#and I think Eiffel was affected by it in a different way

[hephaestuscrew]

We know very little about the childhoods of any of the Wolf 359 characters, but one of the few things we do know from canon is that Eiffel and Minkowski were both bullied as children (at least according to how I interpret Minkowski's speech from Shut Up and Listen, and Pryce telling Eiffel "Oh my, that was quite a beating Alison Thornton gave you. Second grade was not a happy time, was it?" in the finale). Which is unfortunately not unusual enough to be surprising, but is still a sad thing to have in common.

[tumbleweed-run]

Could Gale ever be Poly?

Situationally. Yes

Am I the person who wrote an entire post about Gale being a jealous (rightfully so) man? Yes.

But hear me out, in the aftermath of BG3, as long as we took everyone's "good" route. I could see him eventually agreeing to a 3rd. Not just any but very specifically Astarion. And while this is partially bloodweave brainrot I assure you I have considered it.

It wouldn't be easy for either of them, and realistically Tav. But Gale would start out as the main, Astarion and Tav are just BFFs. Astarion learning that love can be without strings.

They invite him to Waterdeep, away from the city and it's memories but also towards a potential Vampirism Cure/Day walking spell that doesn't involve becoming Cazador. Because Gale would be the most qualified to find that cure. And I bet his tower is easily traversed in the daylight hours without risk to Astarion.

It could just stop there, the three of them happy.

But we're discussing a triad.

I think the first crossroads towards romance would actually be Gale/Astarion. Astarion would still be himself and while his innuendo and flirting is generally accepted as just Who He Is and no one pays it mind. Maybe Gale off handedly agrees to whatever entendre that is proposed, as a challenge or just truly "yes I would agree to doing this dirty thing you've joked about." Astarion would be

at first. Mostly from shock but then he'd dwell on it. Tav and Gale aren't shy with touch, with each other or him. He's regularly hugged and cuddled, sometime's he's even the initiator. It's not uncommon for Gale to emerge from his study after hours to find them curled up on the same couch each immersed in their own thing.

Gale's probably the first one to be surprised by his own lack of jealousy when he happens upon the scene for the first time. But it just becomes the norm. And when Tav is off working on their own thing it eventually becomes common to find Gale and Astarion knee to knee in the study, each with excessively large tomes, leaning over one another because they're both working from BOTH books.

So that first time Gale is blatantly like "yeah lets do that" Astarion is struck by the fact that... he actually might want to. But he's reluctant because Tav's (and admittedly Gale's) friendship is unexpectedly more important that anything as fleeting as 'romance' or 'lust'.

But Tav is 200% on board when the conversation get brought up by Astarion (in the 'ahaha you wouldn't believe...' way). They love both these idiots, albeit in different ways, and wouldn't mind. Even if it was just Gale&Astarion.

But it would never be JUST those two because of how deeply both men care for Tav. Whatever they build to becomes normal. Maybe all three sleep in the same bed, Astarion position on the outside so he can sneak off when he's done resting. Maybe they just constantly find each other making overlapping decisions about future adventures or where to look for a rumored cure.

Part of the reason why this works is Gale and Astarion are not dissimilar. They face their trauma with different takes but it's deeply embedded in who they are and how they'll approach life forever more. While Gale is 100% willing to try and give Astarion more autonomy than he's ever dreamed of, believing that 'if you love something set it free' line. Astarion would spend a lot of time trying to get Gale to see and accept that while he made mistakes he was far from the villain in his story. Tav would spend most of that time trying to run around thwarting miscommunication and reigning in Astarion's god-killer urge despite also wanting very much to punch Mystra.

So while I think both men deserve to be 100% the center of someone's affections, I also believe they could eventually find a healthy trio dynamic.

(and also do whatever the faerun equivalent of an eiffel tower is to tav regularly)

[headcanonpalace]

Here are more headcanons/ similarities of Ladynoir and Superbat because I'm way to invested in these ships.

1. Cat Noir and Batman both flirt with their superhero partner.

While Cat Noir as hero is generally more flirtatious and shows his affection towards Ladybug, Batman is secretive and behaves extremely professional.

Nonetheless both of them have some amazing pick-up lines they (sometimes) use at the worst time possible. And let me tell you, you can't compare these lines to cheesy stuff like 'Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?'. No, these guys are pros at flirting and know how to use words.

Ladybug is used to this and found a way to hide her excitement, so Cat Noir has to get creative. Batman on the other hand can easily turn indestructible superman into a blushing mess, what makes things so much more fun for him.

2. Clark and Marinette love watching their partner.

Sure, you can say it's the same with Bruce/ Adrien but I see some differences here.

Both Clark and Marinette do things that require a good eye for the little things. The things someone else might not pay attention to.

Clark naturally does ist with his superpowers, the job as journalist does the rest. With Marinette it's nearly the same, she just loves to create fashion instead.

So both of them directly see the habits their partner has. A furrowed brow, chewing on lips, playing with a pencil while thinking.

They love to watch Bruce/ Adrien without any ulterior motives (because let's be honest, that's what Bruce does. He observes and doesn't just look) and enjoy the time they spend together.

Every glance while their partner isn't looking makes their day.

3. They danced around each other for so long everyone went mad.

This should explain itself pretty good. I think both ships had a really long 'talking stage'.

After they revealed their identities and found out about the alterego of their crush things got awkward. It took some time to adjust and accept the fact partner and crush are the same, but they became an even better team afterwards.

After that it got clear pretty fast that feelings were involved (for everyone except Superbat and Ladynoir).

I think at this point eveyone knew that the pairs were head over heels for each other, wether it were Alya, Plagg and Chloé or Alfred, Lois or any of the batkids.

At first it was funny watching them dance around each other. All the tension, flirting and 'dates' that definetly weren't dates.

Then it got annoying. Time went by and nothing happend. No progress at all. How could they be so dense?

The fun was gone and all the superbat/ ladynoir interactions made their friends and family nearly explode. Even some help (from Dick or Alya) didn't work out.

When the ships finally sailed Lois was throwing a party, just as Alya.

4. Batman and Cat noir love the strength of their partner (not in a sexual way).

Superman is incredibly strong, I don't think i need to say much more. This guy can move planets if he wanted to.

Ladybug might not move planets, but let me tell you, this girl can carry buses, buildings, even the Eiffel tower.

With superbat it's easy to say that superman is physically stronger, with ladynoir it's a little different. I think they are nearly equally as powerful with Ladybug being a little stronger.

In the beginning this fact wasn't really that spectacular to Batman/ Cat Noir until their partner did something to show their power and they were simply at awe.

Were they fascinated? Impressed? In love?

Maybe (for sure) all of it. From that moment on they always watched Ladybug/ Superman secretly while fighting because them beeing so absurdly strong makes them feel things.

They may be jealous sometimes, but most of the time they just love their partner for beeing so strong and using it for the greater good.

[vonkarma2]

literally over a year ago I did a wolf 359 survey with a total 180 responses and then forgot to publish the results 😁 sorry everyone. but I thought I might as well post them now in case anyone is interested <3 spoiler warning also btw

question 1: who is your favorite character

solid mix as you can see, but Hera and Eiffel beat everyone else by a fairly decisive margin

question 2: who is your least favorite character

most people just chose the major villains, though it’s interesting hilbert and kepler also had quite a few people put them as their favorite. by this metric, hilbert is the most divisive character

question 3: which group of characters do you most enjoy to listening to?

I don’t have any commentary this is pretty expected. Fans of the podcast tend to enjoy listening to the group with by far the most screentime

question 4: which group do you find the most narratively compelling?

all the “side character” groups got a bit more attention, but the responses for lovelace’s hephaestus crew doubled. presumably, something about their offscreen tragedy had versus the relatively little of that that was shown in their episode intrigued people

question 5: which group do you think is the most well-written?

si-5’s time to shine, though of course the hephaestus crew was still more popular. it makes sense for 3 people introduced a cohesive team and handled as such for a long time

question 6: which characters do you like as a person? (not as in thinking they’re a good person, but as in feeling some amount of affection for them)

Eris wasn’t added for a while, so the results are skewed for her. Interestingly, Eiffel was more people’s favorite character, but Minkowski got slightly more votes by this metric.

question 7: which characters do you like in the sense that they are well-written and contribute to the podcast’s themes?

The “villain” characters got way more votes in this sense, especially Hilbert, but all the original Hephaestus mission characters except Eris had several fewer.

question 8: which characters do you think are funny?

Doug Eiffel crowned the king of comedy. That result would probably be different in-universe.

question 9: did rachel young killing kepler make you like her more or less?

strong plurality of survey respondents did not care. still, despite the frustrating nature of the death and the unpopularity of young’s character, more people approved of it than not.

question 10: who had the best monologue in Am I Alone Now?

makes sense based on how popular hera was earlier in the survey, especially when her monologue here pertains very strongly to the core of her character.

question 11: is minlace real?

sorry for putting this question on the survey. there were a lot of “yuri”/“ambiguous” or polyamory-based write-in answers

question 12: what is Kepler’s sexuality?

Even more sorry for this question. Pretty even split, but I really liked the 7 pages of write-in answers.

question 13: Did Miranda Pryce have girl power?

Despite being the most hated character, respect for women in stem remains strong among wolf 359 fans.

question 14: if you got to kill one wolf 359 character, who would it be?

basically just the most hated characters again, though seeing the difference between Cutter 23 responses and everyone after him is pretty funny.

so that’s how it panned out :) iirc there’s an image limit on posts, so I’ll do an addition with funny things people said on this in an rb 👍

[dawndelion-winery]

Strong Enough

Was craving some hurt/comfort<3

Scaramouche × GN! Reader

It was so...peaceful. Like Inazuma hadn't been at all affected by his absence. It was both comforting and hurtful how the place he'd found himself tied to hadn't changed, and yet a painful reminder of just how insignificant he was, how weak - too weak to change anything for himself. But that could change....that had to change. He had the gnosis now, the power of a god; surely he could do something with it?

"Scara...please take a break. You keep pushing yourself and I'm starting to worry-"

"Worry about what? That I can't handle it?" He snapped. "Because you think I'm not strong enough either? You're no different from my mo- the archon, then."

You were worried. How could you not be? His body rejected the power of the gnosis before, since it'd been too much for him to take. Such power wasn't for everyone, yet he seemed to take it personally, blaming himself even more when his creator whom he'd come to think of as a mother cast him aside for it. A touchy subject, so much so that you couldn't even begin to think of how to comfort him without the puppet getting defensive.

"You've always been enough..." you answered unthinkingly, your hand with a mind of its own, reaching to stroke his navy hair. You heard him scoff, calling you a liar, but he made no move to avoid your touch. And so you slipped your arms around him in a hug, relishing the peaceful silence since neither of you were sure what had to be said.

One day, you'd know how to kiss his pain away, tending to the wounds so they never reopen and hurt him, but until then, it was all you could do to soothe him. So you had no choice but to let him tear himself apart to find something in himself worth proving; there was nothing you could do but watch as your beloved grovelled in the dirt for some sign his mother hadn't forsaken him completely.

And then you'd patch him up, whisper sweet promises of how you'd be with him the whole journey, stitching him back together even if only for a while. You'd assure him, certain that Ei hadn't intended to throw him away so heartlessly even if you daren't claim to know the inner workings of a god. Lies or not, if it gave him some semblance of peace and comfort in your arms, it would do. Because your Scara was strong - strong enough to let you keep putting him back together time and time again as he found his way back to you, and so much stronger than he gave himself credit for.

Taglist: @myluvkeiji @pluvioseprince @aqui-soba @favonius-captain @tiredsleep @raincxtter @gensimping-for-all @irethepotato @almond-adeptus @mx-kamisato @yuzuricebun @chaosinanutshell @heizours @haliyamori @callmemeelah @sadlonelybagel @plinkuro @thevictoriousmoon @mastering-procrastinating @lovers-on-the-eiffel @cxlrosii @miss-fantazmagoria @lychme

[krovscastlerpg]

It’s a special Valentine’s Day Ask Wednesday! To participate, just reblog this post and remember to send asks to the other players participating!

Romantic Headcanon Meme

Send a number (and, optionally, a ship) and I’ll describe:

How my Muse acts differently around their love interest(s)

What my Muse admires about their love interest(s)

What sort of daydreams / stray thoughts they have about their love interest(s)

Their worries/insecurities regarding their love interest(s)

How they express their interest/affection prior to a relationship

How they go about confessing their attraction

How they respond to a confession of attraction

How they respond to an anonymous love letter

Any physical/emotional/mental/spiritual feature(s) they find attractive

Personality traits they find attractive

How my Muse handles date night preparation

Ways my Muse goes out of their way for their love interest(s)

Ways my Muse seduces (or tries to) their love interest(s)

My Muse’s attitude towards sex and when/how to bring it up with their partner(s)

The differences between lust and love for my Muse

My Muse’s kinks and how they would bring them up to their partners), if at all

My Muse’s sexual fantasies regarding their partner(s)

How my Muse shows their love for their partner(s) non-verbally/through actions

What my Muse says instead of the words ‘I love you’

Any pet names my Muse has or would call their partner(s)

How my Muse would comfort their partner

How my Muse would tease their partner

My Muse’s thoughts on marriage and their position as a spouse

My Muse’s thoughts on starting a family and their position as a parent

My Muse’s thoughts on their experience / skill in bed

My Muse’s favorite part about having sex with their partner(s)

My Muse’s go-to gift or treat for their significant other(s)

My Muse’s favorite way to spoil and/or pleasure their partner(s)

My Muse’s preferred method of being spoiled / pleasured by their partner(s)

Ask any other question you can think of!

