#Phoenix SAT Classes

[nanivinsmoke]

❥ Make U Love Me

logan ‘wolverine’ howlett x mutantfem!reader

♪ you’re tired of going places where you can’t scream and shout ♪

tags: featuring the biggest asshole, scott! cheating, a little angst, violence, mentions of blood and death, slight exhibitionism, kissing, edging, dom logan, sub reader, creampie, pregnancy, oral, multiple orgasms, falling in love, etc…

note: heavily inspired by robin thicke’s song with the same title. wc: 4.7k — put my heart into this.

you were scott’s girl. nothing more, nothing less.

it wasn’t what you thought it would be, well back then at least.

scott was loving when you two first started dating. he would take you out, treat you like a queen, and was very attentive. but, that all started to change when his first love died in the midst of battle. jean grey.

the day she died, is the day your relationship did too. that same guy you fell in love with, turned into the guy you hated. everything stopped. he was no longer the perfect boyfriend, he was more of a royal asshole.

he wouldn’t make love to you, he wouldn’t put you on missions with him and when you confronted him about the change—it would always end in a fight. you didn’t deserve this, you knew you didn’t. but, you couldn’t break up with him. that small piece of your heart wouldn’t allow you.

you knew there was a part of him that still loved you. well, you thought he did. that all changed when you and the crew got the news. jean was alive.

“i don’t want you going after her, scott! what’s so hard to understand about that?” you raised your voice, brushing past your boyfriend and putting the onions you just chopped into the hot skillet—continuing your recipe for tonight’s dinner.

when the professor told everyone that she was alive, scott’s ears perked up and practically begged the professor to let him be the one to go and find her. charles urged scott that it wasn’t a good idea. something could go wrong and she might no longer be the jean we all knew….she could be possessed by an evil force. the dark phoenix.

but, of course scott wasn’t trying to hear that. his mind was clouded with thoughts of the red head. he was still deeply in love with jean. just the thought of her had him going crazy. you knew it and it pissed you off, which brought upon the current argument you two were having now.

“what i don’t understand is why not? she’s one of us! i have to bring her back, with or without your permission!” you turned to him, eyes slowly turning into a deep red; the flames from the stove started to rise—searing the vegetables that sat in the iron pan.

scott started to slowly back up, swallowing thickly as you inched closer to him; afraid of what you might do next. he locked his visor onto the burning food, which he tried to pull your attention on to, but you didn’t budge. that is until you heard someone clearing their throat.

your eyes went back to its normal state and you calmed down once you took a look at logan, who stood there watching the whole ordeal. you looked back at the food and turned the stove off before looking back your boyfriend, “come back with her and see what happens, scott.”

———

you didn’t come out of your bedroom for dinner that night and neither did he. hell, you barely got any sleep last night—too busy tossing and turning in your bed, thinking about scott and jean together. and when you finally did get some sleep, the sun started to peak over the horizon—a beautiful hue of orange painting the sky.

when you finally woke up, you pulled yourself into a much needed hot shower, before putting on your favorite pair of flare jeans and a cute top paired with some leather boots—heading downstairs to see what was happening for today. the children passed by, running and walking to hangout after class, while you made your way down the wooden stairs—looking for your boyfriend.

you wanted to talk to him about yesterday, hopefully to make peace with what transpired—but it seems like he had other plans when you spotted him holding hands & walking with the newly resurrected jean. and to top it all off, he was wearing a big toothy smile like he was kid in a candy store. oh you were pissed.

they disappeared further into the mansion as you stormed downstairs—eyes darkening while you were hot on their tails, ready to confront them; that is until you were trapped between two big muscle bound arms. “let me go logan!” you tried to free yourself from his grasp, but there was no use. he wasn’t letting you go.

“need you to cool off. don’t need you to go all ‘flame on!’ on them today.” he chuckled and ushered you towards the front door, both of you going towards the academy’s garage and pulling off in his car.

you tossed back your shot of vodka, grimacing at the strong burning sensation, before tapping your glass for more. logan had took you to a bar, so you could drink to your hearts content and stop that flame from igniting within you.

“he’s a fucking asshole.” you spoke, downing your drink again then turning to look at the male sitting right next to you. he nodded in agreement and sipped on his whiskey, letting you vent to him.

“I feel like such an idiot, falling in love with someone who doesn’t love me.”

“his fault he couldn’t see what right in front of him.” you passed, wide eyed, looking at the side of his rugged face while he finished off his drink. what did he mean by that?

“pretty lil thing like you deserves to be treated like a princess, not by someone like him.” his compliment made you press your thighs together and shift in your seat.

“and who’s gonna treat me like one?” you hummed, placing your hand on his arm, pressing against him. it might been the liquid courage that had you feeling so bold, but you knew exactly what you were doing.

logan grunted and smirked, shaking his head before his pretty hazel eyes locked on yours, “careful, doll. don’t know what you might be getting yourself into.”

“maybe i do~” you flirted back, lips ghosting his ears, making goosebumps rise on his skin. you wanted him badly right now. you didn’t care that the two of you were out in a bar, it made no difference. you wanted to take him right here and now.

“let’s play some pool.” he got up from his seat and grabbed your hand, making you sigh in response. maybe you were getting ahead of yourself?

———

the two of you played pool for the next couple of hours. logan was surprised to see that you were really good at the game, even more shocked that you had him on a losing streak. “good thing you didn’t put money on it.” you teased, striking the 8ball into one of the holes, winning your fifth game for the night.

“would ask you to play another game, but it’s time we get back to the mansion. bar’s bout to close.” he pointed out and you took a look around, seeing only four patrons left and the bartenders cleaning their glasses. you pouted and racked the balls back into the middle of the table, before grabbing logan’s hands and leaving the bar.

the two of you stood outside of the car for a bit, logan puffing on his cigar while you enjoyed the night’s cool breeze—mind running rampant with what happened in the bar between you and him.

“lo—“ you began, making him turn his attention towards you—the sight of him blowing out smoke did something to you; everything about the male aroused you. why didn’t you see him like this before? maybe you would’ve been happier with him.

“can i kiss you?” you breathed out, stepping closer to him; body heat overpowering the crisp air outside. “doll….” he began, but you stopped him—not ready for him to reject your feelings just yet.

“I know you felt something in there with me. if i felt it, i know you did. so, kiss me. prove me wrong….” you pulled him by his flannel, eyes sparkling with hope and desire; as they flickered to his lips. he searched your face, before he flicked his cigar on the ground and pulled you in close—his lips melting on yours.

you wrapped your arms around his neck while his hands moved to the middle of your back, before falling to your ass—squeezing the plump flesh through your jeans. as much as he wanted to pull back, he didn’t—you were so addictive, he just had have all of you.

his tongue slipped into your mouth and he picked you up and placed you on the hood of the car—kiss becoming passionate by the moment. the taste of the cigar he just smoked and traces of his whiskey had your mind spinning, and your cunt throbbing. “logannn~”

“i know, princess. smelled how bad you wanted it inside of the bar.” he grunted and his thick fingers quickly unfastened your jean’s button, tugging them down slightly—before he slipped his hand into your pants, rubbing your throbbing clit through your yellow panties.

“shit you’re soaked. he’s never made you feel like this, right?” he grunted in your ear, pulling your panties to the side and finally connecting the tips of his fingers to your aching clit, rubbing it slowly.

“no never, he never made me wet like this—fuck—only you lo~” the sweet moan you let out drove him insane, it fueled him and he couldn’t help but to quicken his pace; making your back arch off the hood of the car. gasping, you reached down to hold onto his wrist, trying to stop his pleasurable torment—but it did nothing. he kept going, making you buck your hips up into his palm.

“so needy. summers is such an idiot for letting this go.” logan moves his fingers down to your sodden hole, palm pressing right down onto your clit, making your body jolt in response. despite the tight confinement of your pants, his hand was able to work wonders on your lower half—pumping in and out of your cunt.

you gushed over his fingers each time it hit your spot. the pressure that was building up in the pit of your tummy was becoming unbearable. you desperately needed to let go, show him how good he made you feel.

“gonna cum—all over your fingers!” you warned, eyes starting to roll back into your head as you felt that feeling you loved so much start to burst. that is, until he pulled his fingers away. your eyes shot opened and you watched him suck your juices off of his digits.

“gotta get you home, doll” he fastened your pants and helped you off the hood of the car; before going to the passenger side, opening the door for you. shooting daggers at him as you stomped your way to the car, you watched as he hopped in the driver seat—ignoring your stares.

you didn’t bother opening your mouth to speak either. too frustrated, tired and horny to talk. so, you opted to lay your head against the window and watched as the trees became blurred on the way back to the mansion.

as logan pulled the car up the school’s drive, you could see the resurrected red head and scott standing outside—their lips glued on one another. you shared a look with logan and shook your head. you didn’t have the energy anymore, it was obvious where his heart lied.

getting out of the car, the two pulled back once they noticed the both of you approaching—scott looking like he had seen a ghost. “baby! i-i—“

“go to hell scott” brushing past them, you slowly made your way to your room—logan a few feet behind. logan looked at scott and just shook his head. idiot.

he just planted you right into his hands, and boy was he going to keep you there.

———

the following weeks started to get better and better for you. getting closer to logan was the best thing to ever happen to you. the two of you would spend almost everyday together, most of the days ended with you finally getting to cum around his fingers and all over his face. you were happier, almost like you were in the beginning before scott ruined it. and he noticed it to.

but, you didn’t care what he thought about what you were doing. he ruined his chances of being happy with you ever again and he knew it.

currently you and logan were in an empty class room, with him between your plush thighs; working a third orgasm out of you for today. small hands were tangled in his soft brown locs—tugging them as you grinded your orgasm out on his face. logan pulled away once you calmed down, his beard and half of his face being covered in your slick—which he happily licked up; well what he could.

he helped you off the table and pulled your skirt up while peeling your cold wet panties off. “these? are for me,” you blushed, watching him put them in his pocket before pulling you close. his hands fell to your rear and those eyes that you loved to get lost in, stared right at you; before he pressed his lips against yours.

you melted in the kiss. your body relaxing as the two of you moved in sync, hands moving across each other’s bodies. ever since that day at the bar, you noticed a change in yourself. a change you slowly welcomed. love. you were falling deeply in love with the wolverine. it was different type of love you and scott had. this one felt like one of those love’s where you could see the two of you grow old and have a bunch of mutant babies.

you wanted to tell him how you felt, how he made you feel, but you were scared. scared that he might reject you. so, you opted for the latter. being his friend with benefits.

“logan, I wanna suck your dick~” you pulled back, eyes traveling down to his noticeable bulge, then back up at him.

“don’t wanna hurt you princess. plus ive got a class in fifteen minutes,” he warned and you smirked, slowly sinking down to your knees. “so? ill make you cum in ten~”.

the clinking sound of his belt being dropped to floor, along with his pants, filled the room. he watched with low eyes as you pulled his fully erect length out—cock twitching when he heard you gasp. you now understood why he never fucked you, he was way too big. there was no way your walls would survive that, right?

your mouth salivated at the sight and you could slowly feel yourself becoming even more aroused. gripping his cock and swiping your tongue over the tip, you moaned at the taste of his sweet precum, before you took him into your mouth. he tossed his head back, loving the feeling of your warm wet mouth around him, while you slowly started to take him even deeper.

his big hands practically flew to the back of your head when he felt you gag around him, once he hit the back of your mouth, slowly creeping into your throat.

“did you just cum? hm, princess?” he locked eyes with you, smelling the familiar scent of your arousal—knowing exactly how you smelled when you came.

you whimpered, still slobbering all over his cock before the grip on your head got tighter and he pressed your pretty little head down harder; nose nuzzled in his bush of brown hairs.

you gagged, but he didn’t give you time to adjust as he continued to repeat his actions—pulling you off of his cock by your hair before forcing you right back on; fucking your mouth to his liking. the more he moved the more arousing it became for the both of you, causing you to relax your throat, letting him fill it with his thick cock.

the sound of you gagging and sucking on his cock along with the smell of your cunt dripping with excitement, had the six foot two man going feral. his pretty eyes fluttered in the back of his head and he forcefully pushed your head deep in his bush— letting out one of the sexiest growls you ever heard as he poured thick ropes of cum down your throat.

the warm sensation had you dripping right onto the classroom’s wooden floors, moaning at his taste before you swallowed. his grip loosened and you pulled back, gasping for air.

“told ya i could make you cum~”

———

finding yourself back into your room, you were scared by the dark figure sitting on your bed; making you jump out of your clothes like a cartoon character. flickering on the light, scott sat on your bed wearing a plain look on his face.

“the hell you doing in my room, scott?” you kicked off your shoes, glaring at the brunette. he adjusted his visor before getting up, towering over you a bit.

“you and logan been really close lately. what’s up with that?” you stared at him before giggling. he wasn’t possibly serious? you ignored him and tried to move around him, only for him to grab you and pull you back.

“grab me again and that’ll be the last thing you’ll ever do. get out of my room and go be with jean. me and you are finished.” you stared into his ruby red colored visor, making sure he got the point. the mutant scoffed and shook his head, “fine. go be a whore for logan, sure he’d love that.”

you didn’t even give him time to react before sending a fire induced smack to his face, causing him to yell out from the painful sensation. he was quick to recover, ready to aim his optic lasers at you; until a fist came flying at him—knocking him to the ground. logan stood there for a minute, taking a look at you to make sure you were alright, before pouncing on scott.

you watched as logan nearly beat him bloody before stepping in, tugging on his black button up—begging him to stop. however, the raspy voice of the professor entered all of your minds, stopping everyone’s movements.

‘the dark phoenix has risen and attacked me. jean grey is no longer with us. teachers, meet me in the infirmary’

logan looked at you and grabbed scott, slinking him around his shoulders, “go meet me in the infirmary. im gonna take him to his room and have hank look after him.” you nodded and practically raced to the infirmary, meeting the rest of the x-men. they surround xavier’s comatose body, talking amongst each other about what was going on, until ororo started speaking.

“the professor was attacked a few minutes ago by the x-men we once knew as jean grey. however, the friend we knew and once loved is now gone and is being possessed by a dark entity. this being is catastrophic and we must stop it before it’s too late—” she paused and took a look at her fellow mutants, before raising an eyebrow.

“where’s scott?”

“he’s out of commission for a while. ill catch him up later.” logan’s arm snaked around you waist, appearing behind you and answering her question. she nodded and continued with the details of the mission, before listing out names of those who would be on it.

you and logan were the main frontmen for this mission. storm had converged a plan on how it should go down, along with a plan b; warning you guys that there’s a slight chance it might end bad. she put her faith in you and the team, before dismissing everyone. the mission would take place tomorrow.

———

sitting on logan’s surprisingly soft bed, you relaxed while he was in the shower. your mind was running rampant about what could possibly happen tomorrow. being that this could possibly be the end, frightened you, especially since you haven’t told him how you felt.

“logan?” you called out, listening to the calming sound of the shower running.

“yeah?” he responded and you got up from his bed and stripped out of your clothes, joining him in the shower. the sight of his nude, wet body was breathtaking. so very breathtaking, that you couldn’t help but break down and cry—sobbing as the warm water painted your face.

those thick eyebrows raised and he immediately pulled you close, rubbing circled on your back; along with rubbing your head. “hey, talk to me. won’t be able to understand you when you’re crying like this, princess.”

you nodded in his hairy chest before pulling back, sniffling. this was the time to let it all out, let him know how you feel.

“i love you. i love you so fucking bad, logan. you’re all i think about. i think about us getting married and having a litter or two of kids…” he laughed at and kissed your temple, before urging you to continue.

“you’ve been there for me for a while now. you uplifted me and showed me what true love is. and it pains me to know that there’s a possibility that tomorrow could take this away from me.” more tears poured out of your eyes and he cupped your face, kissing away your tears.

logan honestly felt the same. he fell in love with you the moment you joined the x-men. even when you got with scott, he still loved you. he just knew it was fate that the two of you were meant to be. he moved his lips down to your soft plump ones, making you melt on the spot.

the kiss the two of you shared held such passion, that you wished you could stay like this forever.

“i love you too, princess. but, you will tell me this tomorrow; when we win.” he kissed from your lips down to your neck before stopping at the middle of your chest—kissing one of your mounds and holding the other; earning a moan from you.

“in the meantime, how about we get started on that litter?” you giggled and nodded your head, before your back was against the wall with his cock in between your legs—warming up from your heat, while he pinched one of your perky nipples and sucked on the other.

slick started to pool and drip onto his cock as he continued to tease your sensitive breasts, fueling your arousal. “please, baby….don’t tease me—wan’ you inside of me~”

he pulled away from your nipple with a ‘pop’ echoing after, still teasing the other one with his rough hands, a smirk painted on his rugged face. “you sure you’re ready for that, doll?” he asked and you nodded profusely. lifting up your leg, he rubbed himself on your slick coated slit, using your essence as lubricant and then pushed himself into your tightness.

he threw his head back from how you felt, and your walls clung to him; clenching and unclenching around him. the pressure he was putting on your clit, had you cumming prematurely. he smirked and pulled himself out, making you whimper; already missing how he filled you up—even though it was just the tip.

he repeated that process, pushing his cock in and pulling you out, earning more lewd noises from you and your pretty pussy. “logannn, please fuck me already!” he grunted in response and slammed himself inside—filling you to the brim with his cock. you squealed from the pleasurably painful sensation that coursed through you, kissing him to distract you from the pain.

the grip on your leg tightened as he started to pound your sweet little pussy, walls stretching past its normals limits. the more he fucked you, the more your cunt became molded to the shape of his cock. it was evident that you were made for him.

by now, the water had gotten cold and he continued to rut inside of you—cunt coating his cock with your creamy white fluids. he was drowning in your sweet fluids and he didn't need a floatie—he had reached nirvana.

in one swift motion, the shower was off and you were in his arms—legs wrapped around his waist while he was still inside; carrying you out of the shower & over to the bathroom sink. he pulled out momentarily as he placed you on your feet and turned you around, your fat ass facing him; while he plunged right back inside of your middle.

pushing your arch down, placing his hands on your hips—he reached deeper than before, causing you to scream. “dick too big for you baby?” you nodded and he chuckled, grinding himself against you until he started to pound you silly.

you tried to open your mouth to speak, to warn him that you were going to cum, but your mind was too fucked out to process anything; so you let out a sweet moan. “go ahead and cum for me princess. could feel her twitching around me.”

it was amazing how he knew your body so well already and it didn’t take long for you to heed his words, cumming hard on his dick while he continued to make your cunt his. the tightness of your walls squeezing him, broke him and he couldn’t help but to cum buckets inside of you—filling your tummy up with his kids.

the two of you panted, bodies shaking as your orgasms came over you—your head being pulled back so he could press a kiss to your lips.

“i love you, princess.”

———

blood covered the blue and yellow suits the team wore as the dark phoenix made paint out of their blood. the fight wasn’t going so good. some of you were gravely injured, possibly on the brink of death, while some of you tried to catch your breaths; still able to fight.

you looked over at a bleeding logan, worried about the wounds he had received, catching his eyes. “don’t worry, it’ll heal.”

he charged towards the being, claws fully unsheathed, with you and few others following suit; only to be tossed away like peons. you laid there in pain, ready to accept defeat, until you heard the crunching of the dirt nearby. turning your head you were shocked to see scott, staring down the possessed body of his old lover.

scott turned to look at you and logan, and smiled before inching closer toward them. your eyes shot open, you knew exactly what he was going to do. “scott! wait,—“ but it was already too late.

with the help of colossus, the leader of the x-men was tossed over to jean—grabbing onto her before a red flash of light blinded you all. once it cleared, the two were gone. the only thing that stood where they once were, was scott’s yellow & red custom visor.

you sat there in disbelief. you never expected this to happen. yeah, you his guts, but you never expected him to sacrifice himself. better yet, die.

“c’mon doll, let’s go home~” logan’s raspy voice pulled you out of your thoughts, holding out his hand which you gladly accepted. you turned around, looking at where he was one last time, before turning around heading back to the jet.

——

5 months later.

“and here lies the visor that was once used by our leader and hero of the x-men, cyclops. he will be missed.” logan spoke to the new students joining the academy—giving them a tour, stopping at scott’s memorial.

“logan~” your voice called out to him, making him turn his attention over to you—his beautiful pregnant wife. “alright kids, gonna turn this over to our new teacher; ms. frost,” the blonde stepped up with a smile and took over while your husband jogged over to you—kissing your growing belly before moving up to your lips.

“we’re gonna be late! this is the appointment where we get to see the baby’s gender!”

it might’ve started off rough, but you were finally happy and in love.

[luminnara]

The Blood-Sucking Brady Bunch | The Lost Boys x Reader (ch 1)

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Summary: After your mother and younger brothers packed up and moved to California, the last thing you expected was a phone call informing you that she was getting married. Naturally, you drop everything to go meet this Max guy—but there’s definitely something weird going on in Santa Carla. (Post-movie canon)

“Well, hon, I’m getting married!”

The words had floored you. They had struck you so hard you’d nearly dropped the phone. 

“Wait…what?” You had asked, picking your jaw back up off the floor. 

“I know, I know…it’s soon. But, well, one thing led to another, and next thing you know…it’ll be a courthouse wedding with a small reception at the house, nothing big. Really, I don’t think I could stand another big wedding!”

She had sounded cheerful as always, ever the optimist. Sometimes, you doubted that your mother had the ability to feel pessimistic, especially after the messy divorce that had been finalized only a few months earlier. You remembered how you had helped her pack up the car before she and your younger brothers had left Phoenix in favor of your mom’s hometown in California, and how even then, she had smiled at you and told you how you’d need to come visit when they got settled. You hadn’t really heard much from any of them since then, and you had chalked it up to the chaos of moving across state lines, finding new jobs, new schools, and the beginning of new life for the three of them, away from your wealthy Arizonian father. You hadn’t exactly done your part in communicating, either–you’d been busy working to afford your share of the apartment you split and wondering if you should actually go through with your idea of community college classes.

When the phone had rung one evening, you’d been surprised and excited to hear your mother’s voice on the other end…but that excitement had quickly turned to confusion and the realization that a lot must have happened in the months you’d been separated from most of your family, and as your head had spun while you’d listened to her telling you about a wedding, you’d already begun putting your shoes on. 

“Okay, okay yeah, when is it?” you’d asked, holding the phone snugly against your shoulder as you’d searched for your keys. 

“Oh, well, that’s the thing,” your mother had said, a bit sheepishly. “Like I said, it’s sudden, but…two weekends from now?”

And that’s how you’d ended up quitting your minimum wage job, helping your roommates find someone to take your place and share of the rent at the last minute, and buying a one way bus ticket to Santa Carla, California. 

“You sure you wanna do this?” your roommate asked as you packed the last of your belongings in a suitcase on the day of your departure. They’d both been aghast at the news of your sudden decision to leave, initially arguing against it. You couldn’t really blame them—this would have been crazy in any other circumstance, but they didn’t know your family the way you did. 

“My mom gets a little…well. She’s just too nice sometimes, y’know?” you forced a laugh out, trying to lighten the mood. In truth, you were worried, concerned that your mother had landed in some terrible situation, and you knew that if you didn’t haul ass to California, you’d never be able to sleep again. 

She looked at you skeptically. “So maybe it’s a midlife crisis. Is that really enough of a reason to sell your furniture and skip town?”

