy out.” His blinks seemed a bit slower as if he were relaxed.

A flicker of warmth sparked in your chest. “If that’s the case you should have told me for our earlier dates.”

He grimaced.

If you were standing you might have fallen over.

It was the first clear and open emotion he had given.

More so than even eating a rotten sandwich.

“Wha…?” You flubbed the question dumbly and rose a confused finger up to him.

“These are not dates.”

Your jaw slacked and you squinted with bewilderment.

“If I were to take you on a proper date, you would know it.”

“You’re… offended?” Recognition bloomed and seeped into the confused cracks.

He only gave you that obvious look. All other traces of emotion disappearing from his person.

“But in your warnings there was that bit about romance…?”

“I’m going to gift you a book on statistics. I expect you to read it in length.”

“Come on! That’s not even a sample size guess! It directly contradicts what you said!”

He clicked his tongue and made it seem like it was heavy labor to open his mouth. “I gave a general statement. You’re folding your assumption into that when you don’t know what I consider applicable.”

“Which is…?”

“Too lengthy if you don’t want to turn a supposition about your boss’s attitude into an certainty.”

“Fine…” You trailed off and made a move to stand. He followed suit, leaving the trash behind, and you bent over to retrieve your bag. “I’m a visual learner, by the way.” Feeling emboldened by how the whole meeting had gone, you tossed a wink along with the comment.

He passed you an unamused look and you grabbed the repulsive sandwich from earlier.

You leaned into him sweetly. “Thanks for considering it, by the way. I want to quell one of your concerns. This is how I’ll deal with the whole cross-species thing.” You whispered before rounding away from him in a extended sweep .

Several people seated nearby seemed to take notice.

“Hey!” You shouted directly at the front counter. “So rotten food is just a standard thing here!?” 

Caught up in your display and already storming the employee’s fortress, you couldn’t be sure, but you imagined Donatello watching after you with that fond expression in his eyes.

NEXT

[blushyeleven]

Tickletober - DAY 3

Cuddles

characters: lee!jenna x ler!y/n

warnings: tickles

𝓒𝓪𝓷 𝔀𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝔂 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼?

“Can I come over rn?”

your phone buzzed as you picked it up and saw that Jenna texted you. Your eyebrows furrowed, clearly slightly concerned at the sudden request

“ofcourse, what’s wrong?”

you typed out as quickly as your thumbs could move, hitting send and almost instantly watching the “•••” icon apear

“Nothing I Just miss you☹️”

you audibly let out a sigh before smiling warmly at the text

“Don’t ever scare me like that again😭 but yes ofcourse, I’ve missed you to💞”

“omw 🥹”

You sat and waited impatiently on your sofa, waiting for your girlfriend arrival. The truth was you really did miss her, you hadn’t had a chance to see her a lot because she had been busy with work and didn’t have a very open calendar. Although jenna always tried her best to make as much time for you as possible, even if that meant just for an hour on her lunch break. Even if Jenna couldn’t exactly make it to see you, she’d always FaceTime you when she could. You were always understanding that Jenna could got pretty busy.. but you guys made it work. And she spent every single minute of her free time with you.

You then eagerly sat up to the sound of a car pulling into your driveway 20 minutes later. You practically skipped to the window to see Jenna getting out of her car and holding something? You stumbled to the door and swung it open, seeing your girlfriend on the other side. You instantly wrapped your arms around her, not even giving her a chance to step inside. “Hey!” She giggled at the sudden hug and tried her best to hug you back.. but it was proving difficult with the things in her hand that you didn’t even look at before you threw yourself into her arms.

You then pulled back “hi..” you said with the most Beaming smile and kissed her on the cheek. Jenna just giggled sweetly and leant forward to give you a quick kiss on the lip before you then stepped backwards. Into your house and then Jenna walked through, taking her shoes of. She then walked through to your living room and you followed as you then saw what she had been holding this whole time. “Sorry im a Little later.. i-.. i went to the shop to pick some things up” she smiled warmly at you before holding out a beautiful bouquet of white and pink tulips and a tub of your favourite icecream. “I- jenna! You didn’t have to!” Your expression melted into a soft and loving gaze. “I know, but I wanted to!” She insisted before kissing your forehead. You then put the flowers in a glass vase and your ice cream in your freezer. Before sitting on the sofa and the short brunette sat next to you.

“So, how was your day at work?” You asked and Jenna just simply replied with “yeah it was good! I mean, nothing interesting but you know! How was your day?” “My day was also good! Pretty boring! I’m just glad I could see you” you said excitedly and Jenna nodded with an even bigger smile “literally” she said letting out a breath.

