#although both of us said that we had planned to wait before going further than

[stevesbipanic]

@steddiemas Day 23: "You were how old when you stopped believing in Santa?"

Steve didn't know how but he'd been volunteered as the one to take Holly to see the mall Santa this year. From what he'd been told Holly had practically begged Karen to let Steve take her. She was always his favourite to babysit so he really didn't mind, but he did get Eddie to accompany him. Thankfully, his boyfriend didn't mind and actually thought Holly was pretty fun since she liked to pretend to be dragons with him.

Holly had taken both of their hands once they arrived at the mall, insisting that they swing her as they walked towards the line for Santa.

"I'm going to ask him for a dolly that looks like you, Stevie!"

"Aw thanks Holly, but you can ask for any doll you want ya know."

"I know but I want a pretty doll like you!"

"Yeah she wants a pretty doll like you, sweetheart."

Steve smiled fondly at the pair of them and was hit with the desire that one day he and Eddie could take their own daughter to see Santa. They patiently waited in line until it was Holly's turn. Steve could confidently say she was one of the more polite kids he'd seen go up to Santa that afternoon. He watched as she smiled brightly at Santa, telling him what she wanted for Christmas and blushed softly when she pointed at him as she asked for toys. After the picture they went for ice cream and she was asleep by the time they dropped her home.

It was a good day, and the boys talked about how cute Holly had been when they got back to their apartment that night.

"She's a good kid, much better than I was at that age, I complained the whole way when Wayne took me, I had stopped believing in Santa by the time I got to him. Mom was good with getting me Santa gifts but after she died it wasn't hard to connect the dots," Eddie explained cuddling into Steve on the couch.

"You got further than me, I never even got a Santa photo, the Nanny did Santa for me for a couple years but when you're three and you wake up to your parents packing for a vacation without you and not a single gift under the tree it's not hard to work out that Santa was fake," Steve replied, and he could feel Eddie stiffen beside him.

"You were how old when you stopped believing in Santa?"

"Three, although I don't think I really believed much anyway, no one told me many Christmas stories."

"Steve," Eddie said in that tone that Steve had come to know as the one people used when he shared something that was sadder than he realised it was.

"What?"

"Just adding things to my list of reasons I'm killing your parents."

Steve laughed softly, "Good luck I think they've decided I was dead to them once they heard I moved into the town's local drug dealer."

Eddie had that look in his eye that he was planning something but kissed Steve before he had much chance to ask. He learned what it was soon enough when the next day Eddie drove them back to the mall.

"What're we doing here, Eds? We already did our Christmas shopping."

"You'll see, sweetheart."

They exited the car and Steve wished they lived somewhere that let them hold hands. But Eddie still found moments to brush against his side until they reached their destination.

"Why are we at Santa again?"

"You said you never got a Santa photo, well we're going to get one, together."

Steve turned to his boyfriend and smiled brightly, no one had cared about him in the way Eddie did, he felt loved wholly.

"Robbie is going to be jealous."

"She'll forgive me, we'll do one of the three of us next year, maybe she'll have asked out Vickie by then."

Their Santa photo took a proud centre space on their refrigerator and it became one of Steve's favourite.

Ao3

[izpira-se-zlato]

Bootleg Hojan Merch

I know Nace shared part of the story in an interview a couple days ago, but I was planning on doing a write-up before I knew that, so here you go 😂 Also contains the continuation of the saga in Finland :D

Putting this under a cut because it's gonna be a bit of a read (plus a few more pictures). Yeah, I hope no one here is surprised that I suck at keeping things short 😂

So I have done a fair bit of clownery this year, and the most recent bit (before the shirt project) was attending two of the Polish gigs, Wrocław and Poznań.

I was wearing my Cha Cha Cha shirt to the Poznań gig, and when taking pictures with Bojan and Nace after the show, I opened my jacket so the shirt was visible. When stepping back after the pic, Nace spied the shirt and was kinda excited about seeing Käärijä merch – though he prefers the Häärijä merch, as he told us, because he's a "big fan" (his words, not mine).

So back at the hotel, I told @braveheart1418, "God, I'm so tempted to try to procure an actual Häärijä shirt. Tell me that's a stupid idea." Of course she did no such thing and so we looked into how much it would cost (too much) and how long it would take (too long), and so I was like, "bummer. And I'm not comfortable making bootleg official merch. Although, omg – it would be hilarious of we did Hojan merch!"

And the longer I thought about it, the more I fell in love with the idea. Again, I told friends, "tell me that would be a stupid idea," and again, they were filthy enablers, and so I started looking into the matter semi-seriously once I was back home (that was Wednesday the 22nd, so almost exactly a week before I left on a business trip leading into a stay at my parents' place leading into the gig).

The first thought was to get a big HOJAN in the Häärijä lettering on foil to iron onto a black shirt, though @braveheart1418 had commented that the design with a picture Häärijä on is much more memorable. That was a very valid point, except that there were no Hojan pics in suitable resolution that were in the right pose.

Thus, things I needed to solve:

get a plotter to cut out "Hojan" for the chest -> my mom said my cousin had a friend with a plotter. Contact was established

get a picture similar to the official merch of Hojan -> I reached out to Dean, who was absolutely lovely and set me up with a picture I could use

clip Hojan from the picture -> I had @submariini as well as another dear friend help me there because they are both much better at photoshop than me and were kind enough to offer their help, and decided to add the yellow border because the best picture Dean had sent me was black & white

get transfer paper -> easy: amazon (loathe as I am to use it)

find a copy shop to print Hojan for me -> tricky bc I got Inkjet-Printer transfer paper and most copy shops have laserjets, if they allow using your own paper at all -> I got laserjet transfer paper and once again had my cousin come to the rescue and helped me print it :D

find t-shirts in the right sizes -> I solved this by eyeballing and taking pics of my dad in the various sizes to check with @submariini. While nerve-wrecking, I am astonished just how well the sizing worked out in the end!

Despite the limited time (limited further by me getting sick Monday/Tuesday before my business trip), it all came together beautifully: I did a test-print Friday evening and picked up the foil cuts, went shirt shopping with my parents on Saturday (shout out to them for letting their adult kid drag them through three different clothes stores and especially to my dad for gamely trying on half a dozen shirts and waiting while I yelled at ed about which to take 😂), finished the test shirt (mine) that evening and adjusted the colours on the outline to be closer to the foil, printed three more copies of Hojan Sunday morning, and got them ready just in time for leaving for the gig!

Which was yet again nerve-wrecking because of the unprecedented amounts of snow happening in Bavaria, but it stood no chance against our determination!

Unfortunately, the snow situation meant that JO couldn't come out after the show, so I passed the shirt to Nace during it and received a pick in return, which made me bluescreen as I hadn't expected an exchange 😂 He put the shirt down without having looked at it, which was a bit unfortunate because I would have loved to have seen his reaction, but it was still a pretty cool moment.

They did get a lot of gifts this close to St. Nikolaus (which is also celebrated in Germany, or at least was in my youth), most of which they left on the stage for the crew to gather up, so I bluescreened even worse when Nace bee-lined over to me as they came back on stage for the SSOL-encore to thank me again for the shirt – others told me later he'd taken it backstage after Carpe Diem with him, which I'd missed 😅

After the show, I met @mogoce-nocoj and ended up talking to her for quite a while outside the venue because neither of us wanted to split off into different directions, and so it wasn't until we were on our way back to @braveheart1418's hotel room (finally accepting that we wouldn't manage to say goodbye quite so soon and might as well talk somewhere warm 😅) that I saw that Bojan had posted the story to his Instagram 😂. Let me just say that it was very fortunate we were still out-doors and not near normal flats, because I don't think I was quiet when I saw 😂

I actually ended up making four shirts including my trial one – one for Nace, one for Häärijä himself because it felt fitting, and one for @submariini because he's such a Häärijä fan :D

The latter two, I took with me to Rovaniemi (which was ed's fault, because (and I quote), "come to Rollo! It'll be fun!"), where a bunch of friends and I met up for a birthday party slash Käärijä gig (over 20 clowns in one place, it was amazing, 10/10 would do again (genuinely)). The weather and means of transport tried to keep us apart (train strikes and ice rains on my end, though I still had better luck than Joker Out), but we actually all made it and by now all made it back again, too :D

As I mentioned in a different post, I actually managed to hand over the shirt to Häärijä before the gig, and he told me he would wear it on stage, which he did! I also got a picture with him, ed, and me all in our shirts, which was also pretty great :D

So, yeah! The Process™ of project 1.

Thank you so so much to everyone who helped and encouraged me along the way -- my parents and my cousin, the gift to our fandom that is Dean Grainger (none of whom will hopefully ever read this specific post), @braveheart1418, @submariini, @alephai, my dearest friend K who's been an enabler for so so many shenanigans, and xia!bf for bearing with my insanity (both where the shirts are concerned and the general Käärijä/JO brainrot) and helping me make this project a reality 💛

[beomgyuslilracha]

the ceo's son ✧.* [ pt. 9 ]

⊹ pairing: choi soobin x f! reader

⊹ genre: strangers to friends to lovers

⊹ warnings: uhhh angst if you squint?? but i make up for it with fluff

⊹ wc: 5.4k

summary: you've been an intern at c company for roughly over four months now - directly under the ceo as his assistant. everything was going perfectly: you were saving up money to attend uni next year, and you knew that you were under the ceo's good graces to receive a great recommendation when the time came! in fact, he took a liking to you so much that he'd often joke that he wanted to set you up with his son. at least ... you thought it was a joke.

before continuing on to the 2nd floor, you excitedly pointed out the game factory area full of a multitude of arcade games that you thought would be fun for you and soobin to try. although, soobin had suggested that you wait to play any games until you reached the game village on the 3rd floor.

which is where the miscalculation soon comes into play.

at game village, he knew there were prize machines that he wanted to be able to win you a cute plushie from.

he didn't admit this to you, though, are you kidding?

instead he opted for the 'they have better games' excuse, which he honestly wasn't even sure if they did. he was especially glad you didn't question him further about it, since all he remembered was the prize machines.

he needed to win you a prize, and he was willing to lie to do that.

after quickly riding the french revolution rollercoaster on the 2nd floor, where you practically squeezed the blood out of soobin's hand from exhilaration and slight fear, you both then made your way to the 3rd floor for the arcade.

seeing as neither of you were all that interested in the jungle adventure ride, you ended up making a beeline straight for the game village.

that was up until soobin managed to catch sight of who was inside, causing him to freeze in his tracks.

they should've just stayed on the first floor.

"actually, why don't we give jungle adventure a chance anyway?" he suddenly suggested, confusing you from his quick change of mind.

"but i thought you said-"

"yeah, but it might be better than we remembered," soobin interrupted you, not wanting to give you a chance to speak and risk being caught.

"soobin hyung!!"

damn it.

although soobin had attempted to keep walking away, you whipped your head around to spot soobin's group of friends from yesterday all watching the two of you from inside the game village.

"aren't those your friends?" you questioned him, confused once again as he had tried to keep softly tugging at your hand to walk away with him.

unfortunately for him, the two of you couldn't get away fast enough before all four idiots came running up to greet you both.

"hi, you must be y/n, right?" kai was the first to speak, smiling down at you as he finally got to see you face-to-face.

you could only nod, suddenly feeling incredibly shy and tiny, seeing as there were now five men towering over you at once and reminding you of just how small you were.

"how funny, we didn't expect to see you here," yeonjun lied, poking soobin's shoulder playfully and causing the poor boy to grow even more upset.

"yeah, of all days, i didn't think any of you would be here either," soobin forced himself to play along, though practically speaking through clenched teeth as he glared at all of them.

he only hoped that they would catch the hint and leave, but, of course, they pretended not to.

"kai really wanted to come," taehyun explained with an amused smile, finding the situation rather funny.

believe it or not, there wasn't any secret intentions or malicious planning behind it - neither of them actually expected to run into either of you in such a niche place out of the entire park.

a happy coincidence!

at least, a happy coincidence for four of them.. not so much for a certain someone.

"hi, i'm beomgyu! soobin hyung told us so much about you," beomgyu introduced himself to you, commenting in a teasing tone. he didn't even suppress his laughter when soobin shot him a glare in return.

"hopefully all good things?" you said in more of a questioning tone, now glancing up at the embarrassed boy beside you.

this time, it was your turn to squeeze his hand gently. you weren't sure if he was upset with his friends suddenly crowding you both, which he was, but you hoped to silently let him know that you weren't bothered.

in fact, you couldn't help but to think it was rather nice to meet them in a more public setting rather than awkwardly back at the dorm.

"trust us, he goes on and on and on about how great you are," yeonjun reassured you, now being the one to laugh as he watched both yours and soobin's cheeks turn a matching shade of pink.

"we should probably leave them alone now," taehyun nudged yeonjun, being the only one out of the four to finally catch on to soobin's telepathic screaming for them to go away.

not that he actually heard it, but soobin thought for a split second that he might have.

"unless you want to join us, y/n?" kai interjected, perking up at his own suggestion.

truth be told, you really did want to join them. you wanted to jump at the opportunity to get to know them more and have a blast playing games with them as well. although, you knew that if you were to look at soobin, one look would convince you to say no and go on your way somewhere else.

against your better judgement, you chose not to look at soobin just this once.

"i'd love to join you!" you told the cute blonde, growing even more giddy as each one of their faces lit up and cheered after that.

as they all ran back into the arcade, fighting over which game you should play first, you took your time to hold both of soobin's hands in your own.

"come on, it'll only be for a little while, okay?"

soobin's cute pout shifted into a small smile after a minute, nodding his head slowly and allowing you to pull him along to the arcade room.

even though they set his plans back a bit, he supposed the experience wasn't all that bad. soobin got to watch all four of his friends warm up to you quickly, and it was enough to make him happy all over again.

he was especially glad that you weren't entirely turned off by them all - mostly beomgyu - screaming in your ear.

it wasn't exactly ideal for you, of course, but you didn't mind as much as you expected. instead, it felt rather nice to know that they felt comfortable enough to be themselves around you, despite having just met for the first time.

well, sort of for the first time.

in any case, seeing how easy it was for them to be themselves, you also found yourself warming up to them more and more by the second.

instead of flinching slightly every time they yelled in excitement, you found yourself laughing or jumping excitedly beside them. they were such a joy to be around and you couldn't believe soobin never introduced all of you sooner.

however, watching you now, soobin remembered exactly why he held back introducing you all to one another sooner. because now he was struggling way too much for your attention.

it was all fine and dandy at first, such as when the six of you agreed to play a few rounds of air hockey against one another.

it even surprised you to watch soobin transition from the sweet, shy boy you once knew to the sudden screaming one as he played a match against beomgyu.

of course, compared to the yells at the other end of the table, soobin was still remaining relatively mild.

the competition above all had you sweating for soobin's sake, but the screaming and excitement had you laughing like crazy. you felt as light as air, feeling nothing but genuine joy bubbling up inside of you the longer that you spent with them.

soobin was even letting out the cutest little laughs and screams that your heart almost couldn't take it.

for every sudden urge you got to risk it all and kiss him, you found yourself biting harshly at the edge of your thumb to push every thought away. you merely blamed it on the adrenaline, getting far too excited with the group beside you.

after an exhilarating tie breaker, soobin ended up winning the final round against beomgyu.

this then opened for an adorable game between you and kai.

neither of you wanted to play too roughly for the other, so it consisted of many cute giggles and tiny taps of the puck towards each other's side.

while yeonjun and beomgyu groaned for the game to hurry up, taehyun and soobin were both smiling at the adorableness between you both.

soobin more than taehyun, obviously, seeing as he gazed over at you like you were the most precious being on the planet. with every giggle that escaped your lips, he had to bite into his cheek in order to fight off every urge that wanted to race forward and kiss you.

he needed to get you to magic island quickly.

when the timer ran out, with an adorable score of 1 - 1, this was when soobin failed to beat the rest of the boys from earning your attention. regardless of how many times he had tried to call your name, it seemed like they all had something to tell you at the exact same time.

"aww, y/nie, let's try to win matching plushies!" kai cooed, making you giddy at the sudden use of a nickname, lightly grabbing your wrist and leading you to the machine that held the cutest pokémon plushies inside.

soobin's eyes widened in panic, spotting yet another flaw in his plan.

"ahh, kai, why don't we try a different machine first?" soobin had tried to suggest, looking around for any other game that they hadn't tried yet.

"no, hold on, y/nie and i want these snorlax plushies!" kai giggled beside you, both of your shoulders now rubbing together as your eyes focused intently on the game inside.

yeonjun, beomgyu, and taehyun weren't particularly interested in the prize machines, so they opted for a new round of air hockey to determine a champion between the three of them.

"y/n-"

soobin was quickly interrupted by yours and kai's cheerful squealing as the first snorlax was instantaneously won and dropped into the prize box.

kai rushed to pull the plush out of the machine, squeezing onto it tightly and squealing with you happily at how cute and soft it was.

"here, y/n, do you want-" kai trailed off on his sentence, having finally caught sight of soobin's death glare directed at him from behind you. "actually, uhh, i want to keep this one."

"that's alright, i can try to win one for myself!" you shrugged simply, not bothered at all. he did work hard to win the plush, so it wouldn't have been fair for you to accept it anyway.

"here, let me try," soobin finally found his chance to step in, his hand covering yours on the machine and sending sparks coursing up your arm.

your face warmed at the contact, and you failed to suppress the smile that overtook your face. "okay!" you agreed excitedly, swooning at the mere idea of soobin winning a plushie all for you.

at least, that was the plan, anyway.

quickly running threw 5 thousand won without even thinking, soobin still managed to fail time and time again to win the plush that you wanted. his head bonked against the machine glass, his frustrated focus being no help no matter how hard he tried.

"soobin, it's okay, i don't need it," you had tried to tell him, tugging lightly at his sleeve to try and earn his attention away from the machine.

soobin said nothing, mindlessly feeding another 500 won into the machine for just one more attempt.

why was it so hard??

he just wanted to win you a cute plush to see your precious smile. he just wanted you to think of him every time you hugged and looked at it. he just wanted to give you a cute memory where he won you a toy - so why was it so hard?!

just as you were trying to convince soobin to give up and that it was okay, beomgyu came hopping over to suddenly gain your attention again. apparently yeonjun and taehyun gave up playing against him, so he begged for you to play at least one round.

you would learn in a second that the other two gave up due to beomgyu being a horrific menace and a huge cheater.

it was funny, though, so you didn't mind.

once you were distracted, kai finally shoved a defeated soobin away from the machine and took over. in a matter of seconds, he won another plush.

with soobin gaping in absolute shock, unable to believe it, kai merely patted his friend's back and walked away - wordlessly allowing soobin to take all the credit.

even though he knew it wasn't the same, soobin was way too tired to try again. on top of that, he wasn't looking forward to wasting more money on that hell machine. he figured he would try some other day to win one for you fairly, but he was all too willing to take anything he could get for now.

thank you, sweet sweet kai!

grabbing the snorlax from the machine, soobin shyly made his way over to where you were still playing, with the plush now in hand.

at least it would still make you think of him, even if you didn't know that he wasn't actually the one that won it for you.

you were still midgame with beomgyu, giggling happily as you watched him practically use his entire body to cover his side of the goal. trying to keep things 'fair', you used your free arm to cover your side, now just having a game of hitting the puck and forth with no end in sight.

although, the second you caught the briefest glance of soobin finally standing beside you, you stopped everything to gasp in excitement — allowing beomgyu to take immediate advantage and score on you without hesitation.

"oh my gosh, no way! you finally won and i missed it??" you exclaimed, happily accepting the plush that he was now shyly handing over to you - making him look all the more adorable. despite how happy you were, though, you found yourself still pouting rather sadly. "i guess i'm just your bad luck charm."

"what? no!" soobin quickly denied, cupping your cute face in his large hands and tilting your head to look up at him. "you're my absolute favorite charm."

kiss me, kiss me, kiss me.

kiss her, kiss her, kiss her.

despite you both sharing the exact same thoughts and staring at each other with the same adoration in your eyes, you both ended up clearing your throats and quickly pulling away after beomgyu called for soobin to leave you alone and let you finish the game with him.

you lost miserably after that, not being able to focus at all with just the thought of soobin's lips putting you in a daze.

as desperately as he wanted to, soobin was far too afraid to rush things with you. he thought maybe the moment could have potentially been perfect, but he wasn't keen on the idea of his friends being around when it finally happened.

eventually, seeing as the time was getting later and later and you both still had the 4th floor to get through, soobin finally asked you privately if you were ready to move on without the others.

