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#all might needs to figure out how to get his kid to stop breaking his bones...
pocketramblr · 1 year
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What about an AU where Manual replaces Aizawa as the 1-A homeroom teacher?
Oh boy we can fit SO MUCH projection into this one
1- Manual only applied to UA because he was applying a bunch of hero schools, and he didn't think he'd get UA but why not try, at worst it's extra interview practice before he really tries at Ketsubutsu. And then he got only got a job at UA and no other school, somehow. And he can't technically complain because UA pays the best and it's a job he signed up for, but how???
2. He also didn't apply as a homeroom teacher, but they offered it to him anyway and he uh doesn't really say no. He figured he could change positions after a few years already if he wanted to, and planned on it, but then realized he liked this position much better and so kept it instead
3. Actually you know what sure all the projection. His third year he ended up being freshman homeroom team lead, which he's pretty sure isn't supposed to happen- Vlad had more experience but said he wanted a break this year from it and no one else applied so....
4. His third year is also when he gets our beloved class 1A! They do not get expulsion threats, and go to orientation. Then Manual tells them they have an essay due at the end of the week, about why they want to be heroes and what their current plan is, to be completed before any combat training. Several students pitch a fit about writing when they want to learn how to fight, but Manual points out that as part of their training, they'll have to do a lot of unpleasant things. Will they put effort into the record keeping they need to learn as pros if they aren't willing to write a paper? Will they be able to communicate in team exercises if they can't even put what they want as a hero into words? How patient can they be for slow moving cases? The class can see his point even if it's not exciting.
The second day of school, two students hand him papers. Bakugou asks if he can start fight training sooner now since he did the whole dumb essay. Midoriya asks him to look over the first draft if he doesn't mind, because he just had a lot of ideas where to take it and wants it to be really good.
By the start of homeroom the second day, these two are no longer sitting in desks right by each other.
5. On the fourth day of school, while Manual has his class looking over their costumes and getting peer feedback, he realizes that Vlad usually would be sending bragging pictures of his class in rescue training right about now, to see if Manual could get his kids to beat them next week when they went to USJ. He sends a message. It doesn't go through.
He thinks "huh, that's weird" right before robot sentry alarms go off about vines erupting from USJ's roof and throwing students out frantically. Manual grabs the closest non combat adult in the hall to watch his class and runs to help figure out what's going on.
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sttoru · 10 months
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your boyfriend sleeps on the couch after an argument you both had earlier that day. after calming your nerves and taking time for yourself, you realise that you might have been a bit too harsh on him.
☀︎|tags. older bf!gojo satoru x female reader. fluff / angst / hurt + comfort. age gap (reader early 20’s & satoru early 30’s). nicknames used; ‘(little) baby’. he’s honestly just the perfect combination of gentle and teasing. subtle mentions of size difference.
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satoru shifts on the couch whilst letting out an inaudible yawn. he was tired after an entire day at work and finally had the chance to settle down in the comfort of his apartment.
though, he couldn’t really relax just yet. the reason why being the undeniable tension hanging in the air. he was in fact home, but it didn’t feel like it. not when you were missing.
you had holed yourself up in the master bedroom after an earlier argument the two of you had. it wasn’t a big fight — just a little squabble between lovers. satoru didn’t rush after you when you had decided to walk away midst argument. you clearly weren’t in the right headspace to properly articulate nor communicate your feelings.
he figured that you just needed some time alone and thus decided to leave you be. he didn’t want to risk losing you by annoying you any further.
satoru scrolls on his phone out of boredom. the light radiating off the screen starts to bother his already sensitive eyes. with a sigh, he shuts off the device and puts it down on the coffee table.
it was dead silent in the apartment that was usually filled with your lively chatter. the sorcerer wants nothing more than to cuddle up with you under the covers and fall asleep. but, you needed space and he wasn’t going to disturb you.
he drapes an arm over his eyes and pulls the thin blanket over his chest. his breaths were steady and his thoughts were surprisingly calm. satoru almost drifts off to sleep, however his body lightly jolts awake once he hears the creaking of a door.
careful footsteps echo throughout the hallway and stop right at the doorstep of the living room.
satoru moves his arm to the side so his vision wouldn’t be obstructed. his eyes land on the figure standing at the doorframe — one he could recognise instantly.
it was you, standing there with your head held low and your fingers curled around the hem of your nightgown. you didn’t take another step forwards and just lingered in your spot for a few seconds without saying anything.
“hey, baby.” satoru breaks the silence. his voice was as soft as it could be, not an ounce of annoyance or frustration in it. even if he had all the reason to be upset according to you.
you remember just how childish you acted earlier; you had lost all rationality, shouted at your boyfriend out of frustration and ran off mid sentence instead of properly addressing the issue at hand. the way you handled that situation was wrong and immature.
in contrast to your immature behaviour, satoru had stayed calm and collected throughout the entirety of your argument. he hadn’t raised his voice at you even once nor did he blame you for anything. you felt bad for acting like a bratty kid who didn’t get her way.
you eventually move towards the couch, still not making eye contact with your boyfriend. he sits up and simply watches you with a raised eyebrow—curious as to what you were about to do.
you knew you had to apologise for your behaviour, but what you needed first was his validation. you wordlessly climb onto the couch and under the blanket satoru was using.
your arms wrap around his torso and you hug him tightly to your body, face buried in his shirt to cover your embarrassed and remorseful expression.
satoru’s eyes widen a bit at the sudden show of affection, though he wasn’t complaining. he reciprocates the gesture and nuzzles his cheek against the top of your head.
“my little baby.” he chuckles, hands rubbing your back in attempt to reassure you that everything was and will be fine, “i’m happy you decided to come back to me — thank you.”
again. that tender tone satoru uses only with you and for you. the guilt from earlier hits you like a truck and your eyes well up with tears before you could stop the process.
“sorry,” your voice cracks once you finally muster out an apology. the warmth engulfing your cold body was enough to make you sob in his comforting embrace. satoru sighs and closes his eyes. he rests his chin on top of your head whilst holding you like his life depended on it.
no words were exchanged between you two for a good minute. satoru silently encourages you to cry it out and so you do. after calming down, you sniffle and pull your head away from his chest. your eyes were watery and a bit red.
the pad of his thumb sweeps the stray tears away from your cheeks, his touch precise and careful. he smiles softly at the sight of his teary-eyed girlfriend. you were so adorable and precious to him. even when you looked like a mess — a pretty mess.
“i just..” you start off, small hiccups interrupting your sentence, “i wanted to apologise for acting so childish. i shouldn’t have said nor did any of those hurtful things. i apologise for that as well.”
your lover nods along to your words. he hums in delight and kisses your forehead, his lips lingering there for longer than intended, “don’t worry, baby. i understand. thank you for apologising, though.”
you mutter a small ‘of course’ in-between sniffles. that was all the reassurance you had needed to hear from your boyfriend. though, you still felt bad and the guilt of your immature actions seemed to linger in the back of your mind.
you lay your head back on satoru’s chest and listen to his heartbeat — hoping that the constant sound would drown out any other thoughts. your lover lays on his back and pulls you down on top of him. his hands rub your sides, slender fingers toying with the silky material of your nightgown.
“i’m sorry for being immature sometimes. i’m sure it must be troubling to deal with.” you whisper as you enjoy the feeling of being back in satoru’s arms.
he grins and shakes his head in response. he loves every side of yours — even your immature one. if he didn’t, he wouldn’t be here right now. he truly loves all of you.
the older man places another soft kiss on top of your head and closes his eyes afterwards, “heh, i’d be lying if i said that you trying to act all tough earlier wasn’t cute.”
satoru snickers at the memory. he remembers how you pointed that little finger of yours in front of his face and how you tried to subtly stand on the tips of your toes so you could look him in the eyes properly. your attempts at looking intimidating were quite endearing.
it’s not like he was invalidating your feelings with that comment — he was genuinely trying to lighten your mood. and it wasn’t like it didn’t work.
“whatever.” you huff, playfully swatting his biceps and gaining an over exaggerated ‘ow!’ in response. you’re glad that things have gone back to normal between you two. if the situation had continued for any longer, you’d have lost your mind.
you aren’t the only one who is extremely relieved. satoru is beaming with joy because he gets to hold and talk to you again. that small period of silence between the both of you felt like an eternity to him.
no matter how many times you have those little arguments, satoru will still love you all the same.
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nocturnalcharm · 2 months
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Faking It (Logan Howlett x Fem!Reader)
𐙚 prompt: charles forces you and logan to do a mission together in order to help you bond. 𐙚 cw: enemies to lovers, one bed trope, if this does well i’ll do a part 2 w smut ;) cussing, 𐙚 a/n:  thanks to everyone who's sent me req's! this wasnt a req but id already started it haha if youve sent a req ill try to get to it asap.... also so many ppl wanted to be added to a taglist but for the nsfw alphabet post i dont think it tagged like half the ppl?? so im sorry if u dont get tagged, im trying to fix it :)
18+ blog!! you are responsible for your own media consumption. if any of the above makes you uncomfortable, do not proceed.
“Professor, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“(Y/N), it’s not me you should be apologizing to. It’s your team. That’s who you both let down.” He eyes flick between you and Logan.
“I’ll go apologize to them now.” You turn to leave.
“You too Logan.” Charles says.
On this latest mission, you needed to sneak into a factory and take down all of the enemies— But you and Logan were arguing so loudly, you alerted all of the rivals, turning a few quick sneak attacks into full blown fights. No one was badly injured but you still felt horrible about it.
“This is all your fault.” You mumbled, just loud enough for Logan to hear.
“My fault? You’re kidding.” He huffs.
“Shut up.” You walk ahead of him, on the way to the common room to see your team.
Everyone was sitting there, talking amongst themselves. Once you and Logan entered, they all stopped their conversations and looked at you.
“Guys. I am so sorry about this mission.”
“I’m sorry, extremely sorry, and I apologize for my behavior.” Logan mocked your expression of regret.
“You are such a child, Logan! I’m trying to apologize!” You raised your voice.
“I am too!”
“Can you two just stop?” Hank stood up, silencing you both. “Your attitudes have been getting in the way of every mission. If you guys can’t get along then maybe you shouldn’t be here.”
“Oh..” You didn’t know how to respond. You couldn’t believe you let your dislike for Logan get in the way of your job, so much that they thought you shouldn’t be an X-Man anymore.
They all left the room, leaving just you and Logan to culminate in your thoughts.
“I think it’s pretty obvious we’re not going to get along any time soon.” He broke the silence.
“We’ll figure it out.”
“Yeah, whatever you say.” He walked out, as you sat in the empty room.
The next day, Xavier called you and Logan into his office yet again. You were concerned, worried he might be kicking you off the team. But instead, he said he had a mission for you two.
“I need you to pose as a couple. You’ll be going to an upscale hotel in Manhattan. It’s a cover for a drug smuggling ring. You two will stay as guests in order to collect information. I need everyone that is there, guests and workers alike, to think you two are madly in love. We don’t know who could be involved, so we can’t have them think anything suspicious.”
“Professor, is that the best idea? We just blew the last mission because we couldn’t stop arguing.”
“If you two fail this mission, I will have no choice but to replace both of you. You are amazing at what you do, but your arguing affects everyone. Not just yourselves.”
“Okay. We won’t let you down.” Logan speaks up.
***
The trip to the hotel was long and frustrating. You two couldn’t agree on anything the entire time. You criticized his driving, he criticized what you put on the radio, and how loud it was. You called him an old man, which just resulted in the radio being turned off and continuing the last hour drive there in silence.
When you arrived, it was late afternoon. Logan, pretending to be your fiance, grabbed all the bags by himself and walked inside. The hotel was huge. It was upscale, classy. So fancy you were afraid to touch anything, in fear it might break.
“Hi! Checking in for Anderson.” He greeted the front desk clerk, giving his forged name. He dropped the bags on the floor and you wrapped yourself around his now-free arm, squeezing it.
“Hello, Mr. Anderson.” She smiled back, “Let’s see. You had the penthouse, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“We’re celebrating our engagement!” You beamed, holding out your hand, showing off your fake engagement ring.
“That’s lovely. Congratulations! We’ll have a bottle of champagne in your room for celebration.”
“Thank you so much!” You squeaked.
He finished the check-in process, then you headed to the top floor.
The penthouse was absolutely gorgeous. It was huge, the size of a decent apartment. Just like the lobby, you were afraid to break something.
“Wow.. This is amazing. Only time I’ll ever get to stay in a penthouse and it’s with you.” You said, as he shut the door.
“I was just thinking the same thing. Now, c’mon we gotta go to the pool. Get changed.” He handed you your bag.
You opened it, pulling out your bikini. It was the only one you had, admittedly from a few years ago. You didn’t have time anymore to relax by a pool or go swimming in the ocean, so this swimsuit had to do. It was a simple black string bikini.
You went inside the bathroom to change. Once you had your swimsuit on, you felt a little self conscious at the amount of skin showing, but figured it’d help with the whole ‘can’t keep your hands off your new fiance’ vibe you and Logan needed to exude for this mission.
You walked out of the bathroom, faking confidence you didn’t have. Logan had taken the opportunity to just change in the living space since he was alone. He was wearing black swim trunks. It was funny, it looked like you two had matched on purpose.
“Wow.” He said quietly, clearing his throat.
“What? You like what you see?” You joked at his clear uncomfortableness with seeing you in such little clothing.
“Whatever, let’s just go.” He spat, grabbing two towels, the key, and exiting the room.
The second you were out the door, you both had big smiles on your face. His arm was around you, holding your side as you headed to the pool.
It wasn’t too busy, just a few kids with their parents, and a bartender at the outdoor bar. You told him you wanted a drink, so that’s where you headed first.
“Hey, can I get two Mojitos?” Logan asked, handing him the room key “And can you just charge it to our room?”
“Of course,” He started working on the drinks immediately, while you two sat and people-watched. He finished the drinks, and gave you them and the room key back.
You said thank you as you walked off, hoping Logan would just follow. There was a small hot tub that was empty, so that’s where you went. You stepped in carefully, afraid of slipping, and sat down in the warm water.
“Really?” Logan whispered, a fake smile still adorned on his face.
“This is what couples do, Logan. And we’re a couple for this weekend. So sit down and act like you love me, sweetie.” Your grin was starting to hurt your cheeks.
He sat down across from you, and you mentally rolled your eyes. You got up, and repositioned yourself, sitting in his lap, “What part of ‘act like you love me’ are you not getting?” 
He was frozen for a moment, caught off guard but quickly acted like he was happy to have you there, to not draw suspicion. You both took sips of your drink, as you continued to nonchalantly looked around.
You two stayed at the pool for awhile, taking mental notes of the guests and employees you saw. Honestly, this hotel didn’t seem too strange. But Xavier said it was a front so you guessed that’s why it seemed so normal, for their cover.
Once your drinks were empty, and the sun had started to go down, you both decided to head back up to the room. He got out drying himself off before wrapping you up in your towel. He picked you up and carried you bridal-style to the penthouse.
“Logan!”
“What? Just acting like I love you.” He smirked.
Once inside the room, he set you down. “I’m gonna go shower.” You stated, not really knowing what to do. 
He just nodded, walking off to the kitchenette. You grabbed your bag and headed to the bathroom.
***
You mentally cursed yourself as you scrambled through your bag, searching for a pair of pajama shorts you thought you packed, but they were nowhere to be found. 
“This cannot be real.” You whispered. The only other clothes you brought were jean shorts, and you sure as hell weren’t going to sleep in those.
You pulled out your oversized sleepshirt, putting it on. The hem landed right above the middle of your thigh. It was a little shorter than the length of a nightgown, so you just hoped he wouldn’t notice. You slipped on a pair of panties, snatched up your things, and exited the bathroom.
You immediately bumped into Logan, who was standing right outside the door.
“What the fuck?” You raised your voice, annoyed. “Why are you right outside the door?”
“I was about to knock. You’ve been in there for over an hour.”
“It’s all yours!” You sassed.
You walked over to the small kitchen, and see he had already opened up the champagne. You had a glass as you sat on a barstool, writing down some notes about the people you’d observed earlier. Pouring yourself another glass, you headed over to the bed.
Just as you made yourself comfortable, Logan came out of the washroom, in just a towel. You stared at his wet torso for a moment, hypnotized.
“My eyes are up here.” He laughed.
You looked up, embarrassed.
“Forgot my clothes. Hey, wait, why are you in the bed?”
“…Because I’m the girl?”
“You're also the short one. I can’t fit on that couch.”
“Oh, c’mon. It’s a big bed. We can both fit just fine. Unless you’re nervous. Never slept with a girl before, Lo?”
He sighed, clearly not wanting to argue, before taking his clothes and escaping back to the bathroom. You silently celebrated your victory.
He came out a few moments later, turning off the lights, sliding under the blankets and getting comfortable. You both ended up facing the same direction. If he was any closer, he’d be the big spoon, but there was a few inches separating you.
You adjusted your body, and accidentally felt your ass rub against him. You went rigid from humiliation, before scooting away slightly, ignoring it since he didn’t say anything.
You tried to fall asleep, but it was difficult, for many reasons. One, you’re not used to having someone else in your bed. Two, he was breathing heavily. Three, you couldn’t stop thinking about how sexy he was.
Of course, you knew Logan was attractive, you’d thought that since the moment you first saw him. But today, probably because of the faux-gagement, the touching, the flirting, you saw him differently. He was still getting on your nerves, but the flames between you two… His body… It was unlike before.
You exhaled a breath you didn’t know you were holding. You twiddled your feet, moving around your body nervously, before unintentionally grazing your ass against his crotch again.
“Y’know, if you keep rubbing your ass against my dick, I’m gonna do something about it.” His words sounded gruff in your ear, but they gave you butterflies.
“Maybe that’s what I want.” 
