#If he can't do that I really hope we get to see him over in Indycar or WEC

[steddiehyperfixation]

@steddiebingo prompt: dog | 1.1k words | G | (inspired by this post i saw like two years ago lol)

“She looks familiar,” is the first thing Robin says when she walks into Steve's house to meet his new dog. Well, it's one of the first things she says, aside from the immediate incoherent cooing and baby-talk aimed at the newest furry member of Steve's family.

“You've seen my dog before?” Steve asks, just the tiniest bit worried. He got Shadow from a rescue shelter, and he’s really hoping she's not just a runaway who ended up there by accident and has a loving family that's missing her somewhere.

“No, dingus,” Robin says, looking up from where she's crouched on the floor scratching Shadow behind her shaggy little ears. “I just mean she looks like someone—like a celebrity or a person we know or something.”

Steve crouches down beside her, giving the dog some love too. “She looks like a person?”

“She looks like a dog, but she bears a resemblance to a person,” Robin corrects. “I just can't place it.” She studies Shadow’s face, then glances at Steve. “You really don't see it?”

“No?” Steve shakes his head, running his fingers through Shadow’s curly dark brown fur and smiling as her tail wags even harder. “I just picked the cutest dog at the shelter.”

“Huh.” Robin’s thoughtful frown lasts about a second longer before she nuzzles her nose against Shadow’s and giggles when the dog licks her face in return. “Well, she is very sweet.”

Yeah, she likes you,” Steve says, heart warm at the sight of his best friend and his new dog both happy and getting along.

“Of course she likes me,” Robin grins proudly, kissing Shadow’s shiny black nose. “Animals always love me.”

Steve grins back. “How could anyone not?”

-

“Don't you think she looks like someone?” Robin evidently has not given that theory of hers up yet, because she asks it again several days later when the kids are over, all of them already dropped to the floor to fawn over the dog.

Steve had been a little nervous about having Shadow meet so many new faces at once. She's not a delicate puppy by any means—roughly two years old by the shelter's best estimate and already fully housebroken and well-socialized—but still, Steve hadn't wanted to overwhelm her. He clearly had nothing to worry about; Shadow bounds happily from kid to kid, basking in all the attention being lavished on her.

“She has a very human hairstyle,” El says helpfully as she ruffles the mop of curls on the top of Shadow’s head.

“Yeah, you could tie bows on her ears and they'd look like little pigtails.” Max encircles her fingers around Shadow’s frizzy ears and lifts them to illustrate her point, loosely enough to let go immediately when Shadow huffs and shakes her head free.

Mike snorts. “She kind of looks like Nancy’s eighth grade yearbook photo.”

“Yeah, when she had that really bad perm,” Will agrees.

“Or like Dustin’s Snow Ball look,” Lucas teases instead.

“Hey!” Dustin and Steve both protest indignantly—they worked hard on that look.

“Yeah, pretty sure neither of those are what I was thinking of, but thanks,” Robin says, rolling her eyes as the kids devolve into unhelpful bickering.

-

When it's Eddie's turn to come by and meet the dog, Robin brings it up again, intercepting him at the door. “Okay, you have to tell me if you think she looks familiar, because I’m so sure she looks like someone, I just can't figure out who and it's really bugging me.”

“Oh my god, not this again,” Steve makes his exasperation known from the kitchen where he dumps a cup of kibble into an expectantly waiting Shadow’s food bowl before heading towards the front door.

“Steve doesn't see it,” Robin continues. “He’s always just like, ‘Oh, I don't know, I just picked the cutest dog at the shelter-’”

“I do not sound like that,” Steve says in protest to the deep, dumb voice Robin put on to mimic him, coming up behind her.

“Yes you do,” she states. “That was literally a direct quote.”

“Anyways.” Steve rolls his eyes and pushes Robin aside to give an amused Eddie room to actually enter the house. He gestures towards Shadow, who’s wolfed down her food in about two seconds flat and is now excitedly prancing over to greet the new person at the door. “Meet Shadow.”

Eddie's face immediately breaks into a grin. “Hi, Shadow!” He crouches down, arms outstretched to allow Shadow to jump on his shoulders and lick his face. “Metal name,” he says, turning his head to keep his laughing mouth out of range of Shadow’s tongue and looking up at Steve with approval sparkling in his eyes.

Steve feels strangely bashful all of the sudden, something almost shy in his smile as he gives a modest shrug and says, “It's the one she came with.”

“Still cool.” Eddie grins. Shadow’s investigation by licking and sniffing has calmed down enough for him to safely turn his face back towards her, and he ruffles her long curly ears. “Look at her, she even looks like a rocker.”

“Oh my god, that's it!” Robin snaps her fingers and points at Eddie and Shadow. “She looks like you! That's who she looks like.” Her eyes are wide, excited to have finally figured it out. She looks at Steve and announces it again, “She looks like Eddie!”

“Huh.” Steve blinks, considers it, studying their appearances. It barely takes a second for him to start to see it. Matching frizzy dark brown hair; the same adorably big, soft brown eyes. “Yeah, I guess she kind of does.”

Eddie laughs, also studying Shadow’s face. “Oh, yeah, I see it. We have the same hair,” he agrees, then pauses. “Wait a second—” His grin solidifies into definitively more of a smirk as he looks over at Steve and raises his eyebrows. “‘The cutest dog at the shelter,’ huh?”

“Wh- oh. Shut up.” Steve feels his face begin to burn as he realizes the implications of that. Robin snickers, and Steve cuts her a glare too. “Shut up.”

Eddie does not shut up. In fact, he stands up and sways into Steve's space. “Do you think I'm cute, Stevie?”

Steve looks away, cheeks still warm, pressing a hand to Eddie's chest to push him away. “I think you're insufferable.”

“And cute,” Eddie teases again, leaning right back in the second Steve drops his hand.

Steve takes a deep breath, rubs his hands over his face and then through his hair. “Yeah,” he admits, finally looking back at Eddie. “Yeah.”

“Okay, um- do I need to leave?” Robin points her thumb over her shoulder at the door, taking in the way both boys are looking at each other.

Eddie and Steve take a break from staring intensely at each other to turn their attention towards Robin and say in tandem, “Yeah.”

[dollychou]

HOW ONE PIECE MEN SHOW LOVE TO YOUR ITTY BITTIES ໒꒰ྀིっ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১

ᰔ . . ꒰ featuring: monkey d. luffy, roronoa zoro, vinsmoke sanji, portgas d. ace, trafalgar law ꒱

✉️ ྀི . . based on this request! hope i wrote it well since i'm a big chest girlie >_< !

monkey d. luffy does it playfully ♡

luffy loves to touch them whenever and wherever he can. you have had to tell him off on a few occasions to explain to him that he can't just be fondling with it in just any odd place. and even though he pouts and doesn't truly understand the harm, he respects your wishes.

though who can blame him? — he just really likes how they feel. you tell him that they're so tiny and there's nothing to grab but he shuts you down by giving it a soft squish. you yelp at the feeling and despite your frown and scoldings, there's truly no malice behind it. you secretly love how he just touches them regardless of the time of day. while he's eating, or when he just walks by, he shows them a massive amount of love and that's all cause he likes them just that much!

"they're sort of bigger than mine," he comments while grabbing onto his chest and on to one of your boobs. your face flushes a deep pink and you think he's teasing you but when you see his face, you can tell he was simply stating an observation and really meant nothing by it. he looks at you with this adorably curious expression and asks, "you think one of your bras could fit me?"

"luffy!," you yell, flicking his forehead lightly. he rubs the spot where you hit him and pouts. "ouch! what? i was just asking! maybe we can share!" despite your frown, you can't help the sweet feeling that bubbles inside of you. your boyfriend can be pretty clueless and dumb at times but you know he'd never say anything with animosity — if anything, you find it all so amusing regardless of what you may say.

roronoa zoro does it sincerely ♡

zoro cannot comprehend why you feel as if you're less pretty or sexy for not having such big boobs. he's not with you for that and so he doesn't see it as such a problem. but he knows you can get insecure about it from time to time so he's made it a priority of his to tell you how much he adores them at any moment he can.

whenever he's feeling stressed or tired, he loves to cup one of them in either one or both of his hands and squeeze them. they're like stress balls to him. and he adores how he can fit it all in his hand and that it is just for him to hold. sometimes he forgets how much strength he has and accidentally squeezes it a bit too hard, leaving a bruise.

you're wearing one of his tees and staring at yourself in the mirror with this disappointed look on your face. he comes in from behind you, eyeing you up and down with a small smirk on his face. "stealing my clothes now hm?," he muses, lightly ruffling your hair. you sigh and jut your bottom lip out as you feel over your chest. "i practically look like a boy. there's nothing there," you breath out, your face falling even further.

he knits his eyebrows together in slight frustration at hearing your words. he wraps an arm around your waist and nuzzles his face into your neck, peppering soft kisses along it. "you look good. much better than i do in this so you keep it," he whispers, landing a sweet peck to your cheek. you look at him through the mirror and can see he means what he says and though there's a part of you that doesn't wholly believe it, your heart flutters at how much he shows your adoration for you and your cute boobs!

vinsmoke sanji does it lovingly ♡

when sanji finds out your insecurity with your 'perfectly crafted chest' — as he so put it — he's showering you with compliments every single day. it's not always specifically about your chest though, just anything and everything to do with your blinding beauty. "you're the most beautiful woman in the world"; "my heart cannot handle how divine you look"; "i'm always in awe of your beauty" — just some of the many compliments he has said to you on a daily basis.

whenever you wear anything that reveals even a bit of your chest, he's head over heels. he's running and prancing around telling you how gorgeous you look. and he does not even try to be discreet. he's staring right at it, eyes glued to it and you have to smack him across the head to get him back to his senses. though it only works for a matter of seconds before he's gazing back at them almost dreamily.

you've arrived at fishman island and the moment he sees you wearing the cutest bikini set, his nose is bleeding and he feels his heart pounding out of his chest. usopp and chopper do their best to revive him and thankfully, they pull through! you hold him in your arms and stroke his hair and sigh softly, "sweetheart, what got into you?"

he cups your face and smiles dearly, "my love, you just look so... sexy in this set. and the top is so cute, it fits so perfectly. and before you say anything, look at the state you put me in! god, you're much more beautiful than any mermaid around." your cheeks dust with a light pink shade and you peer down at yourself. though you don't entirely see how he can have such a reaction to you when all these other girls and mermaids are around, it still brings a smile to your face that he sees you so beautifully.

portgas d. ace does it openly ♡

ace has no shame when it comes to worshipping your bitty boobs — and yes, he worships them. when he comes up behind to hug you, his hands will go from your waist and slowly but surely slide up to give your chest some loving. you swat at his hands, scolding him to not do such things so publicly, but he doesn't listen and instead gives them another gentle squeeze. and the minute he hears you say anything bad about them — "they're so small"; "how can you like them?"; "i wish they were bigger" — he scoops you up in his arms and starts to kiss them all over. in between each kiss he'll say, "they're perfect. they're perfect 'cause they're yours."

he loves to lay his face in between them, patting softly on both of them with his hands. he likes the thumping noises they make when he does so. he'll pretend as if he's playing the drums, making 'ba-dum' and 'pshh' noises from his mouth. at times, he gets a bit too excited and hits just a bit harder than usual which earns him a light slap to his cheek. and you want to be mad at him but with the way he pouts and looks at with you with those puppy eyes of his, it's damn hard to be.

ace is getting into bed, crawling on top of you. his eyes are drooping with sleep but the second he sees you in that adorable lingerie top of yours, he's suddenly awake! he dons that infamous smirk of his and lowers down your top to expose your chest and he lets out a content sigh. he just looks at them for a few seconds, not uttering a word, which gets you red in the face, flushed from embarrassment.

he begins kissing it and giving your nipples little kitten licks which makes you let out soft, quiet noises that has him smiling from ear to ear. he feels your fingers tangle in his hair, gently combing through it. he flops down on you and begins to suckle on your boobs. god, he wishes he could just do this forever and if he could, he knows he'd die a happy man. "my two sweet little things," he sighs heartily, going back to show some more love.

trafalgar law does it delicately ♡

law knows how much this insecurity of yours can bother you and though he's never been so good with his words, he does his best to show you. he might just hold them in his hands mindlessly as he works or he might pepper them with kisses before going to bed — he tries his best to ease your mind of this in whatever way he can and he hopes he's doing his best.

he sees the way you look at other woman, your face falling when you see the 'assets' they possess and you don't. the minute he senses that you're doubting yourself, he brings you into his embrace and places a kiss to your temple and whispers to you, "have i told you you're beautiful?". you smile sweetly, letting out a sigh and snuggling into his arms. he whispers a few more sweet-nothings to you and does so until you let go and sees that bright grin of yours again.

you had recently bought this new lingerie set and were wanting to use it to spice up the bedroom. you're standing in front of law, twiddling with your fingers nervously. he tilts his head and walks closer to you, asking softly, "what's wrong?". he tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, patiently waiting for you to confide in him. he's trying his best not to just tear it apart and eat you up this very second.

you tell him that you think it looks unflattering on you because you don't have bigger boobs and he instantly pulls you in, placing a chaste kiss to your forehead. "you look so good," he says, eyes roaming all over your body. "it doesn't matter to me that they're small. they're pretty to me regardless." safe to say, he really showed you how much he loves and appreciates your body how they are. and afterwards he thinks to himself that he needs to buy you more of those lingerie sets.

© dollychou ⋮ do not copy, repost, or translate any works.

[stylesispunk]

"Whatever you'd like us to be" | part 2

harry castillo (materialists) x sunshine!f!reader

series masterlist | previous chapter | next chapter

summary: the one where you and harry play pretend but the game comes with some rules you must follow.

w.c: 11,7k

warnings: age gap (reader 29-30, harry 47) fluff, idiots neglecting their feelings, mostly fluff and a tiny bit of angst. Remember I'm stupid and I don't proofread things.

A/N: Thank you so much for your positive reception on this fic. I literally loved reading your reactions to this. I always overthink a lot about it. I hope you enjoy this chapter and see you soon with the other one. I WANT TO READ YOUR THOUGHTS.

dividers by @/saradika-graphics

“Alright. Ground rules,” Harry said, leaning forward, resting his forearms on the table. His grin was playful, but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes.

“Rule number one: we stay friends. That’s it. No more.”

You smirked. “Oh, what a cliché thing to say.”

“I'm serious,” he pointed a finger at you, feigning sternness. “You can’t fall in love with me.”

“You're ridiculous, why would I fall in love with you? this was your idea” you said.

“I know. And I’m really embarrassed about it.” His grin widened.” And I’m already regretting how good you look across this table.”

You rolled your eyes. “Next.”

“Rule number two,” he continued, leaning closer. “No sex.”

You snorted.  “That’s hard. I just want to ripped your clothes right now” you said, pouting.

“Oh my god, can't you stop?” Harry laughed, shaking his head.

“Celibate, okay.” You smiled “I have a question though.”

He nodded, gesturing for you to go on.

“What happens if we fight?”

Harry’s playful look softened. He hesitated, then shrugged.

“We won’t.”

“How are you so sure?” you asked, quietly this time.

He met your eyes, something honest flickering there. “Because I don’t think I could push you out of my life now that I know you.”

Your smile faltered for a second, heart knocking against your ribs.

He quickly cleared his throat, waving a hand. “And, rule number three: no kisses. Especially when we’re alone.”

“Oh, too bad. Because you already kissed me,” you teased, grinning.

Harry stopped mid-laugh, eyes narrowing playfully.

“That you remember, but not puking on my shoes, huh?”

You laughed, leaning back, feeling warmer than you should.

“Your loss though.”

What Harry didn’t say, what he wouldn’t admit, not even to himself, was that this wasn’t just about keeping his nosy family off his back. Sure, he wanted to make his ex-eat her heart out. But somewhere along the line, you’d become something else entirely.

Something he didn’t want to risk hurting. Like just a few days of knowing you felt like a lifetime.

Harry ran a hand down his face, letting out a breathy laugh, because damn it, you were dangerous.

You sat there across from him, eyes sparkling, a cocky little smirk tugging at your lips as you laid down your so-called rules, and he knew, knew, this was a terrible, terrible idea. The kind of thing people wrote cautionary tales about. But he couldn’t bring himself to walk away from it. From you.

He had could just get to know you and move on with you, but he didn’t want to fall in love again, he didn’t want to go through heartbreak all over again, but getting to know you had been the easier thing he had to do.

Even if it had been just a few days.

“Alright, deal,” he said, extending a hand over the table. “Friends. No falling in love. No sex. No kisses unless it’s in public and absolutely necessary to sell the whole thing.”

You bit your lip, trying to hide your grin as you shook his hand. “Absolutely necessary, huh?”

He arched a brow. “You know, for the credibility.”

You laughed, but inside, deep in some corner of your heart you didn’t want to name. Something fluttered. Because for all your bravado and teasing, you could already feel the ground shifting under your feet. You were lying to yourselves, both of you, and somewhere you both knew it.

But neither of you was about to admit it.

Not yet.

Harry didn’t want to catch feelings. He told himself he wouldn’t.

Even when your smile already felt like it was burning its way into his ribs.

Even when the way you tease him made him feel more alive than he had in months.

Even when every part of him knew. This wasn’t going to stay pretend.

The deal was struck, sealed with free ordering of coffee for him and some certain of retuning for you. You both pretended it was easy, casual, a harmless arrangement between two people who had no business getting tangled up like this. You were getting to know each other, but even as you both laid down the rules, something heavier hung between the lines neither of you dared to read out loud.

The next few days blurred by in a mess of work and texts from Harry, stupid things mostly.

Harry ☕

Tell your barista that oat milk is not a personality trait.

You ☀️

I’ll tell them after you admit you’ve ordered the same vanilla iced latte three times this week. I’ve have to order a ton of syrup.

Harry ☕

Consistency is key, darling.

It felt too easy. Too natural. Like him calling you darling didn’t knocked out the air out of your lungs.

And maybe that’s what scared you most.

You ☀️

Bye, harry. I’m working.

Harry ☕

Rude. I’m your favorite customer.

You rolled your eyes, a grin tugging at your lips despite yourself. It was stupid, how easily his messages slipped under your skin, how his voice in your head saying darling still made your stomach tighten like you were seventeen again with a reckless crush.

Your phone buzzed again in your pocket. You ignored it this time, for a solid three minutes before cursing under your breath and pulling it out.

Harry ☕

I’ll pick you up at 7. Wear something that’ll make me look good by association.

You bit your lip, trying so hard not to smile. God, he was infuriating.

You ☀️

I haven’t said yes yet, Castillo.

A pause.

Then another message.

Harry ☕

But you will.

And the worst part?

He wasn’t wrong.

Because you could already feel it happening, like a storm you saw coming from miles away, but still refused to get inside. You told yourself you were agreeing because it was harmless. A few dinners, some fake smiles, polite lies to his family. No big deal.

And if your heart beat a little faster when you thought about his crooked grin, or the way he called you darling, well… that was your problem.

You slid your phone back into your pocket and went back to work, telling yourself you weren’t falling.

You spent the rest of your day pretending you weren’t checking your phone every five minutes.

By the time the clock hit 6:45, your nerves were a tangled knot in your stomach. You stood in front of the mirror in the tiny office behind the shop, smoothing down your dress for the third time, not too fancy, not too casual, you told yourself. You weren’t dressing up for him. This was strategy. Optics. You were supposed to make him look good.

And maybe, just maybe, look good doing it.

Your phone buzzed again.

Harry ☕

Outside. Don’t keep your boyfriend waiting.