"oh yeah, let me just say bye to everyone first!" you told him with a smile.

which then lead to the second and a half miscalculation of the night.

the half miscalculation being the absolute failure that occurred at the prize machine a short while ago.

in which you were merely meant to say goodbye, suddenly beomgyu brought up the absolutely wonderful idea of joining you two as a group.

you didn't want to be rude and refuse, so you looked to soobin to see what he would prefer. obviously, he hated the idea and told them all to stay there and let you two move on alone.

apparently none of them got the hint - even though it was more of an outright protest than a hint, but they still didn't listen either way.

much to soobin's reluctance and dismay, the four nuisances ended up accompanying you both for the remainder of the 3rd and 4th floors anyway.

hell, they even convinced you to join them again on the 1st floor to repeat some of the rides together.

to make matters worse, beomgyu and kai found themselves naturally attaching to you so easily the more time you spent together. you were able to match beomgyu's hyper behavior and excitement for practically everything, as well as double the cuteness when paired with huening any time either of you did anything.

had it not been for the sake of you, soobin would have beaten them both for ruining everything for him.

in fact, he almost did whenever they both made it a habit to take what should have been his place beside you during the rides. it first happened during the pharaoh's fury ride back on the 4th floor, where you all split into groups of three for the front and back row.

he was forced to watch the three of you laugh and squeal in excitement altogether right in front of him, while yeonjun and taehyun mainly teased at his misery for the entirety of the ride.

soobin's thankfulness to kai from earlier quickly faded into that of anger, knowing full well that the boy hated rollercoasters yet still agreed to join - apparently just as long as he got to sit beside you.

meanwhile, you, on the other hand, were so surprised at how easily you got along with soobin's friends! all of them were so sweet and so funny, you couldn't help but to feel genuinely happy that you could blend well with them.

to your delight, you were ecstatic that they all seemed to really like you too!

they were all practically competing to gain your attention, even going as far as playing rock, paper, scissors to see who got to sit next to you during each ride — though the game never mattered, since beomgyu and kai would whine dramatically until they got to be the ones to sit with you.

on top of it all, soobin was pretty sure you forgot entirely who he was by this point.

not that you did, not one bit, but he was too busy sulking to understand.

you were simply trying to make sure that his friends genuinely liked you, hoping to get along well with them so that you could spend more time with soobin in the future. you thought that if they enjoyed your company now, maybe they'd convince soobin to invite you along to more things so that you could spend more time together with him.

you didn't mean to ignore him, truly. you merely thought that he'd be happy to see you and his friends getting along well with each other.

and he was, don't get him wrong at all, but that didn't mean he wanted you to spend more time with them instead of him.

unfortunately, soobin was on the verge of giving up.

after all that planning they did earlier, he couldn't believe his friends came along and ruined everything. they completely stole you away from him, and it didn't even dawn on any of them that the park would close soon without him ever having confessed to you.

luckily, there was still one person that kept their poor friend in mind.

taking one glance behind them to practically see a storm cloud hovering over soobin's gloomy head, taehyun then leaned over and whispered something in kai's ear.

after glancing back as well, kai tapped slyly on beomgyu's shoulder on the other side of you in order to silently signal him as well to look behind them. this followed with the same reaction from beomgyu to yeonjun, getting him to notice the poor boy trailing behind the five of you.

one by one, all four of them finally got the hint.

when you all had reached the 2nd floor on the way to ride the french revolution again, they conveniently stopped in front of the magic island entrance, where beomgyu let out the fakest and most dramatic yawn possible.

"woah, i'm getting tired," beomgyu acted loudly, going as far as rubbing his eyes like he were some sleepy cartoon character.

yeonjun rolled his eyes behind the boy, unable to believe anyone would buy his act.

but you did.

"oh no, should we stop here?" you asked him, hugging tightly to your snorlax plush to keep yourself from being sad. you were enjoying having fun with them, you didn't want it to end so soon.

"no, no, don't worry about us!" taehyun quickly cut in, smiling sweetly at you. "you and soobin hyung can go on ahead and we'll probably just head back to rest."

soobin finally perked up for the first time in the past hour, realizing now what was happening in front of him.

turning your head in time to spot how cute and eager soobin appeared to be from the idea, you giggled and happily agreed.

the boys all gave you gentle hugs goodbye, sent secret winks and thumbs up to soobin, then went on their merry way to secretly enjoy the lower levels of lotte world instead of going home.

you would find this out much later, though, after the four of them had to practically beg and convince soobin to let you hang out with them again - only under the promise that they would not steal you away like last time.

"your friends are a lot of fun," you told soobin, offering your hand cutely so that he could hold it.

he didn't waste a single second to interlock his fingers with yours, practically melting at the realization of how much he missed being with you. despite having been just a few steps away from him the whole time, it had felt like the two of you were still so far from each other.

now here you were again, your hands together, and walking side by side as you made your way across the long bridge leading to magic island.

"i'll be sure to tell them you thought they were all annoying," soobin teased, laughing adorably when you started to whine and protest for him not to lie.

when soobin had asked what you'd like to do first, you began looking through the guide map that you had picked up from the information desk on the way in.

you gulped nervously, though, as you read over every attraction. they all seemed to be a little too thrilling for your taste.

the gyro drop, the gyro swing, the bungee drop - anything they could possibly think of to make you nervous and sick to your stomach at the thought. you wondered if soobin would be up to the idea of going to the fantasy dream attraction just to look at a bunch of cute animals instead.

"actually," soobin spoke up through your silent worries, having glanced quickly at the time on his phone. "what if we, uh ... what if we, um, go on- on the moonboat?"

oh God, he was so nervous. his stomach was twisting in knots and he was starting to feel the slightest bit lightheaded just from trying to articulate what he was going to say.

did he stutter? did he even ask you right?

honestly, he was pretty sure he blacked out while trying to get the question out, so he seriously couldn't remember.

the brief second it took for you to answer felt like hours to him. "oh, yeah, that'd be so cute!" you cheered, purely happy at the idea of avoiding all the other scary rides that you were way too nervous to suggest.

as you first walked past the bungee drop and swing tree, soobin's stomach first felt like an entire nest of butterflies were fluttering around trying to look for an escape. once you reached the comet express and the dock was now in plain sight, the butterflies suddenly felt like a swarm of bees buzzing around and stinging every surface.

was it too late to suggest something else?

would it be okay to prolong the ride just a little bit longer?

he glanced over at you, taking in your cute smile and the little hums you would make as you mimicked the music you heard nearby.

he didn't want to wait anymore. he wanted you to be his. he wanted to sweep you off your feet and call you his girlfriend so absolutely no one else in the world could.

meanwhile, you were delighted in your own way. with soobin in his own little world, you were simply looking forward to sharing such a cute moment on the moonboat with him.

you couldn't help but to think it was a rather romantic suggestion, especially now that it was night time and all the boats were shining beautiful colors on the lake. you doubted it was his intention, but it still made your heart flutter at the thought nonetheless.

reaching the dock where the moon and ufo boats were waiting, you only had to wait just a few minutes before reaching the front, where soobin paid for the 20 minute ride and allowed the worker to escort you in ahead of him.

this was it.

everything soobin had planned has finally led him to the end of the night moment.

wanting to see your precious smile from excitement, he let you take full control of the boat settings to do whatever you pleased. after tucking snorlax in between the two of you in the seat, you then set the color of the boat to a beautiful shade of purple and used the arrow keys to start leading you around on the lake.

soobin's heart was swooning at the sound of your excited giggles, melting at every little thing you did and said while he connected his phone to play music for the two of you.

would it be too obvious to play a romantic song?

maybe too corny?

the second soobin noticed the song appear from his playlist, his heart flipped. it was all too perfect. the words, the voice, the melody, the meaning.

now playing: strawberry moon by IU

taking a deep breath, soobin locked his phone and put it away, now focusing his entire attention solely on you.

"it's so beautiful," you sighed happily, staring at all the other boats around you and the gorgeous lights shining from the park itself.

soobin agreed, but only because he was looking at you when he did. no other sight mattered to him. nothing else came close to how beautiful you were, with your eyes sparkling from all the different lights being reflected off of them.

"thank you for bringing me today, binnie! i had a lot of fun," you told him, finally looking over to meet his eyes.

the second you did, your breath hitched and your heart flipped entirely. he wasn't looking at you the same way he normally did, with his cute semi circle eyes and flashing dimples. no, this time was much more ... serious?

serious, but in a good way. at least, it felt like a good way. his gaze on you was soft, it practically made you melt into the seat. his small smile was so fond and gentle, for lack of a better word. almost like he was looking at something he deeply cared about.

but ... he was looking at you?

he was looking at you as if you had handpicked all the stars in the sky - the same stars now reflecting back to you in his eyes.

"y/n, can i tell you something?" his voice was low and calm, but it caused your heart to pound harder and louder in your chest. the music and noise from the park quickly became a muffled background, and all you could hear was the pounding of your own heart directly in your ears.

"yes, of course," you finally managed to say, though rather breathless.

without breaking eye contact, you felt his hand slowly trail along yours to intertwine them together once again. it felt as if he ignited a fire that started in your fingertips and traveled throughout the rest of your body.

time stood still. everything went quiet. all that either of you could hear was each other's breaths and the faint whisper of IU singing around you.

"y/n, i want you to know that i ... i really ...," soobin's words trailed off, his adoring gaze shifting from one of your eyes to the other as he soaked in just how beautiful you looked staring up at him.

meanwhile, your heart practically stopped beating. you couldn't even be sure if you were still breathing. every part of you was waiting.

you knew exactly what he was going to say, but you desperately needed to hear the words for yourself. you desperately needed to hear him confirm that everything you've ever felt for him was reciprocated and not just in your head.

"i really like you," soobin practically whispered, his following breath shaking from nerves.

there it is.

the words you never expected to ignite a show of fireworks in your heart, sparking every nerve to heat every inch of your body twice as much as before.

it was unbelievable how you never knew just how badly you needed to hear something until the words came out of his mouth.

"soobin," you spoke his name so softly, still at a lost for breath. "i really like you too."

though both your confessions were rather simple, it was enough. for you two, it was fitting. simple and easy, but meaning absolutely everything to one another.

soobin's free hand softly traced the shape of your cheek, allowing him to feel just how warm your face was to the touch as it turned a pretty light shade of pink.

his touch, though light, sent electricity running through the entirety of your face. you could only find yourself craving more.

with his fingers now tucked under your chin and his thumb lightly grazing your bottom lip, soobin's eyes flickered from your eyes, to your lips, and back again.

he was suddenly much closer to you now, though his lips still felt like they were miles away. your hearts were pounding in sync, and you could tell that he was still feeling just as nervous as you were.

"can i kiss you?"

"yes, please."

once the words escaped your lips and both your eyes fluttered shut, you half expected for soobin to roughly crash his lips against yours without any hesitation.

but that wasn't soobin.

instead, you were surprised.

his lips delicately brushed against yours before softly pressing closer. it started off as a precious little peck before his lips naturally parted, tilted his head, and deepened his kiss with you. it was slow, electrifying, and absolutely perfect.

it was so ... soobin.

your free hand instinctively reached out to grab the edge of his coat, yearning to pull him even closer to you. happily obliging, soobin's hand moved from under your chin to cradle your cheek and deepen his affection for you even further.

your lips practically fit together like a puzzle piece. connecting and moving together in sync, driving each other into a state of breathless euphoria.

soobin's forehead softly rested against yours as you both pulled away to finally catch your breath. simultaneously letting out small exhales of laughter, neither of you were able to think of any other way to express the absolute bliss you felt in that moment.

you had attempted to sit back, but soobin cutely shook his head and grinned as he leaned forward to follow you. "one more time," he whispered, earning cute giggles from you as he pecked tiny kisses all over your cheek before planting another kiss on your lips.

he had been waiting far too long for this moment, so he was planning to enjoy every second.

you didn't mind one bit. you wrapped both arms around his neck to keep him close, deepening the kiss with him even more than before.

when you first started working at c company, you had thought his father was absolutely crazy for suggesting something so bold as to set you up with the youngest member of his own family.

now here you were, just short of two months later, your lips slow dancing together with the ceo's son.

previous | masterlist | epilogue

a/n: (warning: long) (pls at least skip to the highlighted part for brief info!)

okay, can i just say ... the ceo's son was originally supposed to be a oneshot. when i first wrote it, i had absolutely NO idea that anyone would enjoy it as it was - much less encourage me to turn it into a 9 PART SERIES. i'm seriously... i have no words. i appreciate EVERY single one of you that liked, replied, reblogged, and sent multiple asks complimenting me for something i truly started on a whim. i appreciate all of you more than you could possibly understand. all the comments and tags had ME giggling and on the verge of CRYING. i seriously got so emotional with all of your sweet words and support, which gave me all the courage i needed to continue writing and posting as soon as i could <33

i truly hope you all have thoroughly enjoyed this little series, and i genuinely wish i could have dragged it on for longer - but i didn't want to risk burning myself out trying to come up with more ideas. (i do have a little idea of a bonus part, but i'm going to wait on that for now).

but alas, the ceo's son has reached its end 🥹 soobin and y/n finally came together as they were meant to be, with only a few hiccups along the way. i'm gonna miss these two kids, they were so dumb and adorable, i seriously loved writing them together. BUT, the good news is, i already have a TON more ideas i want to work on for other members (hehe peek the masterlist for a preview of what's on the way) and i really really hope that you all will continue to stay tuned and support me 🫶

AHH I KNOW I WROTE SO MUCH, BUT PLS IF YOU SKIP EVERYTHING ELSE, PAY ATTENTION HERE REALLY QUICK:

i want to create a permanent taglist for anyone who would be genuinely interested in what i come up with next - so for anyone already tagged here and anyone else that isn't, pls pls let me know if you would be interested in being a part of it !!!

okokok i'll shut up now, but omg thank you for everyone who read all of this - i appreciate YOU even more. much much much love <333

~

taglist:

@sha-aesthic @wccycc @yjusei @ihrtgyu @strawberrydaichi @seodami @sparkswhoz @o934pm @dongmeiii @cannedturtle @intrrverted @fanfangying1304 @n0tprettybutt1red @human-misery @baekberrie @softcabur @goldennika

[ bold = couldn't be tagged :( ]

[samynnad102687]

A New Pet

@struttingstag

April 30 Prompt: A New Pet | Jegulus | 1888 words

James wanted to do something special for Regulus' birthday but he didn't know what to do. He knew that Regulus didn't really like parties and hated surprise ones even more so that was out. He could get him something but what? Regulus had a lot of jewellery already and James didn't want to get him a new ring until he got him that ring, which he was already planning for but that was a whole other decision.

"Ugh," James threw his hands up in the air as he sunk further into the couch.

"What?" Sirius asked from beside him.

"I don't know what to get Reg for his birthday."

"Oh, yeah I can't help you there. Reggie typically hates what I get him," Sirius laughed lightly.

"Yeah, because you keep trying to piss him off with your gifts. I swear your goal is for him to tell you not to bother anymore."

James glanced over at his best friend who looked like he was trying not to confirm that that was his plan.

"You are, aren't you," James asked as he pointed at Sirius in indignation.

"Not really. I just want to see if he will actually tell me that he doesn't like them," Sirius shrugged.

"I'll be sure to let him know when I get home," James deadpanned before he stood up.

Regulus would be getting home from work shortly and James wanted to grab dinner on the way home. Maybe he would come up with an idea on his walk. He still had a week to figure it out though. Sirius only lived ten minutes away from James and Regulus and there was a small family-owned cafe in between them.

"Are you leaving already? You just got here," Sirius complained.

"I've been here for five hours," James laughed.

He came over after lunch and they spent the rest of the time watching movies and just hanging out like they used to when they were teenagers.

"Besides, I need to sober up a little before I get home. I really don't want another lecture from your brother about getting drunk in the middle of the afternoon."

"You are twenty-six years old. You're allowed to drink if you want to. What's he gonna do anyway? Make you sleep on the couch?"

"If I'm lucky. He threatened to kick me out of the house last time I came home drunk. Said if I was more concerned with getting plastered with you than remembering that we were supposed to go to a dinner party with a couple of his colleagues then I could just stay with you."

"Well, it's not my fault that you forgot." Sirius shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"The hell it isn't." James scoffed. "If I remember correctly, I told you that I couldn't drink but you decided to be dramatic about not having anyone to drink with since Remus was out of town. You basically guilt-tripped me into it."

"Meh."

James grabbed the pillow and smacked Sirius in the face with it before he stuck out his tongue and ran out the door. He could hear Sirius' shriek about messing up his hair as he left but James was too far down the street for him to attempt to chase him down for it. James slowed down his steps as he rounded the corner and saw the cafe in sight. He would grab a coffee for himself to sober up and dinner for both of them. Regulus had been stressed at work lately and James didn't want to add to it by making him think that he needed to cook dinner too.

"Hey, Andy," James beamed when he walked up to the counter.

"Hey, James. Picking up?"

"Yeah. The usual, please and a coffee while I wait, if it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all. Does Reg know that you were drinking with Sirius again?"

"No. He knew I was going over there but then again I didn't know I was gonna be drinking until I got there," James replied with a shrug. "How did you know?"

"You only ask for coffee after you've been with my cousin."

"Oh."

Andy laughed before she handed him a coffee and went to the back to put in the order. James found a seat at an empty table by the window. He liked to watch everybody who walked past on the quiet street. Although, it was busier around dinner time when everybody was getting off work. As he was watching, he saw the cutest black cat across the street and it seemed like it was watching him too. Maybe Regulus would like a cat for his birthday. He had mentioned wanting one as a kid but his parents wouldn't let them have any pets.

A little while later, Andy came back out with his food. James paid and bid her farewell before he finished walking home. When he left, the cat was gone and he was a little sad that he didn't get to pet it. It didn't take long to get home after picking up dinner and the coffee definitely helped sober him up enough that he could get away with saying he only had a beer or two.

"Reg?" James called when he entered their modest two-story house.

"In the office," Regulus called back and James smiled.

He brought the food to the kitchen and set it on the counter before he went to the office. Regulus was standing at his desk and looked like he was trying to figure out the cure for world hunger as he stared at the papers in front of him. James leaned against the doorframe for a minute before he entered and wrapped his arms around Regulus' waist.

"Hey, love," James whispered into Regulus' hair when he relaxed back into James' arms.

"Hey."

"What are you working on?"

"Just this stupid deposition that they insisted needed to be finished tonight so I brought it home instead of staying at the office."

"Oh." James kissed him on the top of his head before he turned him in his arms. "They work you too hard, love."

"Yeah, well. It's a part of the job, Jamie."

"Hmm, maybe. I just don't want you to get too stressed out before you make partner."

"I won't be, not as long as you're here to help me destress," Regulus smirked suggestively.

"There is that," James mused with a light chuckle. "Maybe after dinner though. I picked up Andy's"

"Good. I'm starving and didn't feel like cooking. How is Andy?"

"She seems good. I didn't stay long."

"And how is my brother?" Regulus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sirius is... well, Sirius," James said with a shrug.

"Hmm. And how much did you drink this time?"

James looked at him for a second and wondered how he knew before he shook his head. He figured that Regulus just knew everything and he just had to live with that, not that he was really complaining. James sighed.

"I don't know," James responded honestly. "A few I think, but Sirius was making them strong this time. How did you know we were drinking?"

"Would you believe me if I said I just know?"

"Honestly, yeah but seriously, how?"

"Sirius told me he wanted to see if he could get you to try some new drinks," Regulus said with a shrug before he kissed James on the lips.

"Of course, he did. Would have been nice if he told me that you already knew?"

"I told him not to tell you."

"That's not fair."

"Oh well." Regulus shrugged nonchalantly before he wiggled out of James' arms and headed for the door. "You passed, by the way," Regulus said as he threw a smirk back at James.

It took James a little longer than it should have to figure out what he was talking about, but when he did he was both shocked and not shocked all at the same time. It wasn't the first time the brothers wanted to test him about something. Although, James wasn't sure why they were testing him now.

James left the office and Regulus was in the kitchen, pulling out the food and dishing up the plates. He handed one to James and they sat at the table in comfortable silence for a little bit before James couldn't take it anymore and had to ask.

"Why were you testing me this time? Did I do something?"

"No, you didn't. It's nothing bad, I just wanted to see if you would lie to me."

James wanted to ask more but something in Regulus' tone suggested that it would be better to not ask any more questions about it. He learned that tone a few years ago after he pushed Regulus too much and ended up on the couch for three days.

"So, what do you want for your birthday?" James asked, changing the subject.

"I don't know. I like everything that you get me," Regulus replied with a small shy smile.

No matter how long they have been together, eight years, James would never get tired of that smile. Honestly, he would never get tired of any of Regulus' smiles but that one was always more pure than the rest.

"Okay."

**

James had thought about it all week and he was sure that Regulus would love the gift that he got him. James was sitting on the couch when Regulus came home from work. He was watching something on the telly and pretending like it was any other day. James had given Regulus a small gift that morning and figured Regulus would probably think that was all he was getting him this year.

"You're up to something," Regulus remarked after he toed off his boots and stared at James.

"Why would you think that?"

"You're too quiet."

Well, shit.

"Hmm. I was just thinking," James mused.

"About?"

"Something for dinner. I was thinking we could go out tonight."

"Can we do it a different day?" Regulus asked with a sigh. "I'm tired."

"Yeah, that's fine. Why don't you go lie down and I'll whip something up for dinner and bring it to you."

Regulus stared at James for another minute before he shook his head. "Okay."

He walked towards their bedroom and James waited for a minute before he got up to follow. When he made it to their bedroom, Regulus was standing in the doorway and staring at the bed.

"I thought you were going to lie down, love," James said with a slight smirk but he changed it to a gentle smile when Regulus turned around.

"I was but it seems that something has claimed our bed."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you that your birthday present was on the bed."

"What?"

James walked around Regulus and picked up the small black kitten that was curled up on the pillow. He brought her over to Regulus who instinctively reached up to pet her.

"You got me a kitten?" Regulus asked with awe coating his tone and James could see the tears welling up in his eyes.

"Yeah," James said nervously. "Do you like her?"

"I love her."

Regulus kissed James on the lips before he took the kitten from his arms and cuddled her in his own.