“I never liked that furniture anyways,” you shrugged. “It’s all from when I lived with my dad, and honestly? This is as good an excuse to get away from Phoenix for a while as any.”

“Alright, suit yourself,” she muttered. “I’ll give you a ride to the station, at least.”

And so you shoved your suitcases into her old beater car, made small talk, and then sat alone in a busy Greyhound station, trying not to worry. Your entire life, your mother had been kind–too kind–and your father had been…well, the opposite, on many occasions. As a result, you’d developed a tendency to react harshly to change, or to situations you deemed suspicious, and a sudden marriage to a man you’d never met definitely had your hackles raised. 

“Everything is going well here,” your mother had said over the phone. “I got a job! And, well, that’s how I met him—my fiancé, Max. He owns the video store here in town…you’d love it, hon, you really would.”

Max. Max what? She hadn’t even given you his last name. Max, the guy who owned the video store in Santa Carla, whom she had said was charming and trying his best to connect with your brothers so that everyone could get along and live happily ever after. 

Just Max.

“Sam and Michael are doing well, too,” she had told you. “Michael still doesn’t have a steady job…he works around the boardwalk here and there, you know how it is. And Sam’s made some new friends!”

Hearing that your brothers were doing alright had been a relief. From the moment your mother’s car had pulled away, you’d been worried about them, wondering if they’d settle in and find new crowds to hang with in California. You could still remember how upset Michael had been when he had to leave his sort-of-girlfriend, Laurie, behind in Phoenix, and how Sam had spent a few days begging to stay behind. You’d been surprised when he had eventually agreed that a change of scenery could be alright, after all.

Now, as you donned your comfiest travel outfit, boarded your bus, and found a seat, you wondered what Santa Carla was really like. You had been thinking about leaving Phoenix for a while, and once your parents’ divorce had been finalized, you had really, really been thinking about it. What would it be like, seeing the ocean all the time? And was Santa Carla really as sketchy as the news made it out to be? Even all the way in Phoenix, you occasionally heard about the murder capital of the world. Whenever something particularly grisly happened, or if something became politically relevant, your mother’s hometown would pop up on TV or the radio, and you would stop and listen every time. 

As the bus pulled onto what you knew would be a very, very long stretch of highway, you wadded up a jacket to use as a makeshift pillow and held it against the window. If you had spent even ten minutes actually preparing for this trip, maybe you would have brought a real pillow along…but in your desperation to make sure your mother wasn’t making the worst decision of her life, you had left them all behind. 

“Max really is the sweetest…and he’s so in touch with the latest fads! Oh, honey, you should see his house—well, I suppose you will soon enough, huh? Anyways, what I mean is, he’s got so much art and so many fun decorations…he’s very hip!”

This Max guy couldn’t be that bad, could he? Your mom’s description had made you imagine a dorky suburban dad who was always trying too hard to keep up with the latest gadgets, who camped outside RadioShack whenever the newest gadget was released. He was probably desperate to stay young or something. He probably had a weird mix of all the cool stuff from his childhood that he could never afford, and everything that people your age now wished they could get their hands on. He’d probably rub it in your face that he was middle aged with an entire business and the salary to buy whatever he wanted, while you had spent your adulthood just trying to pay your rent.

That bit was partially your fault–your dad had plenty of cash, but you’d been so determined to move out and away from your parents’ dysfunctional marriage that you’d made a pact with yourself to refuse any money he’d try to shove your way. Not-so-shockingly, he never really had…which was a little insulting, but also made your resolution easier to keep.

As the bus rumbled along the desert highway towards California, you tried not to be too pessimistic. Maybe Max was a nice, normal guy, and this was simply a case of your mother getting a little excited about her newfound freedom after the divorce. You figured that was probably the best case scenario, with the worst case being something more along the lines of a scam, or a hostage situation, or worse. Maybe this Max guy wanted your mom’s money…not that she had any. Maybe he thought you or your grandfather did, since your father in Phoenix was decently loaded. You hadn’t seen a dime of his money in years, though, and to your knowledge, Grandpa wasn’t exactly rolling in cash. If Max’s plan was to extort your family, he probably wouldn’t get very far. 

Or maybe, just maybe, he actually, really, genuinely wanted to be with your mother, and maybe she felt the same way about him…though you couldn’t quite manage to shake the uneasiness you felt creeping up your spine. You were on the defense about all of this, that was for sure. 

Was it crazy, going to so much trouble just to check on your mother? She was an adult, with a lifetime of experience behind her. She could handle herself, and she could marry whomever she wanted now that she had divorced your dad. Was uprooting your entire life to run after her too extreme? You’d simply been invited to a wedding, for Pete’s sake. Nobody would be expecting you to be moving to Santa Carla. And maybe you weren’t, not really—maybe you’d end up deciding that everything was up to snuff and this Max guy checked out, and that Santa Carla wasn’t really your vibe. There was a solid chance you’d be hopping on another bus before too long and heading south to LA or somewhere with more opportunities than the Murder Capital of the World had to offer. 

-0-

The long bus ride gave you way too much time to think. A few of your fellow passengers made occasional small talk, asking why you were heading to California and if you had ever been there before. You had, you were pretty sure, once when you were little—before Michael was born—but you couldn’t really remember it. Your mom had never gone back to visit her parents very much, and now that it was just Grandpa left there, nobody from Santa Carla ever set foot in Phoenix, either. You’d spoken with him on the phone, on birthdays and holidays, but really, the old man seemed to prefer the peace and quiet of his house in the hills, and you couldn’t really blame him.

That’s where you were headed as soon as you reached Santa Carla—Grandpa��s house. Well, first you’d hop off the bus and find the nearest pay phone, and tell your mom you were in town, and maybe look around for a motel to stay in so you were out of the way during the wedding preparations, but then you’d be heading to grandpa’s. 

As the bus rumbled along the highway, you did your best to sleep, though it didn’t come easily. You tried to pass the time by reading a newspaper borrowed from a fellow traveler, but the local news was boring, and the crossword puzzle was already done. You should’ve picked up one of those paperback sudoku books or something to occupy yourself with. You’d brought a couple horror comics, the entirety of your modest collection, but they were tucked away in the suitcase stashed in the bus’s luggage compartment, and besides, you’d read them all a million times. 

Whenever the bus made a pit stop or you needed to make a transfer at a Greyhound station, you considered calling this whole thing off. At one point, as you faced yourself in a dingey bathroom mirror, you wondered if you should go up to the ticket window and try to get yourself back to Phoenix. Arizona was familiar, and even if you didn’t like it or the fact that your father lived within its borders, at least it was a place you understood. The concept of California felt foreign, and as the newspaper headlines grew more and more focused on Santa Carla’s crime rate the closer you came, you wondered if it was really a place you wanted to land in. 

Whenever those thoughts started to feel a little too comforting, you reminded yourself of your mother and the whirlwind marriage she was getting herself into, and you realized how determined you were to reach her. You told yourself that you weren’t afraid of Santa Carla, that there was nothing it could throw at you that you hadn’t seen before. You told yourself that it was only a town, a city by the sea with an unfortunate reputation. During the last leg of your journey, you psyched yourself up, and by the time the bus came to its final stop, you had managed to convince yourself that this was where you were meant to be. 

You heard the brakes hiss before the lights came on, momentarily blinding you. Squinting, you gathered your things, waited awkwardly for everyone ahead of you to move, and then shuffled your way off of the bus and onto the dark asphalt of Santa Carla’s bus station. 

It was dusk, the sun having already set. All in all, your journey had taken over a day and a half, and you were exhausted, despite the sporadic napping you had managed. With your luggage—all of your worldly possessions, now, really—in hand, you made your way into the sidewalk and away from the small crowd exiting the bus, noting the missing persons flyers pasted all over the light posts lining the outside of the station. The sheer volume was a little unsettling, but then again, Phoenix had its fair share of stuff like that too, probably. You probably just never heard of most of it, you reasoned. 

As your eyes drifted over the poorly-photocopied posters, you spotted something much more useful—a pay phone, with a badly bruised phone book sitting nearby. Flipping through the yellow pages revealed the names of a few cheap-sounding motels, and after a quick glance at a map of town (kept safe behind foggy plexiglass), you set off in the general direction of one of them. Your first night in Santa Carla wasn’t likely to be one of supreme comfort, nor would it be particularly clean or fresh smelling, but you’d at least have a place to stay. 

Though your initial plan had been to call your mom first thing, you opted to wait until you reached the motel and find a pay phone there. If the room was already paid for, she’d be less likely to convince you to stay with her instead, something you just didn’t think you had the emotional energy for after such a long journey. Maybe in a day or two you’d be willing to move yourself over to be with her and her new fiance, but you needed to decompress and ease into this whole “mom’s getting married” thing. 

When you reached the motel, it was exactly as you’d expected: small, a little rundown, and with a half-full parking lot. It seemed quiet enough, and after paying for a room at the office, you made your way beneath the flickering street lights to unlock your door and dump your suitcase on the bed. The sheets seemed clean and while the room was dated and the carpet showed a few stains, you were more than okay with sleeping here for a night or two. Or more, depending on how you liked this Max guy. If you hated him, you’d have to start paying the weekly rates. 

“Okay,” you sighed, flopping down next to your suitcase. “Food. Call Mom. Sleep.” 

You stared at the ceiling for a long moment, willing your body to move again.  

“Alright. Santa Carla, here I am.” 

[angelbby555]

Caught Staring pt. 2

Summary: You're forced to sit on Bradley's lap when there's no room left in the car. Word count: 600

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

“No I can get us there the fastest, I’m practically like Baby in Baby Driver.” Mickey reasoned while everyone was fighting to drive. 

“It’s true, I’ve seen him,” Nat confirmed. You guys were dressed in your flight suits, running late. Fanboy was the only one who decided to rent a car out of all of the daggers when you all got deployed to Pensacola Florida.

Instead of sleeping in the barrack, all of you had decided to rent a hotel. Late last night, everyone was ordering room service and having way too much to drink at the bar in the lobby. Now there was too much noise and chaos for your hangover, while the daggers tried to figure out how to fit 7 people in a Toyota Corolla made for 5 people.

“I call shotgun!” Jake scurried for the passenger door.

Then everybody abandoned the plan all rushing to the car to get maximum room. Leaving every man and woman for themselves.

Bradley rushed to the right door, Pheonix and Javy to the left. Fanboy got in the drivers seat, and Jake obviously got shotgun. Javy sat in the back on the left Phoenix in the middle and Bradley on the right. Rooster and Coyote were navy guys, so they naturally took up all the room in the back seat.

You and Bob were the last standing out of the car since you didn’t fight for your seats. Leaving all 5 in the car laughing.

Somehow, Bob managed to squeeze into the car, stepping on a few toes as he sat on the center console with his neck awkwardly bent to the side so he could fit in the car. The Toyota looked even more packed with six as you stared at everyone inside, not knowing where to go.

You were the only one left standing outside of the car.

“Where do I sit?” You pathetically whined making everyone erupt into a fit of pity laughs. Nat would let you sit on her lap but she was already uncomfortable with Bob’s knee squeezing around hers. And of course, Javy wasn't gonna risk his room. 

“Blade sit on Bradley's lap,” Javy suggested with a smirk like the last time at the pool. 

“Yeah, come on, Blade,” Bradley said with a charming smile that made your heart trip over itself. It was bad enough that you had a fat crush on him, but even worse, you had to sit on his lap and pretend like you hadn't dreamed about this before.

“O-okay.” You were sure the pure terror was written all over your face.

You set both feet in the car and you grabbed onto the headrest of the passenger seat to balance yourself as you got in the car. You took a cautious seat on the tip of Bradley’s knee, putting none of your body weight on him. There was no chance you would be able to fully sit on his lap without turning bright red.

Bradley closed the door and your head was practically touching the roof of the car, not because you were tall but because you were hovering over Bradley. 

“Blade I can feel you shaking, sit down.” Bradley laughed as he called you out. You didn’t have to look at Javy to know he was smirking. You put a quarter of your body weight on his knee and in that moment Bradley was wrapping a strong arm around your waist, pulling you down on his lap. You felt stiff and embarrassed as you sat on his firm thigh. “Better?” He asked looking out the window.

“Mh-hm” You nodded your head unable to speak. Your arm brushed against his causing a fire to light beneath you.

It was the most embarrassing yet horniest car ride of your life. Bradley had to know you harbored feelings for him from the last time you were caught staring at his back. But there was no chance he knew how erratic you felt as you sat on his lap, trying to keep a neutral face.

To add to your heat, Bradley’s arm would cautiously tighten around your waist when Mickey would hit the brakes aggressively. 

I write these stories at night but, I'm starting to snooze in my classes lol. Need to start going to bed early.

[angelicsoka]

REAL GENTLEMEN, b. bradshaw

word count | 2.3k

pairings | bradley “rooster” bradshaw x fem!seresin!reader

summary | in which jake’s sister goes on a bad date, and bradley decides to show her how a real gentleman acts.

warnings | slight angst (not rooster’s doing), icky men just looking for sex. age gap relationship: reader is 21, rooster is 33. reader is in college. use of ‘y/n’. insinuations of smut but no actual smut. not proofread. lowercase intended. 

a/n | i got this idea a few days ago and figured this would be perfect for rooster x hangman’s sister!reader, i did get carried away and i had to cut myself off before i wrote a whole ass novel. i would be more than happy to write a part two tho ;))))

it had been a month since you had seen your big brother jake in person, as he had been called back to TOP GUN for some classified mission he couldn’t tell you about, which meant limited phone calls. instead you were left back in lemoore, california in your shared apartment all by yourself. to pass the time when you weren’t in class or working part time as a server, you decided to join an online dating site. at first, it was nothing more than just trying to connect with people in the area since you weren’t from around there, but you had recently swiped right on a good looking guy who had a good sense of humor and a great personality. soon, a date had been set up for later in the week, and you felt genuinely excited.

as you sat in your room, deciding between your favorite dress and a more casual outfit, you heard the front door opening. you weren’t expecting anyone, so you grabbed the baseball that sat near your door, ignoring the uneasy pit in your stomach as you quietly walked towards the living room. you heard loud rustling, raising your bat in defense as you jumped the front door, blindly swinging. “jesus, stop– stop swinging!” you stopped your rapid swinging at the sound of your older brother's voice as he ripped the bat from your hands. “what are you doing? you coulda hurt yourself!”

“jake? shit, i thought you were an intruder or something! you could've told me you were coming back!” as angry as you were at jake for nearly giving you a heart attack, you hugged him tightly, pulling back when you noticed the group of people behind him. “and i see you brought friends.”

“ah, yes. y/n, meet the dagger squad: phoenix, rooster, bob, fanboy, payback, and you know coyote.” you furrowed your eyebrows at all the callsigns, “guys, this is my baby sister, y/n.” you smiled kindly to coyote before awkwardly waving to the rest group, now realizing you looked kind of crazy with your makeup and hair half done, wildly yielding a bat. 

“sorry about the whole trying to beat you with a bat thing, jake didn’t tell me he was coming back, let alone bringing friends.” you glared at jake before stepping aside to allow the group to walk further in. “i haven't been able to go to the store this week, but you are welcome to anything in the kitchen.”

“why do you look like that?” jake questioned, you followed behind him as the dagger squad began to get comfortable.

“don’t be a jackass! i’ll have you know, i was in the middle of getting ready for my date tonight when–” you started, only to be rudely interrupted by your dumbass of a brother.

“woah, woah, woah, date? since when did you date?” he snarked to which you rolled your eyes, shoving past him. 

“since you left! and now i’m running late because of you and i still haven't picked out my outfit!” you began to panic, realizing your date would be here soon and you still weren’t dressed. “fuck!” you rushed back to your room, still unsure of what to wear. you were beginning to get really frustrated when a knock sounded at your bedroom door. “come in.” the woman from the dagger squad, phoenix, entered with a hesitant smile.

“sorry, if i’m intruding but you seemed stressed the fuck out so i figured i’d try to help you out.” you smiled thankfully, holding up your two outfit options.

“thank you so much! okay, so i’m stuck between these two.” with natasha’s help, as she had properly introduced herself, you were able to get to the door before your brother could, allowing you to leave with your date before jake could interfere. “i’m leaving, bye!” you quickly shut the door, accepting the hand of your date. 

the date itself didn't go horrible, at least not until the end. your date, mike, was a gentleman: opening your car door, pulling the chair out for you, the works. but it started to get weird when the server came over, ready to take your order. she looked at you, only to be interrupted by mike who proceeded to order a salad for you, while he got a steak. you didn't say anything, smiling awkwardly to the server who sent you an apologetic look. after dinner, mike led you to his car, opening the door. “so, would you like to go back to my place now, or did you want to stop somewhere before?” he said nonchalantly, leaving you bewildered and offended.

“excuse me?” mike seemed confused by your reaction. “i wasn't planning on going home with you. i thought i made that clear when we first planned the date.”

“are you being serious? i thought you were just playing hard to get.” you huffed out a laugh in disgust, “i was a gentleman, i drove you, i paid for dinner. the least you could do is come home with me.” shocked was an understatement.

“first of all, you paid for dinner, yes, but you didn't even let me order what i wanted! that hardly makes you a gentleman! second of all, expecting sex as a return to paying for dinner is the least gentleman thing i can think of! expecting sex, after someone made it clear they weren’t looking for it, is crazy!” you pushed the car door open, quickly getting out.

“where are you going?” mike called out after you, watching as you pulled out your phone. “i’m your ride!”

“i’d rather walk than be stuck in a car with a piece of shit like you!” you started walking away, the tears that you had been holding back began to cascade down your cheeks. you fumbled with your phone, pulling up jake’s contact. “jake, can you come pick me up?”

“what's wrong? are you okay?” jake’s worried voice must have caused concern amongst his friends, who’s murmurs you could barely pick up.

“the dude was a douche. please, jake.” you pleaded, taking a seat on a bench, ignoring the strange looks from passersby.

“text me your location.” you hung up after thanking jake, quickly texting him your location. you patiently waited for jake to arrive, trying to calm yourself down before jake got there. you watched as a blue bronco pulled up, surprised when jake hopped out, followed by one of his friends, who’s name you couldn’t quite remember. you groaned internally; the last thing you wanted was one of jake’s (hot) friends to see you crying on a bench after a shitty date. “what happened? are you okay? did he hurt you? cause i have no problem committing homicide for you.” that last part made you smile slightly.

“jake, i’m okay. the dude was a douchebag but he didn't hurt me or anything.” you reassured your brother, who seemed relieved. the guy behind him, goose was it?, seemed surprised at your brother’s kindness. “did you really have to bring one of your friends though?” you asked in a whisper, smiling softly to the guy, who smiled back slightly. 

“sorry, my truck wouldn’t start and rooster offered to drive.” you nodded, looking to rooster who stood there awkwardly. “let's get you home.” jake and rooster led you to the bronco, jake taking the passenger seat as you climbed into the backseat. the ride was silent and awkward, as you watched out the window, listening to the quiet country music that played.

as soon as rooster’s bronco rolled to a stop, you pushed the door open, walking hurriedly to your apartment. you pushed the door open, not bothering to close it since jake was not far behind you. you rushed past the group who were watching a movie, slamming your bedroom door shut. you finally broke down, feeling disgusted and hurt by the night's events. you changed into sweats and one of jake’s old shirts you had stolen years ago, crawling into your bed. you curled into yourself under your blankets, ignoring jake as he knocked on your door.

“y/n? can we talk?” jake called through the door, his own worried expression causing concern amongst his friends. they had never seen jake like this.

“i’m fine, jake. just leave me alone, please.” you begged your brother, who seemed to accept you weren’t ready to talk. he left you alone to wallow in your pity, for god knows how long. 

when you finally got up, it was dark in the apartment and the dagger squad was asleep in the living room. you tried to stay quiet, walking toward the kitchen, flipping on a small light that hopefully wouldn’t wake the sleeping aviators in the other room. you jumped when you noticed a figure sitting at the island, who seemed surprised to see you.

“shit! you scared me!” you whisper-shouted at rooster who was happily enjoying a bowl of ice cream. “what are you doing in here?” rooster looked at you and then to the bowl in front of him, and then back to you.

“i could ask you the same question. it’s past your bedtime, isn’t it?” you rolled your eyes, grabbing a bowl and spoon before joining rooster at the island. 

“well, this is my apartment, and that is my ice cream.” you began to scoop ice cream into your bowl, smirking slightly at rooster. “and i don’t have a bedtime!” rooster laughed at your exasperation. “what are you doing up, rooster? i thought an old man like you would be snoring loudly like your pals out there.” 

“first of all, you can call me bradley, if you’d like,” you nodded; the name fit him well. “second of all, i am not an old man!” you laughed a little too loudly, your eyes widening when you heard someone stir. you and bradley stilled for a moment, but nothing happened. “i just… couldn’t sleep, i guess.” bradley shrugged, pushing his ice cream around with his spoon.

“yeah, same.” you quieted for a moment before an idea popped in your head. “y’know, when i can’t sleep i usually go for a drive. i know this place where you can see the stars clearly, i can show you, if you’d like.” bradley seemed to hesitate for just a moment before agreeing. you both quietly put on some shoes, bradley grabbing his keys as you both tiptoed out of the apartment. you followed bradley to his bronco, smiling as he opened the door for you, allowing you to climb into the passenger’s seat. “i’ll direct you there.” 

bradley put on a random radio station, singing along as you directed him to your favorite place. it took about thirty minutes before bradley was pulling over on a dirt road near an open grassy area. you climbed out the bronco, bradley meeting you on the other side. you took his hand into yours, ignoring the heat that began to spread on your face, as you led him over to the area. “look.” you pointed to the sky which held millions of stars, which never failed to amaze you. “there’s the little dipper, it's a part of the ursa minor constellation.” you explained, pointing out the constellation to bradley, who followed your finger. “isn’t it beautiful?” bradley looked at you, taking in the beauty that is you. 

“yeah.” his voice came out barely above a whisper, his eyes still trained on you. he was pulled back to reality as you pointed out more of the stars. bradley watched as your face lit up while talking about all things astrology related, he couldn’t understand how someone could hurt someone as sweet as you. he may not have known you very long, but bradley could tell you were special. 

“y’know, you can’t let a dick like mike ruin your night.” bradley spoke, breaking the silence that had blanketed the two of you. he had driven the bronco to the grassy area, helping you into the bed of his truck so you can look at the stars more comfortably. 

you looked at bradley before looking back at the sky. “it’s not just him, most guys are like that nowadays.” you shrugged, hugging your knees to your chest.

“most, but not all.” you turned to bradley who was facing you. “you didn’t deserve that, y/n.” 

“do you have a girlfriend, bradley? a wife?” bradley paused for a moment, which gave you your answer. “why not?”

“haven’t found the right girl to tame me, i suppose.” bradley shrugged, watching as you giggled slightly at his response. “why do you ask?”

“just figured a guy like you would’ve been taken already. you’re a real gentleman, bradley, y’know that?” you moved onto your knees and closer to bradley. you thought he would move away, but he stayed in his spot, watching with uncertainty. “i’m sure there many ladies who would like to tame you, bradley.” you inched closer, now between bradley’s legs as he watched you closely. 

“like who? you?” bradley watched you come even closer, impossibly closer.