You rolled your eyes, grabbed your jacket, and stepped out the back door saying goodbye to Celine and Patrick.

The sun was low, autumn was still fighting between the cold and warm kind of weather, painting the city in soft gold, and there he was, leaning against his car, arms crossed, sunglasses perched on his nose like a damn magazine ad.

“You clean up nice,” he teased, opening the passenger door for you.

You smirked. “You act like you haven’t seen me without an apron on.”

“Yeah, but this is different.” He gestured vaguely at you. “Now you look like someone my Nan will immediately start asking about grandkids.”

You snorted, sliding into the seat. “Maybe I’ll tell her you’re terrible in bed.”

Harry shut the door and grinned down at you through the window. “Joke’s on you. She already thinks I’m a saint.”

As he climbed into the driver’s seat, you couldn’t help it. You smiled.

And he saw it. Of course, he did.

“See,” he said softly, starting the car. “Told you you’d say yes.”

You rolled your eyes again, followed by a silence that didn’t last too long. 

You tucked one leg beneath you, glancing over at Harry as he drummed his fingers against the steering wheel.

“Okay,” he said, breaking the silence. “We need a plan.”

You raised a brow. “A plan?”

“Yeah. They’re going to ask questions about how we met, how long we’ve been together, what I love about you…” He glanced over with a crooked grin. “The usual.”

Your stomach flipped, but you played it cool. “Alright, Hit me.”

He tapped the steering wheel. “Okay. How did we meet?”

You thought for a second, then smirked. “You came into my coffee shop every day for two weeks straight, ordering the same vanilla iced latte, until I told you it was starting to get weird.”

Harry laughed, throwing his head back a little. “God, I wish that wasn’t almost exactly what happened.”

You grinned. “See? I’m good at this.”

“Okay. How long have we been together?”

You chewed your bottom lip, pretending to consider it. “Hmm… should we go for six months? Feels long enough to be believable but not so long they’ll start asking about rings.”

“Smart,” he agreed, nodding. “Six months it is.”

You glanced at him. “And what do you love about me, Harry?”

He shot you a look, lips twitching. “You’ll have to let me come up with something convincing. Give me a sec.”

“Oh, come on.”

“Fine.” He cleared his throat dramatically. ““I love that you’re the most real person I’ve met in a long time. Like you’re really genuine. That you call me out on my shit. And that you laugh at the dumbest things like it’s the funniest thing in the world and you make that tiny scrunch with your nose.”

Your grin wavered for a beat because it didn’t sound like a line. It sounded like he meant it.

He must’ve felt it too, because he glanced your way and softened his voice. “Too much?”

You swallowed, forcing a smirk back on. You looked down at your hands, a quiet warmth blooming in your chest. “Good answer,” you murmured.

He chuckled under his breath. “Good. Because it’s the truth.”

And you hated how your chest tightened at that.

You quickly looked out the window, pretending to be invested in a passing streetlamp. It had been a week. One week. You shouldn’t feel anything at all. And yet here you were, half-smiling like an idiot in his passenger seat.

“Alright,” you cleared your throat, trying to shake it off. “Your turn. What do I love about you?”

Harry grinned. “Obviously my incredible music taste and my charming personality.”

He reached over and nudged your knee gently. “Your turn.”

You bit your lip, stealing a glance at him. “I love that you’re an idiot and how much attentive you are. To those tiny details other people don’t really care about. ”

His laugh was soft, warm, one of those real ones that made the corners of his eyes crinkle just a little.

“Well,” he said, shaking his head, “guess I’ve been caught. You pay attention too, you know.”

You shrugged, pretending it wasn’t a big deal. “Some people deserve it.”

That hung in the air between you for a second longer than it should’ve. And it wasn’t playful this time. Not entirely.

Harry cleared his throat, his fingers drumming against the steering wheel. “Alright, new rule,” he grinned, trying to keep it light. “No getting sappy in the car. I can’t be seen crying before dinner.”

You snorted, grateful for the easy out. “Okay.”

Harry glanced at you, something a little softer in his gaze now.

You shrugged, smirking. “See? I’m good at this.”

He let out a breath of a laugh, eyes flicking back to the road. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “You really are.”

You reached for the car’s aux cable. “Okay, last question before we get there — what’s our song?”

“Crazy for you by Madonna” he replied, eyes on the road.

You blinked, caught off guard. “Crazy for You? By Madonna?”

Harry grinned at you, one hand on the wheel, “Don’t tell me you forgot our dance at Claire and Chris’s wedding”

Your mouth dropped open as the memory slammed into you. “Oh my god. Of course, I remember.”

“Yep.” He beamed, clearly enjoying himself now. “One of my favorite memories I will treasure forever.

You stared at him for a second, warmth blooming in your chest despite your best efforts to stay cool. “You’re such a sap,” you teased, your voice softer than you intended.

Harry laughed, shaking his head. “Hey, don’t act like you weren’t the one clinging to me like your life depended on it when that song came on.”

“I was starting to get tipsy,” you argued, though a grin tugged at your lips. “And you’re forgetting you were the one who dragged me to the dance floor.”

He chuckled, but his eyes softened. “You had been the best plot twist I’ve had in my life.”

Your breath caught, just for a second because he kept saying things like this, out of a such simply habit. He said it like it meant something. Like in just one messy week you had carved out a space in his life you weren’t supposed to have.

You tried to laugh it off. “God, you’re dramatic.”

Harry grinned, eyes flicking from the road back to you. “Comes with the territory.”

You shook your head, biting back the smile that threatened to give you away. Because it was getting dangerous already. The way your heart picked up when he looked at you like that, or remembered something you didn’t think he noticed. It was supposed to be fake. Easy.

And yet, sitting in his passenger seat, driving toward a dinner where you’d have to pretend to be his, you weren’t sure how much pretending would get to stop the rhythm of your heart.

The restaurant was one of those really enormous places you know you would never go inside willingly, warm lighting, exposed brick, and overpriced wine. You followed Harry inside, heart pounding a little too fast in your chest when his hand found the small of your back, guiding you through the crowd.

You really didn’t get a chance to think about why he had bother too much on paying for a place like this.

He leaned in with a teasing, “Ready to charm the ladies of my life?”

You smirked. “Lead the way, Harry.”

At the far end of the room, you spotted them. His mum, elegant and effortlessly put together, eyes sharp but kindness on his gaze. His Nan, tiny and sweet-looking, a mischievous glint in her gaze. And his sister, with Harry’s same wild grin and a streak of purple through her hair.

Harry’s mum was the first to rise. “Harry, love!” she greeted, pulling him into a tight hug before turning her attention to you. “And this must be…”

“This is my girl,” Harry said, his voice softer than you’d expected, hand settling at the small of your back. “Mum, Nan, Liz, meet my girl.”

You swallowed, smiled warmly, extending a hand. “Hi, it’s so nice to meet you.”

“Oh, none of that,” his Nan waved you in for a hug instead. “Come here, darling.”

You settled at the table between Harry and his sister, who was already grinning at you like she knew a secret.

“So,” his mum started after the drinks arrived. “Harry’s been awfully private about you. We had no idea there was someone special.”

Harry shot you a quick look, like the this is your line look.

You smiled, lifting your glass slightly. “Well, I own a coffee shop not too far from here,” you began, keeping your voice light and teasing. “And your son started spending an unreasonable amount of time there. At first, I thought he was just really obsessed with vanilla iced lattes.”

Liz snorted into her drink.

“But turns out,” you continued, glancing at Harry, “he’s a lot harder to ignore than I expected.”

His Nan chuckled. “That sounds about right. Castillo men have a way of getting under your skin.”

“Oh, he’s relentless,” you teased, nudging him with your shoulder.

“Hey!” Harry laughed. “I’m charming. There's a difference.”

Liz leaned in conspiratorially. “So, was it love at first latte or what?”

You grinned. “More like mild annoyance at first conversation. He wouldn’t stop coming”

“Because you have the best coffee in the entire New York,” Harry shot back, looking betrayed.

The table erupted in easy laughter, and the warmth in the room seemed to settle around you.

“Alright, alright,” Nan waved a hand. “I like her.”

Harry looked over at you then, not smug or teasing this time. Just soft. Like he was genuinely happy you were there. And you hated how much it made your heart skip a beat.

“So, what do you love about our Harry?” Nan asked, a wicked glint in her eye.

Your stomach flipped. You didn’t even get a chance to answer before Harry groaned, “Nan, come on.”

But you lifted a brow. “Hmm,” you pretended to think. “I guess I love how annoyingly attentive he is. He notices every tiny thing no one else would. And he always has something clever to say, even when I wish he’d just shut up.”

Liz cackled. “Welcome to the club.”

Nan grinned like she’d just won something. “Oh, I really like her,” she declared, reaching out to pat your hand. “Finally, someone who’ll give him a bit of trouble.”

Harry shook his head with a sheepish smile, his hand finding your knee under the table, a simple, steady touch that made your pulse stumble for a beat. You weren’t supposed to notice stuff like that. It had been a week, for god’s sake.

Liz leaned toward you. “He always dates the boring ones. No offense, but you’ve got more spark than the last three combined.”

“Liz,” Harry groaned again, his face going red now.

You laughed, leaning your chin into your palm as you looked at her. “Well, thank you for the warm welcome. I was honestly a little nervous.”

“Nothing to be nervous about,” his mum said kindly. “We’re just happy to finally meet the girl who’s been keeping our Harry busy.”

“Busy, huh?” you teased, raising your brow at Harry.

He shrugged with a grin, eyes flickering down to his plate. “I might’ve… mentioned you. A bit.”

“A bit?” Liz scoffed. “It’s been non-stop. ‘She made me this insane coffee today,’ ‘she roasted me for my shoes,’ ‘she is the most beautiful woman in every room’ It’s pathetic, honestly.”

You snorted, shaking your head. “I had no idea I was such a topic of conversation.”

Nan winked. “When he likes someone, he’s hopeless.”

Harry cleared his throat, sitting a little straighter. “Okay, alright. Are we gonna eat or roast me all night?”

“Both,” Liz and Nan said in unison, and you laughed again, the sound too easy, too natural in this little group you’d known for about an hour but somehow felt like you’d known your whole life.

And somewhere between dessert and another glass of wine, when Harry’s hand brushed yours again under the table and didn’t move away this time, you felt it.

The tiniest shift.

Like maybe this fake thing was starting to feel a little too good.

Like maybe you didn’t mind the way his family looked at you, or the way he did

And you smiled, because what else could you do?

You weren’t sure what scared you more.

The fact that you were lying to them.

Or the fact that part of you that was wishing it wasn’t a lie.

As the night wore out. Nan was telling a story about Harry as a kid, something about him putting his head through a fence to get a better look at a stray cat, and you were fully invested. You had your chin resting in your hand, eyes soft, grinning at every ridiculous detail like you’d known him your whole life.

Harry glanced at you, and for a second, everything around him faded.

You laughed when Nan got to the part where he’d cried because he couldn’t get his head back out. And then, without thinking, you reached over and squeezed his hand on the table. Just a light touch, but warm and steady, and it sent something sharp and tender right through him.

“You were adorable,” you told him, your voice laced with nothing but kindness, no teasing this time.

And damn, it did something to him.

It was stupid. It was fake. A one-week, pretend relationship because he was an idiot who’d lied to his family, but the way you looked at him in that moment wasn’t pretend at all.

His mum caught the way his face softened, and her own expression shifted just a little. She saw it too.

“You’re sweet, love,” Nan said to you, beaming. “I can see why he fell for you.”

You blushed, ducking your head, biting your lip as you murmured, “I’m just glad I get to be here.”

And you meant it. You were kind in this effortless way Harry hadn’t realized he was craving for. All this time chasing after people who never quite knew how to be gentle with him, people coming after the money he had and here you were, a storm of wit and heart, laughing with his family like you belonged there.

Liz elbowed him under the table with a knowing look.

Harry rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t stop the stupid grin tugging at his mouth.

You turned to his mum as the waiter set down dessert, a beautifully plated lemon tart that made you gasp a little.

“Oh, this looks incredible,” you said, eyes lighting up as you reached for your fork. “If I’d known you lot ate like this, I would’ve insisted Harry introduce me sooner.”

His mum laughed, warmth in her eyes. “Well, you’re welcome anytime, love. It’s about time someone kept him in line.”

You grinned. “I’ll gladly take that job. He’s already a full-time headache at my coffee shop.”

That earned a round of chuckles from the table, and even Nan reached over to pat your hand. Liz was watching you with that same knowing look, like she could see right through you both and was enjoying every second of it.

Harry, meanwhile, couldn’t stop watching you. The way you laughed with his family, like you belonged there, like you’d always belonged there did something to him he couldn’t explain.

Without even thinking, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to your temple, his hand resting naturally on the back of your chair.

You blinked up at him, caught a little off guard.

He smirked, lowering his voice. “Couldn’t help myself.”

You bit back a smile, nudging his knee under the table. “Better behave, Castillo. Remember the rules.”

“I’m bending them,” he murmured back, grin still tugging at his mouth.

And across the table, Nan smirked into her wine glass, Liz raised her brows at him, and his mum just smiled like she’d seen it coming all along.

As the night wound down and everyone stood from the table, you found yourself being wrapped in warm hugs, Nan pulling you close again, Liz whispering a teasing “You’re my favorite already” in your ear, and Harry’s mum holding your hands for a moment longer than expected.

“It was so lovely meeting you, sweetheart,” she said with genuine affection. “I can see why he’s so taken with you.”

Your cheeks warmed, but you smiled. “Thank you so much for having me. Really. It was… one of the best nights I’ve had in a while.”

“Good,” Nan declared with a wink. “Now, don’t be a stranger.”

“I won’t,” you promised, glancing at Harry, who was watching the whole scene with a look that was dangerously close to soft.

After goodbyes were exchanged, his family made their way toward their car, waving as they went.

And then it was just the two of you outside, the night cool and still, the distant sounds of the city settling like a hum around you.

Harry shoved his hands into his pockets and let out a long, quiet breath. “Hey,” he said, turning to face you fully. “Thank you. For tonight. For… all of it.”

You gave him a soft smile, nudging his arm with your elbow. “You don’t have to thank me, Harry. They’re amazing. And honestly… it was kinda nice. Felt like I was crashing someone else’s family dinner in the best way.”

He smiled back at you, one of those quiet, real ones that didn’t need to be flashy. Then, without overthinking it, he stepped a little closer, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to your forehead.

You closed your eyes for a second, feeling it more than you should’ve.

When he pulled back, his voice was soft. “You’re something else, you know that?”

You looked up at him, a playful smirk returning to your lips. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t fall in love with me, Harry. Remember the rules.”

He laughed, shaking his head as you stood there.

Then Harry took a half step toward his car before pausing, glancing back at you.

“What are you doing there?” he asked, brow quirked, that grin still tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I’m driving you home.”

You looked around the quiet street, hands in your jacket pockets, a mischievous glint in your eye.

“Yeah, about that,” you said, pretending to study a flickering streetlamp. “I’m honestly kinda craving a pizza right now. Thought I might walk to grab one and then I was going to take a taxi”

Harry blinked at you, then let out a disbelieving laugh, shaking his head like you’d just suggested adopting a stray dog at midnight.

“You’re kidding,” he said, stepping closer. “You’re seriously about to wander off into the night for pizza and a taxi?”

You grinned up at him. “I’ve done worse.”

He tilted his head, giving you a look equal parts exasperated and fond. “You’re something else, you know that?”

“Yeah, you already told me,” You teased, nudging his side with your elbow.

He sighed dramatically, then reached out and hooked a finger through your jacket’s collar, tugging you a little closer.

“Okay then,” he said, voice soft. “I’ll walk with you. Can’t have you getting lost on the way to a pizza place.”

You raised a brow. “Harry Castillo, breaking his own rules?”

He smirked. “Sue me.”

A week slipped by like it was nothing. Every morning without fail, the bell above your coffee shop door would chime around 9:15, and there he’d be, Harry Castillo, sunglasses perched in his hair, stupidly charming grin in place, ordering the same vanilla iced latte you pretended to roll your eyes at every time.

And then you’d message each other throughout the day. Stupid things. Memes. Complaints about work. The occasional voice notes of him humming some old ‘80s song in traffic. You tried not to overthink how easy it was, how natural it felt to have him around in this quiet, steady way.

Until Thursday.

You were wiping down the counter, half-distracted by a message you were about to send him, when the door opened and in walked someone else, a tall, polished-looking woman you vaguely recognized from other times, she must be Harry’s assistant.

“For Mr. Castillo,” she said politely, not even glancing at the menu.

You felt it. That tiny, dumb pang in your chest you weren’t proud of.

“Sure,” you smiled, acting cool as ever while making his drink. “Tell him he’s a coward.”

The assistant blinked. “Sorry?”

You grinned wider, slid the cup across the counter. “He’ll get it.”

She gave you a confused little nod and left.

And sure enough, around thirty minutes later, your phone buzzed.

Harry ☕

Did you just call me a coward through my assistant?

You smirked down at your screen, thumbs flying.

You ☀️

Well, if the shoe fits. What happened to my daily sunshine?

It took less than a minute.

Harry ☕

Miss me that much?

You bit your lip, shaking your head like an idiot in the middle of your own shop.

You ☀️

Not even a little.

And for some reason… you knew he was smiling too.

Your phone buzzed again, this time, not a message.

Harry’s name lit up your screen, and before you could talk yourself out of it, you answered.

“Well, well, look who decided to remember how phones work,” you teased, leaning your hip against the counter.

His chuckle came through the line, warm and familiar. “Alright, alright, you made your point. I deserved that.”

“Damn right, you did.”

For a beat, neither of you spoke, and then his voice softened a little. “You busy tomorrow night?”

You raised a brow, even though he couldn’t see you. “Depends. Why? You need someone to make fun of you again in front of your mom?”

He laughed. “Tempting. But no. I’ve got this business thing, a party, really. Bunch of people I don’t care about, free champagne, probably awful music. Thought maybe you would like to come with me.”

You pretended to think it over. “Hmm. So basically, you’re asking me to be your emotional support human while you schmooze rich people.”

“Something like that,” he agreed, and you could practically hear the grin in his voice. “But also cause I want you there.”

Your chest did that annoying tight thing again.

“It’s a job thing and everyone is taking their partners with them and you are mine, so…”

“It’s a job thing, really. Everyone’s taking their partners, and you’re mine. So…” He let the sentence hang, warm and unspoken.

You smiled, feeling a mix of nerves and something else you weren’t quite ready to name. “Alright, Castillo. I’m in.”

“Good,” he said, voice grinning through the line. “See you tomorrow, darling.”

You smiled at the pet name.

“See you tomorrow, Harry.”

You slipped your phone into your pocket, still smiling at the way he’d said “darling.” The warmth lingered longer than you expected.

Just then, the café door swung open with a burst of energy.

“HARRY?!” a familiar voice called out, loud and unmistakable.

You looked up to see Claire, radiant and glowing, stepping inside, fresh from her honeymoon

“Claire?” you laughed, walking to hug her “How was the honeymoon? How is Chris?”

Claire smiled warmly, returning your hug. “Good, good. Chris is back at work already. But now, Harry? Who? As in Harry Castillo, Chris’s groomsman? His boss?”

You blinked. “Wait, what?” you said, pulling back to look at her. “Harry is Chris’s boss?”

Claire let out a laugh, linking her arm through yours like she was about to spill the juiciest piece of gossip. “What? You didn’t know who he is? That man owns half of this city’s businesses. Restaurants, bars, hotels, real estate. Castillo Group? Ring a bell?”

