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minisugakoobies · 3 years

Text

Sparks | JHS

Pairing: Hoseok x Reader

Genre: romance, fluff, BestFriends!AU

Rating: T

Warnings: a lil' smooching, mutual pining

Word Count: 1.4K

Disclaimers: None other than obviously I don’t own BTS - they simply inspire me

Summary: It's the end of summer. If only Hoseok were by your side.

A/N: Mood inspired by "Sparks" by Coldplay. Unbeta'd. I didn't plan to write another fluffy one-shot, but these things happen. I also didn't plan to create my own header, but I decided what the hell. I have a real passion for graphic design, as you can clearly see (🤡🤡🤡).

Masterlist 💜 Find me on AO3 💜

You strolled into the night, serenaded by the trilling of crickets as they sang their evening lullaby. The sun had set hours ago, and the air had cooled off enough that it was a pleasant walk. Crossing the street, you headed towards the center of town, where people were gathering to celebrate the anniversary of your hometown’s founding.

In the dark, the park at the heart of your little town was transformed completely. White paper lanterns, strewn from trees and hung from pavilions, bobbed gently in the night breeze, creating the illusion that they were floating in mid-air. The benches under the main pavilion had been pushed to the side to create a makeshift stage for the band, which was currently playing a quick-tempo swing tune. Dancers gathered on the grass in front of the band to show off their best moves, women’s skirts twirling and twisting as their partners pulled them close and dipped them low.

You hadn’t intended on coming to the party alone. You’d been hoping to ask Hoseok if he’d come with you. All summer, you’d been gathering your courage, waiting for the perfect opportunity to ask him to be your date. But each moment that passed just never felt like the right one.

It was silly, honestly – Hoseok was your oldest friend. You’d hung out a million times, all throughout elementary school and then high school, and now you reunited every summer when you both came home from college. It was always the two of you together. Why was it so hard to ask him out as a date instead of as a friend?

(You knew why.)

Yesterday, he’d mentioned that his family was going out of town for the weekend on one last trip to the lake house, and that was that. You’d lost your chance. In just a few days, you’d be heading back to school for your final year. You’d made it to the end of summer without telling Hoseok how you felt. Again.

All your other friends had their own dates for the party, and you didn’t particularly feel like being a third wheel. But you also didn’t want to sit at home on such a beautiful August evening. So, you put on your favorite white cotton dress, the one with the simple floral eyelet pattern, and pinned your hair up. You thought you’d pulled yourself together quite nicely enough to put in an appearance.

As you ambled across the park, you spotted a cluster of booths by the tennis courts, where vendors were hawking delicious treats - caramel apples and salty kettle corn and other sweets whose intoxicating fragrances swirled in the night air. You queued in a line for icy cold lemonade, deciding at the last minute on the raspberry flavor. Standing off to the side of the main pavilion, under a large oak tree, you sipped at the tart concoction as you surveyed the crowd.

Children ran to and fro, darting in between the dancers, chasing the fireflies that blinked around the park like tiny Christmas lights come unbound from their wires. One firefly flashed near your left elbow. Deftly, you swept your hand out and caught it. Bringing it close to your face, you peeked into your cupped hand. The gaps between your fingers pulsed with a faint light, and you laughed joyfully, remembering how much you’d always loved catching fireflies as a child.

After enjoying the glow for another minute, you released the bug, watching it flicker as it flew away. Lowering your hand, your eyes focused on the crowd in front of you, and that’s when you saw him. Hoseok. He stood on the other side of the grassy square, scanning the crowd.

His blonde hair was parted for once, instead of hanging messily in his eyes. He wore a light white linen button-down shirt and a simple pair of slacks, with his black Chucks peeking out from underneath the hem of his pant legs. Effortlessly handsome, as always. He locked eyes with you, and a broad smile lit up his face.

He started to move toward you. You quickly finished your lemonade and tossed the empty cup into a bin. Your fingers flew to your hair, checking that no strands had come loose. The swing song ended and the couples on the lawn parted, applauding politely.

Another few steps and suddenly he was there. You smiled and he smiled back, his dark eyes crinkling slightly at the corners.

"Hi,” he said, his voice husky.

“Hi,” you echoed, shifting your weight from one foot to another. “I didn’t know you were coming tonight.” You peered up at him, still smiling. “I thought your family was going to be at the lake house all weekend?”

“Yeah, they are,” he grinned. “But without me. I didn’t go.” “Oh,” you replied. “You didn’t go? But… why?” Hoseok would live at the lake house if his parents would allow it.