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁
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steddieas-shegoes · 2 months
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always struggling
for @corrodedcoffinfest prompt 'struggling'
rated t | 971 words | no cw | tags: steddie, post-break up, modern era, open ending but assume they get back together, pre-famous corroded coffin
⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️
“How are we still short?” Jeff mumbled under his breath.
Eddie heard him, though, and his heart sank in his chest.
“We don’t have enough.” It wasn’t a question.
Jeff shook his head.
They both looked at Gareth and Frankie unloading the van. Usually, they all took care of their own equipment, but all of them had been too impatient to find out how much they made, so Jeff and Eddie rushed inside their house to count.
They needed $268 more to pay for their travel to the festival that could actually put them in front of the right people. That’s it. $268.
And they only made $197 from their show at the bar downtown.
“So we can’t go.”
Jeff shook his head. “Not unless you can come up with $71 by tomorrow morning.”
Eddie knows if he went to Wayne, he’d find a way. He’d break open a piggy bank or withdraw from his retirement savings. He’d ask for an advance on his paycheck. Whatever it took to help Eddie achieve his dreams.
But he’d done that enough.
Jeff’s parents already covered the cost of Jeff to go, and Frankie’s parents had refused to encourage his ‘rockstar behavior.’ Gareth’s mom didn’t have anything left over after paying for his twin sisters’ back to school supplies and clothes.
“You could call-“
“No.”
Jeff nodded solemnly. “Right.”
Eddie couldn’t call Steve. Steve had helped buy him a new guitar and fix his van before their inevitable crash and burn when Eddie decided to move to Chicago and Steve wasn’t ready. He hadn’t spoken to him in months. He couldn’t call him up and ask for money.
“Maybe I could take a shift at the diner tonight. If I take the big tables, it might be enough in tips,” Jeff offered. “We could busk?”
“You know we never make good money doing that. Nobody likes the noise.”
“Maybe we’ll just have to try again next year. We can keep playing the bars.”
“Yeah. Guess so.”
Neither of them noticed Frankie or Gareth standing behind them, listening in to the dilemma.
“We didn’t make enough?” Gareth asked somberly.
“Sorry, kid. Just a bit short,” Jeff said over his shoulder.
“This is bullshit!” He yelled.
“Gare-“ Eddie started to say, standing to try to comfort him.
“No! I’m sick of struggling so much. We’re good. We deserve to be there.” Gareth continued. “We’re going.”
“Dude, we can’t just print more money.”
Gareth turned to Eddie, fire in his eyes, hands clenched into fists.
“Suck up your damn pride and call Steve. He told you if you needed anything to call him. Call him.” He stormed to his room and slammed the door.
Eddie would do anything for his band, his friends. He knew missing this festival could be one of his biggest regrets.
“Eddie, it’s fine. Gareth-“
“Is right. I should call him.”
Eddie didn’t wait for them to try to convince him otherwise. He walked to his room and closed the door, trying to figure out how to have this conversation with a man he was definitely still in love with.
No way to prepare, really.
He pulled up Steve’s name in his contact list and pressed call before he could stop himself.
It rang three times before Steve answered.
“Eddie? Are you okay?”
God, he’d missed his voice.
“Hey Steve. Sorry if I’m interrupting anything-“
“No! It’s just family movie night, but they’re all arguing about what movie to pick anyway. How’s everything?” The sound of a door closing and silence in the background followed his question.
“Um. Well.” Just spit it out. “We have a really great opportunity at Iron and Metal Fest? It’s in Seattle, and we’ve been trying to save up to go, but we uh, we fell a little short and the deadline to let them know we can play is tomorrow morning.”
“Oh. How short?”
“$71.”
“I’ll Venmo you. Will that be okay?” Steve sounded like he’d switched the phone to speaker, probably to open the app on his phone.
Eddie didn’t deserve him, never did. A man who was willing to give up happiness so Eddie could chase his dreams, offering to help make them happen despite Eddie breaking his heart.
“Steve, I-“
“It’s okay, Eds. It’ll be worth it when you’re on a sold out tour someday, right?”
Eddie ignored the vibration of a notification as his eyes welled up with tears.
“I hope so.”
There was silence for too long.
“You still wanna be a rockstar, right?” Steve asked hesitantly.
“I do!” He really did. “I just didn’t think we’d have to struggle this much in a city made for bands like us.”
“It’ll be a great interview for Rolling Stone.”
“How do you have so much faith in us?”
“I have faith in you, Eds. Always have, always will. You’re gonna make it.”
“You’re too good to me.”
“Nah.” Someone knocked on the door and Steve whispered something to them before speaking to Eddie again. “Hey, I have to go. But I hope you wow everyone at that festival, okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Stevie.”
When he checked his notifications, Steve had sent him $500.
He cried for 20 minutes before he went and told the guys.
****
The show was incredible and Eddie had never been more miserable.
The guys were on a high no drug could match, but Eddie was sinking further into a pit of despair.
“Never known you to look this sad after a show.”
Eddie’s head shot up to see Steve standing against a few extra speakers backstage.
“Steve? What’re you doing here?” Eddie walked closer, worried he was seeing things.
“Couldn’t miss your biggest show yet. Hope it’s okay.”
“Of course it is. I’m glad you came.”
“Yeah?”
Eddie smiled, feeling some of the heavy weight lift from his shoulders. “Yeah.”
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Text
Steve grows up thinking that love can be earned. That it has to be earned. That if he is quiet and polite, invisible most of the time and puts on his too-tight white button-downs without making a fuss, his mother will call him good and while she won't say it directly, Steve takes her approval for love.
His father is harder to please, for a while it's winning sport trophies and talking about taking out pretty girls. But as time goes on, Steve learns that disappointment is far quicker and far more willing given than love. Love can also be taken away like a toy from a naughty child.
Despite trying his best to keep earning his parents' love it keeps slipping away from him more and more often, like smoke through delicate fingers. Steve doesn't know what he is doing wrong, just assumes that he isn't good, that he doesn't deserve their love. It never occurs to him that they simply might be incapable of it, hollow, cold, harsh caves that echo where their hearts should beat.
So Steve tries to get it elsewhere. Tommy and Carol's love is easier to earn. Drive them places, pay for their food, get them booze and let them throw parties at his pool. Be mean and arrogant, laugh at jokes that make him feel sick to his stomach and do it all with a smile. Keep them happy and they'll keep loving him. He never quite figures out how he earned Nancy's love and it makes him antsy. Not knowing how to ensure that she'll keep loving him. He only realizes once they break up that the reason he never knew how to make her keep loving him was that she never loved him in the first place.
The kids are easy: be a human shield for them, beat monsters with a baseball bat, get tortured by Russians for them. If danger isn't around the corner it's driving them to the arcade, paying for their food, letting them hang out in the cold, desolate house that once they are gone echos just as much as the caves in his parents' chests. It's not that different from how he kept Tommy and Carol loving him. Only that it feels different, better. Steve doesn't have to force smiles, still recognizes the person in the mirror when he hangs out with the kids. He has fun too, would still do all these things if it didn't earn him the kids' love.
It's nice. Almost. If it wasn't for the constant fear that one day he'll say the wrong thing, bring them the wrong snack and all of that love will go poof.
Robin just like Nancy, Steve can't figure out. And it's fucking terrifying because he doesn't think he's ever loved a friend hell not just a friend, anyone, the way he has loved her. There are days he wants to crawl into her skin and make a home hoping it'll be enough to make her stay. Though a home never made his parents stay either. He knows the day he is going to lose her love, he will completely fall apart.
Eddie, Steve is slowly figuring out. Or at least he thinks he is. It's hard to tell with Eddie sometimes. On one hand, it's easy, Steve knows how to please partners in a relationship, knows how to be a good boyfriend. And Eddie clearly seems to enjoy the way Steve keeps trying to earn his love. On the other hand being a good boyfriend had already once not been enough.
It all comes down to it when Eddie and Steve end up in a stupid fight. Steve can't even remember what it started or who started it, all he knows that when Eddie says, "I need a smoke," and moves towards the door, panic closes around Steve's throat like a hand and squeezes tightly. If Eddie goes out of the door, if he leaves, he might not come back. It's been over six months since Steve last saw his parents.
"I'm sorry," he yells, tears already spilling over the corners of his eyes, running down his cheeks and pooling at his chin. He reaches for Eddie's wrist and Eddie instantly stops.
"I'm sorry, don't leave please! I'll make up for it, I promise. I'll be good. Perfect. Let me earn it again! Please!"
Eddie looks startled by Steve's outburst. He tucks his cigarette back into his pocket and pulls Steve into his arms.
"What? I'm not leaving! Steve," he says and cups Steve's wet face. Steve can't stop trembling. "What do you mean 'earn it again'?"
"Your love," Steve sniffs and buries his face in the crook of Eddie's neck, hoping, praying that it wasn't the wrong move. He knows he can be too clingy and he knows he can't afford to lose more of Eddie's love.
"My love? Baby," Eddie tightens his arms around Steve, "I'm not gonna stop loving you just because we're fighting. I love you even when I'm mad at you."
It draws a whole new wave of tears out of Steve and he does feel a bit like drowning. "And you don't have to earn my love, it's not fucking conditional," Eddie continues and presses a couple of soft kisses to Steve's hair.
"All my love is freely given. Not because you cook me dinner or let me pick movies or offer to blow me all the time. But because I love you, just you Steve. You don't even have to do anything. Just be yourself."
Eddie is crying now too, horrified that Steve went through his life in constant fear of love being taken away from him. Having to constantly bend and twist himself until he was broken just to earn crumbs of affection. It's a first step, one I love you doesn't undo years of trauma and fixes everything in an instant.
But Eddie vows he'll do everything he can to convince Steve that he is loved, so, so, so loved without having to grovel and beg for it. Without having to always be good and perfect.
And Robin and the kids make the same vow, heartbroken when they find out how scared Steve has been of losing them, how he thought they only kept him around in case of danger and because he had money.
It takes a while, but eventually, Steve starts to believe them. And if he ever has doubts or forgets everyone in his life is quick to remind him just how loved he is. Free of charge and indefinitely.
3K notes · View notes
cherry-romper · 3 months
Text
Loving You Sounds Like a Song
Playlist
+ Midoriya, Bakugou, Todoroki, Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, Iida, Momo, Jirou, Mina, Ochaco, Asui, Mirio, Amajiki, Aizawa, Hawks, All Might, Dabi, Twice, Compress, Shiguraki
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Midoriya; Head over Heels - Tears For Fears
I wanted to be with you alone
I'm lost in admiration, could I need you this much?
Something happens and I'm head over heels
One little boy, one little man - funny how time flies
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Bakugou; Everlong - Foo Fighters
I've waited here for you, Everlong
Come down, And waste away with me
Breathe out, So I can breathe you in
And I wonder...if everything could ever feel this real forever.
You gotta promise not to stop when I say when.
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Todoroki; Say Yes to Heaven - Lana Del Rey
Give peace a chance, Let the fear you have fall away
Say yes to heaven, Say yes to me
If you go, I'll stay, You come back, I'll be right here
And if you fight, I'll fight
I've got my mind on you
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Kirishima; Lover - Taylor Swift
Can I go where you go?
Can we always be this close forever and ever?
I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all
I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover
All's well that ends well to end up with you
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Kaminari; NEON - DPR LIVE
Your kisses make it go neon
Neon, I want to know you
Neon, lose the night with you
Girl, I'm liking your body, but more than that I love your, uh
Colourful smile, you make me wonder what's under, uh
The way you make the light go blurry
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Sero; Coast - Hailee Steinfeld
You the wave upon my ocean, pounding rhythm and motion
Just relax and let the riptide pull you close
Baby, all I wanna do is coast, with you
The starts come down, you drown 'em out
I'm sinking deeper into you
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Iida; This Charming Man - The Smiths
Will nature make a man of me?
Why pamper life's complexity, When the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat?
This man said, "It's gruesome that someone so handsome should care"
A jumped up pantry boy, Who never knew his place
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Momo; You've Got The Love - Florence + The Machine
I know I can count on you
But you've got the love I need to see me through
When my food is gone you are my daily meal
When friends are gone I know my saviour's love is real
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Jirou; Wait a Minute! - WILLOW
I'm here right now, with you
I'll run my hands through you hair
You wanna run your fingers through mine
You left your diary at my house, And I read those pages, Do you really love me, baby?
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Mina; DESERT EAGAL - Beyonce
Soft to the touch, let you hold somethin'
Soft kisses on some fat lips
Put on a show and make it nasty, Desert Eagle in the backseat
Oh, I keep it classy, let you love me like a lady, yeah
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Ochaco; Strawberry Skies - Kid Travis
Girl you brighten up my world
Cant you tell I want you by my side?
We're gone with the wind, Hair in your face, Put my hand on your waist
Strawberry skies, all on your lips, 'cause I love how it taste
Hope that you catch me when I fall
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Asui; Honey - Kehlani
I like my girls just like I like my honey, sweet, A little selfish
'Cause I'm a beautiful wreck, A colourful mess, but I'm funny
All the pretty girls in the world, But I'm in this space with you
Don't walk away, or would you wait for me?
Isn't love all we need? Is it love?
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Mirio; I can't Help Myself - Four Tops
You know that I love you, I cant help myself
I love you and nobody else
Leaving just your picture behind, And I kissed it a thousand times
When you snap your figure or wink your eye, I come running too you
But every time I see your face, I get choked up inside.
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Amajiki; Halley's Comet - Billie Eilish
But in my dreams I seem to be more honest, And I must admit, you've been in quite a few
But you're all it takes for me to break a promise
Silly me to fall in love with you
Midnight for me is 3AM for you
I was good at feeling nothing, now I'm hopeless
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Aizawa; Adore You - Harry Styles
I get so lost inside your eyes, Would you believe it?
You don't have to say you love me
You don't have to say nothing
You don't have to say you're mine
I'd walk through fire for you, Just let me adore you
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Hawks; Where u Goin' Tonight? - Mac Ayres
Just don't stand so close to me... Unless tonight, you'll be my only
All of the things I tried to keep low, Feeling like I been changing
Tell me where you goin' tonight? I'll meet you there if that's alright
Could I be the one to do the things that you like?
Burnt all my bridges, baby, But at least I'm staying warm
I been working on forgiveness, Said I don't think its catching on
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All Might; I Was Made For Lovin' You - KISS
Tonight I wanna give it all to you
'Cause girl, I was made for you, And girl, you were made for me
Can you get enough of me?
Feel the magic, there's something that drives me wild
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Dabi; LET THE WORLD BURN - Chris Grey
It's dangerous 'cause I want it all, And I don't think I care what it costs
I shouldn't have fallen in love, Look what it made me become
And I know you think you can run
But I just cant let you go
I'd let the world burn, Let the world burn for you
This is how it always had to end, If I cant have you then no one can
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Twice; Caraphernelia - Pierce The Veil
There ain't a think that you can do that's going to ruin my night
This dizzy dreamer and her bleeding little blue boy
Hold my heart, it's beating for you anyway
Ill burn your name into my throat
What's so good about picking up the pieces?
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Mr. Compress; Never Ever Getting Rid of me - From Waitress
I will never let you let me leave, I promise I'm not lying
I'm gonna do this right, Show you I'm not moving, Wherever you go, I won't be far to follow
I'm gonna love you so, You'll learn what I already know, I love you means you're never, ever, ever getting rid of me
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Shigaraki; No Mercy - DeathByRomy
My boy hates everybody but me
He's sinister, but to me, he's sweet
In love with a monster, Daddy thinks I've lost it
My boy's a bullet in your brain, I show no mercy
Your nightmare is the man of my dreams
It turns me on when he makes you bleed
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529 notes · View notes
suppose-i-was-worm · 1 year
Text
Like A Lamb
**Idea taken from @nerdpoe's post- What the hell is this "Infinite Realms"?**
John Constantine would never call himself a kind man, much less a good man, but the kid at the corner table of this fast food restaurant was making him want to be both.
Not that John’s kindness would really help the kid, in the long run.
He’d seen so many things in all the time he’d been alive- wondrous and horrific in equal measure, but this boy- this teenager, barely out of childhood, was probably the most heart-breaking.
John had known sacrifices- marked by both men and demons. He’d seen the crumpled bodies after the fact, and sometimes he’d been able to save them beforehand. None of them were like this boy. Marked like a sacrificial lamb down to his bones by the universe- an inevitable end.
The teen was the beginning and the end of worlds- his death would shake the foundations of all that was, could be, and is. Time would stutter to a stop before restarting with a different beat, and John could do nothing to delay or stop what was coming.
How in the world could this kid still smile and laugh with his friends? How could he not feel the weight of an entire reality on his shoulders? If John, sitting across a dining room from him, could feel the pressure, why wasn’t the boy buckling under it?
John’s phone alerted him to a text from Zatanna- he was needed by the JLD.
With a sigh, he fished out the strongest protection amulet he had on him. It wouldn’t save the teen, but maybe it would make the rest of his life a little easier.
The kid looked up at him as he approached, all smiles and young innocence. John Constantine thrust the amulet into his hand and then turned, stalking out of the Nasty Burger.
He needed to tell the Justice League. Amity Park needed protection- there was a kid there whose death would change the world.
~~~
Danny flipped the little charm around in his hands, trying to figure it out. The sad trenchcoat man had handed it to him before leaving, and he had no idea why.
“What do you think it is, Danny?”
He shrugged. For some reason he didn’t want to hand it over to Sam for her to inspect it.
“Dunno. It feels important, though. I might take it to Pandora- she’s been teaching me a bit of magic stuff, so she can probably parse it out.”
For some reason, Danny knew he would recognize that man again if he ever saw him, despite only having looked at him for a moment. Something in his core rumbled contently as he tucked the amulet carefully into the back of his phone case.
The next few weeks, Danny found himself having suspiciously good luck. The food at home didn’t come to life, ghosts didn’t attack as much, Dash wasn’t a problem at school, and even the Fentons hadn’t been as insistent on catching Phantom.