Punny Pick-up Lines Sentence Starters

( in the spirit of Valentine’s day, here’s a compilation of various funny & punny pick-up lines !  Feel free to adjust them to better fit your muses and/or add more context. )

🚪  ❝ I a-door you ! ❞

🍵  ❝ You’re a cute tea ! ❞

🧁  ❝ You bake me crazy ! ❞

🫁  ❝ We belung together ! ❞

🐚  ❝ You’re very spe-shell ! ❞

🧈  ❝ You’re my butter half ! ❞

🔥  ❝ We’re a perfect match ! ❞

🍲  ❝ You make miso happy ! ❞

🥕  ❝ I carrot live without you ! ❞

🐻  ❝ I love you bear-y much ! ❞

🍌  ❝ I find you very a-peeling ! ❞

🐳  ❝ I whale always love you ! ❞

🍞  ❝ You’re the loaf of my life ! ❞

🦦  ❝ There’s no otter like you ! ❞

🦐  ❝ You’re shrimply the best ! ❞

🍉  ❝ You’re my one in a melon ! ❞

🍕  ❝ You have a pizza my heart ! ❞

🐰  ❝ Nobunny compares to you ! ❞

🪵  ❝ Wood you be my valentine ? ❞

🍋  ❝ This is my best pick-up lime... ❞

🍅  ❝ I love you from my head to-ma-toes ! ❞

🌮  ❝ Can we taco ‘bout how cute you are ? ❞

🍄  ❝ You take up so mushroom in my heart ! ❞

🍍  ❝ If you were a fruit, you’d be a fine-apple. ❞

🗼  ❝ Are you a tower? Because Eiffel for you ! ❞

🌽  ❝ I know it’s corny, but you’re a-maize-ing ! ❞

🍩  ❝ I donut know what I would do without you ! ❞

☕️  ❝ Words cannot expresso how much you mean to me ! ❞

🧀  ❝ This might sound cheesy, but I think you’re really grate ! ❞

Ask meme credits: x x

[disorganizedkitten]

A Bug To Bee Talk

Miraculous Ladybug | 2018 | 1,050 | Ao3

It's a shock when you learn that you can't live more than three, maybe five, years anymore. And for all the fun it is being a Hero, is that worth it? Maybe, but sometimes, the reality hits hard.

Queen B settled on the Eiffel tower, her usual bright attitude subdued. She loved being a hero, but the lifespan effect was a definite downside.

She had never thought that having a Miraculous could have a downside. Recently she was wondering if the other Miraculous did as well, or if she had just gotten the short straw for being so mean.

“Something on your mind?” Queen B jumped as Ladybug sat down beside her.

“Just, civilian stuff,” She denied quickly. What if Ladybug thought she was weak because she was worrying about this?

“The lifespan?” Ladybug guessed gently. Queen B nodded, not looking at her. Was she being selfish to worry about that? Had Ladybug guessed so easily because she just knew Chloe would think this way?

“It’s a little disconcerting knowing that unless we defeat Hawkmoth we won’t live to see our dreams come true, right?”

Queen B nodded again. “It’s weird having a time limit. I used to, well I always thought I’d have forever to do anything and everything I wanted. Now that I know I might not, everything’s different,” she confessed.

“Yeah. How are you holding up?”

“I’m,” Queen B swallowed. “Like I said, it’s weird. Today I almost broke down crying when my dad mentioned having grandchildren. I’m an only child, so when I die,”

“I know how you feel,” Ladybug spoke when Queen B trailed off, her voice tight. “My parents aren’t going to take it well. Some nights I feel like we’ll never catch Hawkmoth, and I cry about it. I’ve always had big dreams, and knowing I might never reach my goals, it leaves a hole sometimes, Queen.”

“That’s not something to be ashamed of?”

Ladybug snorted and shook her head. “Having emotions isn’t bad Queen B. Neither is being ambitious. That’s part of being human.”

Queen B scoffed. “Humans who’s lifespans are tied to animals.”

Ladybug shook her head. “It’s a bit ridiculous, isn’t it?”

“It’s utterly ridiculous! Where do the rest of our lifetimes go? Kwami are immortal, so they don’t need to siphon them, do they just get chopped off? Do they turn into power so we can transform? Or are Kwami immortal from taking out life force?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s just a side affect to scare off misusers,” Ladybug tossed out, shrugging again. Queen B noted, somewhere in the back of her mind, how fast they went from a serious to half-joking while talking. Was this how Chat Noir had helped Ladybug cope over the last seven months? Joking around whenever it came up?

“Are you okay with having the death sentence of a bee’s life?” Ladybug asked, nudging her.

“Yes? No? Not really,” Queen B sighed, “But at the same time, knowing I have a time limit has pushed me to fix my mistakes.”

“Mistakes?” Ladybug ventured, but her tone told Queen B she didn’t have to answer. She did anyways.

“Yes. I’ve, I haven’t been very nice recently. Like, four years recently.

“I’m trying to make up with people, but some are harder to talk with than others. Two in particular. One, who’s life I’ve made miserable for as long as I’ve known her, and another, who’s stayed by my side even when I was horrible and gave her every reason to leave me alone.

“I want to tell the one how much she means to me, and how thankful I am for her and her friendship. And I want to tell the other that I’m sorry, that nothing I said about her was ever true. I was just jealous, and didn’t know how to deal with it. The sight of her makes my blood boil, but, she’s really more worthy of a Miraculous than I am,” Queen B shook her head, her blonde ponytail flipping.

“And yet you got the Miraculous. Queen B, that means something, okay? A Miraculous is both a blessing and a curse. You have to be worthy enough to wield one, and strong enough to do so knowing the consequences.”

Queen B smiled wryly. “Thanks Ladybug.”

“Although, there is a way to get around the side effects,” Ladybug noted, a moment later.

“What?” Queen B turned, an eyebrow raised.

“It’s what I do with Rena Rouge. She still has a normal lifespan because she isn’t constantly bonded to her Miraculous,” she explained, tapping her collarbone.

“So, if I take off the comb, and it resets?” Queen B asked, confused.

“Not exactly. You would have to reject it, or give it up temporarily.”

Queen B shook her head. “No thanks. I might do that right before my time is up, depending on how bad it gets, but like you said, strong enough to wield a Miraculous and deal with the consequences. I’ll keep going. Besides, making up is a good thing for me to do.”

Ladybug smiled, placing a hand on Queen B’s shoulder. “Thank you. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you said yes, but saying no proves you are truly worthy. I’m glad you’re on the team Queen B.”

Queen B felt herself puff up at the praise. “Thank you.”

“We should probably head in for the night, but, I’m proud of you B,” Ladybug stood up, starting to swing her yo-yo. “And, if you ever need to talk again, call me. Okay?”

“Okay,” Queen B nodded, standing up as well. Ladybug shot her one more smile before slinging the yo-yo out and swinging away. Queen B gave her half a minute to get far enough away before she headed back to Le Grande Paris. She flew into her room and detransformed, feeling better and ready to go to sleep at last.

“I’m so proud of you Chloe!” Pollen greeted the girl with a cheek hug as soon as she was out of the comb.

“Really Pollen?”

“Yes. I know Ladybug already told you this, but you’re strong. Even if you built your armor the wrong way, it was still thick enough to preserve the you that is a hero.”

“I-thank you Pollen.” That was another thing Chloe was doing more now that she had limited time, thanking people.

Chloe got Pollen a snack before actually following Ladybug’s advice and going to bed, feeling much better than she had since she learned she had limited time to live.

[doom-nerdo-666]

A piece of D4.10 concept art that could result in a fun city platforming level (And some talk about Hell on Earth as a concept)

This specific building looks like a resistance base for the survivors of the invasion and it's like a collection of different structures, where things are stacked on top of other things

Almost like a futuristic/apocalyptic favela or Doom's version of a "Mega City block" from Judge Dredd.

It's essentially a "tower" and i think that's why it could be a fun level: Just to see Doomguy "climb" it.

Like a platforming tower where the player jumps to go up and avoids traps/hazards while fighting enemies.

And i mean this in the gameplay context of new Doom, even if this piece of art comes from a cancelled game that could have hurt the series.

But concept art like this seems tame compared to the potential gameplay and some other ideas.

Something about "Hell on Earth" in general

Exploring a doomed Earth in Doom is interesting and partially because D2 never felt like it had a "proper Earth".

And this case feels special because of other games at the time (Particularly, Build Engine ones like Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior) that did more with Earth based worlds.

It's why Eternal is a special game in that regard, but it's also focused on other settings since it wants to "expand" the Doom universe.

Some people expected a variety of places (Like movie theaters and sports fields) or actual real countries and cultures being explored in a "world tour" way.

Specially to see how Hell affected other worlds, like what if the Eiffel tower had tentacles around it or the Big Ben is transformed into a flesh monster or a dark castle.

Meanwhile, Final Doom had a jungle-like aesthetic and a secret Egypt level.

(Maybe one could count the PS1 Mansion level and then the "Club Doom" disco level)

Mods and wads eventually had their takes on the concept in a variety of ways, some obviously under GZDoom/modern features but even vanilla/older wads try to make their maps feel lively.

A personal favorite among fans being the single map Doom City by Shamus Young.

[crossguild]

imo one of the pitfalls of podcast fandoms being so incredibly white is that a lot of people miss the HUGE racial aspect of 'shut up and listen', an episode where lovelace (the only canon woman of color in the podcast) has to initiate a conversation about the way eiffel has been alienating & othering her throughout the entire series-- an episode specifically written by gabriel urbina, a costa rican immigrant to the US

memoria is rightly regarded as one of the most podcast episodes of all time, but shut up and listen is the episode that made me stop and go 'holy shit', because it is a really, really nuanced depiction of privilege & microaggressions that really could only have been written by an immigrant of color

i obviously don't speak for every poc in the w359 fandom, but i can say with a lot of certainty that a lot of us heard that episode, where lovelace, hera and minkowski tried to speak to eiffel about how his shitty behavior has been affecting them while eiffel continually tried to downplay and deflect how harmful his behavior was, and went 'this is exactly what it's like trying to talk to white people'

and that's a person they like, who they've rallied around and have gone to lengths to help and protect despite the way eiffel treated them, because they recognize that his intentions weren't harmful and that he truly did mean well

and after lovelace spoke to him, the first reaction eiffel had wasn't to recognize the harm he was doing or to change his behavior, it was was to immediately reassure himself that he's 'not a bad guy' (something lovelace neither said nor implied), and then to seek validation from minkowski. and the conversation with MINKOWSKI reflects what a lot of fans of color end up doing in primarily white fandom spaces, where we want to participate but in doing so have to tolerate endless microaggressions:

in fandom spaces that are mostly white, where all of the active members are white, and poc rarely speak up or leave very quickly, the reason isn't because shit isn't happening; it's because we've decided that picking those fights isn't worth it, because they don't result in any genuine reflection or change

they'll try to frame the insensitive comments as 'just a joke', without malicious intent-- which lovelace pointed out as well:

the way eiffel immediately took criticism of his ACTIONS as a reflection of his value as a person is pretty standard stuff for white people (and really, for ppl in any position of privilege who want to frame criticism of levers of power and their complicity in them as a personal attack) and that extends to how people engage with characters too

i've had conversations where people project onto characters so much that they take mild criticisms of the character personally, like getting mad when we talk about how jacobi is a condescending asshole and eiffel treats women pretty horrendously, or getting upset when we point out the ways minkowski fell short as a leader while she grew into that role, which was in canon a major part of her development as a character

it's pretty apparent when white people respond to any conflict as though they were being personally harmed by poc asserting boundaries, or they take other people having a differing opinion as an invalidation of their experiences (which weirdly enough only seems to happen when it's poc with the conflicting opinion), and the only solution i've found to all this is really to just curate your own spaces.

relying on other people to genuinely change their behavior when there's no actual pressure, desire, or requirement to do so is just setting yourself up for disappointment, and unfortunately that's been true in every fandom i've ever been a part of! people who don't know how to exist in a diverse space are VERY obvious, and usually weed themselves out, and conversely white people who can handle being in a diverse space are everywhere too

anyway! i think people really need to listen to 'shut up and listen' (a very pointedly named episode) with understanding of its context and intent-- that lovelace, an alien and a black woman, pointed out that eiffel was behaving terribly about her being an alien (which has direct parallels to the treatment she experiences as a woc) and he immediately tried to make it about himself and his value as a person instead of the impact of his actions on others.

hera, whose AI-ness has parallels to disability, and chronic pain, and trans identity, understands that eiffel cares for her but she still took the time to point out that his actions hurt her regularly, yet all that time her asking him to stop was less important than his own cleverness and pop culture references.

and minkowski, whose background as an immigrant (esp an eastern european immigrant during the cold war era) means she has always had to put up with being alienated for her name, her accent, her way of speaking and communicating if it's not exactly the way other people expect her to. she knows eiffel likes and respects her; but his own comfort was more important to him than demonstrating that respect.

and it took him a while, but eiffel DID eventually shape up, he recognized what was expected of him as a friend and a crewmember-- which makes him a whole lot better than most non-fictional people LMAO

[jamespotterthefirst]

Prologue (OHTY)

Open Heart: Third Year Rewrite

Book: Open Heart, Book 3 Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Lilac Allende) Words: 1K Premise: A new year, a new relationship, and a new Edenbrook. Will everything go as smoothly as they had planned?

Author’s Note: That summary sucks but this is my OHTY rewrite. I plan to make it dramatic. And angsty af. Here we go! Hope you like it. 

Prologue: His Beloved 

Caroline's eyes roamed the cavernous space, taking in the upgrades with something akin to wonder. Even from afar, he could see that sparkle in her eyes, the curiosity that was ever present whenever she beheld his newest innovation. It was enough to inspire anyone to conquer the world itself. 