Your mouth opened, then shut again. “You’re kidding.”

She shook her head, grinning. “Nope. Chris has worked under him for like three years now. He’s this insane mix of ridiculously rich and weirdly private. I’m honestly surprised he’s hanging around here every day.”

You just stared at her for a second, your brain tripping over itself. Harry. Castillo. You’d spent the last week teasing him about his extra shots of vanilla syrup and calling him an idiot, and he owned half the city?

“I need to sit down,” you muttered, reaching for the nearest chair.

Claire giggled, clearly delighted. “Oh my god, you really had no clue.”

“Not a single one,” you breathed out, half-laughing, half-panicking.

You sat down hard in the chair, your mind racing. Claire was still watching you with that gleeful, nosy-best-friend grin, and it hit you — shit. The agreement. The one where, for whatever ridiculous reason, you and Harry had agreed to fake date for these business things. And now here was Claire, freshly back from her honeymoon, connecting dots you hadn’t planned on anyone connecting.

Your stomach twisted. You had to lie.

“So…” Claire sing-songed, leaning on the table. “Are you guys…like… together?”

You forced a casual shrug, heart thudding in your chest. “Yeah, uh… yeah. We’ve been… seeing each other.”

Her eyes widened like saucers. “Since when?!”

“Just after your wedding, really,” you said, keeping your voice light, hoping she wouldn’t hear the slight tremor. “We ran into each other a couple times and… it kind of just happened.”

Claire squealed, grabbing your hands. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“I was gonna,” you lied smoothly. “But with you on your honeymoon and… we’ve been keeping it quiet, seeing where it goes, you know?”

Claire beamed at you like you’d just handed her front-row tickets to a scandalous rom-com. “This is wild. I mean, Harry freaking Castillo. And you. I love it. You have to tell me everything.”

Claire pulled out a chair like she had no plans of leaving anytime soon, eyes bright with excitement. “Okay, how did it start? Who made the first move? Was it like, sparks-flying, slow motion thing?

You let out a nervous laugh, trying not to visibly panic. “Honestly… it was more like… he loves the coffee from here.”

Which, technically, wasn’t a lie.

Claire grinned. “Ugh, that’s so you. God, and I just knew he was flirting with you at the wedding, he had his eye on you the whole time.”

You swallowed hard, hoping your face wasn’t betraying you. “Yeah, well… we’ve kind of just been hanging out, keeping it low-key.”

“And you’re into him?” she asked, nudging your elbow with a teasing smirk.

You hesitated, because the answer was complicated and you weren’t even sure what counted as fake or real anymore, but you covered it with a casual grin. “Yeah… he’s actually… really great.”

Claire’s whole face softened at that. “Well, I’m happy for you. You deserve someone good, you know?”

And damn it if that didn’t sting a little.

You smiled. “Thanks, Claire.”

Before she could dig for more, your phone buzzed in your pocket. You pulled it out, a message from Harry.

Harry ☕

 Chris is already planning our wedding.

You smirked and quickly typed back.

You ☀️

 Claire’s too. You owe me.

You slid your phone away just as Claire sighed dreamily. “God, imagine if you actually married Harry Castillo.”

You laughed a little too loud. “Yeah… imagine.”

Claire arched a brow at your reaction, a teasing smirk tugging at her lips. “Oh my god — you like him.”

You scoffed, grabbing a dish towel from the counter to busy your hands. “I don’t.”

“Mm-hmm,” she hummed, leaning back in her chair like she’d cracked some unspoken code. “You’ve got that dumb grin people get when they’re catching feelings.”

You shot her a look. “Claire, we’ve been ‘dating’ for like five minutes.”

“Doesn’t matter,” she sing-songed. “That’s how it starts. Next thing you know, you’re moving into his ridiculous penthouse and adopting a designer dog.”

You couldn’t help the way your lips twitched into a smile. “First of all — if anyone’s getting a dog in this scenario, it’s me. And second, it’s not like that. We’re just… taking it slow.”

Claire softened again, reaching over to squeeze your hand. “Hey, look — I’m not trying to tease too much. I just… you deserve to be happy. And maybe this is good for you, you know? Something unexpected.”

You swallowed, throat a little tight because maybe it was. And maybe it scared you half to death.

Before you could answer, your phone buzzed again.

Harry ☕

Also, just so you know, I’m definitely getting you a huge portion of French fries tomorrow after the party. Can’t have my date starving.

You bit your lip, the flutter in your chest way too annoying for your liking.

You ☀️

I’m holding you to that, Harry.

Claire grinned knowingly. “That better be him.”

You rolled your eyes, slipping your phone into your pocket. “Shut up and tell me about your honeymoon already.”

And for now, you let yourself breathe.

The next day blurred past in a mess of deliveries, inventory lists, and your staff pestering you about whether or not you were actually dating the Harry Castillo, something Claire apparently hadn’t wasted a single second spreading around.

By early evening, you’d finally escaped into your small office at the back of the coffee shop, drowning in paperwork you’d been avoiding all week. The hum of the café outside was distant through the closed door, and for a while, it felt peaceful.

A soft knock pulled you from your numbers.

“Come in,” you called, not looking up, assuming it was Celine with one of her million shift questions.

But the voice you heard wasn’t hers.

“Hey.”

You looked up, and there they were. Those soft, impossibly familiar brown eyes you could not stop thinking about no matter how many times you told yourself you shouldn’t.

Harry leaned casually against the doorframe, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other holding a coffee cup, from your own café, no less.

For a second, you couldn’t even get your brain to function.

“What…what are you doing here?” you asked, setting your pen down and quickly trying to look less flustered than you felt.

He grinned. “Had a meeting nearby. Figured I’d stop by, check if my favorite coffee shop owner was still alive… and maybe see if she’s still free for tonight.”

You swallowed. “I am.”

His smile softened, and for a beat, neither of you said anything. Just the quiet hum of the café and the low buzz of your heart thudding too hard in your chest.

Harry stepped fully inside, closing the door behind him. “You look good, by the way.”

You snorted, gesturing at your slightly messy bun and sleeves rolled up past your elbows. “Yeah, peak fashion.”

“Always,” he teased, before his voice dropped a little. “I missed seeing you here this morning.”

Your heart gave an annoyingly hopeful skip. “You sent your assistant again.”

“Biggest regret of my day,” he admitted, his grin tilting to something softer, something that made your breath catch.

“I’m actually came here to give you this” he said, walking towards you.

You blinked down at the glossy black Versace bag he held out to you, its gold lettering practically gleaming in your dim little office. Your stomach dropped.

“No,” you said immediately, holding your hands up like it might bite. “Harry, absolutely not.”

He laughed, unfazed by your reaction, and stepped closer, setting it on your desk anyway. “It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s Versace!” you hissed, like saying the name too loud might summon the fashion police to haul you away. “I—no. I’m not taking that. What even is it?”

“Relax,” he chuckled, leaning a hip against your desk, looking entirely too smug about your flustered panic. “It’s just something for tonight.”

“Harry, I have a dress,” you insisted, even though technically it was more of a safe option you pulled out for weddings. Nothing Versace-level. Nothing dating Harry Castillo-level.

He raised a brow. “Humor me.”

“Harry—”

“Look,” he said gently, his voice softening. “You’re doing me a favor by coming tonight. This is just… me saying thanks. I saw it, thought of you. That’s it.”

You stared at him, at those unfairly warm eyes and the sincere look on his face, and damn it if you didn’t feel your resolve wobble.

“…I’m still mad about this,” you grumbled, snatching the bag off the desk and earning a wide grin from him. “Besides you had been lying to me.”

“I can live with that, and we can talk about it tonight.” he said easily. “Pick you up at eight.”

And just like that, he was gone again, leaving you alone with your paperwork, a dangerously fluttery heart, and a Versace bag you absolutely should not open, but already knew you would.

You stared at the bag like it might self-destruct, then sighed, dragging it closer with one finger.

“This is such a bad idea,” you muttered to yourself, but you were already pulling the tissue paper aside.

Inside was a slip of silk — no, satin — in a deep midnight blue that shimmered when it caught the light. It was elegant, simple, but devastating in the way only something stupidly expensive and perfectly chosen could be. You ran your fingers over the fabric, cursing under your breath.

Of course he would pick something like this.

Of course it would be exactly your style.

And of course your stomach would do a whole dumb somersault over it.

You shook your head, stuffing the dress carefully back into the bag before you could talk yourself into trying it on in your office like a deranged person.

Your phone buzzed on the desk.

Harry ☕

Hope you like it. And if you don’t, though, you’re wearing it.

You rolled your eyes, fighting a smile, and typed back.

You ☀️

You’re an actual menace, Harry.

A second later:

Harry ☕

Yeah, but I’m your menace tonight.

And god help you , you were so completely screwed.

You shoved your phone in your pocket before you could grin any wider, grabbed the Versace bag, and slipped out of your office. Celine caught sight of the bag immediately and narrowed her eyes.

“That better be for me,” she called.

You didn’t answer, just shot her a look and muttered, “Don’t start.”

And as you locked up that night, you tried, truly, sincerely tried, not to think about the way Harry Castillo made you feel like maybe, just maybe, none of this was pretend anymore.

The night settled around the city in a blanket of warm lights and cool air, the streets humming softly with the kind of buzz that made you feel alive but also… absolutely on edge.

You stood just outside your building, shifting your weight from one foot to the other, arms wrapped around yourself even though it wasn’t cold. The Versace bag swung gently at your wrist, and you tried not to let your nerves show on your face, though you doubted anyone was paying enough attention to notice.

Except, you knew one person would.

You checked your phone again. No new messages, but the last one from Harry sat there like a tiny bomb in your inbox.

Harry ☕

On my way, sweetheart.

Sweetheart.

You took a steadying breath, glancing down at the dress in the bag again. You’d slipped it on before, just to make sure it fit. It had hugged your frame in a way that felt unfair. It made you feel like a version of yourself you didn’t quite recognize — a little too soft, a little too exposed, but undeniably… beautiful.

And maybe, just maybe, you wanted Harry to see you like that.

A black car slowed to a stop at the curb, the passenger window rolling down. And there he was — messy hair, that infuriatingly charming half-smile, and brown eyes that somehow made you feel seen in a way you weren’t used to.

“Hey,” he called, voice low and warm. “Get in, gorgeous.”

You let out a breathy laugh, because damn him. “Stop being so smooth, it’s exhausting.”

“Can’t help it,” he grinned, leaning over to push the door open for you. “It’s a medical condition.”

You slid into the car, heart rattling in your chest. He looked over at you, taking in your makeup, the soft waves in your hair, and the way your lips curved even when you tried to keep a straight face.

“You’re nervous,” he said, not as a tease, just a fact, quiet and careful.

You shrugged. “A little. This whole… thing. I’m not exactly used to pretending to be someone’s plus one at a business party.”

Harry’s expression softened, and he reached over, his hand covering yours on your lap.

“You don’t have to pretend anything,” he murmured. “Just be you. That’s all I want tonight.”

And god, why did that make everything worse and better at the same time?

You gave a small nod, meeting his gaze. “Okay.”

The car eased to a stop outside one of those ridiculous glass-walled buildings uptown — the kind where the valet was in a tux and the guests stepping out of luxury cars looked like they belonged on magazine covers. You stared out the window for half a second longer than necessary, steeling yourself.

Harry climbed out first, moving around the car to open your door like it was the most natural thing in the world. He held a hand out to you, palm up, and you hesitated for just a second before placing yours in his.

His fingers curled around yours, warm, steady, certain. The touch sent a quiet current through your skin, but you forced a casual smile as you stepped out.

“You ready for this?” he asked, leaning in, voice for your ears only.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” you replied, smirking up at him.

The lobby was all polished marble, soft golden light, and the distant sound of a jazz trio playing something smooth and expensive-sounding. People were already milling around with champagne flutes in hand, and you could feel a few heads turn as you and Harry stepped in.

And then, he didn’t let go of your hand.

In fact, his grip tightened slightly as he guided you through the room, stopping to greet a few people, nodding here and there, that easy confidence radiating off him like he was made for this kind of setting.

To anyone else, it probably looked effortless.

To you, well, it was a little infuriating how good he was at this.

At one point, a woman in a sleek black dress and sharp red lipstick approached with a bright smile. “Harry, darling. And who’s this?”

You opened your mouth, not quite sure how to introduce yourself in whatever fake arrangement you were in, but Harry beat you to it.

“This is my girl,” he said easily, tugging you a little closer with a glance down at you that made your stomach tumble. “She’s the best thing I’ve had the good fortune to stumble into this year.”

The words knocked the air out of you for a second, because he said it like it wasn’t a line.

Like maybe he almost meant it.

You managed a polite smile and shook the woman’s hand. The rest of the introductions blurred a little after that, though you kept catching Harry’s thumb brushing the back of your hand, little grounding touches that felt way too natural.

When you finally had a moment alone by the bar, you looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. “My girl, huh?”

He grinned, leaning in close enough for only you to hear. “Could’ve gone with ‘darling’ again, but figured I’d keep you guessing.”

You tried to look unimpressed. Failed miserably.

“Smooth, Harry. Real smooth.”

And as he reached for two glasses of champagne, handing you one, he murmured with a crooked smile, “Perhaps, I’m not pretending as well as I thought I’d be.”

You barely had a chance to process the weight of those words — I’m not pretending as well as I thought I’d be — before a familiar burst of laughter snagged your attention from across the room.

You turned your head and there they were. Claire, in a gorgeous emerald green dress that made her glow, and Chris, looking sharp in a navy suit, his arm around her waist as they chatted with a small group of people.

Your stomach did a little flip.

“Uh oh,” you muttered, leaning in toward Harry so only he could hear. “Incoming.”

Harry followed your gaze, his lips quirking up when he spotted them. “Ah, the newlyweds.”

As if on cue, Claire’s eyes landed on you, and her whole face lit up. She nudged Chris, whispering something, and the two of them made a beeline toward you.

“Look at you two!” Claire practically beamed, pulling you into a quick, excited hug, then stepping back to eye you both with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “God, you clean up well. And together? This is unfairly attractive.”

Chris laughed, shaking Harry’s hand and clapping him on the shoulder. “I didn’t know you were bringing company tonight, man.”

“Would’ve been a crime not to,” Harry replied smoothly, his hand finding yours again like it belonged there, fingers threading through yours with ease. “Wouldn’t survive this kind of crowd without her.”

Claire’s gaze darted down to your joined hands, then back up to your face with a knowing smirk.

You gave her a look that said be cool, but it only made her grin wider.

“So how long has this been going on?” Claire asked, leaning in, teasing but genuinely curious.

You opened your mouth, brain scrambling for the number you and Harry had joked about before, but before you could answer, Harry spoke first.

“Since your wedding” he said, squeezing your hand gently.

You barely had time to register Harry’s answer before a small crowd pulled him and Chris away, laughing and talking loudly as they got drawn into a conversation with some other guests. You were left standing there with Claire, feeling suddenly a little out of place in your heels and dress.

Claire nudged you gently. “Well, that was smooth.”

You smiled, grateful for the distraction as you chatted with her about her honeymoon and how married life was treating her. The room buzzed with chatter, clinking glasses, and soft music — a perfect backdrop for what you hoped would be a low-key evening.

Then, out of nowhere, a light tap on your shoulder startled you.

Turning around, you found yourself looking up at a man with a charming smile and confident eyes, clearly trying to catch your attention.

“I couldn’t help but notice you from across the room,” he said smoothly, voice low. “You have the kind of smile that could light up this entire place.”

You glanced at Claire, who was watching the scene with amused eyes, then turned back to the man, forcing a polite but firm smile.

“That’s very kind of you,” you said carefully, trying not to encourage him.

Before the man could continue, a strong presence settled beside you. Harry’s hand slid easily over yours, his gaze sharp and protective as he looked down at the newcomer.

“Excuse me,” Harry said, voice calm but clearly warning, “she’s with me.”

The man’s smile faltered as Harry’s eyes locked onto his, the unspoken message clear.

“Oh. Right. Of course,” the man said quickly, backing away with an awkward chuckle.

Harry’s jaw relaxed, but his hold on your hand remained steady, grounding you.

Claire leaned in with a grin. “Well, that was fast.”

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding, feeling the heat of Harry’s closeness settle around you like a shield.

“Thanks for the rescue,” you murmured.

Harry’s eyes softened as he squeezed your hand again. “Always.

Harry’s hand slid from your fingers to your waist, pulling you just a little closer, his body warmth seeping into you. Your breath hitched, heart fluttering as you were about to let yourself fall for this protective side of him, when out of the corner of your eye, you saw her.

Lucy.

She stood across the room, wearing a stunning black dress that hugged every curve, her raven-black hair cascading perfectly over her shoulders, and those icy blue eyes scanning the crowd like a queen surveying her kingdom. Everything about her, her confidence, her presence, hit you all at once.

Suddenly, the closeness between you and Harry felt less sweet and more like a calculated move. You realized then that Harry wasn’t doing this just to keep his family off his back. No, this was personal. A game. A way to get back at his ex.

Disappointment flooded your chest, thick and sharp.

You gently pulled away from him, smoothing your dress and forcing a steady breath.

“I… I need to get some air,” you said quietly, trying not to let the hurt show.

Harry opened his mouth, but you didn’t wait for his response. You turned and walked toward the door, your mind spinning with thoughts you hadn’t expected to feel tonight.

An hour passed like slow, heavy waves crashing over him, and Harry still hadn’t found you. The party’s noise throbbed behind the walls, but inside him, everything was quieter, empty in the worst way.

He finally stepped outside onto the balcony, the cool night air biting at his skin. His eyes scanned the dim space until they landed on you, sitting alone on the ledge, wrapped in your arms like you were trying to hold yourself together against the chill.

You didn’t look at him at first, just stared up at the dark sky as if searching for answers in the stars. Harry’s heart clenched, and without a word, he crossed the distance and sat down beside you, careful not to crowd your space.

The silence stretched, but it wasn’t uncomfortable, just heavy with everything left unsaid. After a moment, Harry’s voice came out soft, almost hesitant.

“Hey”

You finally looked at him, eyes reflecting the distant city lights. “You lied to me.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“You said all of this was about your family but the truth is, you wanted to get back at Lucy fore leaving you and I’m the revenge gun.” You added.

Harry’s eyes darkened, guilt flashing across his face before he quickly masked it with something softer.

“I never wanted you to feel like that,” he said quietly. “You’re not some pawn in my past. You’re... you’re not that.”

You pulled your arms tighter around yourself, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

“But that’s exactly what it felt like tonight. Like I was just a way to get back at her.”

Harry looked down for a moment, then met your gaze again, earnest and raw.

“I—yes, I omitted that information.” He confessed, “But getting to know you…It has been so—so magical I-.”

You let out a shaky breath, unsure if you were angry, hurt, or just exhausted.

“I’m not mad.” You said calmly, “But I’m disappointed. You lied about this and you lied about who you are too.”

“What do you mean?”

“You didn’t tell me you were a billionaire either.”

Harry blinked, a slow, rueful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Yeah,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair again, the vulnerability slipping through for a moment. “I didn’t think it mattered. I wanted you to like me for me, not my bank account.”

You studied him, the weight of the night pressing down on you, but beneath it all, a flicker of something softer.

“You think that low of me?” you asked, kinda hurt by that.

Harry’s face fell the second the words left your mouth — like you’d knocked the air right out of him.

“No,” he said quickly, stepping closer, his voice rough with regret. “God, no. That’s not what I meant. It wasn’t about you. It was about me. About… how people usually are with me. I didn’t want to risk it being the same with you because you’re—”

He stopped himself, swallowing hard, his eyes searching yours in the low light.