"What's her name?"

"Luna."

Also posted on Ao3: Regulus' Birthday Surprise

[weirdocvnt08]

Title: After-work Nappies

Relationship: Rise!Leonardo/Yuichi Usagi

Words: Under 1k

TW: None, unless you hate fluff and good times

Author is listening to: Gypsy Girl by Crystal Waters

Summary: Work makes you eppy, so cozy nappies with your significant other is just natural.

~<3~<3~<3~<3~<3~

It was the end of the day and more importantly, the end of Yuichi and Donatello’s shift at the shop. Their Thursday shifts weren’t typically hectic considering it’s a flower shop and not everybody in New York are buying them on the regular but today they had a big order that needed to quickly be assembled.

The customer who requested it had come to the shop very last minute as they needed their flowers by the next day for early afternoon, and their boss being the sympathetic person she was had accepted the order. Donnie was not shy to express their frustration towards customers or just people in general who wait until the last minute to do things when they had more than enough time to plan (though that just might’ve been the autism talking). One would think that out of frustration the purple clad teen would give up on their end of contribution with the stressful order, but Donatello never once stopped working and stood firm with Yuichi when their boss attempted to shoo them away and told them to head home when their shift ended, insisting she was fine finishing up on her own.

In the end though, the foam wall of intricate flowers with the additional orders of large bouquets were completed and their hard work figuratively and literally paid off. By the time the two teens left the shop it was night out and very late.

The two stood outside next to the shop in silence (or more so Yuichi since the twists haired teen beside him had their headphones on), staring at passing vehicles.

‘Well, this is boring’ the platinum haired one thought to himself. Looking to his right where Donnie was busy texting someone, Yuichi closed the distance between them to lay his head on the other’s shoulder. He peered up at them and whispered “Why are we standing here? Shouldn’t we be heading to the bus stop that takes us home?”

Donatello swatted the touchy teen away from their shoulder, slightly overstimulated but not to the point of going nonverbal. “Personal space, please. Although I don’t regret helping Su-Wei, staying there later than usual really disrupted my daily routine and I wish to go home now and not in an hour and a half, so I just texted Raph to pick us up. Said he’d be here in fifteen minutes B-T-W.”

The taller teen watched as Yuichi made the tiniest sidesteps away from them, constantly looking up from his feet to see when the other approved of their distance. With only their arm four inches away from each other, Donnie sighed tiredly as they signed ‘you’re good’, knowing that’s how far the Japanese boy would accept being away from them.

Yuichi flashed them a cheeky smile as he opted to communicate with his friend via text as to prevent further discomfort than what Donnie was already in.

Jackass: I know you luv me Donnie :3

Don: Clingy bastard, contain that affection for Leo since he’s equally as clingy and the one you’re dating

Jackass: We’re not clingy we just have a lot of love to give!

Don: My ASS you two aren’t! You two can’t even last a day being without each other.

Jackass: THATS NOT TRUE >:(

Jackass: We can last 3 days without each other >:p

Both playfully bantered about for the remainder of their wait and before they knew it Raph had arrived to pick the two up. The car ride was filled with excited chatter between Yuichi and Raphael, both eager for this upcoming weekend’s wrestling match that they bought tickets for to see live.

The trio arrived to the Hamato household where everyone had already retired into their rooms for the night. Raph informed them that if they were hungry Mikey had stored away leftovers of the sautéed veggies and pan-fried pork chops they had eaten earlier in the fridge, then bidding them a goodnight as he could finally be able to sleep in peace knowing his sibling was back in the safety of their home.

Donatello was next to walk to their own room, stating they needed to deregulate by having “Donnie Time” (which was just them immediately changing out of their day clothes and into loose ones, then curling up and rocking themself in their sensory swing as they play Minecraft).

Now in his solitude, Yuichi realized just how exhausted he actually was with his body feeling heavy and sleep desperately calling for him. On autopilot his legs lead him to his boyfriend’s room, and he hopes his door is unlocked because Leo had a habit of locking it and Yuichi would very much prefer to sleep on his comfortable bed rather than on the Hamato family’s cold couch.

When he reached Leo’s door he found it was indeed locked but heard movement coming from inside. Too tired to use his hands, Yuichi used his forehead to knock on door and after a solid minute of waiting it opened.

“Mikey why are you bang-, Yuichi? Why are you here?” Leonardo, who was dressed in causal sleepwear (his favorite Ebenezer Scrooge type long since gone and ALLEGEDLY destroyed by his twin plus Mikey) with the addition of his favorite royal blue bonnet and a translucent facial mask, looked at his boyfriend quizzedly. It was a school night and the other’s guardian was typically strict about sleepover days, so sue Leo for asking.

“Am I not welcomed here no more? Should I take the stuffed rabbit back?” With a tired shrug he continued “Hueso gave the green light to let me sleep me over this one time ‘cause of how late we got out of work, but since it seems like you don’t want me here, I’ll just go sleep on the cold, lonely couch where I’ll most likely wake up sore from in the morning!” The teen exaggerated as he played off as if he was going to leave.

Rolling his eyes at the act, Leo pulled his boyfriend inside his room by the arm. A surprised “woah” escaped Yuichi’s mouth, allowing Leo to take the chance to close the gap between them and steal a kiss.

Yuichi scrunched his nose as he remembered Leo was still wearing a facial mask. “Nooooo! Your facial thingy’s gonna smudge onto meee!” He muffled out as their lips were still smooshed against each other.

Pulling away, Leo swiped his fingers across his cheek then flipped them over to show Yuichi that it wasn’t wet. “Look, it’s dry, so shut up.” Continuing where he left off, the slightly taller male cupped his partner’s adorably squishy cheeks and pecked kiss after kiss on the puckered lips in front of him, all while Yuichi could only pout as his cheeks were held hostage by the strong grip the other’s hand had on them (not that he hated it, he just didn’t like how he couldn’t kiss him back).

After the broad-shouldered teen released the toned one to peel off the face mask, Yuichi staggered his way to the bed while gradually removing all items and clothing on his being until he was only left in his boxers. He then tossed himself onto the semi-soft king mattress with his limbs outstretched comfortably as he waited for Leonardo.

“That tired huh?” He heard Leo ask when he came out of his bathroom and shut the door close that lead to the hallway. He heard as his footsteps grew closer then felt a nudge on his calf. “Want some pj’s or you good like that?”

“I’m fine like this, now come cuddle me” Yuichi replied as he sat up and made grabby hands at Leo. Amused and ever so loving this extra clingy side from his boyfriend of almost two years, Leo grabbed Yuichi’s phone from his discarded pants and set it to charge on a wireless port Donnie had made for all of them. He then climbed into bed and laid on the right side as Yuichi sat on the left.

Quick to cling himself onto his love, Yuichi slotted their legs together and hugged Leo’s torso as he laid his cheek above his sternum, sighing when he felt familiar smooth hands undo his tight ponytail and running a hand through it to soothe it out. And as if the delightfulness of it all wasn’t enough, he felt Leo softly scratch his short nails around the area where he felt the most tension on his scalp.

Leonardo smiled as he heard the boy below him groan pleasurably and continued the action until he felt that the tension from the hairstyle Yuichi had had dissipated by now.

“So bun, you gonna tell me what happened that made you and Dee come home late from work?” Leo asked curiously but was met with silence. Peering down he slightly shook the other, thinking he was probably just pretending to be asleep. “Yui? Hello?” A soft snore was heard from below, the head scratches from before seeming to be the cause for Yuichi’s rapid descent into slumberland.

The bonnet covered teen sighed as he watched his boyfriend’s sleeping form with endearment. Behind those closed monolith eyelids were the prettiest and most warm brown eyes that almost glimmered under the rays of a setting sun, and if you looked at his face up close enough, you’d notice the faintest of freckles sitting across his golden-brown tawny skin, earned from the hours of outdoor labor on hot sunny days back when he still lived on his aunt’s farm in Japan. And to spike up on the cute-o-meter the Japanese boy had the most winsome smile that accentuated that sportive charm he carries.

Deciding to allow his significant other to sleep, Leo played online with Donnie who was still awake for an hour or so before both of them logged off and called it a night.

Blearily, he pressed soft kisses onto the crown of his boyfriend’s head, heart warm and full and as the heavier his eyelids got, he could only smile blissfully as he too succumbed into peaceful slumber.

[chaoticstrata]

Chapter 3 Snippet

“What time is it?” Aketho asked, drawing Theron’s attention away from his thoughts. 

The human checked the time with his implants again. “Quarter past seven,” he replied.

“Hmm, Lana never gave a time, but I suspect we need to get up and moving,” the younger spy mused, looking back at him, “I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not find out if Lana would hunt us down and drag us back to the safehouse naked if we don’t show up well before noon.” 

Theron snorted and sat up as well, sheets pooling around his waist. “She would do that, wouldn’t she?”

“More than likely,” Aketho chuckled, scooting toward the edge of the bed. He motioned toward the bathroom. “If you want to take a shower first, I can start the caf and make both of us a quick breakfast.”

“Mmm, sounds like a plan,” Theron said, stretching and rolling his neck. “Although I will admit I thought you’d have offered to share the shower,” he added as an off-handed comment, not really thinking the other man would take it seriously. 

He was wrong.

“Now there’s a wonderful idea,” Aketho purred, voice going straight to sultry as he leaned into Theron’s personal space with a wicked grin, “I wouldn’t be opposed if you aren’t.”

Theron was very proud of himself for not sputtering like a fool--although he couldn’t stop the blush even if he tried. Instead of replying verbally, he pulled in the cipher for a kiss, gently parting his lips with his tongue to plunder his mouth. The younger man moaned and leaned in further, fingers going for Theron’s hair again--fuck he loved the feeling of those cool fingers against his scalp. He nipped Aketho’s lower lips lightly before breaking the kiss.

“Start the caf, and I’ll start the shower,” he murmured, brushing back Aketho’s hair.

“Deal,” Aketho said softly, planting another kiss before slipping out of the bed. He headed out of the bedroom, still naked as the day he was born. 

Theron couldn’t help but feel a bit amused and impressed by the younger man’s confidence, he’d have thrown on a pair of sweats or even briefs before walking out into the living area…but then again, if he looked as good as Aketho did, he'd have the confidence to run around his apartment naked too. He chuckled and shook his head as he stood, making his way into the bathroom. Theron punched in a reasonable temperature for the water and started the shower, leaning against the glass door as he waited for it to heat up.

Closing his eyes he breathed in deep before letting it out slowly. Despite getting the eight hours of sleep he still somehow felt mentally exhausted and drained. Stars, what Theron would give for an entire week off, away from all the spy work and people. Just him, an isolated cabin in a forest somewhere, and a really good book he could curl up with. He could already picture it in his head. A warm fire, a cozy couch, and Aketho snuggled up in his arms with said book open. His daydream came to a screeching halt as he felt his face flush. He’d ask himself where that image came from, but it wasn’t like he didn’t already know. Theron was well aware he liked the Aketho, wanted to spend more time with him, get to know him better, make him smile and hear him laugh…Fuck. Maybe ‘falling hard’ was an understatement regarding how he really felt about his fellow spy. Or perhaps he should say he’s ‘fallen hard’ for him instead of ‘falling.’...

Theron sighed and lightly knocked his head against the glass door. Now really wasn’t the time to be dwelling on this. While last night--and more than likely this morning--was a nice distraction, they still had a mission to do…

-----------------------------------------------------

A longer snippet this time. I keep trying to show that they have feelings for each other but refuse to fully acknowledge them. I don't know if I'm hammering it in too hard. -sigh- I just want to get to the KotFE part where I have them confess. ;-; (and maybe the after Ziost part when they spend a week in Aketho's safehouse...)

[fang-and-feather]

Ikemen Vampire - Isaac/Arthur/OC

for FluffMonthly February's Prompt: 🌹 from @flufftober and Be my Valentine 2.0 Prompts: Getting them a bouquet of their favorite flowers and Saving the situation after a burnt romantic dinner by @xxsycamore and @chaosangel767

Isaac's attempt of surprising his partners failed, so he asks Arthur's advice for a new gift to their girlfriend. Arthur takes te opportunity to surprise him.

This fic is a kind of follow up to Surprise Valentines'

AO3 Version / IkeVamp Masterlist / General Masterlist

“You know you could have asked for help, right, Newt?”

Arthur sounded cheerful, but that didn’t help how stupid Isaac felt, after deciding to surprise his partners and ending up only with a burned dinner, having to ask Amy friend for help with the food, and his boyfriend to accompany him to buy something for their girlfriend. And he still had no idea what he could get Arthur for Valentine’s, and he wouldn’t ask.

Why did he think he could have done it on his own again?

“I thought it would be easy enough. It was just a matter of following the instructions.” Which only made him feel worse.

“It is, when you have some basic knowledge. Have you ever tried to cook before?”

That was the same thing Amy had told him when she had found him in the kitchen, luckily, before the smoke alerted everyone to what had happened. Although he doubted no one else noticed.

“And you know how to cook?”

“You would be surprised. Next time we should cook something together.” Arthur stopped walking, staring at the other side of the street. “What about getting Rei some flowers?”

Isaac looked at his boyfriend, then at the flower shop.

“Are you sure it will be enough?”

“It’s Rei. She’ll be satisfied with anything.” Isaac gave Arthur his most serious look. That was not the kind of answer he wanted. Arthur chuckled. “Flowers may be fleeting, but they are perfect for any occasion. Especially when you already made her a gift. You said you only wanted something to apologize for the dinner.”

By now, she would have found out about the incident. Very few things stayed a secret in that mansion, even when most of the residents had gone out.

Isaac had asked Arthur’s advice because Arthur was more experienced with women, or dates in general. He had thought of flowers himself, of course, but he wasn’t sure if they were appropriate. But getting a green signal, Isaac knew exactly what kind of flowers were her favorite, although Arthur helped him chose the size of the bouquet.

When they were leaving, though, Arthur told him to go ahead. Isaac was confused and curious, but went along with his boyfriend’s request. He waited in an alley not far from the shop, but a little calmer than the busy street.

Arthur met him no longer later, with a pair of roses.

“What are these for?”

Arthur gave him a sweet smile that was enough to make Isaac feel warm, both excited and embarrassed. What if anyone saw them?

“They’re for you, luv.” Arthur stepped closer, handing him the roses with one hand and picking up the bouquet from him with the other.

“Why?” Even while questioning, Isaac took the flowers, his face burning.

“Do I need a reason to show my boyfriend how much I love him?”

Arthur’s fingers brushed Isaac’s cheeks, that only heated further.

“Ar-Arthur! Someone will see us.”

“No one is here right now.” Arthur leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. “You’re too cute, Newt. We can continue this on the way home.”

Arthur winked at him and Isaac was sure he would catch fire, even though it wasn’t possible. But besides the embarrassment, Isaac couldn’t fight a smile as he looked down at the roses in his hands.

Sometimes Arthur was such an idiot that he had no idea why he loved the man, but moments like these made his heart swell with affection.

At that moment, he decided to put his embarrassment aside to find an appropriate gift for Arthur.

“I was planning on buying something for you, too. What do you want?” Isaac couldn’t look his boyfriend in the eyes while asking.

“You don’t need to get ne anything, Newt.” 

“But I want to.”

If Arthur really refused, he wouldn’t insist, but it was only fair that he got Arthur something, like he did with Reina.

“So, what about I request something tonight?”

Isaac sighed upon seeing Arthur’s grin. That was not the kind of thing he had in mind. He wasn’t even sure if it counted as a gift.

“I’m serious, Arthur.”

“Me too. There is nothing I would love more.”

“Is this all you ever think about?” Isaac knew that about Arthur, but sometimes it was frustrating.

“Only because I love you. But if that’s not enough, why don’t we stop by a café and you buy me something sweet?”

“Fine. And…” Isaac hesitated, knowing that choice could work against him. “I’ll think about the other thing, if it is reasonable, and Reina agrees.”

Arthur looked surprised before smiling at him.

“And I’ll make sure you won’t regret it.”

He probably would, but once, on Valentine’s, maybe he could indulge Arthur.

Reina excitedly waited for them at the gate when the two returned to the mansion, which probably meant everyone else had left for their own dates already.

“Welcome back, boys!” She kissed Arthur, then Isaac. “Where have you been?”

“I… We went to pick these for you.” Isaac offered her the flowers. “In fact, I wanted to cook for you, but it didn’t work.” To his surprise, Reina laughed as she took the bouquet. “I mean…” he tried to think of a reason why she was laughing and what he should say, but nothing came to mind.

“I heard.” Reina hugged him. “So I wanted to cook while you were away, but I got a little ambitious, tried to multitask and ended up burning everything all over again. So, there’s dinner, but Amy made it. I wasn’t going to tell you if you didn’t want to tell me, though.”

“Well, aren’t you two just sweet?” Arthur hugged them both. “And you were so worried about having to apologize when Rei found out, Newt.”

“You didn’t need to tell her that!”

“But that’s so sweet of you, Isaac. Thank you for worrying, and for getting my favorite flowers. I can’t believe you remembered..” Reina gave him a light kiss.

“Of course I care, and I remembered everything about you.” Isaac smiled, although he was blushing again. “Happy Valentine’s, Reina.”

“Happy Valentine’s, Isaac.” They shared a deeper kiss. “And happy Valentine’s, Arthur.” She kissed him, too.

“Doesn’t this remind you of when we got together?” Isaac had forgotten. It wasn’t just Valentine’s, it was also their one-year anniversary. And right when he said he remembered everything about his partners. “Happy Valentine’s, Isaac. And happy anniversary for both of you.”

They shared a few more kisses, enjoying each other’s warmth. Their Valentine’s hadn’t started on the beat note, but they had a wonderful night ahead of them.

IkeVamp Masterlist / General Masterlist

[the12thnightproject]

Chapter 44: Full Circle. As they head toward Togakushi to (hopefully) greet Shingen, Katsu discovers an odd connection with her modern life and Yukimura's.

And Chapter 45: Shingen's POV - Missing Person - Checking in with Shingen on the other side.

Shingen x OC; Kenshin x MC (Mai)

Previous Chapter: Here

Logline - Disguised as a boy, Katsuko finds herself working for Shingen, but her dangerous masquerade becomes difficult to sustain when she falls for the man with a fatal secret.

We stayed several weeks with Toshiie, which, among other things, allowed my brother and I to celebrate our birthday together. But once the weather changed from Autumn to almost-winter, we took our leave, with hugs and good wishes from Hana, one last ‘Uki’ piggyback ride for Nao, and promises to Toshiie that I would return as soon as I was able.

I gave Toshiie directions to Kasugayama as well as Aki’s house on the mountain in case he needed to get in touch with me. “Where will you be – I mean… which place? I don’t want to lose track of you now that we’ve found each other again.”

“I’ll let you know.” I couldn’t make any decisions or plans until after the wormhole opened at Togakushi. “There’s also a bookseller in Azuchi where you can always leave a message that will find me.” I gave him the location of that as well. That would be the most convenient for him since Azuchi was so much closer to Ikuno than the other two locations.

One last bro-slap between Yuki and Tosh, and one last long hug between my brother and I, then we were off. “See you soon!” he yelled after us. Tosh still hates saying goodbye.

As we made our way out of the town, Yuki gave me one of his suspicious side-eye glares.

“What?” I hoped he wasn’t going to question all the sly glances and eyebrow raises Toshiie had been unsubtly deploying. If he did, I was going to ruthlessly shit talk my twin and claim it was a tic.

“Bookseller. Azuchi. I knew I’d met you before. You were the old man who spied on me.” He punched my shoulder. “What the hell were you doing there?”

“I wasn’t spying on you… or anyone… exactly. It’s a long story.” Although I supposed we had plenty of time.

The journey to Togakushi took a week – which was faster than I had anticipated – as I had been worried we would be delayed by early winter storms when we got into the mountains. We had so much extra time that Yuki suggested we spend the night in his castle, which was less than a day’s ride from the shrine.

“I didn’t know you had a castle.” I tried and failed to picture Yuki as a Kenshin-like lord of a castle. “Of course, you should visit it.”

“Thanks. Except I shouldn’t thank you – I bet there’s a pile of tasks waiting for me,” Yuki said, and further explained that he hadn’t been there in months.

We turned our horses in the direction of what one day would become Nagano.  The landscape was both familiar and unfamiliar in a way that felt jarring. Like a puzzle piece that looked like it would fit, until you tried to place it. “I grew up in this area. It still weirds me out, seeing this part of the country without a big city in the middle of it.”

“How big?” We were riding along the banks of the Chikuma River, and I looked around, feeling the displacement in time more vividly than before, especially since this was close to where I had gone to high school… years that I definitely had not enjoyed (hence the truancy to go snowboarding whenever I could get away with it).

“Um, I guess something like three hundred and seventy-five thousand people? So not huge, but bigger than a village.” I shrugged. “It seemed like a lot of people when I was growing up, but the first time I visited Tokyo, I realized it wasn’t that much, comparatively.”

Yukimura paused and looked out at the mountains in the distance, and the war damaged land in between. “I don’t know whether to be glad that the area came back from this, but that many people is kind of… well, it’s a lot… And this… Tokyo is bigger?”

“A hundred times bigger, I think. Tokyo – well in this era, it’s Edo, but in my time, it’s one of the biggest cities in the world. Maybe the biggest? I’m not sure.” The few times I had visited, it had seemed too big to me. But I had always been one to prefer outdoor spaces. “Maybe I shouldn’t be giving you all this information about the future.”