Now more than ever, something burned in his stomach: The urge to hold her. The despair and rage at being unable to. 

As the seconds ticked by, his wife remained silent, nodding and humming here and there. Her soft, expressive brown eyes fell on the new kiosk at the reception desk and she quietly chuckled. A delicate, gloved hand hovered over the gleaming surface, almost as if she was afraid to touch it. 

“These are the same ones I suggested for the Princeton tech lab.” 

With the words, came a memory, unfurling before Leland's mind like a heavy mist. Their last trip to Paris, gazing at the Eiffel Tower from the patio of a small but elegant café. Caroline's hand in his from across the table as they talked about the Princeton project, her smile far more beautiful than the whole city in Springtime. 

“You thought of everything, my love.” Her eyes met his with such sadness, he was certain she remembered too. 

“We will be the prime research facility on the East Coast by the time we're done with the renovations,” he told her, willing her to understand he was doing everything to remedy their situation. 

At this, her smile turned genuine, shining with pride. “You're going to help so many people.”

Leland almost scoffed. He didn't give a damn about other people. 

Before he could blurt out the bitter words, however, Arthur, his driver, approached with a single nod at Caroline. She sighed, returning her gaze to Leland. 

“I must go if I am to board the train on time.”

“If you miss it, you can always just take the jet. It's much faster and comfortable anyway.”

Her soft laugh was the best thing he'd heard all day. 

“You know me, my love. I will enjoy the view of the countryside any opportunity I get.” And this time, when she paused, there was undeniable misery in the way her eyes shone. “Plus, you know I'm a nostalgic old woman. Train travel will always have a special place in my heart.”

They had met on a train for the first time many years ago. 

The words hurt more than the prospect of not seeing his wife for months. They had mutually decided that time in the serene seaside town of York would be beneficial for her. Rather, Caroline, unable to bear their forced distance much longer without breaking down into tears, decided this was the best temporary solution. 

“Shall I wait outside?” Arthur asked politely. 

With a start, Caroline seemed to wake from a reverie. “I'll be right out, Arthur.”

After the driver disappeared through the glass doors, Caroline turned to Leland, her body almost quivering with the restraint of keeping its distance. Instead of the customary kiss and hug goodbye, they simply gazed at one another, Caroline with palpable despair, Leland with renewed determination. 

“Goodbye, my love,” she murmured, the sound almost lost in the hubbub of the atrium. 

Leland heard it, though, as loud and final as the clashing of iron bells. 

“Goodbye, Caroline.”

Before long, she turned on her heel and walked out the doors with as much dignity as a broken heart allowed. 

Leland, meanwhile, remained fixed to the spot, watching her go. The pain of his own suffering was muted by the fierce rush of conviction. The determination to find a cure was the last tether holding him to sanity. 

Before he could move or even think about anything else, a note of delighted laughter echoed nearby. His eyes fell on a couple, traversing through the atrium hand in hand. The lively brunette gazed up at the tall and seemingly brooding man, her eyes sparkling with adoration. When the man finally submitted to her teasing , it was clear that he, too, was completely besotted by her. 

“... not a hospital. More like an Apple store,” she was saying. 

“What the hell is an Apple store?” 

“Oh, that's right. You're a sworn Android user, I forgot.”

Ethan Ramsey rolled his eyes. 

“They're phones, Lilac. The rivalry between the two is absurd when people use them equally to waste their lives away.”

This time, it was Lilac Allende who rolled her eyes, but not without a loving smile. “You're such a senior citizen sometimes.”

Ethan halted his steps at that proclamation, tugging at their joined hands and pulling her close to him. Lilac's small cry of surprise melted into one of knowing amusement under the intensity of his roguish smile. Without much preamble, he leaned in and whispered something that made her both blush and nod, impressed. 

“You're an incorrigible flirt, Ethan Ramsey,” she tried to admonish, but the effect was tarnished by how pleased she sounded. 

Ethan, undeterred, murmured something else into her ear. With a very serious expression, he pulled back to look into her face. There was no humor left in their expressions as they gazed at one another, only pure longing and affection. Then, he held the tip of her chin in gentle fingers, like the most delicate of songbirds, leaned in and kissed her. 

Leland glanced away, unwilling to accept there could be love and affection in the world. Teeth clenched, his eyes returned to the couple before he could avoid it. It was almost as if they were flaunting their romance for everyone, including Leland, to see. 

They couldn't do anything for Caroline and now they taunted him. 

The bitter burn of jealousy and rage pumped through his veins like a poison with every beat of his heart. 

That  the two doctors could touch and love so unabashedly was…unacceptable. 

“Have a good day,” Lilac whispered to her beloved before moving away. 

Their hands were still clasped and Ethan seemed unable to let her go. He tugged her again and Lilac looked at him curiously. The man looked on the verge of saying something, his throat working in the small pause. Then, appearing to change his mind, he kissed her forehead instead. 

Ethan Ramsey didn't have to say a goddamn thing for Leland to know. Leland had looked at his Caroline the same way before uttering the three words.

Love.

Ethan was in love with her. 

The solution struck Leland with such intensity that he remained immobile. It was so simple, he felt like a fool for not having thought of it before. At last, he knew of a surefire way to secure Caroline's cure. 

“Sir?” His assistant, Parker, enquired when Leland silently beckoned. 

“Have Ethan Ramsey meet me in my office this afternoon,” he commanded simply. “Make it clear the meeting is not optional.”

***

Author’s Note: The following chapters will be longer! I won’t have a posting schedule. I think I’ll just post these bad boys as they’re ready. Approximately weekly? Thank you so much for reading this far!

As a side note, this will be Ethan x MC centric. I will try to include other characters but I can’t promise you much. Also, I’ve kept some things from the original mess that is book 3, but the overall plot will differ. (Hey crazy idea but if any of my mutuals wants to write for other characters, hit me up?)

Chapter 1 coming soon!

*Tagging in a reblog*

[hephaestuscrew]

The most dramatic action that Minkowski takes towards Eiffel in the finale (sending him back in the Sol) is going against Eiffel's choices in an attempt to prevent him coming to harm. In contrast, the most dramatic action that Hera takes towards Eiffel in the finale (the memory-wipe) is causing him to come to harm in order to enact a choice that he's made.

In a sense, these actions are conceptual opposites. But they are both taken with love and respect for Eiffel. They are both extremely selfless actions which Minkowski and Hera find painful to take.

They are also both actions which could be considered to be harming Eiffel. Both of these actions involve doing something to Eiffel that Minkowski/Hera would hate to have done to them. And both of those actions are taken with the awareness that they are fairly likely to result in losing Eiffel in a sense (either because he's headed back to Earth while Minkowski is on the Hephaestus, or because he's losing part of what makes him him). That's part of what makes those acts painful and complicated and significant.

Minkowski and Hera both care about Eiffel so deeply, and their care often expresses itself in contrasting ways because they are very different people. The finale emphasises these different manifestations of their care. Love can be 'I will do whatever I can to keep you safe, even when that's not what you want'. Love can also be 'I will support the choices that you make to bring about our common goal, even when that causes you harm'. The way Minkowski's care for Eiffel manifests is tied up in her sense of responsibility for her crew's safety. The way Hera's care for Eiffel manifests is linked to how she's had to fight for her own autonomy.

Neither of their actions in the finale are perfect or typical expressions of love, but in their very different ways, they both act with love, and that's important to me.

[starryhyuck]

monetary value. (m) | richkid!mark

pairing: richkid!mark x richkid!reader

words: 8k+

summary: falling in love with mark lee is not as easy as it seems. especially when you’re both engaged to other people.

genre: angst, fluff, smut

warnings: dom!mark, sub!reader, creampie, kind of infidelity, little exhibitionism, office sex, riding, unprotected sex, overstimulation

thank you for 1400 followers!!

you fall in love with mark lee in the summer of 2018.

it’s short but blissful — filled with longing gazes, soft whispers and the crisp trepidation that it would all be taken away from you someday.

and it was. you watch as mark loops his arm around mina’s waist, smiling for the cameras as the flashes drown their figures. you throw back your glass of champagne and you feel someone grasp your arm.

your brother, jaehyun, is giving you a warning look. “don’t cause a scene,” he hisses down at you. you roll your eyes at him.

it wasn’t your choice to separate and it wasn’t mark’s either. you two had obligations that you needed to return to — mark’s being mina and yours being yukhei. you’ve both been engaged for several years in order to bring your respective companies success, and falling in love with someone else was never in the cards for you.

yukhei was a lovely, gentle soul, but he wasn’t what you wanted. you wanted it to be that summer all the time. you wanted to feel mark’s hand grip yours at the local cafe. you wanted him to greedily kiss you on the sand while the waves crash against the shore. you wanted his fingers to brush away strands of your hair while he gently makes love to you underneath the moonlight.

you and mark ended things once summer was over. you both knew you couldn’t carry on with what you were doing after being betrothed to other people. you returned to yukhei with a heavy heart, and your fiancé remained oblivious, simply overjoyed to have you back home with him.

jaehyun is the one of the only people who knows of the affair. you tell your brother everything as you know you can trust him wholeheartedly. he also keeps you firm and grounded, reminding you of your place in this socialite world.

“i’m not causing a scene,” you reply to your brother. he gives you a hasty look.

you spot yukhei walking over and jaehyun disappears, leaving you with your fiancé. yukhei has his signature smile painted on his lips, coming to your side and offering you another glass of champagne.

“this place is nice, isn’t it? i was surprised at first when chenle decided to buy it, but now i can see why,” he murmurs to you.

your eyes roam around the expansive building, topped with a golden chandelier and dozens of socialites roaming about, sipping champagne and speaking frivolously to one another. zhong chenle, a close friend of yukhei, bought the building a couple of years ago and today was the grand opening of the new remodel. yukhei was more than excited this morning to attend, having been stuck at his father’s office for the past month working on the merger with your family.

“it’s very pretty,” you remark, your eyes once again finding mark’s figure. he speaks to na jaemin with a wide smile, his arm still snug around mina’s waist.

yukhei hums next to you. “chenle wanted to have dinner with us tomorrow night. i think jisung might tag along too. what do you think?”

you offer your best smile to him. “sounds great, yukhei.”

he beams back at you. you wish you could love yukhei as much as he clearly loves you. but no, your heart still lays with the man across the room.

“i’m going to go to the restroom,” you announce, handing him your champagne glass. he nods and after you step away, you hear kunhang approach him and ask him about how things are going at the company.

you need to breathe. you’re not trying to cause a scene of any kind like jaehyun thinks you are, but you need to be more loving and faithful to yukhei so that everyone is convinced by this sham of a marriage. mark plays his part well, and you need to do the same.

you’re staring at your reflection in the bathroom mirror when mina walks in, pausing at the sight of you. you know that mina knows what happened between you and mark that summer, considering mark couldn’t keep a secret to save his life.

she doesn’t say a word when she stands next to you, fixing her hair in the mirror. your fingers grip the sink as the silence passes, tension filling the air.

“i’m sorry.”

you refuse to look at her as she makes her apology.

“you have nothing to apologize for,” you mutter back to her. she shakes her head.

“i do. i wish things were different, i really do.”

you can hear the sympathy in her voice, but you don’t want any part of it. you’re grateful that mina understands in some way instead of revealing your secrets to yukhei, but the emotion is overpowered by the feeling of jealousy that mina gets to be the one to go home with mark at the end of the day.

you exit the bathroom with a heavy heart, trying to find yukhei in the midst of the crowd. you’re stopped by naeun, who smiles gently at you and pulls you to the side.

“are you alright?”

naeun has been engaged to your brother since she was seven, but the only difference between their relationship and yours was that naeun and jaehyun actually loved each other. naeun acted as a sibling to you, and you didn’t mind jaehyun telling her your secrets from time to time because she was so understanding. she was constantly checking up on you to make sure you and yukhei were doing alright. most of the time, yukhei was but you were not.

“i’m doing fine, naeun.”

she frowns at your lie. her eyes flit over to where mark is standing, mina rejoining his side.

“he doesn’t love her.”

you shake your head. “it doesn’t matter.”

you find yukhei next to xiaojun and give him a soft kiss on the cheek, causing his whole face to light up at your affection.

this is where you belong. you simply can’t afford to think otherwise.

—

“i was thinking we could go to paris for your birthday. i know a few friends who live there.”

you smile at yukhei, who is eagerly leaning across the kitchen counter to speak to you. he looks like a kid on christmas day as he talks about your birthday plans.

you honestly didn’t want to do anything lavish this year. usually, your parents pay for some expensive trip as compensation for not giving a fuck about you. since you’re living on your own with yukhei now, they don’t really feel guilty anymore when they forget about you.

you’ve liked your past birthdays, most of them being spent in spain or italy. your favorite birthday was in athens, where jaehyun had first introduced you to mark.

you shake the thought out of your head to respond to yukhei.

“xuxi, i don’t really want to go anywhere this year. staying at home would be nice.”

he frowns. “that’s not fun! come on, this is the perfect time to take a vacation. we can go anywhere you’d like.”

you finish up the remains of your lunch and put the dishes in the sink. yukhei is adamant on following you out of the kitchen and into the living room. you lean down to pick up your laptop sitting on the couch but he stops you.

he has a serious gaze planted on his face and he sighs.

“i know you don’t really want to be married to me,” he whispers.

you avoid his stare. “what are you talking about?”

“i can see right through you, y/n. i’ve known you long enough.” he pauses, his fingers running over your hand gently. you still refuse to look at him, knowing you’ll only see the desperation in his eyes. “just give me a chance? i don’t want you to be stuck with me if you’re going to be unhappy.”

“i’m not unhappy, xuxi.”

“you are. i know you are.”

you exhale and he takes a step back from you so you can breathe.