“So I could be here,” he answered matter-of-factly, gesturing around him.

You blinked in confusion, wondering why he hadn't told you he wasn't going with his family, as he glanced at the lanterns dancing overhead. “I can’t believe how nice the park looks tonight.” He turned back to you, and your breath caught in your throat.

He was gazing at you like you’d hung the moon.

“And you… you look lovely tonight.” He shuffled slightly as he spoke, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. In the dim light, you saw a blush begin to crawl across his cheeks.

You felt yourself warming at his words. “Th-thanks, Hobi. You look very nice, too. Almost respectable, even,” you teased, delighting as his blush deepened. You didn’t know if it was the sugar from your drink, but you suddenly felt giddy and lightheaded.

Just then, the band began to play again. The guitarist stepped forward, his fingers nimbly strumming a gentle waltz. On the grassy dance floor, couples drifted together as though pulled by invisible strings.

Hoseok stepped closer to you as the music crescendoed. Reaching out with his left hand, he bowed slightly and grabbed your right. “Dance with me,” he said, not quite a question, but not a command, either. It was simply a fact that he stated. A given.

Of course you would dance with him.

He drew you to him, his left hand raising your right as his other arm snaked around your waist. You draped your arm around his shoulder, and together, you slowly stepped out onto the lawn.

Hoseok smiled down at you as you swayed. His right thumb stroked the small of your back lightly as he turned you about the dance floor. Overwhelmed by the nearness of him, you dropped your head to his shoulder, hoping he couldn’t feel how your pulse quickened under his touch.

The two of you stayed this way, silently moving together to the beat of the band, for a minute before you found your voice again.

“So,” you said, tilting your head a little so your words wouldn’t be muffled by his shirt, “you skipped the lake to be here tonight? I didn’t know you cared about this town’s history so much.”

He chuckled softly. “I’m not here for the celebration. I’m here for you.”

You lifted your head in surprise. “For me?”

He nodded, biting his lip, suddenly seeming unsure. “I… I’ve been trying to tell you all summer, how I feel about you. About us.” He glanced away, eyes roaming the crowded dance floor as he considered his words. “But I kept letting my chances slip through my fingers. When I woke up this morning, I decided I wasn’t going to let another one pass by.” He turned back to you, a serious expression on his face. “I went to your house earlier, hoping to talk to you. When you weren’t there, I knew I’d find you here. I just… I just hope I’m not too late.”

“Hobi,” you murmured, voice gentle, as if you could to soothe his worries with his name alone.

“Tell me, please,” he whispered, his eyes searching your face, “did I miss my chance?”

Your heart seemed to swell in time with the music as you stared up at him and wordlessly shook your head, tongue too tied to speak. Hoseok beamed, his radiant smile shining brighter than the sun, and pulled you closer while the band struck up another slow love song.

You weaved around the other couples on the lawn as fireflies floated above you, dancing their own minuets through the night sky. And as Hoseok’s face dipped towards you, and your eyes closed as his lips met yours, you could still see the sparks.

#bangtanarmynet #ficscafe #hoseok x reader #hoseok x you #jung hoseok #jhope #hobi #hoseok fluff #bts fanfic #bts fluff #jhope x you #hobi x you #my writing #fic: sparks

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half-bakedboy · 3 years

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read on ao3 Pairing: Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz Rated: General Prompt: Tree Shopping

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Eddie had no idea what the hell he was doing.

His wife had left him and he wasn’t quite sure how to be an unmarried man. His son was just old enough to start school and Eddie didn’t know where to start, especially considering Christopher’s educational needs. He had just gotten a job working at a fire station as a firefighter which he had never imagined for his future.

And to top it all off, he was surrounded by trees with no idea where to start.

“Jesus Christ,” Eddie cursed under his breath, running a stressful hand through his hair. A small chuckle beside him had him jolting and turning on his heels. “Jesus Christ!” he said much louder and directed at the man that came into view behind a large Christmas tree.

“You know, we really frown upon using that name in vain, especially so close to his birthday.”

“Jesus was born in April,” Eddie corrected.

The man chuckled. “I think you’re confusing him with the Easter Bunny.”

“Do you normally question other people’s religious knowledge in the middle of a Christmas tree farm or am I just special?” Eddie said, hoping his tone showed how unamused he was by the man’s antics.

“We’re all a little special, aren’t we?” the man asked with an almost teasing lilt to his voice.