You then leant back into the grey velvety sofa and Jenna took that opportunity to cuddle up against you, resting her head on your chest as you wrapped your arms around her, bringing her closer. Missing her warmth. Missing her touch. You often thought to yourself how lucky you were to be with Jenna. It may sound clique but.. she was the best girlfriend you could ever have asked for. You didn’t know what you would do without her. She made life worth living. You felt lost without her. Over the couple of weeks we’re she has been busy you began to wonder if you had grown seperation anxiety from her. I mean.. when she was around. Your life was just so.. complete. You rested your head on-top of hers, embracing the scent of her sweet tropical hair. You let the tv softly play in the background. Moments like this always felt so special to you. Just you.. and Jenna. Cuddling on the sofa. You couldn’t ask for any better way to spend your time.

You then softly ran your hand up and down jennas side, in a comforting and affectionate way. But to your surprise jenna tensed up a little, slightly leaned away and let her lips form into an “o” shape letting out a small gasp. Your eyebrows furrowed as you looked down at her “you okay?” You questioned, biting your lip to try and hide the quiver in your lips from trying not to giggle at jennas unexpected reaction. “y-yeah! Sorry!..” jenna answered, rather quickly, clearly embarrassed. But you weren’t just going to leave it at that, you had questions that needed answers. And Jenna knew you, she knew that you wouldn’t drop this so easily. “What was that all about?” You asked innocently with a slight giggle prominent in your voice. Jenna knew there was no escaping this, she had no excuses or way to get out. She just had to tell you the truth, no matter how embarrassed she was about it. “I-.. it tickled” she said, looking down and smiling to herself. your eyes widen slightly. “Your ticklish?” You said in awe and letting another small giggle escape. Jenna just nodded at that, seeing you look overjoyed with your new discovery. You then slowly moved your hand back, slowly scribbling at jennas side for a few seconds. Never taking your eyes off of her face. She flinched slightly and let out a breathy laugh before going to hold your hand.

“Oh my god..” you said I’m slight disbelief. “Why are you so shocked about it?” Jenna asked with a slight wobble in her voice. “Because that’s literally.. adorable!” You exclaimed you saw jennas nervous smile and giggle before you asked a question that made jennas face instantly fade into a bright red. “C-can I try?” You looked at her hopingly. “I-“ she paused for a few seconds, with a nervous chuckle. “Pleaseee?” You tried to put on your best pleading look as jenna rolled her eyes playfully and smiled. “Okay, fine.. only for a few minutes, okay?” She stated. I mean, how could she say no to you? “Yesss!!” You were so excited. You were like a kid on Christmas morning. Jenna still layed against you and you still held her close but you softly moved your hand to wiggle your fingers onto her side. She flinched, let out a small giggle before biting on her lower lip, trying desperately to stifle any further laughter that was already bubbling up in her throat. You then started to move your fingers, scurrying around her sides and that’s when she gave in. Clenching her eyes shut and letting the laughter flow out. Your smile grew at this adorable sight and started to speed up your tactics more.

Jennas couldn’t even hold back anymore. Her giggles were the absolute cutest thing. She wasn’t going crazy or anything, but just soft laughs and slight squirming. All while she was still cuddled into you. Enduring her fate all to make you happy… and it was working. You we’re estatic. Just analysing jennas reactions and the way her face scrunched when she laughed. And oh my god.. her dimples. Her dimples were the most adorable thing and a feature you really treasured about Jenna. Especially because she trusts you to see them. Normally she covers her mouth when she laughs, trying to block out her mesmering smile. But it was different around you. She laughed care-free and it was so precious to witness. “bahahahah y/n!!” She squealed feeling your hands crawl their way to her ribs. “Ahahahhahaha!! Nohohohooooo!!” She giggled. Her laughter wasn’t reckless.. or desperate. It was just a flurry of heart-warming giggles that kept pouring out of her mouth. Your glassy eyes softened at how loveable jennas was. She made your heart do backflips and pound heavily in your chest. “your.. your adorable” you complimented, your mind swarming with sweet and endearing thoughts about your beautiful girlfriend. “I- I lohove yohohuu” she tried to say through her sniggers. “I love you to” you said gingerly, returning a smile back to her.