That was another weird thing- His brain didn’t seem to compute that Jack and Maddie were his mom and dad anymore. He knew he’d been creeping toward that ever since his death, but it was like a switch had been flipped overnight. The Fenton adults no longer registered as his parents.
Finally he had a chance to slip into the Realms and head for Pandora, who took one look at the amulet he held out to her and laughed.
“You have been adopted, young one, and your core accepted.”
“Adopted?”
“Your nature is to protect- it sings in your blood and guides your instincts. An adult offered you protection, a safe haven, and you took them up on it. Had someone your own age done the same, your relationship with them would be vastly different.”
Danny frowned at the charm, but he didn’t put it down- it didn’t even occur to him to get rid of it.
“Why did he- what made him do that?”
Pandora ruffled his hair.
“He saw someone who needed protecting, I assume, and acted as he ought.”
~~~
“Bats, I don’t know what the Infinite Realms are. Yes, I know they exist. I just don’t know when they started to exist, and when my knowledge of the afterlife became outdated.”
Batman glared, and John rolled his eyes at the other man.
“Magic shit happens all the time. Zatanna can tell you just as well as I can that the Realms didn’t exist a year ago- and also that they’ve existed for millenia.”
“I’ve found a summoning spell for the king of the realms, but it requires a magic user. Zatanna is off-planet, so you’re up.”
John looked over at the speaker, Red Robin, whose slight form and dark hair made him think of the boy he’d left to die.
He’d thought of the boy more often than not- any research into the kind of sacrifice that would have so much power came to a dead end, and John Constantine hated that there was really and truly nothing he could do for the kid.
Maybe this Infinite Realms person might know something?
“Fine. What are the details?”
Red Robin perked up and handed over a heavy tome.
“Batman and I already set up the ritual space in the conference room, and a few other heroes are there to help out if the king is hostile.”
“Of course you have. Let’s go, then.”
The two bats swept off down the hallway, and John followed behind, studying the spell he would need to cast. It was fairly simple, and luckily wouldn’t require blood. He hated the ones that required blood.
As he stood over the sigils and spoke the ritual spells, the floor inside the protective circle began to writhe and bubble a toxic neon green. It was all John could do to stand straight as a rush of air spilled from the portal into the wide room, bringing with it the heavy taste of caution.
The Justice League took a step back as the first clawed hand reached out from the green, white and stretched beyond humanity. It scrabbled for purchase before finding it and pulling.
The creature that exited the swirling mass was something John had never seen before. If the situation wasn’t so tense, he might describe the creature as catlike, with a black body and white legs, as well as piercing green eyes. The similarities stopped, however, when the inky body flickered and lit up from within with the pinpricks of millions of stars and endless void.
This was a baby god, filled with the dreams of deities long forgotten and fueled by the hope of those still clinging on to life.
Its green eyes swept over the gathered heroes before coming to rest on John, and for a moment he felt as if his tattered soul was being judged by the cosmos.
And then the creature folded in on itself, the tense air around it changing from bitter caution to sweet relief, and John found himself face to face with the teenager from Amity Park.
“Hi.”
The boy sounded winded, but happy, and he reached inside his shirt to pull out a small chain necklace. John’s amulet was hanging off it, obviously well treasured and cared for.
“Did you know that you’re technically my dad now?”
Something on John’s face must have told the boy- the god, the sacrifice both dead and alive- that he was unaware of this fact. The kid shuffled a little, looking sheepishly at the floor.
“You- uh. Unintentionally offered safe haven. And I accepted without realizing what was going on, and- it’s weird. I collected your soul for you! Didn’t bring it with me, but I’ve got the pieces you’re missing.”
“I think you both need to sit down and discuss this.”
Bless Diana.
“Can you leave the circle, young one?”
The teen beamed at Diana and stepped out of the protective circle, smudging the sigils as he did and closing the portal.
“I can, yeah. Pandora says hi, by the way.”
John watched as the boy chattered away about his ghost friends to Diana while she led him to a seat, and then sighed, moving to join them. If he needed help with being a new dad, surely Bats could help, right?
2K notes · View notes
lorarri · 4 months
Text
★ . . . 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 , 𝐉𝐁𝟓
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summary , the daughter of lewis hamilton and a 3 time f1 world champion life is pretty great especially now that you have found a special someone
pairing , jude bellingham x fem! hamilton! redbull! f1 driver! reader
main masterlist | football masterlist
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yourinstagram . 4hrs ago
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seen by lewishamilton judebellingham 76,389,589 others
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yourinstagram
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liked by lewishamilton judebellingham 102,890,199 others
yourinstagram winter break photodump pt. 5
view comments
user my wife is a madrid...I don't know what to do with why self now
user stay away from my wifey mr. hey jude lookin ass
user MR BELLINGHAM WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE
user it couple is cookin ya'll
user love that mother is living her best life
user bae wake up Y/N posted a winter break photo dump
user OKAY BUT THAT LAST PIC EXCUSE ME?!?!?!
user madam who got you those flowers
user jude better be careful or papa hamilton gonna have his head if he even thinks about trying anything with his daughter
user why am I kinda living from the idea of these two being a couple
user are you dating jude?
user Y/N come home the kids miss you
user 4th wdc pending...
user so we all know who the guy in the last slide is right?
user love my soon to be parents
user the queen soft launching wasn't on my 2024 bingo card
view more comments
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TRENTSKI
JUDITH
EXPLAIN YOUR SELF
JUDITH
huh?
RICE RICE BABY
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did you really think you could sneek your way into Y/N Hamilton's ig dump and we wouldn't find out?
JUDITH
yes?
SANCHOOOO
SO YOU ADMIT IT
IT IS YOU
MEEK MEALS
glad you finally got together
I was getting sick and tired of you talking about her 24/7
JACK RABBIT
I'm surprised he even got the strength to talk to her
STAR BOY
right?
his brain normally turns to mush when ever her name is mentioned
proud of you bro
JUDITH
thx kyo
I always knew you were a real one
TRENTSKI
damn I see how it is then....
RICE RICE BABY
trents going dark lads
in his sad girl era
PHIL CHEESE STAKE
so wait who knows about you 2 being together?
SANCHOOOO
besides the entire intent after that photo dump?
MEEK MEALS
LMFAOOO
STAR BOY
tell lewis he's the goat
JUDITH
hahah funny
let us have our damatic soft launch
obvi you guys know
the only others that know are max, sebastian, and charles
I'll let lewis know when he figures out I'm dating his daughter this Saturday
JACK RABBIT
mate your fucked
TRENTSKI
DAMN
secret forbbiden romance
didn't know you were built like that jude
MEEK MEALS
what do you mean Lewis fucking Hamilton doesn't know you are dating HIS DAUGHTER
SANCHOOOO
pray for jude guys
these might be his last days with us
STAR BOY
he shall be missed
JACK RABBIT
dw jude I'll delete your search history of you stalking Y/N's ig and twitter
JUDITH
thanks guys...
wiss me luck
TRENTSKI
break a leg
RICE RICE BABY
don't die
MEEK MEALS
good luck
SANCHOOOO
you going to die
STAR BOY
what colour coffin do you want?
I'm thinking bright pink and rinestones
JACK RABBIT
do you need a get away driver?
PHIL CHEESE STAKE
before you die get me and ronnie a hat singed by Y/N and Lewis
JUDITH
I feel so loved rn
yourinstagram . 4hrs ago
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seen by lewishamilton maxverstappen1 98,328,479 others
lewishamilton replied to your story!
he's a good lad
but if he hurt's you
winning a trohpy will be the last of his concern
okay dad I'll relay that message to him
good
also don't forget to use projection...
DAD OMG STOP
carlossainz55 replied to your story!
¡HALA MADRID!
maxverstappen1 replied to your story!
Christian is asking if Jude wants to come to the team dinner before the livery launch?
also if he hurts you I will run him over with our matching aston martins
landonorris replied to your story!
what does he smell like?
908 notes · View notes
hannieehaee · 5 months
Note
not sure if you’ve done this before, i’m sorry if you have but svt and their s/o fighting bc of a misunderstanding?
fighting because of a misunderstanding
content: established relationship, mentions of arguments, pettiness, angst but nothing too serious, etc.
wc: 790
a/n: since this was such a general idea i went in a different direction with all of them and how they'd react if you or he had a misunderstanding and then it led to a fight. hope u enjoy <3
masterlist
seungcheol -
he seems super stubborn so i think that if he misunderstanding was on his side, he'd try to brush it off and pretend he didn't realize what the issue was. would try and drag it as long as possible due to embarrassment at his mistake, but it'd just create a bigger fight. eventually, though, he'd swallow his pride and admit fault.
jeonghan -
he'd gaslight you the entire argument and end up winning ... just kidding he'd actually be really open to admitting his faults and excusing you in your own T-T even if it had all been caused bc of a misunderstanding he'd still be willing to talk it through and resolve it. would NEVER go to bed if u guys hadnt resolved things.
joshua -
he's so annoyinjwhdjsks i think he'd be super annoying in fights so he'd take any bit of ammunition he could get. whether the misunderstanding was on his part or not, he'd still somehow argue it to his advantage. if things got out of hand, he'd wave the white flag and call a truce.
jun -
just confused the whole time. had he missed something or done something without realizing? his first instinct would be to be apologetic (even if he didnt fully understand how this argument had come to be). if he at some point realized either you or him had simply misunderstood the other, he'd just let it go, being content that you had already resolved it.
soonyoung -
lol i think he'd immediately act like wounded puppy the moment he realized that a fight had formed between the two of you. would do gymnastics in his head trying to figure out how you got here, only to realize that it had all been due to some misunderstanding between the two of you. he wouldnt care who was to blame, he'd just take responsibility if it meant the two of you could cuddle again.
wonwoo -
he's so in touch with his emotions and such an empathetic soul that i cant even imagine a fight breaking out with him, even if it was caused by a misunderstanding. like jeonghan, he'd be super open to talking it out and would never try to antagonize you during fights. had it all been caused by a misunderstanding, he'd still be very calm and understanding about it all, even taking blame if necessary.
jihoon -
gives me the vibe that he'd rather ice you out than actually get into a fight. this would, of course, only make things worse. he'd stand his ground, though, convincing himself that it'd be better to wait for you to go to him. after a few days of silence for both sides, he'd realize his mistake and have to crawl back to you with an apology.
seokmin -
would be so disheartened at the concept of fighting in the first place lol. he'd be willing to get on his knees to stop whatever argument was going on. he'd take on the blame of any misunderstanding if it made you happy.
mingyu -
another wounded puppy. would pout and whine and not really take the fight seriously, just wanting things to go back to normal so that he could hold you. would apologize for any fault of his and entice you into forgetting about whatever misunderstanding had come up.
minghao -
not sure if this is an unpopular opinion but i feel like he might be a lil bit stubborn when it comes to arguments. he might let his emotions get the best of him (he's a scorpio ..) and need some time to cool off before having a productive conversation. he'd have to hold himself back a bit in the case of a misunderstanding but would still never be mean nor disrespectful during fights.
seungkwan -
if for some reason you had picked a fight with him due to a misunderstanding on your part, he'd never let you live it down. would bring this up in future arguments (lightheartedly obviously!!) to give himself an advantage in any fight. would claim you had a previous record of being wrong.
vernon -
he's too chill to ever get into a serious fight. he'd be willing to admit fault pretty easily, but he'd also stand his ground when necessary. whenever a misunderstanding came up, he'd try to be the voice of reason and be open to criticism.
chan -
lol have you seen him when he banters with his members? he never backs down and he'd give you the same treatment. would argue til the end, even if things ended up getting a bit heated. in the end, though, he would calm down and understand that misunderstandings such as these needed to be taken care of with more tact and would apologize if he got too intense.
457 notes · View notes
themisplaceddemigod · 8 months
Text
i'm immortal, i can wait
PJ!Apollo x F!Reader
summary - Apollo has loved you since he first saw you, but he's had to wait several years before he could make such a confession. Especially since you're the child of his scariest uncle, Poseidon.
warnings - Apollo is his own warning. that and his haikus, also i am KEEPING JASON ALIVE in the Trials of Apollo part of this (curse you Rick)
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He met you in person when you were fourteen.
Westover Hall, you had been summoned to collect two demigod kids with your brother Percy and friends Annabeth and Thalia. The mission turned sour, Annabeth was kidnapped, and Artemis saved the day before calling him to give you all a lift back to camp.
Both of you could remember how red your face turned when you'd seen him, and he wouldn't tell you but he'd heard you talking about how hot he was with Thalia. It boosted his ego (which quite frankly does not need any more boosting), and he was smug the whole ride.
"Percy, you never told me you had a sister!" He spoke so loudly the whole bus could hear him.
"Um, because we've never met in person?" You brother suggested, a little nervously. Apollo was pretty chill, but that made him even scarier.
The god of the sun just laughed, before turning to look at you. The way his eyes roamed your figure felt less-than-innocent, and your face flushed as you yet again turned a bright shade of red. You couldn't believe the Apollo, the hottest Olympian, was actually staring at you with interest. Like he found you pretty enough to be stared at.
"What's your name, sweetheart?" He smiled flirtatiously, earning some aggressive threats from the Hunters behind you, which he ignored. "Just kidding, I know it already. (Name), right? Pretty name."
You felt as if you might explode. From embarrassment, from being flustered, you didn't know. Maybe he was toying with you, as gods tended to do, but then he looked at you again and genuine interest and attraction glimmered in his stunning blue eyes.
"Thank you, Lord Apollo," you stammered out, unsure of what else to say.
"So shy," he teased, grinning, "Cute. I like you."
Of course, he had to restrain himself from charming you entirely, since you were still a minor. Poseidon would have his head if he touched you at this age, so he decided it was best to wait a few years.
Those few years were full of struggle and pain for you, losing so many friends in the battles with Kronos and then Gaea. Apollo almost intervened just to comfort you several times, but was stopped by his sister convincing him to give you a few more years - and also reminding him that the Olympians could not intervene.
But you grew into such a beautiful, smart, brave woman - and extremely sexy, but he would have to keep that to himself - and Apollo felt lucky to have watched this growth. It made his attraction to you all the more prominent, and he began to feel something he hasn't felt in centuries - genuine. true love.
And it scared him.
His past lovers that he had really, truly loved had both been killed in gruesome ways. He was afraid of what being with him would mean for you, but ultimately decided on getting Poseidon's permission first.
The god of the sea said no.
Then came his trials.
The first demigods he went to were you and Percy, of course. Since he was stuck with an infuriating little girl, he hoped that you might tag along on his perilous journey to make it a little better.
To his delight, you agreed.
"What's so funny?" He demanded when he caught you snickering during a break from all the running.
"You," you laughed, "Never thought the god Apollo would be reduced to an average teenage boy with acne." You laughed even more at that, and he pouted, but enjoyed hearing you laugh nonetheless.
His first sign that you might have a crush on him too came when he mentioned he'd turned some gossipers into ravens just for telling on his previous cheating girlfriend. The mere mention of his ex-girlfriend seemed to irritate you, and Apollo was amused.
Though his turn for jealousy came when he noticed how close you were to Jason Grace. He couldn't do anything, though, so he watched miserably as you got along with the son of Jupiter so well that any outsider would think you were dating.
"What's with the pout, then?" You had asked him when you noticed how upset he looked.
"I am not pouting!"
"Yes you are."
You stepped closer, and your intoxicating scent filled his nostrils. He felt like a schoolboy with a massive crush, just you being that close scrambling his thoughts and making it difficult for him to answer.
"Alright, keep your secrets," you laughed, then walked away, and Apollo was left disappointed.
He was not even going to talk about the whole thing with Reyna. You had suddenly gotten so angry with him after that, you hadn't spoken to him for two days - unless absolutely necessary. It hurt, but he knew you must have been even more hurt by what had been implied.
The end of the trials eventually came and relieved all of you, the defeat of the Triumvirate taking a great weight off the world's - and yours - shoulders. Apollo disappeared after he went to fight Python, and for two weeks you heard no word from him or Olympus.
Then suddenly he was in the middle of camp, spouting the worst haikus you had ever heard in your life. And that was saying something, since all his haikus were pretty terrible.
"Like captured water
You hold me in your cupped hands
I flow on your palm."
Your jaw dropped. That was even worse than you assumed it would be, especially since he chose to center it around the fact that you're a daughter of Poseidon.
"Lord Apollo-"
"See what I did there?" He winked, coming up to you with a cheerful grin. "Did you like it?"
"Well-"
"Fear not! I have another one prepared that is sure to woo you."
Your face flushed, "Please don't say "woo", your kids are listening!"
He was already reciting his next haiku.
"You shatter my sleep
All milk-need and petal lips
You smile and I melt."
You frowned in confusion, "What does that even mean?"
"Aha! See I knew that was the one!"
"I didn't-what?"
He ignored your puzzlement in favour of coming so close to you his overwhelming godly power almost made you pass out.
"I'm sorry I haven't been around for two weeks," he apologised sincerely. "I was in a coma. I swear on the River Styx that it's the truth. But I came here as soon as I woke up, for you." He grinned like that was the best confession he could muster.
"Are you serious?" You breathed out, unable to believe what you were hearing.
"Technically I wanted you when you were fourteen, but that would have come across as creepy apparently," he informed you, "So I had to wait a few years until you turned the right age. That was okay with me, I'm immortal, I can wait."
Your jaw dropped further, "Are you, um-is this-?"
"A love confession? Yes!" He gleefully exclaimed, as if it were perfectly normal for an Olympian to invade camp and profess his love for a demigod.
The entire camp was silent, except for the Aphrodite girls who seemed to be glaring holes into you while trying to curse you - fortunately only the Apollo kids (ironically) had the power to curse a person to speak in rhymes.
"And what did...what did my dad think of this?" You cleared your throat, slightly nervous.