“You’re different,” he finished quietly. “You scare the hell out of me in the best possible way. And I’ve been so terrified of messing it up, I already did.”

Your chest tightened, your arms still wrapped around yourself, and for a second you weren’t sure if you wanted to yell at him or pull him close. Maybe both.

“I’m not some charity case you get to parade around, Harry,” you said softly. “I’m not a revenge plan. I’m not something you use to prove a point to an ex. I’m a person.”

“I know,” he said, stepping even closer, his hand hesitating before gently brushing your arm, as if testing if you’d let him. “And you deserve better than what I did tonight. I swear to you… none of this feels like a game to me anymore. It hasn’t for a while.”

You closed your eyes for a second, breathing in the cold night air, trying to steady the storm inside you.

“I don’t know what this is,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. “Or what it could be. But if you want this plan to keep going, you need to be honest with me. No more half-truths. No more omissions.”

Harry nodded, the weight of your words settling between you like some fragile, unspoken truce.

“I can do that,” he said, voice low, sincere in a way you hadn’t seen before tonight. “You deserve that. Hell, you deserve more than that, but… I’ll start there.”

His hand lingered at your arm, fingers grazing your skin like he wasn’t ready to let you drift any farther from him. You didn’t pull away this time, though your heart ached with a mix of too many things you didn’t have names for.

After a long, quiet moment, you huffed a breath, a ghost of a smirk tugging at your lips despite yourself. “You realize Claire is never letting me live this down if we go back in there together.”

Harry’s mouth curved into a crooked smile, some of the tension easing from his face. “I’ll take full responsibility for that.”

You arched a brow. “Including when she makes a slideshow of our imaginary honeymoon?”

He laughed, and it was soft, real — nothing polished or smug about it. “Even then.”

A beat passed. The cold didn’t sting as sharply now. The city lights flickered in the distance, and his eyes never left yours.

“Okay,” you said quietly. “Let’s finish what we started. But this time… you’re honest with me. Every step.”

“I promise,” Harry murmured.

Harry glanced at you, noticed the way your arms were still wrapped around yourself against the cold, and without a word, shrugged out of his jacket.

“Here,” he murmured, draping it over your shoulders with a tenderness that made your heart ache in a way you weren’t prepared for.

You inhaled instinctively — it smelled like him. Warm, expensive cologne and something inherently Harry beneath it.

“Thanks,” you whispered, your fingers brushing his as you pulled it tighter around yourself.

He lingered a second longer, his hands hesitating at your shoulders, as if debating whether to say more, to touch more. But instead, he just gave you a soft, crooked smile.

“You know,” he said quietly, “even when you’re mad at me, you still look beautiful.”

You rolled your eyes, though a reluctant smile pulled at your lips. “You’re dangerously close to losing jacket privileges.”

Harry chuckled, the sound low and warm. “Noted.”

Another silence fell, but this time, it felt… different. Not heavy with things unsaid, but fragile in a new, tentative way — like a beginning neither of you were quite brave enough to name yet.

After a moment, you exhaled. “Come on. Let’s get back in before Claire starts a betting pool.”

Harry grinned at that, and for the first time in what felt like hours, the knot in your chest loosened just a little.

He held the door open for you, his hand grazing your lower back as you stepped inside, light, unassuming, but enough to remind you he was still there.

You stepped back into the warmth of the party, the soft hum of conversation and clinking glasses wrapping around you like a familiar, chaotic blanket. But it wasn’t the glittering lights or the music you noticed first. It was her.

Lucy.

She was standing near the bar in that slinky black dress, her arm looped through some guy’s, but her blue eyes were locked on one person.

Harry.

You saw it plain as day, the possessive flicker, the bitterness she couldn’t quite hide behind her practiced smile. And something inside you, some heady cocktail of defiance, adrenaline, and maybe the tiniest hint of revenge, surged to the surface.

Without giving yourself a chance to overthink it, you reached out, grabbed a fistful of Harry’s shirt, and tugged him down to you.

His eyes widened in surprise just a beat before your lips crashed onto his.

And damn it if it didn’t feel electric.

The world around you blurred, the music, the people, even the cold ache of what had happened an hour ago, all of it drowned under the warmth of his mouth on yours. He hesitated only a second before his hand cupped the side of your neck, his lips moving against yours with a tenderness you weren’t ready for.

It wasn’t a fake kiss.

Not the kind meant to sell a lie.

It was something else.

When you finally pulled back, breathe a little short, you caught the flicker of shock and unmistakable jealousy in Lucy’s face.

Good.

Harry’s gaze searched yours, his thumb brushing your jaw like he couldn’t help himself. “What… was that for?” he murmured, his voice low and a little breathless.

You smirked up at him, chest still pounding. “Just reminding someone what she lost.”

His grin spread slow and crooked, his eyes gleaming with something dangerous and unguarded. “God, you’re something else,” he whispered.

You shrugged, though you could feel your pulse hammering in your throat. “Come on. Let’s go to grab some champagne.”

And for the first time that night, it felt like it was your game now.

Harry chuckled under his breath, shaking his head like he couldn’t quite believe you — or maybe like he was starting to realize he didn’t want to stop believing in you. His hand found yours again, this time with no audience, no pretend, no reason but because he wanted to.

“Lead the way,” he murmured.

You tugged him through the crowd toward the bar, your smirk lingering just long enough to catch the storm brewing in Lucy’s eyes. It wasn’t even about her anymore, not really. It was about you. About reclaiming a night that had made you feel small, powerless, and used.

The bartender raised an eyebrow as you slid two fingers across the counter. “Your best champagne,” you said, grinning. “On his tab.”

Harry laughed, leaning in close, his lips brushing your ear. “You’re dangerous, you know that?”

“Yeah,” you whispered, feeling the spark in your chest catch fire, “but you like it.”

A minute later, two crystal flutes of something bubbly and outrageously expensive were in your hands. You raised yours toward him, chin lifting. “To terrible ideas.”

Harry clinked his glass against yours, his gaze never leaving your face. “And to hoping they turn into the best ones.”

You swallowed a smile, the warmth of the champagne chasing the last of the cold from your skin. But you knew this wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.

Because even as you let yourself lean into the ridiculousness of it, the party, the pretend, the kiss that didn’t feel so pretend anymore, you could still feel Lucy’s stare like a needle in your back. And deep down, you knew you’d only made things more complicated.

Some time later, the night had dulled into that sleepy, glittering haze that parties get when they’ve gone on too long — the music softer, the conversations blurring together, the champagne no longer crisp but heavy in your veins.

Harry had gotten swept away by a group of older men in tailored suits, half business partners, half family friends you didn’t know and didn’t care to. You caught his eyes a couple of times across the room, his expression apologetic, but you just waved him off with a small smile. It was fine.

You and Claire ended up perched on one of those ridiculously overpriced velvet couches near the corner, away from the crowd, both of you leaning into each other like you were back in college again, sneaking out of classes and eating junk food on your dorm floor.

Claire sighed dramatically, resting her head against yours. “If one more man over forty-five tries to explain crypto to me, I’m throwing myself into that champagne fountain.”

You snorted, eyes heavy-lidded, tipping your head to rest against her shoulder. “Wake me up before you do. I wanna see that.”

“Okay.”

A comfortable quiet settled between you, the room spinning a little too warmly, the lingering scent of expensive perfume clinging to the air. You let your eyes flutter shut for a minute, feeling Claire’s steady breathing and the distant hum of voices.

“Hey,” she murmured after a while, nudging you gently. “You okay? You’ve been… quiet.”

You gave a small shrug, not opening your eyes. “Yeah. Just… tired.”

She hummed knowingly. “You know he’s into you, right? It��s not just about Lucy.”

Your eyes flickered open then, and you turned your head just enough to look at her. “Claire—”

“I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He’s a goner.”

Your stomach twisted, heat creeping up your neck. “I don’t… I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore.”

Claire smiled softly, squeezing your hand. “You’re living a little. About damn time.”

And before you could say anything else, a familiar hand brushed your shoulder.

You glanced up to find Harry standing there, eyes only for you, his tie slightly loosened, hair a little messy, looking like the man everyone in the room wanted a piece of — but right now, it felt like he only wanted you.

“Sorry I disappeared,” he murmured. “Stealing you now.”

Claire grinned, giving your hand a squeeze before letting go. “Go. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

You rolled your eyes, standing up a little unsteadily as Harry’s hand settled on your back. His palm warm, grounding.

“Everything okay?” he asked quietly.

You gave a small smile. “I want to go home.”

Harry’s brow furrowed, concern flickering across his face. His hand didn’t leave your back as he leaned in a little closer, voice soft enough that only you could hear it over the hum of the party.

“Yeah,” he murmured. “Let’s get you out of here.”

Without another word, he threaded his fingers through yours, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze before gently guiding you through the crowd. You caught Claire’s knowing smirk from the couch as you passed, mouthing text me later before you disappeared through the doors.

The night air hit you in a rush, cool and sharp against your skin. You breathed it in like a balm, finally free from the thick press of the party, the expectations, the eyes.

His hand lingering at your back as he walked you toward the car. Neither of you said much. You didn’t need to. The silence was different now, not heavy, not awkward. Just… quiet.

When you reached the car, he opened the door for you, watching you slide in before joining you on the other side. The driver asked where to, and for a second, you hesitated.

But then Harry spoke, his voice low and certain.

“To her place.”

You glanced at him, and he met your eyes, a softness there that made your stomach flip.

“Only if you want me to,” he added, quieter now, his thumb brushing over the back of your hand.

You exhaled, a small, tired smile tugging at your lips.

The car pulled away from the curb, the city lights blurring past the window, and for the first time that night, you let yourself lean into him, resting your head against his shoulder, the steady beat of his heart under your cheek. He pressed a kiss to your hair, and neither of you said another word the whole ride home.

…….....

When the car finally rolled to a stop in front of your building, you sat up a little, rubbing your eyes as the exhaustion of the night caught up with you. Harry climbed out first, rounding the car to open your door like it was the most natural thing in the world. His hand reached for yours again, steady and sure, and you let him help you out.

As you reached your front steps, he lingered behind you, hands in his pockets, a soft smile playing at his lips.

“You know,” he started, tilting his head as he looked up at your place, “you haven’t shown me your place yet.”

You let out a tired, slightly amused breath, glancing over your shoulder at him. “It’s pretty modest.”

He shrugged, that easy grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Good. I’m sick of penthouses and marble bathrooms.”

You smiled, shaking your head as you pulled your keys from your bag and unlocked the door. “Well, don’t get too excited. The fanciest thing in there is probably my coffee maker.”

“Perfect,” he murmured, his voice low, something softer threaded in it as he followed you inside.

The warm glow of your little apartment welcomed you both. It wasn’t much, cozy couch, a few mismatched frames on the walls, books stacked where they probably shouldn’t be, but it was yours. Lived in. Safe.

Harry took it in, the way you half expected him to make some kind of teasing comment about your thrift store throw pillows or the crooked bookshelf, but he didn’t. He just smiled.

“I love it,” he said quietly.

You hung up your coat, his jacket still around your shoulders. “You want some tea or…?”

But before you could finish the question, he crossed the room, cupping your face gently, his thumb brushing your cheek.

Your heart gave a helpless tug in your chest.

“Harry?" you whispered.

And before he could overthink it, he closed the space between you, his lips meeting yours in a kiss that tasted like exhaustion and honesty and the quiet promise of something you weren’t quite ready to name yet.

The kiss was slow, unhurried, like neither of you wanted to be the one to pull away first. His hand slipped to the back of your neck, holding you there like maybe this was exactly where you were meant to be all along.

When you finally parted, breath mingling, foreheads nearly touching, you managed a wry little smirk, your fingers still gripping the front of his shirt.

“You’re breaking rule number three,” you murmured against his lips, your voice soft and teasing, but there was no hiding the way your pulse fluttered.

Harry chuckled, low and rough, his thumb brushing your cheek again. “Yeah,” he breathed, eyes locked on yours. “I’m starting to think I want to break all of them.”

💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌

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[criminalyapping]

healing touch

the pitt masterlist main masterlist

You try, god, do you try to stay out of the rampant rumour mill at your workplace. Both partaking in gossip, and having your name appear in it; but it's much easier said than done when working as a nurse in the pitt.

You understand the appeal, to a degree. With all of the chaos, pain, and suffering that you and your coworkers see on a daily basis, it makes sense that everyone needs something else to think about at times. Even if those things are blatantly unfounded.

You know your coworkers. Spending 12 hour shifts with them ensures that you've seen them at their bests, their worsts, and everything in-between. You know that Dana's son is on the outs with his wife, you know that Dr. Mohan sneaks to her car to vape when it's slow, and you know that Whitaker is a secret astrology buff.

You've found it best not to think about what kind of information about you is floating around in the heads of the people that you work with.

The one thing that you hope no one is talking about - desperately - is the big, fat crush that you have on Dr. Robby. How could you not, when he comes into work every day with his kicked puppy face and his big brown eyes? You're just a girl, after all. Admitting it to yourself was one thing, but you know to keep it to yourself lest the forces that be (your coworkers) start butting in and making it known to every person that steps into the ED.

Now, with all of that being said, you can only do so much to hide it. You can't stop the wide eyes you get as he calls you into a case, or the flush that appears on your cheeks when he compliments your work. It's been months and you're still thinking about the introduction he gave to the new interns when they arrived.

He introduced Dana, then each of the nurses working by name and with a smile on his face.

"Nurses are a precious commodity around here; we don't have enough and their jobs aren't easy. Listen to what they say. You are all new to the ED, they are not. If any one of them walks out, we will be screwed." he emphasizes.

Soon after, with the new kids trailing behind like puppies, he gets pulled into the train-vs-person degloving injury.

While listening to the wailing of your patient and the doctors around you arguing, you step to stand slightly behind Dr. Robby, holding the instrument in your hands that you know he'll be asking for. Sure enough, a second later he throws his head over his shoulder and yells,

"Can I get a-" he starts, stopping short when he sees you.

"Got it!" you smile, holding it out for him to take.

He gives you an impressed look, taking it out of your hands and smiling at Whitaker and Javadi.

"This one," he says, throwing a thumb over his shoulder at you, "is always right there when you need her." he compliments.

That one had you grinning like an idiot, despite the grisly scene in front of you.

Today, though, it's taking everything you have to not say the dreaded q-word to describe the state of the ED. Granted, there is a rotating cast of characters coming in through triage, but it's about as q-word as it gets.

You're stepping into the break room for a refill of your water bottle when you hear a soft curse come from inside. Stepping in fully and letting the door shut behind you, you see Dr. Robby, the open cabinet above the coffee maker, and the hand that is clamped on his forehead. It doesn't take a genius to realize that he just smacked his head on the door.

"Are you okay?" you question, quickly closing the distance between the two of you.

"Yeah," he groans, in pain or embarrasment you don't know, and vaguely waves you off. "I'm all good."

"Here, let me see," you plead, gesturing towards the closest chair.

"No, no, that's okay, I'm really fine." he denies while taking a step toward the door.

"Nope, not happening, please sit down." you say, taking on the stern nurse tone you've perfected over the years.

Robby sighs, resigned. "There's no way I'm getting out of this?" he asks.

"Not a chance," you grin, grabbing his elbow and pulling him to the chair.

He sits heavily, his hand still on his forehead.

"Okay, let me take a look," you smile, grabbing his wrist and pulling it off of his head.

You see a small cut with minimal bleeding, easily fixed with a butterfly bandage or two. You gently prod the area around the cut, making Robby hiss through his teeth.

"Sorry, sorry," you murmur.

After a moment of silence, he looks up as you stand over him in his chair and levels those big brown eyes at you.

"Am I gonna make it, doc?" he jokes.

You smile and huff out a laugh, pulling your eyes away from his and back to the cut.

"I'm not a doctor," you say quietly. A quick glance down reveals that he hasn't taken his eyes off of you, and you quickly flick your gaze back up.

"Might as well be," he smiles, "and what does the doctor order?"

"Antiseptic wipe and two butterfly bandages and you'll be just fine." you grin. "I'll be right back,"

Quickly grabbing your supplies, you return to the break room to see Robby with his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees.

"Are you okay?" you ask with urgency, "Are you feeling light-headed?"

"No, I'm fine, I promise," he assures, lifting his head up.

"Okay, but if you start to you come find me, yeah?" you urge.

"Sure," he acquiesces.

You take a step forward, now standing in between his legs as you tilt his head up with a gentle hand under his chin. Those brown eyes of his settle on your face and stay there as you work on unwrapping the wipe in your hands.

As you get to work, you start on an anecdote to fill the silence.

"You know, I hit my head so much as a kid that I think the best person to treat this would be my mother," you joke.

You swipe over the cut with your wipe, causing Robby to hiss in pain as it stings. His spread legs close slightly, pressing against the outsides of your thighs and his hand that was once sitting on the table jerks in, landing on your hip and squeezing the excess fabric around the waistband of your scrub pants.

"Sorry, sorry," you murmur, pulling away the wipe and setting it on the table, working on peeling open the bandages.

And fighting the flush appearing across your face as he doesn't move his hand away from you.

Silence falls over the room again as you pinch the skin around the cut and start applying the bandage.

"And, is this what your mom did when you bumped your head as a kid?" he asks.

You let out a chuckle, "Yes, except I was always sat on the kitchen counter and she gave me as many kisses as I was old when she was done," you smile. "It stopped being helpful when I was like, nine."

"Oh, I don't know about that," he smiles, still looking directly at your face as you finish with the second bandage. "I don't see any scars, so it must have worked."

Robby unclenches his fist but leaves his hand where it is, now sitting on your hip and gently moving over the wrinkles he created.

You take a deep breath in, desperately hoping that you're not reading this situation wrong and about to get expeditiously fired, and smile, putting on your best I'm-totally-not-freaking-out-right-now face.

"I don't even know how old you are," you say, looking down at him, "not very conducive to making sure you heal up well."

"Oh, you don't need to know that, I'm an old man," he murmurs, and your face drops slightly. "But, it seems like nine might be the magic number," he says as his lips slowly curl into a smile.

"Well," you start, moving your hands up to rest on his shoulders, "I should probably do my due diligence, huh?" you prompt with a grin.

"Oh, I know you only ever do your best work, sweetheart," he confirms. His other hand comes up to rest on your other hip as you move towards his forehead, if only to hide the vibrant flush that's now sitting prominently across you cheeks.

You slowly press your lips just to the side of his cut, then move to the other side for number two. Robby's eyes have slipped closed, a small smile sitting on his face.

For number three, you skim your lips down the side of his face and towards his cheek, when you're interrupted by the break room door opening.

Princess is standing at the door, eyebrows raised as she takes in the scene in front of her. Without a word, she steps back out and lets the door close behind her, not before giving you a look that you can't quite decipher. Before the door clicks shut, you hear the squeak of her shoes as she undoubtedly runs to find the nearest available gossip mongrel.

There goes your attempt at keeping your name out of everyone's mouth.

[rosenclaws]

Are you made of Copper and Tellurium? || Logan x Reader

summary: It's Prom at the X-Mansion and Jubliee and Rogue want Logan to ask you out bad.

a/n: So this might be incredibly self indulgent because I never went to my junior or senior prom bc my relationships had ended right before prom happened oop. Sometimes I feel sad knowing I missed out on such a like. Important high school experience and never got to dress up so this was born.

wc: 2.9k

“Logan!” The door to his classroom bursts open as he sees Marie and Jubilee standing at that door with suspicious smiles on their faces.