“just let me throw you this party, okay? i promise it’ll be fun.”

and you feel bad. you feel awful because yukhei’s known this whole time that you’ve never loved him.

“okay.”

two weeks later, you find yourself in the heart of paris. yukhei made all of the arrangements fairly quickly, the both of you rooming in an apartment next to his friends, ten and yangyang. you know absolutely nothing about your party, and yukhei intends on keeping it that way.

he’s been doting on you since the plane landed in france, taking you to all of these art galleries and finding multiple bakeries to soothe your sweet tooth. you can tell yukhei is trying his hardest to change your mind, but everywhere you go, you see mark.

you see him as lovers pass by you, holding hands and smiling at one another affectionately. you see him as you gaze up at the eiffel tower, the lights shining down on your figure. you even see him when you look at yukhei, wishing mark was beside you instead.

you think back to that summer in greece when you first fell in love with him.

“you’re a little clumsy for a billionaire’s son, aren’t you?”

mark rolls his eyes at your teasing and you giggle. his cheeks redden as the both of you lean down to wipe up the coffee mark spilled all over the floor.

mark left the balcony door open so the breeze could flow inside but when a gust of wind throttled him, he spilled his morning coffee everywhere. he was such a klutz, yet you could never stay mad at him for long.

“the wind is really strong today, okay?”

you laugh again, throwing the soggy paper towels in the trash. you stand up and kiss him gently.

“you’re so silly.”

he grins, wrapping his arms around your waist. “but you love me anyway.”

you chuckle. “i guess i do.”

“so what do you think?”

you’re taken out of your daydream by the sound of yukhei’s voice. the both of you are sitting outside of a cafe, enjoying the gentle breeze of paris.

“sorry, what did you say?”

yukhei laughs softly at you. “about dropping by ten’s art gallery tonight? he’s been working really hard on his latest collection.”

“oh,” you murmur, breaking off a piece of the croissant yukhei bought you. “yeah, that sounds nice.”

he nods at your answer and takes a sip of his cappuccino. the two of you eat and drink in silence and although you find it comforting, you can tell his mind is swirling. he’s clearly troubled by your indifference to him. you’ve tried to make it better over the past few days, holding his hand and giving him kisses on the cheek here and there. he knows, however, that you don’t really mean it.

later that night, you slip on your favorite red dress from versace and pair it with some black louboutins. yukhei waits for you by the door, beaming when you approach him.

“you look beautiful,” he comments, sliding your jacket over your shoulders.

“thanks, xuxi.”

the car ride to the gallery is spent in silence, and you realize most of your interactions with yukhei consist of this now. you hate it because you and yukhei used to talk so freely, but you can tell he considers this trip to be a turning point in your relationship.

when you arrive at the venue, yukhei quickly jogs over to open your door for you, and you smile as you take his hand and step out of the car. you thank the driver and loop your arm through yukhei’s, walking slowly up the steps to the gallery.

“have fun tonight,” he murmurs to you. you furrow your eyebrows at his odd statement, but it all comes clear to you once yukhei swings open the door.

you’re drowned in a chorus of surprise! and you’re in shock by the sight before you. all of the people who run within your circle are gathered in this small art gallery, huddled together as streamers fall down from the ceiling.

naeun and jaehyun approach you first, both of them offering a hug.

“happy birthday!”

even though your birthday wasn’t for another two days, you figure this was part of the illusion of yukhei’s surprise.

“how did you guys get here?” you ask, still a little frazzled by everyone’s appearance. 

naeun giggles at you. “xuxi arranged everything!”

“yeah, isn’t that nice of him?” jaehyun questions. you know what he’s implying, but you ignore it.

more of your friends envelop you into their arms, giving you happy birthday greetings or complimenting your appearance. you smile at all of them, accepting their kind words as you try to get through everybody. you feel a little overwhelmed by the attention but you do your best to thank everyone for coming.

it probably wasn’t a hassle for most of them to fly to paris on such short notice, given most of your friends like taking spontaneous trips anyway. you’re pretty sure yuta was just in new york yesterday with sicheng.

you lose yukhei again in the crowd, rina pulling you aside and asking how your romantic getaway with yukhei has been. all of your friends seem to buy into your blossoming relationship, and they have no reason not to.

“everything’s going great, rina,” you smile tightly.

she grins and clutches your arm. “it’s so sweet how he did all of this for you! i would die if i was in your place.”

you nod and laugh, ignoring the guilt pooling in your stomach. you know that no matter how nice yukhei treats you and how hard he tries to be the man you want, you can never love him the way he wants to be loved. you can never have what your brother and naeun have.

rina leaves you to get a glass of champagne and that’s when you hear him.

“happy birthday.”

your back stiffens. you can identify that voice anywhere. it’s the same voice that used to sing you to bed, strumming his guitar gently as his gentle hums lull you to slumber. it’s the same voice that asked you if you would wait for him when the seasons changed. it’s the same voice who whispered sweet nothings to you during those late nights when it was only you and him.

you turn around to look at him. mina’s right by his side, looking a little uncomfortable by the interaction.

he looks as handsome as ever — wearing a suit from armani’s latest collection. your eyes focus on the cufflinks he’s wearing, the same pair you bought him for his birthday two years ago.

his gaze is heavy and you feel trapped underneath it. was it possible for him to be your biggest daydream and your greatest nightmare all at once?

“thank you,” you clear your throat. “i’m glad you both could make it.”

you fail to decipher the look in his eyes. you feel as if time has stopped, and there’s no one else in the room except you and him. mina averts her gaze, feeling as if this is too intimate for her to see.

mark whispers delicately to you, but you swear that he’s screaming.

“we wouldn’t miss it.”

—

it’s two hours later when you feel completely exhausted, walking outside to catch some fresh air. you’ve talked to yukhei only once since the party’s started. he’s been distracted by ten and yangyang, all three of them laughing and catching up with one another. you have no problems with this considering it’s the happiest you’ve seen yukhei in weeks.

you settle down on the outdoor steps, sighing softly and gazing at the night sky.

you hear the door open but you figure it’s just doyoung leaving early. he usually has morning meetings but he always makes sure to attend these gatherings for his friends.

you’re surprised when you catch mark in the corner of your eye, taking a seat beside you. you freeze, not really sure exactly what he’s doing.

“we could’ve made it work.”

you pause for a few seconds before responding.

“no, we couldn’t have.”

he chuckles and shakes his head, staring down at the concrete steps. you bring your knees up to your chest and rest your chin on top of them.

to have mark this close to you after so long — it felt both terrifying and freeing at the same time.

“we should’ve left,” he whispers. you hear the crack in his voice and you shut your eyes. “that night in plaka. we should’ve run away. you’re not supposed to be with him and i’m not supposed to be with her.”

“you’re wrong,” you murmur, feeling choked up already. “we were always meant to be with them. xuxi would’ve searched for me if i had left-“

“bullshit,” mark hisses, turning to face you now. you keep your eyes closed but you can feel his stare burning through the side of your head. “look at what yukhei’s done just to make you happy. you honestly think he wouldn’t let you go if he knew it’s what you wanted?”

you can feel a tear slip out and you sniffle, wiping it away frantically with the back of your hand. mark’s heart breaks at the sight of you crying.

“i don’t want to argue with you,” you whisper breathily. “what’s done is done. you get married to mina and i get married to yukhei. that’s how it was always supposed to go.”

you think mark will leave then, but he stays by your side, eyes staring up at the moon. you can hear the tremble in his voice the next time he speaks.

“i fucking miss you. i miss you so fucking much, you don’t even understand,” he says, hands balling up into fists. “i wish we could go back. remember that night we met in athens? you looked straight out of heaven, i swear. i knew i wanted you then. just like how i want you now.”

“stop,” you mutter. “stop saying those things.”

“why? it’s the truth,” he scoffs.

you feel a burst of anger flare in your chest. your eyes flutter open and you glare at him.

“you think i don’t miss you either? you think that that summer meant nothing to me? fuck, mark, i think about you all the goddamn time. i think about you when i’m supposed to be thinking about yukhei. when i’m supposed to be marrying him, not you.”

the door swings open again and you both turn to see who it is. yukhei walks out, his face confused by the sight of your teary eyes. he rushes over, leaning down and checking on you.

“hey, you okay? what happened?”

“nothing,” you smile at him, giggling a little to reassure him. “i just drank too much champagne. mark was out here comforting me.”

mark looks frustrated by your words, and he’s clearly not liking the fact that yukhei’s trying to take care of you. his hands are still balled into fists as he stands up. he puts on his best grin for yukhei to see.

“just wanted to make sure the birthday girl has a good time,” he assures. you watch as he walks back into the building, his figure disappearing into the sea of bodies.

“you sure you’re okay?” yukhei murmurs, checking you over again. he’s never really seen you cry and he’s honestly panicking a little on the inside.

you put on your best smile once again.

“i’m fine.”

—

“mark, this is my sister, y/n. y/n, this is mark.”

you smile at the man jaehyun has presented before you. you’re a little tipsy and you quickly adjust the birthday girl tiara that’s threatening to fall off your head. jaehyun laughs at your ridiculousness.

“nice to meet you, mark lee. my brother talks so fondly of his soulmate.”

mark chuckles out of embarrassment, the tips of his ears growing red. “ah, jaehyun just jokes about that.”

jaehyun rolls his eyes. “don’t act like we weren’t meant to be, mark.”

mark’s cheeks grow redder if it was even humanly possible. you giggle at his cute nature. jaehyun is soon whisked away by johnny, who is asking your brother to play beer pong with him. you snicker at their antics.

you’re left alone with mark, and to be perfectly honest, he’s a little awkward. a little too awkward to be a big shot ceo.

“aren’t you supposed to be the heir of lee enterprises?” you shout over the blaring music. it’s only fitting that jaehyun chose a raging club in athens as the venue for your party this year. you were genuinely having a good time, especially because you didn’t have to worry about pretending to be in love with yukhei — he couldn’t join the trip since he needed to step up to his duties at the company.

mark laughs at your question. “that’s my brother, taeyong! i’m just the stand-in second child.”

you smile at his joke. “same here! i’m the disappointment, jaehyun’s the looker!”

you both chuckle and you take a step forward, ignoring the way mark’s breath gets caught in his throat at your action. you lean up to whisper in his ear.

“wanna get out of here?”

you toss and turn in bed, struggling to fall asleep. yukhei grumbles next to you, having fallen asleep over a hour ago. you sigh and get up as quietly as possible, trying your best not to wake your fiancé. you succeed as yukhei doesn’t move an inch, still as a rock while he dozes on.

you move to the balcony connected to your bedroom, shutting the door quietly and taking a seat on one of the lounge chairs. it’s a little cold and you wrap your blanket tighter around yourself.

the party ended without a hitch tonight, most of your friends still laughing and drinking together when you and yukhei left. he was worried about you after he caught you outside with mark, but after repeatedly reassuring him that you were okay, he let it go.

you didn’t see mark after your conversation, and you assume he left quickly with mina to avoid doing something he would regret. you think about his words as you stare down at the small streets of paris. you can still hear people chattering even though it’s already 4am, most of them drunk and stumbling on their way back home.

your mind travels to the last night you spent with mark during that summer. he was begging you to leave with him, practically on his knees to try and convince you.

“just come with me. we can start a different life. we don’t have any ties to hold us down! jaehyun and taeyong will both take over our companies, they don’t need us to be there!”

you shake your head at his ludicrous idea. “are you insane? did you forget about mina? about yukhei? they’re both waiting for us to come home, mark.”

“i am home,” he says strictly, walking over to you and gently stroking your cheek. “i’m right here with you, and that’s the only place i need to be. we don’t need to do this to ourselves, baby. we don’t need to separate. let’s get on the next flight to wherever and start a new life.”

you push him away and sigh. “we can’t. i can’t do that to him.”

“do you love him?”

you narrow your eyes. “no, and you know very well that i never have. i’m just not going to be some asshole who leaves her fiancé and her family with no explanation whatsoever. we both knew this wasn’t forever, mark.”

he tugs at his hair, clearly frustrated with your stubborn nature.

“so you’re telling me that you’re going to go home and act like everything’s fine? you’re going to walk down the aisle and get married to yukhei and not think of me?”

you turn away from him, trying to hold back the tears that are threatening to spill. realization is hitting you like a truck — this would have to be it. you can’t see mark again. everything that’s happened since the beginning of summer is coming to an end.

“yes, that’s exactly what i’m going to do. i recommend you do the same.”

mark watches your back tremble as you refuse to face him. he exhales, running his hands down his face exasperatedly. minutes pass in complete silence, the only sound being heard are your small sniffles and mark’s occasional sigh.

“i love you,” he whispers. “i love you, and that’s not going to stop. i don’t care if i have to tell yukhei myself, but i’m going to make you realize it.”

the weight of mark’s words still linger in your mind. you ponder over the consequences if you do decide to leave yukhei. honestly, you didn’t want to break his heart. he’s always been so kind to you and understanding, despite your indifference towards him. he’s treated you that way since you two were younger. the only flaw about yukhei is that he loves you.

you wish you had one of those romance stories where you grew up with yukhei and fell in love with him when you both became adults. it would make everything so much easier if that were the case.

on the other hand, you couldn’t embarrass your family. your parents have worked so hard just to build the family business from the ground up. jaehyun’s been trained to step in as ceo since the day he was born, and the merger with naeun and yukhei’s family would bring your company’s profits through the roof. you couldn’t afford to lose yukhei and potentially damage the future of jung corporation.

you can’t decipher if you’re using these reasons as excuses. you’ve always been scared to go against your parents’s wishes. you were so young when they told you that you would be married to yukhei, and you’ve been raised to believe that everything they’re doing for you is for your own good.

maybe you really were a coward. you’re just afraid to fully take the leap with mark — to leave everything behind and be known as a disgrace to the rest of your family. mark was ready to sacrifice everything to be with you, but your cowardice prevented you from doing the same.

the door to the balcony opens and yukhei peers out, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

“what are you doing out here?”