“maybe…” bradley knew it was wrong, that he shouldn’t want his friend’s little sister like this.

“jake’ll be pissed.” bradley watched you roll your pretty little eyes. “fuck it, can i kiss you?” you nodded, bradley pressing his lips to yours in a passionate kiss. even in a moment of passion, bradley was still a gentleman. he pulled you on to his lap, kissing you as if he never would again, which was probably true if jake were to ever find out. but that didn’t matter right now. 

“i’m going to show you how a real gentleman acts.” 

[missmarveledsblog]

It's fate part two ( Bradley bradshaw x reader)

summary : bradley can't stay away and well jake soon finds out leading to a blow up game of dogfight football

warning: none its still goofy fun well one fight but other than that it's fluff

previous part

Never had he been sure of anything then fact was he sitting across from his future wife. From the way she laughed to smile , how she animatedly told him of the different kids in her class and how each was a character in their own right . he imagine would she talk like that about their kid albeit he was getting a little ahead  since he hadn’t even asked her on the first date nor did her brother his fellow aviator and well close friend he was even talking to her in the first place .  yet in that moment i wasn’t on his mind , jake wasn’t on his mind as he sat in the cafe on what was the third time he was meeting with the woman he couldn’t get out of his head. 

“ i’ve not let you get a word in have i ?” she chuckled looking up as she took a bite of her brownie . 

“ seriously talk away it amazing to hear about little katie and her overcoming the sandpit but i do wanna know if little zack got his dog cat yet?” he smiled almost dreamily as she laughed  the way her head fell back and the way the sound literally warmed his insides better then any coffee he’s drank so far taking full advantage of his weekend off  not caring to go to the beach  or beat jake in dog tag football like he usually is no bradley is content with sitting in a cafe listening about kids he never even saw . so lost in her not even the buzzing on his own phone snapped this spell she had on him till her own went off . 

“ sorry let me take this” she smiled before bringing it up to her ear. “ hey idiot … yeah i can come and bradley can bring me  .. what he’s here with me know  yeah jake we will be there soon” she rolled her eyes before hanging up . “ my dumb brother wants us to meet him at the beach something about some game” she shrugged as bradley came crashing back to earth. 

“ yeah sure  lets go i’ll follow you” he smiled as took got ready to leave watching as she walked out. “ well i guess i’ll see my parent quicker than i thought i would “ he sighed  leaving a tip on table  before slowly heading to what was going to be his doom . 

From the look on jake seresins face when they arrive on the beach well doom was the right and accurate world to describe the following . 

“ I’ll sit with little seresin ..hey i’m natasha you can call me nat”  phoenix smiled really not wanting to be caught in the crossfire of what was about to come as Mav called the two captains to only be jake and bradley . 

“ i told you she’s off limits chicken “ jake glared getting in position . 

“ i told you it’s fate bagman “ rooster almost copied as the two glared it didn’t matter who was on side no this was between them two and them alone in this game .  the moment javy passed the ball throwing it to bob who ultimately tried to throw it back to jake only for fanboy to intercept and throw it to payback then in turn threw it too rooster .  well with who he was determined to impress stood on side lines rooster ran playing probably the best he had since he ever came across the game . 

“ 1 point to roosters team “ Mav called as y/n cheered making her brother pissed off . 

 Throughout the game both men done whatever in their power knocking each other over diving and dotting  til the scores where tied both panting and glaring at each other as their teammates honestly was happy to call it a tie . 

“ is it usually this … violent” y/n asked nat worried for both men . 

“ well there a more push rate here” nat winced instantly catching her on to what it  was . 

Once she watched as the two began head to head like to bulls charging til it was no longer just pushing and well fist started fly sending the men over pull them apart both men yelling at mav with bruise cheeks and egos and she walked closer. 

“ he’s dating my sister” 

“ it’s not a date …yet she’s an adult asshat” .

“ a girl really grow hell up both of you” mav rolled his eyes as the two began shouting back and forth . 

“ sorry sir may i try  “ she smiled sweetly up all doe eyes and sugarly sweet . 

“ i’m willing to try anything kid knock yourself out “ now what mav didn’t expect was the loud whistle  that shut the boys up or the fast she grab both of the men by the ear . 

“ now y’all gonna talk like adults or am going to show you how we treat misbehaving children  “ she looked between the two sternly as they instantly shut up . 

“ you can’t date rooster , one he’s old as hell and two he’s my friend” jake huffed. 

“ jakey buddy you have slept with  i could easily name five of my friends and another five co workers   another think if i wanna sleep with or date someone i will choose myself i am adult seem more of an adult then you” she crouched. 

“ i said that , i’m not old as hell ” rooster spoke up . 

“ and you well goading my brother and hitting him ain’t gonna happen again because idiot or not i kinda love him is that clear “ she  stood as he gulped and nodded. “ now  shake hands and grow up because i will give that man my number and jake can tell you how my mama kept his ass in straight line” she stomped over to Mav. 

“ sorry chicken “ jake grumbled. 

“ sorry bagman” . 

“ like you mean it jesus “ she rolled her eyes . 

“ sorry bradley .. shit maybe if she dates you  be less well that” .

“ sorry jake … dude i might marry you sister today” . 

“ you can take me on a date first bradley brooster radley “ she chuckled gathering her things. 

“ have you ever thought of joining the navy?” Mav asked shocked at the scene before him . 

“Oh and bradley pick me up at 7 “ was all she said before she headed up the beach . 

“ yessss ma’am… my wife is so pretty” he sighed happily . 

“ you aint married her yet” jake chuckled 

“ i’m gonna i’m telling you its’ ….” 

“ Fate “ the all groaned . 

Now as first date would be, he was never a ball of emotions as he was now almost pacing a hole in jake seresins floor as he waiting for her to get ready . 

“ really man i’ll lose my deposit you keep that up “ the blonde huffed eyes on the game that played on his television . 

“ sorry my nerves are gonna dent your income man i’m freaking out and all while in the chicks living room in front of you “. 

“ man where was confidence from earlier look for some weird reason she really likes you so i’m pretty sure even you couldn’t screw this up “

“ yeah thanks for the shiner really what my outfit needed “ he grumbled . 

“  you ready” she called and god she almost knocked him on his ass as he took in the sight of her man she could wear a potato sack and still look like a queen . the white sun dress hit her thighs or the red lips that paired well with her nails like something straight out of his fantasy . 

“ yeah .. yup ..yes.. Lets go “ he sighed ignoring the weird look jake was giving him or the way she was hiding her amusement . 

“ home by midnight” jake called . 

“ i’ll be home whenever i want to” she called back as door shut .

“ jesus he really is gonna be my brother in law” the blonde groaned .

part three

[dilly-dahlia]

i. The Silver Starlet

pairing: Gene x popular!Reader

content: pdh, drill team!reader, opposites attract, suggestive but not explicit, allusions to blackmail, reader is described as having straightened hair, images used are NOT an indication of the reader’s appearance

summary: Gene was always looking for the next person to mess with. The next person to join his gang or blackmail into doing his bidding. But when he set his sights on what he assumed to be the ditzy drill team captain, he didn't expect to fall for her.

total word count: 6.2k

masterlist

The Problem With Popularity masterlist

"Five, six, seven, eight!"

"I was almost on the drill team," Sasha mused, leaning against the bleachers as she watched the Silver Starlets, Phoenix Drop High's drill team, practice. "I was a cheerleader when I was, like, five and my mom kept me in it till I was a freshman. She really wanted me to be a Silver Starlet."

Zenix glanced up from his phone, raising his brows at Sasha. "You were a cheerleader?"

"Yup."

She had never liked it. She didn't like that football season happened during the coldest months of the year and being outside, moving and hopping and yelling at the top of her lungs, made her want to die. It would have been the same if she'd decided to join the Silver Starlets. Practice in the crisp cold mornings and hot afternoons before and after the first day of school. For the whole year.

It sounded like hell.

"Come on girls! We've got a pep rally and game this Friday!"

"I find that hard to believe," Gene said. He leaned against the bleachers beside Sasha, watching the thirty-something girls as they tossed each other into the air and jumped around and practiced high kicks and did very. . . not Sasha things. "You did this?"

"Not this exactly, obviously. I was on a junior cheer team for peewee football, or something." Sasha let out a heavy breath, pushing herself away from the bleachers, glancing at the time on her phone. "It wasn't for me, so I quit. Hey, the bell's about to ring."

Gene waved Sasha off absentmindedly, keeping his gaze on the drill team. Zenix hopped up from the box of football supplies he sat on, pocketing his phone and stretching. "God, I can't wait to go home."

"If you're that unenthusiastic about being here then why did you come?" Sasha asked as she shouldered her backpack. It was a lot heavier than it should've been for the first day of school, but that was the result of not cleaning it out over the summer.

"Because my ISS carried over to this year." Zenix rolled his eyes. "I don't get why the board's so pissed about me bringing a piñata for students to hit. It was just a fun thing for the last day."

"Maybe because you ended up giving another student a concussion with the bat, Zenix."

"Well, maybe if Balto hadn't been pissing me off he wouldn't have been whacked."

"Gene, are you coming?" Sasha called. She and Zenix had walked a couple feet away before realizing Gene wasn't following.

"Huh?" Gene peeled his gaze from where the Silver Starlets were huddled, probably discussing their practice, to look back at Sasha and Zenix. He waved them off. "Nah, I'll meet you inside in a minute."

"'Kay. Usual spot?"

"Yeah," Gene shouted after them. The pair went around the corner of the bleachers, disappearing from his line of sight. Gene followed them with his gaze, lingering where they had turned the corner as he thought.

He was bored. This school year would be shit for him if he had to actually attend his classes (something his mom had gotten onto him about after receiving a threat of court the previous year). If he was forced to go to those classes, he might as well have fun.

And girls from the drill team were the easiest to mess with. Most had light colored hair and very few had common sense. Gene hated to say it, but he was pretty sure ninety percent of them fit some sort of dumb blonde or ditzy girl stereotype.

Gene glanced back out at the field. Most of the girls had grabbed their bags and were beginning to head inside, but there were a few that lingered. One in particular stood on the opposite side of where he stood, hunched over her bag as she drank from her white water bottle.

She lifted her gaze and met his. Her lips curled around the straw of her water bottle and she lowered it from her lips to properly smile and wave at him. Her straightened hair was starting to frizz, but a headband prevented it from falling in her eyes. Her makeup was simply done and done in a way that highlighted her eyes. It was obvious she was already physically exhausted, but she still seemed full with life.

Gene knew who she was, and there was no doubt she also knew who he was. Gene returned her smile, though his seemed more mischievous, and waved to her as well. When she turned her head at the sound of someone trying to get her attention, Gene slipped out from under the bleachers and followed Sasha and Zenix's path.

Y/n L/n. She was a very well liked junior. Very sociable, Captain of the Silver Starlets, the kindest girl anyone would ever meet (as Gene had overheard from multiple students) and her dream was to be accepted into Juilliard's dance program and, hopefully, become a Rockette. She had a hand in practically every extracurricular the school offered to get there, but the drill team was her main focus.

Another small, minuscule detail that had held Gene's attention since he became aware of it was her dating history. She was Laurance Zvahl's ex-girlfriend, but before they started dating it had been rumored that Garroth Ro'Meave liked her. What was interesting to Gene was how close she remained to both boys after her breakup with Laurance. So close, in fact, that there was the odd student here and there that speculated she was still dating Laurance.

Gene knew they weren't. He had eyes and ears everywhere and knew one thing or another about practically every student (and a few teachers) in the student body. If someone wanted dirt on someone else, they would come to him and he would offer it so long as he was given something in return. It was how he knew so much—he exchanged knowledge for knowledge.

It'd be fun, he found himself thinking as he walked across the edge of the football field. If he messed with Y/n, he'd undoubtedly mess with her friends. Laurance, Garroth, Katelyn. There was a long list of popular kids he'd be able to humble when he messed with Y/n.

Not to mention it'd take her preppy, happy go lucky self off the idealistic pedestal she'd been put on. Gene didn't have anything scandalous on her yet, but he'd find something. He always did.

Gene smiled to himself as he pulled the doors open and stepped into the school. He had a new target.

—

"Molly, wrap this around the booth, will you?"

You held out the folded banner to Molly. The blonde nodded, taking the sparkly banner in her hands and recruiting the help of Stephanie, one of the newer Silver Starlets, to help.

You thanked her and blew out a breath, flattening the sparkly, powder blue sheet of plastic on the white table. The iridescent sheet crinkled beneath your fingers as you shifted it before Molly and Stephanie secured the banner around it. You still had to set up the sign that would go over the booth, and . . . God, you hated first day orientation.

You grabbed a small towel from your duffel beneath the table and dabbed at the perspiration gathering on your upper lip and forehead. It was unnaturally hot in the gym, and the thick material the Silver Starlet outfit was made of was not a good match for it. Not to mention the scratchy cowboy hat on your head and heavy makeup. You loved it, but not when you were in a room that would be crowded with freshmen.

Someone placed a pack of six water bottles on the table, and when you looked up you smiled at Laurance.

"Thanks," you said, reaching to break one of the plastic bottles away from the others. You had forgotten your own in the locker room, which was all the way across the gym and behind a booth that had already been set up. You deeply regretted that, so having Laurance bring you cold water was nice. Teony, president of student council, quickly passed by your table to drop off the countless fliers and registration forms for the Silver Starlets. "How's it going? Did you like Brazil?"

Laurance, having been adopted and living in Phoenix Drop practically his whole life, had suddenly harbored a burning desire to know where he was from the previous year. He'd asked Hayden to take an ancestry test, and when he found out his birth parents were in Brazil he begged to take a trip.

Laurance nodded, leaning against the table. "Yeah, it was really nice there. I was able to meet Luiz and Eloísa."

His birth parents. You met his gaze and smiled at him after organizing the fliers and sign up sheets on your table, straightening your posture. "Really? How were they?"

"They were . . . Nice." Laurance sounded almost hesitant. He was careful with his next words, choosing them thoughtfully. "It felt weird, though. I didn't know them and they didn't know me and it was just . . . Weird."

You nodded. You weren't sure what the full story of Laurance being put into the system was, but you could understand what he was saying to a degree. You related it to meeting a family member you'd never met in your head. Though his situation was probably vastly different.

"Are you gonna talk to them anymore at all?" you asked. He nodded.

"Yeah. I downloaded WhatsApp and got their numbers. So did Hayden, so we'll probably talk more."

"That's good. At least you can build a relationship from there." Laurance hummed. You gave him a once over, noticing he was still in his typical school uniform. "Shouldn't you be wearing your game gear, soccer captain?"

Laurance's lips curled up, clearly glad for the change in topic and mention of his new title. He saluted to you before pushing himself off your table. "You are correct. I was waiting until it got closer to the start of orientation before I did, but I guess it's close now." Laurance glanced up at the large game board on the wall, taking note of the time. "Yeah. Well, I will see you at lunch, Dancing Queen. You have B, right?"

You rolled your eyes. Dancing Queen was the stupid nickname Laurance had given you the first time saw you running drills when you had started dating. He'd used it to talk about you one too many times, and now that's how most Silver Starlet events were advertised.

"Yes, Laurance. I have B Lunch."

"Cool. So does Garroth. We'll see you then." He waved to you before pivoting on his heel and running to the boys' locker room.

You rolled your eyes again and shook your head before looking back down at the table. You rapped your fingers against the crinkly table covering, wondering what was missing.

The table was set. Molly and Stephanie had set up the banner meant to go above the booth while you were talking to Laurance. You were dressed. Your makeup was done and your hat was on. You'd added body shimmer to your collarbone and legs in the locker room. Fliers and sign up sheets were organized. Someone (probably Donna) had left her pompoms on the front corner of the table.

A lightbulb went off in your head. Coach Geter had given you a bottle of glitter confetti her daughter had made. You reached down into your duffel and grabbed it, scattering the silver and blue and lavender stars across the table.

You still felt like you were missing something, but you couldn't think of anything else. You shrugged it off after a moment, deciding that if it was something detrimental then you would recall it sooner or later.

Teony had swung by again. Well, she really slid beside you to hand you two foldable chairs before wishing you luck and walking off to the student council booth. That's how you knew it was starting soon—Teony was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

You took a deep breath, waiting for the freshmen to start trickling into the gym.

—

Gene let out a puff of smoke, resting his wrist against his knee. Sasha laid on her stomach in front of him, scrolling on her phone. Zenix wasn't with them. As soon as Mr. Sanders, one of the school's AP's, spotted him, he'd dragged Zenix to the ISS room. Wherever that was.

The point: only Gene and Sasha were sitting in the shaded area outside the gym.

"You know Y/n?" Gene's question broke the comfortable silence between the two of them. Sasha let her phone fall into the grass and stared at him for a moment before responding.

"Obviously. She's in my homeroom." Sasha blinked at Gene. It reminded him of a cat. "Why?"

"Curious."

Sasha raised a brow, adjusting so she could prop the weight of her head against her hand. "Why?" she repeated. Gene huffed.

"I just thought she'd be fun to mess with."

Sasha was almost even more appalled. Her eyebrows rose so high they disappeared behind her bluntly cut bangs. "Y/n? As in Y/n L/n? Y/n L/n as in the single nicest, sweetest, brightest girl in school."

"Precisely."

Sasha scoffed, lifting her phone back up and turning her attention to it. "That's ambitious even for you, Gene. You have nothing on her."

"Yet," he corrected, a sly smile playing at his lips. "I'll find something."

"Good luck because there's nothing to find. She really is as nice and perfect as she appears at school."

"And you know that how?"

Sasha exhaled, thinking as she typed away on her phone. "We had English together last year and got paired up a lot. We worked in the maker space and she really was one of the best people I've met."

"So you're friends with her?"

Sasha hummed, crinkling her nose. "Acquaintances, really.”

"So you can start a friendship with her. Bring her around every now and then and it'll all fall into place."

Sasha laughed again, glancing at Gene. "You're funny."

"It'll be easy, Sash." Gene rolled his eyes, inhaling another puff of smoke before blowing it out. "She's one of the drill girls. She's probably all . . . Ditzy and what not. She'll be easy to manipulate."

"Sure." Sasha pushed herself to her knees, lifting her arms to stretch and pop her back. "We have B Lunch, right?"

"Yeah," Gene mused. He watched Sasha lift herself to her feet and stretch again. She grabbed her bag and hoisted it onto her shoulders.

"I'm gonna go get food. I'll meet you at the lounge, 'kay?"

Gene hummed in acknowledgement, grabbing his phone from where it sat beside him and scrolling through Instagram. He didn't watch Sasha go back inside the gym, instead choosing to rest the cigarette between his lips as he searched your name in the search bar.

He found your account immediately. Followed by dantes_infernoes, laurmanz and 157 others, it said beneath your URL. He didn't know who the 157 others might have been, but he could take a guess at a couple.

He clicked on your profile. He didn't follow, you—not yet, anyway—he just clicked through your highlights and scrolled through your posts. You didn't post much about yourself. Most of it was about an upcoming Silver Starlets performance or someone else. The only post mostly centered around you he saw on your profile was a homecoming post from last year. Most others were of scenery or taken with friends.

Laurance was on your arm in most of the homecoming pictures. When Gene looked at the comments, he only found three (from Laurance, Katelyn, and your mom) and saw the words comments on this post have been limited.

Interesting. None of your other posts had that.

Gene looked at the clock. First Day orientation was ending soon, and after lunch he'd only have two and a half hours of the school day left. He doubted he'd have any classes with you, seeing as you were a junior and he was a senior, so if he wanted to do anything today he'd have to do it now.

He pushed himself off the floor and snuffed his cigarette out on the brick wall before dropping it in the grass. He pocketed his phone and made his way to the gym doors.

You'd be in there, right?

—

You watched as your younger sister tried, and failed, to take the table covering off the foldable table without getting the confetti on it everywhere.

Julie failed miserably, and you snickered as she trudged across the gym and returned with a broom and dustpan. She picked the confetti up as you finished folding the plastic covering.

"You can go to lunch after," you said, nodding to the gym doors. "I'll take your trash and stuff."

Julie sighed, her shoulders falling. "Can't I eat with you and your friends?"

You exhaled, tilting your head at her. "Julie."

"I'm serious, Y/n! I haven't talked to anyone and I'm scared because what if they know I'm here on scholarship?"

You deadpanned. "With how loud you're being they definitely will." You had meant for it to be a lighthearted jest, but the panic that speared across Julie's expression made you rethink. "It's not a big deal that you got a scholarship, Jules. Lots of people did."

"None of your friends did . . ."

That's not the point, Julie." You crossed your arms, leaning back against the table. "Find some of the robotics kids and talk to them. I'm sure they'd love to be your friend."

"But what if they're stinky?"

You glared at her. "Then you have no right to complain about not having friends. Now go to lunch. You only have a couple minutes left now."

You rolled your eyes when she begrudgingly turned and sulked her way out of the gym. You loved her with all your heart, but Jesus.

The two of you didn't have the same lunch anyway, so it's not like she could have sat with you.

You sighed, looking back at the drill team booth. The plastic covering was now folded and ready to use for another event, but the banner hanging above the table was still up. And unfortunately, Molly and Stephanie had already left for lunch, leaving you to take it down by yourself.

Lucky you.

It was only after you found yourself standing on a chair, terrified of falling, and awkwardly holding the weight of the banner that you realized this was a two person job. Most everyone else had already cleaned up their booths and the ones that hadn't were in the locker rooms changing back into their school uniforms, so you were basically stuck unless you could figure out how to do this yourself.

You cursed under your breath, taking your hat off with a hand you managed to free and tossing it down. It landed on the floor, but you didn't care. You'd pick it up and dust it off in a moment.

"Need any help?"

You hummed glancing down to where the voice came from. Gene stood there. He was fairly tall, taller than you, so you found it amusing that you were looking down at him.

Now, you knew Gene. You were dating Laurance during his whole Shadow Knight phase and were practically an eyewitness to some of the bad, not to mention illegal, things he did. All reason pointed to you refusing his help, but . . . Well, how long were you really willing to hold up this banner by yourself?

"Yes, please," you said, glancing up at the other side. It looked like it would topple over and rip the fabric in half any moment. "Can you grab that side and unlatch it?"

Gene nodded, taking one long stride to the other side of the table. He reached up, hands wrapping around the pole, and lifted it from its confines. You did the same on your side, and Gene stepped closer to you and held out his hand to steady you as you stepped down from the chair.

You thanked him, letting go of his hand and handing him the pole in your other. "Hold this for a second?"

Gene complied, holding both metal rods together. You reached up and properly folded the banner, trying to stand even higher on your tiptoes to wrap it around itself.

"Watch your head," you warned, after which Gene slightly ducked to avoid being hit by either the banner or you. Once you had the fabric wrapped around the rods like a roll, you smiled at Gene. "Thank you so much, I can take it from here."

Gene returned your smile, though the way his lips curled made you think his intent was malicious. "No, I insist on helping. What else can I do for you?"

"Um . . ." Your eyes slightly widened, like an owl's, and you glanced around. There was one or two small things, but you could do that on your own. But you didn't want to seem rude by refusing his help . . . "Help me with the table?" you suggested.

He nodded, and you set the banner and rods down to help him turn the white table on its side and fold the legs in. You pointed him to where it should go, and once he lifted it you took hold of the banner and rods again.