"Do you two ever knock?" He grumbles as he sets down his book. It was a free period and Logan was not in the mood to entertain any students right now, even his favorites.

"We do but this is important!" Jubilee squeals as she and Rogue surround him.

"It's about prom." Rogue says.

"What about it?" Logan asks.

See the students at the mansion had begged for months to hold a prom. It could be a chance for them to enjoy something that regular high school students get. Just a night of music, dancing, and fun.

Logan was highly against it because he doesn't wanna be stuck chaperoning a bunch of teenagers who are trying and failing to sneak alcohol into the punch. But still it was approved and everyone was talking about it.

"A prom-posal!" Jubilee shouts. Sparks flying out of her hand in excitement.

"A what?" Logan asks in confusion. "A prom-posal, you know making a sign with a pun and asking someone to the dance? Or bringing them flowers or singing or-"

"Okay I get it. Why are you talkin' to me about this." Logan isn't really the man to go to for help with something like this. Rogue rolls her eyes at his question.

"Duh, because of your massive crush on our Chemistry teacher." Logan tenses up, his neck turning red as he glares at the two girls in front of him.

"I don't have a crush on the chemistry teacher." He says. Both of them look at each other and just laugh.

"Come on Logan, It's sooo obvious." Jubilee says as she takes out her phone to show him pictures she had taken at varying school events.

"I mean just look at the way your eyes shine with love." She says with a loving sigh.

"Why the fuck do you have those?" Logan reaches for her phone but she pulls it out of his reach.

"Hey! No swearing this is a school." Jubilee scolds Logan who just rolls his eyes. He knows she's said worse he's heard her.

"You and your damn phone. You know ever since I saw those damn tik toks you make I've considered taking it away from you." Logan growls as Jubilee crosses her arms.

"You're not my dad, you can't do that." "I grounded you last week for blowing up the TV."

"That was...fair but it was also an accident." She argues and Logan just raises an eyebrow.

"That's not important, we needa get back to your crush." Rogue interrupts before the topic is lost.

"For the last time I don't-"

"Logan!" He freezes when he hears your voice.

"Oh hi," You appear in the doorway and see Logan, Jubilee, and Rogue staring at you.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything but I snagged you the last chocolate chip muffin." You place the muffin onto his desk. The girls notice a faint blush creep up on Logan's cheeks and giggle to themselves.

"Thanks, you're a real sweetheart." Logan purrs as he picks up the muffin and takes a bite. The girl's eyes dart from Logan to you, seeing the way you bite your lip and the way your eyes light up at the pet name. Oh you two have it bad.

"Well I'll see you around Logan, bye girls." You wave goodbye as you disappear down the hall.

"See you." Logan says.

"Seriously?? That's it??!" Jubilee groans once you're gone.

"Don't you two have homework or class? Anything that ain't bothering me." Rogue opens her mouth to argue but stops.

"Oh my we do have a test today. But this ain't over Logan!" She grabs Jubilee by the wrist and drags her out of the classroom.

Logan sighs and leans back in his chair. These damn kids aren't going to let this go. Stupid Chuck for agreeing to this prom and stupid feelings for rendering him so nervous around you. He won't admit it but they're right. He does like you.

But he's a grown man, nearly 175 he doesn't have a crush. He just has feelings and these feelings happen to make his heart flutter. Ugh even just thinking that makes him cringe. Besides, what adult even cares about prom? To the teachers it's just another thing. It doesn't mean as much to them as it does to the kids. Would you laugh in his face if he asked you to prom?

Shit he never even went to prom but he does remember seeing kids in puffy dresses and powder blue tuxedos. Times certainly have changed though. He picks up the muffin, taking another bite as he goes back to grading papers. Wondering if you were even going to be there.

Any talk about prom was unavoidable for Logan. Practically everyone was buzzing about it. He could hear students giggling about their dates or finding the perfect dress or some dreading having to dress up in an itchy tux. Not to mention Rogue and Jubs would not get off his back.

"Okay what about this one? Are you made of Copper and Tellurium because you are cute! Go to Prom with me." Jubilee shows him a list of stupid pick up lines she had googled and that was her top one.

"No." Logan grumbles as he chops another log of wood.

He's outside chopping wood to get away from the overstimulation of the mansion and yet, Jubilee has still found him.

"Come on, you have to give me something." She whines and Logan drives the axe into the stump.

"Look kid, Why are you so hell bent on this stupid prom proposal shit?" Logan wipes his forehead with his tank top as Jubilee sighs.

"Okay so, don't get mad but me and Marie might have overheard that their prom sucked. Like Carrie level of suck."

"How do you know about Carrie?" Logan asks.

"I'm cultured. I know my female led cult classic movies thank you very much." Jubilee huffs.

"Anyways, basically it was like straight out of an 80's movie. Shy nerd gets asked out by the popular guy only to be stood up and made fun of in front of the whole school." Logan frowns at that. A low simmer of anger just hearing about it. He sighs as he crosses his arms.

"Were you eavesdropping again?"

"Not on purpose, but come on Logan. You could be the knight in shining armor! Create the prom experience that they never had." Jubilee pouts as she pleads her case to Logan. “Jubs, this dance ain’t for us. It’s for kids like you. And I heard that Jonothon kid asked you to the dance.” He smirks as Jubilee starts to stutter.

“Who told you?!” She squeaks out.

“No one, super hearing remember?” He teases.

“Now do I need to have a chat with this boy?”

“No! No it’s fine, it’s nothing." She says quickly, making Logan laugh. Her eyes dart to the side and a wide grin appears on her face

"You know I gotta go I promised Rogue we'd go dress shopping so I'll see you around but think about what I said!!” She yells as she sprints back to the mansion. Logan tilts his head, wondering why she ran away so quickly, until a familiar scent appears. Floral shampoo and the faint hint of chemicals.

"Hi Sweetheart, what are you doing out here?" Logan turns to see you approaching him with two glasses of lemonade.

"One day I'll sneak up on you." You huff as you hand him one of the glasses. Your eyes are glued to his arms, bulging out of his shirt and just a little sweaty from chopping wood. Fuck it's not fair how good he looks just doing a simple task. You spotted him out there and decided to find an excuse to come talk to him. Plus you were sick of hearing about prom.

"Not happening, but you can keep trying if you like." He says with a smirk.

"So what was Jubilee talking about?" Logan nearly chokes on his lemonade. Damn Jubilee and her loud mouth.

"Nothing just prom stuff."

"Ah, are you going?" You ask, a slight hopefulness in your voice.

"Don't think I got a choice, Chuck made it pretty clear that we all had to be chaperones for this damn thing." Logan grumbles.

"Have you ever been to a prom? Was that a thing back in medieval times?" You tease and he rolls his eyes.

"I ain't that old. And no I never went to prom but I've been to a handful of dances." He says thinking back to his very long life.

"You aren't missing much, prom isn't really...it's not all people think it is. At least for me it wasn't." You say and Logan furrows his brows. He hesitates to tell you that he knows what happened to you but you end up telling him anyway.

"I had a crush on this guy, he was pretty popular I guess but not star quarterback popular." You explain and Logan listens. You're smiling but he can see a hint of sadness in your eyes.

"I guess he liked someone else and they devised this plan to humiliate me."

"Bunch of fucking assholes." Logan growls.

"Tell me about it, if it makes you feel better he's still living in his moms basement." You joke.

High School had been over for a long time but you never quite forgot the sting of rejection. You can laugh about it now but Prom was supposed to be the best night of your life at the time and it wasn't.

"Still, that's not right." Logan feels this pull in his gut and he knows what he wants to do. He just has to make sure that Jubilee and Rogue never find out or else he's never hearing the end of it.

"We should go together. You know. I never had a prom and yours sucked." The words don't come out as nice as he wanted but it gets the message across. You snort at his blunt ask but hey, that's just Logan.

"Are you asking me to Prom Logan?" You tease as you sip your lemonade.

"Hold on." He looks around, spotting a few wild flowers growing in the field. He leans down and unsheathes his claws, slicing through the stems to create a makeshift bouquet.

"Here, will you go to prom with me?" His words are awkward but the sentiment is there. You take the flowers and smile, this was already better than high school. Plus your date won't be a complete asshole.

"I'd love to Logan, I'm wearing blue by the way. Just so you know." You hear someone call your name from the mansion and see Hank by the door. You were supposed to meet him to discuss merging the advanced bio and chem students into a sort of AP biochem.

"I have to go but I'll see you later!" Without thinking you lean in and kiss his cheek leaving both of you just a little stunned.

"What kind of blue?" He calls after you as you walk away.

"Mm blue like the blue in your eyes." You call back and he just frowns.

"The fuckcolor is that?"

Unfortunately, Logan had to ask for Jubilee and Rogues help. After a few minutes of squealing so high pitched he swore even a dog could hear, they take pity on the man and help him. Dragging him to a million stores to find the perfect outfit. He refused to try on a damn suit but he eventually caved into at least wearing a tie. It took about 20 minutes of holding up blue colored ties to his eyes before they settled on the perfect one. Which is how he finds himself now.

Outside of your door in jeans, a button up, and a blue tie that matches his eyes. Plus some flowers he bought this time. A soft knock on the door and he can hear your footsteps. The door opens to reveal you all dressed up in a gorgeous blue. You look fucking amazing.

"Hi." You say softly. Man you feel like you're a teenager again. A cute guy at your door bringing you flowers and all you can do is say hi.

"You look stunning." Logan says as he hands you the flowers.

"Thank you. You look handsome. Didn't think you'd be wearing a tie." You reach out and feel the fabric with your fingers, pulling him just a little closer.

"The things I do for you sweetheart." He hums as he admires you.

The faint pout of your lips and your kind eyes. Yeah, he's got it bad. He holds out his arm and you lace your hand through it, letting him lead you down to the party. It's quite noisy but fun by the time you get there. You've never seen the kids so happy before. Being chaperones the two of you stay around the snack table but your hands stay linked together.

"That kid better watch it." Logan growls when he sees Jubilee and Jonothon together. His hands holding her too tight for Logan's liking.

"Hey don't bring out the claws, it's prom, let her have a little fun." You whisper.

"I don't like the look in his eyes." Whether he wants to admit it or not Logan has always been extra protective of Jubilee. So much so that you can tell he wants to go all father figure on that poor boy.

"Let's go outside for a bit, I'm sure Scott can monitor the punch bowl without us." You say to get his mind off of interrupting Jubs prom night.

"Fine, but If we come back and that boy has his hands any lower I'm clawing them off." The cold air hits your face as you open the door. It feels nice to cool off after the heat of the living room.

"So Logan, is it everything you thought it would be?" You ask as you take a sip of your punch.

"Nah, it's even worse. But being here with you is making it better." He hums as he leans against the wall. He glances up at the sky and sighs.

"You know, the girls were trying to get me to ask you out with a...what the hell is it called again? A prom proposal?"

"Oh yeah, those signs with bad puns and stuff." You say. They had shown you a few videos of those before prom got announced.

"They even made a list of horrible puns to try." "

Like what?"

"Are you made of Copper and Tellurium, because you're cute." Logan says, flashing a stupid smile. You snort and burst out laughing. Cheesy but you kind of like it.

"Oh yeah that's horrible. My favorite one is Are you a carbon sample? Because I want to date you." You giggle and Logan chuckles along. The music shifts from upbeat pop to a slow and steady hum. Logan grabs the cup out of your hand and sets it down on the floor.

"Dance with me." He says.

"Oh I don't really know how to." You say nervous. Logan just shrugs and grabs your hands, placing them on his shoulders as he places his own on your hips.

"That's alright, I'll teach ya." You can barely look him in the eyes as you start to move. His shoulders are so broad.

"Hey, look at me for a second." He tilts your chin up to meet his eyes.

"This prom is so much better than my old one though the bar was pretty low." You joke softly as you reach up and cup his face.

"Yeah? Am I better than that jackass?" Logan puffs out his chest just a little when you say yes. He spins you around and dips you as the music gets louder. You can't wipe the smile off your face as he pulls you closer to him. He brushes your lips with his thumb as he leans in.

"If I was smart enough I'd come up with my own pun to tell you that I really fucking like you, but I'll settle for this." He whispers, his hand holding the back of your head as he kisses you. Your hands tug at his hair as he slowly walks you back into a wall. Out of sight of any prying eyes.

"Logan..." You whine as he nips at your lip.

"Yeah sweet thing?" He hums as he nuzzles his face into your neck. Leaving kisses along your jaw.

"I like you too." Despite his kisses, you still feel a little shy admitting your feelings and Logan takes notice.

"Damn you're cute." He presses a kiss to your nose as he glances back at the party.

Man he's going to have to endure Jubilee's endless teasing after this. But he looks back and sees the smile on your face and decides it's worth it.

"Let's ditch this dance."

"Won't they notice?" You ask as Logan wraps his arms around your waist.

"Doesn't matter." He grins as he slips his hand under your clothes to feel bare skin.

"How about we take part in another prom tradition? Always wanted to do it in the backseat of a car anyways." He purrs as he pulls you towards the garage.

You let out a shocked squeak as heat fills your body. It's a terrible idea but... Logan is very persuasive. Besides, what's the harm if you disappear for an hour or two. Maybe more with Logan.

"Come on sweetheart, let me give you the full prom experience."

[spidersoulss]

"Wheres My Shirt?!"

Pairings: Dean Winchester x f!Reader

Summary: Dean can't find his favorite shirt, he's ripped apart his whole room. Until he finds you wearing it. 

Warnings: Smut (fingering, P in V, unprotected sex(wrap it before you tap it BITCHES)) dean unlocks a new turn on, me still not knowing how to write decent smut (guys i'm trying my best i swear)

Word Count: 1,236

Dean grumbled in frustration as he pulled out every single shirt from his dresser. He couldn't find that one single shirt. I mean he wore it practically every day for fuck sake, how did he lose track of it?

He dug through his dirty laundry, went deep into his closet, but still no luck. “What the hell!” he shouted, ready to rip his own hair out. His room was torn inside out from looking for this shirt, his favorite shirt. “Sammy!” he yelled, storming down the bunker halls to Sam's room.

Sam looked up at his older brother, his brows furrowing when he practically sees steam emitting from Dean's ears. “What? What's wrong-” 

“Did you take my shirt?” Dean interrupted, Sam gave him a look of annoyance, the look that said ‘are you really asking me that right now?’. Dean gestured with his hands, waiting for an answer. “No dude, I did not steal your shirt” Dean grumbled angry words under his breath. “I can't find it anywhere!” he threw his hands up exasperatedly. 

“I don't know, dean, maybe y/n did the laundry and it's in there” Sam suggested, going back to doing whatever Sam does. “Yeah that better be it” Dean said, already making his way towards your room. 

You had done the laundry, everyone's laundry for today. Unbeknownst to Dean, you had washed his favorite shirt and decided to wear it fresh out of the dryer. You were laying on your freshly made bed, phone in hand, and cozy in Dean’s favorite shirt. Which was the perfect amount of baggy on you; Making it your favorite as well. 

He says your name as he barges into your room, not bothering to knock, “please tell me you have seen my fav-” he pauses when he sees you. His eyes raking over your body. His breath catches in his throat. 

Apparently wearing his clothes does something to him. “Your what?” you tilt your head to the side, clueless of his manic frustration to find this goddamn shirt. “My…uhh” he clears his throat, “my shirt” dean points to the shirt on your body. “Oh, yeah I did laundry today, I threw this on after I took my shower,” you explained casually. Dean couldn't stop staring, literally ogling you. “You good?” you raise a brow, “huh? Me? Yeah im- im so good right now” you notice how his voice got huskier, he stalked towards you. “Okaayyy, do you want it back or something?” he crawls over you, nestling his head in the crook of your neck and kissing lightly.

You inhale a soft breath. “Not anymore” he mumbles against your skin, “it looks better on you anyway” he kisses down your neck and across your collarbone. Your breathing becomes heavier as he leaves faint marks on your skin. “Dean-” he shushes you with his lips, you moan softly into them. 

“I just showered” you fein complaint and he huffs a laugh, “hope you want another one, because you're gonna need it after this” he smirks. 

His hands snake down your body, leaving goosebumps in their wake. He didn't expect you wearing his shirt, his favorite shirt, to turn him on so much. But alas, here we are, and neither of you are complaining. 

A shaky sigh escapes your lips as his fingers thread the waistband of your panties, because of course you're not wearing pants right now. “You fuckin tease” he grumbles against your lips, “not wearin any pants, and look at that-” he dips his hand under and drags a slow torturous finger through your slick folds. 

You whimper against him, “so wet for me already, huh? Was this your plan all along, rile me up and get me to fuck you senseless?” he asks tauntingly as he continues to tease at your entrance. 

That was not your plan at all but it sounds like a great one right about now. “It should've been my plan if I knew this was gonna happen” you grin, your lips turning into a soft ‘O’ shortly after as Dean sinks his two fingers into you. “Oh fuck..” you groan.

“So gorgeous baby” he praises as he sets a steady hard pace with his fingers pumping in and out, his mouth attaches to your neck. You arch into him, hands threading through his dirty blonde locks. He groans lowly against your skin when you give a little tug, hinting at your approaching orgasm.

“Oh my god, Dean please I need you” you moan, pleading breathlessly. “This aint enough for you babygirl? Need my cock inside you huh? Wanna cum around my cock?” he teases, kissing up your jaw and on your lips. You nod fervently, “yes, god yes please” you look at him through your lashes, he folds immediately. 

“I can't deny my girl what she needs now can i?” he grins as he pulls his cock out from his boxers, his sweats discarded long ago. You almost drool as you look at it, glistening red tip leaking with pre-cum. 

It's something you'll never get used to, the size of him. No matter how many times the two of you do it, it's always the same when he pulls it out for you. 

You lick your lips and Dean chuckles, “greedy girl” he tuts. He drags the tip through your folds and you both moan. Dean kisses you deeply as he pushes inside of you, inch by inch. “Relax, i got you” he can feel you tense up but you let go at his words, he pins your hand down on the sheets. 

“Dean you better move or i'm gonna-” you can't even finish your thought before he pulls out almost completely and slams back inside you. You cry out his name and squeeze his hand. He sets a brutal pace with his hips, leaving you a cursing, moaning, sweaty mess. 

“Thought you could just wear my shirt and get away with it? Huh? Thought I wouldn't do anything about it?” he grunts, his hips slapping against your thighs. The sound echoes throughout your room. 

“N-no, i didn't kno-ow” you manage to say between moans. “Shh shh babygirl i’m not mad, just.. extremely turned on” he kisses you more, drowning out your lewd, explicit noises and thrusting harder at his last words.

“Dean im, oh my god i'm so close” you whimper, clenching your walls around him. He takes in a sharp breath. “I know, i know” he reaches a hand down in between your bodies and circles his thumb over your very sensitive bundle of nerves. 

“Cum for me, cum around my cock, please baby I need to feel you” he almost whimpers, your stomach twists and the knot in your core bursts and you flutter hard over Dean, sucking him in deeper as your orgasm hits, his hitting not long after. (a second orgasm has hit the tower (again, not sorry, i had to)) 

“That's it baby, let go for me, i love how you clench around me, feels so good” he moans, his head falling into the crook of your neck as he sings your praise. 

Your breathing is labored and dean pulls out, you whine at the loss of him. leaving your walls empty and fluttering around nothing. You break the silence after a long moment, “I should wear your clothes more often” he laughs into your neck, wrapping his arms around you.