You then moved your fingers down to her stomach and that’s when Jenna’s laugh shot up a few decibels. “Wahahahaittt!! Bahahahahhaha!!!” You took note of this and began eagerly scratching your fingernails onto her stomach. “Ahahahahhaha!! I cahahahantttt!!” She began to squeak slightly, her laughter and speak becoming closer together to form gibberish. “Y/n!! Ahahahahhah!!!” “Oh? Is this a Bad Spot?” You lightly teased, seeing how jennas reactions changed as soon as your fingers met with her sgomach. “Shuhut uhuhuppp!” She responded, squirming about a little more and trying to suck her stomach in. Anything to (move your hands to a different spot) Escape your bitter-sweet grasp. Half of her brain was telling her to kick and scream.. but the other part was secretly enjoying this. Jenna just let herself be.. herself. You were the only person that made her feel like she could be herself. You saw jenna desperately trying not to push at your hands and you couldn’t let that pass without a flustering remark. “You having fun there?” You asked innocently and watched as jenna just covered her face with her hands. “I- nohohoho!” Her speach being muffled behind her hands. “No? Are you sure? You look like your having fun” you teased and Jenna never removed her hands from her face.

You then smirked to yourself before lifting up your hands, and wiggling your fingers just above jennas armpits. Jenna was obviously confused at the sudden stop but before she could even take another second to question it, it was back. As you quickly lowered your fingers into her armpits, scratching at them. Jenna squeaked and then immediately shot her arms down to her sides, revealing her red, flushed, freckled face. After getting Jenna to uncover her perfectly shaped face, you moved your nimble fingers back to her stomach. Faintly Scribbling at the sensitive area. “Ah! Y/n!!!” She shrieked before giggling helplessly again. Kicking her legs slightly and trying to hold onto your hands to prevent the overwhelmingly ticklish feeling surrounding her stomach. It wasn’t long after that before she tapped out and decided she’d had enough

“okahahay okahahayyy!! Stohohohoppp!” And so you did, immediately. Respecting her boundaries and seeing she was short for breath. You then scooped her up, cuddling her closely. Enjoying the time you were sharing with her. Especially after discovering this new adorable fact that you were definitely using for your own advantage. “I loved that! That was.. literally the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!”’you exclaimed seeing jennas lip curve upwards “I-.. yes.. it was.. it was fun.” She admitted as your eyes widened. “Well.. I’m glad you think so because now that I know your ridiculously ticklish.. I will be using it a lot more” you also admitted seeing her just shake her head and smile.

You continued to hold her close, wrapping your arms around her and never wanting to let go. You oftened wished that you could live your life for eternity cuddling your girlfriend in your sofa. You always craved and adored jennas company, but it was the moments like these that made you realise how special your time was together.

[avabananas13]

Rockstar! (Rockstar!Eddie Munson x Rockstar!Reader)

Summary: As soon as Eddie Munson has reentered your life, so has Steve Harrington. This leads to an awkward hang out and possibly an even awkwarder lunch.

TW: Angst, jealousy, Eddies kinda a dick, fem!reader but I tried my best to keep it gender neutral, cursing, cliff hanger ending, slight steve x reader if you squint

Word Count: 3.4k

A/N: I am so glad y’all have been enjoying this series because I’m really enjoying writing it. I’ve had such a shitty week but writing this has really be therapeutic for me. I really appreciate all of the love and support and I hope you enjoy this next chapter

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Chapter 3: You Again

This was your worst nightmare. Face to face with your ex boyfriend, standing in the living room of a girl who you haven’t even known for 24 hours yet. Your jaw was on the floor and you were frozen in place. You figured you had a couple of options here, the best one being to run away. You would’ve done it too, if it weren’t for the fact that your feet have suddenly become cinder blocks. 

You and Eddie just stared at each other, waiting for someone to do something. You could see the panic on his face. When he heard Robin had befriended you he considered it to be a joke. There was no way in hell she actually befriended someone with such a high status like you. He never told his friends that the two of you dated, they just know his heart was broken long ago. However, he didn’t think it would be too hard for them to learn about your dating history. There were plenty of people back home who very much remember the two years you spent together and it was possible Robin heard someone mention it. Hell, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she somehow remembered seeing you in the halls together when you all attended Hawkins High at the same time. Neither of those seem to be the case though. This was just pure chance.

“Do you two know each other?” an unknown girl's voice rang out from behind Eddie. You were staring at each other like you were daring the other to speak first. Which one of you had the pleasure of informing the room full of confused young adults how you know each other. 

“Know each other? This is the girl who gave me my cold, dead heart,” he said with a wicked laugh.

“Eddie please, you know I didn’t want things to end that way” you tell him. 

“You sure about that? I remember it much differently sweetheart,” Eddie remarked. 

Sweetheart.