You'd come back for the plastic sheet and your hat. But if Gene saw you were gone from the place, he'd probably go on with his day and you wouldn't have to talk to him again.

Clearly, your logic was flawed. It wasn't long before you felt the weight of the back half of the banner being lifted, and when you turned you saw Gene following behind you. He had your hat and the iridescent sheet in his other hand, and he flashed you another smile. You returned it with another tentative one of your own before turning your head and accepting your fate.

You knocked on the door to Coach Geter's office. It was locked, of course, and she was eating lunch so you were surprised by how fast she opened it. She didn't normally like being taken from any off time she had.

You beamed at her. Geter took note of the banner in your hands and pointed to an empty corner in the office before turning back to her computer.

"See you later, Y/n," she called after you once you and Gene walked out. You smiled and waved at her before fully closing the door.

Gene held your silver and blue cowboy hat out to you. You met his gaze as you tentatively took it, holding it against your stomach.

"Thank you," you said, smiling sweetly at him. "And thank you for helping me take down the booth. I was scared the banner was going to rip and then you just . . . appeared."

Gene nodded, leaning against the wall behind him. "It's not a problem. I'm always one to help someone in need, especially a pretty girl like you."

You hummed, though it was more of a courtesy than an actual response. You got told you were pretty all the time—it was all people ever noticed—but you doubted the sincerity when Gene said it. Laurance had told you how Gene worked. He would always butter up his victim by complimenting them and pretending to be clueless about what he knew.

"Well, thank you anyway. I appreciate it."

You pivoted on your heel to walk away, but Gene's voice stopped you. "I didn't get your name."

You chuckled, turning your head back to him. "Don't pretend you don't know who I am, Gene. I certainly know who you are."

His eyebrows raised. He'd hoped you'd play along. "What if I really didn't know your name?"

You rolled your eyes. "Please. You used to be friends with Laurance. I'm fairly positive he talked about me, not to mention Coach Geter literally just said it. Besides, even if Laurance didn't or you didn't hear, it'd be crazy if someone like you, who knows everything about everyone, didn't know my name."

He smirked, but this one had no malicious intent. He seemed amused. "Touché. Well, I will see you later, Y/n."

You hummed again, hoping that you wouldn't see him again for the rest of the school year. You didn't say anything else as you walked away. You only turned back when you reached the locker room doors, and you saw that Gene had already left. You watched for a moment as Laurance crossed the gym, jogging to reach the cafeteria before it got too full for B lunch.

You shrugged to yourself, letting the door slam loudly behind you as you entered the locker room.

—

"It was so weird," you said to Katelyn, tucking your undershirt into your skirt. "He didn't seem nearly as bad as people make him out to be."

"That's because he was trying to get you," Katelyn said. She sat on one of the benches in the center of the room, scrolling on her phone as she waited for you to finish putting on your uniform. "That's how Laurance got indoctrinated to join the Shadow Knights last year."

You exhaled, looking into the mirror on the inside of your locker to wipe off any remaining red lipstick. "I know that, but . . . I don't know. It was just a weird encounter." You grabbed your backpack and shouldered it, closing your locker and clicking the lock shut. "Oh, and do not tell Laurance. I don't need him up my ass about this."

"Whatever you say." Katelyn glanced up at the sound of your locker shutting, pocketing her phone and standing with you. She walked in front of you and held the door to the gym open for you, and the two of you kept walking side by side. "I won't tell Laurance, but that's not to say someone else—say, Gene—won't tell him. You know he likes starting drama."

"Oh, my God. You're talking like my mom when she found out I was dating Laurance. 'Boys are nothing but drama and only want to impregnate you.' It's not that serious, Katelyn. We talked for less than five minutes. I mean it's not like I'm going to date Gene."

Katelyn laughed, holding the gym door open for you again. You stepped forward, thankful for the long sleeves and fleece tights of your uniform because of how cold the school hallways were. "Whatever. Your mom knows what's up."

"Says the girl approaching her one year with her boyfriend."

"Jeffory's a good guy." Katelyn playfully hit your shoulder. "He would never impregnate me, plus my dad likes him."

You hummed in faux disbelief, scrunching your nose and looking over at your friend. "I don't know . . . You guys got kinda freaky at the movies that one time."

"Oh, my God, that was one time and we just made out!"

The both of you burst out laughing and dropped the subject there. You spent the rest of your walk to the cafeteria comparing schedules, finding out you had four (technically five, if you included athletics despite being on different teams) classes together.

The school lunch was always something to marvel at. It was significantly better than the provided lunch at your public school in Scaleswind or any other lunch you'd ever had. Though, good food was a given since Phoenix Drop High was a privately funded school.

And the good food was was free to you. Thank the Lord for scholarships.

You led Katelyn to the circular table Laurance and Garroth had commandeered and sat next to her. Seven of the eight seats at the table were taken, and the empty one was next to you. Dante, who had been previously sitting by a timid boy with white hair, swiftly switched to the empty seat beside you.

"Watch this, Travis." Dante turned to you, a flirty smirk playing at his lips. You raised your brows expectantly as you speared your fork through the pasta on your plate, waiting for whatever idiotic thing he was going to say. "Hey, baby, are you a freezer? Cause I wanna stick my meat in you."

"OH MY GOD."

"EW!"

"Dante Lars Accardi!"

"You are fifteen!"

"What is wrong with you?"

You coughed, shoving Dante away from you so hard he fell out of the seat.

"Do not talk to me ever again," you said, shaking your head. You reached beneath you for your backpack, unzipping the main compartment and digging around for something you'd made just in case something like this happened.

You pulled out a decorated jar. There was a pink ribbon wrapped around the lip and you had bedazzled it to say 'd-bag jar.' Garroth saw what it said and giggled.

"You actually did that?" he asked, nodding to the jar.

"Yes! Because I had a vision of the future and saw this happening." You uncapped the jar and set it on the table. "Fifteen dollars in the jar, Dante."

"What?" he yelled.

"Fifteen dollars," you repeated more firmly, motioning to the bedazzled jar. Dante heavily sighed, grabbing his wallet. "New rule guys; any time anyone says anything like are you a freezer cause I wanna stick my meat in you"—you side eyed Dante as he begrudgingly put a ten and five ones into the jar—"or does something a douchebag would do, you have to put money in the jar."

Katelyn laughed, but your proclamation was met by groans from Laurance and Garroth.

"When I said we should get a dirt bag jar last year I meant exclusively for Dante," Laurance groaned.

"What do you mean exclusively for me?"

"Take a guess."

"No," you said, recapping the jar and shoving it back in your bag. "It's for everyone now because I'm tired of him trying to ask me and the drill team girls out"—you pointed at Dante before moving to point at Garroth and Laurance—"and you two need to stop leading girls on just because you're hot. It's mean."

"I think it's a great idea," Katelyn said, shrugging.

"Only, because you'll never put money in it," Garroth said, rolling his eyes. "This is a rigged system. Us guys are going to end up putting more money in the jar."

You shrugged. "Maybe you shouldn't say and do jerky things."

"What are you even gonna do with the money at the end of the year?" Laurance asked.

"I was thinking we like split it among us at the end of the year or donate it," you replied, picking up pasta with your fork and putting it in your mouth.. "We'll figure it out later."

"Watch us forget about this halfway through the year," Katelyn said, chuckling softly.

"Probably," you mused. You glanced up, expecting to meet the gaze of someone you knew but instead locking eyes with the black-haired girl. You smiled sweetly at her. You had seen her with the white haired boy during the first day orientation. She was probably friends with someone else at the table. "Hi," you said to her awkwardly after a moment. "Sorry about . . . That."

She smiled at you. "It's okay. Garroth kind of warned me something like that would happen."

You hummed, glancing at Garroth. So she was one of his friends. "I'm Y/n," you said, returning your gaze to her.

"Aphmau," she said. She motioned to the white-haired boy sitting next to her. "This is Travis."

"We met Aphmau this morning and decided to invite her to sit with us," Laurance said, motioning to himself and Garroth. "And turns out Travis and Dante were already friends, so it worked out."

You hummed and turned back to Aphmau, holding her amber gaze. "Do not fall for these lunatic's smooth words and romantic gestures, Aphmau. It will end badly."

Your tone was joking, but you were speaking from experience. It wasn't that you regretted dating Laurance, you simply regretted the things that happened while you were and the effect you let it have on you. You regretted the notes that fell out of your locker and the mean words you read in your DMs and the snide comments you overheard, even if they weren't your fault.

You didn't want that to happen to anyone else.

"What?" Laurance exclaimed. "I'm not that bad. You literally dated me!"

You hummed, side eyeing him. "Seriously, it's not worth it, Aphmau. The girls here can be mean."

Aphmau let out a strained breath of amusement, glancing between you and Laurance. "Are you two . . ."

You immediately shook your head. "No. We were last year, but we ended it mutually."

A look you could only describe as relief crossed Aphmau's face, and you knew already that you were too late to warn her about the problems that came with dating someone like Laurance or Garroth. The problems that came with dating Dante, even. The popular boys that had practically every girl wrapped around their fingers.

Aphmau hummed, and let the subject drop there. She kept conversation going, though, by asking other questions about the school as a whole. Travis jumped in with a comment or question of his own every now and then, but the rest of the lunch hour was spent simply getting to know the new freshmen.

You walked with Aphmau to her sixth period when the bell signalling lunch was over rang. You found out you had the same class as her (art, along with Garroth and Laurance) and sat with her at one of the tall tables. The four of you spent most of the period talking, since Mr. Smith led a fairly self guided art class.

You departed from the group for seventh period English. You knew Katelyn had the same class you did, so you waited for her outside the door so you could pick seats together. It took a moment, since her sixth period was practically across the campus, but you nearly ran into a silver-haired girl when you gave up on waiting and decided to walk into the class.

"Oh, Sasha!" you said, smiling at her. She looked up and returned your smile with a genuine one of her own when she saw you.

"Hey," she said. You knew Sasha was affiliated with Gene, but you liked her. Even with Laurance breathing down your neck about how terrible of a person she supposedly was, you considered her a friend. "Looks like we have English together again."

"Yeah." You nodded. Lucky for you, there was a group of three seats open. You set your bag in one to save it for Katelyn. "Katelyn has this class, too, but she's basically in another world right now." You laughed, settling into the desk beside Sasha.

"I don't think I've ever actually talked to Katelyn," Sasha said, setting her bag beneath her desk and leaning forward. She ran a hand thorough her straight hair. Her purple eyes were lined with dark eyeliner and she wore black lipstick. That paired with the paleness of her skin made you think she looked like a hauntingly beautiful ghost. "I don't think she likes me."

You shrugged. "Katelyn doesn't like a lot of people. I'm sure once she gets to know you she will."

Sasha smiled kindly. "That's good to know.”

Katelyn strolled into the class not long after. You moved your bag to beneath your desk so she could sit in the empty seat, and she greeted Sasha with a somewhat hesitant greeting.

It wasn't long until you were out in the field again, working with Hannah to straighten her legs when she did a high kick. You were thankful when practice ended you could finally go home. You could use the sleep after the long day.

Julie had already been picked up. You had texted your mom to let her know practice had finished and were now waiting on the bleachers to see her car lights pull up. You scrolled through your phone, thinking back to the offhanded comment you had made to Laurance, Garroth, and Aphmau in Art.

"I think I'm gonna try being more active on Instagram this year," you'd said. "Try to preserve memories."

Because of that, you spend the better half of the next fifteen minutes scrolling through your camera roll for a photo of the drill team. You found one with you and four other girls (the lieutenants) looking out at a football field and decided to use that.

You heard a car horn honk, and when you looked up you saw that your mom had rolled down the car window to wave to you. You smiled and stood up, running across the field with your bag to reach the car.

"How was school?" she asked, driving off once you secured your seatbelt.

"Good," you said. "I think Julie hates it, though."

Your mom laughed. "She definitely has . . . strong feelings about it. She told me that no one likes her, but you know how she tends to over exaggerate things."

You nodded. "I know. She's worried kids are gonna find out she's here on scholarship."

"Don't they know you are?"

"Yes! And once they find out she's my sister, they'll immediately know she is, too." You rolled your eyes, leaning against the center console to lightly press the top of your head to your mom's upper arm. "Oh, well. You can only do so much, I guess. What's for dinner?"

"Dad ordered Chick-fil-a to congratulate Julie for getting a scholarship and you for making Silver Starlet Captain." She smiled at you.

"Is he gonna be home tonight?" you asked, lifting your head. You mom shook her head.

"He will later. He's out fixing an AC unit right now."

You hummed. Your mom noticed the saddened tone and glanced over at you. She removed her right hand from the steering wheel and took hold of yours, running her thumb over your knuckles. "He'll be home tomorrow morning for sure. He said he wanted to drive you and Julie to school."

You nodded. "Okay."

She gave your hand once last squeeze before returning her hand to the wheel. The rest of the car ride was silent, only the soft sound of pop music coming through the car speakers.

i unfortunately cannot help but make chapters not long i guess

TAGGING: @garrothswiferealnotfake @wasting-away-on-the-internet @mellozhi @pushingdaisies1 i tagged anyone who showed an interest in this idea; if you’d like the be removed or notified whenever i update this story comment or DM to let me know!

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[ereardon]

Before I Knew [Jake Seresin x Reader] Chapter Fourteen

A Jake Seresin unexpected pregnancy fic

Overview: On your first night after moving to San Diego to spend more time with your brother Bob, you unknowingly have a one night stand with his teammate Jake Seresin. For the first time in his whole life, Bob has a closely knit friend group and you’re desperate not to rock the boat. But an unexpected and unplanned pregnancy upends your world, forcing you and Jake closer together, against Bob’s wishes. What will happen when you find yourself actually falling for the father of your unborn child? 

Pairing: Jake Seresin x Reader; Bob Floyd x Sister!Reader 

Warnings: Pregnancy, cursing, eventual smut, angst

Chapter summary: Ducky and Jake have a breakthrough

WC: 1.2K

Masterlist here; previous chapter here

You held up a pair of baby Nikes. “What about these?” 

Phoenix shook her head. “Don’t even bother with newborn shoes, they grow out of them right away it’s a waste.” 

“How do you know?” 

“My sister has three kids,” she said, roaming down the aisle of the baby store. 

“Aw, Auntie Natasha,” you cooed. 

She grimaced. “Don’t you dare call me that.” 

You laughed. “Try and stop me.” 

Phoenix rolled her eyes. “So, where did you two leave off?” 

You groaned. We just awkwardly said good night and when I got up this morning he was gone on a run.” 

“Got it.” 

You turned to her, one hand on your stomach, the other resting against a bookshelf. “Am I being insane? Or is it crazy of him to ask me to move into a house together?” 

“Both,” she replied. “You’re stubborn, and he’s stupid. A really phenomenal duo.” Natasha leaned in toward your stomach. “Your parents are doo-doo heads, baby.” 

“He doesn’t want me, he just thinks it’s what’s right. To Jake, it’s all about the logical next step. But nothing about this is logical.” 

“Have you two actually sat down and talked?” she asked. “Since you moved in together.” 

You paused. Natasha was right. You and Jake hadn’t had a productive conversation in months. And the clock was ticking. You still had baby classes to sign up for and books to read and hospitals to tour. Not to mention all of the unknowns. What was going to happen when you had the baby? How was coparenting going to look? 

“You’re annoying,” you replied, putting a baby bottle in the cart. 

Natasha laughed. “Only because I’m always right.” 

***

The faster Jake ran, the less space he had in his head to think of you. 

As his feet hit the pavement, he tried to push the thoughts that had taken up residency in his mind to the fringes. He was tired of not knowing where the two of you stood or if you cared about him or if you were simply going to disappear one day, never to be heard of again. He was too tired to hide what he wanted any more. 

He wanted you. 

He wanted you and he wanted the baby and he wanted everything that came with it. But wanting you was more complex than it seemed. You were like a wild horse, spooked easily. He had spooked you before, when he mentioned the house. That was too fast and too big. 

He had to take a step back and let you breathe. But Jake wasn’t used to small. He was all about big gestures. He was trained to go fast, and that trickled down into his everyday life. 

For the first time in his life, Jake wanted to go slow with someone. 

***

You woke up to screaming. 

It had been months since Jake had experienced a nightmare. And still, the yelling made your skin start to prickle with cold sweat. You were slower to get out of bed this time, bump barely covered by the thin tank top as you rushed down the hallway, swinging his door open. 

Jake laid on the bed, thrashing. You approached carefully, reaching out and trying to grab his shoulder. His hand came out and smacked you, hard, across your upper arm and a gasp escaped from your throat. Jake’s eyes shot open and you dug your fingers harder into his flesh, holding onto him. 

“Y/N,” he choked out, green eyes wild. 

“It’s me,” you whispered. “I’m here. It’s just a dream. You’re alright.” 

His bare chest continued to heave, heavy thick breaths. You smoothed your fingers over his upper arm, across his shoulders. 

“I’m here,” you repeated. 

“Stay with me,” Jake asked quietly. You frowned but he turned and there was a sadness buried along each crevice of his face. “Please?” 

“Scoot over,” you whispered. Jake inched over and opened up the blanket. You laid yourself down with a small grunt, the weight of the baby sitting on your uterus, and turned to your side to face Jake. He was still on his back, chest glistening with sweat, staring at the ceiling fan that whirled in a tight circle. “What happened?” 

His lips were pursed tightly. “It’s always the same,” he murmured. “I’m in the air. And then I’m not. And I’m just falling and falling.” He turned his head. “But this time, I had time to think.” 

“What were you thinking?” 

“That I would never get to meet our daughter.” 

Without thinking, you found yourself nestling into the space next to Jake, your head resting between his shoulder and arm as his fingertips landed on your back, your belly pressed up against his side. “It was just a dream,” you whispered. 

“Do me a favor,” Jake said softly.

“I’m already giving birth to your child but sure, what’s another favor.” 

“Don’t take her away from me.” 

You looked up, but Jake wouldn’t meet your gaze. So you reached up, placing your hand against his jaw, tilting his head toward you. “You’re her father. Nothing is going to change that.” 

“If you’re gone, so is she.” 

“Is that what you’re worried about?” you asked. “That I’m going to keep her from you?” Jake nodded. Your fingers traced softly down his jawline. “I wouldn’t do that.” 

Jake was quiet for a moment. Then, “That’s only part of it.” 

You frowned. “Hmm?” 

“I’m worried about losing both of you,” he murmured. 

“Jake,” you whispered. 

“I know you want to see other people, but I don’t want you to.” 

“But you’re seeing other girls.” 

“I stopped,” he said and your breath caught in your throat. “That’s not what I want.” Jake reached out and hovered his hand over your belly. You caught his hand in yours and placed it, gently, on your bare stomach. It was the first time in months that Jake had touched your belly. It was larger now, properly rounded and stretched, and you felt his breath suck in as his fingertips grazed over your warm skin. 

“Alright,” you whispered. “We give this a try. If that’s what you want?” 

“It’s what I want.” Jake’s eyes focused on yours. “But is it what you want?” 

You reached up and lifted his face toward yours, sliding your thumb across his lips. “I think so, yeah. Worth a shot, right?” 

And then you leaned in, pressing your lips to his. 

Please follow my library page @ereardonlibrary as that will largely serve as my tag list. Anyone I previous promised to tag is here:

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[kinzis-writing]

Better than Revenge | M.R [4]

It had been almost two years since Y/N and Mattheo had been best friends. Y/N had decided that it was time to face her past and deal with whatever consequences would follow.

This chapter will probably contain a lot of Soft! Mattheo, which is ooc but i hope you enjoy.

Pairing(s): Mattheo Riddle x Y/N Nettleby, Ex! Theodore Nott x Y/N Nettlby.

Warning(s): order of the phoenix spoilers (a bit), mentions of sexual activities, degrading/slight abuse by parents,

iv. “this is why we can’t have nice things, darling”

Chapter Four

*Gif not mine* *not edited or proofread*

It had been approximately four days since the Slytherin party and Y/N had tried her best to avoid Mattheo and his friends. It was easier to avoid the Slytherin friend group compared to Mattheo, as it seemed that he looked for her in every class, between every class, and at every meal. She had shaken him off every time and ignored him as much as possible, but that did little to stop him.

"Y/N!" The voice of Hermione had torn through the silence of the library. The Granger girl hurriedly making her way over to her housemate. "Lorenzo told me to come find you, Riddle is fighting Nott." she spoke fast.

Y/N shot up from her chair quickly, leaving her items and headed to where Hermione was taking her. It wasn't long before the two Gryffindor girls were stopping where their friend group was trying to break them up and other houses just watching. "Hey!" Y/N yelled as she walked towards the fight.

"Y/N." Sean warned as his sister shrugged him off and went towards the fight again since he had stopped her.

"Mattheo Riddle!" Y/N yelled breaking the boys apart as she carefully pushed them away from each other, her hand staying on the one she had called. "Stop it, both of you!" she yelled again. The Slytherin friend group cleared the hallways since the fight was under control and they didn't have to worry about their friends killing each other. "What in merlin's name happened?" she asked, looking at each one of the boys.

Mattheo stood their breathing heavy and glaring at Theo, who didn't dare look at anyone. Veronica wore a proud smile on her face, unknowingly being caught by the rest of the group. "Theo was insulting you." Enzo stated simply, not wanting to go into detail in such a public place.

"If she would put out-" Veronica started before Theodore shook his head indicating her to stop when he noticed Mattheo go to step forward, but Y/N held him back. The Nettleby girl was afraid that he would not be afraid of punching a girl right now.

"Let's go." She muttered pulling Mattheo along with her and not giving any of the Slytherin's her attention. She quietly led the boy to her dormitory and straight to the shared bathroom.

She didn't say anything as she sat him down on the toilet and started using some healing spells that she knew to heal him the best she could. Some of his wounds and marks were still there, but truth be told Theo looked worse.

"This was a bad idea." Y/N stated as she avoided Mattheo's gaze and walked out of the bathroom, him following her, once she had finished the healing spells. "This plan was rubbish, especially when it makes you and Theo fight. Merlin, you two were best friends before me." she muttered.

"He won't disrespect you s'long as i'm around." Mattheo mumbled as he took a seat on the girl's bed not knowing what to expect from her next.

Y/N shook her head as she stopped pacing and turned to face the boy that she had known very well since first year. "What was the fight even about?" she asked, knowing that it had to do with the issue between her and Theo.

"that bitch seems to have an influence on Theodore." Mattheo spoke as he eyed the girl in front of him. "Veronica started first, saying how our relationship must be draining because lack of activities, your ex then going on to say that there's better lays."

Y/N nodding, even though she didn't quite understand why her not having sex with him would be this big of an issue. Maybe it was an insecurity problem, or maybe it was the only thing he truly wanted from their relationship. Whatever the case, she knew that they were not worth her breath. Yet something had to give, because she was not finishing the next two years at school and dealing with the two wizards fighting.

"Come on," Y/N spoke as she grabbed Mattheo's hand and led him out of her dorm and made her way towards the Slytherin common room. She was going to settle this once and for all, whether it made people mad or not. "Pureblood." she spoke the the door and entered the common room as the door opened, Mattheo trailing behind her.

Just as she had suspected, the friend group had skipped class after the fight had broken out. The couple joined the group, as they caught everyone's attention. Veronica looked pissed and unhappy that they had decided to show up, when they were probably getting scolded by the friend group.