“Eh, I don’t know what I’d do with it anyway. It won’t change the way I live.” He turned his horse northward, and I got a good look at the building on the hill overlooking the river.

“Ueda Castle? Your castle is Ueda castle?” Had I known that? I should have known that. Not only should I have paid attention in school, I should have paid attention to it. Or, technically, I guess I hadn’t connected the Yuki I knew with the Sanada clan of Ueda castle.

“Yeah… why? Is it still there in your time?” He grinned at me. “I like the idea of it lasting that long.”

“Parts of it have been reconstructed… but yes, it’s still there. It’s a school now. It’s where I went to school.” I laughed suddenly. “I should leave a note for my bratty fifteen-year-old self to find.”

“A school? That’s really great. I mean, if it was no longer needed for defense… yeah… a school.” Yukimura smiled, then pointed to the castle gates. “Race you!”

Yuki was mobbed when he made his unexpected appearance, not only by vassals with issues he needed to solve! Right! That! Instant!, but also from people who were plain old happy to see him. I felt guilty that he’d had to spend so much time escorting me across the country, but when I tried to apologize, he’d gotten all bristly. “Stop that. I wouldn’t have been here either. I’d have stayed in Kasugayama.”

As soon as he crossed the threshold, he was borne off to his main audience room to deal with those urgent issues, so I followed a maid to the guest quarters, then used the bathhouse to clean the week’s travel off me.

After I cleaned up, I took some time to wander through the castle’s garden. Over the past couple of months, I’d had very little alone time, both a blessing and a curse. No time alone meant no time for dwelling on what I was going to say to Shingen when (not if) we were reunited. My time with Toshiie had given me some perspective on my feelings and behavior, but the dreaded worries were returning and I needed to be away from other people to drop the masks I’d been wearing during all of my interactions.

The garden in Ueda Castle allowed me that time and space. I spent an hour or so with my eyes closed and my face turned up to the sun. How do you apologize for something you would do again? I was sorry for how things had played out, but if modern medicine cured him, I would be happy. If it didn’t… then I’d robbed myself of time spent with him. But until I knew the result, I couldn’t regret. I could only hope.

Beyond the apprehension though, I simply missed him. Everything about him: his wicked smile, easy confidence, vast intelligence, and that way he could walk into any situation and know what to do. I missed the way he’d always had of making me feel smart and valued and cherished.

In a day – presuming Sasuke’s theories of time travel were correct – that wicked, smart, confident man would be back. What I didn’t know was whether he would still want to make me feel cherished or whether he would never want to talk to me again.

But… if he was alive, and healthy, it would have been worth it.

I stayed in the gardens until the wind became bitter, the sky became dark and my stomach became hangry. No one had come to look for me (possibly no one remembered that I was there), which likely meant that Yukimura was still trapped doing business with his vassals.

After a few wrong turns, I located a kitchen and begged a tray of food, which I then brought to Yuki’s audience chamber. The poor guy was huddled over a stack of reports. And yup… hair was standing in all directions – I imagined he had raked his hands through it multiple times over the day.

“As much as you’ve yelled at Shingen to not push himself, you’re just as bad.” I carried the tray into the room. “Eat.”

He laughed suddenly, sounding half-amused, half-something else I was not able to determine. “You’re always feeding me.”

“I am?” I thought back. Yeah, I had shoved a bowl of rice or a cup of tea at him on more than one occasion. “Huh. Well, maybe that’s a sign you need to pay more attention to mealtime.” I set the tray down at his elbow. “Anyway, you look busy, so I’ll leave you to it, but… eat.”

He nodded and set the paper he was reading aside. In the process, he knocked the chopsticks off the tray. Both of us jumped to catch them before they hit the floor, our hands touching in the process.

Yuki yanked his hand away as if it had been burned, and he resolutely stared at his reports… but not before I had gotten a look at his face.

Shit.

Toshiie had been right.

I set the chopsticks back on the tray. “Eat,” I repeated one last time before leaving the room. There was absolutely nothing I could say that would not make things worse.

Yuki was my friend – and I loved him like a brother. All I could offer him was, as Toshiie had put it, a steady affection. I could imagine what a life with him would be like… and it was not unpleasant… but it was not what I wanted for myself. It was not what I wanted for Yukimura either.

Even if I could envision a life on a different path than the one I had set myself on, a life that even offered a contentment, a life similar to what Toshiie had with Hana, I knew that I would never take a step on that path. I was not my brother, and Yukimura deserved better than to become someone’s Plan B.

The late Autumn blizzard began that night. It was probably heralding the arrival of the wormhole, which obviously enjoyed creeping around in storms. At least the weather gave Yuki and I something to focus on. I didn’t think that Yuki was aware that I had discovered his feelings, and I certainly didn’t want to embarrass him (or me, for that matter) by calling attention to them.

“Damn Fume and her weather forecasting knees.” Ice pelted my face like little stinging arrows. Besides the snow and sleet, it was even thundering.

“Is that another one of your modern expressions?” Yukimura asked. There were icicles hanging off his hat. He broke off one and tossed it away.

“Sadly, no.” I pointed to another mountain off in the distance. “Before I came to Kasugayama, I was based over there. Fume is the chatelaine and claims she can tell months in advance when we’re about to have a bad winter by how much her joints ache. She started foretelling a bad winter as soon as last winter ended.” Actually, she was always claiming we were going to have a bad winter. And we always had a bad winter. I do not think the two were casually related.

“Oh yeah. One of my vassals is the same way.” He paused and glanced over at the mountain. “You didn’t want to visit her?”

“No. First because if we make it up there, there’s no guarantee of getting down again until Spring.” The path to Aki’s manor wasn’t exactly vertical, but it sometimes felt that way. “Also. She hates me.”

“Maybe she’s grumpy because her knees hurt,” Yuki offered.

“No, she actually hates me. She calls me ‘that- “. I pulled Moonlight to a halt, catching sight of what was ahead of us. “Son of a bitch.”

“You’re right. That is mean—Son of a bitch!” Yuki had belatedly seen what was ahead of us.

Right about where Sasuke had predicted the wormhole would open, a group of armed bandits was camped out. Most were carrying swords, but at least two of them had muskets within reach. Maybe more than that… it was hard to tell with the snow slapping me in the face.

“I think this is where I came in.” Bandits armed with muskets –  just like the ones who had attacked Shingen, Yukimura and Sasuke this summer.

“Why here?” Yuki asked quietly. “There’s nothing out here but the shrine, and it would be stupid to attack anyone going there.”

“Fate.” Shingen had once said that we can’t fight fate. Was that what this was then? Had I saved him from that first sniper, sent him to the future to be cured, only to put him in the path of another bullet? Because if the wormhole opened up and dumped Shingen and Sasuke here, they would not be expecting an attack.

“I don’t believe in fate. We make our own futures.” Yuki eyed the bandits. “Something else is going on.”

We observed the group for a little while – were they simply camping here coincidentally? Why would you camp on the side of a mountain in a blizzard? Then the apparent leader of the bandits stood up and stretched, twisting to give us a full view of his face.

Iekane.

Of course, it was Iekane.

“Son of a bitch,” I said again. While I otherwise would have welcomed the opportunity to capture him, the timing… sucked. And we needed to get him and the others away from here before the wormhole opened. The sound of thundersnow in the distance was a warning that we didn’t have much time.

Yuki and I retreated a few paces to be sure our voices didn’t carry. “What do you think he’s doing here? Do you think he’s after you?”

“From what he said at Kasugayama, it’s Akihira he has some sort of grudge against, not me. Although I’m sure if he had the opportunity to hurt me, he wouldn’t turn it down.” There was only one path to get to Aki’s home and we were on it. Iekane could be lying in wait for Aki to either come or go. Or potentially, I supposed they could be on their way to attack his manor. It wasn’t all that well defended, as its location in the mountain terrain made it an unattractive prospect. You’d have to be extremely motivated to attack it. For whatever reason, Iekane was extremely motivated, although I never understood why. “Besides, how would he know I’m here?”

It didn’t matter why they were here. They were here, and they were in the way.

Yuki peered through the trees. “There’s not that many of them.” He indicated the cover of trees surrounding the bandits. He nodded at my bow. “How many can you shoot before they take cover?”

“Three. Maybe four if they’re slow.” Obviously, I’d want to take out the ones with the muskets first. “The storm is going to add to the confusion on both sides.”

“Three’s enough.” Yuki said drew his sword. “If I outflank them from the left, I should be able to take care of the rest. I’ll give a signal when I’m in place.”

He sounded confident – and if those were run of the mill bandits, then I’d have the same confidence. But Iekane had trained with Aki, and then for an unknown amount of time with Kenshin, so he was a higher-than-average threat. Still. Yukimura was the commander of the Akazonae. He knew what he was doing. I wasn’t about to insult him by telling him to be careful. “Sounds like a plan.”

Good luck.

We peeled off in opposite directions. As soon as I was able, I climbed into a tree and made my way to the best possible blind. The tree limbs were icy, and twice I nearly slipped off – but Shingen’s often repeated claim aside, I’ve never fallen out of a tree, and I don’t intend to start now. Eventually, I settled against the trunk of a beech tree that overlooked the bandit’s campsite and readied my bow.

The storm intensified, with fat flakes of snow whirling from all directions, making it impossible to see whether Yukimura was in position. While I waited for his signal, I kept my arrow aimed at Iekane.

Unfortunately, with the worst timing known to mankind, one of the bandits decided it was time to take a leak - at least that was my assumption given he had untied his hakama and was already rooting around in there as he headed off to the same shelter of trees where Yuki was hiding.

One bandit wouldn’t have been a problem for Yuki. And he wasn’t. But everyone in the camp was able to hear, “Hey! Who are-” before the words were cut off with a gurgling cry.

Iekane leaped to his feet, just as I sent my first arrow winging his way.

Dammit.

He dove behind a boulder, sending up snow flying in his wake.

As fast as I could, I shot the two gunmen, then aimed at where Iekane was hiding. He’d have to come out sooner or later, to either face me or Yukimura, who came charging out of the trees, sword swinging. While the other bandits converged on Yuki, Iekane grabbed the musket abandoned by his fallen comrade and aimed it at where I was hiding. The storm winds were whipping the tree limbs, alternately revealing, then concealing my position on the branch.

“Kaya! I know you’re up there.” He clamped the fuse on the gun. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to bring an arrow to a gunfight?”

“That’s knife, you dipshit,” I said to myself as I shot two arrows in succession. Once bounced off his armor and he ducked out of the way of the second.

As I reached for another arrow, Iekane pulled the trigger. The shot was low. It missed me, but it hit the branch I was perched upon, weakening it enough for it to break underneath me.

Good thing I know how to safely exit a tree (I’ve had enough practice these days). I tumbled into a snowbank and scrambled to my feet.

Iekane frantically tried to reload and light the fuse, but the snow was coming down hard enough to make that task more difficult than normal.

My bow sadly had not fared so well in the untimely exit from the tree, so I grabbed my sword – this was one time that I had ample motivation to attack. Shingen would be proud of me.

Above us, the clouds were swirling and churning – the wormhole was materializing.

Seeing my weapon, Iekane gave up on the musket and drew his own sword. “You never were very good at this, Kaya.”

“I’ve gotten better.” Kenshin had been killing me all summer. I could now last several minutes against him – and Iekane was not nearly the swordsman Kenshin was. “And my name isn’t Kaya.”

“Katsuhira. You’re the only one he gave his name to.” Iekane advanced on me, sword swinging randomly. I spun and tumbled under several wild lunges, but the strikes that did connect nearly disarmed me. Rage may have lessened his accuracy, but it also increased his strength. He followed up one vicious strike with a spinning kick, that I was barely able to block with my shoulder. Forget rules of combat. I grabbed a handful of icy snow, and hurled it at his face, hoping to temporarily blind him.

“What are you talking about?” I gripped my sword in both hands, hoping to hang on until Iekane tired himself into a mistake that I could take advantage of.

“Iekane. Okitane. Takauji – he named us. I came here with him, and he never treated me like anything more than a student.” He chopped down at me, but I spun out of the way in time.

Behind him, that bank of fog crept closer, a wall of writhing grey, as the wormhole began to form.

I jumped backward a few paces – anything to keep Iekane away from Sasuke and Shingen when they came through.

“So what? He ran out of names. Or he couldn’t bother to get creative when he got to me.” It was getting harder to see, as the wormhole’s fog churned around us. Behind me, I could hear the clanking swords, telling me that Yuki was still holding his own against the remaining number of Iekane’s men.

“Why you? A stupid useless girl, and he treated you like you were his son.” Clearly Iekane had missed out on the conversation where Aki slut shamed me, but… details.

If Sasuke and Shingen were coming… shouldn’t I be able to see or hear them by now? I wasted a valuable second of attention to look for them, just as Iekane whirled out of my blind spot and almost hit the sword out of my hand, slashing my arm in the process.

I felt a sting of pain across my forearm, but I’d learned my lesson and didn’t take my attention off Iekane, even to check myself for serious damage.

He charged again. I repositioned myself and whirled away, finishing that up with a kick right into his stomach. He grunted, nearly doubling over, and I advanced on him—

--sword swinging—

-- pushing forward –

and then in my ears, a worried shout from Yukimura-

“Katsu, dammit, be carefu-”

…as momentum carried Iekane and me into the center of the wormhole.

Grey.

Iekane’s fingers dug into my shoulder. His voice rasped in my ear. “You are indeed stupid, putting me right where I wanted to be.”

Then he flung me away—

Far--

Past the center of the wormhole.

This… this isn’t what I remember… at all.

My world filled with the numbing grey.

Was… I… dissolving?

Chpater 44 - SHINGEN POV CHAPTER – Missing Person

Kyoto, present day…

“Much better, Mr. Takeda. Your FVC and FEV readings are in the normal range for your age and build.” Endo Minori, the respiratory therapist Shingen had been working with for the past few months, examined the spirometer. “I wish all my clients were as faithful with their exercises as you.”

Though Shingen nodded in response – why go to therapy if you weren’t going to do everything in your power to ensure its success – he also acknowledged that restlessness had driven him to it. Learning about the modern world through books and film had been his main activities in the early weeks of his recovery, however as soon as he was feeling more energetic, he’d needed exercise. With Minori’s permission and guidance, he’d added to the assigned rehab activities by taking walks around the city and swimming laps in the University’s pool.

Still, there was only so much he could find to do with his time, especially after Sasuke stopped him from dissecting the furniture and appliances. Shingen had thought that was rather harsh, given that not only had he repaired a too-short leg on the coffee table, but he’d gotten the toilet to work better (once he finally managed to put it back together). It wasn’t as if Sasuke wasn’t used to a lack of running water, given that he’d lived in Kasugayama for four years.

Of course, as soon as Sasuke had left on a trip back to the Sengoku era, Shingen had disassembled and reassembled the toaster, the electric tea kettle, and the shower without any problem. Any leftover hardware… probably was unnecessary. Everything still worked. What Sasuke didn’t know, wouldn’t harm him.

“Mr. Takeda…?” Minori cleared his throat to catch his attention. “I’ve uploaded the next series of exercises to the therapy app – but to be honest, they’re mostly for maintenance at this point.”

“Which means?” His phone chimed, alerting him to the successful upload.

“Your follow-up is complete. Continue these exercises daily… but I see no need for additional outpatient visits. The pulmonologist will want to review your chart, but I expect he’ll concur with my assessment. There’s still some scarring left from the surgery, but no reason to expect you won’t have a long and happy life.” He bowed to Shingen. “Er, at least as long as you look both ways before you cross the street.”

Later, after stopping at the Nishiki Market to pick up dinner, and indeed, looking both ways before he crossed the street, Shingen let himself into Sasuke’s high rise apartment. Three months ago, Sasuke had returned to the Sengoku era via the Togakushi wormhole as planned, intending to meet up with Katsuko and Yukimura. At that time, Shingen had only been out of the hospital a few weeks – he’d been told that in order to recover completely, he would need several months of therapy in the Kyoto rehabilitation clinic.

He toed off his boots, then opened the shoe cupboard and – Sasuke’s shoes were in there. He was back. Shingen stared into the cupboard, looking for - and not finding -shoes that would belong to Katsuko. Shingen had hoped that Sasuke would have found a way to bring her back with him, especially since Sasuke’s route had been through Togakushi.

Maybe… she didn’t want to come?

“Sasuke?” Shingen saw the younger man’s shadow behind the frosted glass bedroom door.

Sasuke slid the door open and peered out. He wore one of those absorbent yukatas and was towel drying his hair. “Lord Shingen. You’re looking… I’m pleased that you’re looking well.”

Though he knew he ought to say welcome home or ask how the treks through the wormhole had gone, Shingen went straight to the one question on his mind. “How’s Katsuko?”

Sasuke gazed at him steadily, but as usual, without any expression to hint at what was going on in his head. “Er… we should sit down. I’m told that is the best way to relay… unwanted information.”

Togakushi Shrine Area: Eight months later...

Another wormhole had materialized, then closed, and still no Katsu. Shingen glanced up at the clearing sky, and wondered, for the thousandth time, if she was in another year, or if Iekane had killed her when they’d tumbled into the wormhole together. Next to him, Sasuke straightened from the tense crouch he’d been holding, and Shingen sensed an apologetic platitude was on the way. To prevent hearing another one, he said, “She’ll figure it out. Or you will. I have faith in both of you.”

Sasuke had been apologizing, and theorizing, for months. The apologies never got any better, although they’d never been worse than the first one… the night when Sasuke had explained that Katsuko had disappeared into the wormhole, and apparently not reappeared anywhere. “I was hoping she and I had unknowingly crossed paths in the wormhole,” his friend had said, “and that she would be here with you. But clearly… that isn’t the case. I’m sorry. Theoretically, she-.”

Shingen had been unable to listen any longer and retreated to the balcony of the apartment. Resting his forearms on the metal railing, he looked at the horizon, wondering if the sky had any answers for him. Sasuke always found answers in the cosmos. But Shingen preferred to simply look for beauty in the night sky and find answers in text. Words had a pattern for him that, in spite of all of Sasuke’s impassioned explanations, the sky didn’t contain.

It’s been over a year…

They hiked back to the parking lot, feet splashing in the puddles left by the storm that accompanied the wormhole. “I’ll go back to the observatory in Nodeyama – maybe there’s something I missed.” Sasuke’s voice broke the silence.

“Sounds good.” But Sasuke never missed anything. Though Shingen didn’t want to give up… wouldn’t give up… he was starting to wonder if they’d be better off going back through to the past at the next opportunity. It was possible that Katsuko had found her way back to the Sengoku era. But what if that simply started them on a cycle of endlessly going back and forth and continuously missing each other?

“I will see you at the hotel tomorrow morning,” Sasuke said, as he climbed into the SUV that he used to haul his astronomy equipment around between Kyoto, Nodeyama, and Nagano.

Shingen nodded. He’d rented a motorcycle to get from Kyoto to Nagano. The experience wasn’t at all like riding a horse, and yet he preferred it to being trapped in a four wheeled box… especially if Sasuke was behind the wheel. The ninja-scientist had many many skills… but driving was not one of them.

Once Sasuke drove away, Shingen was in no hurry to leave, especially not to return to the impersonal hotel suite. He wandered over to a soba restaurant that popped up on his phone mapping app – how quickly he’d become used to these modern shortcuts – and ordered a light snack. He’d timed his entry into the restaurant well – managing to avoid a short rain shower that ended just as he left the restaurant with a takeout order of cold noodles.

He made his way to bench that was sheltered under enough tree cover to have escaped the worst of the recent rain and swiped the rest of the wet off with his hand. After finishing off the noodles and washing the snack down with a cup of tea, he reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out the puzzle box that he carried with him everywhere. He’d long since solved it, but it made him feel closer to Katsuko to keep it within reach. The rote sequence of slides and levers was soothing to him, and he occupied himself by running through the series to open it.

Inside, a length of her hair (by way of Yoshimoto who’d saved it after he’d given Katsu a haircut) and a letter that she’d sent via Sasuke. He didn’t need to open the box to re-read the letter. At this point, he had it memorized. She’d obviously been feeling emotional when she composed the letter, it had a rushed quality to it, as if she’d blurted everything out on the page without taking time to craft something poetic. Somehow, that made the contents feel even more intimate.

Dear Shingen, I hope you are reading this, but I wouldn’t blame you if you threw it away unopened. In which case you are not reading this. Maybe Sasuke will fish it out of the trash and you will read it someday. I know that sending you to the future with Sasuke is against your wishes, and if Sasuke would let me, I would go with you. I guess have gone, because if you are reading this, you’re reading it in the future. I want to be there when you speak with the doctor, be with you whether it is good news or bad, and be by your side while you were treated. I know that was how you wished it too… but I’m scared to wait. No, that’s not exactly true. I once watched someone I loved choose to die a little day by day, and no matter what I did, I could not keep her alive. What I’m afraid of is not being able to keep you alive long enough to get you to a hospital. And you need to live. I can’t tell you what I know exactly, because it might be some kind of time paradox if I do (ask Sasuke, he will explain time paradox), but you do amazing things in your lifetime, things that saved a lot of people’s lives. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the courage to tell you in person, or if I’ll get the chance to, so I’m writing it down here. You are the smartest, kindest, person I know. You made me feel like I mattered, even when I was just Katsu, the “boy” who delivered your messages. You matter to me too. When I’m with you, or even when I’m not with you, you inspire feelings that I never imagined feeling. I love you.