"Oh he was against it at first," Apollo admitted, "BUT he came around. It seems the trials proved a lot more than I thought."
"Well, uh, that's great," you half-smiled, not sure why you felt a sense of dread. This should be the happiest moment of your life.
Apollo's smile faltered, "Do you not-"
"No I do!" You quickly cut him off, sparing him the embarrassment of being rejected in front of a few dozen kids MUCH younger than him. "It's just...you're a god..."
He sighed, "Let's go take a walk."
A few minutes later you were away from prying eyes, sitting by the lake since it always calmed you down. Water soothed you, as cliche as that is for a Poseidon kid.
"I'm just worried," you started after a few minutes of silence, "You know, about all your mortal affairs and having demigod children and all that." You sighed. "I know it's silly. But I just don't think I can go through with it knowing that."
He frowned, but understood, "I can always stop-"
You laughed bitterly, "All the gods promised a woman what. Zeus promised Hera, but there's Jason and Thalia. Poseidon promised Amphitrite, but here Percy, Tyson and I are. It's in your nature, you can't help it."
He felt offended by that, "Yes well, none of them had the displeasure of being turned into mortal for a few months. It changes a god, you know."
You turned to look at him, "Are you really sure about this? That this is what you want? I'm what you want?"
"I've waited for you since you were fourteen," he reminded you, "Of course I'm sure." Despite your reluctance, he took your hand. "Please, just give me a chance."
You thought it over for a moment, before smiling softly, "Fine. You have your chance. But the first mortal affair you have-"
"I won't need them," he smiled, moving closer, "You can have all my children."
Your jaw dropped at his blatant suggestion, a deep blush forming on your cheeks, "Are you crazy?! I can't-"
"You can," he leaned in even closer, "Once I make you immortal."
You started stuttering and stammering just then, uttering some kind of incomprehensible nonsense that the god of the sun just laughed at. He pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, before finally leaning in and claiming your lips.
He had waited long enough, now he was going to kiss you every chance he got.
834 notes · View notes
nadvs · 28 days
Text
out of bounds (part three)
pairing zach maclaren and soccerplayer! female reader
rating mature 18+
summary zach has never been the type to rebel, but when he meets you at a soccer camp where you’re both working as counselors, which has a strict policy against dating between staff, he’s tempted to break the rules for the first time.
» part one | part two
» masterlist
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Zach regrets coming to your cabin last night.
Not because your boss stopped by. Early this morning, he ran into Ruby and she didn’t even mention catching you together after hours. She doesn’t suspect a thing.
He should’ve known that she wouldn’t think he was breaking any rules. He has a reputation for being responsible.
He regrets coming over because now, when he sees you from across the loud dining hall at breakfast, he can’t reign in his rushing thoughts about last night.
You’d stood over him as he sat and his hands were on his knees, nearly brushing against your legs, and it wouldn’t have taken much effort at all to run his palms over your thighs as your fingertips ghosted over his face.
You looking down at him like that, having full control over him, stirred something deep in his core. The way you touched him was innocent, but it made his body tense with desire. You were so close to him, your presence so intoxicating.
He fell asleep thinking about your time alone in your cabin, but instead of remembering the reality of you stepping away, he imagined you straddling him in the chair he was sitting in, pressing your lips against his, and giving him permission to run his hands over your curves.
Zach looks down at his plate. He’s sure he’s blushing. It’s insane how fast his mind has run away from him. His longing for you is starting to feel like a need, like he might feel actual pain if he doesn’t get to touch you in some way.
But it’s not allowed. And besides, if it was, even though you’ve definitely been flirting with him, you might not even like him that much. Maybe if he asked if he could kiss you or touch you, you’d tense up and look at him with distaste. He’d hate to make you feel uncomfortable.
He clears his throat and tries to focus on work. Oliver is actually eating a decent amount for once. He’s still not really talking, but he seems a little more at ease.
Zach has to thank you for helping him figure out that apparently, the kid is very particular about his appetite. He’s excited he’ll have a chance to do so when you run morning drills together.
After breakfast, as scheduled, you approach the west field with your girls following closely behind, listening to them chatter about the weird dreams they had last night.
Seconds later, one of them calls your name.
“Yeah?”
“Who are we running drills with now?”
“Zach’s group,” you say. A couple of girls giggle.
“He’s so cute,” one of them says quietly. You look ahead. They obviously have a crush on him. So do you.
You’re kind of nervous to see him considering how tense things got last night, but when he spots you, he smiles, and it brushes away all your worry.
“About time,” Zach playfully scoffs when you reach him, his campers jogging up and down the pitch.
“What’d you wait, like two minutes?” you reply, dropping the bag of supplies you’re carrying.
“Hi, Zach,” one of your campers sing-songs, earning her friends’ laughter.
“Hi,” he says kindly. “You ready for some passing drills?”
You smile to yourself. He’s totally oblivious to the fact that he has almost every girl on this campground smitten.
After you finish setting up cones and soccer balls across the field, you stand next to Zach at the touchline. As the vet, he takes the lead, shouting instructions to the group of 18 kids.
You glance at him every so often, pretending you’re following along, when really, you’re thinking about last night. Every word and every touch you shared was light and friendly, but it was all over an undercurrent of tension.
You look out at the kids again, reminding yourself that you need to keep things professional, no matter how charming he is.
After the blow of Zach’s whistle, you walk along the line of campers practicing passing, arms crossed as you focus on their footwork. You offer compliments and suggestions as you pace up the field, and minutes later, you join Zach at the side again.
“So, is it working?” he asks. “Do you like soccer again?”
You smile. He remembers how you told him that part of the reason you came to work here was to rekindle your love for the sport.
Even though the job is tiring, you have enjoyed it quite a lot. It’s refreshing seeing kids get excited about soccer the same way you used to. It’s a good reminder of why you started playing.
“Yeah,” you say, your tone soft as you look out at the deep green pitch. “I came to the right place.”
Zach’s eyes trail over your profile. He couldn’t agree more.
A few minutes later, Oliver breaks out of the line and approaches you.
“Hey, buddy,” Zach says. He’s dreading that he’ll tell him he wants to sit out yet again.
“Can I have some water?” he asks. Zach realizes he’s looking up at you, clearly having found some comfort in you.
“Of course,” you say, fishing out a bottle from the cooler. “Did you like the waffles this morning?”
“Yeah,” he says timidly. “Thanks.”
“It was all Zach,” you say. “He’s the one who bought them and got up early to make them. I think you got the best counselor here.”
Oliver looks up at Zach with a small smile. It’s the first look of genuine happiness he’s seen on the boy’s face. After he drinks water, he rushes back out onto the field.
“I didn’t mean it,” you tease Zach. “You’re the worst.”
He laughs and resists the urge to playfully push your shoulder. Getting close to you is a bad idea, because he’ll only want more.
“You’re good with kids,” he says. He can’t help but think about you meeting his sister. He knows she’d like you. “Pretty sure that’s the first time he smiled since he got here.”
You were expecting him to tease you back, so the sincere compliment throws you. You meet his eyes, feeling the same sense of easy compatibility you felt last night.
The morning sun washes over his features in its orange glow. He’s so handsome that you almost forget you shouldn’t be staring.
“So, I’m better at this job than you are?” you say.
“Okay, whoa,” he replies. “I didn’t say that.”
“You implied it.”
“Did not.”
You share a moment of laughter, but once it fades, you don’t look away from each other. Your heart starts to speed up like it always does when he gazes at you.
It feels like an elephant in the room, what happened the last time you spoke, and you desperately want to clear the air.
“Everything good after last night? You seemed…” You don’t want to use the word nervous. And upset doesn’t feel right, either. You decide not to finish the sentence. “Did you talk to Ruby?”
“She didn’t think anything was up,” he tells you. You sigh in relief, glad your jobs and reputations aren’t in jeopardy. “I mean, not that anything was up.”
You slowly nod, not sure how to take his words. Maybe it really was all in your head. Maybe your feelings are totally unrequited.
Zach catches the way your lips twist. He immediately feels anxious. He doesn’t want to hurt your feelings. And he definitely doesn’t want you to think he feels nothing for you.
“I mean,” he stammers, “that’s not what I mean.”
His muscles lose some tension when he sees you crack a smile.
“So, what do you mean?” you ask.
Zach looks down, digging the tip of his sneaker into the grass simply to have something to do as nerves fill his body. You have a ridiculous effect on him.
“Just that we weren’t breaking any rules.” He swallows the lump in his throat. “But, uh, if there was a rule I’d break…”
Your skin flushes, butterflies going wild in your stomach. He’s saying it without saying it.
“Same,” you reply. His gaze darts up to you. A pink hue spreads over his cheeks.
You both just indirectly confessed your feelings for one another and there’s nothing you can do about it. You blink a few times as you gaze at him.
“God,” he mutters with a half-laugh. “Don’t do that.”
“I literally didn’t do anything.”
“You’re…” He sighs and crosses his arms. “Looking at me like that.”
You tear your eyes off of him, stifling your smile.
“Like a coworker, you mean?” you reply. “Professionally?”
He laughs again, unsure of how the hell he’s going to last the rest of the camp season wanting a girl and knowing she wants him back and having to pretend like none of that’s true.
After the passing drill, you work on defense with your campers while Zach works on offense with his, then switch. For the last drill, you set up games of two-on-two.
You’re winded when you’re behind the touchline again, having run a drill with every girl in your group in quick succession. You’re downing water when Zach jogs up to you.
“Hey, your…” he says, pointing down. “I’ll just do it.”
In a second, he’s on his knee in front of you, tying your loose shoelace. You swallow your water, looking down, wondering how nice it’d feel to have your fingers in his tousled hair.
“Thank you,” you say, still a bit breathless.
He looks up with a smile. Your stares linger and then he straightens, standing beside you. And you’re supposed to keep your distance from this man? It’ll be impossible.
The rest of the day is a tiring blur. After dinner, you find Ami to remind her that you’re on one of the overnight shifts, so if she wants to see Malcolm after hours, your cabin will be free.
You only really do it for Zach’s sake so that he doesn’t get kicked out of his cabin again. Before you head over to one of the girls’ cabins to sleep, you text him: just so you know, i made sure ami knows i’m on an overnight so if she needs an empty cabin tonight, it won’t be yours.
Zach replies a few minutes later: You’re the best.
Then, a second text from him comes in: Professionally.
Over the next few days, your encounters with Zach are quick and friendly. He’s keeping his distance just like you are, avoiding any opportunity to have time alone.
It’s not until Friday afternoon, day seven of camp, that you’re scheduled to work another drill together.
When you meet Zach at the pitch, you’re endeared to see that Oliver is actually talking with him. As you approach, directing your girls to line up for a dribbling drill, you overhear them talking about video games.
“You can’t even get past the second one?” Oliver says.
“Does it count if my sister helps?”
“No!”
“Then, no,” Zach replies.
“But it’s so easy,” he says. “And you’re so old.”
“Alright, ten laps just for that,” Zach jokes. Oliver laughs and you smile to yourself.
“You are old,” you say to Zach when you approach them at the touchline.
“We’re the same age,” he replies.
“That’s irrelevant,” you say, then look to Oliver. “How’s it going?”
“Good,” he says. “We saw a badger yesterday. He was huge.”
“I hope he didn’t get too close.”
“Zach didn’t let us chase him,” Oliver complains.
“Probably a good thing,” you giggle, your eyes flitting up to meet Zach’s gaze.
You smile at him and even though it’s only been a few days since you had a proper conversation, he really misses seeing that smile.
Your campers settle into their own drills before merging, giving you and Zach a chance to chat privately.
“He’s really opened up,” you say, standing next to him.
“Yeah. He’s still not talking much with any of the other kids, but we talk all the time.”
“Baby steps,” you say, smiling as you watch Oliver practicing backheel kicks with another boy.
“I asked him if he’s making any friends, but he didn’t really answer,” Zach says. “I have a bad feeling they’re being rough on him and I don’t see it. I hope I’m wrong.”
“I hope you’re wrong, too,” you say sadly.
Zach gazes at you again, heart pinching from the way you frown at the thought.
“Tomorrow should be fun,” he says, changing the subject. “It’s a good break for us.”
You nod. Saturdays at camp are dedicated to fun instead of training, with plans to have a barbecue lunch by the lake, where campers will be free to swim and canoe.
“I’m looking forward to it,” you say. “Oh, have you been kicked out of your cabin lately?”
“I gave Malcolm a cut-off,” Zach tells you. “So, if he does need the place, there’s a time limit. Felt like a decent enough compromise.”
You’re glad he’s not having issues with his friend, but you do sort of wish he had an excuse to visit you when your cabin-mates are hooking up.
“Good,” you say simply.
Zach’s smile is tight, knowing you’re just trying to keep a professional distance like he is. But this sucks.
He refocuses on work.
“I was thinking of doing a round of Four Goal,” Zach says, pointing at the field. You nod, well acquainted with the games at this point, but still appreciative you get paired with vets for the support.
“But, they’ve been doing a lot of possession drills lately,” he adds. “Maybe Airball would be better.”
You glance at him to see the same pensive expression you’ve seen before. His indecisiveness is so cute.
“I can decide for you,” you say. He smirks, thinking back to that night in your cabin.
“Have I told you that you’re bossy?” he says.
“You have,” you reply, tapping his name-tag. “We’re playing Four Goal.”
“Deal,” he says with a chuckle, appreciative of how quick you are to choose. “You wanna take the lead?”
“Sure,” you say.
Before you can blow your whistle to get everyone’s attention, two of your campers come to grab water. You can tell by the way they’re eyeing Zach that they came solely to talk to him.
“Hey, Zach?” one of your girls says just loud enough to be heard over the shouting on the field.
“What’s up?” he asks.
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
You’ve never been so glad that some preteen girls can be so unabashed, curious to hear how he’ll answer this.
“No way. There’s no time for girlfriends,” he says. “I’m married to this beautiful sport.” You smile, admiring how appropriately he handles the kid’s intrusive question.
Both girls giggle and rush back into the field.
“You realize that like, all the girls have a crush on you, right?” you laugh.
Before you step forward to call over all the campers on the field, Zach can’t hold himself back from flirting with you.
“I only care about if one girl has a crush on me,” he says quietly.
Your lips quirk into another smile.
“She does,” you say.
Zach purses his lips, blushing again.
You call over the campers and set up the game of Four Goals quickly. Within minutes, four teams are scattered across the field, attacking and defending goals.
You pace up and down the field on one side while Zach supervises in the other direction. Moments later, he raises his voice in a way you haven’t heard before.
“I don’t want to hear it again,” he says sharply to two boys. You realize that Oliver is standing to the side, arms crossed, looking down, and you rush over.
“We were just kidding,” one of the boys whines.
When you get close enough, you see Oliver’s eyes welling with tears, surely from whatever the boys said to him. It makes your heart ache instantly. You approach him and lead him off the field.
“You weren’t,” Zach says behind you. “That’s unacceptable.”
You lead Oliver to the main office, curious as to what was said, but not wanting to push.
You trained for this. In times of conflict between campers, one counselor should address the problem, and the other should separate the kids involved.
“You okay?” you ask softly, crouching down to his eye-level. Oliver only leans against you, sniffling. You gently pat his shoulder, letting him cry for as long as he needs to.
You confirm with Zach over the walkies that you’ll meet in the dining hall for dinner. When you make it to the building, you see him settle at the head of his table, clearly having instructed the two boys who were in trouble earlier to sit right next to him.
You ask Oliver where he’d prefer to sit. He tells you he wants to be at your table. Zach flashes you a small, grateful smile once he sees you sitting with Oliver, who keeps his head down, acting just like he did when he first got here.
Zach approaches Oliver as dinner wraps up and while you hang out with Ami by the dock during free-time, Zach sits next to Oliver at the campfire. You’re relieved when you see Oliver finally smiling again.
After lights out, Zach leaves his cabin to sit on the dock for some time alone. Minutes later, his phone buzzes with a text from you: i hope everything’s ok.
He looks up at the starry sky, wishing he could shake the heaviness sitting on his shoulders. Something that he lived through years ago was dug up today, a pale memory made fresh and cutting.
He never liked the discomfort that came with negative emotions and bad memories. It’s why he prefers to focus on having fun in the here and now.
But when he does find himself in this hole, he typically isolates himself, feeling like a burden for being anything but happy, so it’s jarring that while he doesn’t let many people see this part of him, he thinks about you sitting next to him right now.
You’re relaxing in your cabin when Zach texts you: Can you come to the dock?
The evening air is cool when you step outside. As you approach the lake, you see Zach’s broad frame in the distance, sitting at the end of the dock.
You settle beside him on the hard cedar wood, noticing that his work clothes have been swapped out for sweats and a t-shirt.
“Hi,” you say over the sound of the lake lapping against the rocks lining the shore and crickets chirping around you.
“Hey.” His eyes meet yours. They don’t have the brightness you’re used to seeing in them.
In any other scenario, you’d be worried about what sitting next to each other like this looks like to anyone who might see. But Zach’s clearly unhappy and the last thing you’re thinking about is your job right now.
“What happened?” you ask, replaying how sternly he snapped at his campers just a couple of hours ago.
Zach sighs and shakes his head, looking out at the lake.
“They were giving him crap for being shy,” he mumbles. “Calling him mute and mocking him, asking if he even knows how to talk. They didn’t know I was close enough to hear.”
Your forehead crinkles, your heart aching for Oliver all over again.
“Thanks for removing him from all that,” Zach tells you.
“Of course. I wish I could’ve done more,” you say. “He wouldn’t tell me anything, so I let him hug me until he stopped crying.”
“He just needed someone to be there,” Zach says. “And you were.”
You find relief in his words.
“He looked like he was feeling much better when you were by the fire,” you say, hoping to console him.
Zach nods gratefully and looks up at the crescent moon.