"I'll leave after I say this because I am done with how immature you two are acting," She started as she pointed to her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. "also the fact that the fights between you two," pointing at Mattheo and Theodore. "are absurd." she finished causing everyone to agree with those statements that had been made.

The girl turned to Theo before giving him a look, "You honestly want the truth? Because I have a feeling you won't want it once I started confessing." She asked the man that she used to have feelings for. When no one said anything, she looked at Mattheo to see if he had any feelings about people finding out about them. "It's true that I didn't sleep with you" She admitted to the group but kept her gaze locked on Theo's so he would know she was telling the truth. "I was going to the night you broke up with me," She admitted making Mattheo rolled his eyes and her brother look away not wanting to hear that.

"I didn't have sex with Theodore, but I wasn't a prude." Y/N looked straight in the eyes of Veronica as she spoke those words knowing that it showed who she truly was. "I lost my virginity to Mattheo the day before my birthday, 5 months before Theodore and I started dating." She told the group honestly. Sean looked sick because he didn’t want to hear that about his best friend and sister, Theo was angry and Veronica was surprised. The others not saying anything and just absorbing the information. “Besides there was other things done besides…” she trailed off before shaking her head and deciding against saying it.

Theo’s angry eyes burned right into Mattheo’s as he stood up and rushed towards the boy. Enzo pulling Y/N out of the way knowing what was coming. The Nott boys wand pressing against the neck of Mattheo. Of course, everyone thought that he wouldn’t do anything but it’s the fact that he would go that far.

“I should hex you.” Theo spoke dangerously low to his housemate and best friend.

“Now, why would you do that Nott?” Mattheo spoke calmly. Knowing nothing was going to happen and if it did that he could control the situation.

Y/N spoke up, knowing that it may make things worse but she hoped it made it better. “There’s no reason for that Theodore.” She spoke calmly, but her nerves were going wild for Mattheo. She knew he could handle his own, knowing where he came from. Still didn’t make her worry any less.

“This is rubbish, Theo.” Veronica started as she stood up and went over to rub his arm. “She isn’t worth it.”

Theodore shook her off and continued his hard glare at his best friend. “you took that from me.” He muttered causing the Riddle boy to furrow his eyebrows in confusion. “I was suppose to get that experience.”

Mattheo’s gaze darkened at what his housemate was meaning, “I didn’t take anything away from you. What experience were you wanting exactly? What claim did you think that you’d have on her?” He asked dangerously low, the patience in his voice wearing thin.

Y/N had enough of all this, she had left the common room without being noticed by Mattheo or Theodore. Who did Theo think he was, being entitled to her and what she had to give. It didn’t make any sense to the girl as to why he was acting like that. Pushing that behind her, she went back to the Gryffindor common room to hopefully have some normal time with her friends.

"Hey guys." Y/N greeted sitting her bag down beside of her and sitting down beside Hermione. Her friends greeted her back before they gave each other knowing looks. They weren't sure if their friend was aware of everything that was going on. "Are you all okay? You're acting strange..."

Hermione glanced around the group before turning her attention to the Nettleby girl, "Have you heard anything about Riddle? or has he told you anything?" she asked cautiously to not make the girl uncomfortable.

Y/N furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head, "No, why?"

"You know about everyone shunning Harry because of... his father and how his mother has escaped from Azkaban, and they haven't found her." Ginny explained to the girl trying to get her to understand their concern and everything about the situation.

Ron looked at Harry before turning his attention to the girls, "Harry said that they think his followers are planning something."

realization dawned on Y/N as her friends continued talking about the situation at hand. It was true about Bellatrix had escaped from Azkaban and she had completely forgotten to ask Mattheo how he felt about it, seeing as it made headlines. Y/N knew that his father was also back, or at least trying to make a comeback. Not only because she trusted her friends but because she could feel it. Coming from a family of death eaters allowed for this stuff to make sense.

"My parents are hosting a dinner that my brother and I have to attend." Y/N spoke making the golden trio and Ginny turn towards her. "I bet it has something to do with him." she added as she looked around her friend group.

"Please tell me you're not going." Harry begged in his own way to his friend. They all knew that Y/N's family was pureblood Slytherin's and death eaters, the Weasley's were even a bit unsure when Ron invited her over for the holidays when he found out that she refused to go home. Now it was clear that she was nothing like her family and wanted a different life, fighting for the good side of things.

Y/N shrugged, "I have to, or they will literally track me down." she mumbled as she noticed the tension in the room.

🪄

It was the time that she had dreaded for the past two weeks. The dinner that her mother had excitedly written to both of her kids about. To make matters worse for the Gryffindor girl, she knew it would be a death eaters meeting, seeing as almost everyone in Sean and Mattheo's group would be there.

"They're going to murder me." Y/N whispered to Sean as the youngest twin sat on her brother's bed as he laid out his suit. "I am a bloody Gryffindor, and everyone that's going to be here is Slytherin death eaters." The twins were still not close, but they were closer than previously due to her connection with Mattheo and after how Theo had treated her.

"I'll go down with you if they try anything." Sean promised as he noticed how distraught his sister looked. "Mattheo won't let anything happen to you either."

Y/N scoffed slightly at what her older brother had said, It was true that Mattheo was far from his parents when no one was around. But how would he act when multiple of his family's allies was in the same room? He had always acted a big stuck up or cold towards the girl whenever the Netteby's hosted Christmas parties and everything. "Our parents like you more, they'll make sure you live. They'll place the unforgivable spell on me."

"You'll survive." Sean promised before shoving his sister out of his room so he could get ready.

Y/N rolled her eyes before going to her room and getting ready. To blend in with everyone that was going to be at Nettleby manor, she had decided on another green dress. Something that would make her look mature but attractive at the same time. She quickly straightened up her hair and makeup before taking a couple deep breaths and heading downstairs to meet whatever fate was waiting for her.

"Y/N, you're late." Mrs. Nettleby scolded her eyes glaring at the girl in front of her. "You don't need to be a bigger disappointment than you already are." she muttered. A few of the other death eaters laughed at the mother's comment.

Y/N held her head high and stood up straighter, "Sorry mother." she muttered before stepping around her mother and going into the kitchen in her house.

"You don't walk away until I say I am done with you!" Mrs. Nettlby spoke harshly as her heels click-clack every time she stormed towards her daughter. "You should be grateful for the life that you have with us, we would have kicked you out if we didn't have a plan for you." she spoke in her normal harsh tone.

Y/N's eyes narrowed slightly as she starred at her mother, "Plan for me?" she asked wanting to know what the group of death eaters planned to do with her.

Mrs. Nettleby gave her daughter a wicked smile before she grabbed her daughter by the shoulder and pushed her out to where the group was waiting for her. "Our daughter wants to know what her main purpose is, I think it's time we elaborate."

Sean's expression changed as he noticed the harsh grip that his mother had on his sister. He knew that his family treated her different since she was sorted into Gryffindor, but he did not understand why. He went to speak up before Lucius Malfoy stepped in front of the group of Slytherin boys. "I think it's time for you to let the adults talk." He spoke monotoned to the group of boys.

"What are you going to do to my sister?" Sean asked the father of his friend. His glare was hard as he tried to figure out what the death eaters wanted with his sister.

Lucius gave him a dark look, "that is between us and her, Mr. Nettleby." He spoke before ushering the boys out of the room.

After the boys had left everyone gathered around the table, the grip Mrs. Nettleby had on her daughter tightened as discussion started around the group of his army. "Here is what you must do."

“They wouldn’t hurt her, would they?” Sean asked nervously as he waited for the adults to break the spell on the door.

Draco scoffed, “they would.” He spoke monotonously.

Theodore had been ignored by Mattheo and Sean, but he was even look nervous now. He may have a grudge held against his best friend, but he would admit that Y/N didn’t deserve to be tortured by the groupies in the den.

Before anyone could speak up the doors opened and Mr. Nettleby threw his daughter out before closing the doors again. The girl’s shoulders were already turned slightly purple from the grip and fingernails of her mother. Her once neat hair was how messy and her makeup was smudged. A red mark shaped like a handprint laid across her right cheek.

Y/N didn’t dare say anything, all she did was take her heels off and raced to her room. Sean went to follow her but was held back by Draco who knew that Mattheo would want to follow the girl. After all, it was the boy’s father’s followers that did whatever damage to the girl.

Y/N rushed to her room and quickly got her duffle, whatever she had left at home was going back with her to Hogwarts. There was no one she could risk coming home again.

“Y/N,” Mattheo’s voice spoke softly from the doorway of the girl’s bedroom. “What’s going on?”

“I’m leaving.” She whispered hoping that they couldn’t curse him to get it out of him. She knew her parents would find her at hogwarts, which made her worried. “I can’t stay here, not with what they’re expecting me to do.”

Mattheo cautiously stepped into the bedroom that he was slightly familiar with. He didn’t want to startle the girl seeing as she was in a vulnerable state. “What did they do?” He asked carefully, he noticed the way her eyes squeezed shut and a tear fell down. “Let me help you.”

Y/N turned to him fully, so he got the full view of her. Her cheek now a slightly different color due to the impact of whoever slapped her across the face. “You can’t help me, Teo.” She whispered on the verge of breaking.

“Let me try,” he pleaded, hating seeing the girl the way that she was currently. “I’ll try to fix it.”

“I have to get out of here,” she told him. “I have to go into hiding or something.” She mumbled as her eyes finally fully met his.

Mattheo stepped forward again and carefully reached out and grabbed her hand in a comforting way. “Tell me what they want you to do.”

“They want me to spy on Harry,” she whispered. His hand gave hers a big squeeze. Knowing that she was best friends with him, sure he hated Harry. Most of it being because of his father and everything that happened. “They want me to spy on the the Weasley’s as well.” She added her heart breaking as she spoke.

“Maybe we can figure something out,” Mattheo tried to reason but they both knew better. Death Eaters showed no remorse for anyone, not even their own kids. At least, the Nettleby’s didn’t. “We can find a way for you to make them happy but keep your friends safe.”

Y/N shook her head as more tears fell down, “that’s not the worse part.” She muttered as his hand went to rest on her cheek.

“I’m sure we can get through it.” Mattheo reassured, his thumb wiping away the tears as they fell.

“They’re going to force me to become like them.” She told the guy that she cared deeply for in front of her. Mattheo paled, knowing exactly what she meant. It was exactly what his father and mother had been planning for him since the plan to get his father back. “They’re forcing me to join your fathers army.”

That sentence was enough for Mattheo to fear for the girl in front of him. It was enough to feel his own heart break. Because someone so sweet, caring, and willing to help others did not deserve to have that life that he was destined to live.

Little note: hi! It’s been longer than I hoped and I’m sorry many things got in the way but here’s an update. I hope you enjoyed and we’re getting to the juicy stuff. I did change the plot a bit since this went from a George Weasley x reader (rough draft) and I did a full switch to Mattheo Riddle x reader. I think I’m going to start adding a word count at the beginning of my chapters just so I can keep track of how many words I usually write per chapter. Next update should be out soon! I’ve started writing requests but I’ll catch up with blogmas first! 🥰

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I think I added everyone! If i missed someone or I tagged the wrong account and you wanna be untagged just let me know. 🫶

[garbinge]

Duty To Protect (Pt 2)

Neville Longbottom x F!Reader (Sirius Black's Daughter) 30 Day Fic Challenge (24/30)

Word Count: 2.4k A/N: Seriously loved writing this soo much, had such a time with it <3

Warnings: All my fics are 18+ regardless of content. Angst, follows the timeline for Order of the Phoenix, mentions of violence, blood. Part 1

All Writing Taglist: @drabbles-mc @justreblogginfics @kmc1989

You laid your head on Neville’s lap as you read through the daily prophet sprawled on the bench of the train seat. 

“These have become insufferable.” You dropped it down on your lap. 

Neville looked down at you with a smile and just shook his head. Before he had a chance to respond, there were two voices at the door of your booth. 

“Look at the freaks, the dead parents club.” 

You looked up and saw the slytherin robes and corrupt eyes of the fellow 5th years that constantly made it a task to make fun of both you and Neville. 

“Freaks in love.” The other cooed and took their wands out and started to tug at your hair and move Neville’s robe. It was a childish prank, in all honestly you had way worse done to you before but it didn’t stop Neville from being annoyed. 

“Stop it, both of you!” He yelled out, his arm moving around you to hold you. 

All they did was mock him, repeating his words in voices they’d taken some candy off the trolley to alter. 

“Colloportus!” You pointed your wand towards them and the train door shut and locked along with the shades being drawn down. The handle of the sliding door jiggled as they tried to re-open it but the spell remained strong. 

“Idiots.” You mumbled and sat up to look at Neville who was visibly upset. It honestly shocked you, these were extremely mild teases and Neville tended to let most of these situations fall off his back. 

“Don’t listen to them Neville.” You moved to sit across from him so you could look him in the eyes. 

“You shouldn’t have to deal with that.” His voice was on edge. 

“It really isn’t a big deal, they do this all the time.” It seriously didn’t matter to you anymore. 

“I have a duty to protect you.” His sentence didn’t sound like him at all. Frustration was littered in his voice and it was like he failed at something. 

“Neville, what are you bloody talking about?” Now the frustration was in your voice, it wasn’t really at him, but at the situation, you wanted to know what was going on. 

Suddenly, it hit you. 

“Sirius.” You mumbled under your breath. “Tell me my father spoke to you.” With your eyes shut you asked the question, taking a deep breath as the words left your mouth. 

“Both of them.” He answered, still looking out the window. 

This made your eyes go wide. 

“Well, Sirius and Remus.” His eyes were now on you realizing he’d called Remus your father which you never did. He was your guardian, and he acted as such. It wasn’t like you hated him, not the slightest bit, but you never could find it in you to refer to him as your father, you had one. 

You didn’t really care that Neville gave the title to Remus in this instance, you were more concerned and honestly just mortified that they had both talked to him. 

“What did they say?” 

“It was nothing.” Neville was backtracking now, his voice was back to his normal worried-some tone as he realized he crossed a line he didn’t mean to. 

But that wasn’t exactly true, that’s just what he felt. To you, it was Sirius and Remus who crossed a line. 

“What did they say?” You asked the question again. 

With a sigh, Neville answered you. “That I have a duty to protect you.” 

You scoffed immediately. “I can protect myself.” You looked away and shook your head. “I’m head of my defense classes behind Hermionie, don’t they know that? Remus should know that.” You started to give reasons as to why you didn’t need men protecting you. 

“I spend all my free time reading, most books being about charms or potions and their proper uses.” Your arms were crossed as you looked around the train booth, as if you were searching for more reasons as to why you could protect yourself. 

“I fought off my boggart in one attempt! Remus knows this!” Your hands lifted now, it was tough to keep your body still. “And I spent all summer practicing defensive charms with Sirius!” 

“It’s not really about you, I don’t think.” Neville’s face was scrunched up when he spoke the words, he knew they were going to upset you. 

“Really, and what might you say is the “you” in “has a duty to protect you” is? You raised your hands into air quotes. 

“I just mean–, as your boyfriend, they wanted me to know that since I’m around a lot, I shouldn’t hurt you, or let people hurt you if I have any power in the matter.” 

“They’ve both been reading my muggle studies books too much.” You rolled your eyes, your voice coming down a bit. 

“I think they just care about you.” He was staring directly at you now. “As do I.” 

That melted you. Maybe this is what your muggle studies book meant. There really wasn’t a blueprint of love and relationships in your life, besides Remus and Tonks but that was, different. They just were and you weren’t around enough to see much of it when they started dating since it was during your first year at Hogwarts. 

Now being 16, being with Neville since the end of your third year, you created your own blueprint, but with Sirius being back, things were different, your father was home, you had to take that into consideration. 

“Anything from the trolley dears?” 

The call from the Trolley was approaching and you smiled as you leaned over and grabbed Neville’s knee with a squeeze. “You want anything?” 

Standing up you went to unlock the door and raise the shades, it had been a long enough time that the Syltherins were likely gone and in another car by now. You peaked your head out of the booth and saw the trolley a couple places down from you. 

As you turned back where Neville was sitting, he smiled and pointed his wand to the shades. “Colloportus.” 

The shades closed and so did the door and you smiled knowing it was Neville’s way of saying he wanted to make out. 

He spoke so poised, a newer trait for Neville but since both of you had spent a while together, it allowed for you to both be more confident together. 

“Yea, you.”

_______

“Haven’t you read that herbology book like 3 times already?” You asked Neville as you walked side by side back to the Gryffindor common room. 

“This is the 4th one in the series.” He lifted it up and shook it like it was obvious. As he did this his eyes looked down at what you had in your hands. 

“How did you get that, they’ve put all defensive magic books in the restricted section.” Neville frowned looking down at the book in your hands. 

“Not all.” You shrugged knowing very well you snuck in to grab it. 

He gave you a knowing look. “We just need to be learning more. With–with him back, we need to be accelerating our learning not limiting it.” 

“Do you think it’s going to be like before?” He asked now as you strolled past the main hall. “Like when our parents were dealing with it?” 

“That’s what Sirius tells me, in our letters. That it feels very…” You hated that you had to say it, what it would feel like for Neville, knowing that when this happened before his parents were tortured and then killed. “Familiar.” You dropped your head. 

The sound of Filch hammering a nail on the main hall entrance wall and hanging a sign with a paper post in it alerted both of you to look. 

“No music during study hours.” 

It was one of the lesser weighted rules that hung on the wall, but it was a change none the less. 

“Everything here is beginning to feel unfamiliar.” Neville mumbled as he stared at the brick wall. 

“Why aren’t you two in your common room?” The voice of the change around here stunned both of you, making you freeze and not want to turn around. 

Neville thought quick and extended out his hand with his wand placing it directly on the book in your hands. He mumbled something and in an instant your book transfigured into a completely different one. 

One thousand magical herbs and fungi. 

“I’m talking to you two.” The voice repeated itself with a clearing of their throat and giggle. 

You looked at Neville with caring eyes and turned around to stare at the lady in pink. 

“Come.” She demanded you both come closer to her and you both obliged. You felt like you could hear his heart thumping from nerves but you soon realized it was actually your own. “Coming from the library I see, what do we have?” She gripped the books out of Neville’s hand and rolled her eyes at the herbology theme in his arms before pushing them back into his arms. 

Her eyes fell onto you and she smiled, her way of asking for the books in your arms. 

She breezed over them and paused looking at the herbology book Neville had charmed. 

A giggle left her mouth and you were hoping it was her making fun of you both for calling an interest to plants but it wasn’t. 

“Aparecium.” She spoke to the book with her wand and it instantly changed back to what it originally was. “Roaming around the restricted section are we?” Her eyes practically were daggers to your skull.

Your eyes shut as you realized you were found out. “Detention, tonight, for you Miss–” 

Neville immediately cut her off. “It was me, I snuck in and grabbed it in an attempt to impress her.” 

Your head practically snapped off your neck as you turned to look at him. “Neville!” You said it under your breath even though no matter the volume you spoke, Umbridge would hear it. 

“Enough!” She yelled clearly upset. “Mr. Longbottom, detention, tonight.” She tucked the book under her arm and walked away like nothing happened, leaving the both of you there with a mountain of tension between you. 

“Why would you do that?” You asked as Neville began to follow the path you two were originally on before stopping. 

“It wasn’t a big deal.” 

“It was a very big deal.” You ran to catch up with him, your robe flowing in the wind as you did. 

“I’m going to go to my room for a bit, I’ll see you later.” He turned around and you completely ran into him, his arms extending out to balance you despite the books in his hand. A small smile appeared on his face as he did. It always made him smirk when you were the clumsy one. “I’ll see you later.” He repeated and placed a quick kiss to your lips and was off to the Gryffindor boys dormitory. 

It didn’t leave you feeling much better, the smirk helped but overall you were feeling very upset. You spent the next few hours in your own dormitory, catching up on homework and cleaning up. When you knew there was an hour left of detention, you started to make your way back down the castle to wait for Neville. Making use of the stairs just outside the main hall you took up post. You were reading a fiction book, just something to pass the time when you heard the doors open. Quickly you stood up and looked through the crowd that was leaving, you stepped down as you saw him. 

“Hey, I wanted to talk to you.” You were nervous in front of him which wasn’t a common occurrence. 

“You’ve been waiting here?” Neville’s eyes moved to your stuff on the steps as he adjusted his robe over his hand. 

“Yea, what are you doing?” You asked pointing to the area where his robe was looking off. 

“Nothing, come on let’s get your stuff.” He tried to move around you but you caught his hand. He hissed despite your touch being gentle. 

As you lightly touched his hand with both of yours you looked down to see the freshly scratched scars in his hand. 

“Neville!” You stage whispered. “Is this– this is what detention is?” 

He wiggled his hand out from your grip and moved closer to you. “It’s not a big deal, it’ll heal, plus I have essence of dittany drops in my room that’ll heal it all up.” 

“You knew.” It all came to you. Why he was so quick to jump in and take the blame for you earlier. 

He looked away from you, a tell sign that you were right. 

“You were protecting me.” You nodded as everything started making perfect sense. What Remus and Sirius said to him must’ve really stuck. 

“Can we just go to the common room? I’d like to just hang out, with you.” He added the with you with his typical timid Neville voice, it was Neville’s attempt at trying to change the topic and it always worked because despite it being a tactic, it was the real him. 

“Fine. But we’re sitting at a table and I’m writing to Sirius.” You moved to grab your things but Neville’s good arm reached in front of you and picked your things up. As you looked at him, the anger was still on your face from everything but it immediately dropped at the sight of him. 

“C’mon.” You smiled and rolled your eyes as you both made your way to the common room.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

I think what’s frustrating for me in ootp (which is still 100% my favorite book despite this) is how everyone treats Harry like his anger is childish/unreasonable. Like guys he watched a classmate get murdered last year (among other traumatic things). And then he was isolated a from everyone he cares about and forced to live with people who treat him worse than dirt. The fact Hermione is kind of scared of him when he thinks Sirius is being tortured in the DOM? Idk, it just never sat right with me. Ppl treat Harry like a loose canon or an angsty kid and it minimizes the real trauma he endured

I get what you're saying, but I think the way people treat him and his anger is very much in line with what we see from the Wizarding World. The Wizarding World doesn't really understand trauma or mental health as a whole. They have no concept of therapy of psychiatric care of any kind. The only mind treatment they have is to do with healing spell damage (like Obliviations or Legilemancy). So, it's a society that doesn't really know what to do with someone like Harry, they don't have the tools to help him and people around him just don't really understand.

Ron and Hermione care about Harry, but due to their own life experiences, they have no real ability to relate to him over his trauma and understand him. That's kinda the point in this conversation:

“Don’t sit there grinning like you know better than I do, I was there, wasn’t I?” he said heatedly. “I know what went on, all right? And I didn’t get through any of that because I was brilliant at Defense Against the Dark Arts, I got through it all because — because help came at the right time, or because I guessed right — but I just blundered through it all, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing — STOP LAUGHING!” The bowl of murtlap essence fell to the floor and smashed. He became aware that he was on his feet, though he couldn’t remember standing up. Crookshanks streaked away under a sofa; Ron and Hermione’s smiles had vanished. “You don’t know what it’s like! You — neither of you — you’ve never had to face him, have you? You think it’s just memorizing a bunch of spells and throwing them at him, like you’re in class or something? The whole time you know there’s nothing between you and dying except your own — your own brain or guts or whatever — like you can think straight when you know you’re about a second from being murdered, or tortured, or watching your friends die — they’ve never taught us that in their classes, what it’s like to deal with things like that — and you two sit there acting like I’m a clever little boy to be standing here, alive, like Diggory was stupid, like he messed up — you just don’t get it, that could just as easily have been me, it would have been if Voldemort hadn’t needed me —”

(OotP, 327)

They try, but they don't really get it. And after this conversation, they try more, and they make more of an effort to understand what Harry is talking about.