What she hadn’t said in the letter, was that sending him to the future against his wishes had not been her idea, but Yukimura’s. Sasuke had told him that Yuki had initially gone to Kenshin and cooked up this scheme. Only then had they brought it to Sasuke and Katsuko. “She was really torn about the idea… we both were, because in our time, the wishes of the patient are honored. And she was willing to risk coming with us, but I told her that if something happened to her in the wormhole, it could make things worse for you.”

In truth, he had been furious. At her. At Sasuke. At Yuki and Kenshin. The anger hadn’t lasted. Not after a discussion with the doctor who had immediately admitted him to a hospital following a series of tests. “While often we watch and wait benign tumors such as these, yours has already obstructed seventy-five percent of your airway. This in turn is putting stress on your heart and could lead to heart or multi-organ failure.” He didn’t have to understand modern medical terminology to get the gist of that. Though he disagreed with their methods, his lover and friends had likely saved his life.

By the time he had been released from the hospital, all he’d wanted was to see her again. That feeling had only been magnified once he learned she had vanished. These days, there wasn’t much left except love and hope. Katsuko was resourceful. If other timelines existed, and she was in one, she’d find that timeline’s Sasuke, and he would help get her back to where she belonged. And if history had simply erased her? He’d go to another timeline and find her in that when.

It was a plan that Sasuke likely wouldn’t approve of, but at least Shingen would be doing something more than waiting for the sky.

@bestbryn

[laxmiree]

[CN] Journey to Wonderful Fairyland Prologue - Lucien’s part translation

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️

This post contains a detailed spoiler for a story that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

✧ Love and Producer X Shining Nikki Collab Event ✧ Prologue (You’re here!) | Amusement Park Rides | Small tidbits from Shining Nikki event (soon)

Experience the thrill of fantasy with him in the Wonderland

On the weekend after early winter, Lucien asked me out and said he would conduct a "photography experiment".

However, after a whole morning of the shooting, it seemed he wasn’t satisfied with any photos.

MC: Not even this photo?

I pointed to the photo I had just taken on my camera, which was perfect in both composition and color.

Lucien: From the perspective of photography, there is really no problem.

Lucien: But that's precisely where the problem lies.

Lucien spread out his hands, the mottled shadows of the trees swaying in his palm.

Although I still could not understand Lucien's difficulties, looking at his frown, I quickly went over to him.

I raised my fingertips, gently smoothed his brow, and pretended to be annoyed.

MC: Then don't frown. If you fail to shoot today, just wait for another time!

Lucien lightly chuckled, seemingly not expecting me to put on this expression.

Lucien: I just figured out how to do it, and I need your help.

MC: You can leave it to me!

Lucien: Then close your eyes first.

I closed my eyes without thinking, waiting for Lucien's experiment.

Tap, tap, tap - there seems to be the sound of footsteps stopping a little further away.

(t/n: he just wants to take her photo, isn’t he-)

As I waited in silence, a powerful force pulled me in from behind, with the soft sound of music suddenly appearing behind me.

MC: ...!

Lucien: MC!

Lucien's anxious face filled my vision, and his embrace melted the pull from the black hole.

A great pulling force came from all directions, carrying us to who knows where.

Lucien: ...It seems that we have to postpone the shooting plan a little bit.

The weightlessness made me tighten my hug to Lucien, but before we fell, he held me securely and landed on the grass first.

Click-

??: Welcome to Paperland*, guests! I'm staff member 0081!

The huge "PAPERLAND" letters hung far away from the castle's entrance, and the staff in pink uniforms greeted us kindly.

Staff Member: I welcome you on behalf of the founder of this place, Mr. Mystery Man~

Staff Member: As the lucky winner of Mr. Mystery Man's invitation, you will be able to experience all of the attractions at Paperland for free.

Lucien: From the way it was done, it doesn't seem like a good ‘invitation.’

Lucien's said it in relaxed and casual manner, but his eyes were indescribably cold.

Lucien laid me on the grass and shielded me with his body.

Staff Member: The guests don’t have to worry. It's easy to go back.

Staff Member: Just find the mysterious man hidden in the Paperland. He is in charge of the key to the gate~

After listening to the staff's explanation, I pulled Lucien's sleeve and exchanged glances with him.

MC: Lucien, I think it seems to be an actual amusement park?

Lucien: So far, that seems to be the case.

Lucien's gaze was fixed on the same spot, but his clenched hand slightly relaxed a little.

Staff Member: Do you have any further questions?

Lucien looked at the Paperland gate and handed the camera to the staff.

Lucien: Can you take a picture for us? As a memento.

Click-

We took our first photo of the park, with a pink-haired girl holding a cat in a yellow cape, walking alongside her friend, faintly visible in the distance.

MC: Why did you suddenly think of taking photos?

MC:I thought you were going to ask questions about how the park came to be?

Lucien: Well, more than that, now I want to keep every happy moment that I have with MC.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next stop-> [Amusement Park Rides]

[teenage-idiot]

In the Blink of an Eye - 17

Avengers Age of Ultron | Quicksilver x Female Reader Fan-fiction.

*WARNING SPOILERS*

Contains strong language, sexual references and mentions of death.

1872 words

CHAPTER 17

The next couple of days went by like a blur. Tony, Bruce, Steve and Vision had been busy going over the information we’d snatched from Hydra a few nights ago; from what I understood it contained some of their plans for the foreseeable future, as well as the names of some high profile members of Hydra who had previously been unknown to the group or the public. The four of them had kept the rest of us updated as much as possible, but since none of us were really one hundred percent on what we were dealing with just yet, they had decided it best to wait until they had come up with a plan of action before taking any further action against the organisation.

My head had been all over the place since the party. Despite everything else going on, I could not seem to get my mind off of that kiss with Pietro. It had been three whole days since it happened, and yet neither of us had talked about it or even brought it up at all. Sure, we had seen each other and spoken to one another, making little jokes and stuff as usual, but neither one of us had actually addressed the situation. A part of me felt that maybe that was for the best; that the kiss was nothing more than a strategic manoeuvre in the heat of the moment, and that there was no way on earth that Pietro felt anything more towards me like I did for him. However, that other part of my brain was niggling at me, saying ‘what if?’ What if he did feel something more?

The comments that Nat, Clint and Steve had made kept gnawing away at me. Of course Pietro and I had grown extremely close in the time that I’d been here, but in reality we hadn’t known each other for that long at all. I couldn’t help but feel that we didn’t really know that much about each other, that he didn’t really know who I was or what I’d been through to get to where I was now, and even if he did – would he still feel the same way? I had things in my past that I hadn’t told anyone. Things Hydra had done to me and had made me do that still haunted me. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to share that with someone yet, to be vulnerable like that in front of someone I cared about and face possible rejection and judgement as a result.

“What is up with you today? You’re all over the place,” Nat said as she landed another punch, this time hitting the left side of my ribcage as I winced at the sudden impact.

“Sorry,” I breathed out defeatedly, lowering my arms from their defensive position in front of my face, “I’ve just had a lot on my mind recently.”

“Oh yeah,” she smirked, “that wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with Pietro now, would it?”

I gave her a pointed look to which she simply raised an eyebrow and continued to smirk at me. I let out a sigh, glancing down at the floor and then back up to meet Nat’s gaze before deciding to divulge to her what had happened the other night. I hadn’t actually told anybody, thinking they’d probably either laugh at me or heavily tease me about it, or more likely both, but Nat had had my back since the beginning, taking me under her wing and looking out for me wherever possible. She was someone I felt I could trust, although she was definitely guilty of teasing me relentlessly from more often than not.

“Well, since you mentioned it,” I began, letting out a breath before continuing to speak, “when we were on that mission the other night, something happened.”

“Oh yeah, like what?” she spoke, quirking an eyebrow like she knew exactly what I was about to say. God, why was this so hard? I let out yet another sigh before turning back to face Nat so I could finally spill the beans.

“Well,” I started, pausing again to collect my thoughts, “he kissed me. As we were leaving, there were security guards coming our way fast and before I knew what was happening he was kissing me, and at first I didn’t understand why but then I realised it was just because we were about to get caught and needed an excuse for being there in the stairwell.”

“Oh my god,” Nat whispered, “Oh my GOD! I told you he liked you, what did I say? I knew it! I knew I was right.”

She was laughing as I tried to explain further, “It was purely strategic though! He only kissed me because we were about to be caught somewhere we shouldn’t have been and he thought on his feet and just did it. I’m sure it didn’t mean anything.”

“Well, have you guys talked about it?” she asked.

“No, we haven’t discussed it since it happened. I mean we’ve talked to each other, just not about…that,” I sighed and shifted on my feet awkwardly as I thought about the kiss again. The feeling of Pietro’s hands on my waist, my fingers tangling in his hair as he kissed me. I quickly pulled myself out of my thoughts, shaking my head as an attempt to shoo them away.

“Look, I know you don’t believe me, or anybody else for that matter, but Pietro has feelings for you. I mean, we all see it. He may have superspeed but trust me, he’s not fast at all when it comes to hiding the lovesick looks he gives you literally all the time.” She rolled her eyes playfully as I gave her shoulder a push. “But seriously, regardless of romantic feelings, Pietro cares about you. Just talk to him about what happened, I’m sure he’s been thinking about it too and just wasn’t sure if he should bring it up or not. You guys are friends after all, he’s probably just unsure of what you’re thinking and feeling and didn’t want to overstep or make you uncomfortable.”

Nat’s words hit me hard. She was right. All this time I’d been so preoccupied with how I’d been feeling and the thoughts swimming around in my head that I hadn’t considered that Pietro might be just as confused as I am, and probably wanted to talk about it and clear the air just like I did.

“How do you always know exactly what to say,” I chuckled as Nat smiled along with me. I knew she wasn’t a big hugger, but I went for it anyway and wrapped my arms around her shoulders, “seriously Nat, thank you.” 

She squeezed my shoulders in return and gave me a pat on the back, “No problem kiddo.”

My day went a lot better after my conversation with Nat. She was surprisingly sincere and sympathetic for someone with the nickname Black Widow, and the knowledge that such a badass avenger was really a big softie made me chuckle to myself as I walked to my next training session for the day. 

I finally saw Pietro at group training, and I decided that after we were finished I would pull him to the side and ask him if we could address what happened the other night. We had just finished packing away for the day and I was collecting my things when I heard a voice next to me.

“Hey,” Pietro spoke softly.

“Hey, I was actually just about to come talk to you, but I guess you beat me to it,” I chuckled.

“Well, I guess you’ll have to try and be faster next time,” he smirked, looking me up and down as he did so. Did he have to be so flirtatious all the time?

“Um,” I let out a nervous laugh, glancing at the floor quickly and then back up to face Pietro to continue what I wanted to say, “can we talk about what happened the other night?” He gave me a quizzical look and tilted his head to the side slightly, “At the party? When we kissed?”

He uncrossed his arms and shifted his position to stand up straight as he looked down at me and nodded, “Yeah, sure. Of course.”

“Well,” I breathed, unsure of exactly where to start, “I know that you did what you did to stop us getting caught, but, when it happened, I couldn’t help but feeling like there was something…more. Like it meant something more.”

“Well,” he said, mimicking my tone from before, “did you want it to mean something more?” He gazed down at me, his ocean eyes boring into mine. I decided to take a leap of faith and just say how I was feeling.

“Yeah, I did. I mean, I like you a lot you know and I think we’ve gotten pretty close since we’ve met and we spend a lot of time together and stuff and now I’m kind of rambling but I think you get the idea,” I trailed off at the end, unsure of how he would react to my somewhat confession that I just ambushed him with.

“Yeah, I get the idea,” he smirked at me and shook his head before turning and beginning to walk towards the training room doors, “oh and I like you too by the way.”

I laughed in disbelief at his behaviour, then quickly caught up to him and punched him in the shoulder, “Don’t do that! I was about to use my powers to open up the ground and let it swallow me whole, you dick,” I breathed out, looking up at him to see his eyes crinkling as a wide grin appeared on his face.

“I’m sorry I just couldn’t help myself,” he snickered as he raised his hands in defence, “did you seriously think it was a possibility that I didn’t like you back though?”

I blushed at his forwardness. Had he really had feelings for me all this time? Maybe I should listen to the others more often from now on. 

“Well, yeah, especially just then I did,” I said, a tone of amusement lacing my voice.

We looked at each other for a few moments, realising that everything was finally out in the open and we had both told each other how we really felt.

“So, what now?” I asked, still feeling a little shy and unsure on how to proceed now that each of us had said what we wanted to say.

“Now, we just enjoy each other’s’ company, and see what happens,” he said slowly, looking down and lacing his fingers with mine before bringing his eyes back up to meet mine.

“Come on,” he said suddenly, gesturing with his head in the direction of the doors, “let’s get out of here.”

I smiled and followed him towards the exit, feeling not only a huge weight off my shoulders for clearing the air, but also a massive sense of elation for having my feelings for Pietro returned. Yeah, I was definitely going to have to listen to Nat and the others more often from now on.

-

a/n - i finally wrote a new chapter!! i think this is the longest one i've ever written too?? idk why i used to make them so short lol but i think imma try and make them longer in the future :) in the meantime enjoy chapter 17!

- t

[local-gay-weeb]

.

[shaarlslec]

friends 

part 2 & part 3 here lovelies;

pairing: charles leclerc x reader (ft. pierre gasly x reader);

summary: Charles sees paparazzi pictures taken with you and a very drunk Pierre and that does not do him good although the three of you have claimed to be just friends.

words: 5000 ish

warnings: mentions of alcohol

masterlist

The three of you grew up together loving racing. You, loving to build the cars as your father’s apprentice and them loving to try the cars that you and your dad were designing.

When Charles got the spot for Ferrari, he took you and your father with him as two of his most trusted engineers, and quite drifted you apart from the young driver at Toro Rosso as you spend most of your time in the Ferrari garage. Since you got the job and Charles the seat, your friendship trio had its lows more than highs, but you still managed to keep being friends with both at and outside the circuits at parties, events, and secret getaways far away from the media.

It has always been Y/N, Charles and Pierre and you could not paint a picture of the future when that was not the case. 

Your friendship with the two young hot boiled driven studs was challenging at times, especially when they fought over silly things or needed girl advice.

You loved every single piece of it.

When you were younger it felt like you had two brothers to protect you from all of the bad in the world, and sometimes two children to take care of for the rest of your life. You have been loving it since the day you met at the karting circuit and later when you witnessed their greatness through all phases of getting into Formula 1.

However, your favourite phase of them all must have been your teenager years when the dream of winning the world championship was further down the line for both.

You dearly loved the times where you three were young, unexperienced, and anxious about everything and all at once and that was because you seemed to be the most grounded one out of the pack, and the boys managed to hold on into that since then and never questioned your pieces of advice.

They often called you the mom of the group and you took your job very seriously without realising the amount of pressure you were putting on yourself to always take care of the two boys and solve their problems, even their girl problems. As it has always been said, boys mature later than girls and you three represented the living example of the saying. 

“Yes, you are right, we need to follow the three days rule.” Pierre spoke, anxiously tapping his foot underneath the table and watching his best friend across it after stealing a glare from you who was seated in between the two boys, “You are a genius, Charles.” 

You let out a soft laugh as you followed Pierre’s glare, you knew exactly why they were anxious about this time. They met two of their fans at the end of the race and the girls managed to slip their numbers into one of their hands, leaving the boys with the chance to text them. They both took the chance, and now that the exchange of messages between them and the two girls were successful, they needed a plan to invite the girls to hang out. You were even more unexperienced as them, having only the two boys standing in front of you to text or call at the sweet age of sixteen. And yet, somehow, they were both searching for answers on your face with their confused glares. 

“Exactly! We need to keep them waiting for three days and then they will for sure want to go on dates with us.” Charles happily nodded, taking a quick look at you as well, “Right?” He then pleaded towards you with those puppy eyes of his, craving for you to approve him and his three-day rule. 

You listened carefully before rolling your eyes and taking a deep breath in, “The three days rule means that you will not reply to any of your girls for three days straight and then expect them to say yes to you inviting them out?” You questioned, taking both of their phones from the table, and demanding them to unlock them with a sharp look.

“You dumb boys.” You spoke, searching first for Charles’ messages and then Pierre’s, “No girl likes to be left on read for three whole days, you are trying to play the hard-to-get card?” You questioned, already replying to the girls you knew they liked but were too afraid to ask out.

“You are both handsome drivers, and within five years you will both be in Formula 1, use that to pick up girls if you think that your own individual charms are not enough.” You spoke, pressing send to both messages, “You are charming enough to not need stupid rules.” You assured them, placing the phones back facing the table and lifting your glare to meet their scared ones, “Trust me boys, you will do just great.” You spoke, grabbing both of their arms across the table for a soft stroke, “It is their loss if they say no to you.” 

“You are right.” Pierre nodded and took the phone with the other hand from the table to wait for his girl’s answer to your reply. 

“You are always right.” Charles affirmed, placing his other hand on yours, “Thank you.”

That is when the phase “Y/N is always right” started and was carried on through the years, and after they successfully went on dates with the said girls you became the one to dictate their love life as well, always, always, always asking for your advice. You enjoyed it for a bit, you liked to be in control and yet things went downhill once you noticed that them asking for your advice when it came to girls begun to bother you even so slightly and especially when Charles required them from you. 

Being the mom of the group meant that you had to treat them the same as if they were your actual children, always having to love them in the same way and always having to cheer for them with the same energy. It was rough for you to do so, especially when they raced against each other. For most of your friendship you managed to keep a balance between the three of you although you stroked Leclerc’s hand a little bit tighter, laughed at his jokes a little bit more, screamed his name in the paddock a little bit louder and loved him a little bit different. 

You could not remember when all of that started, maybe it was when for the first time Charles cried in your arms when he got his heart broken by his first girlfriend or maybe it was for the first time when you noticed that he looks with a type of tenderness that it was not shown to anyone else – not even when he looked at Pierre. Whenever it was, Charles Leclerc’s friendship with you was alternated by feelings that you were not able to understand fully at the age of sixteen, while yours and Pierre’s reminded the same. 

You felt guilty when it came to Pierre, but somehow you knew that he was aware of you adoration towards Leclerc whereas Charles was as dull as a man can be when crushed on by a girl that follows him everywhere. Pierre noticed the way you looked at his best friend, the way your hand went around his shoulders at parties and the way you shily reciprocated Charles smiles.

It was oddly weird for him at first, but as years went by and Leclerc played the dumb card while you were crushing all over him, Pierre found himself really excited about the idea of his two best friends getting together. And yet, none of you made a move towards the goal. You never confessed to Leclerc, you always considered that there was still enough time.

As mentioned, you were young and unexperienced when it came to more than friendship with boys. You stood quiet and silent next to him waiting for the right time to confess with Pierre watching you closely falling every time. The first time when you figured out that Pierre was aware of the situation was when he popped up that question towards you. 

“Don’t you think that now is an appropriate time to tell Charles that you are in love with him?” Pierre asked after Charles’ won the GP3 Series championship when you were both nineteen.  

Your eyes widened at the hearing of Pierre’s words. You tried to deny, but your mumbling gave you away, “I just do—d” You stumbled, and Pierre stopped you by softly pressing one of his fingers on your lips. 

“Leclerc might be foolish, but I am not.” Pierre spoke, watching his best friend lifting the trophy in the air on the podium above your heads, “Just be sure to tell him, he will not figure it out on his own.” 

You gulped once Pierre’s finger was off your mouth, “You are not mad?” You asked him, looking up at the Frenchman whose eyes went down on you and your trembling lip still exhausted by the boy’s touch.

Pierre’s head tilted towards you, “Why would I be mad?” He then asked, “Do you want me to want you to pick me?” He then asked, and you could swear that the entire crowd celebrating Charles went silent once the words were out of your friend’s mouth.

Sultry.

That was Pierre’s tone whenever he leaned towards somebody’s ear to whisper sweet nothings, and you knew pretty much all his manoeuvres. You taught him half of them, and the other half were practiced on you before other girls to perfection them.

You were in love with Charles, but you could not deny the urge to jump at Pierre’s neck every single time when he would use that flirty tone of his. You witnessed Pierre going from that shy sixteen-year-old boy that had no clue how to flirt to this mastermind of a pick-up artist. You got used to the way in which Pierre would accidentally slip one of the lines used with other girls with you, and every single time you would convince yourself that he was just joking with you.

You chuckled then at Pierre’s words, watching the man’s blue eyes staring back at you and that sharp jawline inches from yours.

“You are doing it again, aren’t you?” You spoke, battling your eyelashes at Pierre as a return of the flirt, “Practicing on me.” 

You locked eyes for a while, Pierre not being sure what to answer and you not being sure how to continue. It was one of your inside jokes that Charles was unaware about. You two learning how to flirt from the other. It was fun when you were kids, not knowing nor understanding exactly what physical attraction between two people meant, but as you grew older, and you passed the age of eighteen it became even more dangerous to play with fire when Charles was not looking.

But at that time, Charles was looking from above. The man searched for his best friends’ faces in the crowd and did nothing but to display a huge ass smile once he caught you two next to each other. Pierre took a step back in the crowd and nodded as he started to clap his hands even harder for his best friend once their glares met, throwing you an “If you say so, then yes.” 