“Kids can be harsh,” he tells you. “Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, there’s bullying here. It sucks.”
He breathes out slowly, linking his fingers together. He’s in his head again. In the past. The bitter pain he’s feeling right now is another version of what he felt when he was a kid.
“He needs all the support he can get,” Zach says. “And you’ve been trying to help him since he came here. He’s not even in your group. You didn’t have to do all that, but you did.”
From the tone of his voice, you can tell he’s building up to something. He keeps his gaze fixed ahead, the moon and stars reflecting over the smooth plane of water.
Zach thinks back to the way you approached Oliver at breakfast on the second day of camp. He couldn’t make out your conversation, but he saw the pure kindness in your expression.
“I came here when I was a kid because my parents didn’t know what to do with me,” he admits. “I had no interests. No friends. I was really quiet and really shy.”
You tilt your head, your throat tight. You can’t imagine happy, outgoing Zach being anything but the life of the party like he is now.
“Kids at school would say the same kind of stuff to me that they said to Oliver today,” Zach explains.
He clenches his jaw as he thinks about the way he used to feel on the playground, being berated by other boys and pretending like he didn’t hear them.
“I’m so sorry,” you say quietly.
“I’m such a buzzkill,” he says with a humorless chuckle. “I just - I’m telling you this so you know that when you try to make a kid feel welcome, it makes a difference. Thank you for everything you do for him.”
Zach finally looks at you, nervously scratching the back of his neck.
“My aunt and uncle ran this camp for as long as I can remember. My mom called them the summer I turned eleven, asking if they had space for me here. She just wanted me to find a hobby, you know? Something I liked. Even though I had no interest in sports at all.”
“But you ended up loving it,” you realize, a small smile growing on your face. The night you met, he said something about how he owed this place a lot. Now you know why.
“I did,” he says with a nod. “Don’t get me wrong, a lot of my teachers tried to make me feel better, but it never worked. Here… I belonged. I came out of my shell. People were nice to me. I fell in love with soccer and it’s why I come back every year.”
You don’t have the words to express how touching it is that he decided to share this with you, so you gently grip his forearm, stroking his soft skin with your thumb.
Then, you pull away, because now, the need to keep things strictly friendly is a thousand times heavier.
He doesn’t follow rules simply because of his tenure or because the directors are his family. It’s because of the impact they had, pulling him out of a dark place as a child. He probably feels like he owes them the world. He has a reputation, and a responsibility, to uphold.
“I’m so happy for you that you found this place,” you say. “And you help him, too, okay? A lot. Everything you did just to get him a breakfast he’d like is evidence enough.”
Zach breathes a quiet chuckle, his brows drawing together.
“Thanks, newbie,” he says.
“I’m sure it was really shitty hearing that stuff today,” you empathize. “Especially here. I’m sorry.”
He nods. You get how painful it is for him to see the beauty of this place be sullied. You get how important it is to be there for the kids who are outsiders.
He hates this walk down memory lane. While he doesn’t regret opening up, he needs a break from the tension, to come back to the present.
“You didn’t have to stop,” he says, eyes drifting to his forearm, a hint of playfulness in his tone.
You laugh, putting your palm on Zach’s skin again. He feels like he’s floating. He loves being touched and wants nothing more than to be touched by you.
“I don’t know how professional we’re being right now,” you say with a giggle.
“You kidding?” he says. “This is the definition of professional.”
Zach’s eyes wash over your face, looking at you like he’s in awe. He’s so happy that he met you and so frustrated that it had to be while you both live in the confines of workplace rules.
“In six weeks,” he says, “when the season’s over, what do you think about getting dinner with me?”
“It’s a date,” you say.
Another moment of peaceful quiet settles between you. He parts his lips to say something else, but no words come out.
“What?” you ask.
Zach sighs slowly, shaking his head ever so slightly. He runs his tongue between his lips. His stare drifts to your mouth. He feels completely helpless in the best way.
Slowly, he brings his hand up to your jaw, cradling your cheek so warmly and gently that your breath catches.
“Can I?” His voice is low and raspy, just loud enough to be heard over the crickets.
Even though you promised each other you wouldn’t do this, you couldn’t turn down his kiss if you tried.
“Yes,” you whisper.
His lips are soft and warm, pressing against yours with such sweet tenderness that your body goes numb. You shouldn’t be doing this. You’re afraid you won’t be able to stop.
Zach pulls back, his nose nudging against yours.
“We should stop,” you breathe.
“Yeah,” he says. “We should.”
But you lean in to kiss him again, your lips slowly parting, tongues meeting, tasting each other. You separate.
“This is a bad idea,” you whisper.
“Mhm.”
He kisses you for a third time, your lips smacking together with hunger and impatience. His body is on fire, never having wanted somebody this badly.
“Zach,” you say, finally finding the willpower to sit up, losing all contact with him. “We can’t. It’s too risky.”
“I know,” he mumbles. “I know.”
“I don’t want you to get in trouble.” Now that you know his history, you care more about him keeping his job than you do your own. “Six weeks. That’s all.”
“Fuck,” he whispers with a dry laugh. “That feels like forever.”
It’s the first time you’ve heard him swear and it’s unexpectedly attractive. You shuffle a few inches away from him, catching your breath, and take in his strong features in the moonlight, wishing you could go back to his cabin or yours and continue this.
“It does,” you agree, your eyes trained on him.
“You have to promise me you won’t look at me like that at work,” Zach says, his tone light. “For real.”
“Again, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you say. “But you know what? I won’t look at you at all. How’s that?”
You stare forward at the gentle ripples in the water, your lips still warm from his kiss.
“That’s worse,” he says with a hint of a whine in his voice.
“There’s no winning with you,” you laugh.
You look over your shoulder, making sure nobody is around to witness you two alone like this.
“You can go if you’re worried,” he says after a moment.
You give him a quick peck on the cheek before you stand. He watches you disappear off the dock, leaving him with a yearning he’s never had to bear before.
When Zach lies in bed that night, replaying how mind-blowing it felt to kiss you, he accepts the fact that the rest of the season will be torture. Six weeks does in fact feel like an eternity.
The summer heat is harsh the next morning, perfect for a day at the lake. Counselors lead their campers to the water after breakfast, not backing down when some kids inevitably argue that they don’t need life jackets.
When you spot Oliver alone, throwing rocks in the water, you imagine Zach at his age, dealing with bullies, feeling lost and alone.
You approach him, exchanging kind hello’s, and an idea strikes you. One of your campers, Jemma, is one of the chattiest and kindest kids you’ve ever met.
“What do you think about going out on the canoe with me and Jemma?” you ask Oliver, pointing to the girl as she rifles through inflated toys. “She’s very nice.”
“Sure,” he says quietly.
When you ask Jemma if she’d like to go with you two, as expected, she happily accepts.
You lead conversation between them as you set out on the canoe, but Jemma soon dives into asking Oliver questions. His answers are short, but it doesn’t faze her, allowing her to ramble to her heart’s delight.
Every so often, you catch a smile on Oliver’s face, clearly happy he’s not expected to talk a lot. Eventually, his answers to her questions get longer, and he starts asking her things, too.
When you dock the boat about ten minutes later, you look up to see Zach leaning forward, holding the brim of the canoe against the dock, meeting your eyes.
“Why are you stealing my friend?” Zach asks you, nodding to Oliver.
“He’s my friend, too,” you reply, looking at the boy. “Right?”
“Yeah,” he says with a smile.
“Mine, too!” Jemma exclaims. Your heart warms when you see Oliver blush.
Once Zach helps the kids out of the boat, they run off together in their matching bright-orange life jackets.
“How’d you do that?” Zach says.
You smile, taking his hand as he helps you step up onto the dock. Just last night, you were kissing right where you’re standing. You quickly pull your hand back so nobody suspects anything.
“It was a long shot,” you tell him, “but it seems it worked.”
Zach smirks, feeling his chest tighten as he stares at you. Staying away from you is ridiculously hard.
“You think anybody would notice if I kissed you right now?” he asks quietly, heavy-lidded eyes travelling over your face.
You laugh and look around at the crowds of campers and counselors surrounding the lake.
“Think so,” you reply. “You can kiss me in six weeks.”
“Six weeks,” he echoes with a sigh.
Tom fires up the grill outside the dining hall as counselors help set up for a lunch picnic. Zach’s close by, bumping against you as he puts out stacks of paper plates. He keeps his eyes low, but you can tell by his dimpled smirk that he’s touching you on purpose.
As you pass by a table to move the cooler, a few kids playing tag dart by you, tripping you up and causing you to lose your balance.
You involuntarily yelp when you feel a sharp sting on your arm, realizing you just made direct contact with the scalding barbecue hood.
“Come on, guys!” Zach calls tersley. “Look where you’re going!”
You look down at the underside of your forearm, blowing on the burn.
“You alright?” Tom asks.
“Yeah,” you say. “I’ll go run it under some cold water.”
Zach wishes he could follow, but it’d be too obvious.
You reassure your coworkers that you’re okay when you come back, loud enough to make sure Zach hears you. You’re still flattered by his protective reaction.
After lunch, the kids go back to their day of fun, most of them swimming. Dinner is quieter than usual, likely because the campers are so tired out.
Once lights out hits, you’ve never been happier to be done with the day. You enter your cabin, which is dark and quiet because Ami has already settled across the campground for her overnight shift.
You sigh in relief once you’re in the shower, washing away the sweat and grime of the day, planning to do nothing but rest tonight. The burn on your arm stings under the water, so you do your best to keep it dry.
You’re lounging in bed in your empty cabin, still in your towel, when you hear a knock at the door.
You open it to see Zach standing there, his hair wet, his college t-shirt draped over his wide shoulders as he holds out something in his hand.
“Just thought I’d…” Zach’s eyes travel down your body. He’s never seen this much of your skin, the towel offering a view of your cleavage and your bare legs. “Uh…”
“Yeah?” you laugh.
“This,” he says. He holds out a small tube of cooling gel. “For your burn. It was in the kitchen’s first aid kit.”
“Thank you,” you say, taking the tube. “That’s sweet of you. It still hurts a little.”
You look down at your forearm as Zach rests a hand on the doorframe, leaning over as he stares at you. You feel warm from the way he towers over you, gazing at you in pure desperation.
You shouldn’t invite him in. It’s a risk. There would be no going back. But the way he looks so hungry for you, the way he smells like fresh laundry and strong body wash is so painfully enticing.
His heartbeat is loud in his ears. He’s still processing a lot. How good your lips felt against his last night. How angry he was when you got hurt earlier today. And now, how very close to being completely naked you are. This is absolutely impossible.
He’s looked at you this way before, but this is a new level of intensity, making your skin prick with excitement. The thoughts of what could happen if he came in rush through your mind.
“Why do I feel like we won’t make it to six weeks?” you say meekly.
“We gave it a solid effort,” he says.
“It’s been one day,” you laugh.
“And do you have idea how hard that day’s been for me?” Zach says, making you laugh again. “We’ll just do a really good job keeping it a secret. If you want to.”
You smile again. But, you can’t do it.
“We shouldn’t,” you force yourself to say.
He nods, trying to hide how sad he is.
“Right. Yeah,” Zach says as he steps back. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” you reply. “I just… I would hate it if you got fired because of me.”
“If I got fired, it’d be my fault. Not yours.” His lips curl in nervousness before he says his next words. “And you’re worth the risk.”
Your eyes are hard on each other, both of you fully aware that you’re close to teetering into dangerous territory.
Finally, you say the words that he’s been aching to hear.
“You want to keep it a secret?” you say.
“Yeah. Do you?”
You nod, your eyes wide.
“You’re sure?” he asks.
You glance past him into the dark to make sure nobody else is witnessing the second you officially lose all of your willpower.
“Come in,” you say.
(part four)
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starbylers · 3 months
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After spending some time listening and re-listening and thinking a lot, I think I finally have my head wrapped around all these songs. This post is an exploration of what they could tell us about Mike’s story, and also a sort of theory I noticed once I saw the full picture. This playlist is—in my opinion—the story we’ve been theorising for the past two years reflected in 12 songs. That might sound hyperbolic but it’s simply what I heard and interpreted, and wanted to share because I enjoyed writing it. I hope this is an interesting read!
If you didn’t see my last post about why I do believe this is Finn’s Mike/ST playlist despite the somewhat ambiguous title you can read that here. It’s totally okay if you disagree but I’m not interested in debating it, and this analysis is coming from a perspective of assuming we've guessed correctly that the playlist relates to ST (obviously we can't 1000% verify that, but for the purposes of this post that’s my stance).
I’m going to focus on themes and overall meanings in the songs because in my opinion that’s where any connections are going to lie, rather than specific lines holding anything important (aside from a few which I’ll highlight) because I feel like that’s closest to how Finn would’ve thought while making it. Basically a macro level representation of Mike and what he goes through next season, something that would help a person get into the headspace of a character. Oh and my larger point is about the playlist as a whole, which will come together at the end :)
➠ Track 1 | Ballad of the Texas King
The first song is an anomaly in that I think it’s meant to set the tone more than anything else. These explain better than I could hope to:
"Itʼs a murder ballad, and as is common in murder ballads, deals with promise and innocence being snuffed out.” [link]
"Clarke sings of a chance encounter with an ominous figure that feels akin to selling your soul at the crossroads" [link]
Hey kid come along, something is wrong, I believe you now / All this to say only one way that this can go / Come with us for a ride / Don’t it feel like hell? Boy let me tell you, that’s where you are
• • •
A nice little coincidence, Finn himself is quoted as saying season 5 is a “crossroads”. I can see this song being an allusion to inevitable big choices with life-altering consequences next season, and also more mature themes being tackled within Mike’s story. I mean he’s stepping back into his role as leader, and now they’re older that will come with a lot more weight and responsibility in situations where the fate of the world is likely hanging in the balance. Not to mention how his personal struggles will be tied up in that, it’s probable that a slightly darker, more self-reflective—and transformative—tone is waiting for us in regards to season 5 Mike.
➠ Track 2 | What You're Doing
A simple song about a turbulent relationship where one person is unhappy because their partner is messing them around, and they're pleading with them to stop.
Look what you’re doing, I'm feeling blue and lonely / You got me running and there's no fun in it / Please stop your lying, you've got me crying, girl
The partner is the one holding control in the situation, while they feel at the mercy of their partner’s careless choices. The mood here is one of helplessness and desperation while still remaining open-hearted, hoping they’ll change.
I've been waiting here for you wondering what you're gonna do / If you should need a love that's true it’s me / Why should it be so much to ask of you what you're doing to me?
• • •
This is heavily M!Ieven coded. What do we know about their dynamic? Mike is always the one chasing El (trying to “win her back” in s3, terrified of her not needing him in s4, stressing about her being in danger all the time). El is consistently seeking autonomy (choosing to learn about her identity over pursuing romance with him in s2, choosing to break up with him in s3, choosing to leave him behind in s4, and I’m willing to bet she’s the one who removes herself from his storyline in s5). We know their separation will happen early season, and naturally things between them must be unstable leading up to this. El being the one to pull away while Mike stresses over it checks out considering these past patterns, and also the end of s4 with her already closing herself off while Mike appears at a loss.
➠ Track 3 | After The Earthquake
A song reminiscing on a relationship and the failure and death of it, with a sense of lingering nostalgia and unwillingness to let it go. It’s set to the backdrop of a metaphorical car crash.
It wasn't built to last / If you wake up you’ll remember the awful things I said / Looking back to the vibrant days / Those days I'd never let you fall apart but things fade / Why would I ever fall in love again when every detail’s over the guard rail? / Velvet curtains drawn, flowers at your feet / Say you’ll climb your way out of your wake now / Are you awake now?
• • •
In simpler terms…this is a break up song. The longing tone makes sense to me for M!Ieven because I’ve long suspected the initial split between them is not going to be super clean cut (this should make more sense later). Mike and El were together for a long time for their age, and have a lot of intense shared memories. El was also his first and only experience of relationships; it’s going to be difficult to detach. It being the right decision to end something doesn’t mean it’s easy or simple. Even if Mike is gay and didn’t truly like her romantically, he still loved her and in my opinion that distinction isn’t something he’s going to have figured out and made peace with the second it ends.
➠ Track 4 | Promises I've Made
Very straightforward and repetitive, and follows on seamlessly from the last song: this is about having trouble moving on from someone who’s left your life.
Ever since you have gone the days don't seem so bright and I wish I could forget you but I can’t / I have promised myself I wouldn't dream of you but I find that awful hard sometimes to do
• • •
Based on what I’ve seen people might fight me on this, but to me it’s M!Ieven coded mainly because of its positioning in the playlist (directly after a struggling relationship song + break up song) but also because it is technically about an ex love. Could we say it doesn’t need to be interpreted that specifically? Yes. I suppose it could be Byler coded too but personally...the way I would interpret it is as Mike moping over whatever happened with El. There’s not any intense emotional pining going on; if you listen it has a very laid back, chill sort of mood and is honestly very upbeat. There’s no deep heartbreak. It’s just about missing someone. Plus it sort of perfectly closes out the process we see over the last two songs of being unhappy with someone, to breaking up and grieving, to the typical post-break up struggle of navigating this hole in your life and naturally missing what once filled it. This is a whole sub-arc for Mike.
➠ Track 5 | Angst In My Pants
We’ve reached the gay section! This song is about trying to fit yourself into an acceptable—aspirational, even—life but never feeling content, and continuously trying to squash this troubling Feeling, the titular phrase: angst in (your) pants. Some people think it’s a reference to literal physical arousal but others including me think that in context it’s intended more as a metaphor for sexual frustration/dissatisfaction.
I hope it doesn't show, it'll go away / It's just a passing phase / When you’re all alone, you and your head / When you think you’ve made it disappear it comes again, hello, I’m here and I’ve got angst in my pants
The queer subtext here is very clear, I don’t think I even have to explain (check out the cover art too lol). The song closes with a realisation/acceptance that no, this “phase” won't ever go away i.e. it’s just who you are.