We see Sirius, who has his fair share of issues, understands and relates to Harry better from the get-go:

“Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?” asked Sirius. “Harry’s been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He’s got the right to know what’s been happen —”

(OotP, 87)

He understands Harry would want to know what's going on after being trapped for a month — he's in exactly the same boat, he knows.

“But if they do expel me,” said Harry, quietly, “can I come back here and live with you?” Sirius smiled sadly. “We’ll see.” “I’d feel a lot better about the hearing if I knew I didn’t have to go back to the Dursleys,” Harry pressed him. “They must be bad if you prefer this place,” said Sirius gloomily.

(OotP, 115)

He understands the situation with the Dursleys and wants to help, but has no way to do so. He can't make promises Dumbledore would override him on. He cares about Harry and has the life experience to relate to him.

As does Luna, who experienced her mother's death:

Harry nodded curtly, but found that for some reason he did not mind Luna talking about Sirius. He had just remembered that she too could see thestrals.

(OotP, 863)

The problem isn't that people around him don't care (I mean, some don't) but in the case of Ron and Hermione, they just don't get it. They're teenagers in a culture that just doesn't conceive mental health as a thing. Wizards happily let inmates in Azkaban go mad and drive themselves to suicide, it's even expected according to Fudge. It's not our world and culture, so I'm not surprised by it. This scene with Hermione also showcases it well:

“Well, it’s like Hagrid said, they can look after themselves,” said Hermione impatiently, “and I suppose a teacher like Grubbly Plank wouldn’t usually show them to us before N.E.W.T. level, but, well, they are very interesting, aren’t they? The way some people can see them and some can’t! I wish I could.” “Do you?” Harry asked her quietly. She looked horrorstruck. “Oh Harry — I’m sorry — no, of course I don’t — that was a really stupid thing to say —”

(OotP, 450)

It's not that she meant to say anything to upset Harry, she just didn't think it through. Didn't think about what her words actually meant until Harry brought it up. And that's really what it is. They don't understand, not really. At least not at this point in the books.

The ones I don't really have an excuse for are some of the adults in the Order. I mean Lupin, Arthur, and Molly should know better. I mean, Lupin is allergic to responsibility, so, I understand why he doesn't try to help in any way. But Molly doesn't seem to understand either, Molly, who lost both her older brothers to Death Eaters. I think in Molly's case, is that she mastered the art of pushing any emotion she doesn't want to feel down and she doesn't understand why Harry is feeling things and not doing the same because she's sure everyone is like her in that regard. She is wrong.

Her reaction to the boggart in OotP is the result of how she doesn't seem to really process her negative emotions which, again, results in her having no clue what Harry's going through. Molly is a result of a culture that's very unaware of mental health and who never really dealt with her own issues and fears from the first war.

So, yeah, I think the responses we see to Harry's trauma from other characters are just very in line with wizards' understanding of mental health. Which is close to none.

[bittersnsweetz]

guys i am havjng so many thoughts about phoenix wrights complicated relationship with saving people and specifically SAVING people not just helpjng people because lord knows he hates to do that i mean specifically him eating a glass necklace that could very welll have been laced with poison to save his ex "girlfriend" from being accused of murder and put on death row, switching careers so he could save the boy who sat in his elementary school class for approximately 4 months before moving because he saw that his career path chnaged and he thought that meant something bad had happened in those 13 or so years, opting to defend this same man who is also now his opposition in court because he knows him and he knows hed never do such a thing as murder despite knowing him for less than a year 13 years ago, charging through notably heavy duty locked doors and running across a burning bridge on two separate occasions to save his best friend thinking that she was trapped on the other side in active danger without even a second thought, adopting a child because her father up and disappeared despite not knowing the child beforehand for very little reason, and how phoenix wright doesnt see himself as a good person but he sees it as his duty to save because thats all he knows and hes a lawyer not because hes pure of heart but because it gives him purpose

im thinking about how phoenix wright wants so badly to save people without thinking about the consequences and without much forethought only that he has to do it or they will die/he has no worth/he'll be exposed as a fraud and losing my mind over the fact that his two exes fuck up whatever narrative phoenix has in his head about how saving people or attempting to save people is always the right thing to do and how him saving edgeworth and then edgeworth up and leaving, with phoenix left with the full understanding that he died only to return a year later adds fuel to the fire and how phoenix cant simply believe in his clients the way he was taught because so many people in his life have lead him to believe that its all for naught and that everyone in his life has to be guilty until proven innocent so that he can avoid being hurt again and how it probably takes him a long long time to bounce back from broken trust and

takes a deep breath

characters with a saviour complex that arent necessarily beacons of light and have mixed emotions about their duty to save you have my heart and soul

[jamilelucato]

possibility - fred weasley

pairing: fred weasley x slytherin!reader

(it can be read as a one-shot) (part 02 here!)

summary: Amidst the boredom, an unexpected connection sparks between (Y/N) and the charismatic mischief-maker, Fred Weasley.

note: They are in their last year at Hogwarts, so, for purposes, they are 18; besides, the whole canon of the book (it would've been Order of the Phoenix) is mostly nonexistent here.

the reader: can be interpreted as someone with ADHD; she loves literature and she has no friends.

words: 7580

Enjoy!

The lesson trudged on, dripping with tedium.

In truth, (y/n) quite liked Professor Flitwick. She had, in fact, eagerly accepted his invitation to become his assistant whenever the First Years graced his class. Being an assistant delighted her to no end. Yet, being a student, well, that was a different cauldron of bubbling potion altogether.

Today, Flitwick's lecture on Spellcasting and its perils was dragging on and on. As a sixth-year student, the curriculum seemed more intent on delving into existing knowledge than offering exciting novelties. While these topics might hold allure for a future Auror or the like, they were a one-way ticket to Boredomville for her.

Ever since (y/n) had decided upon her career path – a decision that seemed to have been brewed in the deepest recesses of her being – most of her classes had metamorphosed into a soporific ordeal. Hogwarts wasn't particularly renowned for its prowess in teaching language and literature, but that was precisely where her ambitions lay. A writer, a wordsmith, perhaps even an editor or a high school pedagogue. Anything that would let her commune with the magic of words, not the sort that burst from wands.

Now, she wasn't a woeful spell caster by any means. Professor Flitwick wouldn't have sought her assistance if she weren't a smart witch. But, her heart preferred the dance of ink on parchment over the intricacies of wand-waving, often rendering her classroom hours relatively inconsequential.

Seeking refuge from this stifling monotony, (y/n) allowed her gaze to wander. And in this sea of faces, her eyes collided with Fred Weasley – the school's most notorious ginger-haired mischief-maker. He was already watching her, a mask of effortless nonchalance draped over his face. He raised his brows at her, noticing she was staring back, and he did not look away. And so, they locked eyes, neither relinquishing the connection. It was not a duel of gazes; it was more like a shared secret, a silent agreement over how tedious the class was.

A minute passed in this silent communion until Fred graced her with a faint smile. The spell was broken, and her attention returned to her empty parchment. A quiet sigh fluttered like a long-forgotten page being turned, but it vanished into the air, unheard by all but her.

With pen in hand, she felt an almost magical compulsion to transcribe Flitwick's words onto her parchment. His voice, though droning before, now seemed less boring. 

“To its nature, we shall survive it, but the opponent targetted... not so much,” the professor intoned, the words finally finding their mark within her consciousness. Cruel nature, indeed. “Well,” she mused, her back moulding into her chair as her quill danced across the parchment, “Every spell I remember does possess a hint of danger.”

At long last, her notes held substance, and her enthusiasm, while subdued, had been rekindled. Her gaze again drifted sideways to where Fred Weasley was, only to find he had shifted his focus – to his twin, George.  

They sat side by side, mirror images of naughtiness. (y/n) sometimes forgot that they were identical twins because she was so used to having them around that they started to look apart. George's height had a mere smidgen of variance, while Fred's nose was a tad more prominent. Freckles played a symphony across their faces, arranging themselves differently – Fred’s were more concentrated around his forehead. Yet, at that moment, as (y/n) blinked through her confusion, she wondered if she'd mixed up their features. Had she glimpsed George's grin instead?

But then, as if choreographed by fate, Fred resumed his original posture and caught her looking. His lips curled into an unmistakable smirk. “It's certainly Fred, then,” she thought, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, unwanted.  She redirected her attention back to the good Professor Flitwick and his lesson, and weirdly enough, after all that gazing, she had regained her focus and was more ready to be a satisfactory student.

Amidst her studies, (y/n) was ensconced within the library's embrace.

This day bestowed upon the library an uncommon hush, a tranquillity that seemed to defy the norm. The librarian always managed to get the kids quiet, but she couldn't stop them from coming all at once when frenzied by the looming spectre of approaching exams.

However, an anomaly unfolded on that Friday afternoon, bestowing upon (y/n) the most unexpected gift – the library, in all its boundless expanse, was hers to claim. A rarity that, peculiarly, she found herself not enjoying. Amidst the solitude, her focus waned like a candle in a draft, flickering and unstable. Concentration eluded her, much like the fleeting caress of a dream upon waking. Reading, that intimate act of solitary exploration, seemed to have metamorphosed into a daunting endeavour. It was one thing to lose oneself in tales of princesses or the adventures of chiselled, sun-kissed heroes, but an entirely different ordeal to grapple with the intricate world of potion brewing.

For (y/n), the allure of fantasy books or any literary work was nothing short of enchanting, capable of whisking her away on wings of imagination. These volumes, she devoured with unbridled speed. Yet, a profound disinterest surged within her when it came to the theoretical tomes packed with knowledge mirroring the lectures she endured. If she were to be entirely frank, she might even admit a smidgen of disdain for these volumes.

So she would never take them to the dorms with her — she would much rather read them in the library, filled with other students. The presence of others functioned as a gentle but firm tether, binding her to the task at hand – reading, absorbing, and taking notes. The collective energy of focused minds bolstered her resolve.

Alas, a rather desolate air hung over the library's expanse on this day.

Thrice (y/n) had shifted her position, seeking companionship in proximity, only for her hopes to be dashed within thirty minutes. A sigh, tinged with resignation, escaped her lips, and in that crestfallen moment, a shock of crimson manifested in her field of vision. A pair of vibrant red-headed twins strode in. Nestled at the tables near the corridor's entrance, she watched them meander, their steps unhurried, eyes wandering. “Searching," her inner voice concluded. Certainly, the twins held a more potent allure than the secrets of cauldron cleaning or its ilk, a fact her current book seemed intent on imparting.

Though (y/n) watched from her vantage point, removed yet intrigued, the twins' presence would've caught anyone's attention had there been any other student around. As their gaze swept the expanse, (y/n)'s musings dipped into the realm of speculation, imagining the myriad thoughts dancing behind those crimson veils.

In a place where solitude was typically her archenemy, she now sat pondering the enigma of the Weasley twins, the allure of their presence momentarily overshadowing the dusty tomes that lay before her.

Fred and George stood at a distance, too far for (y/n) to gain a comprehensive view. Instead, they ambulated the space with a purpose that eluded onlookers – a relentless quest for something unbeknownst to her. As they wandered, their forms flickered in and out of her view, now one visible, then none, then both, and once more only one boy.

Fixated on the one nearer her, she strained her vision to discern. Could it be Fred? A question played a merry dance in her mind, teasing but refusing to commit to a definitive answer. His profile was turned towards the shelves, a curtain of red hair obscuring details. Besides, distinguishing the twins remained a daunting task without a survey of their noses.

Abruptly, a voice infiltrated her thoughts, causing her to startle in her seat, “You know we saw you, right?”

She swivelled around, only to be met by the missing twin positioned just behind her. Leaning over her chair's backrest, he inclined his head inquisitively, a solitary auburn eyebrow arching with playful curiosity. Witnessing her wide-eyed astonishment, the Weasley released a soft, subdued chuckle, a mischievous symphony woven into the sound. “If you want my brother's number, you can just ask,” he added.

So the one talking to her was Fred. She quickly glanced at his nose bridge, trying to see the intricated details left by a Quidditch match gone wrong, yet his voice functioned as the telltale sign. He audacity to issue such a provocative remark to a girl with whom they held only the most tenuous of connections – that could only be Fred's doing. Moreover, his tone carried a specific timbre distinct from George's. It was, for lack of a better word, smoother to her auditory senses. Not that George's voice was anything less than agreeable, but his was a quieter, more reserved resonance. She mused that her lack of familiarity with George's vocal cadence stemmed from his status as the quieter half of the duo, while Fred's unending stream of chatter had made his vocal imprint indelible in her ears.

A manufactured laugh escaped her lips, a tinkling facade, "Haha, Weasley. I don't want no one's number."

Fred inclined his head, a bemused glint in his eyes as if coaxing her to reveal more.

Nestled more comfortably in her chair, she raised her chin a fraction, a silent assertion that she was unreservedly facing the boy. This small shift seemed to foster a sense of openness between them.

"Studying is boring, so you guys looked like a distraction," she declared with a nonchalant shrug.

His voice dripped with theatrical incredulity, “We? A distraction?” Fred's lips curled into a playful smile, his head tilting as he leaned slightly away. He stood tall, towering over most, a fact he seemingly embraced with ease. Though his height wasn't sufficient to overshadow Ron (a surprise, really), it cast a considerable shadow over (y/n), particularly in her seated state. The disparity in stature unfolded in a tableau that her neck found almost physically taxing to endure.

With the book held closer to her chest, (y/n) drew a deep breath, her response tinged with a touch of exasperation, “Honestly, anything is a preferable pursuit than deciphering 'how to brew... a potion.'” Her fingers clutched the book, the page title a weighty secret she held close, refusing to vocalise it aloud.

An unexpected shift occurred as Fred commandeered the neighbouring chair, situating it with a proximity that nudged their personal space. “And weirdly enough," he said. Lowering himself into the seat, he offered a sly grin, his gaze steady upon her, “You always get good grades at Snape's classes.” A movement almost imperceptible – a twitch of the head, a hint of satisfaction – played upon his features.

(y/n) registered the proximity with an awareness that tickled her senses. The book, her veiled treasure, lay nestled in her grasp, poised for closure to deter prying eyes.

She shrugged, expecting him to forget what she held close, “I'm Slytherin, after all.”

“Ah,” Fred snapped his tongue in the roof of his mouth, a sound almost as if he had drunk something and was now satisfied. 

Shifting her gaze quickly at George, she hoped he would come to her rescue and take his twin away.

“Not so fast,” Fred interjected, his large hand sweeping down to rest atop the book's cover. “What secrets are you hiding there?”

Her gaze flitted from his eyes to his hand, a growing wariness churning within her. Her fingers tensed around the book, futilely attempting to shield its contents. But deftly, the book was relinquished from her hold and into his.

His melodious voice breathed life into the words etched on the page, “Let's unravel this mystery... 'How to Brew a Love Potion,'” he read aloud, his playful and teasing tone. Amusement twinkled in his eyes as they danced up to meet hers. “Wow, (y/n), I'd never take you for one who needed a love potion.”

To match his wit, (y/n) maintained her playful gaze, a smirk curving her lips as her retort unfurled, “Oh, I don't know, Fred. Perhaps that's my secret to acing Snape's classes.”

Not even the weight of dark humour could ruffle Fred Weasley's composure. His smirk swelled, infused with a brew of mischief that danced in his eyes. “If that's the case, you're terrible at it. I distinctly recall a certain incident involving Snape's homework, and if memory serves, it nearly rendered you floundering.”

She averted her gaze, her attention shifting to the captured book still cradled within his hands, the prospect of regaining it receding into the distance.

“Thanks for the recall, top-tier student,” she quipped, a playful glint in her eyes. “Now, are you willing to tell me your secrets? What are you doing here, in the library?”

Fred's laughter danced like a secret melody, an intimate note that lingered in the air, his eyes shimmering with a clandestine glimmer. “What's life without a little mystery?” he joked, his voice a velvety caress.

She mirrored his stance, a symmetrical lean that brought them closer, the gap between their faces now an invitation. Their proximity wove a delicate tapestry between their banter and a realm of deeper connection. “Is that so?” she inquired, her words drawn out in a languid purr, the air heavy with a mingling of intrigue and allure.

He matched her pace without the need to ask. The dance of their words had woven a tapestry of amusement, their shared enjoyment eclipsing the pursuit of concrete answers. After all, Fred barely had learned a secret. He was smart enough to know (y/n)'s book had been opened on a random page.

“If I tell you why I'm here,” he mused; his gaze, which had been steadfastly locked onto her eyes, dared trace a path to her lips, “what will you give me in return?”

(y/n) thought herself very wicked when her answer came quickly, “A love potion?” she playfully suggested.

His smile faltered, his breathing taking on a deeper rhythm, a transformation she couldn't help but notice.

“I don't need that,” he purred, voice dipping lower, “however, you...”

An eye-roll framed her response, though she didn't retreat from his proximity.

“Weasley...” her voice began, her tone laden with a mix of exasperation and uncertainty, an attempt to convey a sentiment she was grappling to articulate.

“Fred,” he interjected, the word a soft murmur, his eyes holding hers earnestly. Noticing her bemusement, he continued with a gentle lilt, “Call me Fred.”

She processed his words, pondering the significance of calling him by his name instead of his surname – a departure from the collective label that often accompanied the Weasley clan around Hogwarts.

A nervous throat clearing preceded her tentative utterance, “Fred." She tested the name as if savouring the syllables as if she did not know it before.

Flirting was an uncharted territory for (y/n), a realm she now tiptoed into, fueled by trepidation and exhilaration.

“Lucian Flewchief's book.”

The words hung suspended, (y/n)'s brow furrowing as she sought to decipher their meaning. Was that Fred’s way of flirting back? Suggesting a book? (y/n) was puzzled. That was a new way of flirting she never knew of, but she hoped the book was some young adult fae fantasy.

Fred's perception of her confusion prompted him to lean back slightly, dissipating the cosy bubble they'd woven. He clarified, “That's our objective here – locating Lucian Flewchief's book."

Her understanding unfurled with an "oh" of realisation, the pieces clicking into place.

“We're also the reason behind the library's current solitude,” he continued, an impish glint in his eyes. “George and I orchestrated a bit of a distraction to ensure we could slip away without drawing any undue attention, Godric forbid, with a book in tow!”

So that explained why she was the only one lingering at the library. Though it made sense, it stirred a tinge of melancholy within her.

Curiosity nudged her to question further, her tone now coloured with intrigue. “Who is this guy? Flewchief? And why the necessity for secrecy around his book?” Her queries were genuine and earnest, though sadness crept into her voice as their playful exchange segued into a more sober dialogue.

Fred swayed his head before replying, “He's a master at pranks.”

An eyebrow arched in response, (y/n)'s curiosity unabated. While she may not have been an expert in the art of pranking, one would expect to have heard of such a renowned figure, right?

Observing her perplexity, Fred inhaled deeply before disclosing, his voice lowered almost to a whisper, “He's a muggle author.”

Recognition flashed across (y/n)'s face, though she remained silent. Yet, subtle shifts in her posture – a subtle sag of her shoulders, a slight tightening of her lips – betrayed a sentiment that did not escape Fred's notice. He understood the Slytherin disposition all too well; prejudices were not uncommon.

She unravelled a piece of herself with an unexpected candour, her words confounding Fred's expectations. Instead of disparaging comments or dismissing glances, she offered something else entirely. 

“I want to be a writer for muggles,” she confessed, her voice tinged with vulnerability. “I like to write fantasy, you know. But that's not a genre for wizards; our reality often rivals the most fantastical of fiction. So, my focus turns toward the muggle readers.”

Though caught off guard by the revelation, Fred remained silent, feeling a surge of admiration for her. He hadn't anticipated such a response.

“I can help you find Flewchief's book,” she offered, swiftly transitioning past the exposure of her own secret, determined not to let her cheeks flush with embarrassment. “I know this library well, particularly the section reserved for muggle authors. I presume you and George have little familiarity with the place.”

A crooked smile curled upon his lips in response. “Indeed,” he admitted with a chuckle, “you could even say 'no familiarity'; it's quite fitting.”

While (y/n) couldn't quite fathom how any student or individual could navigate life without venturing into the depths of a library, she empathized with their unfamiliarity. The muggle literature section was cloaked in segregation as if Hogwarts itself was disconcerted by such volumes.

Rising from her seat, she gathered her assortment of potion books. Truth be told, she harboured no illusions about accomplishing any meaningful research that afternoon. She left only one book behind – the one currently cradled in Fred's grasp.

“Are you coming or…?" Her voice hung in the air, a hint of playful theatricality accompanying her question.

Promptly, Fred sprang from his chair, the solitary book still in his possession. With (y/n) as his guide, they embarked on a journey through the library's labyrinthine aisles. Initially, they returned her stack of books to Madam Irma Pince, whose sole acknowledgement was a fleeting glance, her eyes flitting over the pile as it landed on her counter. Her gaze flickered momentarily as if recognition finally settled in at the sight of the redheaded companion beside (y/n).

“A Weasley," Madam Irma Pince declared, her observation stating the obvious. Fred, however, found himself grappling with an appropriate response. Ultimately, he opted for a shrug, his head tilting in acquiescence.

“I’m Fred,” he offered, his voice laced with a touch of formality. “But, you are absolutely correct, I am a Weasley."

It was abundantly clear that the librarian was well aware of which Weasley he was. 

“Don’t tear my books apart,” she cautioned, her voice edged with warning. “And don’t you dare burn this place down.”

Fred's lips pressed into a tight line, his nostrils flaring ever so slightly. He responded with a curt, “Noted."

(y/n) glanced up at Fred and then to the side, studying his expression. His tone left her somewhat perplexed – she couldn't discern if he was indulging in sarcastic provocation or if he held genuine offence at Madam Irma Pince's admonitions. She reflected that the torrent of criticisms from every adult figure must have been tiring. Yet, the twins hadn't acquired their notoriety by chance; their reputation as school pranksters was well-earned.

The three exchanged furtive glances before Madam Irma Pince averted her gaze to her counter. Her intentions, on the other side, remained veiled to (y/n). Fred possessed the capability to peek, but (y/n) held doubts about him exercising that prerogative.

Clearing her throat, (y/n) eased away from the librarian, and Fred followed suit.

“Take me to George,” she requested. Detecting Fred's immediate confusion, she elaborated, “So both of you can scour the shelves for the books. I can assist, but I'm not quite tall enough to reach all of the shelves.”

“Again," Fred inclined his head toward her, and at that moment, a subtle shift occurred, the playful dance of flirtation vanishing as swiftly as it had emerged, “Thank you for the assistance”. His expression was appreciative, genuine, a quiet acknowledgement of her assistance.

With a soft smile, she replied, “Don't mention it," her voice bearing a hushed quality, her gaze evading direct eye contact. “You’ll just own me one.”