“Yes you should” 

Dividers by: @cafekitsune

[itstheendofthegoddamnworld]

Comfort for the Soul Part 2

Bob Reynolds x Thunderbolts*!Reader

Part 1

A/N: I really hope you guys enjoyed the previous chapter! Thank you all for the support and love - I love writing this sweet man and I may be writing more for him in the future!

I don't know much about Bipolar disorder, but I tried my best to look more into it to make Bob seem more realistic. It's easy to make Bob and his other 'personalities' similar to DID, but it is not at all the same.

Summary: When you realise your supply of blood bags have run dry, Bob is more than willing to become your temporary blood bag.

Tags: blood, swearing, blood drinking, reader is part vampire (think Blade - day walker and backstory explained a bit more), Bob is very touch starved and very smitten, fluff, pet names, Bob feels some self-doubt, mentions of the Void, making out, getting caught, Bob and reader being possessive, some 18+ moments (Bob gets a boner a few times)

Wordcount: 4,6k

E/C = eye colour

L/N = Last name

Lo and behold, Valentina was not true to her word; those three days suddenly went to five.

Your frustrations were greatly felt throughout the tower, much to the dismay of your team-mates, awkwardly giving support to their best of their knowledge.

It wasn't their fault they didn't know much about day walkers; they had been a rarity, but even you found their curious questions became something far too comical.

"Can't she just eat a squirrel?" John had finally asked at dinner, the group of you giving him varying looks of disbelief. "There's plenty in the park."

"She's part vampire, Walker, not a dog," Ava argued.

"It's fine, guys, I'll live." You chewed on the steak Alexei had offered to cook for you. A plain, on the verge of being a medium rare steak, nothing else to go with it.

Despite his help, he almost forgot about it a second too long, so the juices weren't as plentily. As Walker described it, "you might as well still eat it whilst it's still mooing."

The group didn't discuss anything on it, putting out ideas of what the evening should be: games, movie, trivia night, but your mind was distracted by the kind, thoughtful gesture that Bob had offered to you.

He had been keen on offering himself up as your temporary meal for only three days, but whether he would want to continue this for a few more was something you needed to bring up with him.

It didn't help; you could still see the band-aids he wore underneath his sweater, and the flesh was still healing.

Your mouth watered, the way he sat so snug in his comfy clothes didn't help your situation, sweet, oblivious Bob, unaware of how you were feeling. It took a lot in you now that you had gotten a taste of him, not to just keep pouncing on him every five minutes.

The group had gotten into a debate on films, which ones to watch, and only those that bring your attention back to them.

"If we do watch Star Wars, which ones - prequels or originals -Bob, why don't you pick?" Yelena had brought the attention back to Bob, whose attention had been given to shyly looking over at you when he thought you weren't looking.

"Uh-sorry, what w-were we talking about?"

"Ugh, see? He was too busy giving love eyes to YN!" Walker gestures, but none of them go further into it. Rather, Bob is left with the comment swimming in his mind, his eyes trailing to you to see if you are just as embarrassed as he is.

You give a sympathetic smile, one that doesn't pity him, and you don't make him feel worse. He feels relieved you don't look at him any differently; rather, your attention has shifted.

The heavy debate seemed to bring the worst out of Walker and Ava, disagreeing that "the prequels were better" or "no, originals are the best, we have to start with that and the order they came out in"

You cut them off before you can stomach their growing voices, "Hey guys, I might sit this one out-"

"Oh, no, you're not, L/N!" Walker and almost half of your team shouted out, before Bucky sighed, muttering, "Fuck it, prequels it is," before going to set it up in the living room.

"Hey," a small voice called to you, a nudge to the shoulder as you looked briefly from your unfinished meal to see Bob had made his way over to sit next to you, "something up?"

"All good," you whispered back, but you knew you had to ask him soon enough, "are you free after this? Need to ask you something."

"Of course." He smiled broadly, the smile lines in his face made him look boyish and youthful. Despite taking a chunk out of him the previous night, he seemed to be soothed by being in your presence.

You can't say anything else to him before you're whisked over to help with popcorn duty with Yelena, and Bob is dragged by Alexei to the couch.

"Hey, saved you a seat," Bob motions gently to the space beside him on the long sofa. You realise that he's in the curve of the L in the couch, and despite the length of the couch, you find that the space between you is practically nothing.

You scooch through as you take a seat, finding yourself rather cosied up beside him. Shoulders and legs touching, you realise he's emitting way too much heat to be humanly possible. There's a nervous, bashful look to him, like he's scared you're too uncomfortable being so close to him.

"Is this okay?" He whispers close to your ear when everyone has settled, the lights go off, and the movie intro starts. You notice his hands are fidgeting again, and on reflex, you take them into yours.

The jitteriness stops immediately, feeling the way Bob tenses again as if he's never felt you touch him before, his blue eyes flash with the light coming from the TV, and he looks ethereal with the backdrop of New York behind.

"I'm good." You give his hand a squeeze, your little message to him that you're next to him, not going anywhere.

He seems to relax into the bundle of blankets over you, and by the time the movie ends, you feel sluggish, warm, your head resting against his good shoulder, eyes drifting in and out of sleep.

"The lovebirds are at it again." You hear a voice, maybe Walker, but it sounds too happy, too pleased to see this; the sight of Bob reciprocating your touch, his eyes shut as he breathes deeply in a sleep.

You're so caught up in Bob and sleep, ignoring the snickering, the giggles, maybe even the sound of a phone camera shutter. You just feel so part of his life, and the feeling, unbeknownst to you, is reciprocated.

The group go back to their rooms, leaving the lights dimly lit as you slowly come around after a quick snooze, with Bob groggily joining you.

His brown locks are poking at random angles, his hair tousled but there is a sleepy, dreamy look to him when his eyes land on you beside him, realisation dawning on you both.

"Oh, guess the movie is done." His voice surprises you with how deep it sounds, "Surprised s'all."

"How come?"

"Usually, they're s-so loud," he laughs more to himself softly, his eyes twinkling in the dim light, "can't believe I wasn't thrown a pillow to the f-face for potentially snoring."

"Well, you're in luck, I didn't hear snoring," he matches your smile, relieved to hear that. You shift, feeling something had snaked around you.

Looking down, you spot Bob has not quite noticed he's wrapped himself around you, a hand on your waist, almost possessively, keeping you glued to his side.

"S-Sorry!-" He realised a second later when he sees what you're looking at, pulling back, but you immediately miss him, the way he feels around you, his scent, his overall being.

It's okay- you want to tell him- I like you being close- but you stop yourself from embarrassing yourself and admitting to it. You rake your fingers together, collecting the right words.

"Bob, I-"

"You... haven't fed properly, all day," he begins, eyeing you carefully. He sees it in the way your eyes are more frantic, you're jittery, and there's a sheen that looks like sweat across your brow.

You look at him, your heart pounding almost out of time to its normal beat, as Bob pulls back his sweater carefully, revealing the other side of his untouched skin. You feel the heartbeat there, strong, slightly fast.

"You can always... have some more now?" He asks, the softness in his voice is as if he's luring you out like a siren in the waters. It entices you easily, and you wish to just climb on top of him and commence there, but you're still cautious.

"Not here," you warn, and you look away from him, trying to ignore the briskness and liveliness coming from his chest. "If we were to do this, it would have to be in a room- yours maybe-"

"How about yours?" He asks, and the question has you wondering why he chose yours and not his. "I-mean... only if you want...there's nothing against using my room-"

"My room it is then." You stand up abruptly, startling him, taking him by the hand as you both not-so-subtly scurry together down the hallway.

Bob doesn't think he's ever been more nervous in his life to be entering someone's bedroom, let alone it being yours.

He feels similar to some teenage boy sneaking off to a girl's room, an experience he never had but is all too giddy in finally getting to try it.

Bob doesn't know what he thinks he's going to experience when he comes into your room. Walker's 'vampiric' stereotypes run through his mind, and he's oddly curious but fully aware you won't have blood on the walls, upside-down crosses hanging everywhere.

Your hand has not left yours since you thumb the door quickly, efficiently, opening it without a second thought, as you allowed him to step in first, you following.

He's certainly not expecting your room to look so... normal?

No coffin to sleep in.

No dead animals hanging around.

Just a simple, normal bedroom, filled with a slightly above-average number of plants.

You have a bookshelf of books of different genres he's read, old vinyls and a player sitting by your window, a pair of cosy slippers sitting by the end of your bed.

Bob notices a sketchbook half-scattered on your desk and is amazed that you like to draw. There's a familiar scent of vanilla or coconut or something fancy that Bob can't place what it is, but it's warm and smells like you, and he slowly feels enveloped by it.

There are fairy lights strewn over the top of your bed, hanging like hundreds of fireflies, and Bob thinks, no doubt, that this room is undeniably yours.

"Make yourself comfy." You say behind him, as Bob clumsily makes his way to your bed, stunned, the sheets feel so soft compared to his; he sinks into the mattress rather than the one in his room that makes him feel like he's sitting on bedrock.

His mind drowns him with unwanted thoughts: thoughts of imagining the two of you curled up with one another, sharing a space that was intimate in itself for just letting both of you be one.

"Bob," he looks up as he realises he's caught dissociating, looking to see you hovering by the door, eyes flashing between E/C and those golden-white ones, "you're so pretty."

The compliment rattles through him: body, mind and soul. He's opening and closing his mouth erratically, noises anyone would not think could be humanly possible to make are are you both can hear. He's scrambling to think of something to say, thinking- his mind screaming with different thoughts of things to say back to you.

"You're pretty, too-gorgeous even! Um, like pretty in the face and body-oh, that sounds so creepy, n-not like I'm staring at your body, I swear!-"

A giggle echoed in the softness of your room, and his heart hammers as if ready to be reached to and ripped from him. How someone like you can listen to him, even want to be with him, makes his mind spiral.

"You think I'm pretty, Bob?" You're lightly teasing him, stepping closer to him, observing him like he's prey, and he's sweating profusely, wishing he were doused in holy water for his racing thoughts. "Gorgeous?" You continue until you stand in front of him.

He's looking anywhere by at you, so scared he's going to mess things up, ruin your friendship if he does something-says something, and to watch everything he's tried making with you burn away.

He wishes the mattress could sink him further and further down into a nothing space, but he's so sure you can feel everything. Soft fingers hold his chin to make him look up at you, and all you do is smile down at him, and Bob feels weak.

"Do I scare you, Bob?" He hears it, the soft gravel in your tone, the growl that grips your question. You're ravenous, and he's enjoying this way too much.

"N-No," his voice is a shudder, his fingers fidget in wanting to touch you again, and he finds that they move on their own, moving tentatively over your hips, his eyes not leaving yours. "I'm not scared of you."

Humming, you lean over him until your mouth grazes lightly over the shell of his ear. "May I," he thinks you're going to ask something else, "bite you?"

He's so happy to be a part of this, nodding his head so enthusiastically that you fear it will roll off, presenting his neck to you as his anticipation rises. He forgets to take his sweatshirt off, but it doesn't matter, you have enough room.

You don't waste time this time, and Bob gasps all the same as before when you bite into him. This time, now being in the confines of four walls, his noises are louder.

"O-Oh." He whimpers unapologetically, large warm hands grip suddenly at you with the strength that still stuns you, pulling you until you're practically hovering over his lap. Bob doesn't stop there, finally tugging you as you move with him, leg sweeping over and caging him in.

His Adam's apple bobs, fingers holding you by your thighs, your waist, trailing higher towards your ribs, all whilst trying to concentrate on his breathing, despite hearing the rush of blood leaving his head.

He shifts you in his arms, and a rookie mistake is made by him, for he accidentally shifts you a bit too far forward. Your core catches his crotch, rubbing unintentionally the more you move.

Bob whines in the back of his throat, tears well in his eyes. It feels so good, but he feels terrified, having himself wrapped around your little finger. He wishes he could stay here, in your arms, embracing you for as long as possible.

You growl in the back of your throat, not human, the sound reverberates through from Bob's neck down into his chest, hammering like a bell. He thinks you're going to lose control, and he's ready to bring you back.

"Fuck, baby, I've got you." The pet name slips out quicker than he realises, but it feels good from him, earning a low whine to come from you.

It's sudden, but you love it; the word goes straight to your core shamefully. "I've got you-I've got you." Bob feels the rush of endorphins from it, the way he feels so trusted by you in his arms.

Your thighs tighten around him, trying to stop yourself from gyrating on top of him despite how tempting it is. He doesn't seem opposed to it; your bodies move to help you get better access to his neck, creating a gyrating movement that anyone who came in would see would be obvious, indicating that the two of you were making out.

There is something sensual building, unfamiliar, but it seems so normal for both of you, blossoming into something undeclared, personal.

Your mouth withdraws from his skin, a harsh, ragged exhale leaves you as if you've been choking down on air. Leaning over him, your faces are far closer than usual.

Bob works on instinct and does the unthinkable, his fingers tracing over your cheekbone, tucking back a piece behind your ear.

"You're so pretty," you whisper, like the two of you are sharing heartfelt secrets between one another. Your bloodied lips trace over his ear once more, and Bob finds himself struggling to breathe. "Such a pretty boy."

Bob groans louder than he expected, squeezing your hips, his legs tense and untense, trying to move you off his crotch as quickly as possible. The words hit him as if he were awaiting the waves to crash down on him; the suspense kills him, but he's more terrified of making the wrong move. He doesn't want to scare you off.

"You-you have no idea what you do to me." His voice comes out hoarse, deeper than expected, his blue eyes flash momentarily to a warm golden hue, then back to their usual.

You know he's nervous about engaging in something so new, balancing that with the possible fear that there might also be a part of him that is trying to make him feel the lowest.

Bob shakily exhales, pushing his face into your torso, hugging you a little tighter when he feels himself overworking his mind. That you're using him just for some sort of gain, the other part is certain you wouldn't be allowing him to do any of this with you.

'She thinks you're weak.' The Void speaks through him as if he's conversing with it, but Bob doesn't want to think of it. He wants to be enveloped in you, your warmth, your sunshine, not the darkness.

"Bob," you try to draw him out, trying to get him to look up at you, and it takes some prying before his eyes dart up to look at you. He's afraid, afraid he's messed things up, worsened the relationship or friendship between the two of you. "I'm here. You did such a good job."

"I did?" There is a light that comes from him when he hears it come directly from you. He peeks his head out a bit more, uncertain yet tentative.

"Always." You murmur, and the two of you spend some minutes just in each other's arms, telling him how proud you are of him, how good he is to you. He is silent in your arms, letting out small, exhales when he hears compliments come from you.

"You're too good for me." He says after some time, and it hurts to see him doubt himself. "I'm a mess."

"Sometimes that's what makes us us," you hum, stroking back his brown hair. "I wouldn't change you for anything."

The Golden Guardian, he is to some, but to you, he's just Bob, the Bob who makes you feel most like yourself, someone who didn't run away from you the moment they saw you.

Not the monster your parents had cast out so many years ago, selling you off to the military. He's your sanctuary, you're everything he wishes to worship.

"Let me get you cleaned up." You hop off him slowly, rising as you walk to the ensuite. You linger for a bit before disappearing, holding his hand to steady him, to help him through his breathing before he's sure he's okay.

"Sure-not going anywhere." Bob exhales, crashing backwards onto the sheets, trying to hide the obvious 'problem' that had grown in his sweatpants.

It's another two nights that pass before you see Bob's confidence begin to build. It's small, subtle, but there in the way he walks, how he talks to you and others. It's blinding, and you feel strangely clingy when you're not near him.

It's game night this time around in the Avengers' tower, pizza boxes strewn across the couch, beers and wine flowing as conversation comes easily, laughter too.

Music softly plays of some club song you've never heard of, watching in amusement as a drunk Alexei tries dancing in time to it, spurred on as he's cheered by almost everyone watching.

Yelena watches on in cringe, muttering as she looks anywhere but onwards, suddenly feeling that the music needs to be changed as she hurries off. The others cheer on as Alexei laughs with a bellowing roar, the beer in hand nearly spilling as he moves.

"What fun!" He's loud, louder than normal, your ears ring at the noises around you, but you feel your eyes drifting over Bob too many times to Bob.

He's been quiet, silent in his laughter as he observes everything around him, as he sips slowly at his Sprite. You're awestruck by him, so absorbed in staring at him, not feeling the couch dip on your right. Yelena has snuck her way to sit beside you, startling you as she whispers to you.

"You're drooling."

You react quickly, wiping your mouth to find nothing as Yelena laughs, watching the way you try to avoid her eyes and the attention of anyone else. "When were you going to tell me you and Bob were seeing each other?"

The music doesn't seem loud enough, and you wish to drown in it. You feel like people are staring, even when they're not. You downplay the situation as you nervously laugh, "What are you talking about, Lena?"

"I mean, when I saw Bob leave your room two nights ago."

The glass of wine almost crushes in your hand from how you're gripping it, your heart thrums uncontrollably. You're quiet for a second too long, and Yelena is given all the proof she needs that something is going on.

"It's cute," She whispers, ignoring the way you're trying to cover your face. Bob glances back at the two of you curiously, trying not to eavesdrop. "The two of you- so cute together."

"W-we're not-it's not-"

"You don't have to say anything, L/N," she winks, her smile wicked, "I know."

She's quickly gone before you can explain things, proclaiming that it was time to take Alexei back to his room before he does anything further embarrassing. You watch as it takes a team effort of Walker, Ava and Yelena to drag the larger Russian man out, laughing to yourself as you hear the mumbled struggles, Alexei slurring his words.

You snuggle into the couch, enjoying the silence after some time, a comfortable, not awkward one fills the air as you look up, seeing Bob shyly looking your way already.

"You want to join me?" You beckon him over as he stands from the beanbag, shuffling quietly in a pair of almost matching slippers you had bought for him when he said he wished he had a pair.

You both sit in silence again, listening to the sounds grow quieter, a hum of the kitchen light, a honk from a car outside. It's peace that you love sharing with Bob.

You put down your glass of red, head swimming with a need for a distraction, eyes trailing over Bob as if you're undressing him with your eyes. "Ready?" You ask when you're certain everyone is occupied.

Bob nods, placing his cup down, shuffling closer to you until you straddle him with ease. He takes it naturally, a long exhale leaves his lips as you feel bolder in teasing him, tracing your fangs lightly over his skin, feeling previous bites have slowly begun healing with time.

"Please, Y/N," he whines, and you hush him sweetly, taking your time with him. "I know, sweetie, I'm here for you." Your voice drops a bit lower, and you revel in sensing his heartbeat pick up faster when you move over him.

He's so obedient, and it makes your mind wander to how he would be as a partner. Your thighs clench, and you lean into his shoulder, relieving him of the wait.

He grunts, not as loudly as before, as you drink slowly from him, sensually, hips rolling as you're taken up in a lull. Your mind short-circuits, you forget where you are, so emboldened by him and his words of encouragement, his hands guiding you.

You shock him, though, when you press kisses into his neck, trailing up his jaw as you leave bloody kiss marks the higher you go. Bob stares up at you, mesmerised, licking his lips unintentionally to see your bloody mouth.

You can't stop yourself now, and the words that come next from you take you to the final step.

"Want a taste?"

Bob swallows thickly, eyes trailing from your mouth to your eyes, glowing, then back down to your lips. He's hungry in a way you don't think someone like him would be, but he's so sweet in how he pleads. Morbid curiosity has taken over, but he's aware of how you mean to let him taste his blood.

"Please-yes please." You don't know who leans in first, but lips envelop yours, soft and warm. Bob tastes the iron on his lips, strong, and he thinks that you must've turned him at some point-because why is he so obsessed?