Give it a hundred years, it won't go away
I also thought one of the opening verse lines was an interesting segue from the last few songs:
But when you’re all alone and nothing bites you’d wish you stayed at home with someone nice
• • •
Angst In My Pants may aswell be titled Forced Conformity the thematic parallels to ST are that blatant. Another point for team Mike Wheeler actually is connected to the main themes of the show like all his other friends, and no it’s not because he’s somehow oppressed for being a nerd. Also rather than being about feelings for another person the song is about personal struggle with sexuality which excites me to think about in relation to Mike because we’ve been saying he needs to explore his own identity outside of being a love interest.
➠ Track 6 | The Better Side
A very sweet, slow, slightly melancholy song. I’ll be honest I cannot decipher more than 2/3 of the lyrics but here are the most meaningful ones of those I could:
I know you cry and I’m trying to keep you by my warmth
You’re never gonna see my eyes, you’re coloring all the skies you want to / I tried staying alive, keep my head on the better side when you’re far away
You’re on the better side you’re always the better one for me
You’re all that I need, I’m not gonna miss you anymore
My understanding is it’s about pining over someone who is a “better” choice, whatever that means in this context. Deciding you want someone, someone who you don’t currently have, someone who is maybe distracted, distant or physically absent? But vowing to change that because you recognise that you need them.
• • •
This directly follows the Gay Thoughts song, and precedes the Gay Thoughts song 2.0 so I feel safe interpreting it as Byler coded and about how it’s Mike’s turn to pine. (Also because “better” implies that there’s a “worse” i.e. this is a situation where you’re differentiating between two things i.e. in Mike’s case, Will vs El). I can envision Mike and Will getting moments together away from whatever chaos is surely going on, having the space to connect more where Mike starts becoming conscious of his feelings, realising slowly that Will is the “better” one for him. And as the song also suggests, perhaps Will has pulled away from him in the beginning. I think this is possible because the torment Will's likely going to endure from Vecna could understandably cause him to push Mike away, fearing his safety or him finding out how Will feels, and also I just don’t think he’ll be able to stand the pain of being M!Ieven’s couple’s counsellor for much longer without cracking. But I think Mike “it’ll be easier if we’re a team” Wheeler would make it his mission to fix any rift between them, the final line literally being I’m not gonna miss you anymore.
➠ Track 7 | Don't Ask Me To Explain
As far as I can tell, this song is about being afraid to face queer feelings for another person who is also hiding this about themselves, and being conflicted about whether to confess because you're not sure how they feel.
How will I ever know you enough to love you if you're hiding who you are? / How am I supposed to let it show when I don't even know? / Don’t move on without me, who will be watching my body when I sleep? / I don't want to be the one who's coming out first, I'd really like to but I'm just too shy
The end is an admission of…something. I’m not sure whether to interpret it as wishful thinking over this queer relationship you believe you can’t have, or as an offhand comment about forcing yourself to love someone you can’t because of your sexuality. Interesting either way:
It’s so easy to lie to myself and pretend that I could love you but I can't
I did do some research and the alleged true explanation of this song is it’s from one queer friend to another (man to woman, I assume both closeted, maybe a failed romance?) but I could only find one uncited source for that and everywhere else seems to agree with my interpretation so it seems when listening to the song that’s the story people hear. (Plus either way the song is about being queer. Undeniably so).
• • •
It’s not Byler coded we’re way past that, it literally just…is them. It does seem to suggest a level of internal conflict in Mike regarding coming out that I can’t say I expected (yes I have no doubts about canon Byler but I’m also a pessimist by nature—that should tell you how obvious their endgame is though lmao—so I assumed the Duffers would go wrong somewhere). I always thought he would be almost consciously clueless about himself until he finds out Will loves him, and the focus be more on him liking Will back rather than him liking boys (and obviously wasn’t a fan of that), but the prospect of Mike actually being aware and grappling with his sexuality is what we’ve been praying for and builds on the more low-level thrum of sexual confusion in Angst In My Pants. Oh and the song also could suggest Mike suspecting that Will likes him/is queer too before anyone confesses.
➠ Track 8 | What Do You Want Me To Do?
Another straightforward one. It’s quite angsty, a big contrast to the more sad feelings about a relationship from the earlier songs. This is about someone who left you for someone else/someone who walked out on you, who decides they want you back.
You walked out took your chance, turned your back on our romance / You said the change would do you good / But then the bubble burst your dream, turned into a nightmare scream / You came crawling to me your knees, and you were asking me to love you please
The main message of the repetitive chorus is basically: you want me to need you, but that’s not real love. You’re just using me to feel better about yourself.
What do you want me to do? Say that I need you more? Is that what real lovers do? Or only what you use me for?
• • •
I mean isn’t that last part how we’ve always described M!Ieven’s dynamic—all about aligning with the other’s needs whether for safety, validation or feeling ‘normal’, rather than genuine romance? I don’t think there’s any chance at all of El leaving Mike for someone else lol, as I said I don’t think we need to interpret these songs super specifically. But it does make me wonder: could we possibly see a moment of regression for El at some point in the season, after they separate? The focus here in my opinion is frustration at someone trying to re-enter your life when you know they don’t truly love you. Reflecting on their dynamic I talked about with earlier songs and their history in the show (El walking away, Mike scared to lose her), is it possible the break up could leave Mike struggling initially then he progressively understands why it was the right choice (especially after spending time with Will), meanwhile for El it’s the opposite—she’s more sure about breaking up but something happens later on that shakes her belief in herself. Her having one last hurdle to overcome in her dependency on Mike to finally break that pattern of hindering her growth by retreating to him could make sense. And based on this song…Mike would not be receptive to being El’s safety net. Growth for both of them.
➠ Track 9 | Substitute
Again, very angsty compared to earlier. It’s about a relationship characterised by false perceptions (focused on class), and those being what is holding it together. One partner is pretending to be something they’re not, cosplaying as someone else, and the other is also being dishonest/fake.
You think we look really good together / My fine looking suit is really made out of sack / The simple things you see are all complicated / Substitute your lies for fact / I see right through your plastic mac
The relationship breaks down because of this and their partner doesn’t truly want to fix things, and ultimately trades up.
Those crocodile tears are what you cry / It’s a genuine problem, you won’t try to work it out at all, you just pass it by / Substitute me for him / Substitute my coke for gin
Essentially: your partner not knowing the real you because you’re putting on a facade—the facade being the version of you they really like, the thing that was making you compatible—leads the relationship to fail. The literal title suggests neither of them as they are are what the other truly wants or needs.
• • •
Obviously this does not directly parallel M!leven in terms of the topic of the lying but in terms of the themes and core relationship issues…yeah. To me this could be about point Mike has reached after gradually coming to realisations about the nature of their relationship after it’s over, like I mentioned before. I can envision a mid-late season confrontation (or something less aggressive sounding lol) between them, pairing perfectly with the topic of the previous song. El scared trying to fall back on Mike and he’s like…no, we don’t work, I can’t be that for you anymore and this is why: betraying who he is (nerd) to impress her, trying so hard to play the “boyfriend” role (yet they never successfully emotionally connect), if he’s gay then there’s also the facade of straightness, etc. I think it would show a lot of emotional maturity from him honestly, and I really need him to have a strong grasp on what went wrong with El for them to have a shot at forming a healthy friendship, and also to psychologically process all that stuff before getting involved with Will.
➠ Track 10 | The Rebel Kind
A short song about life being tough when you don’t have much (this one is class-focused too), but still craving the freedom that comes from not following societal rules and pressures for how to do life “right”, and instead living on your own terms. Basically the struggle is worth not having to conform. The first verse sums it up pretty well:
They call us the rebel kind but they don’t understand the things a man must do to prove that he’s a man / It’s not easy but I don’t mind, I just wanna run with the rebel kind
• • •
Again, obviously the specific topic is not relevant to ST but the thematic parallels blew my mind, I mean the entire show is about people being outcasts and learning to find strength in that, and the final season is going to majorly drive that point. We know this from the fact that Will “being different” Byers is the one who’s arc is said to tie up the whole show. Now in regards to Mike…if this doesn’t scream forced conformity and deciding to reject it for your own happiness I don’t know what does. It perfectly captures the thematic end point of his arc next season (and not just his but probably the entire party’s in one way or another). Also the toxic masculinity reference in that one line applies heavily to Mike with his history of trying so hard to do what he thinks he supposed to do in going from boy to man i.e. We’re not kids anymore. Did you think we were never gonna get girlfriends?
➠ Track 11 | Block Rockin’ Beats
Another one I think is mainly to set a tone; no real lyrics just beats. In my opinion it comes after The Rebel Kind for a reason. Somehow it just makes sense, it’s got this really loud, frenzied, unrestrained energy to it.
➠ Track 12 | Just What I Needed
We end off with a love (or desire?) song. It’s interesting because it’s quite aggressive sonically but at the same time it talks about being with someone in a simple uncomplicated way:
I don’t mind you coming here and wasting all my time / I don’t mind you hanging out and talking in your sleep
…but it’s also very intense how you feel with them.
Cause when you’re standing oh so near I kinda lose my mind
There’s a repeated line that stuck in my head. It’s obviously written about a female subject, but there is such a rejection of the feminine going on:
It’s not the perfume that you wear, it’s not the ribbons in your hair
It’s saying those feminine attributes are not why this person is attractive—and yeah logically that means the subject must have those things, but as I’ve said I don’t think these songs need to be interpreted on such a specific level. The point being made is about a deeper connection. The line is just intriguing to me from the perspective of Mike being into boys, I mean he could’ve picked literally any other romance song.
I needed someone to feed / I needed someone to bleed / I guess you’re just what I needed
The message here is basically: I was craving the rawest form of connection/intimacy with another human being (that doesn’t have to necessarily mean sexual it’s just those visceral words feed, bleed in comparison to perfume and ribbons which sound very fluffy lol)…and now I’ve found you and it’s exactly what I was looking for.
• • •
With all the themes through the songs of rejecting fake relationships and conformity, and accepting and exploring queerness…Will Byers is obviously going to be the thing Mike needed. I’ve been saying (and so have many) but Byler isn’t happening till the end. Also the playlist finishing with this song is telling in my opinion. Aside from the Castle Byers Classics link, the title itself implies searching for something which is now found, a journey being over. I say this for the purposes of pushing my agenda about this playlist painting a narrative. Hear me out:
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Personally……that’s not accidental. It just isn’t. Even if my more specific interpretations aren’t correct, I just cannot believe that this wasn’t curated to draw a particular picture. I believe in coincidences and if the playlist had been titled as it was with a bunch of random unconnected irrelevant songs I’d be the first person to file it under that. But the title and the inclusion of a song from Will’s official playlist and these specific songs in this specific order? Yeah it’s about s5 Mike and I cannot wait to see him! If you made it this far thanks for reading <3
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melzula · 5 months
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Heyaa, when the requests are open can you maybe do a princess x Zuko where the princess is always clinging to Zuko when she's cold? Just a random thought that came into my mind since Zuko is a firebender hehe :)
pairing: zuko x princess!reader
a/n: this is technically part of the fire lilies series but can also be read as a solo piece independently
summary: princess and zuko go penguin sledding
~ part of the fire lilies series ~
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The rush of cold wind against your cheeks is exhilarating as you glide down the snow covered hills. Your delighted laughter carries through the air and brings a smile to Zuko’s face as you enjoy a day penguin sledding out in the palace courtyards.
Being kidnapped by Gilak and having your life threatened once again had been a traumatic experience for both you and your boyfriend, so Hakoda and your mother had advised you take a much needed day off for yourself. He could handle the work of drafting plans for an eco friendly oil rig and the foreign embassies while Pakku and Katara took on the school for the time being. Though you were hesitant to take a day off knowing there was so much to be done, Zuko had been the one to finally convince you that you desperately needed a break.
Today would be his last day in the South before he had to return home, and so you figured the best way to spend your time together would be with a trip through memory lane. You hadn’t been penguin sledding together since you were kids, so it seemed like a good idea to both of you to revisit your favorite pastime from when you were children.
You slow to a stop as you reach the end of the hill and land onto the plush snow below you with a laugh. The chill of the ice sends shivers down your spine but you choose to ignore it. All the back and forth traveling you’ve been doing hasn’t allowed your body the chance to acclimate to the weather of your home yet, but you try not to let it bother you.
“Having fun?” Zuko asks with a laugh as he helps you up off the snow. You immediately cling to his figure in an attempt to steal some of his heat, prompting the Fire Lord to raise a brow as he wraps his arms around your frame. “You’re not getting cold, are you?”
“Of course not,” you scoff indignantly, though your subtle trembling says otherwise.
“Maybe we should head inside-“
“No!” You immediately cry out in protest before he can finish his sentence. “We’ve hardly just begun the day. Don’t you want to keep penguin sledding?”
“Of course I do,” he assures you with a comforting kunik, “but I worry the cold might be too much for you.
“Too much?! I’m Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, I don’t get cold.”
“Alright,” Zuko relents with a chuckle at your adamant rebuttal. For a water bender you’re surprisingly stubborn, but he loves your headstrong nature more than anything. “Let’s keep sledding.”
Your face lights up with glee when he finally relents and allows you to carefully pick up your penguin and carry him back up the hill while showering the creature with praises and pets. He’d forgotten just how much you enjoyed the activity, and it was nice to see that same smile from your childhood again. It had been years since you both went sledding, since you both were just two kids unaware of what the future held in store for you, since you both were free of fear and responsibility and hurt. The war had taken a lot from you, forced you both to grow up too fast, so he was grateful for the fact that you both could just be kids again, even if only for a day.
“Y/n,” Zuko calls as the sun begins to set and the day begins to end, “I think it’s time we head inside for dinner. Your mother said she was making five-flavor soup for us.”
“Just one more time down the hill?” You plead with your best pout, though you know it doesn’t take much to convince Zuko to give in to your requests.
“Alright, but that’s it,” he tells you with a chuckle before following you up the hill. The courtyard lanterns begin to glow beautifully below as the moon starts to overtake the sky, and you exchange playful smiles with one another before beginning your decent down the snow.
Zuko’s hair blows wildly away from his face, his grin the biggest you’ve ever seen it, and you’re so caught up in admiring him that you don’t even notice the large pile of snow you’re about to crash into.
“Princess, look out!” Zuko tries to warn you, but it’s too late. You can do nothing but pull the penguin to your chest and shield it from the impact as you collide into the snowy mound. The Fire Lord winces on your behalf before quickly rushing to your aid. The otter penguin emerges after a moment and shakes the snow off its body before waddling away, but you fail to do the same. Zuko has to dig through the slush to pull you out, and as he lifts you up and into his arms he’s able to feel just how cold to the touch you are.
“Th-Thhere’s s-snow e-every-wh-where,” you complain through chattering teeth as you wrap your arms as tightly around his neck as possible in a desperate attempt to feel his warmth.
“Let’s get you inside before you freeze to death,” he comforts while carrying your trembling figure back inside the palace. If not for Zuko’s body heat, you’d surely already be feeling the effects of hypothermia taking place.
Thankfully, your boyfriend is able to swiftly make it back inside the palace and carry you through the halls towards your room. The heat of Zuko’s embrace melts the ice inside your clothes, but the dampness only seems to worsen the feeling of cold. You shiver incessantly, and he can only look on guiltily as he tries his best to ease your discomfort.
Finally, he swings the door to your bedroom open and carefully sets you back on your feet before helping you remove your heavy coat. He sets the wet material aside to dry before coming up to your trembling figure and rubbing his hands up and down your arms in an attempt to spread heat across your limbs.
“I’ll go find your mother and tell her what happened. You stay here and get out of those clothes before you catch a cold,” he advises you with a meek smile, a red blush tinting his cheeks when he realizes he probably should have phrased his sentence more delicately. Zuko presses a tender kiss to your forehead before leaving to give you your privacy and shutting the door behind him.
Your skin feels like ice as you peel off the rest of your ensemble as quickly as you can. You were so used to beach days at Ember Island and swims in the lakes with your friends that you’d forgotten just how cold the water could be. Considering you grew up in the South, you’re a tad embarrassed to know how easily it gets to you now. You’d been away for so long, and even when you returned home you still found yourself venturing out often, so a part of you wondered if maybe you’d never fully readjust to the climate.
“Y/n?” A voice calls from the other side of the door followed by a gentle knock. “Zuko sent me to check on you. I have the warmest blanket I could find. May I come in?”
“Just a second, Mom,” you reply as you scramble to throw on a fresh set out of clothes and make yourself decent for visitors. After slipping into the warmest dress you can find, you open the door and allow her into your room.
“Someone got a little carried away penguin sledding, I hear,” she says with a teasing smile before draping the blanket around your shoulders. “You’re like ice! Thank spirits Zuko has that natural fire bending warmth to him or you might have frozen out there!”
“Yeah,” you murmur in agreement with a dejected frown, one that your mother notices right away.
“My little koala otter, what’s the matter?”
“I’m just a little embarrassed, I guess,” you admit with a sheepish laugh. “I thought I’d gotten over my aversion to the cold.”
“I think anyone who managed to get snow in their clothes would be cold,” she notes with a faint smile before pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I’m just happy to see you having fun again. You had to grow up very fast, something your father and I should have worked harder to prevent, so it’s nice to hear your laugh again and see you sledding like you did as a little girl.”
You smile at her words before pulling her into a tight hug, hoping the action conveys all your appreciation for her. Zuko walks in then with a tray of steaming five-flavor soup and tea in the hopes it will return some of your warmth to you.
“I’ll let you both enjoy your dinner alone,” she says after removing herself from your embrace. Exiting the room, she pauses to give Zuko’s arm a light squeeze. “Make sure she stays warm.”
“Yes, Kira,” he replies with a nod before returning his attention to you. “Let’s get you settled in.”