Pierre kept asking you the same thing years in a row: when Leclerc won the Formula 2 Championship, when he got his seat in F1, when he got transferred at Ferrari, every time a milestone was achieved.  Your answers were the same, but the flirt that you thought to be innocent between you and the Frenchmen only got more intense as years went by and as you denied your feelings for the Monegasque.

In your defence, you never told Pierre that he was right.

You never confessed to him that you were into Charles, you were only mumbling and bumbling your answers, Pierre figure it out on his own and used every chance he had to tease you about it. You knew that you were not able to hold all inside your aching chest forever but what you did not know is that you were about to pour out all your feelings towards Charles in front of Pierre during that night at the Monaco party.

You went to the famous Monaco party after the disaster that was the grand prix for Charles ending up in P4. You went to one of Charles’ most frequented clubs with most of the people from the Ferrari team that were there to celebrate the podium of Carlos Sainz. You celebrated with them as well, and Charles gave his all to be joyful and supportive of his team-mate as he always is. You caught the man’s glare staring at the floor lost in the intricate thoughts running into his mind. You knew Charles, you knew that face and you also somehow knew that it was your duty to take Charles’ mind out of the events during the day. You wanted nothing more than to know him happy, that man deserved all the happiness in the world. 

“Come on now,” You spoke as you made your way through the crowd until you reached his torso, grabbing your friend by his shoulders with one of your arms, “Dance with me Percival.” You spoke, facing him now as you turned on your heel to glimpse at him from above. 

Charles smiled when laid eyes on you as if the worries inside the man’s mind vanished once your voice reached his ears, “Oh no, not this again.” He then spoke, placing one of his palms on your back to accommodate you in the man’s personal space and to protect you from getting touched by others passing by your back, “Can you stop calling me Percival?” The man spoke, leaning towards your ear to make his words harshly heard as he dropped an octave in his tone, “When will all this teasing stop?” He then asked, somehow snuggling you at his chest even tighter in the process. 

Your excuse for being so close in a public place was the loud music bombing your ears, you could not have a normal talk standing one in front of the other at a decent distance with the music resounding that loud in the club. You enjoyed the closeness, and so did Charles. You returned the smile and reached the man’s back of the neck with one hand while the other rested on the edges of his unbuttoned white shirt, “Never, I enjoy Percival more than Charles.” 

Charles’ head shook a little in a mocking disappointment as he knew exactly what you were referring about. You called him Percival only when he got drunk and somehow gained this unknown confidence on the dancefloor, “You and I both know that I suck at dancing.” Percival laughed, clumsily swirling you in a tiny pirouette just for his hands to lay on the curves of your hips when you faced him again, “Pierre texted that he will be soon here too, you will have the change to dance with someone on your calibre.”

“You and I both know that I suck at dancing too.” You spoke, inches away from the man’s face, “Pierre outdances us by far.” 

Charles denied with that little smile still sprung on his face that made your insides shiver as well as your spine underneath the man’s touch on the fabric covering your skin, “That is just not true.” He then replied, slowly guiding your body on the song’s rhythm as his fingers jabbed more in the white silk of the dress you were wearing, “See? You are doing great.” Your friend spoke as he took his time to look at you from head to toes, doing a rapid scan of your body in that dress without even realizing that his lips were dry and chest heavy as it rose in a sight, “I need a drink, do you want something?” He swiftly spoke, searching for your eyes again after they seemed for an eternity locked on your body. 

You nodded; you were in need for a drink as well. Leclerc’s eyes on you always left your neck dry and your heart throbbing. You danced with him as well as with the other people in the Ferrari team for the next hour or so after he bought you the promised drink that turned in more than just one glass. You and Charles made a pact when you got hired at Ferrari to not let people in your relationship and not to accuse him of favours when it came to your family position in the team. Therefore, few people knew that you and Charles were close friends and you had to keep it that way although it was hard for both of you to keep hands off the other especially after shots went down to your necks as if the liquids inside the glasses were merely water.

Once you joined the group on the dance floor, Leclerc loosen up a little. He danced more, he laughed more, he drank more and shouted the songs’ lyrics louder. You enjoyed seeing him having fun and not think about what happened on the track, but you also took the responsibility to take care of him as you always do. Thus, at every two other questionable shots, you forced him to drink actual water. Leclerc listened; Charles always listened of you. 

“Good boy.” You spoke, handing him yet another bottle of water, “What about seating down for a while?” You spoke, titling your head to the booth few steps away from the dance floor as you grabbed the man hands into yours, “My feet are killing me!” 

Charles’ fingers tingled as you touched them, and he decided that it was for the best to cup your fingers in between his. Leclerc wanted to be in control with at least that, with the way he held your hand in a crowded room where no one noticed that you were that close. You smiled and stroked Charles’ fingers with yours as his grip got tighter around your fingers, “I am not going anywhere, Charles.” You assured him as you looked over your shoulder, “Just the booth.” 

Your voice resounded not only to Charles’ ears but also to a couple of your co-workers who were also in need for a break. Through the noise they could only understand the word “booth” and took it as an invite to follow you and Charles. You sighed once seated down next to him, watching the people from the team cramming over the table as well. You exchanged few glances with Charles, foolish of you to believe that you were going to be left alone in a crowded club in Monaco where everyone knew who he was. Soon enough not only the people from your team joined you two but also people who recognised the driver and who noticed him getting away from the dance floor to a quieter place where they could ask him questions and take pictures with him.

With all the fuss going around the table, with all the glances exchanged between the team members, topics loudly discussed around the GP, and drinks heavily being passed around, your hand was still in Charles’ underneath the table resting on one of the man’s thighs and no one seemed to notice. You would be lying not to admit that you were enjoying Charles attention on you when everyone at the table tried to get his.  

“Are you okay?” Charles leaned to whisper after he noticed your cheeks turning red underneath the purple hues of the club.

You nodded, “Yes, too many shots.” You lied, touching your burning face that you caught him staring at with the back of your hand. 

“Do you want to go and get some air?” Charles spoke, fully facing you now and focusing all his attention on you and only you. Oh crap, he was beautiful. With his hair all ruffled from the heat and his sleepy drunken eyes watching yours, with that white shirt unbuttoned just enough to reveal part of his chest and those soft looking trembling lips waiting for you to say yes, always waiting for you to say yes to his pleadings. 

“Sure we ca—” 

Your sentence was cut short as you were startled by two arms that were not Leclerc’s embracing you from the back. You quickly turned and spotted Pierre in all his drunkenness reaching for the seat next to you. 

“Oh my sweet, sweet friends, I have been looking for you on the dance floor!” He confessed, tightly squeezing you in, “Hello mate.” He then spoke, reaching for Charles’ hand to shake. 

Leclerc’s hand slipped from yours into Pierre’s but then failed to return into yours which was now left empty on the man’s tight still. You gulped and removed your hand from the man’s body, childishly clasping both of your hands in your lap and switching your glare from Charles to Pierre, then back to Charles only to be stolen away by Pierre taking your face in both of your hands. 

“You look beautiful.” Pierre almost shouted after a few moments of simply staring at your face, “You grew up so fast, I cannot believe my eyes.” The Frenchman then spoke, and you could sense that he already had reached his limit of how-many-shots-are-too-many-shoots, “Isn’t she beautiful Charles?!” Pierre asked, still cupping your face into his giant hands, “Did he tell you that you look amazing tonight, or do I have to fight him for not complimenting you again?” Pierre spoke, but now leaning towards you for only your ears to hear the question. 

“Ok, ok.” You spoke as you shook your head, touching the wrists of Pierre with both of your hands to release yourself from the trap, “Thank you Pierre, but I cannot feel my face.” 

The truth was that you could feel your face and your face was burning. First, because you stood right in between the most handsome men you knew and second, because Pierre was drunk enough to already tease you about Charles and you were pretty much aware of the fact that if you kept the two together for yet another hour or so, Pierre would spill the beans on your little crush on his best friend. Pierre almost told Charles twice when they were drunk that he figured out your feelings for Leclerc, and you were still not ready to tell Charles. 

“She indeed is.” Charles replied once your glance went away from Pierre and back to Charles, “Sorry for not saying anything by now.” He then apologised, signalling that Pierre was not exactly quiet when he asked you the before question, “You are stunning, you always are stunning.” Leclerc muttered without taking his eyes out of you not even for a split of a second while complimenting you. 

You shily smiled, mimicking a short “thank you” towards Charles, your neck being too dry now for your mouth to utter the words in loud voice. 

“Y/N is always right, Y/N is always stunning.” Pierre yelled in the space between you and Charles, basically getting on top of you in the process of reaching Charles’ ears to catch his best friend’s attention, “That is the best you can do, mate? Agreeing with me?” He then huffed, “You know that she deserves more than that, right?” Pierre added, his tone switching from that funny type of a drunk voice to a raspier demanding one, “You need to step up your game, my friend.” He then spoke, patting Charles’ chest with one of his palms. 

You rolled your eyes and pushed Pierre out of you by placing both of your hands on the man’s fully bare chest now noticing that Pierre shirt was fully unbuttoned from up to down, “Thank you again Pierre.” You gently spoke, seating Pierre back next to you, “You look like you had more than enough to drink.” You spoke, fully facing the Frenchman now, “Let’s get out to get some air friend.” 

Pierre stubbornly pouted, “You are changing the subject, switch places with me I need to talk with Charles.”

Your eyebrow twitched towards Pierre, “No Pierre, we are going out.” You spoke, roughly grabbing the man’s wrist and shortly looking over your shoulder to a confused Charles Leclerc watching the banter between the two of you while still processing Pierre’s last words, “I will take him out for a bit, you will be alright by yourself?” You asked, catching Charles’ look on you. 

“I—” Charles shuttered, “I do not want to play games with you.” He then replied, “I never played games with you.” Charles continued still being confused by what Pierre was trying to say and why was he so aggressive towards him when it came to a mere compliment which was not even about him to begin with.

You nodded, “I know darling, I know it very well.” You assured him, “Don’t mind Pierre, you know how he is when drunk.” You then tried to clarify as you rose from your seat, “We will be back in a moment.” You said as you carefully placed your other palm on Charles shoulder for support as with the other you were dragging Pierre out from the booth, “Drink water!” You shouted as you leave towards Charles direction, “And you,” You emphasised watching a wombling Pierre following you, “What am I going to do with you?”

“What the actual fuck was that?” You spoke once getting out of the club and letting go of the man’s wrist, “Why were you giving him an attitude for?”

Pierre’s eyes widened in surprise, “I thought you would be happy that you got complimented by him.”

You rolled your eyes again at him and stopped your steps where the lights faded and not many people passed to adopt a defensive pose in front of your barely functioning friend, “I don’t need your help to get compliments from men Pierre.” 

“Not just any men, but Charles.” He replied to you, taking a few steps towards you in the darkness, “Drop the act, Y/N.” Pierre demanded while stretching the back of his neck, “I know that random compliments from random ass men do not mean shit to you, but you are delighted when Charles does it.” 

You crossed your arms at your chest, sustaining your weight on only one of your feet, “I did not ask for your help, Pierre.” You spoke as your arms felt around your body, you knew that you could not get mad at Pierre or return the attitude, you knew that he would use one of his charms and you will be laughing about this argument tomorrow, you knew that his intentions were nothing but good when it came to you and Charles. 

“I am sorry.” You apologised first, “I am getting all worked up for nothing.” 

Pierre let out a sigh and leaned on the wall behind him, “Tell him what you feel before it is too late or try to get over it, there is no easy way out if you keep it for yourself for eternity.” 

You watched your now very much hurt feet as you listened to Pierre, “Easier said than done.” You spoke, taking a full breath of fresh air inside your lungs before daring to look up at him and take two steps towards the Frenchmen. 

“You will get a cold.” You spoke as you faced a leaned on the wall Pierre and started to button up your friend’s shirt, “Do I even want to know why you came to the party barely naked and already drunk?” You inquired, slowly yet surely wanting to change the focus of attention from you to him.

Pierre chuckled as he clenched your hands on the shirt with both of his, “Mom, I will not get a cold and it is basically summer in Monaco!” The child spoke, almost yelling the last three words. 

“Oh shut up, you will wake the entire town.” You sarcastically replied, getting your hands from underneath his and stubbornly continuing to button him up, “There you go, better right?” You spoke, smoothing the shirt with both of your palms as you were happily smiling, “You look handsome too.” You spoke, throwing a cheeky wink into Pierre’s direction, “You grew up so fast, I cannot believe my eyes!” You added with mockery into your tone. 

Your friend’s eyes did not go from you the entire time you were arranging the man’s shirt fact that helped him reach to a conclusion, “You do really behave like a mom, and somehow like a child at the same time.” Pierre spoke, leaning down the wall until his bottom reached the ground concrete floor. 

“Oh my god child, get up.” You spoke, “We can go over there to se-”

Then, again for the tenth time that evening, Pierre cut you off from talking as the man reached for your wrist and pulled you down with him. You rolled your eyes as you leaned your back on the wall, squatting down in your heels as you used Pierre arm as a pillar cupping it into both of yours. 

“You will be a great mom.” Pierre spoke, glaring back at you who was now struggling in finding a comfortable position to seat in against the wall but being unsuccessful to do so just because Pierre was too stubborn to get up.

You sighed, “Do you think so?”

“I know so.” Pierre assured you, leaning his head on your already unstable shabby shoulder to find comfort in the closeness of your bodies, “Charles knows it too.” 

“Knows what?” 

“That you will be a great mom, Charles told me the last time when we met only the two of us.” He then explained, catching your reaction with only one of his eyes opened. 

You gasped, “You are meeting behind my back?” You sarcastically inquired, gently pinching the man’s cheeks as a form of little punishment, “He did?” You then asked, watching Pierre carefully to catch if he was lying or not – you always figured out when he was not telling you the truth. 

Pierre nodded, “Yes, we often talk about how you take care of us and yet never let us take care of you.” 

“That is because you screw up more often than me.”

“You know that you can let us take care of you once in a while, right?” 

You chuckled, “I know, and I will let you know when that will be the case.” You hardly managed to speak as you lost your balance because your feet were unable to sustain you in the squatted position. 

Pierre huffed and then stretched his legs forward, “Such a liar!” He then spoke, covering your waist from the back with one arm, “You are not even letting me know now.” He argued, fully opening his eyes to see the excruciating pain on your face due to the hurting of your feet, “Sit down.” Pierre demanded, signalling you straight to his lap as his grip went even tighter around you ready to slam you down on him.

“On your lap? Now? Here?” You anxiously asked as you shook your head, “No way.” 

“Oh come on now Y/N.” Pierre pleaded, “It is dark, no one is watching us, you are clearly in pain and I need five more minutes here before going in again.” Your friend argued, “I will not say a word to Charles.” 

You were not ready to cave in but Pierre used your hesitation to get an answer from you and used both of his arms to seat you down on his lap, and when the pain from your legs went away as you were not using them anymore you were glad that Pierre offered to do it. 

“I think you might be right.” You confessed to Pierre while getting more comfortable into your new seat, “I should tell Charles how I feel or get over it before it is too late.”

Pierre spoke nothing but agreed with a nod. You stood there in silence for a while seated in your friend’s lap. You thought of Charles, and weirdly enough Pierre did that too. And yet, your thoughts about Charles Leclerc in that moment were far from being the same. You were thinking about how to and if you should confess to him, while Pierre was thinking about how Charles was screwing everything up without even knowing and how you were right there seated on his lap but no move from him would make you even consider him instead of his best friend. It was frustrating for Pierre for so many years, cheering for you two while never joking in his flirts with you. 

And just like that, as you both were lost in your own thoughts regarding Charles Leclerc, no one of you was even aware of the camera that has been taking pictures with you two drunkenly arguing, laughing and seating down outside the party from across the street since the very first step you took out of the club when the man holding the camera chanceful spotted the Alpha Tauri driver Pierre Gasly getting out from the club with a beautiful new women he has not been spotted yet.

You were fully unaware of what a scandal those pictures will rise the next couple of days not just in the F1 press but also in your group of the little three happy friends. 

Neither of you would have anticipated Charles’ reactions to them.

[folkloreguk]

💌🧸 Brother's Best Friend

A/N: Got this request a while ago and now I'm wondering why I've never written this trope before bc this was so fun??? Lmk how you liked it! x

genre: optional bias (m) x reader (f), smut, size/strength kink??, choking, dom!bias (it’s kinda playful tho), brother's best friend!au, sneaking around, play fighting, lowkey getting caught but not directly?

words: ~ 4.1 k

disclaimer: I don’t mean for the age gap to be gigantic…I’m talking about anything from 1-2 years maximum tbh!!! Anything else would be weird and I’m not about that! They’re also both obviously consenting adults!

[H/N means 'his (bias) name']

In youreyes, your first meeting had been a disaster. The new spider man movie had been released only days ago, and you were adamant on seeing it. And to your luck, your older brother and his best friend had already made plans to watch it together. As a little sister, you were treated like the baby of the family, and it didn’t matter that you were far from being an infant anymore. So naturally, your brother had been condemned by your parents to bring you along. He declared his distaste in your presence by attempting to ignore you, but you were used to that. Just like you were aware of his bad moods, you knew he could change within minutes and magically turn into the sweetest, most caring big brother you could wish for.

Whatever. You didn’t need his approval to enjoy the trip to the movie theater, you told yourself. Had it not been for his best friend, who you hadn’t seen in ages. H/N and you had never properly spoken before, and the last time you saw him he had been an awkward, prepubescent boy who had appeared at your door to pick up your brother for a playdate. There was no trace of immaturity now. Instead, it was you who had morphed into an awkward, shy mess at the sight of him.

His ‘hello’ had a warm and deep melody to it which swooped you up in his aura so suddenly, you had no time to prepare. Had his smile always been this stupidly charming? Hell, it was so bright, you had to meticulously inspect the ground every time he sent a grin your way. When before you hadn’t felt guilty for being a bother, you now sure did. What impression would you leave, trailing behind the older boys like a lost puppy? What would he take you for? The annoying little sister who didn’t have friends of her own? The mood-killer, who wouldn’t understand any of the boys’ inside jokes? The anti-social, weird girl who was obsessed with fictional men, like people loved to belittle teenage girls with normal interests?

As things turned out, his initial opinion of you was quite the opposite. If only you could have spied into his brain, it would have saved you a landslide of worry. Although your brother took up all of H/N’s attention before the movie started, he noticed you a good amount. To be precise, you blew him away at first sight. Your cute laugh won him over in a matter of seconds and he liked that your merch sweater could have been stolen straight out of his own closet. He didn’t want to feel too smug, but the way you diverted your eyes away from him whenever he looked in your direction only boosted his confidence further.

Your brother might have warned him. Stay away from her. She’s off limits for you. But not a thousand vicious, older brothers could have kept him from trying to get to you. It was up to you, after all, whether you wanted him around or not, and not to your brother. From that day on, H/N didn’t skip out on a chance to see you, even if it meant merely an exchange of a few words, or a simple greeting. And to his luck, you turned out to be equally as enraptured by him.

There was something about the untouchable, the forbidden, that attracted him to you even more. Plus, you were simply too precious to forget about. One morning, you dropped off a beanie at his place, which he had left at your house after meeting with your big brother the previous day. When he had asked if he could drive you to school as a thank you, you happily accepted. You had marked that day as the first day of your new life. First, it was harmless flirting. To be honest, you were under the impression he was merely messing with you. Because you were the cute little sister of his best friend. Because you would turn into an awkward shell of a person who had lost all ability to articulate, and your cheeks would burn as if they were on fire, whenever he charmed you.

But the flirting slowly reached newer levels, and before you knew it you were discussing your sexual fantasies over text messages and giving him bedroom eyes as you opened the front door for him. “H/N’s here!” you would then shout to your big brother. Then you would watch the two boys walk off to your brother’s room, pondering why life had to be this way for you. It wasn’t fair. Siblings were supposed to share, right? Why did you have to wait your turn until after midnight, when no one would notice, to spend time with H/N?

But to H/N, the sneaking around in the middle of the night and the secret messages you sent to each other, it all added to the excitement. Surely, there were days on which he wished he could just break the truth to your brother. The impact it could have on their friendship was enough intimidation for him to refrain, though. Things were better off this way, for now.

Today was no exception to your usual lies. When your brother asked if you would go out with him to do some shopping, you had played the victim and feigned a stomachache. Your parents wouldn’t be home all weekend. You’d have been stupid to waste a perfect opportunity like that. Who knew when you could have H/N in your bed the next time? Normally, you were restricted to his car, or to his bed in the dark of night. Yes, those places had something enticing at first glance. But the backseat of a car was only enjoyable for so many clandestine meetings. So today you notified him of your golden opportunity before your brother had even walked out the door.

The moment H/N texted you that he was outside your home, you opened the front door and dragged him to your room.

“Are you in control today, little one?” he asked, closing the bedroom door after you.

“Why are you asking that?” you replied, not wanting to talk at all but rather do so much more productive things.

“I don’t know…perhaps because you haven’t let me say a word since I came through the door,” he said.

“Right. Maybe I’m planning on tying you up, blindfolding you, and torturing you with ice and wax,” you joked in a casual tone, despite not usually requesting such graphic ideas.

“I don’t know if I’d let you do that,” he grinned with raised eyebrows. “Besides, I know you’d rather be at the receiving end of that. It’s a sweet idea, though. If we had some more time…”

“Think you could get away from me if I tied you up?” you said, but he was towering over you with the calmness of a king who knew he reigned over the situation.