He chuckled, “Uh, the unspoken possibilities.”

Indeed, Fred. Indeed.

It was a rather cold day. 

But it was Saturday and Hogsmeade trip day, so (y/n) put on her thickest coat and decided to face the snow.

Her fellow housemates buzzed with excitement, eagerly anticipating the visit. Yet, for (y/n), this outing held a more sombre purpose – a pilgrimage to Honeydukes. While her friends were pursuing quills and ingredients, (y/n) sought only solace in candy. These past few days had been trying, and the kitchen house elves had quietly declared her persona non grata, etching “no longer welcomed" onto their secret walls. So she’d have to buy her own sweets from now on.

“Feeling hot today?” a voice chimed from behind (y/n).

She clutched herself, attempting to stave off the relentless cold. Hogsmeade always exuded a chill, but it seemed that nature was intent on pushing the mercury even lower today. Not even her trusty coat could entirely repel the biting wind.

The voice was familiar; she recognised it as belonging to Fred Weasley.

“Where’s your other half?” she asked, noticing George wasn’t around.

“At the school,” Fred replied, bridging the distance with a few long strides. Given the frigid weather, (y/n) moved slowly, rivalling the old ladies of Diagon Alley. “He's caught the flu.”

A chuckle escaped (y/n), though her amusement was laced with empathy. “After today, I might end up just as sick.”

Fred mirrored her laughter, his eyes gleaming with a twinkle. Then, shifting his gaze towards their right, his expression became more earnest. “Come on, let’s get you something warm. Tea?”

True to his suggestion, Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop loomed just a few steps away.

(y/n) scanned her surroundings, from Fred to the inviting facade of the shop, and for a fleeting moment, the idea appealed to her. But then, a mental alarm sounded – this place was renowned for romantic trysts, a haven for couples from their year. For a time, (y/n) had considered herself above such traditions. But as her sixteenth birthday came and went, and she remained unattached, she longed for the experience of a boy inviting her to tea. Now, at eighteen, it seemed more a fanciful dream than a tangible possibility.

So Fred was definitely not suggesting it as a date.

“I actually have to head to Honeydukes,” she replied, her features arranged in a grimace, and she gestured with her body towards the store at the far end of the bustling Hogsmeade street. “That's the only reason I'm still here.”

Fred bit his lip in thought. “How about we grab a tea to go, then?” he proposed, his determination unwavering. He peered down at her, shivering in the cold, taking in her petite frame. “In less than fifteen minutes, you'll be on your way back to Hogwarts.”

The notion of sipping on something piping hot was increasingly appealing.

“Promise?” she asked, her tone a touch childlike.

Fred extended his pinky finger, encased in a slightly faded red glove – likely a Weasley hand-me-down. Not that (y/n) considered herself entitled or wealthy, but it was common knowledge that the Weasleys weren't the richest in monetary terms. Yet, they were undeniably wealthy in children.

Her own pinky fingers remained nestled deep within her pockets, safe from the cold. Fred glanced down and chuckled.

“Come on.”

She sighed, “Fine, Weasley. But you're footing the bill,” and when she noticed he was about to playfully protest, she added, “You were the one who insisted, after all.”

They walked together, resembling a pair of penguins navigating the icy terrain. (y/n)’s hands, nestled within her coat pockets, were shielded from the biting cold, yet their elbows still grazed one another now and then as they strolled leisurely.

Fred gallantly held the door open, allowing her to enter the cosy shop, and she expressed her gratitude in a soft murmur. While he proceeded to the counter to place their order (when queried, (y/n) simply requested, “Any tea will do, as long as it's the hottest available"), she contemplated the peculiar friendship that had taken root between them.

She'd never been an opponent of Fred, or the Weasleys, or anyone within Gryffindor, as one might have assumed. However, their closeness was a relatively recent development. When confronted with one of the twins' pranks, (y/n) was often the first to laugh, captivated by the sheer audacity of their exploits. She believed magic should be harnessed for amusement, not as a weapon; consequently, she found their approach to their magical talents endearing.

Because of her laughter, Fred and George had never targeted her with their pranks. Their mischief was generally directed at Malfoy and his ilk. Occasionally, she'd return to her common room and find something amiss, but she understood it was their way of rebelling against the entirety of Slytherin and its values rather than a personal affront.

By her fifth year, (y/n) considered Fred and George her acquaintances. They exchanged nods in the classrooms and other shared spaces. Being in the same year, she had grown accustomed to their voices and learned to differentiate between them.

Moreover, the Weasley twins had a certain charisma that she couldn't deny. She had met Fred’s older brothers before, so their good looks were no surprise. She realised this charm extended to Fred as he approached with two cups of steaming tea.

His freckles had always been a distinctive feature she admired. Yet now, she also noticed the appeal of his height, his shoulders broad and strong, typical of a Beater. His hair appeared soft and straight, inviting her fingers to run through its fiery strands, although she knew better than to entertain such notions.

Strangely, it was his nose that intrigued her the most. It was the distinguishing feature that allowed her to differentiate between Fred and George. She found it more masculine and captivating than the rest of his features. Not to mention his chest, which had once tantalisingly revealed his abs through a sweaty Quidditch shirt during a match. The sport certainly worked wonders on bodies.

“Thank you,” she said before taking a sip. She freed her hands from her pockets only with the prospect of holding something scolding hot.

Fred observed her closely as she tasted the tea, noticing how her eyes momentarily closed in bliss and how her body seemed to uncoil, the tension in her shoulders dissipating.

“All right, off to Honeydukes I go," she declared, pivoting towards the Tea Shop's exit.

Fred followed her, hastening to hold the door open once more. A subtle blush dusted her cheeks, and she was relieved that the shop was still relatively empty. A couple occupied a dimly lit corner but seemed too concentrated on each other to notice Fred Weasley being nice to a Slytherin girl. So that’s saying a lot about how entertained that random teenage couple was.

As they stepped back into the brisk Hogsmeade air, (y/n) noticed that Fred was still at her side. She didn't voice any complaint, though. Ever since the day he had sought her help at the library, she had resigned herself to the idea that she might never get the opportunity to converse with Fred alone again. George was always around, and if not him, then someone else. And even though, if she tried, (y/n) could engage in conversation with the other twin or with a Gryffindor student, she would rather not. 

In fact, it was rare to find someone she would like to engage in conversation with.

Fred was a… welcoming surprise.

“Uh," Fred's voice cut through the silence, which had settled between them as they enjoyed their tea, “can we make a quick stop here?"

They were passing by Zonko's Joke Shop, renowned for its extensive collection of prankster essentials. Of course, the shop would undoubtedly be on Fred's daily checklist. However, his request to pause at the store intrigued (y/n), given that she had never envisioned walking with him that day. Sure, he had treated her to tea, but that hardly counted as an expense, and she had mentioned her eagerness to return to Hogwarts promptly.

“It won't take long, I promise," he assured her, taking note of her delayed response. “Just add five more minutes to your wait. I'll escort you back, no worries."

(y/n) hesitated for a moment. “You really don't have to do that," she replied, taken aback by his gentlemanly offer.

“As if I'd let you make the journey alone."

She gazed at him in the wake of his response. “I'm a witch," she pointed out the obvious. “It's not like I can't handle a few dangers."

Fred cocked his head, a teasing remark on the tip of his tongue. “Can you defend yourself against the cold?"

She didn't respond; her answer would have been a resounding ‘no.'

“That's what I thought," he declared, a knowing smile dancing on his lips.

She arched an eyebrow, her free hand resting on her hip, her other still cradling her tea. “And what can you do to protect me from the cold?" she challenged Fred.

His smile grew, and he knew he had the perfect response. “Keep you from slipping on the icy ground."

Annoyed by his accuracy, she sighed loudly as they entered the joke shop.

The shop was bubbling with people: it was a living organism. (y/n) struggled to recall the last time she had set foot in this place. She had certainly visited the joke shop before, back in her third year when students were first allowed to venture into the village. Like her peers, she had eagerly explored every store without exception. However, as time passed, most of the shops had become familiar and somewhat ordinary to her. She only made the trip to Hogsmeade with a purpose now. Coming just for butterbeer seemed pointless, especially when she lacked the company of friends to sit with and share laughter.

So, following Fred Weasley as he browsed around the shop put her in a silent trance of observation and gaping. He moved confidently, searching for items and locating them quickly, with the same precision she'd demonstrated when she'd guided him through the library the other day. (y/n) followed at his heels, like a child following its guardian. In less than three minutes, they were already in line to pay.

“How do you know where everything is?" she asked, enjoying the moment of calm the checkout line offered. “I don't think gathering all that took you more than five minutes."

And it was indeed quite a haul. Fred's two hands cradled dozens of boxes and items like precious cargo in his lap. The teacup he had been carrying was now held securely by (y/n), ensuring that her hands were occupied with warm objects to fend off the cold.

Fred responded with a casual shrug to her question. “How do you know where all the books are in the library?" he countered.

“I don't know," she replied, her response unfiltered. “I guess I've just memorised it over time."

“Me too," he said, his eyes fixed on the shop as if watching his beloved. “Not to give reason to my fame at Hogwarts, but of course, my favourite shop has to be Zonko’s."

The line at the checkout stretched long, leaving (y/n) and Fred standing in contemplative silence, pondering the curious connection that seemed to be budding between them. Amid it all, (y/n)'s thoughts swelled like a bubbling potion. Were they friends now? Could she consider adding him to her list of friends for Christmas shopping? These questions lingered, but she found herself without a clear answer. It felt odd to directly ask such a thing; friends didn’t ask if they were friends. They either were or weren’t, organically becoming over time.

But despite the comfort she felt around Fred, she couldn't quite label it friendship. The issue, she concluded, was her own. She had a deficit of friends and now understood why: she wasn't wired for it. Friendship wasn't part of her programming. Fred, on the other hand, was a different breed. Friendship was his natural state, woven into his very essence. He exuded a friendly aura, even if many Slytherins would vehemently disagree.

She didn't need to wonder whether he considered her a friend. He most likely did. He never targeted her with pranks; he exchanged glances with her in class often and was currently offering to escort her back to school. Fred saw her as a friend.

But did she want that?

“What are you thinking?” he inquired, pulling her out of her contemplative reverie.

“Nothing.”

“That’s a lie,” he said, relaxing his shoulders. “I can see the smoke coming out of your ears like a cauldron.”

She had no clever reply, so she was content with wrinkling her forehead and lying. “I’m thinking about how quickly I will be able to get all the candy I want. Definitely not as quick as you, here.”

He frowned, puzzled. “Why?”

“I love candy and definitely know where everything is at the shop,” she explained, tilting her head unconsciously as she spoke. She explained, unconsciously tilting her head while talking. “But I have to gather enough to last until our next trip to Hogsmeade, and I'm not certain I can calculate that. I love chocolate, so one would assume I'd need to buy a lot to make it last. However, if I get too much, I'll eat more than I should. And trust me, I will eat everything I buy," she concluded with a hint of warning in her tone, as if she were issuing a threat rather than sharing a piece of information.

Fred swallowed hard, trying to wrap his head around her unique thought process. “Are you stockpiling sweets?"

She nodded, feeling a twinge of embarrassment.

“Well, if you do end up eating it all, I'll show you where to get more, you know, from the kitchen with the house elves," he said, the corner of his mouth quirking up as if he were secretly pleased with himself for sharing this tidbit.

“Oh, Weasley," she shook her head, dramatically feigning pitifulness. “I already know the secret passage to the kitchen. That's precisely why I have to stockpile chocolate in the first place. I've been painted as a criminal there for how many sweets I've pilfered."

He couldn't help but chuckle, though he kept it discreet.

“I can't believe it," Fred said with mock disbelief, then paused as if pondering again. “Well, actually, I can."

With the two cups of tea-to-go in her hands, she raised her shoulders in a half-shrug while raising her hands in tandem.

“So yeah," she concluded, “I have to stock up until the Professors allow us to come here again."

Staring at him, (y/n) couldn't help but think that Fred was on the verge of saying something. However, something must have caused him to change his mind, and he remained uncharacteristically silent. A few seconds later, he was called to the cashier to settle the bill for his items. (y/n) patiently waited behind him, casually sipping her tea.

When Fred returned to her side, the numerous small boxes he'd been clutching had been consolidated into just two cardboard bags, which he effortlessly carried in one hand. The two of them exited the joke shop, savouring the last remnants of their teas. By the time they reached Honeydukes, the cups had already been discreetly disposed of in the nearest bin.

“Have fun," he wished her warmly, courteously holding the door of the candy shop open for her to enter. (y/n) returned his friendly sentiment with a smile—precisely the sort of well-wishing one would expect before embarking on a shopping spree in a candy store.

Fred lingered in a quiet corner of the shop, surreptitiously observing as she gleefully navigated the aisles, carefully selecting her candies and placing them into a plastic basket a diligent store employee offered. She appeared far more animated here than he had ever seen her before—back in the library, she had come across as somewhat bored, and the same was true in their shared classes. While she undeniably held the status of a top student with excellent grades, Fred couldn't help but wonder why she seemed to lack the enthusiasm and focus he might have expected from someone of her academic calibre.

However, gathering her desired assortment of sweets took considerably longer than the five minutes Fred had initially anticipated. When he finally met up with her at the cashier, the man behind the counter handed over not one, not two, but three full bags of assorted candies and confections.

Fred couldn't help but jest, “Wow, someone's clearly outdone me."

“Mine's supposed to last longer," she retorted with a wry smile, determined to maintain her composure. 

Fred's grin only broadened. "Will it, though?"

There was no malice behind his teasing; his natural inclination was to engage in playful banter, a habit he would have indulged with George, Ginny, or anyone else. If anything, he found himself enjoying the camaraderie that was forming between them, appreciating the quick-witted exchanges that characterised their interactions. And (y/n)'s response was predictable by now—a blend of half-anger and half-challenge that had come to define her expressions.

They left the candy store, their playful back-and-forth continuing as they walked, with Fred progressively leaning in closer with each exchange.

Fred's next question unintentionally left (y/n) feeling mortified as they approached the Three Broomsticks. 

“Are you sure you don’t want a good, old butterbeer?” he asked. “It’s alright if you do. I won’t linger at your friends’ table; I’ll just drop you there and find Oliver Wood or someone else.” He said, using Oliver as an example, for he was the one name he remembered to have seen around the village.

It was weird, now that Fred had come to think of it, how he did not recall seeing one person from Hogwarts around Hogsmeade, even though he knew it was a crowded day there.

She had no friends to meet there or anywhere else. She cleared her throat, avoiding eye contact, “I don't have friends in there."

The proximity to the inn allowed them a clear view through the frosty windows, revealing the familiar faces of fellow students enjoying butterbeer.

“Why? Haven't they come to Hogsmeade?" Fred asked in surprise, momentarily distracted by the scene inside. “I swear that's Carmen Highland if my eyes aren't deceiving me," he remarked, gazing at the occupants within.

Lost in the sight of her former friends, Fred hadn't noticed that (y/n) was gradually distancing herself from him. She knew Carmen and recognised the other kids at her table — Andrea, Miniu, and Shenny. But they weren't friends anymore. 

At least, not anymore.

“It is Carmen,” she reassured him, in case Fred would start considering he was indeed blind. “We’re just not friends, though.”

Fred finally snapped out of gazing through the cold glass window and returned his gaze to her.

“I distinctly remember all of you being quite lively at dinners and walking around classes," he said, furrowing his brows. “Unless Carmen has look-alikes I'm unaware of, I'm certain it's her. I've seen her during my Quidditch practices, competing for the pitch." 

A smile tinged with embarrassment danced on (y/n)'s lips. She smiled not because she was pleased with the memories but because she was trying to conceal her inner gloom.  “I used to walk with Carmen, and Miniu, and Andrea and Shenny. But that was way before.”

“No, I…”

“It was, Freddie,” she interrupted before he made her remember another memory. It was only because of her use of his nickname that he understood she wasn’t alright. “We were friends in the first year. Us and a bunch of other kids, so tight together because we were Slytherin, and we had to stick together because then we’d be victims of bullying from other houses.” Fred opened his mouth, but she continued, “Don’t deny it.”

Fred sighed and nodded.

“In our second year, the group started to shrink, and it ended up being just me and that table," she explained, her gaze distant, as if the memories were playing out before her eyes. "But I began to feel like I was there because I forced myself to be. I was being pushy. So when I stopped going, they didn't chase after me. That's when it became clear to me what our relationship was."

“What was it?" Fred inquired, genuinely perplexed, prompting (y/n) to wonder if he had ever experienced the abrupt end of a friendship.

“They weren't my friends," (y/n) stated matter-of-factly. “We didn't have a falling out or anything. I still greet them, and occasionally, we help each other with homework in the common room. But that's about it."

Fred pursed his lips thoughtfully, pondering the right words to respond with.

“Alright," he finally conceded. “I won't pry further," he said, his expression more serious now. “I can't quite fathom how a friendship could simply unravel like that, but it's clear it's not a cheerful matter. However, that doesn't mean you can't be with your other friends."

She rolled her eyes with exasperation and turned away from Fred and the entrance of the Three Broomsticks, her boots crunching softly in the freshly fallen snow.

“I don't have friends," she sighed, her breath visible in the crisp, wintry air. She could hear his footsteps, somehow always close behind.

Fred waited until he was walking right alongside her before he replied; his tone was soft and comforting. “You have me," he said, then hastily cleared his throat. “I mean, you have us. Me and George. I still owe you one from our library escapade."

“Consider it settled," she responded, her voice edged with a hint of exhaustion and her gaze averted. “You gave me a cup of tea, after all."

“That was just courtesy," Fred explained, his lips curving into a friendly smile, thinking their usual playful banter had resumed.

But (y/n) was weary, and it showed in her demeanour.

“Well, you're accompanying me back to the school," she tried again, her tone tinged with finality. “So consider that debt paid."

“Nah," he waved his free hand dismissively. “That's just me being a proper gentleman."

She rolled her eyes once more, a flicker of irritation crossing her features. “Fred..."

“We're friends, alright," he insisted, his tone gentle yet resolute, raising his voice slightly. “You have a friend... in me."

Without warning, (y/n) halted in her tracks, pivoting to face him fully, her expression a mixture of astonishment, incredulity, and a hint of amusement.

“Did you just quote a Muggle movie at me?" she asked, her voice showing disbelief.

“I’m sorry?”

“‘You have a friend in me’,” she repeated his words, this time adding a melody to her tone. “Did you quote the Toy Story song?”

“A toy story? Where is it?” he was genuinely confused, which led (y/n) to drop the subject since it was evident he had no idea what she was talking about.

“Never mind," she sighed, resuming her pace. “It's from a Muggle movie."

“And you've seen it?" Fred's stride matched hers again, his curiosity piqued.

“Unfortunately," she replied, her lips twisting in mild distaste. “I didn't quite enjoy it."

“Oh, why not?" Fred inquired with interest.

“It was... about friendship," she said, taking a moment to complete her sentence.

“I see," Fred mused, nodding thoughtfully as they walked towards the school, the snow beneath their feet offering a soft, comforting crunch with every step. “Perhaps I should watch it.”

“Yeah, why not,” she replied, not really wanting to participate in the conversation.

Fred knew when to shut up when he should, so they remained silent until the school entrance was visible.

“Uh, thank you,” (y/n) told him as they stopped in the middle of Hogwarts’ entrance corridor. It was a relatively empty hallway.

“See you around,” he nodded, and she bit her lip, turning her heels towards her House. “Friend,” Fred added a second later, only to see her turn her gaze over her shoulder.

“Bye, Weasley,” she said with a heavy breath out of resignation.

[axelsagewrites]

James Potter*Misunderstandings

Pairing: James Potter x f!reader

Word count: 1661

Can be read as a part two to heroic deed here

Warnings: none

Masterlist here

Being shy and friends with James Potter was already a struggle since he was anything but however you had a new issue now; you’d fallen heads over heels for him. you didn’t need a man to save you but ever since James defended you from those bullies it was hard not to like him.

Before when you walked through corridors you would get constantly shoulder checked and shoved but James had no issues shoving back and soon you found yourself being able to walk the halls without almost getting tackled.

James had also introduced you to the marauders who thankfully weren’t as intimidating as you first thought. Maybe it was because of how tall Remus was or the ladies’ man reputation Sirius had but you didn’t expect to be in a heated debate over breakfast over which magical creature would be the best at quidditch.

“You cannot be serious mate! How would a phoenix even hold a snitch?”

“Oh yeah cause a hippogriff has great dexterity!”

Remus and Sirius continued to bicker as you silently ate your breakfast. Remus was across from you next to Peter while James was sat next to you, Sirius next to him. Peter had ‘borrowed’ Remus’s homework while he was distracted, though you weren’t convincing Sirius didn’t start this conversation as a decoy, while James just laughed at his two idiot friends.

“You, okay?” he whispered, snapping you from your daze.

Shit you’d been caught staring, quickly say something, you mentally cursed yourself, “Yeah um just not a morning problem,”

“Alright sunshine I’ll leave you to daydream,” James laughed, your skin heating up at his words while he tried to buy into the argument.

-

You and Remus both shared your first class of the day so after the squabbling stopped you both set off to the third floor. “You ever gonna tell him you like him?” Remus asked as if he was asking for the time.

“What? Like who?” you stuttered but Remus just gave you a knowing look, “How did you know?” you sighed.

Remus snorted, a grin playing his lips, “Cmon seriously? yous hang out all the time. you should just ask him out,” he shrugged and your eyes basically bulged out your skull.

“I cant do that. He doesn’t like me like that-“

“Has he ever told you that?” he said making you stop in your tracks.

Remus eventually paused, staring at the confused look on your face, “Do you know something I don’t know?”

Remus sighed, “I know the last girl James asked out embarrassed him in front of the whole common room, which to be fair was his fault for asking so loudly,” Remus said, cringing at the memory of James proclaiming his love for lily in front of everyone and getting told a very quick no. hell even you had heard of the story, “and now he doesn’t talk about that shit anymore but if you ask me I think he does. He never shuts up about you,” Remus said, half rolling his eyes, “No offence,”

“None taken,”

-

All you could really think about all day was what Remus had said. James even had to ask if you were okay over dinner because how ‘zoned out’ you had been. “I need to return some books to the library,” you said, deciding to end your misery but James didn’t get the memo.

“I’ll come with. See ya,” he said, nodding to the guys and instantly getting up to follow you.

You tried your best to make small talk, but you could feel your palms getting sweatier with each word. After leaving the library you decided to finally do something about it, “Hey you busy this Saturday?” you asked, trying your best not to stutter.

“Eh I don’t think so. No detentions yet at least,” he joked, “how come?”

“Was just wondering if you’d wanna go to Hogsmeade with me?” you said, your cheeks instantly heating up like crazy.

The smile of James face though made your own heart skip, “Yeah sure. I’ll say to the guys yeah?” and just like that it sunk instantly.

“Oh yeah sure totally,”

-

To say your confidence had been knocked was an understatement and the whole walk down to Hogsmeade you were hanging at the back of the group trying not to show how much you were internally sulking. Yous went to honey dukes first, picking up a few bits and bobs all while Remus was giving you a sympathetic smile and James was none the wiser.

“He’s just clueless you know,” Remus whispered to you at the shelves while James went up to the till, “He probably didn’t even realise you were asking him out,”

“Or maybe he just didn’t wanna hurt my feelings,” you mumbled, instantly shutting up when James walked back. “Watcha get?”