Your kiss starts slowly, testing the waters as you pull back inches from him to gauge his reactions, smiling when he chases your lips before diving in for more.

You're so caught up in it all, kissing him, feeling him move beneath you, the way he whispers your name. He kisses you a bit harder now, his tongue swipes curiously over your bottom lip as he tastes a bit more, kissing openly and a little bit more brazenly.

The elevator rises slowly, neither of you noticing, hands touching in places as Bob feels over you tentatively, whispering that pet name you love oh-so-much.

The doors to the elevator chime open. Bucky is tired from a full day of meetings, talking to congress, and wishing for a drink and bed, turning on the light as he's in his own world-

"Oh, what the fuck!"

You pull off, leaning back onto the couch and off Bob slightly, when you hear the voice behind you. Bob still holds you, trying to shield himself as you watch Bucky with equal parts shock and annoyance.

"It's not what you think-"

"No, I'm just going to pretend I didn't walk in on this." Bucky sounds like a disappointed dad as he averts his gaze from the two of you.

The shock brings hurried footsteps to approach, Walker is the first to round the corner to the scene. "Oh fuck-What the fuck, Y/N?"

Ava and Yelena are making small murmurs as they look over it as well. Ava is like Bucky, looking the other way, but Yelena is smiling- fucking smiling- as she gives the thumbs up your way.

"I get you want to get in each other's pants," Walker continues, "but I didn't think I was going to walk in on you eating Bob!"

To them, it made sense that it looked like they walked in on a crime scene: Bob is covered in blood. His mouth, neck and most of his face are smeared. His hair is tousled beyond saving, his sweater is pulled and covered in blood. You've done terribly in trying not to stain the couch, but blood has splattered onto the pillows and blanket.

You try to explain yourself, but there is a noise that has entered the room that feels primal, sudden.

The growl to emit in the room does not come from you, and surprisingly, everyone turns their head directly to who is beneath you.

"Get out." Bob's voice is low, commanding, and it brings everyone in the room to feel a sense of apprehension. This doesn't sound like him; his voice is his own, but it holds power, strength.

The grip around your waist is hiding his excitement from the others, but it is possessive as he repeats the same words, louder this time, somewhat more demanding. "Get. Out."

Everyone moves as if on autopilot. Yelena and Ava scoop a confused Walker out of the room. Bucky shakes his head as he walks the other way down to his room. There is nothing said again from them as they leave the two of you in complete silence.

"Holy shit," you utter when there is no noise, no giggles, no words of astonishment. Looking down towards Bob, he's so caught up in being with you that he hasn't even clocked what happened. "That-that was hot."

Bob blushes as he pulls you down to his level, kissing you deeply to either occupy your thoughts with him again or to shut you up. You greedily kiss back, knowing the next day, breakfast will bring many questions and awkward 'birds and bees' conversations, but you don't care, not when you're with your Bob.

[rayraelleaizawa]

Hi! How are you doing? I was wondering how would Shanks react if someone (stranger or family member) insulted his lover like "I wish you were never born" to them? How would the Red-Haired Pirates react? Can you write a one shot about it?

Hi! sorry it again took me ages to write this tho i love the idea!

I hope this is will be to your liking :) I imagine Shanks being more of the quiet guy when he's really angry. Quiet, but deadly.

Shanks x Reader

Female reader mentioned but only 1 time.

It started as a normal day where the Red Force docked on an island and you were out with Shanks roaming through the streets and looking at vendors and shops.

You two have been dating for quite some time, and the world knew you as red haired Shanks' better half, so most of them treated you extra nicely in fear of the emperor. Still, Shanks was always near you, due to his relationship with you you became a target to his enemies.

You and Shanks were having fun, him being his usual self, joking and trying all kinds of alcohol at the different food and drink stands.

Lime Juice and others of your crew were at one market stand, and Shanks and him had a small drinking competition. You leaned at a house wall and watched them smiling as Shanks laughter got louder and louder over the minutes, as someone next you said your name suddenly.

"Is that really you?", said the voice as you turned around and your mother stood there.

You were suprised. You haven't seen your family in ages, and the good-bye with them wasn't a very good one either. You didn't miss your family, especially not your mother, who only cared about image and what others thought of you.

"I shouldn't be suprised seeing you here, after the announcement came that pirates docked at this island", she said in a condescending voice.

You swallowed, as you weren't prepared to suddenly meet your mother again. You haven't told Shanks about your relationship with your family, but he never asked. He seemed to understand that your family was a chapter in your life which you had closed already.

"At first I was suprised when I heard the rumors that you and red haired Shanks were a couple. I couldn't believe that an emperor of the sea would be interested in my child", she laughed.

"But then when there were pictures of you in the newspaper, next to that man, i finally believed it. And in the end it all made sense to me. Why haven't I thought of this before? Of course would my inconsiderate good-for-nothing kid go with a drunk criminal without even thinking what it meant for family. What it meant for me! My child is now a criminal! Can you even imagine what the neighbors thought of your father and me?! We had to move to another island so people would stop looking at us"

You looked at your mother with wide eyes as she started getting louder and louder.

"Don't talk about Shanks that way! He is more than just that! He and his crew are the best thing that ever happened to me", you spoke back, and a heated argument between you two arose.

Your mother yapped about having born a criminal and that it is your duty to repay her for giving birth to you, while you argumented back that all you ever did was living for her, how she wanted you to be.

The fight between you and your mother quickly caught the attention from the people around. Shanks stood up and walked closer, but he didn't intervent for now. He knew you could fight your own battles, eventho he was concerned what exactly was happening. Lime Juice, Hongo and others of your crew also watched closely, ready to jump that woman if she went too far.

"Shanks gave me a family I'm proud of. They accept me for who I am! All you ever did was pressing me in a role of the perfect child with the perfect mother!"

"You ungrateful brat! I did everything to make you look good and you can't even thank me for that? I should've thrown you in a trash can when you were a baby. I wish you were never born!", she yelled at you and slapped you across the face.

You stood there, motionless, as you slowly realized what just happened. Before you could turn your head back from the slap, Shanks moved infront of you. His Haki was flowing around him as the crowed quickly got smaller as the smart ones all went to hide. Your mother tried to act tough, but it didn't even last a few seconds as she crumbled before him, tears streaming down her face in fear.

"You can insult me as much as you want, but never. ever. say a bad thing about my queen."

His aura alone got your mother to apologize endlessly and to beg him to spare her life. Shanks was angry, and an angry Shanks is something you never want to witness. He isn't loud and he isn't throwing hands, he is just, quiet, consuming of all your senses. He's your nightmare.

You stood behind him, holding your cheek as Hongo touched your back. His eyes were checking over your frame for injuries. You could also see Benn standing a few feet away, leaning against a house wall as he watched everything with his brows furrued.

A feeling of protection came over you, but your heart still ached. You never had the best relationship with your mother, but she never said anything so cruel to you. You slowly turned around and started walking towards the Red Force. You knew you could leave the rest to Shanks. He wouldn't kill her, she was still your mother, but he'd make sure she'll never came near you again. His crew followed you, with a respectfull distance to not smother you, but still close enough that everyone could see they were ready to kill for you.

Back at the Red Force you went to your joined room with Shanks. You sat on the bed and stared at the wall. Only after some time did you realize you were crying. Not long after you heard the door opening and then quietly closing again. Shanks walked up to you and slowly sat on the bed behind you. He moved his arms around you and gently brought you to his chest.

He didn't talk at first, just let you settle in his arms and cry. He kissed your forehead from the side.

"You are the world, darling. The only good thing this woman has ever done, was bringing you into this world. I couldn't think of what I'd do without you. I love you, and I want you to know that you're appreciated for who you are."

At first you didn't respond, you just moved and buried your head in his chest as he gently held you.

"Thank you for being my family", you said after some time, and Shanks smiled into your hair, pressing gentle kisses on your hairline.

"Always, my love"

The next day, Lucky made your favourite food. Benn lend you one of his infamous notebooks he wrote about his past adventures in that no one was allowed to read. Monster wanted to play with you, and the others all did little favours for you over the next week. Appreciating you even more than they already did. Telling you "thank you" for small things you did, but with the meaning that they are gratefull you exist. And Shanks did everything to let you know that he was the most gratefull of that.

[ivyheaven]

"I'm really sorry," apologies were popular today, but being right next to him and being unable to do much for him, only left apologies. She wiped away as much as she could but hearing him groan in pain made her hesitant to continue. Laurel didn't understand his aversion with doctors, and while she usually wouldn't push it, she couldn't stand seeing him in pain.

The thought of calling his family, frankly, terrified her. Even more so knowing she had never interacted with them, compounded with the fact that she had inadvertently brought him so much trouble. But, Eli spoke up and surprised her. "Inez, okay yes." She nodded slowly, hoping that meant she'd be easier to talk to. Seeing his eyes fill with tears, she wiped them away with her index finger. "I will tell her, she knows you wouldn't forget. Mhm," a soft nod to confirm. "Of course, if she'd let me, I'll try my best with bedtime stories." Singing, it didn't feel too relevant right now, but the reminder to keep him awake rang in her ears. "I..well, I'm not winning awards for my singing anytime soon, but I can always try. No, it's not don't worry." Not the complete truth, but he just wasn't budging.

"I believe you, I do, and you don't need to tell me why. If this wasn't absolutely necessary, I wouldn't push, but I just want to be sure you're okay." She took his hand once more and pressed a small kiss to his palm. "Of course, I'm here as long as you want me." Truer words couldn't be said, even if the prospect of him not wanting her haunted her mind already.

Listening to him talk about his family only scared her further, but she swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded along. She would do as he asked. Besides, he needed his family here. They could do so much more for him. "No, hey babe come on. Stay with me, not time to sleep yet," she was trying to keep her tone calm and soft, but firm so he didn't doze off on her. Thankfully, he couldn't see just how her hand trembled as she held his phone in her hands.

The knock at the door startled her, the phone almost falling from her hand, but one upside? It was very effective in waking him up. Eric, she couldn't thank her lucky stars enough! "This is great Eric, thank you so much," she felt Eli pull away slightly as he tried moving away and sinking into his pillow further. Still, the friend Eric brought was quick to take over and begin examining him. The frown on his face was not very promising. The grip of her hand caught her off guard, but it was just a natural state now - to be jumpy. She nodded very quickly and dialed. “I’ll get her here myself. You don’t worry about that.”

The phone only rang once before it was swiftly picked up. "Inez?" The foreign voice confused Inez, this was not Eli though the phone number belonged to him. She answered and confirmed she was at the phone. "Oh, good. Hi, I'm Laurel. I'm uhm, Eli's friend." Safer than guessing if he had told his siblings the tumultuous world they were living in. "He wanted me to call and tell you he can't come to the phone, I know he has that standing call with his sister, Emma. He um..." where to even begin? "He got hurt pretty badly, I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Losing the focus of the call, she had to get it together. “ it wasn't his fault." She still didn't have details of what did happen but she knew it wasn't on Eli. "The point is, he's refusing medical care. We are still taking him, and he wanted me to call you first. I can give you my number...just so we're in touch while we take him. I know you're a bit far out, but in the meantime, I can try getting him admitted. Just, please get here soon." Inez was not believing what she was hearing, just nodding along as a thousand questions flew around. But, the most important piece clicked - she had to go to Texas. Isaac hovered with a fussy Emma, silently asking if he heard right. That it was the girl’s fault, whoever she was. “I’ll be there soon,” was all Inez said before hanging up. The phone line went quiet as laurel turned back to face Eli while the med student and Eric helped move him once more. “She’s coming, okay? I’ll get her to you”

The car ride to the ER was quiet, the humming of the a.c. was the only loud sound. She wasn’t sure what the RA said to the nurse but it didn’t take long for them to wheel Eli into a room, Laurel quickly following. She was not kidding about staying with him the entire night. “You’re going to be okay, I promise.” What did the promise entail? She didn’t really know yet, but if her suspicions were right, she would need to reevaluate her presence here.

Laurel stepping away he tried hard to not close his heavy lidded eyes. Oh he knew this was not normal sleepy. She was right but also didn't want to have anyone see him. Explaining this would be hard enough. "Ow," He moved his face as it stung and swallowed thick, "God I feel awful." Eli felt sick, he was dodging calls from the people most important to him. This was unlike him and all he thought about was Emma. Their routine. The promise he'd made her before he left. All broken. Emma must have been so sad he knew that. They had never missed a single call. Not even when he was half asleep trying to work on a paper. "My first time sver not answering her. It breaks my heart."

He knew if laurel called back there was a good chance Isa would answer and then truly there'd be no saving this. "Please. Ask for inez first please." He knew the cooler headed Phillips was Inez after Eli. "Emma needs to know I didn't forget. I just can't come to the phone." He felt tears prick his eyes as they stung. "You'd take bedtime stories for her? Can you sing?" That was the only thing Emma had wanted but Eli lacked. His head nudged into her hand. "Heads feels too big. Is it?"

Holding his hand out he sighed. "I don't like them. It isn't like a cute no don't like it. It's an aversion. I hate them. Makes me ill just thinking about it." Maybe that wasn't hard to say he just didn't think she'd have to know about him and docs so soon. "Think you can stay?" A change from earlier when they flirted with the study breaks.

"Don't lie to inez. She doesn't like it. Tell her what is going on she'll be the one who can give everyone the information and mince words that she doesn't deem relative." One thing he knew about his family was that they didn't like lies. If he lied to them he'd never hear the end of it. "I'm sleepy. So sleepy. If I close my eyes for a second...."

A knock at their door had Eli open his eyes and squint. He wasn't expecting anyone and he knew no one else knew what had happened. Eric poked his head in and smiled. "Hey, I brought a friend with me." Their RA was a med student about to graduate. "Couldn't get the actual thing but got the next best thing." Eli groaned as he tried to move further away into the pillow. It was then where his own fussiness came through.

The male didn't speak much as he checked Eli out. A few bruises on his face, slight concussion and once he pushed on his stomach and heard him gurgle out a pained ow, he turned to the room and sighed. "He's got two ribs that are broken. He's got to get seen." Eli shook his head and gripped laurel's hand. "Get my sister here."

[danieyells]

hi danie, I was chatting with a friend about Haru having 4 houses and we made two theories:

1st one, he's an orphan, he moved a lot (maybe for anomalies reasons?) he was always cheerful with the other kids, that's why he was in Dionisya and he's funny, he loves to make everyone smile. And then when the house was disbanded he moved to Jabb, one that takes care of others and this is the reason he's so protective over the animals, Towa and Ren, he wanted to create a family he never had.

2nd one, his parents moved a lot for work but they're rich af, so they simply buy an house instead of renting one (or they have a big family and lived with relativies) (he can't manage money because back then he never had the problem to see the price before paying)

Hi! I don't think that "home" in this context is literally "house". A "home" isn't always a house--it's anywhere you live(d) or consider yourself comfortable and familiar. Okayama being his "fourth home" would either mean "the fourth place he lived" or "the fourth place he feels comfortable/attached to", not "fourth house", I think.

I think your first thought is much closer than your second! He considers modern firestarting stuff "fancy tools" and can easily make s fire with or without them, he's a pro at cooking on a barbecue and used to cook on an open fire a lot as a child, he's just happy to have a roof over his head and totally laughed off the idea of essentially sleeping on the ground. . .

. . .more than I think that he moved homes a lot I think he was either extremely poor or straight up homeless(or just heavily nomadic, maybe an immigrant with the slight implication that he's Chinese) most of his life. He had to get used to living outside in really poor situations. And maybe street entertaining was how they got by--or like you said he had to keep things upbeat with his family and companions, which loans to his cheerful nature now.

He's careless with his money but that's because he buys so much on sale with the mentality of 'when will i be able to get something like this at a better price? If i don't take advantage of it now it'll cost much more when i do need it!' which is an easy mentality to have if you're worried about how you'll be able to afford something necessary when it's really necessary. If you prepare in advance it can be more cost effective. Also sometimes when you're living paycheck to paycheck it's easy to spend all your money now because. . .when will you have money to spend later? You don't know. Is it really going to be helpful to try and save what little you have now for the future when you'll inevitably need to spend it and it won't be enough anyway? It's easy to align the monetary "carelessness" with actual thought when I'm not in a good financial situation myself lol.

There's also his pre-prologue line before jumping off the balcony. . . .

Being unable to protect his home. . .suggests that perhaps his previous homes were lost time and time and time again. That includes Dionysia too(which, by the way, he left before it was defunct as you may recall from Episode 16--maybe he left in hopes it wouldn't fall apart by whatever misfortune seems to follow him. . .but well you see how well that turned out.) Maybe he lost his first home. . .and the second. . .and the third and fourth and Dionysia too. And he's constantly having to move around because. . .well he has no other choice.

I do like the idea of him being an orphan and bouncing around homes a lot though. Something awful must have happened to his birth family maybe that he ended up in Japan and moving around so much. Although since Rui said that Okayama was where he lived before he came to Darkwick I assume that was his last pre-Dionysia home.

Oh also he says in his home screen lines that “I swore I’d take responsibility for protecting all the lives in this park. I can’t let anyone die on my watch.” and “I don’t know where I’d be without all the critters in this place if I’m honest with you." So I can definitely see him putting together this family--or at least trying to protect something that he knew was at risk and needed protection--in a desperate attempt to keep something together with his own hands while maybe it seems to him like his presence is what makes things fall apart. . . . And he's so attached now. These are his family and it's gonna be hard to move on to their internships. But hopefully things will be okay without him! Or maybe when he graduates they'll let him work there lol he can be the new advisor after Sinostra kills Hyde and sells his organs!

[vaporclan]

Hey, sorry for the off topic ask

But I want you to know that you're taking AMAZING care of your cat, you're seriously doing everything right and I'm so glad he's getting better. Don't doubt yourself, you're doing so much better than you think you are.

I really hope this all pans out to be just a hairball he couldn't pass, it's not unheard of and could possibly be the case from what I see, but l'm not a vet so don't take my word for fact, the situation could change on a dime </3

If something terrible does happen, know that I and many others are here to support you, I know how hard it is to see an animal you care for so sick. It's heartbreaking and it really feels like it could turn for the worse at any second. I really hope the best for both of you 🙏 seriously don’t even worry about the comic right now, focus on what’s important

But also for flea relief, there is a brand of over the counter flea medication that we get for our cats and it works. It's called advantage, it's a cream you put on the back of their neck and it works to get rid of the fleas. I don't know how much it would cost for you, but it's usually less expensive than a vet prescription, especially for only one cat.

Apologies for the ask if it makes you uncomfortable!This is a very uncertain time and I just wish the best for you and your cat, and thank you for taking such amazing care of him, I'm sure he's more than happy to be treated like a little king 👑

Thank you for the ask :) I don't feel comfortable using any OTC flea meds, and have contacted another vet for a second opinion on all this with all my questions, all his symptoms and all his updates. Hopefully they'll gimme some flea relief stuff.

It was an email, though, cuz I'm mute. So they haven't gotten back to me yet. All this has definitely has been harder being mute... why does everything urgent involve a phone call? :(

New blanket, and he's still eating & had his pain relief <3

He bounced back so fast it gave me whiplash. Not lethargic, no diarrhea, vomiting stopped (other than a small hairball today).. like? I can't euthanise yet. He's still cuddly and affectionate. My baby boy <3

[urban-shade]

Absolutely OBSESSED with your work. Can I perhaps ask for your angstiest headcanons that I totallywintdtealwhatareyoutalkingabout? :3

I NEED SLIGHTLY MORE THAN THIS FOR A PROMPT like 80% of my headcanons are angsty (i will absolutely dump paragraphs if i have enough of a prompt because thats what i do whenever we get any new crumb of pressure lore)

in terms of angst my aus are way worse than my headcanons and I'm not too sure what hcs to pull up so you get au infodump since they're more like headcanons about what i think would happen in slightly diff endings of pressure instead of true AU's

also i got a little carried away this is practically rough draft fanfiction i'm so sorry

ALL THREE of my AU's actually kind of work in tandem to explore how I feel Sebastian works as a character, I think no matter what, he doomed by the narrative to never get what he truly wants or have a perfect happy ending.