A nickname that was once said as sweet as sugar, now laced with vicious poison. You tried to not be angry with Eddie considering the cause of your breakup was due to the distance, but it was hard standing face to face with him after so long. His hair was more grown out now and his body was littered with more tattoos. From an outside view, he looked the same but to you, he was even more beautiful than ever. 

“You know what,” you turn to Robin, “I think I’m just gonna go,” softly smiling at her and hoping Eddie would pick up on your dejected attitude. You needed to leave before your walls break, still trying to convince yourself that you’re completely over him.

“Yeah sure, just give up instead of putting the work in. Sounds just like you Y/N,” that was a low blow, even for Eddie. Breaking up with him was the hardest thing you’ve ever done but you knew it was the best option for the both of you. You were trying your hardest to remain civil, but he was proving to make it difficult. 

“Eddie, shut the hell up,” Robin starts and then turns to you, “Y/N please don’t leave. I truly didn’t know about your past with my friend here but I would love it if you could stay,” she tells you. Truthfully, you do want to stay. You really needed to get out of the house for a reason other than work but you didn’t know how you felt about these plans including your ex, the boy you were convinced you would marry one day. You look around the room and take in the group of people watching the scene unfold. You begin to feel slightly embarrassed by the whole situation, wanting to just have a chill night for once. You meet Robin's eyes and the pleading look she has makes you crack.

“Fine, I’ll stay,” you sigh. Robin's face instantly lights up with excitement, while Eddie is visibly pissed. You were determined to make some friends, and you won’t let Eddie Munson of all people keep you from that goal. 

“Yay! This is so great, I’m really excited for you to meet everyone,” Robin drags you closer to the group of people sitting around the living room and introduces you to each of them. The first one is Jonathan, he seemed nice enough and you remember hearing his name around after his brother Will went missing back in ‘83. Then there was Jonathan's friend Argyle who definitely has one of the weirdest names you’ve heard in a while, and you work in the music industry. He had some of the longest hair you’d ever seen and he seemed to be high out of his mind. The only other girl in the room was Nancy Wheeler, who you have a slight memory of from school. You learned that she was the only one who didn’t live here in LA. She went to school in Boston but was on fall break visiting. You also learned from Robin that she and Jonathan are a thing. Just as you were finishing introductions you hear the front door swing open.

“Did someone order a pizza?” you hear a boy's voice call out almost hero-like.  

“Hey brochacho you got one with pineapple right?, ” Argyle yells.

“No way, that's so gross dude,” the stranger responded, except he wasn’t a stranger. You recognized him as Steve “the hair” Harrington. Steve was actually someone you knew pretty well back in Hawkins. Both of your families were well-known around town which automatically brought you both together. You spent holidays with him, summers in his pool together, and would even spend time outside of your families together. You grew apart in high school though, shortly after you started to date Eddie. Steve wasn’t really an asshole, he just surrounded himself with assholes. When he heard you were dating Eddie he stopped talking to you, saying he wouldn’t be associated with a freak. Now, they seemed to be friends. When you think about it, he said the same thing about Jonathan too. Clearly, Steve had changed since high school and it was seemingly for the better. 

“Oh my god, Y/N?” Steve exclaimed after seeing you. He quickly placed the pizzas down and rushed over to give you a tight hug, which took you by surprise. Steve was basically your best friend pre-Eddie and you could feel your stomach flip at the idea of having him back in your life, you really missed him sometimes. He pulled away from the hug, still holding on to you by the arms. “It’s been so long and, oh man, I am so sorry for the way we left things,” he apologizes. 

“I can’t even believe you're here, why are you here?” you question, needing answers to how this peculiar friend group came to be. 

“Well, it’s kind of a long story but basically-” 

“You know Harrington?” you hear Eddie shout. You forgot he was still in the room for a moment and hearing his voice startled you. You turn towards him and his face is a mix between anger and jealousy.

“Yeah, we’ve been friends forever,” you tell him blatantly. 

“Y/N and I go way back,” Steve informs the group, putting an arm around your shoulder. Eddie starts walking closer towards the both of you.

“We dated for, what, about three years and you never mentioned his name,” Eddie grumbled.

“Well that's kinda my fault actually,” Steve fesses up, “See, we were close but then I found out she was dating, well you, and I stopped talking to her,” you feel hurt at all of those painful nights of crying in your room after losing Steve. You never told Eddie though, not wanting him to feel guilty. “But, I’m sorry I did. Jesus, I’ve missed you,” Steve pulls you in for another hug and you can feel him kiss the very top of your head. 