“Some more than others,” Eddie muttered. He turned away to stare at the tree in front of him that looked like— well, like all the other trees surrounding him.

“Do you need help?” the man asked. Before Eddie could question why he would even ask, he added, “I work here. My sister owns the place, actually.”

“Do people often need help picking a Christmas tree?” Eddie asked. He wondered if the question sounded as rhetorical as he hoped and not like the reassurance he desperately needed for his confusion.

“Hey, it’s not as easy as it looks. How about this? I’m going to ask you three questions and then I’ll know exactly which tree you should take home today.”

“You’re awfully confident.”

“What can I say?” The man shrugged. “It’s my special interest.”

“My son has those. It’s why Christmas is suddenly the talk of the house and I’m stuck getting a real Christmas tree instead of putting up the fake one my wife—ex-wife—bought four years ago and forgot to take with her when she left me.”

“That sucks, man.”

“Yeah, well,” Eddie sighed, “that was a lot of information offered that probably didn’t answer any of your questions.”

“Actually, it answered number one. So you have a kid?” Eddie nodded. “How old? That doesn’t count as a new question since it’s just clarification on the first.”

Eddie laughed and replied, “He’s five.”

“So you want something that has needle retention while keeping their softness.” The man nodded and started walking to another section of trees. “Allergies? You or your kid or any other household member?”

“Just us,” Eddie replied even though that wasn’t really the question he was supposed to answer. “Neither of us have allergies though Christopher—my son—can be sensitive to smells.”

“Low fragrance. Okay…” the man trailed off before putting his hand on his chin in thought. “What kind of budget are we looking at?”

“Um, none?” The man’s eyes widened so Eddie second-guessed his response. “I have to afford to buy a five-year-old gifts to put underneath whatever tree I buy,” he expanded.

“How tall is your ceiling?”

“My… ceiling?” The man nodded and waited expectantly. “I can touch it if I stand on my toes and reach.”

“Show me,” the man said, taking a few steps closer. Eddie suddenly smelled an almost sweet scent through the sharpness of the sap surrounding them. “C’mon, don’t be shy. I just need a good idea of length.”

“I don’t think you’ll find that in the middle of a Christmas tree farm,” Eddie murmured before he could think twice about it. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud…”

The man just laughed and motioned for Eddie to hold up his arms. He did as he was told and held his breath as the man pressed up against him, chest to broad chest, toe to steel-booted toe. Eddie could feel the man’s breath ghosting across his forehead as he lined a tape measure up to Eddie’s outstretched hands and dropped it down to their feet. Eddie was all too aware of the fact that the man didn’t have to push up onto his own toes to match Eddie’s reach.

“A little over seven feet,” he said. As he stepped away, Eddie tried not to be sad about it. “That means we want to look for one about six feet six inches to leave room for the star on top.”

“Angel,” Eddie corrected.

“You can just call me Buck,” the man shot back easily with a smirk on his face.

“We have an angel. Family heirloom,” Eddie offered. The man—Buck—nodded and tilted his head toward a bundle of trees to the left of where they were standing.

“You want a Fraser fir,” Buck said as he wandered through the array of trees. “Feel the needles,” he instructed and Eddie immediately did as he was told. “They’re much softer than the pines, enough that your kid won’t accidentally poke himself and it’s not as messy as you’d find with the spruces. It’s the least fragrant of the firs but will still have your home smelling like Christmas.”

Eddie stared, a little stunned, as Buck pointed to the most perfect tree Eddie had ever seen, hidden between two that must’ve been over eight feet.

“It’s not the cheapest but definitely not the most expensive and at six feet, you’re only looking at about—”

“I’ll take it,” Eddie interrupted. He ran his hand over the branches and imagined his son decorating the dark green needles in the rainbow-colored lights and the ridiculous number of ornaments. “It’s perfect.”

“I told you I’d find it,” Buck said smugly, leaning against a nearby tree. “I’m not going to help you cut it down, though, that’s all you.”

“Can I bribe help out of you?” Eddie asked. Buck raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Depends what you’re offering.”

“I heard this place has really great hot chocolate. Award-winning, I think the sign said.”

“It’s a family recipe,” Buck noted proudly. “You want to bribe me with hot chocolate to cut down your tree?”

“It’s either that or convince you to grab a cup of coffee with me this weekend.”

“How about both?”

“Are you going to ask me more questions to guess my coffee order?” Eddie teased.