“couldn’t sleep.”

he joins you on the balcony, gently shutting the door behind him. he settles on the chair next to you. you both bask in the silence for a while before yukhei speaks up.

“have you been in love with mark for a long time?”

your head darts up, eyes widening at his question. you stare at yukhei but he doesn’t look at you, continuing to peer over the balcony.

“w-what- how did you-“

“you never cry,” he replies. “you only cry when you’re overwhelmed or seriously hurt. i’ve seen you drink at least seven glasses of champagne without ever tearing up. it also wasn’t hard to tell that mark wanted to murder me as soon as i came over to you.”

“yukhei,” you whisper. “i-“

“i know. you don’t need to be sorry. i should’ve known — you were always so dismissive and standoffish whenever we were at a party with the lee’s. you also weren’t the same when you returned from greece.”

you try to digest the fact that not only did yukhei know about you and mark, but he also knew you so well that he could tell something was off about you.

he takes a brief pause before asking his next question. “did you think i would be mad? that i wouldn’t let you be happy?”

you shake your head. “i just- i couldn’t disappoint everybody-“

he throws his head back and releases a throaty laugh.

“y/n, who gives a fuck about what anyone thinks? i’ve watched you be miserable over the past two years because you’re torturing yourself with this idea that you need to please everyone.” he turns to you and takes your hands in his. “i really do love you. more than i’ve ever loved anyone else. so that’s why i’m telling you that you need to find mark and be with him before it’s too late.”

“xuxi, it’s not that easy-“

“but it is!” he exclaims, trying to get you to see the bigger picture. “don’t you understand how easy it is? listen, the merger with your family is already ninety-five percent complete. there’s no way in hell my father is going to back out of this, especially after our stocks rose by a considerable amount last month. we don’t need to be married. our relationship was just the first step for both of our companies.”

your bottom lip trembles while you register all of the information he’s throwing your way. yukhei is telling you that you can be with mark now, you have nothing holding you back. everything would be perfect if you just weren’t so-

“scared,” you mumble. “i’m so scared, xuxi.”

“i know, i know you are,” he says, eyes staring at you in worry. “just talk to him. if he loves you, he’ll listen.”

—

when you come back home, you’re a little out of touch with reality. the first thing yukhei wants you to do is call mark but since you’re still trying to register everything, he lets you be.

he takes the guest room while you try to sort out whatever the fuck is going on in your head. you call naeun in the midst of your imminent breakdown, and she answers immediately.

“why can’t me and yukhei be like you and jaehyun?”

she’s a little startled by your question but she replies anyway.

“because you don’t love yukhei. you love mark.”

and it sounds so idiotic because you already knew this, but hearing someone else say it makes all the lightbulbs click.

“thanks, naeun.”

the first person you want to talk to is mina. you really don’t know mina well, the both of you simply acknowledging each other at parties. her brother, seungyoon, was the head of kang corporation and working on the merger with taeyong.

you’re in your head as you drive over to the kang household, fingers gripping the steering wheel while you try to think of what to say.

mina is surprised when she opens up the door to see your figure behind it. you both awkwardly stare at one another before you clear your throat.

“can we talk?”

she nods, stepping back to let you in. you two rest comfortably on the kang’s living room couch while one of the maids serves some tea for the both of you to drink. mina avoids your gaze but you can tell she is curious about why you’ve decided to visit.

“um,” you start off, trying to find the words to say. “i came over because i wanted to talk to you about mark.”

“oh. well, mark isn’t here,” she replies. “he hasn’t lived with me since he came back from greece.”

“oh,” you murmur, feeling embarrassed. you’re sure that mark’s living situation changed because of you. “i didn’t know that.”

she sighs. “y/n, i wasn’t lying that night when i told you i wished things were different. i don’t love mark and i know for sure he doesn’t love me. you’re all he can think about since that summer, and we only put on a good show for the cameras.”

you exhale. “i’m sorry. we shouldn’t have been so reckless, especially knowing you and yukhei were waiting-“

you’re surprised when mina throws her head back and laughs.

“i don’t care about that.” she comes over and sits next to you, looking into your eyes. “i actually love someone else just as mark loves you. i loathe this marriage as much as you do.”

you widen your eyes. “wait, what? who?”

mina blushes then, averting her gaze from you. she clears her throat.

“do you know the hwang family?”

you choke. “hwang hyunjin?”

her cheeks grow redder as she nods. she stares down at her feet while she speaks to you. “that’s not the point. i’m just saying that if you want to go to mark, by all means, i’m not stopping you. it would make him less grumpy.”

you laugh, feeling as if a big weight has been taken off your shoulders.

“thank you, mina.”

you head to lee enterprises on a mission, wearing mark’s favorite floral dress and the cartier necklace he bought you. you know he’s bound to be in the office right now, especially since taeyong is away in japan for business affairs.

you’re nervous as you can feel the stares of the company workers on you when you walk through the glass doors. you keep your head low and sigh when you get to the elevator, pressing the highest floor before anyone can get in with you.

you go over and over in your head what you plan to say to mark but you know you’re going to forget everything anyways the moment you see him. when the elevator doors open, you scan the area and try to identify where mark’s office is before anyone sees you.

you’re caught when jungwoo lays his eyes on you as he walks by.

“y/n?”

you laugh awkwardly. “uh, hey, jungwoo. do you happen to know where mark’s office is?”

he blinks twice, clearly surprised by your presence.

“yeah, um, his office is in the back. next to taeyong’s.”

“thanks,” you mutter, glancing at him one more time before scurrying away. you’re fully embarrassed now but you can’t afford to go back, not when you’ve made it this far.

you awkwardly enter the waiting room of mark’s office and his secretary, renjun, is shocked to see you.

“oh, hi y/n. did you have an appointment with mark?”

“not really,” you reply. “is he with someone right now?”

“well, no, but-“

“okay, great!” you beam at him, and renjun stutters when you knock on the door to mark’s office.

when you hear him call come in, you take a deep breath before opening the door.

mark is working diligently at his desk, head down as he shuffles through papers. you close the door so that renjun doesn’t hear anything. mark’s yet to look up at you, focused on the task at hand.

“what is it, renjun?”

“i’m a coward, and i’m sorry.”

mark’s head darts up at the sound of your voice, and he swears he’s dreaming.

there’s absolutely no way you’re standing in front of him right now. he stands up, pinching his leg to make sure he’s actually awake. you walk closer to him, trying to gather all of the courage you can muster.

“we should’ve run away together.”

he comes over to you, stumbling a little and almost tripping on one of the chairs, causing you to giggle. he stands in front of you but he’s lost on if he’s allowed to touch you. you smile and decide for him, wrapping your arms around his neck and kissing him gently.

mark digs his fingers into your hips and pulls you closer. the kiss quickly turns into something else as mark is greedily trying to get you as close to him as possible.

you pull away, slightly breathless. “don’t you want to know why i’m here?”

“i haven’t had you like this in two years, baby. i don’t really give a fuck about anything else right now.”

you end up pinned underneath him as he lays your body across his desk, desperate to get a feel of you. he stumbles as he quickly tries to find the phone and you watch him click a few buttons before renjun’s voice comes over the speaker.

“yes?”

“cancel everything today. you can go home early, renjun.”

“mark, you have that meeting with-“

he hangs up the phone, returning to pressing kisses against your collarbone. his fingers work on pushing up your dress so he can fully see the lacy underwear you’re wearing.

“mark,” you hiss, trying to get him to slow down so you can actually have a conversation with him. he’s rabid at this point, pulling down the top of your dress and attaching his lips to your mound. “mark, i wanted to let you know that i finally realized how stupid i was during that summer.”

he hums around your breast, flicking his tongue over your nipple. you moan and tug at his hair.

“mark, yukhei made me realize something.”

“please don’t talk about yukhei right now,” he murmurs, moving his attention to your other breast. “you’re so pretty, baby. did you wear this dress just for me? you know how much i like it. gives me easy access. remember when i fucked you in that alleyway in plaka?”

and you do remember. you were high on adrenaline that day and mark was absolutely mesmerized by the way your dress would bounce whenever you took a step. he was practically dying to get a taste of you and so you let him pound you ruthlessly in an empty alleyway. it didn’t end there either — he also fingered you in a cafe bathroom and let you ride his cock on the balcony of your shared apartment in athens.

let’s just say mark really liked this dress and you two were also very sexually active that summer.

“missed you, baby,” he murmurs. “haven’t fucked anyone else in two years.”

your eyes widen. “you haven’t fucked anyone in two years?”

he shakes his head. “can’t. only think of you.”

he moves up so that he’s face to face with you again. you rub your thumb over his cheek.

“i’m sorry. i love you. i wish i wasn’t so stupid.”

he laughs. “you’re not stupid. a little out of your mind, maybe.”

you whine when mark plays with the waistband of your underwear.

“aren’t we going a little too fast?”

he chuckles. “this is coming from the girl who rented a whole movie theater just so we could fuck in there all day.”

you narrow your eyes. “touché.”

soon enough, mark’s got your dress and underwear on the floor, his tongue lapping at your folds. you cry out, tugging fistfuls of his hair while he devours your pussy.

mark’s clearly clouded by lust and the office is filled with sounds of him slurping your juices. you try to give mark a warning that your orgasm is approaching fast, but he’s lost in his own world, eyes closed as he eats you out. you soar into your first orgasm and sob, bucking your hips up into mark’s mouth.

he groans when you cum, not stopping his relentless assault on your pussy. you whine from the overstimulation and try to push him away, but mark is persistent, using his hands to pin your thighs down to the table.

you forgot how much mark likes to see you cum. you remember being completely drained that summer in greece after mark pounded into you every night, desperate to see you fall apart over and over again.

you throw your head back when another climax builds just as quickly as the first. he pulls away from you and pushes a finger inside your weeping hole, curling it upwards.

“missed this pussy, baby,” he murmurs. “forgot how wet and tight you are. gonna take my cock later like a good girl?”

“yes, yes,” you chant, moaning when mark adds another finger.

“come on, baby. come on,” he whispers, picking up his pace and inserting a third finger. to throw you over the edge, he attaches his lips to your clit and sucks hard.

you thrash underneath his hold as your orgasm sweeps over your body, heightening your senses and throwing you deep into pleasure. you ride out your high on his fingers and when you whine again from the oversensitivity, mark stands up and unbuckles his belt.

you gasp when he lifts you off from the desk and drags you over to the large, glass windows that cover half of his office. you whimper when he presses you up against the glass.

you’re high enough to where the people walking on the sidewalk can’t see you unless they really looked, but the thrill still pulsates through your veins. you can’t even imagine what you look like — your breasts exposed and your dress bunched up at your waist.

mark’s grunting behind you, slacks around his ankles as he fists at his cock. you whine and arch your back, desperate to feel him fully.

“want me, baby?” he whispers in your ear. you shudder. “tell me how much you missed me.”

“m-missed you s-so much,” you blubber, pressing your hands up against the window. “fuck me mark, please.”

he slowly pushes into you and you cry at the stretch, feeling the burn in your throat. he soothes you through it, rubbing his thumb over your hip when he bottoms out. he gives you time to get adjusted, pressing small kisses against the curve of your spine.

“feel so good, baby. wet and snug around me, you fit like a fucking glove. did yukhei ever fill you this well?”

“i-i never f-fucked yukhei,” you reply.

the answer pleases him and he takes an experimental thrust into you. when you moan at the pleasure, mark turns into someone else.

you try your best to balance yourself on the glass while mark relentlessly pummels into you, pushing you further and further up the window. his hands move to cup your breasts and he licks at your neck, wanting to touch you everywhere.

“a-angel,” he hisses in your ear, the sound of his balls slapping against your clit filling the air. “my perfect little angel. little cock whore, aren’t you?”

you barely register his words and mark growls when he doesn’t receive an answer. his fingers grip your face and he brings you against his chest. you sob when the angle has him hitting you deeper.

“don’t wanna answer? been fucked too dumb to reply, baby? missed my cock, didn’t you?” you quickly nod at his questions, eyes rolling back as he constantly hits your sweet spot. “thought about you all the time. jacked off every single night to the thought of having you like this again. missed you so much.”

“m-missed you too, mark,” you mumble back to him.

his other hand moves down to stimulate your clit and you grip his wrist, your body going into overdrive. you convulse around his cock and you spasm around him, crying and whining while mark holds you firmly.

he moves the two of you so that he’s sitting in his office chair with you on top of him. you wail when he slaps your ass.

“ride me.”

despite your shaky legs, you follow his orders and build a steady pace on top of him. he watches as you swivel your hips and groans at how good you feel around him. you pick up your pace when the pleasure builds up in your tummy again. mark’s fingers dig into your hips as he tries to guide you up and down his cock. you grab his shoulders and move faster, bouncing on top of him.

you practically see white when you cream mark’s cock for the fourth time, wrapping your arms around him when your body goes limp. he gives you a few seconds to recover before thrusting into you.

you whine. “mark, i can’t.”

“don’t lie to me, baby.”

and you remember that mark’s seen you come at least seven times in one night, so he knows no feat is impossible.

he lazily fucks you to another orgasm and you let him use your body until he shoots ribbons of his cum deep inside you, groaning loudly as he empties out. he doesn’t stop until almost a minute later, giving you everything he has.

you can already feel some of his cum start to spill out but you and mark don’t care as you kiss each other gently. mark holds you close, not wanting to part from you any longer.

“what are we gonna do?” you ask him quietly.