—

The rest of the night remains shockingly civil. You and Steve catch up on the last six years, you tell him what it’s like being a Grammy winner and he tells you what it’s like working at Family Video, which actually sounded very exciting to you. You were proud of him, being able to make his own living and not relying on his father anymore. Robin informed you that the two of them actually worked at the one in Hawkins together and now they’re both working at one here in LA. You thought it was cute how close they seem to be, but Robin made sure to clarify that they are strictly Platonic, with a capital P (her words). 

You got to know the group pretty well, ending the night by getting Nancy's phone number for her place in Boston and the number for Jonathan and Argyle's apartment. You all devoured the pizza Steve got while watching the movies Robin rented after her shift at Family Video earlier. The most surprising part was that Eddie stayed the entire time, even though he stayed pretty quiet most of the time. When you left you hugged everyone goodbye, except for the metalhead, and Robin walked you out. 

“ I just wanted to say I’m sorry again about Eddie,” she told you.

“It’s ok, there's no way you would have known about our past,” you softly smile at her. 

“Luckily he’s hardly ever home anymore so if you wanted to you could come over again soon,” she says.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” you respond.

“I think Steve would like that too,” she giggles.

“Oh trust me, Steve and I are just friends,” you assure her.

“Does he know that?” she questions. You knew Steve had a crush on you when you were kids but you always thought it was just that, a crush. You two spent so much time together it wasn’t really a surprise that he had one on you. You sometimes laugh thinking back on the time he told you he liked you. You were in seventh grade and he was in sixth. You were playing tag in your backyard when he kissed you on the cheek and asked if you’d be his girlfriend. You laughed at him and said you were far too old for him, even though you’re only five months older than him. 

“Of course he knows that,” you tell her, earning a hum in response. You walk towards the curb and begin the process of hailing a taxi. When you finally get one you turn towards Robin and bring her into a giant hug. “Thank you so much for tonight, I really appreciate it. Call me tomorrow, ok?” she nods enthusiastically as you get into your transportation. You look out your window and you wave goodbye to each other as you head home for the night.

—

You were expecting to feel lonely again once you got home but you felt anything but that. You had four new friends and rekindled a relationship with your best friend. The worst part of the night was Eddie. He couldn’t take his eyes off of you. He prayed you didn’t notice but how could you not, his eyes were burning holes into your skin. You knew when Eddie was jealous, plenty of guys flirted with you over the course of your relationship, and that was most definitely the case tonight. The only thing that made it worse was the fact that he was even more attractive now than ever. He really grew into his features these last few years and what can you say, you’ve always been a sucker for tattoos. 

You were laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about Eddie when the phone began to ring. “Hello?” you answer.

“Hey Sweetheart,” it was Eddie, speaking of the devil. 

“What’d you want, Munson?” you ask expressionless.

“I wanted to apologize for today actually,” this piques your interest. Never in a million years have you known Eddie Munson to apologize.

“Oh, really?” you say surprisedly.

“Yeah, I was kinda a dick to you today,” he says sincerely.

“Yeah you kinda were,” you tell him. 

“Look, since it seems like we’ll be seeing a lot of each other now, I was thinking we could get lunch or something? Maybe talk about everything,” his attitude has done a complete 180 since earlier. Truthfully, you did want to talk to him. It had been really hard not talking to him for these last few years and even though you were over him, it doesn't mean you don’t miss him. If you learned anything today after seeing Steve it’s that people change, and maybe the same applies to Eddie.

“Sure, I’d like that,” you say.

“Ok well are you free tomorrow?” he asks.

“Yeah I am actually. We could go out around 1,” you suggest.

“Works for me, is there anywhere specific you wanna go?” he asks you.

“Maybe that place on 2nd? The burger place,” you hope he knows what you're talking about.

“Yeah I know it, that’s fine. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he hangs up. Eddie knows why you chose that place and you know why you chose that place. Back in Hawkins the two of you used to go to Benny's diner all the time, before his tragic death, and this place was the closest LA had to Bennys. You would go to this diner all the time after moving out here, yearning for the taste of home. 

—

Eddie too used to go to this diner all the time after moving out here, not because he missed a town that hated him but because he missed you. While you were completely over Eddie, he was nowhere near close to being over you. Eddie was convinced you were the love of his life and the last three years of his life he was dedicated to finding a way to get you back. He almost died in the Upside Down, which just pushed him even further to have you back in his life. 