I'm only going to get into the specifics of one, but the rundown of all 3

Innovation Humanization (lowkey this fic is abandoned im too busy) Sebastian escapes the Blacksite during the power outage and Innovation hijacking a sub for him, he manages to bring Painter with him. He arrives at Innovation Arctic Base, and they go through the process of bringing him back to mostly human again over the next 6mo-year. He has to re-experience his greatest traumas ALL OVER again, but this time done by people that actually kind of care about him as a human being.

This is basically my "good ending" for him, he isn't a fish anymore, but he never gets his legs back. He has painter, and he has time to deal with his trauma. (I think innovation would have a therapist, and thats really the only therapist he COULD talk to about what he went through at urbanshade, normal therapy really wouldn't work.. you need the one that works at a kooky mad scientist base. He may or may not be able to see his family again, depends how evil you think urbanshade would be (if they'd hunt them down to find him so they can neutralize him)

Instantly Human He gets to be, perfectly, how he was before all this started. But he has to escape the Blacksite. Which is HARD AS FUCK.

This is a bit of spoilers for what part 2 to the comic is gonna be but, he has to knowingly leave behind Painter to die (he can't carry a computer as a person, too heavy). That's a "choice" he has to make. He also has no evidence that anything ever happened to him. Personally I feel like not even having a scar from trauma that fucked you up that bad would be upsetting bc it's like it didn't even happen yk? But also I know it is probably what he wants.

Teleported Home Lopee teleports Sebastian back home as his "reward" instead of turning him human like the IH au. Sebastian arrives at home in the middle of the day to his mother cleaning in the kitchen. I'll get into the details after this quick rundown

He gets to see his mom instantly! He doesn't have to deal with escaping the Blacksite! But . He's probably stuck as a fish and in hiding for a whiiile until they can contact Innovation for help. He also involuntarily leaves Painter behind to die in this one as well. He never got to even say goodbye or sorry. Painter is just wondering where Sebastian went (before he inevitably gets killed in a few days/weeks). And he's haunted by that (but also MAD at lopee). He let the kid down. More than let the kid down, he could do literally nothing about this lil guy he was protecting, dying an inevitable death.

You can't have everything Sebastian… Something must suck in some way… Urbanshade has permanently fucked your life

ok now for the details on the teleported home au this is practically a fanfiction that i didn't want to rewrite into actual writing because thats hard so forgive the like, swaps between writer thoughts and writing i know its weird 😭but i hope fun to read regardless!!

SO! Sebastian gets teleported home, Lopee is nice enough to make sure he's crouched down so his head doesn't go through the ceiling.

i dont know if ill ever do final art for this so you get my ms paint diagrams i hope you can bear with me. i gotta establish the setting here, it's in SoCal, middleish of the day. Sebastian was last in the norwegian sea at 9pm (yes this is an accurate time difference im autistic)

His mom is utterly terrified and screams and runs outside upon making eye contact with him. Who wouldn't?! Sebastian is kind of dazed and confused for a moment, he's HOME, and his MOM is 10 feet in front of him. One second he was in a chilly damp concrete box with menacing facility breaking down noises all around him, the next he's in a warm comforting home in the middle of the day with bird calls and shit. That's an insane transition.

He has to think quickly and chase after her even if he's really confused, he can't have the cops called on him and his identity exposed. I don't think she would fully recognize his voice, I choose to believe fishseb sounds different from humanseb due to the experimentation messing with his vocal chords/overall resonance. But his tone is similar to her.

She doesn't want to look at this Thing that's leaning outside of the doorway of her house, but, .. he does oddly remind her of her son.. but he's been declared dead for over 12 years now.. but the hair.. the look in his eyes. He honestly looks like he's about to cry to her , subtly trembling, hunched over like he doesn't want to scare her, but his arm weakly outreached like he doesn't want her to run away.

He's entirely conscious of the fact that he really shouldn't be seen outside right now so he's trying to stay mostly inside the doorway. He went after her on pure survival instinct/adrenaline. Hes so keenly aware of how utterly terrifying he is to her right now and feeling Miserable about being a creature a million times worse than he normally is because he's been thrust into ice cold reality of what he is. Which is something that humans should be terrified of

He didn't even get a chance to ease his mom into it, she's DOUBLY scared because there's a THING/GUY in the house and not just because he's a monster

He asks for her to come back inside so they can talk, she's still really scared but wants to believe its him. He's intentionally moving slowly while backing inside the house to not scare her more.

He doesn't sit on the couch since he's worried his weight might pop the springs (even just the upper torso) so he's just curled up in a pile near it trying to make himself look as unthreatening as possible. And he's ALSO trying to calm down like he needs a moment to breathe and take in his surroundings

She walks in all the way and sees him. He's truly trying not to scare her.. isn't he.. Sebastian was sweet like that.. She takes a breath to steady herself and asks him if he wants something to drink since she really needs a glass of water to help clear her mind

"Heh.. whiskey?.. I know you have it up in the cupboard above the freezer. Used to water it down back in the day. I never knew if you ever noticed." Sebastian was intentionally trying to bring up information that would help her believe he was himself, but also he could really use a drink.. and a smoke.. but he knew his mom hated those. If only she knew he used to sneak out to smoke years ago.

His mother just looks at him with an indiscernible look. Did he say the wrong thing? His ears pin back, he clears his throat. "Water is fine, I was uh..joking about the whiskey." (felt like this dialogue i wrote was really in-character/cute so I had to include it)

I think when they sit down with their waters to talk he, he explains the entire timeline of what happened to him. And once he starts explaining the experimentation she's trying to be quiet to be respectful to hear the whole story but she is absolutely crying. And she goes in for a hug around when he hits the point where he was promoted to Mr-p.

He can feel her shaking when she hugs him, she's still scared of him, but he knows she's trying so hard to comfort him and ignore her instinctual fear.

And they continue to hug as he explains the rest as well as the lockdown and Lopee teleporting him. He leaves out any details about him killing people, can't have mama knowing he's an actual killer now.. I think that his mom knew he was innocent and he is a victim of the legal system

I think Sebastian probably goes to bed around 9-10pm every day because I wouldn't be surprised if the Blacksite had him up really early for work assignments often. So after he talks with his mom for a bit he's noticeably really sleepy because it is Past his bedtime in Norway and ALSO because for the first time in a long time he's actually relaxed. He isn't in fish prison hell anymore!

They generally just hang out for a while after talking, and he passes out from exhaustion. She tries to put a blanket on him, but he violently jumps back while also shoving her away since it felt like another expendable climbing on him. (Side tangent I think he has an unnatural tendency for violence from his fishes in Addition to anger issues caused by ptsd)

He feels awful and profusely apologizes and they make up :)

that's about all i wrote for the start of it, but i had some smaller thoughts about later on

I realized he needs to eat a LOT and it'd be a major financial strain on his mom, I did the math and his calorie needs are like ~14-16k a day (THIS IS REALLY ROUGH but genuinely calculated with formulas and like muscle volume calculations ive done + adjusted to what i think makes sense, this is the Lower end of what i think it'd be. He might need more. It'd be more like 10k cal a day if he's true cold blooded. I feel like character wise it makes sense for him to be medium blooded but true cold blooded would really help him in terms of being Alive)

She basically has to keep him fed on costco rotisserie chicken because that is the absolute cheapest protein she can get (buying a whole frozen cow is still way more per oz than costco chicken) So he costs at minimum ~1000$ a month to feed.

He would be very cognizant of this and try not to eat too much and basically half starve himself. On like day 3-4 he is noticeably really, really out of it. All he can really think about is food and his mom is really worried about him. He really doesn't want to tell her but he'd eventually cave and be like 😓i need to eat like triple the amount of food you've been giving me. so she locks in and gets him some more food. Might have to take out a loan 😭 They really try to get him to innovation ASAP after this because she really can't afford to feed him for more than a few months.

-

ok that is roughly about all i have so far i know that was a massive infodump but i hope it was fun anyways Um. i make no mention of his dad cuz i feel like his dad isn't in the picture anymore but there's no reasoning behind it other than i like it

[xiaosenthusiast]

10. dragon boat festival

Yn shook their head and sighed. Why couldn't he just leave them alone? First, he fuels the rumor by not denying it, and now he wants to ask about who they're going to the festival with? Yn just couldn't wrap their head around the situation.

"Hey! Yn. it's been a while."

The man walking up to Yn smirked, his hands in his pockets and a bounce in his step. He seemed happy. The voice snapped Yn out of their thoughts as they smiled to the person standing in front of them.

"Hey Scara. How've you been? Should we head inside?"

They signaled to the entrance and started walking, Scara matching his pace along with them. "I'm doing okay. Finals are over so I'm on summer break now."

"Oh! It's the same for me. Guess we got lucky haha. What are you planning to do for summer break..?"

The conversation continued into the festival as the pair walked around. They got to try Zongzi and view the dragon boat race. It was interesting to see how the school had adapted it since it didn't have a river. After a while, you headed to another booth that was selling Realgar wine in little cups.

There, you ran into Yanfei, Hu Tao, and...Xiao. Yn quickly glanced at him and focused their attention back on their friends.

"Yanfei! I thought you wouldn't be able to make it because of your finals." Yn smiled and held Yanfei's hand while subtly dragging her away. "Oh wow there's samples over here. I'm gonna borrow Yanfei for a second!" Hu Tao raised a brow and pouted. "You owe me dinner Yn!!" The woman sighed and looked at her leftover company. "Should I give you two a moment? I can't tell whether you're gonna fight or make out."

Xiao narrowed his eyes and Scaramouche sighed, Hu Tao could only hope that the two of you would come back soon.

"Yanfei! Why are you with him?! I mean, I know he's your family, but he wouldn't voluntarily third-wheel you and Hu Tao. I think."

"But he did! He said 'Can I join you? My friends left me.' So I took pity on the poor guy!"

Yanfei trailed off and looked over to the group that they left behind. "Why'd you decide to come with Scaramouche anyway?"

Yn looked at her and shrugged, "I wanted to do the mugwort walk but everyone was busy. So I asked him."

"Why didn't you ask Xiao? We both know you know each other better anyway."

As soon as Yanfei uttered her question, Yn sighed and shook their head. "Yanfei. We haven't talked long enough in recent years to be as remotely close as we used to be."

"Well yeah, but I can't believe that you just gave up without even trying. Especially when he-!" Yanfei stopped herself and huffed, moving her gaze to the ground. Like she wanted to say something but couldn't.

"So what? What about him?! If he still wanted to be close then he could've said something!" You sighed and gripped Yanfei's hand tighter, "It's not a big deal anymore. We've moved past that. All we are is acquaintances now." The way Yanfei acted made Yn confused. Why was she trying to group the two of them together so much?

"You're right. I'm sorry I acted like that. Let's just go back." She mumbled quietly and didn't look at you. It felt like she had more to say but stopped herself.

Meanwhile, Xiao glanced between Yn and Scaramouche. He convinced himself that he was only watching out for you, like he did at the party. He's known you since you were kids, how could he just sit back as one of his friends took you? In all honesty, his heart sank a little when he got that message from Scaramouche earlier in the day. Xiao would never admit to himself the obvious reason why though.. Which was out of character for him.

Scaramouche wasn't a bad person, he was just a little rough around the edges; but so was he. So why could you put up with Scaramouche's antics but not his? Well, he never really tried getting closer to you again. Especially after you confessed. It made sense why you disliked him.

As he was thinking about it, he came to the realization that you weren't the same person you were in your schooldays. Why would he look out for you when he didn't even know who you were anymore? You had your own friends that could take care of you. So why...

"Sorry we took so long. Scara, should we head over to the mugwort walk now?"

Xiao looked at the two of you, a ripple growing bigger in his chest. He couldn't, he thought to himself. He didn't know you; but then you turned your back. Like you did so many times before. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat. He didn't know you, but couldn't he change that? It was simple really. All he had to do was reach out to you, stop you from going with him.

Could he allow himself? Would he be content in that decision? He'd already hurt you once before, he couldn't bear to do it again. His thoughts were racing, trying to find a reason in which he could reach out to your hand.

He just didn't want to lose you.

And before he realized it, he did.

He grasped your hand without thinking.

"Oh."

Yn turned to him, slightly shocked. "Huh?" She swiftly composed herself and responded with a quick "What?" Her tone blunt.

"Can I join you guys instead? I don't feel like third-wheeling." He said the first thing that came to mind, his eyes were glued to yours, keeping the relaxed facade.

"How do you know you won't be third-wheeling us?"

Xiao gripped your hand tighter. The two of you looked at Scara, his impatience obvious with his crossed arms and annoyed eyes narrowing at Xiao.

Yn pulled their hand out of Xiao's hold and held their hands up. "Well, he won't! I'll just let you two go on since you're both friends. I don't mind staying with Hu Tao and Yanfei!"

You smiled nervously and clung to your friends who were bewildered at the scene playing out in front of them. You pushed the two ahead and laughed it off. Xiao took one glance at you before turning and walking away. It was weird.

It might have been your delusions but it seemed like he was looking at you longingly? No. It was definitely a delusion. You shook your head and turned back to Hu Tao and Yanfei, trying to process the situation.

"That was weird. Right?" They nodded in agreement immediately starting to gossip.

"I didn't expect him to do that. I didn't expect the other one to say that! Yn! Your love life is seriously turning into a fanfiction!! Where are all these men coming from? Who's the next bachelor?!" Hu Tao pulled you closer with fire in her eyes, her never ending questions poured out while Yanfei tried to pull her off of you.

Your mind was a jumbled mess. You could understand why Xiao said what he said, but you couldn't understand what Scara meant.

Xiao probably wanted to get away from the couple and since Scara was his friend, it was obvious he'd try to join us; but Scara...why would he reject Xiao's request like that? Why did Xiao grab your hand so suddenly?

The questions seemed to pile up, and you didn't have any of the answers. It was truly frustrating and you couldn't stop thinking about it throughout the festival.

In the mugwort walk, a conversation of its own was happening.

"Why did you come with Yn?"

"Why did you grab her hand?"

The two had questions that the other preferred not to answer. The air between them was awkward to say the least. Neither of them said anything until Xiao broke the air.

"Do you like Yn?" He kept his eyes ahead, maintaining a calm character. He was like this until Scara retorted with "Is that important right now? Shouldn't you figure out your feelings?"

"I..." He hesitated. "I'm not sure yet; but I want to find out." After that, they were quiet. As they both thought about what to say.

Scara looked away and muttered, "When you're able to answer that question, I'll answer yours." Xiao looked at him slightly puzzled and dismayed while nodding.

With that, the mugwort walk finished in silence. Neither of them saying a word to the other.

And soon, the day was coming to an end. All that was left was the the Performing Arts Department's showcase. There were many performances to enjoy ranging from plays to traditional dance and opera singing. Which Yunjin was part of. When you got to watch your friend perform, you couldn't help but forget about the happenings of the day as you finally relaxed and cheered for Yunjin.

prev / mlist / next

🎀 ; and that concludes the first part ! i'm gonna go on a quick hiatus to think about where i want the story to go because no direction = bad writing...even this is honestly a bit dookie but it's all part of my journey to becoming a better writer! i'll come back after a week or two refreshed and knowing in what direction i want to take!

💫 ; TAGLIST — (16/35) @layla240 @eccedentesiast-sapphic @okukura @trulyylee @6blxe @jayzioxx @x-hihihi-x @anqelkoz @jiminscarmex @yurisukhsm @bubblebellaz @introvertaku02 @raidenshogunmommy @serenity-xiao @atlatcaheart @celestiai0

[the-vroom-f1]

I really think the Williams team hasn't realized how much of their treatment towards Logan has lost them a lot of good will among fans. Like take his lap of legends, so much work went in to that, (from Logan, Williams Alumni, and the team behind it), was such a big opportunity, and really could have had generated some much needed good pr for the team and Logan, especially with the team and their treatment of Logan. Yet they allowed it to be overshadowed by the Alex announcement, like really you couldn't have waited at least a few days?

The moment Logan leaves I can see a lot of fans, just not interacting with Williams content anymore. As much as we talk about Alex and James Vowles being the ones who are restructuring/rebuilding Williams you can't forget Logan has also been a major face of that movement. All of their new era content, like their podcasts and interviews, Logan has played a major part in and I think a lot of fans will have a bad taste in their mouth watching once he leaves on such bad terms. Because realistically Logan has the perfect personality for that type of content and it will be nearly impossible to replace him there, its why he and Alex work together so well, they can match the energy and tangents.

Then you have to take into account of them Americans and drive to survive people. They get a lot of hate for either liking the sport at all or how they get into it. Logan is their driver, if you look at social media beyond Instagram comments you will find so much support for him. It is one thing to drop Logan as a driver because he's under-preforming (though I have thoughts about That to) but to go from saying you are going to do everything to help logan to publicly flirting with new drivers? Thats just rude. And now Williams are shutting themselves off from these markets/fan bases. I'm sorry but realistically Logan is leaving F1 and Americans will no longer have a home driver to root for and they will blame Williams for that so people will not stick around.

TLDR; Williams by being dicks have shot themselves in the foot next year publicity wise

[hotasfahrenheit]

i was excited when i saw Mike and Jeff (and Ten and Jackson) were going to be on Chuang Asia together but i did not EVER expect multiple shows and projects from them and i'm SO stoked.

i know not everyone in the BL fandom spheres know who Mike is yet but he was in one of my fave dumb Chinese dramas (My Little Princess, and listen it does a really great job of inverting a bunch of popular romance tropes and it's great and funny and cute actually) and i love himmmmmmmm

he's also in one of PP Krit's mvs and it's real pretty so go watch that if you haven't seen it!

Mike was primarily acting in China before the pandemic and until a couple years ago, but he has a young son and the rest of his family is in Thailand from what i know, and it seems like he's shifting into working in Thailand instead of working internationally. and we don't have any actual -confirmation- if either of these shows are going to be BLs or QLs or anything that i know of (tho Happy Ending seems the most likely because of Jeff's and Barcode's characters) but i'll take whatever he's ready to work on because he's great.

i'm so ready for the beautiful things that this beautiful friendship is already turning out like we are all just going to be BLESSED. i hope Mike and Jeff work well together and have a great time and everything they touch turns to gold (and that Jeff talks Mike out of making any more bad mvs) and we get two besties making shows together for a long time. i hope they get to work with all their friends whenever they want and keep pulling in ridiculous collections of actors and talented people to work with them because WHAT THE HECK EVEN ARE THE CASTS FOR THEIR SHOWS like it's actually insane?

i'm also super here for Jeff having been like “i'm out of BOC to focus on singing” and after doing a bunch of successful music stuff, concerts, dropping an album, now he's doing a bunch of acting on his own like yes, get it king, follow your heart and make your own shows since BOC didn't appreciate your talent or give you enough work to do! make all the shows you want, play whatever kinds of characters you want! we're all here for it.

anyway i'm ready for all of it. let's go.

[bbbrianjones]

um guys........ i think u need to understand i'm going fucking insane over this picture