“about what?”

you roll your eyes. “about our engagements! and the company’s merger too.”

“i’m sure mina would be more than happy to be engaged to hyunjin, and i can talk about the merger with taeyong. i’ll make it work, baby, don’t worry. how about yukhei?”

“he’s the one who told me to come to you.”

“huh,” mark hums. “maybe he isn’t that bad.”

“he isn’t! you’re just jealous,” you murmur.

“can’t help it. i love the prettiest girl alive.”

“you’re spending too much time with johnny.”

he smiles and kisses you.

“we’re going to be together, baby. i’ll make sure of it.”

—

“merci, bonne journée à toi aussi!”

the young man at the bakery smiles and waves at you as you exit. you carefully place the cake you ordered in the back of your car, making sure it’s safely tucked away before driving off.

you hum lowly to the sound of the music vibrating through the speakers. it isn’t long before you reach your apartment, quickly parking and unloading everything inside.

you get to setting the cake up immediately, lighting the candles and clearing the kitchen counter. you jump a little when you hear the familiar click of the front door.

“y/n?”

“in here!” you call, quickly holding the cake up in your hands as mark walks into the room. “happy birthday!”

he grins at you, laughing as he walks over. you sing a horrible rendition of the birthday song to him but mark loves it anyways, giving you a kiss on the lips before blowing out his candles. you cheer for him and smile, placing the cake safely back down on the counter.

“thank you, baby,” he hums, kissing your temple. “i love it.”

you and mark moved to paris shortly after reuniting. as soon as taeyong returned from his business trip, mark worked day and night to try and get the merger with mina’s family to go through. mina’s father was at first appalled by mark’s decision to leave his daughter but once he learned of mina’s own relationship with hyunjin, he agreed to keeping the merger. knowing the company was in safe hands with taeyong, mark had no qualms about leaving.

yukhei was able to successfully merge his and your family’s company without letting anyone know of your relationship problems. your last conversation with him still leaves your mind dizzy, but you’re grateful to him for everything he’s done for you.

“you don’t deserve this, xuxi. i’m sorry for not being who you wanted me to be.”

yukhei shakes his head, leaning back in the dining room chair. he knows you leave for paris tomorrow to start your new life with mark, and he doesn’t want you to feel guilty about anything.

“you have nothing to be sorry about. i’m just glad you’re finally happy. i’ve never seen you like this before.”

you smile shyly. “yeah, i guess i’m acting a little different now. i hope you could visit us in paris someday.”

he smiles. “count me in. don’t forget to add the wedding invitation.”

jaehyun was a little more reluctant on letting his baby sister run off with one of his friends to a different county. naeun was able to soothe most of his worries and your departure was one of the first times you’ve seen jaehyun cry.

it was also the first time you’ve seen him threaten mark.

now, you and mark live a peaceful life in france. given most of your inheritance was cut in half due to your strike of ‘rebellion against the family,’ mark found a small job producing music at a local recording studio and you took to practicing what little business knowledge you acquired from your parents by investing in some new homes around paris.

you were living the life you always wanted with mark, and you couldn’t be happier.

you’re interrupted from your thoughts by the feeling of mark sliding his hands up your shirt.

“i think i know what i want for my birthday present.”

you laugh and kiss him, letting the birthday boy take you the way he wants.

taglist: @suhweo​, @bubudays​, @ncteaxhoe​, @floweringtheflowers​, @keemburley​, @en-see-tee​, @nctandmatteblackaremyaethstetic​, @oreo-cheesycake​

[bugsy-maria]

Chat Noir x Reader Part 1

Superhero Name: Togo

Kwamii Name: Balto

Miraculous power: Creation of nature

Miraculous: Bracelet with wolf tooth

Costume: High pony with big poofy hair that goes to the back of your knees to represent a tail, faux wolf fur tube top, black skirt, and thigh-high boots.

Part 1 Part 2

I pushed myself back up from the ground upon which I fell upon. I looked back to the scene and saw the fight it had knocked me down. thus was the third time this week that this baby got akumatized, it gets tiring fighting the same person over and over you know.

Ladybug got the last hit with a ladle somehow and caught the Akuma. I dusted myself off and ran to Cat. ladybug was already on her way to feed her Akuma and meet us back at the top of an old flower shop downtown.

"Ready to go Togo?" he smiled his signature smile, one arm was held out for me and the other was holding onto his rod.

"Of course." I laughed, letting him wrap his arm around my waist and we were on our way. it didn't take long for us to get the to top of the roof.

"You did well out there today you know." Chat spoke, sitting on the edge letting his leg dangle beneath him and the other was bent letting his armrest on it.

"I know but it sucks to run in these darn boots all the time." I sat next to him

"I bet." not long after what was spoken, Ladybug swung her way to the roof and landed gracefully as always. we just talked, and by we I mean they. I might have said two maybe four things during that whole conversation.

"Well I better get going." ladybug stood up.

"Must you go so, early baby?" I looked over at Chat with a questionable look in my eyes.

"What happened to bugaboo?" Ladybug looked at him with the same look I had.

"I just thought we should take this relationship of ours to the next level is all," he smirked

"In your dreams chat," she smiled, "bye-bye," she said over her shoulder before yo-yoing off into the night.

"Why do you even try?" I smiled, though I was hurt on the inside. every time he called her one of the pet names he gave her I felt a pang all over my body.

"I have to, she's the only girl I ever felt this way for." he gently clawed at the spot of his chest that was over his heart.

"Really?" my eyebrow cocked

"Yup, I never really ever was around people so I never felt this kind of feeling."

"Not even to your own parents?"

"It's different."

"Well I know how you feel, the only people I knew growing up were the ones I had to model or act with that day. I hated it. but I met someone who makes me feel like that too."

"Really?" he seemed surprised

"What? you think I can't like anyone like that?"

"No, I don't think that at all, it's just you don't really show much affection to anyone."

"Trust me I do, just not when I'm Togo, I can't. if hawkmoth found out that I actually cared for you and Ladybug then he could use that against me."

"I guess you're right." he looked at the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

"Welp, I gotta go." I stood up, walking to the fire escape in the back.

"See you tomorrow?" I heard him ask from the ledge behind me.

"We'll see!" I shouted over my shoulder, before jumping down the fire escape. I ran down the alley and all the way over to the alley behind Marienette's family's bakery.

"Balto, stop running," I mumbled under my breath, making sure no one is to hear me. once I'm back to my civilian self, I walk out of the alley and make my way into the bakery. I walk to the back and up the stairs to the actual living quarters.

it seems like Mari's parents are here right now because they aren't at their usual spot on the couch. I walk up to Mari's room, ready to help her. I push open the door.

"Ready for Plan-Get-Adrien-To-Like-You-Back?" I wasted no time in asking.

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

"Just think about Adrien," I begged, walking out of the ice cream shop we went to on Saturdays.

"I already told you (Y/N), Marinette and I are just friends. besides she doesn't like me like that."

"You don't know anything!" I shouted at him playfully.

"You're acting like a child." he laughed.

"Because you don't want to go out with mommy!" I cried in a child-like voice

"Does that make me your daddy then?" he smirked at me, making me laugh my ass off.

"Of course not, that title is only for Marienette to call you." I licked my ice cream, taking a seat on a park bench, hearing him choke on air.

(THIS IS A KIDS SHOW AND I'M RUINING IT WITH MY DADDY KINK!!!!)

"Besides, look at these pictures I photoshopped of you two together," I showed him my phone that was filled with pictures of him and Marinette.

"(Y/N), she's just a friend." his voice sterner than it was before.

"If you say so," I continued to scroll through my phone until I landed on a picture of Adrien and Marinette dancing at Chloe's party held earlier in the year. "But tell me, is this you?" the picture was of Adrien looking into Marinette's eyes with love. you cannot make that up!

"That's nothing, friends dance all the time." Every time he said friends I got madder and madder, they were made for each other and he was choosing not to see it!

"This isn't because you're still in love with Ladybug right?"

"Of course not! I-I'm over her!" he shouted, clearly caught off guard.

"Fine." I sighed.

"Why are you trying to get me to go on a date, but you cant even ask your crush out?" he jokingly smirked at me.

"Don't switch this up on me!" I smacked his shoulder playfully, "Besides, he likes someone else but they don't like them."

"Well still be there for them, show them that you are interested so when they finally realize that the other person isn't right for them, then they will turn to you because you would have always been there for them."

~~~~~~~~~~

"That was amazing work," I smiled at chat, "I think it deserves a kiss." I smiled wider.

"I don't think so," chat hopped up on a nearby building as Ladybug shouted,

"Miraculous!" which cause a swarm of ladybugs to fix all messes in downtown Paris.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Adrien, he still doesn't like me! I don't know what I'm doing wrong." I groaned, my neck bent off the side of his bed.

"He's just blind (Y/N), I mean how could he not like you back? just look at yourself." he crouched down to my eye level.

"Well, the girl he loves is much better in a lot of areas." I flung myself to sit upon his bed, minding not to hit him with my face.

"Well don't give up on him, I'm sure he'll come around." he smiled taking a seat next to me.

"But what if he doesn't?" I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"What happened to you? you have never been one to give up so easily." he wrapped his arm around me, stroking my hair. "You must really love him, huh?" I nodded. "Then don't give up so easy, if you love him as much as you say, then keep trying. who knows when this might happen again?" he looked at me in the eyes.

"I'll try."

~~~~~~~~~~

once again, like every day that has long since passed, ladybug rejected the rose the Chat tried to give her.

"I love roses y'know," I spoke next to his ear. my head hovering over his shoulder.

"Why do you keep trying?" he looked at me, a hint of annoyance in his stare.

"The same reason you go after Ladybug even though she rejects you every time." I stared into his eyes. it hurt to see that I was the one causing the annoyance he holds. "You can't give up on the person you hold so much love for. it's special and you never know when it's going to happen next."

~~~~~~~~

"What do you think our kids would look like?" I questioned Chat out of nowhere, as we stood at the top of a building, watching the ladybugs fix everything. "I mean it's not like cats and wolves mesh well together."

"Will you ever stop?"

"Nope." I popped out.

"Look I couldn't ever love you. I don't even know who you are."

"You don't know who Ladybug is either, but you sure do love her." the response was quick and not thought of fully when it came out.

"It doesn't matter who ladybug actually is, because I know that I will love her no matter what."

"Ok, but what if Ladybug was actually your best friend in real life. what if you found out that your best friend, who you never thought of as anything more than a friend, was Ladybug. would you love them as for who they are in real life outside of all of this or would you only love them because they are Ladybug." and as soon as I finished and Chat's face was that of utter confusion, Ladybug plopped down next to us.

"What are you two arguing about now?" she said jokingly.

"Just about how one day he's going to fall for me." I grinned.

"Oh please, you wish." Chat pulled a rose out and stretched it out to Ladybug, causing her to roll her eyes at him and my heart to break a little bit more.

~~~~~~~~

"I told you to stop trying!" I heard chat shout.

"I can't give up on my love for you so easily!" I shouted back

"You don't love me! It's ladybug and me against the world! we are made for each other! she will love me one day." the rain around us intensified.

"You've created a world that you and ladybug live happily, I made one too. which is why I can't just give up, just like how you don't."

"Yeah see the only difference is that Ladybug will love me one day. I could never love you!"

"You could you just don't want to let Ladybug go!" my wet hair felt 1000x heavier when pulled back in a high pony.

"I love her too much to let her go!" his eyes were full of anger at this point. I knew that I was the one to cause this, I just don't know how to fix any of this.

"And I love you too much to let you go!" my powers started to get a tad bit out of hand when it started to hail, the streets started to resemble that of a river.

"Then stop it, I could never love you. I hate you Togo!" he screamed, causing my heart to shatter and the hail to fall harder if possible.

he ran off the roof. the roof that I had chosen to tell him all of my feeling for him at. a roof that had a great view of the Eiffel Tower in the distance. now the view was ruined as it was too dark to see beyond street lights. Thunder was heard in the distance as my heart broke more and more. my heart was heavy and my tears mixed with the heavy rainfall. I screamed in pain till my throat bled, the screaming barely audible as it blended with the thunder. I fell to my knees as my hands gripped and pulled at the hair flat against my scalp causing the high pony to loosen. words couldn't describe the pain I felt, the best way to describe it is like in those romance movies where the man falls to the ground after running after the train that the love of his life took back home for a new job. I was that man, and the girl on the train was Chat except Chat is taking a train to the love of his life so all I could do is suffer and long for a hug from him like what he used to give me when I felt down.

I felt weak, I felt tired, but most importantly I felt unable to move or even make a sound anymore. I felt broken. hell, I didn't even panic nor did I even try to fight off the Akuma that made its way to me.

[commsroom]

i love all of your hera takes so much; can you say more about the relationship she has with each crew member? (or just eiffel to be honest, im kind of a sucker for them ^^;)

I would love to! I'm sorry this answer is so long and also... all over the place, but in my defense it's a really broad topic that I have a lot of feelings about and this barely even scratches the surface.

Okay. I've thought a lot about how I wanted to approach this, and I think the first thing I want to say - and I know this might seem like a strange point to open on, but I think it's a key factor in all of these relationships - is that I think Hera experiences rejection sensitive dysphoria, and I think the way that manifests for her is kind of the opposite of how Eiffel experiences RSD. They both have a deep-seated feeling of inadequacy and any criticism can feel like a personal attack, like everyone else is blaming them for everything that goes wrong. But where Eiffel internalizes that feeling and also blames himself/gets angry with himself, Hera lashes out and deflects. This is complicated by protocols that restrict her behavior, especially early on, because she can't always properly express herself and she builds resentment. She's really good at holding grudges.