Now, he’ll be the first to admit that he went about this all the wrong way. He never should’ve sent Tom to that party, sending you a message from him. He never should’ve acted like such a dick when you came over either. And he really didn’t mean to get jealous over Steve Harrington, his best friend. His wake up call came abruptly though as Robin went ballistic on him after you left. She told him that he needed to get his head out of his ass and apologize like the big boy he is. He didn’t love her wording but it’s what he needed to hear. 

So, here he was calling you after three and a half years inviting you to lunch. Eddie felt his heart leap out of his chest when you agreed to meet with him, he didn’t think it would be that easy. He was, however, prepared to let you yell at him tomorrow. He would stop being such an asshole and suck it up, it was time for Eddie Munson to act his age (but only for this). 

— 

You couldn’t believe it. Almost four years have passed since your break up with Eddie and so much has happened in your life, you’re an entirely new person now.  What if he hated the new version of you, not that you should care but you couldn’t stop your mind from wandering there. You wanted to know what he’s been doing since your break up, seeing as he refused to talk when you were all hanging out earlier. 

There was very little you knew about him now, except that Corroded Coffin was still going strong and he was friends with people you never would’ve guessed, like Steve. That's what you really wanted to know, how in the world are Eddie Munson and Steve Harrington friends? Luckily, you planned to have all of your questions answered at lunch tomorrow. You also planned to tell him just how freaked the fuck out you were when he sent Tom to your party. He seriously needs to tone down the creepiness. Your mind was wandering everywhere and what you really needed was some rest. You put your thoughts on hold and decided it was time to get some sleep.

You woke up that morning with a ball of nerves in your gut. You went on with your usual morning routine which consisted of a quick workout, a mango smoothie, and a warm shower. It was the same thing every morning and you were ok with that. You like routines, it gives you a sense of control in a world filled with chaos. After your routine you headed straight to the studio, having a meeting about your new album. The new album was set to release in a little over a week and the pressure was on. Your first album was super successful and while this one was projected to be even better than the first, that's still a lot of pressure on you as a person. 

“Y/N, sweetheart, you’re gonna be huge,” Glenn greeted you as you walked into the studio.

“Glenn I have two Grammys, I think we’re past me being huge,” you laugh.

“I know, I know, kid,” he laughed too. You follow Glenn into the meeting room where multiple execs and PR people are waiting for you. You take a seat next to Glenn and your publicist Lisa, who gives you a hug when you enter the room. Lisa and Glenn were the closest you had to friends before meeting Robin. They took you in when you had nobody and you were very happy to have both of them. 

“So, Y/N, I hear you have a thing going on with Eddie Munson,” one of the many execs says in a teasing tone, but it still makes your jaw drop. Is there now a rumor going around that you and Eddie are dating? You blame that idiot Tom. You guarantee he was telling people at your party that you and Eddie used to date, spreading around a rumor that left out the past tense. 

“No. Been there, done that,” you try laughing it off, Glenn and Lisa joining you. They both were there during your breakup with Eddie, helping you pull yourself together. 

“Oh my mistake. I swear, someone at the party told me you two were together currently,” you called it, fucking Tom. This would be another thing you’d be talking to Eddie about at your lunch. 

“Why am I not surprised,” you sarcastically say. 

—

The rest of the day went by pretty quickly and before you knew it the clock read 12:30. Luckily you had a driver today so instead of taking a taxi you had Clark to take you to the restaurant. You were unsure if Eddie drove or not, remembering that stupid van he cherished so dearly in high school. This left you clueless as to if he was already there or if he’d be late in typical Eddie fashion. He was there though.

Eddie had been stressing out about seeing you again, really seeing you, that is. He was going to apologize for being such a dick towards you. He knew that much but the rest, well he was just hoping he’d make it home alive. He was a big boy now, he was willing to listen to you this time around and if you wanted to rip him a new one then so be it. 

He was sitting at a booth that was closer to the back, more secluded in case you really got into it, fidgeting with each of his rings. He checked the watch on his wrist, 12:58, you’d be walking in any minute now. The closer it got to 1 the harder he found it to look at the door, scared to face you when you eventually did arrive. The diner was pretty empty right now so if he heard the bell ring he could only assume it was you. He felt as though he'd been sitting there for eternity when really it’s only been two minutes and the second the clock reaches 1… ding

He looks up and meets your eyes. You give him a small smile, so small he almost missed it, and he’s preparing himself for a conversation that would hopefully end with you back in his life, whether that be friends or something else. Eddie was hoping it'd be the something else.