Setting the tray aside, Zuko escorts you back to bed and tucks the blanket around your figure as best as he can with you sitting up. Once you’re comfortable, he presses a tender kiss to your forehead before handing you the cup of tea. It’s the same cup from the set Iroh had gifted you some time ago, and the sight of it brings a faint smile to your face as you take in the smell of jasmine.
“You’re already starting to feel warmer,” Zuko notes pleasantly before trading your cup for the bowl of soup. “I should have warned you about that pile of snow sooner.”
“It’s okay, I don’t regret a thing. I had so much fun today, the most I’ve had in a while. I wish you didn’t have to leave tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry,” Zuko assures you as he uses his bending to reheat your tea before it can grow cold, “the day will come where we’ll never have to be apart ever again.”
“I can’t wait,” you confess with a smile only for it to fall at the sudden sneeze that leaves you.
“I think you might be catching a cold, my love,” Zuko notes with a frown.
“Will you stay and keep me warm?” You ask with a pleading look, one that makes it impossible for him to deny your request. How could he say no to your sweet face?
Climbing into bed with you, Zuko envelops himself around your figure and allows you to steal his warmth. He’ll never get tired of being your personal heater, and he’d be happy to spend the rest of his days like this.
You’ll never reacclimatize to the cold, because no matter where you go, Zuko will always be there to bring warmth to your life.
| zuko tags: @ilovespideyyy @yiyibetch @eridanuswave @lammello @a-monsters-love @taeeemin @livelaughlovekuni @lovialy @alexatiu @aerikim246 @heartfully10 @creationcitystreet-em
| fire lilies tags: @emberislandplayers @kikaninchen-2 @music-geek19 @thia-aep @thyunnamed @haylaansmi @nataliahaslosthershit @idkdude776 @aangsupremacy @thirstyforsometea @ihaveaproblem98 @brown-eyed-thang @xapham @chewymoustachio @that-bucket-hat-gal @chilifrylizard2 @kyomihann @kaylove12 @kiwihoee @freggietale @moon-spirit-yue @bubblegum-bee-otch @rinalsword @cipheress-to-k-pop @potato87123
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flamingpudding · 1 year
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Ghost Hunting Vigilantes
Ouija Board Prompt Idea Continuation...? Maybe!
Follow up part directly to this: Ghost Hunting Vigilantes #2
A/N: You guys are awesome. Comments and Reblogs gave me so much inspiration I ended typing this down during Lunch Break. Also I just might have wanted to image Tim going all out on the ghost investigation, I blame watching to many TFIL Overnight videos...
You would think that as Ghost King Danny would be able to learn from his mistakes, and he really could learn from his mistakes but for some reasons, this was something he was not learning from as he floated above the vigilantes curious. He wasn't going to mess with them again, Lady Gotham had beat that into his skull at least. Not like he did the first time but apparently the old city spirit was rather protective of her 'knights'.
Still their first meeting had gotten the Ghost King curious. It wasn't just about the matter with the Red Hood Guy, something he had promised Lady Gothom to take care of as compensation once he figured out what was up with him. But these guys seemed to have gotten an interest in ghost communications now.
So a couple weeks later he was floating invisible once again above them watching the RR Teen - by now he had learned that RR stood for Red Robin and he had snickered at the realization that his hero name was also the name of a Dinner - was laying out cat balls all around the room before setting up some other devices.
The Kid, Robin, was sitting cross legged and arms crossed on the ground and looked very grumpy. Danny could hear the kid mutter something about Pit Demons and that they should get rid of them instead of trying to communicate. The kid had yelled that before and Lady Gotham had never explained that in her lectures about how he should treat her 'knights'. What were Pit Demons? Was that a ghost variant his kingly tutors had failed to tell him about? If they were his subjects and tormenting humans he would need to deal with them, before the GIW became aware of them.
The one in blue, Nightwing if he remembered correctly, was laying out the Ouija Board again at the same place it lay last time. Danny noticed that the guy was looking at the board with curious confusion and for a moment the Ghost King wondered if he had left some traces on the board when his own ectoplasm soaked it.
"Think that ghost will appear again?" The girl in purple was also there again and next to her was another girl dressed in darker colors. Spoiler and Orphan according to Tucker and the city spirit.
"It's a Pit Demon. Stop calling it a ghost." Robin cut it glaring heated at them all. Danny muffled a snicker. The poor kid was definitely not very good at handling the ghostly things but by saying the Ghost King was Pit Demon the kid appeared to be braver about the whole situation these vigilantes were 'investigating' and setting themselves up for.
"I am more worried that Replacement got scammed buying all these things." Red Hood huffed as he was turning around and looking at a controller-like thing in his hands. Danny floated closer looking over the tall guy's shoulder. The thing had five LEDs in different colors and EMF Meter was written on it. Huh, was that thing like the Fenton-Finder? Well his parents had to get the idea for their inventions from somewhere.
A high pitched beep resounded in the room and all eyes turned to Red Robin who was finishing up setting a small box with an antenna. Danny recognised this one from online ghost hunting videos Sam has made him watch as a joke, a REM Pod. Oh so all the stuff they laid around the room including the cat balls were options for him to use? That was pretty nice of them considering the first time they were just playing around with a Ouija Board.
"We are all set up and good to start." Red Robin said as he stood up facing the rest of the vigilantes proudly and Danny arched an eyebrow. "We can now investigate if this 'ghost' is a Pit Demon or has anything to do with the Lazarus Pits or Water and what they want here in Gotham! I missed out on getting a sample last time but hopefully they will be willing to give me one this time."
The Lazarus' what now? Danny blinked at the teen stunned. He had only played a joke on them and Lady Gotham had already sorta punished him for it. If getting hit by a ghost club and lectured on knightly etiquette counted as punishment, which in his opinion did. Why were they making such a big deal out of this anyway?
"Don't we need to… like open a veil and introduce ourselves?"
"No."
"Oh come on Baby Bird. We have to be polite."
"Says the fucker who secretly attempted to use the Ouija Board behind our backs." Red Hood grumbled turning on the controller in his hand and nearly dropped it as the LEDs all started to glow and it let out a long drawn out beep. Danny blinked at it, he was still floating around the tall guy's shoulders.
"Fuck! The hell is with that thing?"
"Oh! Oh! The ghost is already here!"
"It is a Pit Demon."
All the vigilantes suddenly looked a lot more on alert, Danny held back a chuckle as he floated away from Red Hood and over to Nightwing. The LEDs went down to two and Danny suppressed a hum in curriousity. Did Red Hood have a signature that thing was picking up on? Was the guy a halfa in the making? He didn't appear to have any of the signs Vlad had told him about once.
"Hey so are you the one we talked to last time?"
Seeing the board as the closest thing to communicate by him, he reached out and moved that wooden piece to YES. The vigilantes looked among themselves and Danny floated over to the kid that started nervously playing with a cat ball that had been placed near him, wondering if he could send out like a calming aura for the kid.
Lady Gotham hadn't needed to hit him that hard, seeing the kid now made the Ghost King feel guilty for scaring the poor boy the way he did. Even if he didn't know what all that Lazarus Stuff was about yet. He mentally noted that down, maybe Clockwork, Pandora or one of the annoying Observants had an idea.
"So are you a Pi-"
"Are you okay?" Nightwing cut in, interrupting the question Red Robin was going to ask and Danny blinked. Huh that was new. It's been a while since anyone aside from his sister and best friends asked him that.
He floated towards the RR teen and he lightly touched the REM Pod's antenna, it let out a different pitched beep than it had before causing the teen that stood by it to jump up and turn around staring at it with wide eyes. "I didn't touch it!"
Spoiler rolled her eyes. "Of course you didn't, Mr. Ghost did."
"The ghost could be a girl for all we know."
"It's 16."
"The voice we heard last time sounded like a male teen though."
"It is a Pit Demon, it most likely lied to us."
Rude, Danny didn't lie. He picked up one of the cat balls, it started instantly lighting up because of the movement, and lightly threw it at the kid that caught the ball on reflex. Wide eyed they all stared at the still blinking ball. "Did…. did the ghost just fucking throw that at Demon Brat?"
"I only ever saw in videos how ghosts lightly touch it to make it blink. I have never seen a ghost throw it like that."
Danny snickered into his hand to muffle it. Robin suddenly dropped the ball like it had burned his hand glaring at nothing as his eyes wandered over the room. "Show yourself Pit Demon!"
He floated over to Nightwing and the Ouija Board again, passing Red Hood who was still holding the EMF Meter that hit all five LEDs for a moment and beeped when he passed by. Making the tall guy jolt and stare down at it. He swiftly moved the wooden piece to NO.
After last time and the beating Lady Gotham gave him with her ghost club, he was not going to show himself. Not even with a little ectoplasm-avatar blob form. Okay maybe he will later on, when he was sure they wouldn't suddenly start attacking it again. He didn't see any of his parents' weapons with them but he wasn't going to risk it. Considering what Red Hood had said earlier, Red Robin might have bought some more stuff he had not shown or laid out yet.
"I demand that you show yourself, Demon!" The kid was pulling out his katana looking ready for a fight.
Now that was rude. Danny was a half ghost. Not a Demon. They were an entirely different species. Sure they were sort of a part of the Infinite Realms but like Ghost are formed from ambient ectoplasm, strong wills and emotions. Demons were like a living breathing species that needed to eat actual food like humans and not entirely made of ectoplasm.
Danny didn't move a single finger to respond to Robin's demand, silently scoffing.
"They are not ghosting us now are they?" Nightwing carefully asked after the silence had dragged on. Red Robin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I swear if you made them leave, I will not include you the next time we investigate this 'Pit Demon' as you call them."
"Come on guys! We can't give up now. Maybe we can call them back?" Spoiler added, Orphan next to her nodded enthusiastically.
"This thing is still glowing on two LEDs." Red Hood added holding up the EMF Meter for the rest of them to see.
"So it's still around?"
"Probably."
There was more silence and an idea sparked in Danny's head as he suppressed a snicker and carefully floated over to the REM Pod making sure to avoid Red Hood and not alerting the thing in his hand. He crouched by the box, studying it for a little bit and making sure not to touch it to accidentally set it off too soon.
"It's been too quiet. Are you sure it didn't leave?"
"Still on two LEDs."
"This demon is a coward."
"You're not making it better Baby Bird."
"We should have gotten Signal to come too. He probably could have told us for sure if they are still around or not."
"Maybe we should pack up and try another time again?"
"But we didn't even get the ghost's name!"
Taking this as his que to give a sign of 'life' from him again, Danny touched the REM Pods antenna with a certain rhyme in mind. He wasn't hitting the notes correctly but the pitches were different enough from each other that these vigilantes would recognise what he was doing.
They jumped at first at the sudden noise until slowly realization dawned for some of them. The girls started to laugh after a moment and Red Hood also chuckled with the realization. Nightwing didn't look exactly ecstatic but he did seem ready to burst out laughing. Robin looked rather confused and annoyed and Danny wondered if the kid had any meme knowledge while Red Robin groaned but then appeared to smile in good humor.
Once Danny stopped playing with the REM Pod, Red Robin walked over to a table and put the case under it on top. He opened it and placed a raidio looking like thing on the table as well as a camera with a screen on it.
"Now, Mr. Ghost. I know you have a voice we heard before but you seem to appear to prefer not talking to us directly and whatever made you talk last time doesn't seem to be around tonight. So I have a spirit box and a SLS Camera additionally prepared here." Red Robin switched on the 'radio' and it started making white noises filtering through radio channels, he turned back towards the room holding the camera up with the screen facing the teen. The other vigilantes also appeared stunned by how prepared Red Robin was. Danny could only blinked as he realized that Red Robin was pointing it directly at him and for a second he wondered if that thing was actually picking up his movements or if it only picked up static or blurred images like the cameras back at home that were not old film.
"Let's have a talk this way, shall we?"
-Seriously?- Danny muttered making sure he was using ghost speech so they wouldn't hear him only to slap his hands in realization over his mouth as the Spirit box statically repeated his words understandable for them.
Wide eyed he stared at Red Robin who grinned triumphantly at him, he was still invisible at least... right?
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skzxlevanter · 1 year
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stray kids reaction with a shy and quiet s/o
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
warnings: petnames, besides that overall fluff, a bit possessive and suggestive if you squint, but not really
found this in my drafts so i decided to complete this cute little drabble :) I’m sorry that there’s not a lot of content coming rn, but i’m still preparing for two remaining finals so i just don’t have the mental capacity and time,,hope you guys understand :/
besides that, enjoy the drabble and feel free to check out other things from my blog :D
bang chan:
oh well he would be so flustered when you get flustered and the two of you would just be a flushing mess most of the time
he really tries everything to not make you uncomfortable, also ordering for you at places and he would be more than patient with you, not wanting to overwhelm you in any way, also being a 100% protective of you
but at the same time he’d try to make things with you that make you come of your shell a bit, things that you usually wouldn’t do, but still not overstepping any boundaries, always letting you know that he‘s here for you
and like i said, he kinda likes it when you get all shy and blushy, sometimes making you blush on purpose and teasing you endlessly for it <3
lee minho
even tho he’d seem quite confident at first, i honestly think that he could be a little set back by the fact that you barely showed affection, but when he figures out that you’re just shy he takes it to his full advance
he does not miss a chance to flutter you when he can by giving you intense glares, or locking you between the wall and him in traditional k-drama style just to see your reaction, but never going overboard because hurting you or making you uncomfortable would actually break his heart
still, he loves it so much when you start to blush and ramble all kind of things when you’re stunned, breaking out into his signature bunny-like smile once he can‘t hold back anymore
and like chan, he would be super patient with you, giving you the space you need until your comfortable around him, not minding at all
seo changbin:
i can see him throwing around endless jokes just to see you getting all shy
he’ll also flex his muscles right in front of you just to see your signature blush
but besides that, even tho he doesn’t really want to admit this, the fact that you’re shy makes him kinda shy too so it might be a bit awkward at first
but the more you open up to each other, the more comfortable you get around each other and the more confident the two of you get
will definitely gently hold your hand anytime ( if you’re okay with it) and loves the time he spends with you nevertheless
hwang hyunjin
he probably wouldn’t quite know how to handle it at first, leading to a lot of awkward laughs
but over time, he’ll grow used to it and takes his time to get to know you as good as he can, letting you get comfortable around him, inviting you to various activities with him like drawing, galleries, random walks, etc…
that is when he’ll start to give you lots of heartfelt compliments, showing how much he appreciates you and helping you to get more confident in your own skin
overall he’ll be so gentle and loving at all times, aware to not hurt your feelings, but still trying to help you grow in the best way possible
han jisung
at first so.many.awkward.silences.
han is still an introvert at heart, so at first he’d don’t know what to do, a lot of doubts about himself rising up, buy when he realizes that it is just how you are, he’ll step up and warm up rather quickly
he’ll start talking non-stop over things he likes, asking you lots of questions while he’s at it to include you too
tries to make you laugh all the time, secretly loves how cute you look when you’re shy and get that little blush on your cheeks
but be ready to fight over who has to order or call people because that is something you’d both despise
lee felix
he’d be so gentle with you. seriously. he would act like you’re about to break any second
he’d immediately notice when you’re uncomfortable, not shying away from speaking up for you when you are and is just constantly making sure you’re okay
“everything alright, love?” // “anything on your mind, you look like something is off?” // “should i speak to them for you?”
in conclusion he will not let anyone make you uncomfortable, including himself, so he always watches your reactions and makes sure to never overstep your boundaries ever <3
kim seungmin
he can be such a menace,, exactly knowing how to push your buttons and thoroughly enjoying when you get all shy and will never stop teasing you
he also loves to take your shyness to his advantage, knowing you love to bury your flushed face in his neck and cuddle into him in embarrassment, so he basically can get affection without actually having to ask for it ;)
but like the others,, he’ll never hurt you, he knows when to stop and won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with
being at public places will also contain a lot of teasing, especially when it comes to ordering something, but in the end he’ll order for you and get you everything you want because he’s a sucker for you
yang jeongin
probably starts to giggle every time you visibly get shy over something, causing him to blush a bit himself
with him there always be a very fine line between him teasing and pushing you a bit out of your comfort zone and him getting shy too,,,but that actually makes it more easy for you to get comfortable, seeing that he can get all blushy and all over the place too
the relationship would therefore be pretty balanced, the two of you respecting each other’s boundaries but also growing together too, maybe even setting small challenges to achieve from time to time to get a bit more confident
but in the end, dates would mostly end up in quiet places or just at home, where the two of you are all in private and comfortable without a soul (be aware of incidents with the other boys tho) interrupting you
masterlist
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purple-imagines · 1 year
Text
Bloated?
Pairing - Paul Lahote x FemaleReader
Summary - Reader starts gaining weight and the pack starts noticing
Warnings - body shaming, kissing, swearing, pregnancy, vomiting, period talk, Jacob being an ass, kinda ooc
Word Count - 3693
Tumblr media
Masterlist
Friday, June 6th
"Em?" Y/N asked looking into the mirror at her stomach. "Does my stomach look, I dont know, bloated to you?"
"Um, yeah, maybe a little bit. I dont think it's anything to worry about though." The older woman replied, after looking at the girls stomach.
"I just feel like I'm getting fat. Paul probably notices too." She put her head down.
"Honey, that boy loves you more than anything. You're his whole world. You have nothing to worry about. He imprinted on you and he loves you. Now stop putting yourself down and help me make this food for them animals."
The girl laughed and started getting the table set.
Tuesday, June 10th
"Hm. That's weird."
"What?" Leah asked, the girl staying at her house.
"Nothing, just my period was supposed to start 3 days ago. I'm sure it's fine, this happens sometimes."
"If you're sure, and hurry up Elijah is about to kill Klaus."
Thursday, June 19th
The girl let out a groan, flushing the toilet after being woken up with the sudden urge to vomit.