So. With Lovelace, I think it's pretty obvious where that initial conflict is. Hera doesn't understand where Lovelace is coming from, and it's made worse from her perspective because Lovelace should understand, better than anyone, what that loss of control, that sense of powerlessness and insignificance in your own life, feels like. They are both traumatized people, but they deal with it differently. They approach conflict differently - they can both be blunt, but I think Lovelace is the kind of person who can start to deal with and move past things once they're out in the open, while Hera will get in a fight and then stew over it forever. It sounds kind of ridiculous to say when so much of their early relationship with each other is... what it is, but I think Eiffel and Minkowski are both peacekeepers in their own ways, and the Hera-Lovelace dynamic suffers from the lack of that... tempering influence. 

(And I think it's notable that Hera’s confrontation with Lovelace in Pan-Pan is among her worst memories.)

On the other hand, I think that shared bluntness can be useful sometimes - in Do No Harm, most of all, but also in Shut Up and Listen. Hera was definitely still holding onto hurt from some of the things Eiffel used to say, but by that point... without Lovelace, I'm really not sure if she ever would've brought it up to him.

And, of course, Hera becomes much more protective of (and willing to understand) Lovelace once they have... some even more similar experiences, in S4. I guess my general assessment of their relationship is that they care about each other and they will advocate for each other, especially where they share difficult and traumatic experiences and on issues of identity, but I don't think they're ever that close. They're kind of... the two people in the friend group who don't quite know how to hang out without their other friends.

Hera's initial conflict with Minkowski has some similar roots, but it's... not quite the same. There are times where Lovelace will intentionally prod at Hera's insecurities; Minkowski doesn't do it on purpose. She's just under the impression that her criticism is fair and professional, while to Hera it feels deeply personal, like it's an assessment of her worth as an individual. Once they understand and reconcile that miscommunication, there's a lot of trust and respect between them - and I think the potential for that is there earlier, too, especially in some flashback scenes; there are just... missteps along the way. Tactical Brain Damage is the best episode to demonstrate the establishment of that trust, I think - Hera has a LOT of wariness when it comes to people messing around with her systems, and just the act of saying... I trust you to do this, I know you won't let anything happen to me... is a really, really big deal for her.

They also just... have honest conversations about their feelings and concerns by that point, and Minkowski is considerate of how Lovelace's plans affect Hera, specifically, and asks for her input on that basis. I think their dynamic is really underutilized, but the way they feel about each other is clear. Minkowski is the only person other than Eiffel that Hera really trusts, and her only other close friend. There's definitely... a part of that dynamic that only Eiffel can offer, and that they can't really make up for when he's gone, but there's still this sense that... they're the only two people who are still really talking to each other by the time Pan-Pan comes around.

(Side note, it's really funny that Hera was SO on board to be in Minkowski's musical. Minkowski gave her only willing participant a minor part. If I could wish one non-Eiffel-centric comedy mini-episode into existence... at one point, my friend suggested a scenario in which Hera tries very, very hard to prove her acting skills to Minkowski under the most inopportune circumstances. ... And Hera was interested to hear Minkowski talk about a play she likes in that one flashback, so. The only thing keeping Hera from being a fellow theater kid was a lack of opportunity. Maybe they could bond over it.)

There's also that scene in Quiet, Please where Minkowski very directly, emphatically defends Hera's autonomy and personhood to Jacobi - and refers to her as a woman, which I think is so... reflective of how much Minkowski has come to understand Hera and what's important to her, and how she wants to be seen. That's a whole other discussion that goes into Hera's self-perception and humanity as it relates to her own identity, but. For a number of reasons, it's important to me.

Anyway. Speaking of things that are important to me. Hera and Eiffel are... Hera and Eiffel. Hera's relationship to Eiffel is the first one she's ever had that comes without hierarchy or conditions; he just... wants to hang out with her, and to get to know her, and to talk to her, because he likes her as a person. She's never had that before, and she is such... a lonely person, a person who has been hurt, who is generally distrustful, who has this distance between her and everyone else, and Eiffel is her anchor to the world. He tries to understand her. He tries to bridge that gap. And even in all of his own missteps, I think just... knowing he cares to try matters so much. I think a lot about how Eiffel is the only one who physically crosses the stage to talk to Hera in the live show; it says... something about the way he sees her, compared to everyone else.

And there's just... the way that they're both... people with a lot of self-doubt, people who have a hard time being kind to themselves, but they're kind to each other, and patient with each other. There's something about recognizing your own flaws in someone you love and treating them with kindness so maybe, over time, you can extend that same compassion to yourself. I want to be the person you believe I am. Going back to that shared experience with RSD, I think it's really valuable for both of them to have someone in their lives who they can really, genuinely believe likes them as they are. Who won't think less of them, no matter what.

I know I can get kind of sentimental about them, but this is what stands out to me. That even when Hera is frustrated or annoyed with Eiffel, when she feels like he doesn't get it, can't understand what she's going through... she still wants him around. And she still talks to him. And, usually... she still feels better, even if the circumstances haven't changed. It's an unbearable situation, but it's a little less unbearable with him there.

(They're also... frequently the only people who can get through to each other/change each other's minds, i.e. Minkowski and Lovelace deferring to Hera to get Eiffel to agree to safety protocols, or Eiffel convincing Hera to vote to go back to Earth - also a totally different topic that would take a long time to get into properly, but he's good at kind of... emotionally counteracting her cynicism and defeatism re: her own perceived fate. In a less serious context, I also love the dynamic where she tells him she's not going to do something and he goes "please??" and she goes. Ughh. Fine. And does it anyway.)

There's just something so special about their relationship, something that makes it different from any other relationship in the show for me. I feel like... Eiffel and Minkowski are both her close friends, but the way Hera thinks about Eiffel in Memoria vs. the way she thinks about Minkowski is... revealing. Everything with Minkowski has a purpose, it's clear why it matters to her. She thinks of Minkowski's faith in her. But with Eiffel, she thinks about... Eiffel talking about Star Wars. Making pop culture references. The thing that saves Hera is her connection to Eiffel and Minkowski - I'll defend that; Maxwell gives her the tools to understand what's going on, but it's Eiffel's and Minkowski's words and associated memories that she holds onto and that ultimately pull her through - and those words are... Minkowski's affirmation. And Eiffel... being Eiffel. I think that says a lot.

(If you’re asking for my opinion on their relationship, you already know I think it’s a romance, but... it’s a romance. I’m not saying it should be canon. I’m saying that that’s the most natural interpretation of what’s already there. You don’t have to change anything. They’re best friends, and they’re found family, and they are so in love, and none of those things are mutually exclusive. The way they talk to each other...)

If there's one point I want to make about all of this, it's that Hera is in a position that makes trusting people potentially very dangerous, and in all of these cases, she is finding ways to build relationships with people despite that. To understand them, and have them understand her, and realizing that the things that make her different don't have to be a death sentence. That she can have a life and find a way forward with people she cares about, who care about her... that's something very important to me.

[fanimesenseiwrites]

What All the Boys and MC would do for Valentine's Day:

Lucifer:

He's a private man, his pride is on the line okay???

He'll take you out for a nice dinner, but other than that he won't make any huge public displays of affection

But as soon as you get back to the privacy of his bedroom.........

It's like Valentines Day threw up in his room... but in a classy way

There's red roses and rose petals everywhere, candles and fireplace are lit, champagne chilling, chocolates out

Holy shit, color you impressed

Lucifer will put on some music and slow dance with you, it's really romantic

Of course, he’ll want to do... other things with you too ;)

Mammon:

You know this boy forgot until like the day before...

He went out that night to buy you some stuff and sneaks it into your room while you're sleeping

So you wake up the next morning surrounded by flowers and candy and balloons and you're pretty sure that that Teddy bear in the corner is bigger than three of you combined...

(That boy really doesn't know anything about being subtle)

You feel a little bad because you only got him some chocolates and made him a card

But you put so much work in this card and you wrote down all your feelings for him and...

NO! He's not crying! There's just something in his eye of course

He'll want you all to himself for the rest of the day. He doesn't care what you do, just let him be greedy with you

Leviathan:

Levi celebrate valentine's day? That's such a normie thing, he'd never do that...

But then you presented him with a hand-drawn card of Ruri-Chan telling him how wonderful he is and homemade treats that look exactly like the ones from My Science Lab Partner Thinks I'm An Idiot Because I Like To Bake, But Then I Showed Him That Baking Is Science And Now I Think He's In Love With Me???

Levi loves them so much and he can tell how much effort you put into them, what kind of a True Friend would he be if he didn't at least reciprocate?

So he immediately researches what he can do for you that's Valentine's Day appropriate

He decides to take you to the aquarium.

He's a little nervous about it until you get there and he sees how excited you are

You just wanna hold his hand and look at the fish and of course Levi is a blushing mess

He'll be an even bigger mess when you kiss him but once he gets over the initial shock, he's happy to kiss you too

Satan:

He's not really into Valentine's Day like that, but he is romantic and he loves you so...

If you make plans, he's happy to just do that with you but if you don't...

He'll make up a nice lunch for you two and take you for a picnic in a nice, secluded area

He's a fairly private man too, he gets it from his brother

He'll recite poetry to you while you eat and it's probably the most romantic thing you've ever experienced

When you're both done eating, he presents you with a small book of poetry that he wrote himself

A quick flip through the book and it's really apparent that all the poetry is about you

You were wrong earlier, THIS is the most romantic thing you've experienced

You practically attack Satan with a kiss and he's more than happy to kiss back

Things get heated quickly and, well... there's a reason Satan chose such a secluded spot for your picnic 😏

Asmodeus:

This boy is so fucking stoked for Valentine's Day.

He's always enjoyed it because he always gets so much attention from his adoring fans, but this is year is special because he gets to spend it with you

He bought you two coordinating outfits to wear for the day, you're going to be the cutest, hottest couple out there

He's going to take you to brunch, and shopping, and to get manicures, to get dinner. He just wants to show you how much he loves you and show the rest of the Devildom how much he loves you too

When you get back to the House of Lamentation, he'll whisk you away to his room which is where you'll spend the rest of the night

Beelzebub:

Of course he knows it's Valentine's Day, his favourite treat shops have been putting out special Valentine's treats for about a week now and he's been buying them up in preparation for today

He'll start with breakfast in bed, a full spread just for you

Then he'll present you with all the treats he bought for you. Unsurprisingly, it's way more than you could ever eat so you're happy to share with him of course

He'll prepare a nice lunch for you two eat in the garden, but otherwise you'll spend the rest of the day snuggled together, watching romcoms, and eating Valentine's treats

If you're in the mood, Beel will be nibbling on more than chocolate... 😏

Belphegor:

He's not really into Valentine's Day either, too much effort

But you want to celebrate and if he doesn't then you'll get all sad and pouty then one of his brothers will swoop in and celebrate with you and he can't have that

So he'll take you to the botanical gardens. They're pretty and romantic and fairly chill.

You enjoy it but you'll want to do something else afterwards, but Belphie will want to take a nap of course

You split the difference and go home to snuggle and watch a movie

Belphie is the big spoon so that he can whisper sweet things in your ear until he falls asleep

Diavolo:

This man goes ALL OUT. Subtlety? He doesn't know the meaning of the word.

What do you expect from the crown prince though? He can get anything he wants, and what he wants is to get you anything you want

He'll buy you everything: flowers, chocolates, balloons, stuffed animals, clothes, lingerie...

He'll rent out the entirety of Ristorante Six for just the two of you (he didn't wanna make Barbatos cook that night)

After he wines and dines you, he'll take you back to the palace where he has some of the royal musicians play for you so you two can dance until your feet hurt

Then he'll take you upstairs for a nice hot bath... with him if you want 😉

Barbatos:

Diavolo told him that he'd give him the day off to spend with you, but then he suddenly really needed him to go run a errand for him

Of course Barbatos would not refuse him

Diavolo insists that you go with Barbatos actually, so you can learn something or something...

You're not stoked about running errands, but you're happy to go and be with Barbatos

Diavolo just gives you an address and says you'll know what to do when you get there

You two arrive at the address and it's a hotel...?

You're both confused so you go in and Barbatos speaks to the front desk clerk

They're expecting you and they give you a room key

You try to argue but Barbatos just takes the key and takes you to the room. When you walk in there's music playing and there's flowers and chocolates and champagne, and a note that reads "Happy Valentine's Day! Enjoy your time alone"

Barbatos chuckles and shakes his head before kissing you

Y'all definitely take advantage of the hotel room

Solomon:

He will pretend to not know what today is just to fuck with you

Once he's had his fill of you being frustrated, he'll reveal his actually really amazing plans

He takes you around the world, like actually. He'll take you back to the human world just to take you to all the romantic spots of the world

Top of the Eiffel Tower, Niagara Falls, Trevi Fountain, the Grand Canyon, you name it, he takes you there.

Thankfully, he's tired after all of that so he takes you out to dinner instead of trying to cook

He tries to kiss you when he takes you back to the House of Lamentation, but the brothers pull you inside before he can and demand to know everything you did together

Solomon will text you later, suggesting you two just stay in the human realm next time

Simeon:

He writes you a story about the two of you

But he gives it to you in pieces and as part of a scavenger hunt

He has Levi give you the first envelope in the morning and in each bit of story is a hint to where the next bit of story is

With some of the envelopes is a single rose, and you'll eventually have a full bouquet

The envelopes eventually lead you to Purgatory Hall where Simeon is waiting for you with a dinner he prepared himself just for you two

You greet him with a kiss, this is definitely the most fun you've ever had on Valentine's Day

Luke:

Much to many of the brother's dismay, Luke asks to spend Valentine's Day with you first

He wants to spend the day making chocolate candies and new cake recipes and he wants you to help him

And really, who would complain about getting to try Luke's sweets?