—

A/N: Thanks so much for reading this! Reblogs and feedback are always appreciative. Let me know if you want added to the taglist for this :)

Taglist: @lightcommastix @sweet-villain @sidthedollface2 @gaysludge​ @akiratoro420​

[soupywrites]

Ready? 4th ask of the day- Rosalina, Peach, Daisy, and Toadette (all the Mario girls basically, I can’t remember them all) take a day off from girlbossing and go to a café/ something in that category :]

You aren’t even ready for this one.

Lunch Date

Saturday, 12:30 PM

Peach and Toadette were the first to show up to the small café in Rose Town. The Chancellor had mentioned it in passing, and Peach figured it would be nice to get away from her own little kingdom for a while and enjoy some time with her friends. She and Toadette had found a nice booth at the end of the cozy room and settled in. Peach tapped her fingers on the wooden table, seemingly zoning out.

“What’s wrong, Princess?” Toadette questioned. Of course, Peach wasn’t really stressed out about anything, but it was always good to check.

“Oh, nothing really. I’m just a little impatient today, I suppose. They both should have been here by now,” Peach trailed off. She looked up and checked the clock. It’s 12:35, she thought. The princess wouldn’t be surprised if Daisy didn’t come until 1:30, but Rosalina? The princess of the cosmos is always on time and very punctual. It isn’t like her to be late.

“Perhaps Daisy just got distracted. No reason to worry about her, she can certainly handle herself.” Toadette nodded as if in agreement with her own statement. It wasn’t lost on the princess how her right-hand toad hadn’t mentioned the galactic princess. Neither of them could explain her absence.

Just then, the door to the café had opened, and both already knew who it was.

“Hey, Peach! Toadette!” Daisy was flustered and threw herself into the booth. “I am SO sorry! You just wouldn’t believe what had happened while trying to get here oh my gosh—“

1:00 PM

The two girls had just listened to Daisy’s riveting story on how she was stopped by a crook while coming from Sarasaland and had to bravely fight it to get her purse back. Classic Daisy. Toadette and Daisy were lost in conversation about a visit to the Luncheon Kingdom, and Peach couldn’t keep her eyes off the clock. Where is she, she thought. It was 1:30.

The faint sound of bells rang throughout the café. As if floating, Rosalina glided through the door and slid in next to Daisy.

“Rosa! Toadette and I were just talking about a trip to the Luncheon Kingdom we wanna take, you’re just in time!” Daisy was grinning ear to ear at seeing her good friend. Peach simply sighed with relief.

“I do apologize for being so late.” Rosalina closed her eyes in consideration. “There was an issue with the Star Road that required my attention.”

Peach smiled softly at her. “No need to worry, Rosa. We’re just glad you could make it.” Rosalina smiled back.

The girls got lost in conversation, pausing to order their drinks and snacks. Daisy, as per usual, turned it into a competition to see who could drink the most Croaka Colas in a row. And, as per usual, Peach couldn’t say no to a challenge. And, as per usual, Toadette managed to win.

5:00 PM

“You know what? I’m really glad we did this,” Peach said as they walked out of the café. Granted, she didn’t get to spend as much time with Rosalina as she wanted. However, some time spent is better than no time spent. Plus, she needed the break to hang out with all of her girls.

“Me too!” Toadette agreed, nodding along to her walking.

“Next time, guys, we’ve got to go to New Donk City and see Pauline. Last I heard, she’s taken up playing soccer with some of the guys, and I want in!” Daisy exclaimed. She was skipping in front of the group, and her words came out like a hum.

“I thought you wanted to go to the Luncheon Kingdom?” Rosalina inquired.

“Well, yeah, that too!”

All Peach knew was that it didn’t matter where she ended up. As long as she could be with her friends, she’d be okay.

[honeystwiggypeach]

Angst to fluff reader & Kita. Maybe reader is Kita's neighbor or his grandma's caregiver. Kita falls in love, finds out the readers current boyfriend is cheating on her, the boyfriend is sloppy with it and maybe she finds him in her house with someone else. Reader vents to Kita or he finds her crying. Kita and reader end up together and happy. Maybe fast forward 2/3 years and they are married and expecting a baby?

Thanks so much, I love your writings.

Much love from Canada 🇨🇦

Thank you so much for the request I love Kita so much like????? And when I get to say his grandma plays match maker????? I’m having the time of my life😭 I’m so glad you like them, they’re really fun to write I enjoy it so much!!

Also guys I’m going to keep asking very sorry if it’s annoying but my prompt lists never do well so is there anything else you’d like to see me do for 900 followers?(I can do a prompt list but no one really requests from mine so…)

Tw- cheating, Yumie is a match maker, you’re hired to keep her occupied, crying, unrequited ish feelings for a minute(it’s happy ending idk how to phrase this!), pregnant reader(at the end), Kita is a little upset when you’re upset, the mistress is refered to as smelling like cheap perfume and sweat because she’s litterally climbing in and out through the window 😭 let me know if I missed anything!!