“We both know I’m stronger than you, doll,” he said. You didn’t like it when boys called you weak. But you’d let it slide, knowing he was only joking and would never underestimate you outside of the bedroom. He put his lips right up to yours, so you felt his breath on them. His fingers came up to cup your face, but then slowly inched to your neck. When they closed around your neck, putting the slightest amount of pressure on your skin, you whimpered quietly.

“Need reminding?” he asked. As much pent-up frustration you had, and as much as your stomach was flipping upside down from how badly you needed him, you just had to play with him. You knew it would make for more fun.

“I think- “ you started, with a grin. Then you grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pushed him backwards, until he was stumbling. Although caught off guard, he was quick to pull you along with him as he fell onto your bed. You landed on top of him with a small squeal.

“Go on, let’s see who can throw the other off the bed first,” he teased with a superiority that only spurred you on. Then again, you would always be in the mood for the oldest childhood game you had ever known. Only now it wasn’t your brother, but his best friend you were playing against. It added a layer of excitement, and after only seconds, giggles had overtaken you as you struggled in his grip.

“No tickling is allowed,” you said. He nodded obediently with a smirk that told you he might not abide by your rules.

At first, you had attempted to hold him down by his arms. But your legs tangled, and he pushed his chest up against yours, like he was about to flip you over. Your plan seemed to be working only momentarily. You groaned a little as he grabbed your wrists swiftly and held his stance against your attempt to pull his upper body to the side.

“Cute,” he said. That’s when you realized, he was barely struggling, barely trying, even. While you were giving your most, he smirked like he was watching a kitten trying to fight a lion. It was child’s play to him, keeping you in check. Literally. With an annoying expression of amusement on his face, he let you have the upper hand for a while. Then, as if you had never had an ounce of advantage, he turned it around and pulled you into him. His eyes suggested he might just send you tumbling down onto the floor any moment now. Nonetheless, you weren’t going to give up so easily. Taking your chances, you let go of his arms and moved sideways, so you could have your go at pushing him towards the edge of the mattress.

“I don’t think so,” he said. Suddenly, he bear-hugged your body and rolled you both over. Before you could protest or defend yourself, your arm was dangling off the side of your bed and if you had moved a tiny bit further, you would have slid off the bedsheets and right onto your carpet. It was his turn to straddle you now. As if his actions hadn’t been enough declarations of his strength, he pinned your wrists to the bed above your head and gave you a challenging smirk.

“I was going to let you win, doll. But you weren’t trying hard enough,” he said. “What are you going to do about it?”

What were you going to do? He had you completely immobilized. “Just let it go, then. We get it, you’re super strong and super big and the coolest,” you said.

He seemed to take an instant liking to your declaration. “Say it again. This time minus the eye-rolling, sugar.”

“You’re stronger than me,” you said, trying to avoid the laughter that was threatening to come out. Could he read in your gaze how badly you wanted him to kiss you already? If he could, he wasn’t acting on it. Instead, he bent to the crook of your neck and spoke.

“Does it turn you on that I can overpower you?” his breath fanned your ear and you had to close your eyes to control yourself.

“Yes. Because I trust you,” you answered truthfully. The corner of his lips curled into a cocky grin.

“You know what? I think I’d rather you stay in bed with me instead of throwing you on the floor. There’s so many things we can do up here, isn’t that right, little one?” His lips brushed over your cheek and then over your lips as he spoke. The nickname had always made you weak in the knees and he knew it. When he finally enveloped your lips in a kiss, you swore you could feel an electric spark jump between the two of you. The mellowness of it turned into hunger rapidly, and as soon as his tongue flicked over your bottom lip, you whimpered like you hadn’t seen him in a year.

“Needy, are we?” he asked, running his hand up your sides and underneath your shirt. He could say that again. “Let’s get these off, then.”

The seconds in which you pulled off your clothes and couldn’t hang on his lips and feel his skin on your body should have been considered a form of torture in itself. Then, time always went by so much slower than usually.

When you had both shed off your clothes, he climbed back on top of you. Instead of straddling your hips he was now resting between your legs. There was nothing separating you from him, and it was apparent not only through the body heat that radiated off him. He reached down and whilst peppering kisses on your chest, slid his fingers through your slick arousal that was pooling in your core.

“You’re so wet,” he said in surprise, but couldn’t hide his approval and self-confidence in his voice.

“I know,” you said, rolling your eyes but simultaneously fighting the urge to moan at the smallest of touches he was teasing your with. “I’m so horny. Can’t we skip foreplay?”

“Poor doll,” he said. “I should’ve come over earlier, huh?”

“You know that wasn’t possible,” you said. With a desperate look, you pleaded him silently.

“I wanna taste you,” he said, but your put your hand on his cheek softly.

“Maybe later?” you said. “Please, I need to have you inside of me. Now.”

“You’re extra cute when you’re this needy,” he smiled. “Are there still condoms in your nightstand?”

You nodded and had never moved so fast to open a drawer in your life. Pretending to have any patience left, you waited for him to roll on the rubber.

“I love the way you look at me,” he said. “When you’re waiting for me. Could watch you for hours.”

“God, I hope you won’t. Come here, please?” you replied, making him chuckle. He lined himself up with your core, but then made no inclination to move ahead. His dark eyes and little head tilt told you everything.

“Don’t mess with me anymore,” you whined, reaching for the back of his neck to pull him closer. “Do it. H/N.”

“Beg for it.” His words twisted something in the pit of your stomach. Although you were burning with hunger, you could never say no to him. Then again, you were curious to see what would happen if you did.

“What if I don’t? Don’t you want to fuck me as much as I want it?” you challenged him. Something glinted in his eyes, and you knew you shouldn’t have even brought it up.

“I can always do this,” he said, and you followed his eyes down his body and to where he had wrapped his hand around his cock. Slowly, he jerked himself off, and you weren’t sure he was biting his lip because of the feeling or to discompose you. His small sigh should’ve been caused by you. This wasn’t what you had wanted. His tip was right by your slit. He could’ve pushed his length in so easily, and yet he wasn’t. Debating what to say, you kept your eyes trained on his hard member that looked so delicious in his hands. His deep groans rang in your ears. It didn’t take long for you to cave.

“Fuck. That should be me around you,” you said. “That should be my pussy you’re fucking and not your hands. Please.”

“Isn’t that right?” he said.

“Yes. Please, fuck me. I would feel so much better than your hands, and you know it. Please,” you whined. “I need you right now H/N. Please.”

You added another ‘please’ – for good measure – because the way his tongue darted out and licked his smirking lips could make you say anything if it would get him to fuck you.

“It’s okay, I’ll take care of you,” he said. “Think you can take me?”

“Yes, yes-, I can! Please, fuck me,” you said in a waterfall of words, and he chuckled handsomely.

“Good girl,” he said, running a gentle hand over your head. “If it’s too much you let me know.”

“As always.”

The tip of his cock gently pushed into your core, making you hold your breath as he entered you slowly. It caused you to feel every inch with every second. Your brain felt fuzzy, and you sighed gratefully at the relief.

“Fuck, you’re so perfect,” he moaned. The carefulness in his thrusts paired with his moon eyes at you only remained that way for a few seconds. Then, he straightened up and grabbed your hips to drag you in closer. You moaned helplessly when he almost pulled out completely, so slowly it almost made you crazy, only to slam his length into you until his tip brushed against the deepest spot inside of you. It was an action he repeated over and over, until you were reduced to a puddle of desperate whimpers, and you clasped the bedsheets in your hands tightly.

“You like it this way, little one?” he asked. He was apparently finding enjoyment in your reaction. How you could barely keep your eyes open, and when you did, your eyeballs threatened to roll to the back of your head. How your fingers clenched around the closest plushie, and you cradled it against your chest in bliss.

“Yes- fuck,” you said. “Feels so good.”

Of course, right as you said this, he had to change things up. His thrusts turned lazy and messy as he leaned backwards slightly. With an equally lazy demeanor, his thumb flicked over your clit, rubbing circles on it.

“Let me hear you. Say my name,” he said, and you quietly moaned his name. You adored the way it sounded, voiced like this, with barely more than a breath underneath your soft tone. Now and then, his cock slipped out of you, making you clench around nothing and furthermore had you going completely out of your mind. When he would push himself into your opening again, it felt as if it was the first time he was entering you today. Except you felt it repeatedly, each time as incredible as the previous. Your mouth hung open, rendered speechless except for the little moans and whimpers sounding from your throat. There was a familiar knot beginning to form in your stomach, tying firmer with each passing minute.

As if he could read your mind, he decided then he was done with his sweet torture of teasing you to an orgasm. You couldn’t be mad at him, though, because what he had planned was just as perfect, if not better. His hands wandered to their original place on your sides, and he began to snap his hips into yours at a faster pace. A small cry of surprise left your lips, while he only smirked at you through heavy-lidded eyes. Impulsively, you lifted your legs a little, intensifying the feeling of his member roughly dragging through your velvet walls.

“H/N, I’m so close,” you whimpered.

“Me too,” he replied, not slowing down for a second.

His broad frame towering over your body was a sight you would never get enough of and his gazes at you were hot enough that they could have stopped your heart in its tracks. A few strands of hair stuck to his forehead and there was a thin sheet of sweat on his neck. It all just made him more breathtaking to you. The slight pain from his nails digging into the skin on your waist was staggering, and you could barely wait to see the masterpiece of marks he would leave tonight.

You were a moaning mess, flying on cloud nine and simultaneously overwhelmed by his treatment of you. It clouded your mind at took over your whole body like you were made for him to fuck you. His length filled up your tight hole and he did it with such force that your whole body rocked into your mattress in a steady, fast-paced rhythm. He let go of your waist then and supported himself on his arm by the side of your head. When his other hand went to your neck you shuddered in anticipation.

“You should see yourself with my hand around your throat,” he said. “So pretty, little one.”

“We can do it in front of a mirror sometime- ,” you suggested, but were cut off at the end of the sentence as his fingers tightened on your neck. Instantly, the effect of it hit you. The lack of oxygen made your head swim in a sea of pleasure and the unrelenting desire to come. Through fluttering eyelids, you peeked up at him. The way he licked his lips and then clenched his jaw, the gorgeous shape of his collarbones and shoulders – you sometimes wondered if he was even real. Every so often he loosened his grip on you. When he did, you took gulps of air and then instantly whined for him to choke you again.

“Let go for me,” he said. “Show me your pretty face when I make you come. I’m fucking you well, aren’t I?”

You nodded as well as you could when he was gripping your throat and you couldn’t breathe properly at the moment. It didn’t matter you couldn’t talk. He was probably not expecting you to answer, either way. In a pleasure-induced trance, you closed your eyes and let it happen, like he had asked it from you. Your hazy consciousness barely registered that he was reaching his high with you. Too overcome were you, with your thighs trembling uncontrollably and your back arching off the mattress. He had let go of your neck and was riding out his own orgasm with sloppy thrusts that only sent you into another frenzy and had you whimpering his name softly. When he had finished too, he slowed down and pulled you into a gentle kiss, rubbing his nose against yours sweetly.

“That was amazing,” he said, and with a blissful hum you nodded. Your lips changed into a pout when he rolled off you and got up. You were tired of sending him back home so quickly. As he discarded the condom in the bin, you put on your most enchanting eyes, so he would have no other choice.

“Stay a little longer, please,” you asked. You knew he wanted to, as well. So although he was aware that your brother could return at any moment, he tumbled back into bed with you.

“Just for a little while,” he said. “Mhm…you’re so perfect to cuddle, baby.” His embrace was warm and his scent comforting, as he hummed a lovely melody. The soft touch of his fingers running through your hair lulled you right into a light sleep. You were awoken rather abruptly, and with half a heart attack.

“Hey Y/N, have you seen my charger- “ your brother’s voice suddenly broke through the silence and you wondered if you would have to pack up and leave the country after this sort of embarrassment.

“It’s not what it looks like,” you said, knowing well enough it was the dumbest thing you could have said. But who could blame you? You had only woken up two seconds ago.

“Really?” your brother asked. “Because I hear H/N sneak into our house so often lately, I’m starting to wonder if his parents threw him out.”

His tone was surprisingly calm.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you,” H/N said to your brother. “I thought you’d hate me and that we’d be over as friends.”

“I know I told you once to leave Y/N alone. But now…I guess it’s cool. She’s been in a great mood lately, and if that’s thanks to you, I think I can approve of you two. Although I’m not looking forward to being a third wheel, I think I can get used to it if I try hard enough,” your brother said. You couldn’t believe your ears, and involuntarily smiled like a fool. No more hiding. No more secrets.

“I stole your charger. I’m sorry,” you said then, making your brother roll his eyes. “It’s by the sofa in the living room.”

“Great. I needed a reason to leave anyway,” your brother said. “I might approve of you, but this situation is still too awkward. I’ll see you tomorrow, then, H/N?”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” the boy in your bed said.

“You’ll see me too!” you added as a joke, as your brother already walked away from the door.

“Unfortunately I will!” your brother shouted, with the unnerving tone only a big brother could possibly muster.

[tbznewberry]

Run & Seek | Mark Lee

Escaping and creating a cat and mouse game to mess with your yandere might not be the best idea.

Genre: yandere

Warnings: toxic relationship, threats, manipulation

Snap. The picture saves down onto the device in her hands and she hurries to get away from there before she can post it and drive him insane. The sun is about to go down, the pink sky is so beautiful, looking like sweet cotton candy. It reminds her of that carnival she was at years ago.

She hurries her steps. Mark could be there any second now. If he's smart enough, he'll understand. He's not stupid, she knows it ... but can he predict where she'll go? When she has gotten further away, she posts the picture to her Instagram story. In less than a minute, he has watched it. His profile picture is a picture of him and her kissing under the mistletoe last Christmas. When everything was — seemed — fine. He hadn't showed his insane side.

Mark was a manipulator unlike any other of his kind. Such a sweetheart in the beginning that slowly but surely picked her life apart bit by bit until she depended on him for everything? Waking up in the morning? He woke her up every day. Something could happen to the alarm! Making food? No sexist rules in this house (although she couldn't understand why he disagreed when she said she wanted to do it). And most important of all — don't talk to anyone. Let him deal with that.

She snaps some more pictures, hurries away from the place, and publishes them. She has to be far away from the place when she posts the picture ... or else he'll catch up with her. That can't happen. She's just having a little fun to give back for everything Mark's done to her the last year. He's messed with her and now it's time for payback. She looks down at her phone, seeing another call coming through. It's the sixteenth in thirty minutes. This time, she answers.

"Y/N!" Mark shouts, stress and desperation exposing how worried he is. "You win! Stop doing this to me! Just fucking stay where you are so I can come get you and we can sort out your crazy behaviour!"

"Why?" she asks, smirking slighly. The sound of him sounding so broken makes it all feel worth it. Even if he'll catch her, she has made him into a mess. Just like he did with her.

"Because I'm fucking telling you to! Y/N, stop! Please!"

"I can't hear you, I think it's bad connection."

"Just wait until I get you. You won't be so damn cocky by then!"

And click. She hangs up. She knows she won't be very cocky once he catches up with her, but the satisfaction of having the power for just a few hours is like a drug. She can understand why he likes it so much. She takes a photo and starts walking. The sun is almost gone by now and the chilly winds are taking over. She has to find a warm place where she can warm up and then come up with a plan. Where should she go? She can't go home to any of her close friends or family. Mark will know. He always does.

She manages to get into a smaller convinience store closeby. She looks at the cashiers place, but notices that no one is working. It's probably their scheduled break time. She starts to walk around the store, knowing she won't be able to buy anything. If only she had some money with her, but all she managed to bring with her is the phone in her hands that are slowly dying of both cold and hours of using it. The cashier comes out and says that the store is about to close and she has to go out into the darkness again. Her head is blank. Where should she go? Her feet are aching. She has to sit down for a little ... but somewhere no one can see her. Like an alley?

She manages to find an empty alley not too far away. The wall she slides down is hard and cold. She blows hot air on her hands and sighs out shakily. This won't end well. Why did she leave Mark from the beginning? He might have been a bad person, but she had a warm bed, food as soon as she got hungry and light. Maybe ... maybe staying with Mark isn't too bad? No, she thinks. Don't give in.

She soon understands that she has to leave. It's dangerous for her to stay in one place too long. She knows that there is a gas station nearby that's open 24h. She drags herself up from the wall and starts to stumble. God, she's so tired. It feels like she'll fall any second. Her phone is dead by now and when she reaches the gas station, she wishes she was too. He's waiting for her. For a few seconds, they both stand still, looking at her. Should she run? Should she give in? It's so tiring to run. A familiar fear fills her body, but it's worse than any other time. She has never done something like this before. The worst thing she's done is raise her voice or throw something at him when she was mad ... but never run away. Before she can react, a pair of strong arms close themselves around her body.

"You're going to pay for making me worry like that", he says harshly in her ear. "Running around like this at this time of night all alone? Do you have a fucking death wish, Y/N?! If you wanted to get hurt, you could just have asked me. I could have done it for you."

She can't answer, all she can do is fall into his arms like a ragdoll with tears running down her cheeks.

"Let's go", he says, pulling her over to his car. "When we get home, I'm going to take away everything that makes you human ... maybe then you can appreciate the things I do for you."

And just like that, she's trapped. Game over.

[crankynewt]

Good for a Weekend (Helmut Zemo)

Masterlist

Summary: You were retired, a disgraced Avenger content living the rest of their life out in solitude. But Sam and Bucky's shenanigans dragged you back into the hero life and you found yourself face to face with the man who'd got you into this mess in the first place. The question is, however, is he really who you thought he was? Or are you just as crazy as him?

Pairing: Helmut Zemo x Reader

Warnings: TFAWS Episode 3 Spoilers, Zemo (he's a warning), swearing, mentions of torture and experimenting (past), drinking, Zemo being semi-protective, I think that's it??

Word Count: 3.41k

Author's Note: Biting the bullet and writing this BEFORE Marvel does something to get us to hate him again. Also, ZEMO AND BLANK SPACE WORK SO WELL TOGETHER OMG.

“You’ve got to be shitting me.” You murmured, looking at the message from Sam flashing across your phone. Although you had stopped dead in your tracks, the chaos of the bustling streets of London continued around you. You pushed your sunglasses further up your nose, them having fallen down as you were peering at the screen of your burner cell.

‘Need your help in Madripoor ASAP,’ the text read. You weren’t daft, you knew exactly what kind of lawless entropy happened on that Indonesian island and if Sam was asking for your help, that meant he was in some deep shit.

‘I’m retired,’ you replied, glancing over your shoulder out of habit. Although you’d been pardoned after the Berlin incident by the government, you were still a disgraced Avenger in the eyes of the world. All you wanted was to live the rest of your life out in peace, a future without the world-saving you began when you left HYDRA with the Maximoff twins.

You hadn’t chosen to become a human lab rat, tortured and exposed to the mind stone until you could suddenly hear the thoughts of others in your head. Telepathy and telekinesis were not necessarily the kind of special skills that employers wanted to see on a resume, but alas, here you were. Thankfully, however, you'd learned to block them out until necessary to violate people's privacy. Fighting aliens and other superpowered entities, including the people you’d once considered to be your family, were in the past.

‘Please. It’s Bucky,’ Sam messaged again. Those three words were enough to make your blood run cold and your heart stop. Bucky was the reason you were in this mess in the first place, and you would be damned if the ex-assassin was going to fall back into the clutches of evil.

With a sigh, you typed back ‘fine’ and began the trek towards your apartment. Your phone was vibrating again immediately, Sam explaining that they would be picking you up at a small airstrip on the edge of the city.

Three hours later, you were walking along a long, concrete runway, the harsh England wind attacking your body as you pulled your leather jacket tighter around you. Your brows furrowed in confusion at the sight of a civilian jet rather than the military-esque vessels you’d become accustomed to. The steps were awaiting your ascent with an older man stood adjacent to the entrance.

“Ms.(Y/L/N),” he greeted. A thick accent laced his tone, one you couldn’t quite determine from the crackling of age in his voice. German or Russian, most likely, you deduced. Attempting to be polite despite your skepticism, you gave him a tight-lipped smile and handshake before the elder man gestured towards the stairs for you. Entering the jet, you turned right to be met with the familiar faces of Sam and Bucky.

“(Y/N)!” Bucky exclaimed, rising from his seat and embracing you in a hug. He held you tightly against his body, almost as if he wasn’t sure you were really there. The super soldier had taken a liking to you when the two of you stayed in Wakanda during your exile, both of you having a certain understanding of the other due to your shared experiences with HYDRA. The sergeant had become somewhat of a brother to you in your time away together. “What are you doing here?”

“Sam messaged me.” You replied, Barnes’ arms immediately releasing you as he whipped around to face Sam.

“You tattled on me to (Y/N)?” He scoffed. If looks could kill, Sam would have dropped dead from the darkness in Bucky’s orbs.

“Wait, if he’s okay then what am I here for?” You said, shifting your gaze to Sam as you raised a brow.

“You’re here to make sure that he stays in line.” Sam snapped, crossing his arms over his chest as Bucky let out an exasperated ‘Jesus Christ’ under his breath.

“Bucky’s fine, Sam.” You replied, rubbing your face with your hand in annoyance as you glanced at the super-soldier.