“Chocolate frogs, of course. got you one too here,” he said passing you the frogs while Remus gave you a ‘see? told you so’ look.

-

Soon you all ended up piling into a booth at the three broom sticks. Remus and Peter were on one side while you, James, and Sirius squeezed into the other. Luckily you got to be on the side not against the wall however because of the tight squeeze you were pressed right into James side. There was nothing you could’ve done though, there wasn’t an empty seat in the place.

“You’d think for a magical pub they could make more seats,” Sirius scoffed as he crammed himself against the wall. “Its your turn for first round Peter,” he said.

Peter rolled his eyes, “Do you keep tabs or something?”

“Yes,” Sirius said, and it honestly wouldn’t shock you if he had it all written down in a notebook. “I’ll take a butterbeer,”

When Peter asked you what you wanted you offered to go with him to help him carry it but also as an excuse to get away from James. Peter however was glad to accept the help.

-

Meanwhile Remus was slapping James across the head as you walked out of sight. “You dumbass,”

“What?!” James squeaked, rubbing his head, “and ow! By the way,”

“This was supposed to be a date,” Remus half hissed making Sirius look between the two.

“Since when did you do go out?”

“We don’t,” James rolled his eyes, “what are you on about? She invited us all to come here?”

Even Sirius dropped his head into his hand at this point, “Think about what she said,” Remus sighed, “Did she say ‘you guys’ or ‘you’?”

James head tilted as he thought before a small ‘oh’ came from his lips followed by a very annoyed, “fuck!” while Remus and Sirius groaned at their friends obliviousness, “What do I do now? Should yous leave or-“

“No that just makes it weird,”

“Then what do I do?!”

“Shut up since she’s walking back here,” Sirius said, jabbing his elbow into his ribs, “Hey guys!” he said, way louder and happier than normal making both you and Peter share a concerned look.

-

James spent the rest of the afternoon beating himself up. He’d liked you from the first day he met you, hating that he hadn’t met you sooner and now he’d gone and fucked it up. He was distracted the rest of the day and while the group was walking back to the grounds he found himself hanging back a bit.

You noticed and decided to drop back as well, “Hey you okay?” you asked, genuine concern on your face making James’s heart melt.

“Can I ask you something?” he said giving you an odd sense of De Ja Vu, “See the other day did you mean that you wanted us all to go or like just us?” he said, voice trailing off when you looked away.

What he hadn’t expected was to see your eyes watering when you looked back, “Don’t worry about it, it was dumb and-“you began to ramble but James stopped in his tracks, grabbing your wrist making you turn to face him. “I’m sorry,”

“No, I am,” James said, stepping closer, “I was an asshole I didn’t know,” he sighed, looking at the ground, “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted it to be just us?”

You shuffled on your feet, trying desperately not to look in his eyes, “Just didn’t want you to laugh at me or something,”

James felt his heart shatter, “I wouldn’t have laughed,” he said making you finally look up from the ground, “I’m sorry,”

“It’s okay,”

“It’s not,” James sighed, staring off in the distance making you squirm in anticipation, “You busy tomorrow?”

“Um I don’t think so- “

“Great! Good great um quidditch practise ends at 2,” James said as he began to ramble, “So I’ll come get you at half 2 and we can go back to Hogsmeade tomorrow. Just us yeah?” he said, finally looking back at you with a hopeful smile.

“Like a date?” you asked, your own lips tugging into a small smile.

James grinned at your reaction, “Yeah like a real date. Without those losers,” he said making you laugh, “I wanna do it right okay?”

“Okay,” you said, “It’s a date,”

“Great,” James said, breaking out into a cheesy smile when suddenly you both heard whooping and wolf whistles behind you, “Oh fuck off,” James groaned as you began to laugh.

Sirius all but ran over, flinging his arm around James’s shoulder, “Fucking finally mate told you to just ask her,”

“You don’t get the credit for this!” Remus butted in, totally offended by Sirius’s comment, “I made this happen!”

“Nu uh,”

“Yu uh,”

As the two began to bicker you suddenly felt James take your hand. You looked at him, eyes wide but he just gave you a small smile as he tugged on your hand, leading you away from his nutcase friends. “Walk me back to my dorm?” you asked.

James grinned down at you, “Always,”

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[icemavschild]

Where The Wild Things Heal » Floydsin

Summary: Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd and Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin hadn’t seen each other since leaving their hometown in Oklahoma, the dagger mission forces their paths to cross and secrets to be revealed

Pairings: Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd

Warnings: Fluff and Angst. 18+ bc all my work is unfit for minors.

A/N: most likely going to be a series (this one’s going to be short. Like when they first see each other. The other chapters will be after the dagger mission)

There was a beauty to Miramar that stole the breath from Robert’s lungs, the site of the setting sun brought memories with it. The back seater had been racking his brain as to why he was once again back at this place. No explanation, no offer of instructor; just ‘You’ve been called back to Top Gun’.

Robert had been quite unnerved and annoyed with the whole situation, considering he’d only just started adapting to his newest pilot and he’d been promised to be back at home with his family by now. Alas, that was not to be; and here he sat with a cup full of peanuts and a selective silence that he’d found solace in.

Jake had been overjoyed at the call, he assumed they’d be offering him the position of Top Gun instructor; at the very least by morning. The cocky pilot was convinced he’d deserved that role, considering he’d been at the top of his class in his Top Gun days.

Though, a sadness lingered in his heart when he thought back on the call to his mother, stating he’d not be able to make it home for her birthday.

He wondered if he had gone home, would he have seen him? The boy that haunted his memories with fists and harsh words, the boy that turned him into what he is today. Jake often wondered what he’d say if he’d ever see him again. If the boy, now a man, would still be chasing the rodeo; or if he grew out of cut knuckles and split lips.

Almost as soon as his train of thought ended, Phoenix waltzed in; her stride confident and cocky. Jake smirked to himself.

“And here I thought we were special Coyote!” His voice was confident as he sat himself down at the edge of the pool table. Unknowingly making the eyes of another aviator widen with shock, surprise, guilt, shame and fear.

“Fellas, this here is Bagman.” The woman retorted, a smirk slowly making its way into her lips; her eyes slid to the side and caught site of Robert. Her brow raised in the slightest.

“Hangman.” Jake corrected.

“Whatever.” Phoenix said, her smirk still plastered to her face before she continued: “You’re looking at the only aviator in active duty with a confirmed air-to-air kill”

“Stop.” Jake feigned.

“Mind you,” Phoenix went on, the aviators behind her smirking slightly, “the guy was in a museum piece from the Korean War.”

Jake’s brows creased slightly, his mouth opening and closing in the slightest.

“Cold War.” Coyote corrected, attempting to save his best friend’s pride.

“Different wars.” One of the aviators behind Phoenix said said, “same century.” The smirk was practically lathered into the sound of his reply.

“Who are your friends?” Coyote asked.

“Payback.”

“Fanboy.”

Phoenix smirked at Coyote.

“Hey, Coyote.” The woman said.

“Hey.” Coyote said, feigning a flirtatious tone.

“Who’s he?” The woman asked.

Jake turned his head and felt his entire world up end itself. Because, fuck me, Robert fucking Floyd was sat in the corner the entire time. His hand nursing a cup of some sort of nut, dorky glasses adorned on his face and a sickly innocent look upon his face.

Sweat built up in the palm of Jake’s hands. His childhood cries echoing through his ears. There sat the man that ruined his idea of peace, love and acceptance. There sat Robert Floyd, the man that inadvertently caused Jake to shut off his heart to the entire world.

“Who’s who?” Coyote asked dumbly, and Jake might’ve laughed at that five minutes ago, but right now he was frozen with fear.

Robert looked up with an innocent smile, but Jake didn’t miss the way his eyes lingered on him for a moment.

“When did you get in?” Coyote said curtly.

“O-oh, I’ve been here the whole time.” Robert said, his smile still sweet and his smile still making Jake want to throw up everything he’d eaten in the last 24-hours.

Jake noticed the expectant stares, the little glance from coyote. He’d been silent for too long.

With a quick inhale, Jake decided to play the ‘I’ve never seen you in my life’ card.

“Man’s a stealth pilot.” He said with a smirk.

“Literally.” Coyote agreed.

Robert felt a fleeting feeling of anger bubble in his chest. An old habit he’d been trying to forget. He didn’t forget the way he’d treated Jake in their early years, and he didn’t forget his ability to fit sarcasm into a seemingly innocent reply.

If Jake wanted to act like they didn’t have a history. So be it.

“Weapons System Officer, actually.”

Jake didn’t miss the slight tone hidden in the reply, didn’t miss the hard eyes Robert sent him. And he sure as hell didn’t miss the childish response to up and leave and never come back.

But Jake wasn’t a 16-year old church boy anymore, he wasn’t the boy who sat under the bleachers with a split lip and he wasn’t the boy that would actively memorise Robert’s schedule in order to avoid him.

“With no sense of humour.”

That stung Robert. He’d hoped to have received at least a little more, maybe a yell, a scoff. He didn’t like being ignored; it didn’t give him the chance to apologise.

“What do they call you?” Phoenix asked, she missed the ‘an asshole’ comment from Jake, but Robert didn’t.

“Uh, Bob.” He replied, briefly looking down at his lap to avoid Jake’s shocked glare.

Bob was a name that he hated, Jake knew that. The last time he’d ever referred to Robert Floyd as ‘Bob’, he’d ended up in the hospital.

“No,” Payback said, “your callsign.”

Everyone missed the shame in Robert’s eyes.

“Uh, Bob.”

He’d hoped Jake would catch the shake in his voice, the pain in his eyes. He’d chosen his callsign, he didn’t receive it. He chose it to remind himself of who he used to be, of the boy he swore he would never be again.

“Bob Floyd?” Phoenix asked.

And if someone looked to the side just briefly, they’d see the look of panic and the grip of the pool stick Jake had.

“You’re my new back seater?” The woman continued, “from Lemoore?”

“Looks like it.”

There was a look of sadness on his face as he said it, a look that caused Jake to scoff in the slightest.

“Nine-ball, Bob.” Phoenix said, “rack ‘em.”

Jake visibly gulped, this was going to be a hard assignment. He could see it now.

[pixeldistractions]

As promised, Jordan brought his girls to San Sequoia to attend Thanksgiving with Jack’s family. “Bring the camper, stay a few days,” Jack told them. “Home on wheels, right? Why not?”

So they did.

“And this is their front yard,” Maria said, amused. “Their front yard is actually the whole San Sequoia Bay.” 

“Holy cow,” JoJo shouted. “I see a boat! And another boat. And another boat!”

“How many boats does that make?” Jordan asked her. 

“One, two, three!”

“Good, now tell your grandpa you learned math in homeschool.”

Jack waved to them from the driveway, beside the camper they’d parked where he told them to, and they went back over.  

So, they come from a bit of money... Jordan had warned Maria. He wanted to make sure she knew that ahead of things. A modest amount of money. Comfortable old legacy money. Her family was richer than his ever was, even if still solidly middle class, so maybe she wouldn’t find this excessive at all. Jordan knew that it was entirely his own problem that he felt so constantly inferior, because the Phoenix family had been nothing but welcoming and kind to him. Even so, this was the first time he’d been to Jack’s coastal California home, and he’d honestly never stepped foot in a place like this. He’d never even been hired to plumb a toilet in a place like this.  

JoJo looked at Jack suspiciously. “Aaron and Rowan said you have a whole treehouse here, is that true?” 

“Sure is, and they’re playing in it right now. Let’s go see!”

The treehouse had more square footage than their entire camper, poised above a lovely pool house that was larger still, which sat behind the sprawling California ranch home, all that on a decent half acre of bayfront property which probably cost a fortune just on its own.

JoJo was quick up the ladder behind the boys while the adults talked about the neighborhood and its inhabitants. Names and occupations and children and dogs. They were doctors and lawyers and financial planners, which wasn’t surprising. They were the kinds of people doing the kinds of things that afforded a life like this. Like Nessa, who was still at work at her corporate finance job and rarely got an extra day off or an early evening.

With the children fully entertained in the treetops, Jack picked up the little one to bring inside and continue the little home tour. She was too little to play with the bigger kids, and too little to play outside on her own. Especially near a pool.

Inside, the first and biggest room was an open plan living-kitchen-dining room, with large windows that looked out on the bay.

Jordan shook his head. “Of course this is your kitchen.” 

“Honestly, it’s for my mom. Nessa and I don’t cook.”

“Whoa, this is the biggest kitchen I’ve ever seen.” Maria’s mouth hung open in awe as she spun around to take in the entirety. “This is bigger than the kitchen I worked in at the hotel. And the appliances? All of them? I guess you’d need this much counter space if you wanted to own all of them.” Maria stopped and shook her head at herself. “Eeew, I sound like my mom.”

“Geez, dude, she won’t want to live in my camper anymore.”

And Jack chuckled mildly. “Good thing she likes you, huh?” 

“Wow, is that Sophie Phoenix’s actual cookbook? Earthland Farm to Table. My mom is gonna die when she hears this. Hang on, I gotta text a picture.” Maria snickered as she sent the photo, reveling in the taunting. “She’s such a big fan. I think I grew up eating these dinners.”

“Oh, that old thing.” It was Sophie Phoenix in the flesh.

Sophie entered the kitchen with a warm smile on her face. “That was twenty years ago. Thank you for coming. Oh, look at you both. Jack and Nessa don’t stop talking about Jordan and Maria, and I just saw spunky little JoJo out back with the boys. I feel like I’m meeting a bunch of celebrities.” 

That was charming, coming from an actual celebrity, even if it was twenty years ago.

“I hope you’ll let us help with the holiday dinner,” Maria said. “We really don’t want to be a burden here. But you know, make sure you hand him an apron, too. He cooks better than I do these days.”

“That is damn true,” Jack said. “I’ve had that barbecue, and I’d live in your camper, too, if I got to eat it every night.” 

— boxes and squares #5.3: hindsight is a bitch, part 6.1/10

next -> // 5.3 start // index

notes: so part 6 is gonna have 4 parts of its own to it, lol! We're just making it all up as we go around here. Also, actual Thanksgiving won't be until part 10. We're going to hang out and explore San Sequoia first, then parts 7-9 are back with Colette and the boys, then back to these guys for part 10.

[serxinns]

Who remembers when @thefiery-phoenix made class 1a x scarlet witch reader well I wanna make a part 2 (or my version of it) of it because I LOVE IT and because I want more op readers cause they're hated

Disclaimer: This is a gift for both @thefiery-phoenix and @lady-ashfade CAUSE I LOVE THEM and their fics please go support them

Part 4

Part 3

Part 2

Yandere class 1a (and some teachers) x scarlet witch reader Headcanons

Class 1a (romantic)

• Your powers are very strong and you knew that you could bend iron, and have chaos magic, telekinesis, Teleportation, energy manipulation, and light manipulation you were so powerful (not as powerful as the big 3 tho) that you got many praises from your elementary and middle school teachers but the other students despise that and called you a witch or a villain despise your past you were gonna keep going and be a hero! With your classmates totally not insanely infatuated with you supporting your goal!

• the class has been obsessed with you ever since day 1 there was always someone walking with you to class, school, and even home, and even when you arrived at home they would always spam text you about your day or did you arrvied safe at home, wanting to spend time with you, you it gets a bit annoying but you didn't mind much or see it wrong with it

• Whenever if it's lunchtime both Bakusquad and Dekusqaud fight over who gets to sit with you and whoever wins in the end both squads glare at each other or one evilly smirks while the other glares at each other

"They should sit with us!" ochako grabbed your hand and tugged you over to their table only to be stopped by Mina "Back off you already had a turn!" Mina glared at her "That's because you're always hogging them *kero*" Tsuyu said with a bit of venom in her voice "Not true!!" Both groups were going at each other arguing you were getting tired of this so you walked over to where Jiro, momo, tokoyami, and Ojiro sat and ate there while the group was busy fighting

"Are you ok dear?" momo asked worriedly while the others looked in concern "Yeah it's just them fighting again and I couldn't take it so im sitting here!" you smiled the group signed dreamily wishing you were theirs, they'll be the one to see that smile "you're always welcomed to eat with us whenever you don't wanna eat with them plus dark shadow always loves your company" tokoyami said while dark shadow was smiling and waving at you "aw guys you're the best!" you beamed unaware that dekusquad and bakusquad were sending a menacing glare at the group your sitting at they did a "we won you lose" smirk

•the class is VERY protective of you if you get a small injury from a villain battle or even a single scratch from a villain everyone is trying to assist you whenever you need something like a drink some more bandages or even carry you to the bathroom they would it's like a competition to them for who cares more for You

•in training your classmates would be pulling you around like a doll arguing about who will be your training partner and at the end of the day it gets so bad that Aizawa, mic, or Midnight had to step in and be your partner while they assign your classmates into their partners they all groan

•When hanging out Dekusquad would always either cuddle with you when it's movie night or a sleepover or whenever you walk beside them their hands are on you whether it be your shoulder, your hand, or even ur waist (if you're comfortable) anywhere for the bakusquad they would always go to trampoline places or arcade games to compete who gets the most tickets and would see who got the best gift for you. They would always flirt with you trying to get a reaction from you whether it be a flustered face or an annoyed glance they'll still be in awe

•Your classmates make sure you don't overwhelm your powers iida makes sure you don't overuse your quirk and tries to observe it Izuku would write down 4-5 pages about your quirk and maybe some unnecessary things about you too he needs to learn more about it he just has to even if it means to sneak in your room for it bakugo would try to make you spare with him and lecture about your skills and quirk and how you should use it safely Kirishima and mina is your hype friend they'll try to hype you up whenever your tryna spare katsuki even try to sneak in a new strategy or 2 but katsuki would always yell at them

•You and Koda have a bond because of animals he likes to about animals he helps you learn about nature and animals and would make flower crowns for you and him. he adores it when a bunch of birds fly on you and starts to nuzzle on your cheek he instantly Dies of cuteness right then and there and swore to always protect you

•You and Sato bonded because of your love for sweets he loves to make all sorts of pastries and if you don't like pastries that's ok he'll search up your favorite food and surprise it for you with a big smile on your face whenever he's baking he always let you be the taste tester he loves how your eyes sparkle and always complimenting his dishes it makes him more confident to bake more and whenever he makes a big batch he always have a leftover portion in a box or bag with a cute bow on top just for you

•Jirou loves to jam with you and makes you hang out in her room if you are a singer or play some type of instrument she will take you somewhere so that the two of you can be alone and y'all can jam out make jokes and talk about your favorite band she would always gift your my melody gifts while you gift her Kuromi merch or plushies you 2 even have matching my melo and kuromi hoodies

•Ojiro would always wants you to touch his tail every time he sees you his tag is wagging like a happy dog! He always wraps his tail around you whenever you cuddle with him or when you walk with him he wraps his tail around you whenever you're out in public ojiro usually hangs out with Tokoyami and Shoji cause they're the only people he trusts around you and he didn't mind he, loves to hold you up in the air or toss you up

•Shoji is like a giant puppy he sees you hurt wraps his arms around you and quickly finds safety whenever one of your classmates tries to check on you or tryna get you out of the fleshy cocoon he "Politely" tells them to back off and uses excuses like "they need rest" or "I'll quickly rush to recover girl (he would sneak you off into his room right after unless u had bad injuries ) needless to say he'll spoil you rotten with his amazing Hands and cuddles

•Tokoyami prefers to be in a quiet place alone with you so whenever you want to study to get your obsessive classmates off your back he would offer you to stay with him just in case you need some quiet time or wanna go to the food court to study tokoyami is a pretty good study/project partner if you get to know him, whenever your in trouble dark shadow would go feral like a wild animal for whoever messes with you tokoyami loves to hang out with you and dark shadow it lights up his world and he won't let anyone take his light

•Hakagure is like a lovesick puppy she would always follow you around ALL THE TIME wanting to talk, talk, talk but you didn't mind it was annoying but tolerated whenever you were asleep or hanging out with your classmates she would always sneak into your dorms and steal your things whether be a headband, your shirt that you never wear, or even a pen (if anyone mentions yuri istg/J 😭) she has a small little shrine for you with a bunch of photos of you, If you love any fashion aesthetic like gyaru, lolita, kawaii core, or even scene you better let her be ur stylist cause if she finds out about your fashion choice her and mina are the MASTERS

•Whever you train them they'll be so spellbound to your fighting and ur quirk heck they'll even hype you up whenever they get the chance cheering for you they love how you'll get so happy but that's cause you to float up to the air (hehe another reference) which they'll panic trying to get you down

•They will never let you go you're the glue that keeps them together (hehe reference)they want you no they NEED you in their life whether you like it or not your theirs

Ua Teachers (platonic)

• Aizawa is the strict but loving type he knows how strong your quirk is and decides to keep his eyes on you he gives you private tutors to try to improve your quirk and studies it he makes sure you get proper rest and if you don't he'll give you detention only for him to get you another sleep bag and fall asleep (the class tried to get detention as well but Aizawa refused) and remember the the class was arguing about who get to be your training partner? Yeah he got insanely jealous and was tired of them treating u like a doll so he pulled u away and threatened them to suspend them if they ever did that again

•dadzawa makes sure ur grades aren't slipping and if you ever had Abusive parents or just bad guardians in general, he's angry now how dare they hurt his favorite student as much he wants to kill them he reminds himself that he's a pro so he can't but he'll do a little blackmail to make your guardians disown you so he can have custody of you nobody is gonna treat you like that and he'll sure of it after all you are his favorite student

•Mic is like the overprotective clingy type he always wants you near him he even assigned your seat at the top so he can see his little witch whenever you try to spare mic always gets you to win just so he can see that smiling face he likes a fun whenever your feeling overwhelmed or using ur quirk too much he quickly stops what he's doing and immediately takes you to recovery girl crying thinking you're gonna die mic is like an uncle or a cool dad to you he always spoils you whenever he gets the chance like giving you breakfast from your favorite fast food place (you never told him our favorite fast food place) he teams up with Aizawa to also learn about this quirk of yours

•Hes so spellbound by your quirk that he always praises you for it he always loves to see how you train and how you work he's extremely protective about ur clothes he doesn't care if ur showing an inch of your stomach or even ya knee caps anywhere above your knees is off limits unless your wearing tights other then that it'd a no-no for him he doesn't wants those filthy perverts look at his listener or they will be consequences~

•Midnight is like ur aunty or ur momma she would always take you out shopping making you wear the most fashionable clothes or take you to cute little cafes she calls it mother-daughter/son/child dates after school she would never whip you with her whip she can stand her little moonbea (hehe another reference) getting hurt she whenever your bad or fall asleep in her class she gives you detection only for you to get a free cuddle session with midnight (and to piss off aizawa)

•Midnight is also very worried about ur quirk what if your quirk hurts you what happens if you use it too much that you'll die? She gets all these thoughts that make her almost cry so she lets you skip out training a bit but aizawa and Mic would yell at her to stop but she has tricks on her sleeve

More characters I wanted to make a hc of but is too lazy

Hawks would be a big brother type of yandere

Nezu is ur rich uncle

Fatgum would be the fun uncle

Vlad king would be your strict uncle

Mount Lady would be ur cool aunty

All might is your favorite grandpa

And endeavor just wanna go home