You’d been completely blind sighted. You had a day job but you’d had a extra job to just pull in extra money. You loved it, you spent time with the sweetest lady you’d ever met, she’d tell you all about how you were a perfect match for her grandson before you’d tell her once again you had a boyfriend before she blamed her failing memory which could remember everything except the fact that you had a boyfriend… you knew who her grandson was, he’d hired you because she’d insisted she wanted to continue doing manual labor after pulling her back. She’d insisted she never needed any help as she dragged a bag of fertilizer to her garden while her grandson huffed about her hurting herself. So you were hired as a prevention, keep her from doing any strenuous activities, heavy lifting just anything she shouldn’t have been doing.

And it worked really well, so far all she would do was have tea with you chatting all about her children and grandchildren before squinting asking if you’d meet her precious boy ,Shinsuke, and like every other day you’d go along with it until you’d break it to her that you still had a boyfriend before moving on with your day.

But that was during harvest time, Kita had begun to spend a little more time at his grandmothers house before he left for work since he was able to start a little later in the day now, in addition to this he also spent lunch there.

Yumie thought that no one would have even suspected that she was setting you two up together as she’d tell you, “I have to go to the restroom” and sit in there for nearly half an hour.

“Should we go check on her” you ask Kita after the conversation had come to a lull.

You looked over at the door noticing the bathroom had been left open, the back door open as well.

You’d walked out to see her sitting on the patio swing gazing at her backyard while she smiled like she’d won a marathon.

“Mrs.Yumie?” You ask quietly and she looks at the two of you with furrowed brows, maybe you really did have a boyfriend…” would you like to come inside now?”

“Yea yea” she mutters as she walks inside both of you hot on her trail.

Though after a few more times, it’d worked the first few times you had looked outside immediately but she’d learned to just stroll right past the table and nap in her chair instead.

So was it all that odd when Kita began to grow nervous at the thought of seeing you fkr lunch? To get all giddy when his grandmother would begin to tell him that you asked if he’d show when he was late for his lunch break? Was it all that odd when you were the same way? When Yumie told you he asked where you were on your sick day? Not at all when Kita was so nice compared to your boyfriend. He treated you like an Angel compared to him, on a few occasions bringing you little gifts he’d said reminded him of you, or spending time with you in both your off days, when your boyfriend couldn’t remember the date of your anniversary.

But you had brushed it off as an accident when he told you he forgot, completely disregarding the noise that left your room as he stood guard at the door in his old boxers, and when you’d walked in the window was open and a shirt you’d lost was thrown on the floor.

It reeked of cheap perfume and sweat, it made you never want to wear it again, thankful it hadn’t been the shirt Kita called cute!

Or maybe it was the picture of a car parked in your driveway that should have finally told you what was happening but giving him benefit of the doubt he was supposed to be at work…

When you’d walked into the house, taking off of work early just to see what was going on, Kita on the phone with you just in case it was a burglar or something dangerous while he protested that you should just let him go in first and find out, but the line got disconnected before he could finish telling you that for the third time.

Kita stands on his porch, staring at your house across from his waiting to hear something or see something. He sees your curtains being ripped open before a few seconds later your door is swung open and your shoving out two people who are cautiously waddling to the car as they cover with a comforter. His eyes widen as they speed out of your drive way.

Before he knows it you’re crying against his chest and his heart is practically ripped to pieces, sure he liked you a whole lot probably even loved you, and it did hurt a little to see you cry over someone else, but more than anything else he couldn’t stand the fact that your feelings had been hurt, that’s what hurt the most. You felt like shot and there really wasn’t a thing he could do, he couldn’t reverse your ex-boyfriends actions, he couldn’t erase the smell of sweat and cheap perfume from your house, and that felt horrible, all he could do was hold you kiss the top of your head and tell you it’d be alright.

And it would. Almost three years later you’re approaching your two year wedding anniversary which Kita has reminded you about all month seemingly more excited than you.

“I think you’ll like the gift I got you this year” he tells you as you both sit on the couch your legs propped on his lap as he rubs your legs.

“I think you’ll like mine better” you remember the little sonogram photos you’d gotten printed out along with the little box of baby items hidden under your bed.

“I don’t think so” he says as he pecks your lips you giggle certain that he will like your gift more.

Let me know if you want me to write anything else I love requests so much!!