Buck leaned forward in a flash, their lips so close together that Eddie could feel the warmth of them. Eddie closed his eyes, unsure what exactly had led him to almost being kissed in the middle of a bundle of Christmas trees but choosing not to think too much about it as Buck trailed a hand down Eddie’s chest.

He pulled away almost as quickly as he had gotten closer and when Eddie opened his eyes, he was holding a receipt between his fingers.

“Based on my well-tuned senses, I’d say that you’re a latte man. With cinnamon and nutmeg when it’s available.”

“You’ll just have to find out if you’re right,” Eddie noted when he could finally think straight again.

“Excuse me, do you work here?” Another voice chimed in and Eddie internally groaned as Buck pressed his lips together like he was suppressing his own.

“Duty calls,” Buck said, voice full of regret that had Eddie feeling pretty smug. “Once you’re done with the tree, come find me. I’ll help you bring it to your car.”

“You don’t think I can do it myself?” Eddie asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“Oh, I’m sure you can, but you can’t leave without my number.” The woman called over to Buck again and he sighed outwardly that time earning a small laugh from Eddie. “Just… don’t leave without it?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Eddie said truthfully, smiling widely when Buck tossed a beautiful grin in his direction before he jogged off.

Eddie turned back to the tree behind him and the saw left on the ground beside it, confusion pulling his eyebrows together as his lips pursed together.

Eddie had no idea what he was doing but at least he knew someone who could help that time.

#buddie #buddie fic #911 #evan buckley #eddie diaz #the118advent2021 #my writing #buddiefanfiction #911 fic #911 on fox #ITS CHRISTMAS TIME

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albino-whumpee · 3 years

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On those quiet moments

As part of the editing, I decided to put 3 chapters into this one, collecting Sann´s experience at Zarai´s and how his relationship with Albus gets more intimate. Hope you enjoy it! (the first one requested by @liliability the second is inspired by this post by @whump-galaxy and the third one was requested by anon)

Taglist: @castielamigos-whump-side-blog @giggly-evil-puppy @cowboysrappin @haro-whumps @burtlederp @neuro-whump @comfortforthepain @whumps-the-word @whole-and-apart-and-between @broken-horn @ashintheairlikesnow @rosesareviolentlyread@starnight-whump @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @as-a-matter-of-whump @whumpasaurus101 @grizzlie70 @twistedcaretaker

Ok, god, this has been so so long in my drafts I´m so sorry.

I wanted to make something cute for this, I really tried, but Sann is opening up to me with a lot of dark stuff, so I will kind of share some of it? Hope you like it~

CW// Dehumanization, pet whump, creepy whumper, trauma recovery, collars, mental games, past noncon and dubcon touching, conditioning muzzles, conditioning, emotional whump, slight spice, mentioned past torture, scars, identity issues and trauma survivor navigating consent and relationships. Ask to tag!

“Sann” the boy whispered to himself inside the crate he had arrived to the Glass mansion “Sann. My name´s Sann” he said to himself over and over as he tried to keep his mind away from the cold, from the pain of the bruises and beatings and the smell of other people. “Sann…”

His name was the first thing his Master gave him. Then the collar around his neck. A soft black leather band with golden buckles.

It meant Sann was his, and he had the right to do whatever he wanted to him.

Sann had expected to have his name called sweetly, gently pulled to his chest and be rewarded for his services. But his wishes were nobody´s concerns. Neither his comfort nor his happiness.

He was Robert Glass´s Romantic and he would obey his every whim.

He would stay put when he ordered him to. Watch how he took out his knife, or the belts, or the cane and the handcuffs and he would extend his wrists out and let him mark his body as he wished.

He would scream and shiver when he put the shock collar and slipped on the hood before leaving him tied in the basement for hours or even days, when he got sick of seeing his face.

He would go when he was called and smile when he ordered him to. He would take the beatings, the whipping and the tight ropes holding him in place for hours until his Master came to untie him and laugh when he plummeted to the ground made a shivering, crying mess behind the hood.

Despite all of it, he still held his hand, despite every second of screaming and begging, and rubbed raw wrists and ankles, he still called him Sirius sometimes.

Sometimes, when he wasn´t Sann, he would be kind. Sometimes, when they were alone on their way to another place, in the dark above the clouds, he would free him from his tight bindings. He would gently unbuckle the muzzle on his face and pull him up his lap to sooth his wedges and cuts and all the burns in his body.

“Quiet” the man would say as his stroke his cheek and slipped his hand down his thin shirt. Down his pants.