Saturday, June 21st
All the girls, Emily, Leah, Kim, and Y/N, were all out shopping and having a girls day.
While Leah and Kim were looking through sets of bikinis. Y/N pulled Emily to the side.
"Em, I think I might be pregnant."
"What? Why do you think that??"
"Um, my periods late, my stomach looks bloated, and I've been throwing up. Not to mention Paul made my favorite dinner the other night and I couldn't stand the smell."
"We need to get you a test then, Hon."
***
After Leah and Kim left, Emily let Y/N go into the bathroom to take the test.
Coming out the bathroom, Y/N starts stressing. "What if its positive? What will Paul think? How do I deal with this?"
"Hey. Hey. Just breath. Let's first figure out if you're pregnant or not." Emily calmly says.
"Yeah, you're right." Taking a deep breath she starts to calm, until the timer goes off and her eyes get wide. "Can you check?"
Emily walks into the bathroom and looks at the test, coming out with tears in her eyes. "Um, yeah, you're pregnant"
"Oh mi gosh. Em, what am I supposed to do? Paul and I haven't even talked about kids. What if he doesn't want any?"
"Don't jump to conclusions. Take a couple days to think, and tell Paul when you're ready."
"Thank you, Emily. You always know what to say." The girl wraps her arms around the woman.
Wednesday, June 25th
The imprints made burgers and the pack was having a cookout. Everyone was making their plates. Y/N started to make her plate putting 2 burgers, each with cheese, tomato, onion, and chili. Put a little bit of slaw on the side and some chips.
"Dang girl, you're hungry today." Embry joked, making the girl laugh.
"He's not kidding you are eating a lot more lately." Jacob grumbled.
The girl got quiet and let out a silent "oh".
"What was that? Jacob." Paul growled.
"I'm just saying look at her Paul, everyone here notices how big she's getting. Maybe she should cut back."
After hearing that the girl started to stand up. Paul grabbing her hand. "Its fine, Paul. I'm just gonna go home."
She quietly grabbed her bag and apologized for the inconvenience. "Sorry, I didn't realize I did that. You can have them." Then she walked out the house. Leah chasing after her.
"What the fuck Jacob?!" Paul yelled.
"Paul." Sam warned.
"No Sam. He called her fat, she's not fat."
"We don't need a fight to break out."
"If he didn't want a fight he wouldn't have said anything."
"Paul. Enough."
Paul was shaking horribly. Sam pushed him out the house.
"Really Jacob?!" Jared called, running after Sam and Paul.
"Why is everyone so mad? I just told her how it was. You all can see how much bigger she's getting." Jacob tried to justify himself.
"That doesn't mean that you point it out." Seth told him.
"I know you were all thinking it. Just because I have the guts to tell Paul how it is doesn't make me the bad guy."
"Maybe you should learn the whole story before you go around hurting people."
"Seth. What's that supposed to mean? Seth!"
Seth ran out the house, hoping to find Leah and Y/N.
"Embry? Even you said something."
"I was joking Jake. What you did was uncalled for." Embry scoffed.
"Come on."
"Just stop Jacob." Emily snapped, causing the three left there to widen there eyes.
"Emily. Seriously? You know she's bigger!" Jacob was getting angry.
"Yeah, Jacob. She's eating more and getting bigger, but it's none of your business!" Emily snapped again.
"What if eating so much is hurting her?"
"It's not though, Jacob."
"How do you know??"
"Jacob when she is ready you'll know. Until then shut up."
"Sorry, damn."
***
"Y/N!"
"Y/N"
"Damn, you're fast."
"What do you want Leah?" Y/N sighed as she stopped and turned around, her eyes red and puffy.
"Don't listen to Jacob. He's an asshole."
"I don't care about what Jake said."
"You do or you wouldn't be crying."
"He called me fat Leah. I've never been called that before." She started to tear up. "And it's not even that I'm fat."
"What is it then?"
"Leah...I'm pregnant."
"What!? That's great news."
"Yeah, except for the fact everyone thinks I'm a pig now."
"They do not. If anyone's a pig it's Jacob. Now come on, you need the feed that little one."
***
"Paul!"
"Calm down!"
"Shift back!"
Sam phased into his wolf.
"Paul!"
"He's such an asshole." Paul snarled.
"You need to shift back. Calm down."
"I'm going to rip his throat out."
"Paul!"
"Come on Paul. She needs you." Jared joined.
"I'm trying! I can't control it."
"Calm your thoughts. Breath."
Paul started to shift back, pulling up his shorts in the process. Jared and Sam following shortly after.
***
"Y/N/N! Are you ok? You know Jake doesn't mean to be an ass." Seth tried to reassure the girl.
The girl laughed and grabbed Seth's hands. "Yes. I'm good. Thank you for checking up on me."
It was quiet for a few moments as the trio started walking back to the house. "So..." Seth piped up. "Does she know?"
Leah gasped. "What?! Know?! You told Seth before you told me!"
"He wasn't supposed to find out! He walked in on me having a meltdown about Paul." Y/N defended herself.
"Shit." The girl squeaked. "Paul! He's going to be asking questions. What am I supposed to tell him! I'm not ready. I just found out myself. I need to process this more. Stupid Jacob and his stupid big mouth!"
"Hey! Hey. Just breathe. Paul will understand if you don't want to talk." Leah reassured.
"Are you sure? Because Paul-"
Seth cut the girl off. "She's sure Y/N/N. He wouldn't pressure you into telling him something you don't want to. Now let's go eat I'm sure Little Bit in there is starving."
Both girls let out laughs.
"Um, guys, actually I was just going to go home. I don't wanna face Jacob's apologizes right now."
"Y/F/N you need to eat." Leah demanded.
"Just bring me something when you're finished? Please."
Leah sighed, knowing she wasn't changing the girls decision. "Fine. But you better eat everything I bring you."
"Pinky promise." She held up both her pinkies to Seth and Leah, Seth grabbing her pinky with his, giggling. Leah rolled her eyes, but nevertheless did the same.
"And..." The girl trailed. "Tell Paul that I took his truck. And that I'm ok?"
"So needy." Leah joked, dragging the 'y'.
"But fine I can do that."
"Thank you! You two are the best!"
"We know." They both said at the same time, causing the trio to laugh.
***
Back at home, the girl, took off her shoes and changed into pajama shorts and one of Paul's shirts.
Turning on her and Leah's favorite show to watch, 'The Vampire Diaries'. It was nice to watch people play supernatural creatures. Got their minds off of the real ones that loomed outside.
***
"Finally!" Was the first thing Leah and Seth heard as they walked through the door into Emily's and Sam's.
"Where's Y/N?" Was the second.
Leah was the one to tell Paul the situation.
"So, you just let her leave?" Paul said.
"Yes. She is a grown woman Paul." Leah retorted.
"She didn't even eat."
"I told her I would bring her something."
"I think I should go over there."
"No, you shouldn't." Sam butted in.
"And why not?!"
"Because Paul you just shifted you don't need to do that around her."
"I wouldn't hurt her." Paul glared.
"That's not the point. I said no and my answer is final. You will not go over to Y/N's tonight." Using his alpha voice, making Paul growl and leave the table.
***
"Is it bad that I'm kind of glad Sam did that?" The girl let out to her best friend.
"Yes!" Leah exclaimed.
"I just- I don't know what I would say to him."
"Your fear of confrontation is peeking through."
"Leah! This is serious."
"And I'm being serious. Paul deserves to know."
"I know. I'm just..." The girl let out a sigh. "Scared."
"You should never be scared with him. He looks at you like you're his sun. The thing that is keeping him alive."
"What if he doesn't want a baby? What if this is the one thing he can't handle with me." She whispered.
"That boy would love to start a family with you. The timing may not be ideal, but I've seen the way he looks at you. I saw the way he looked at you before the imprint. You are his literal everything and not just because fate decided you were destined. You were meant to have forever with each other way before fate decided it."
Y/N had tears in her eyes by the time Leah had finished. "I really needed that Leah." She sniffled. "I guess, sometimes, my insecurities take over. I've just been so scared, with the vampires and Bella. There's no time for a baby. Not in his life. He already has so much on him. Why do I need to add more?"
"Quit putting yourself down. You know you come first, when it comes to anything with Paul. A baby is not a burden, or something that just adds pressure. A baby can bring joy and bring people together. Maybe that's what we all need right now."
"Yeah. Maybe you're right."
"No maybe about it. I am right."
"Oh so modest." The girls giggled.
Thursday, June 26th
Awoken to heavy knocks on the front door, both girls growned, having stayed up most of the night talking.
"Y/N. Get the door." Leah grumbled.
"Why me?" The girl whined.
"It's your house."
"You kept me up all night."
"You mean you kept me up all night."
"No."
"Just open the door."
"Fine." She whined, pushing herself out of bed, looking at the clock on her nightstand that read 8:07 am.
Stomping to the door, grumbling profanities the whole way. She pulled the door open only to be greeted with-
"Paul?"
"Hey! I couldn't sleep without making sure you were ok. Jacob was an asshole. He never should have said those untrue things. I love your body and you should too. I think you're beautiful, inside and out. I don't care that you can eat two burgers, I love a woman that can hold her food. Yo-"
"Paul." She cut him off. "As sweet as this is, can we do it later? I'm sorry. Leah kept me up until 5 this morning and all I wanna do is curl up and take a hundred year nap."
"Yeah. Yeah. Of course. Want a cuddle buddy?" A smirk slowly rising on his face.
"You know I could never turn you down." She grinned pulling him inside and onto the couch.
***
By the time the girl woke Paul was already gone, a note in his place, telling her he had patrol but would be back after.
Leah was gone too, so the girl assumed the pack needed her as well.
Grabbing some clothes, she went into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
***
After a much needed shower, Y/N looked out the window and noticed Paul's truck still in the driveway and his keys still on her nightstand.
Grabbing the keys, and getting in the truck, she started her drive to Emily's.
***
"Hey Em." She called, walking inside.
"Heyyyy." Said girl peeked her head out the kitchen. "I need to talk to you."
"Ok, nothing stressful about that sentence at all."
"Have you told Paul?"
"Diving right in, I see." She muttered.
"Huh?" Emily called from the kitchen.
"Oh! Uh- no I haven't."
"Do you know when you're going to? Because I think you should soon, it'll make all this doubt you have go away."
"I don't know. Soon though, promise!"
Tuesday, July 7th
Everyone was gathered around Emily and Sam's table, laughing and joking around. Well, everyone except Jacob he was upset with Bella, which made him brood.
Y/N sat beside Paul, occasionally stealing the tomatoes off his plate, he always put them to the side for her to grab because they were her favorites and he wasn't that fond of them.
Going unnoticed by the pack and the imprints, everytime she'd take one Jacob would roll his eyes and scoff.
Grabbing the last one of Paul's plate and about to put it in her mouth she was stopped by Jacob's rude voice.
"Are you serious?" He scoffed.
Everyone looked around confused as to what his sudden outburst was about.
"Everything ok, Jacob?" Emily asked.
Jacob let out a little laugh and clicked his tongue.
This time Y/N spoke up.
"Are you upset, Jacob?"
"Me? What? No." He paused. "I do think Paul should be though."
"Why would Paul be upset?" You furrowed your eyebrows.
"Because his girlfriend has already had more than enough, but she's still eating. And not just that but taking it off his plate. Do you really need that much food Y/N? All it does is make you fatter, which is definitely not something you need. If anything you need to exercise more." He spat at her.
His outburst caused Kim and Emily to let out gasps. Jared and Paul standing up.
Paul had his mouth open about to say something but before he could Y/N interrupted.
"Paul. It's fine. He can feel the way he feels. I'm just gonna go home."
"No you're not." Emily piped in. "Jacob if you could please leave."
"What?" Jacob exclaimed.
"I asked if you could leave, I expect you to use respect in my house and until I see you give some to Y/N I want you to leave."
"She's not even apart of the pack."
"She's an imprint. We are apart of this pack, now are you gonna apologize or did I need to get Paul to escort you out?"
Jacob scuffed, "I'm sorry I called you fat, it may be true but it was not nice of me to say."
Paul was fuming, "I accept your apology"
"No she doesn't." Paul vented.
"Paul, it's fine I don't wanna cause a fight."
"You're not causing the fight. He is."
"He apologized. That's enough. Let's finish eating, then I have to tell you something."
***
"You wanted to tell me something?" Paul said, as he drove them home.
"Can it wait? I'm really tired and just wanna go to sleep."
"Of course, Sweetheart." He kisses her temple.
Thursday, July 9th
"I'm telling him."
All three girls let out simultaneous screams.
"Finally!" Emily exclaimed.
"Took you long enough" Leah joked.
"I still can't believe you're pregnant." Kim gasped.
"Well maybe I should wait a little longer, maybe until August?" Y/N let out a cheeky grin.
"No!" All three girls yelled.
The guys were on patrol and the imprints had the house to themselves. There was a knock at the door.
The girl laughed as she got up to get the door.
"Are you expecting anyone?" Leah questioned Emily.
"No." Emily whispered out.
"Y/N don't answer that." Leah called.
"Guys I invited someone." Y/N answered back.
"Who? We're your only friends." Leah joked.
Y/N opened the door, only for Bella to be standing awkwardly on the other side.
"Hi! Come in. Come in."
"No." Leah deadpanned.
"I thought it would be nice. Jacob really likes her."
"Why do you care what Jacob thinks? He's an ass."
"He wasn't always one. And a friend of Jake's is a friend of ours."
"Well, I think it was nice of Y/N to invite Bella. Make yourself at home Bella, the guys shouldn't be back for a while so it's just us girls. Right now we're just talking but later we're baking!" Emily clapped.
"Ok." Bella squeaked out.
"I don't think we've met. I'm Kim." She introduced herself.
"Bella." She said and waved.
"Well sit down, come on." Emily waved her over. "You ok if we still talk about.."
"Of course! As long as you promise not to tell the guys." Y/N put on her best serious face and looked Bella dead in her eyes.
"I barely talk to them."
"You can't tell Jacob."
"I won't tell Jacob."
"Ok..well I'm pregnant, the baby is Paul's and I haven't told him yet."
"Omg. Congratulations."
"Thank you! I'm kinda in this adrenaline thing right now and I'm hoping it won't wear off by the time Paul gets here." The girls giggled.
"So. Boys!" Emily exclaimed. "Jared?"
"We're really good. He's the greatest. The other day he tried to make me breakfast in bed, he got up really early, my parents were out of town, word of advice Em, never and I mean ever let Jared in the kitchen. It was sweet though he brought me fried eggs and bacon, only all of it was black." Kim laughed at the memory. "And I have a burnt spot on the wall in my kitchen, he still won't tell me what happened."
"He's such a klutz."
"But he makes it so adorable!"
The girls laughed at how in love she was.
"I already told y'all all my boy struggles." Y/N threw her hands up. "What about Sam?" She wiggled her eyebrows, causing the girls to let out giggles.
"Sam is..." Emily let out a sigh, "Sam is perfect. The wedding is soon, as you all know. But enough about me I wanna know about your love life Leah. Oh, and Bella would you like anything to drink, we've got wine and water, sorry not much."
"I'm good. Thank you." Bella muttered, still awkward.
"Leahhhh. Love life. Go." Emily may be a little tipsy.
"Can't talk about something that's non-existent."
"Leah don't lie. We're all friends here." Y/N blurted out.
"Fine. I did meet this girl....but that's all I'm saying!"
Emily and Kim let out pouts while Y/N laughed, maybe letting them have wine was a bad idea.
"You." Emily pointed at Bella.
"Me?" Bella questioned.
"Yes. How's your vamp?"
"Oh, um- he's nice, I guess."
"No. I need more than nice."
"He's really good at dancing." Bella shrugged.
"I need more." Emily begged.
Maybe Bella should of said yes to that wine.
***
It had been a good four hours and 4 out of 5 of the girls were more than tipsy. The 5th one just laughing her ass off at her friends.
The guys were in for a surprise when they came in. There was flour everywhere. In places where flour shouldn't be.
The girls were sitting in a circle in the kitchen, giggling, waiting on their cookies and brownies and muffins to be done. They got a little over board.
Then the door opened and the girls went silent. Sam walked through the door to be met with flour and baking ingredients all over the table and counters, along with 3 empty bottles of wine. He could hear whispers in the kitchen.
"Maybe if we stay really quiet they won't realize we're here." Emily whispered. The other girls giggling. "Shhhhh."
Sam peered over into the kitchen, watching the five girls huddle down, not noticing he was there. Hearing the guys he quieted them letting them look.
Emily peered up seeing the guys watch them causing her to squeak and the other girls to look up.
Each guy had an amused look on his face, watching the girls.
"Welp, grab one." Sam called.
Sam scooped Emily up into his arms, causing her to let out of squeal.
Jared did the same to Kim, and Jacob to Bella. Seth grabbed his sister, and Paul grabbed Y/N.
"Paul, wait, I have to tell you something" Y/N said. "I'm not drunk. I can't even drink."
He took the girl and sat her down outside. She stood in front of him, and he gave her a look to continue.
Hearing loud noises coming from the house, they both looked over only to see all four girls watching them with wide grins on their faces.
"What is happening?" Paul asked, with a confused smile.
In the background you could hear the girls screaming with excitement.
"Here goes nothing. Paul..."
"Yes."
"I'm pregnant."
Paul's face was pure shock, all the girls in the background screaming and cheering.
"We're gonna have a baby?"
"Yeah. We're gonna have a baby. It's why I've been getting bigger, as Jacob so kindly reminds me."
"I'll kill him if you want me to."
"I know you would."
"I have a question."
"Shoot."
"Why is the leech lover here?"
"I invited her. She's actually really nice. I get why Jacob likes her."
"I can't believe we're going to have a baby."
"Me neither."
"I love you so much."
"I love you too."
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