“He’s not talking about James.” A new voice sounded from behind you, one both vaguely familiar but also strange. Whipping around, you were met with a face you’d only ever seen through a screen. Zemo.

“What the fuck is he doing out of prison?!” You exclaimed, looking between Sam and Bucky in utter disbelief.

“Bucky broke him out of jail!” Sam exclaimed, pointing a finger towards the super-soldier.

“Sam’s the one who pulled me into this mess!” Bucky pointed back.

“You two morons have reached a whole new level of dumbassery!” You exclaimed, keeping a cautious gaze on Zemo in the corner of your eye. “You broke out the man who ripped apart the Avengers out of jail and you let him do it?! The same man who killed King T’Chaka! Do neither of you remember what T’Challa and the people of Wakanda just did for us after we became enemies of the state?! I cannot believe that you would betray their trust and help this monster to escape!”

You paused for a moment, breathing heavily as you looked at the ashamed faces of Bucky and Sam in front of you.

“I’m sorry to-” You heard Zemo begin, you turned to face him with utter rage shining in your eyes. “No! The grown-ups are talking, you can wait your turn.” You scolded him, almost as you would a child but just a tad harsher. Grown-ups may have also not have been the best choice of words to describe Wilson and Barnes.

“I don’t want any part of this suicide mission!” You snapped at the duo, moving to leave.

Thirty minutes later, however, you were still on the jet, glaring into a pair of brown eyes as the four of you flew through the air. Honestly, you couldn’t believe you were still there, but Sam and Bucky knew you too well and pushed just the right buttons to convince you to stay. Sam needed you to tap into Zemo’s mind if need be to figure out if he was planning on betraying them, and you didn’t want two of the last people you trust getting themselves killed if you could prevent it.

Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum were sitting across from each other, meaning that you got stuck sitting across from the Baron in silence. He shifted uncomfortably under your gaze, the darkness in your (Y/E/C) orbs not sitting well with the man.

“So, you read minds.” He began, rubbing his hands together anxiously. You noted the nervous tick and couldn’t help but feel amused at his discomfort, but your expression never faltered.

“You don’t need to make small talk.” You bit, your icy tone growing colder in every syllable.

“I’m genuinely curious, is all.” He began, pausing his fiddling to brush his hair back only to resume it once more. “It just seems like for someone with your abilities, you’re often an overlooked member of the team. You’re the most powerful, even more so than Maximoff or Banner, perhaps, yet you were never truly an Avenger, were you?”

“It doesn’t matter, I’m retired.” You muttered, ending your glaring to gaze out the window. The way Zemo spoke about you was unsettling, especially considering how he felt about the Avengers. He seemed not to think that you were part of the team, similarly to Bucky, and that brought you a feeling of unease.

“And why is that?” Zemo pushed, your avoidance evidence that he’d struck a chord.

“Why do you care?” You scoffed, looking back at the Sokovian man, both annoyance and exhaustion present in your tone.

“Because I think you’re like me.” He answered, his tone becoming quieter. Zemo didn’t look at you with the same rage you’d seen in footage from 2016, nor with the amusement that he gazed at Bucky and Sam with. No, it was something different, softer and analytical, perhaps. You wanted to peer into his mind for something, anything to figure out what he was thinking, but he would likely feel your prodding into his consciousness. As of now, he didn’t seem to have any plans to betray you guys, and you wouldn’t be the one to give him a reason.

“That’s enough from you.” Bucky interrupted, rising from his seat to switch places with you, his brotherly possessiveness clear as day.

The rest of the flight was uneventful, and Zemo provided the three of you with costumes for the roles you were to play in Madripoor. Yours seemed to have been designed specifically to be horribly uncomfortable, both in feel and the amount of skin that was exposed in the cool evening air. The three of you were making your way towards the glowing city shining in the distance, the nerves in your stomach rising with each step.

“Only an American would assume a fashion-forward Black man looks like a pimp.” Zemo explained in response to Sam’s protests over his own outfit. “You look exactly like the man you’re supposed to be playing. The sophisticated, charming African rake named Conrad Mack, aka the Smiling Tiger.”

“He even has a bad nickname.” Sam said, looking at the picture of Conrad on the phone Zemo had just handed him. “Hell, he does look like me though.”

“And who am I supposed to be playing, exactly?” You questioned, still unsure as to what role you would be playing in this scheme.

“My partner,” Zemo said simply, an amused smile working his way onto his lips.

“What?! No! Nu-uh, I’m not doing that!” You protested, Sam chuckling at your denial of what was probably inevitable.

“Would you rather the alternative of all of us getting slaughtered the second we step foot into the city?” Zemo retorted, still humored by your resistance.

“Fine, but if you try anything I’m going to break your nose.” You gave in.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

Soon, the four of you were making your way into a bar, Helmut’s arm wrapped tightly around your waist since the second you exited the car in a mock possessiveness. It was all part of the charade, you had to remind yourself, as the Baron kept your side pressed against his snugly.

Making your way up to the counter, the bartender didn’t look impressed to see the group of you there as he made his way over to you.

“Hello,” He began. “Wasn’t expecting you, Smiling Tiger.”

“His plans changed. We have a business to do, with Selby.” Zemo interjected before Sam could respond.

“The usual?” The bartender ignored Zemo and turned his attention back to Sam, who simply gave a curt nod in response. The bartender turned, grabbing a snake from a jar and slicing it down the underside with a blade. A part of you wanted to cackle, especially seeing Sam stiffen beside you, and you didn’t doubt that Bucky was having to restrain himself as well. Zemo didn’t seem surprised as the bartender pulled who knows what out from the snake and placed it into a glass.

“Smiling Tiger, your favorite.” The Baron commented, the bartender sliding Sam his beverage only to pour two glasses of a different liquor for Zemo and yourself.

“I love these,” Sam said, raising to clink glasses with yourself and the Sokovian man whose arm was still draped around you.

“Cheers, Conrad,” Zemo replied, smiling back at poor Sam. The three of you downed your burning liquor, Sam struggling the most out of the three of you, clearly appalled by the organ at the bottom of his shot. You could see Bucky give a little nod in the corner of your eye, knowing he must be finding this as amusing as you were.

A man soon approached Helmut from behind, tapping him on the shoulder before he turned to face the stranger, shifting you with him. When Zemo felt the little nudge, he immediately pulled you closer to him. You were even tighter against him now, so much so that you had to wrap an arm around him as well to stabilize yourself. It was almost as if he was trying to shield you from the man despite him knowing full well that you can hold your own.

“I got word from on high; you ain’t welcome here.” He spat, getting too close to the two of you for either of your likings. But Zemo kept his air of indifference while you instinctually moved closer into his side. It’s all an act, remember? You have to play the part of the clingy partner who would get frightened at such a rough man threatening you two. Or at least, that’s what you told yourself.

“I have no business with the Power Broker, but if he insists, he can either come and talk to me…” Zemo began, trailing off as he gestured to Bucky.

“New haircut?” The strange man asked Bucky, who merely glowered in response.

“Or bring Selby for a chat.” Zemo finished, this time him being the one to get into the man’s face. Thankfully that was enough to send him away, most likely to Selby or this Power Broker who seems to be Madripoor’s own version of Big Brother.

You could feel Zemo let out a breath that you don’t think he even knew he was holding, giving a quick glance down at you before placing a peck on your temple. For the facade, of course. But what wasn’t fake were the butterflies rise in your stomach, something that you hadn’t felt in a long time. Were you… Flustered?

No, you reminded yourself internally. This was a very bad man holding you close, the same one who killed the former King of Wakanda and ripped your team to shreds. Not only that, but he hated all the Avengers, so why did he seem to like you? It doesn’t matter whether or not he likes you, he’s Zemo. But the more time you spent with him, the more intoxicated you became. He was starting to look more and more like your next mistake, and love is certainly not a game you wanted to be playing with him. Right?

The next thirty or so minutes were a blur. Bucky having to fake being the Winter Soldier to kick a bunch of men’s asses to finally meeting up with Selby, only for Sam to break your cover through a phone call and Selby quickly being shot. The four of you promptly exited the bar, attempting to remain inconspicuous until bounty hunters from all around started shooting at you. Bucky and Sam jumped forward, meanwhile, Zemo darted to the right, dragging you with him as he moved his hand from your waist to interlock your fingers.

You cut through alleyway after alleyway, hiding in the shadows as gunfire echoed around you. Eventually, you managed to catch up with Bucky and Sam, approaching the pair with your hand still in his.

“Well this is too perfect.” A female voice interrupted your mini-reunion, Sharon Carter emerging from the shadows as she ripped down her hood, gun fixated on Zemo.

“Drop it Zemo,” She started, Zemo raising his gun-holding hand before lowering the weapon to the ground. “You cost me everything.”

“Sharon, wait.” You reasoned, raising your hand as you slowly backed up.

“What, are you his lover now? His sugar baby or some shit?” She badgered you, causing your eyes to widen as you only just remembered that you were still holding his hand. You quickly dropped it, raising it to match your other arm as Zemo sent you a look that you couldn’t decipher. Oh, how desperately you wanted to look into his mind, but the little bit of sanity left in you told you to leave it be.

“Someone recreated the super-soldier serum and Zemo had a lead,” Sam explained.

“That explains why you guys are here. And Selby’s dead.” Sharon replied, gun still pointed at your group.

“So what are you doing here?” Bucky questioned the blonde.

“I stole Steve’s shield, remember? I also took the wings for your ass so that you could save his ass from his ass and became a criminal with their ass.” She explained, pointing the gun at each mention of whoever's ass it was that turn. “Unlike you, I didn’t have the Avengers to back me up, so, I’m off the grid in Madripoor.”

“Hey, don’t blow that smoke. I was on the run, too.” Sam rebutted Sharon’s complaints.

“Was. Is. Big difference. I don’t speak to my family anymore - I can’t. My own father doesn’t know where I am.”

“Listen…” You began. “Sharon, we need your help, the former agent only laughing in response. “Please.”

“This isn’t over.” She conceded, shaking her head at you. “I have a place in High Town, you should be safe there for a while.”

Sharon’s place was definitely nicer than yours is now, and you’re not even on the run anymore. She, thankfully, had a change of clothes for you to slip into, the soft material much a welcome relief from the tortuous item Zemo had you wearing.

While you were waiting for Sharon’s guests to begin arriving for whatever event would soon be taking place downstairs, everybody slowly filtered out of the room until it was only Zemo and yourself remaining.

“Can I ask you a question?” You spoke up, breaking the silence from your spot on the sofa as you glanced towards the Baron seated across the room.

“Ask away.” He smiled, taking a sip from the amber liquid in his glass.

“What did you mean earlier, when you said we were the same.” Your voice was quiet now, so much so that you weren’t sure if he’d even heard you. That is until he got up from his seat and slowly walked towards you.

“I never wanted to tear the Avengers apart, not until they killed my family. Destroyed my city… Sure, I didn’t like them, but I didn’t want to destroy them. It was all about vengeance.” He began, sitting beside you on the yellow fabric. “For you, it was HYDRA who ruined your life. You joined the Avengers because it was where the last people you had left were going and it was the easiest way for you to ensure the organization was destroyed. You never wanted the idolization that came with being a hero, and it was clear when your work was done that you had no desire to keep going. Everything that came after the Sokovia Accords was out of survival.”

“I’m not saying you're right,” you began, “but what would that make me, then? Insane? Cause that seems to be the running theory.”

“You’re not crazy, despite how rumors fly. Neither am I, really.” He began, eliciting a small smile from you at the last bit he added. “You’re a fighter, someone doing whatever it takes to get their agenda done. Whether that means breaking the law or joining the Avengers, nothing will stop you once you put your mind to it - it’s one of the things I admire about you.”

You pursed your lips as you focused on the amber fluid floating in its crystalline home, him taking another sip of the burning liquid. Your gaze shifted back to his face, and oh god, look at that face. Maybe it was the liquor in your system already or maybe your last bit of sanity was finally escaping your mind, but suddenly his past didn’t seem to matter anymore. You had plenty of red on your ledger as well, and the more he spoke the more you began to sympathize with him.

“So you admire me?” You smirked, crossing your arms as you tilted your head slightly to the right playfully.

“Why don’t you look into my mind and tell me?” He replied. Reaching out, you gently placed your fingers against his temple as you gazed into his consciousness. Flashes of magic and madness, ideas of a love that could be forever or go down in flames. You didn’t go searching deeper, because your own mind was racing. Would pursuing this be worth all the pain that could very well follow? No, not could, would. You’d be betraying your former teammates, but what did that matter much anymore.

Rather than pulling your hand away, you placed your lips gently on his, tentatively, even. He tasted of expensive liquor and a hint of peppermint, and you found yourself intoxicated. The kiss ended far too soon for your liking, him pulling away so his brown orbs could gaze into your own.

“So… What do you say?” He asked, cupping your cheek in his hand, you place your own over top of his.

“Why not?” You smiled back, reconnecting your lips to his.

“I can make the bad guys good for a weekend.”

Taglist:

@fanfictionedagain @lam-ila @b0nnyzz @haydieenzzibug @cyanide-mustard @duchess-of-new-shire @the-chocoholic-writer @milenadixon @real-fbi @golddenlioness

[360iris]

Wanna Be Down (George Weasley x Reader x Fred Weasley)

Warnings: Pure smut! She/her pronouns for the reader! No funny business between the boys I promise! There’s bound to be some typo that I missed, sorry ‘bout that!

Word count: 1,628

Summary: There’s a birthday, a bunny costume and The Twins... What could go wrong?

A/N: This was originally meant to drop on their birthday, April 1st... I’m 28 days late for that but hey, better late than never! It’s been collecting dust for the entire time and I wanted to set it free. I hope someone enjoys it!

“You want me to- to wear a bunny outfit and have the two of you…” You faltered nervously, the words seemed foreign on your tongue.

“-fuck you in it.” Fred finished for you with a wide grin, as if this was the most in the ordinary activity to plan.

The twins wanted to sleep with you? This was the first you’d heard of it, that’s for sure. And though the thought sent waves of excitement through your body, the prospect was daunting.

You’d been friends since diapers, a meager six hours separating your births. And whether the bond that formed later was predetermined by fate, or by pure chance, it was wholly indestructible.

Through the years, the three of you operated perfectly insync. Remaining quite persistently glued at the hip; completing every task deemed worthy enough as an odd unit.

There was an unspoken rule that each of you would make sure that the others felt equally included in activities.

So why should taking your virginity be any different?

“We’ll be twenty in a few hours, Y/N. Don’t you want to kick off the new decade with a bang?” George asked, his face genuine and voice laced with just the right amount of sweetness. He always did know how to persuade you into going along with Fred’s crazy schemes.

“Quite literally in this instance.” Fred added cheekily and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes.

“Both of you have had sex before though. Plenty of times in fact! You told me about it afterwards! In vivid detail at that! Why are you so worried about me now?” Your brows were furrowed, lips turned downwards in a pout.

Sitting criss-cross on your bed, you tugged one of the many pillows on your bed into your lap. Squeezing it tighter when you met their gazes again.

Fred had his hands tucked into his jean pockets, happy as ever. He acted as if it was only a matter of time before he’d get the answer he wanted.

George on the other hand, at least looked like he was having a conversation with you; and not like he was just waiting for you to realize you’d never actually said no to them before. His eyes were soft, assessing your demeanor before approaching your spot at the foot of the bed.

“You know you’re our favorite girl. Don’t you, Y/N?” He questioned and you suddenly felt smaller looking directly up at him. Ginger waves caressing his cheeks and pooling at his shoulders.

“I mean- I suppose.” You replied dumbly.

“Who do we always come back home to?” He asked again, his left hand lifting up from his side to comb through your hair. The pads of his fingers brushing against your cheek as they went.

“Me.” Your answer was hushed, though it was only the three of you in the flat. They’d closed the shop downstairs hours ago.

“And who trails after me as much as she can during the day, practically jumping into my lap the first opportunity she gets?” His voice was getting lower and his gaze remained fixed to you, you tried your best not to squirm.

“M- Me.”

“Lastly, whose the babygirl that slips into my bed at three in the morning because she stays up too late and gets scared?” He was teasing you now, you knew it, but still gave him a reply.

“Me, George.” Both of his hands were cupping your face now, fingertips laced in your hair, you couldn’t look away even if you wanted to.

“So when I ask my favorite girl to put on the outfit I picked out for her, so I can make her feel good on her birthday, what do you think I want to hear back?” A single brow arched as he waited for your answer, ignoring Fred’s quiet “I helped choose it too, y’know.”

Wrapping your fingers around his wrists, you thought about all the times he and Fred had slept with other girls. How deep down you’d wished they’d looked at you the same way.

He allowed you to remove one of his hands, a dark smirk splitting across his face when you’d slowly brought it between your legs. Only coming to a stop when he was cupping your heat.

“I think- I think I’ve been holding out for you.” It was no higher than a whisper, but it’d been the truth nonetheless. He smiled wider at this confession, leaning in and pressing a light kiss on your forehead.

“All the more reason not to disappoint.” He responded, you faintly registered rustling from behind him.

“Y/N, dear?” Fred called.

“Hm?”

“Time to put the outfit on.”

It’d been relatively easy to slip into the get-up. The bodysuit, wrist cuffs and neck piece fitting like a glove.

“When did you get my measurements?” You asked, looking down at yourself.

“Since when have we not had your measurements?” Fred laughed, pulling you onto the bed with him until your back was flush against his chest. Your head comfortably leaning back on his left shoulder.

George following after you, settled for sitting up in front of you, his knees digging into the pink duvet.

“The ears are a nice touch.” He remarked with a pleased smirk. “Don’t you agree, Fred?”

“Absolutely. All white suits her.” He replied matter-a-factly, hands already roaming your torso. Ghosting over your exposed thighs, he hooked a finger under the bikini line of the bodysuit and let it snap back into place. Your hips jutted outwards at the impact.

“Want to hear you ask for it, Y/N.” George was palming your calves, making you feel small again.

“What do you want me to say?” Your brows furrowed curiously at the request, breath hitching when he utilized his grip to pull you further down Fred’s chest. Your ankles eventually hooking against George’s shoulders.

“Want him to play with your little cunt, don’t you baby?” Fred asked from above you, heat rushing to your face at his words.

“Y- Yeah.”

“Then ask, darling.” He grinned at your eyes widening as you met his gaze upside down.

Turning your attention back to George, you absentmindedly bit at the end your thumb nervously. Sure you’d used curse words like anyone else in the world, but the thought of actually asking the twins to fuck you was on a level you’d never thought you’d reach.

“Georgie?” You tried carefully.

“What is it, baby?” He replied softly, a smile playing on his lips, patiently waiting.

“Want- Want you to make me feel good.”

“How?” He prompted, delighting in your fidgeting. Fred however wasn’t feeling as patient, sending a soft smack to your inner thigh.

“Don’t have all day, bunny.” He chided, slowly massaging the site.

“Want your cock, Georgie.” You finally relented, wanting nothing more than to hide your face in your hands, but you feared being spanked again by Fred. 

George rewarded you with a kiss, palming your clit through the material. He swallowed up every whimper that escaped your lips, only answering by expertly thumbing the area faster. 

“Let’s see how wet you are, bun.” Fred whispered, pulling the bodysuit aside to reveal your heat. Running a finger through your folds, he promptly brought it to your mouth. Smirking widely when you began meekly sucking at the digit.

“I’m gonna get you ready, okay sweetheart?” George asked, mouthing at your neck. He didn’t move until you garbled something close to “okay” through Fred’s fingers sadistically pressing down your throat.

Armed with plenty of lube, the first finger sliding into you felt like nothing. By the third, he resorted to distracting you by rubbing your bud to ease the initial stretch. Although nothing could have prepared you for how uncomfortable taking his tip was.

It was a slow process, full of the boys tenderly guiding you to breathe deeply and relax your muscles. With the abundance of their attention focused on outweighing the discomfort with pleasure, eventually the mild pain began to blur around the edges. 

The level of satisfaction that rolled over you when you’d finally reached the hilt was like no other. 

“Good girl.” Fred purred into your hair as George wiped away a stray tear from the corner of your eye. “Took it like a champ, didn’t she, Georgie boy?”

“Sure did, Fred. Squeezing me so nicely too.” He replied smiling proudly.

“Full- So full.” You whimpered blearily, not sure which boy you were grasping for. Each accepted one of your wandering hands, giving them an encouraging squeeze.

“You’re doing so well, babygirl. How about you let me make you feel good now, hm?” George’s voice was gruff as he patiently waited for you to nod back in response.

Soon the discomfort had melted away, leaving only the easy slide of George’s length and the gratification of being engulfed between the loves of your life. 

You promptly got lost in the jumble of mouths, hands and pleasure. 

“Gonna come for us, love?” George asked, holding your hips done to focus his thrusts. 

“Can I- Can I, please? Please let me come!” You whined desperately, unable to distinguish whose hands belonged to who.

“Go ahead, bunny.” George answered and it was all you needed to hear. Your visioned blurred as your toes curled, the only thing you could register was that he was fucking you through it. Fred’s fingers circling your clit didn’t let up until you were pathetically trying to pull at his wrist.

A weak mewl fell from your lips as George pulled out of you spent. Simpering under his praises, you closed your eyes. 

The sudden smack against your face was sobering, leaving you blurrily blinking up at Fred’s eager grin.

“I hope you didn’t think you were off the clock, bun.”