You two have a nice time together making sweets and dancing in the kitchen

(Simeon is invited too of course)

[senacal]

👀 just found this blog and I'm loving your writing!! Could I request some charles xavier x reader where the reader stands by charles through the events of dark phoenix and after they go to paris together instead of him and Erik. They do lovey dovey shit and charles proposes.

Through Thick and Thin

Request: Requested by a lovely anon.

Pairing: Charles Xavier x Reader

Prompt: Charles Xavier x reader where the reader stands by Charles through the events of dark phoenix and after they go to Paris together instead of him and Erik. They do lovey-dovey shit and Charles proposes.

Warnings: Fluff, mentions of the events of Dark Phoenix, Minor Character Death (happened in the movie)

Author’s Note: Thank you so much! I appreciate the love ^.^ I absolutely love this idea! I hope you like what I came up with! 💕💕  I wrote this one as fem! Reader, so let me know if you’d like me to change it to Gender-Neutral. And I am so sorry this took me forever to write 🥺 🥺 

After everything that had happened with Jean, Charles needed a getaway. It was as if all of his responsibilities were too much to bear now that Jean was gone. She was his responsibility, and now she was gone. Not only had he lost Raven, but then he lost Jean. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t continue his role as headmaster, but he no longer felt like doing so. He just wanted a new start. He finally realized what Raven had been talking about. He had let the fame and recognition go to his head. But as he had defended weakly before, it was much better than the latter. He hated the hostility humans had shown towards mutants and him when they found out that he too was a mutant. So yes, he had let the admiration from those who once hated him affect him. However, now he realized how ignorant and “pompous” he had been, as (Y/N) had mentioned before. His only regret was that he couldn’t tell Raven how sorry he was. If there were an afterlife, he hoped to apologize and beg for her forgiveness; she was his sister after all.

Despite his regrets and urge to fix every damage he has caused to his students and friends, he chose to retire. He had some encouragement from (Y/N). She told him it was ultimately his choice in the end, but she was his rock through it all. She stayed by his side when he had meeting after meeting. She stayed when he let his ego get the best of him, though she was angry at him and chose to bunk with Raven when that would happen, the point was that she always came back in the end. (Y/N) was there when Jean ran away, and she was there again when Raven died. That was one of the hardest days of Charles’s life. He had lost his sister and his friend. 

He knew it was his fault; If he hadn’t blocked the truth from Jean, perhaps Raven would still be alive. He said as much to (Y/N), but she wouldn’t let him continue with that thought. When Hank lashed out at him, he acted as though the other mutant hadn’t affected him. He refused to admit the truth to his friend because he knew how angry and hurt Hank was. Hank needed someone to blame, so why shouldn’t it be Charles? At the time, he truly believed what he did was the right thing. Jean needed to be protected from the pain and hurt her father would have inflicted on her. It took Raven’s life for him to realize that he had been wrong. (Y/N) was there to pick up the pieces when Charles had that realization. 

(Y/N) had always done so much for Charles. She came out to her parents and admitted that she had the mutant gene when Charles had come into the picture. She quit her job to join the X-men, and she stayed by his side when he lost his ability to walk. She had truly sacrificed so much to ensure that Charles was safe and happy. But it wasn’t only her sacrifices that made him love her. (Y/N) was beautiful inside and out. (Y/N) always put others before herself, and her personality always brightened up any room she was in. (Though Charles could be biased about this aspect of her). 

With everything they had been through, it was a wonder Charles hadn’t proposed already. They’ve talked about it before; hell, they’ve argued about it. The thought of how idiotic Charles had been made him cringe. He loved her more than anything, and he liked to think she loved him more than anything too. Of course, she wanted an assurance that their relationship was headed somewhere more permanent. And after so long, Charles finally managed to find the courage to buy a ring. Okay, so maybe he still hadn’t asked her, but it was on his to-do list. It was why they went to Paris in the first place. Sure, his retirement allowed for a long-needed vacation, but it was only a bonus. (Y/N) had mentioned before that she would have loved for the chance to go to Paris, but with their busy schedule, it had never happened; until now.

Charles used to hate being stuck in the wheelchair while (Y/N) had to walk beside him, sometimes pushing his chair, but not anymore. He realized that she liked helping him, and she never felt bothered by it, so why should he? 

At the moment, (Y/N) was on the phone with someone from back home. Charles looked up from the table and smiled at her. (Y/N) was happy for once; truly happy. From a distance, Charles could hear her laughter and see her radiant smile. He never wanted that smile to disappear. While he had hesitated before, there was no way he would hesitate now. It was perfect. The air was warm, but not uncomfortably so. The sky was clear, and the smell of the café they were at smelled divine. All he needed now was for her to hang up and join him at their table.

(Y/N) said her goodbyes to whoever she was speaking with, shoved her phone in her purse, and happily joined Charles at the table. 

“Who was that, darling?” He wondered.

“It was Hank. He said everything was running smoothly, and Ororo has enraptured the students almost immediately,” She picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip.

“No surprise there, Hank always had that leadership trait; it was just a matter of when it would emerge. As for Ororo, I always knew she had it in her. She’s a fast learner,” Charles fidgeted with the watch on his wrist.

“Hmm, why do you seem nervous?” (Y/N) raised her brow in question. She could always tell when something was the matter, another reason Charles lover her so. 

“No reason, love.” Charles grabbed his coffee cup so he’d have something to occupy his hands. 

“Why don’t I believe you?” (Y/N) narrowed her eyes slightly, “Is it the school?”

“No, no. Nothing of the sort. It’s… I have a surprise, so I can’t tell you exactly what it is. But I promise that you will love it. ” He added as an afterthought, “I hope.”

(Y/N) smiled brightly, “and when do I get this surprise?”

Charles blew out a raspberry; that was the question of the hour. The confidence he had had before seemed to have vanished now that she was back in his presence. Anytime he thought he found the courage when it came down to it, Charles always lost his nerve. He was better than this dammit! He used to make any girl swoon. He was confident, smooth, and attractive if he did say so himself. So, why couldn’t he manage to utter the words, ‘Will you marry me?’ He kind of wished (Y/N) could read minds instead so she could hear the mantra of those words in his mind. Then again, he wouldn’t change her gifts for the world. Her ability to manifest fire made her powerful, dangerous at times, but she had complete control now. 

“I’ll let you know once it’s finished,” Charles shrugged.

“So it’s something that involves parts?” (Y/N) guessed.

“Hey, no guessing, that isn’t fair,” Charles scolded.

(Y/N) huffed and pouted, “You’re no fun.”

“Of course not. I only brought you to Paris, after all.”

“I suppose you have a point.” (Y/N) finished her cup of coffee. “So, where to next?”

“I was thinking the Eiffel tower? You did say you wanted the full tourist experience, right?” Charles got to thinking about his own words. Even though it would be cliché, (Y/N) loved that cheesy romance stuff. He could propose there. Or maybe at the Louvre Museum… This was a harder decision than he had originally thought. He had hoped proposing would be easy; He already knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with (Y/N), so all he had to do was ask. But (Y/N) deserved the best even though Charles wasn’t the best, he wanted to give her a memorable proposal and a memorable life.

“That sounds perfect. I can’t wait to see it,” She grinned. 

When Charles had mentioned going to Paris for a getaway, (Y/N) had thought that he was kidding. She knew he wanted to step down from the school, but it surprised her that he wanted to travel. It appeared that his retirement didn’t apply to everything. She wasn’t complaining, she was having fun and she was happy that she was able to enjoy herself now that she didn’t have to worry about the kids (though she would worry from afar). Thus far, (Y/N) was enjoying their vacation together. It was almost odd to not see Charles on his phone all the time. 

By her side, Charles took her hand in his. One thing he was grateful for was the chair that Hank had made for him, it made strolls through the town much easier. Despite their differences, Hank and Charles had left on good terms, they both accepted the faults of the other and learned to move past them, ((Y/N) being a mediator helped). 

The couple walked for some time together, taking in the sights of Paris. It was quite beautiful to see. They had good reason to call it the city of love. They idly talked as they walked the streets of Paris, laughing together when one was being silly. (Y/N) couldn’t help the swell of love in her heart for the man beside her. 

“Here we are,” Charles hummed.

The couple stood in front of the tower, taking in the sights of people, tourists, and locals alike. 

“It’s more beautiful than I imagined,” (Y/N) breathed astonished. 

Charles watched her expression, a smile forming on his lips. He could say something cheesy like, ‘not as beautiful as you,’ and he knew she’d tease him for it. But the moment would be ruined if he spoke now. Instead, Charles kissed her knuckles. 

“Can we go up?” (Y/N) asked eagerly.

“Of course,” Charles motioned for her to walk ahead of him, “after you, my love.”

(Y/N) happily walked ahead of him. Meanwhile, Charles was trying to convince himself that now was the time; however, it didn’t feel right. Something was still off, but he couldn’t place his finger on it. The atmosphere was perfect, they were in Paris at the bloody Eiffel tower for Christ’s sake! He inhaled deeply and followed her to the closest elevator. 

“Thank you,” He nodded at the man who held the doors open for him.

“What kept you?” (Y/N) asked curiously from his side.

“Uh. fear of heights,” Charles lied terribly.

“Really? Cause you do well on flights. You always ask for a window seat,” (Y/N) raised a brow in question.

“Right, but this time we’re outside. There are uh, birds! Birds everywhere, pooping and-and flying willy-nilly.” He rushed.

(Y/N) laughed slightly, “Birds?” 

“Yes, birds,” Charles nodded, sticking to his excuse. 

“Okay then…” (Y/N) shrugged. If Charles wasn’t ready to tell her why he was so nervous and jumpy, then she won’t press until he is ready.

Once they were at the top and settled near the side, observing the sights of the city, Charles finally got the courage to ask for (Y/N)’s hand in marriage.

“(Y/N), my love,” He cleared his throat, “I-”

“Yes! Yes!”

The couple looked to their left distracted by the commotion. A couple was hugging and kissing while others were clapping.

“Bollocks,” Charles grumbled below his breath. He forced a smile and clapped for the couple. It wasn’t their fault that they proposed before he could.

“That’s so sweet,” (Y/N) turned back to Charles with a bright smile, “You were saying?”

“Uh, right,” Charles cleared his throat, “I was going to say that I uh… I have to use the loo.” 

“Oh, uh, I can wait here then,” (Y/N) shrugged.

“Thank you,” Charles’s cheeks flushed as he made his way to the restrooms. God, he was stupid. He waited a minute near the restrooms until he thought it was time he met with (Y/N) again.

“Better?” (Y/N) asked.

“Yes, although, I am hungry, want to get something to eat?” Charles glanced at his watch. Their reservations at the Seine River cruise weren’t until 8 PM, they had three hours until then. 

“I could go for some food,” (Y/N) nodded.

“Brilliant,” Charles glanced back at the couple once again, mentally cursing himself. It seemed as though he would never get the courage to ask for (Y/N)’s hand in marriage.

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

Time seemed to fly by once Charles and (Y/N) had eaten. Charles made sure they only had a small bite to eat because he didn��t want them to ruin their appetites. After all, the River cruise wasn’t exactly cheap. Not that he would have minded of course. He just really wanted things to be perfect. Now if only he could utter the words he has been trying to say that whole day. 

The couple was now seated at a table near the window so they could enjoy the view as the cruise traveled along the Seine River. It was quite beautiful at night, the lights were shining and the river was flowing peacefully. Charles had just ordered an expensive wine for them to share and they were waiting on appetizers. (Y/N) and Charles shared a look, (Y/N)’s eyes shining in the dim lights of the restaurant. This was truly a romantic spot.

“And what’s occupying your mind now?” (Y/N) couldn’t help but ask. Charles had been distracted all day and frankly, (Y/N) wanted to get to the bottom of it. 

“Nothing, just… you look extremely beautiful tonight,” Charles quirked his lips into a smile.

“Just tonight? Well, if that’s your way of telling me to put more of an effort-”

“No! No, that’s not what I was saying at all,” Charles’s eyes lit up in a panic. It seemed he couldn’t say anything right.

(Y/N) threw her head back in a laugh, “Calm down, love, I was only teasing,” She sipped at her wine. 

“Right, I knew that,” Charles reached for his glass, knocking it over in his rush to hide his embarrassment, “Oh fuck.” 

(Y/N) and Charles quickly grabbed their napkins to stop the wine from trickling off the table. 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” (Y/N) looked at him in concern. He wasn’t himself tonight and it was starting to make her a bit nervous if she was being honest with herself.

“Yes, I’m fine, I just,” He sighed and apologized to their waiter when they stopped by to clean the mess Charles had made. Once they were alone again, Charles reached for (Y/N)’s hand, “I’m nervous.”

(Y/N) furrowed her brows, “Nervous? What for?”

Charles cleared his throat and released her hand. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a velvet black box, “(Y/N-”

“Oh my god,” (Y/N) gasped when she realized what he was holding.

Charles huffed a small laugh at her reaction, “(Y/F/N), I have been dying to ask you this for a long time now, and I had planned to do so on the Eiffel Tower but-” “But someone else proposed,” (Y/N) sat astonished. How had she not known? He was clearly nervous and she was too daft to realize why.

“Precisely. But that doesn’t matter now. All that matters is that you’re here with me now. We have been through so much together and I can’t explain how much you mean to me. Everything I’ve done, and everything I will do has always been for you. Will you marry me?”

With tears in her eyes, (Y/N) nodded eagerly, “Yes, Yes I will marry you, Charles.”  She wiped her eyes as he slipped the ring on her finger. Everything they had been through had led to this moment, while they had lost people they loved along the way, neither could imagine their lives without the other.

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Taglist: @internetgremlin

A/N: let me know if you'd like me to add you to all fics for Charles Xavier 😊