Sann would never admit now, sitting comfortably next to Al, head resting on his chest or chin on his shoulders, getting drunk in the fragrance of safety the albino induced, how Robert´s lips against his skin gave him goosebumps. How the man´s gentle shushing and hands felt like, when he played the game his father bought Sann for.

In the morning, he would be tied and muzzled all over again. However, when he got one second of solitude, Sann would pass his fingers over his lips. Wondering, if they could reach a point where the brusqueness of Sann´s kisses could be put aside for the gentleness of Sirius´s.

How much he had desired Robert to call him by the name of the person he longed for again, kissed the corner of his mouth and the tattooed lunars on his neck with affection Sann was forbidden from, and how earnestly, he had tried to keep him playing, to taste a little bit of the real love the man had to give, was his deepest secret.

It had been such a fierce desire, yet the dream cracked and crumbled when he took his voice.

By the time his Master took him to Zarai´s Christmas party and he met Albus, he had completely given up on getting kissed with love again.

It was slow, it took a while to stare at Albus with his shyness and odd ways of putting a smile on his face or tend invisible wounds he soothed with his presence alone, so the desire could ignite on his chest. Not the artificial warmth of letting his mind slip into the safety of his programming, but allow Sann, himself, to touch that flame and not burn on it.

Until one day, after Albus and Ma´am came from work, vibrating from accomplishment and pride, his happiness bled into him and Sann kissed him. He had seen how his face turned completely red but ended melting in his lips.

He wasn´t always sure if he was allowed to feel it as Sann, but with Albus, he didn´t have to whisper someone else´s name to hope there would be no pain later.

Being Sann was enough to be loved.

“I told you I´m not an artist” Sann said as Albus giggled at his fake, badly drawn mustache on the mirror.

They were once again alone at home, their owners going out for the weekend meant they had the house all to themselves and keys to go outside if they wished to. Sann had spent the whole weekend trying to teach Albus how to swim and laughing at his childish splashing. After so much time under the sun, a massive amount of freckles and small rashes had sprouted on their burnt skin, hence why they had rested the last day before their owners came back and applied sunscreen and cream on each other´s back before laying down in the couch.

In Albus´ teasing about the new freckles in the other´s back, Sann had picked up the pen they had been using for an hour now to paint on each other´s skin.

“What do you say? Should I let one grow?” The other said looking at himself side by side. Sann stared at him for a long moment. In all the time since he had become Zarai´s property, he had never seen him use a razor.

“Can you?” he asked finally after a moment.

“Possibly not” he giggled taking the pen they had been using to doodle over their faces “But you would look handsome with a beard, should we try see?”

Sann shook his head as he swooshed away the other boy´s hands, unable to stop the smile on his face. Would he? His Master never let it grow, after all.

“Ok, ok. Give me your hand” Albus said extending his arm with a pen on the other. The taller boy looked at his hand and then at him, arching an eyebrow. “C´mon, it´s nothing bad, I swear” he flashed a little smile at him.

Sann put his hand on his, puzzled at the way the other watched and traced the burns and cuts extending all the way from the back of his hand to his forearm, more underneath the flamingo shirt he was wearing then. Webs of them hid from the view below his clothes when it was a “don´t wanna show” day.

His fingers ghosted the diagonal lines on his wrists and moved to the circular, old scars of cigarette burns, before doing that flip with his pen to settle it over his skin.

“Would you like something in particular?” Albus asked looking up at him through his lashes. White like the rest of him, hiding that beautiful gleam of red. Sann made a vague gesture as if saying go ahead and surprise him.

Albus was careful to not put too much pressure and the pen´s ink was cold, but after a while, he could find it almost soothing. Even better for Sann as he couldn´t get bored of seeing the other stick his tongue out just like every time he got completely focused.

“There, look” The other told him suddenly, just as his eyes went down to find the burns with blue lines that made them look like meteors, a few of the cuts made to look like an alien ship flying by, his own freckles made to look like stars, connected to other freckles with a pointed line. Right on the back of his hand, there was a telescope.

Sann passed his fingers over them with widened eyes and then his expression softened. Never thinking he would like to see the scars over his skin. He was not afraid of showing them, he didn´t care anymore, but he never thought they could be pretty to look at.

“Can you do the other?” Sann asked him with a warm feeling extending over his chest.

“If you let me paint a beard”

“Forget it”

“Oh, c´mon!” Albus laughed.

Being Zarai´s came with perks he would have called luxuries with his Master. A soft bed to sleep in where he wouldn´t be woken up to be dragged up the mattress and then tightly tied face down with his ass up in the middle of the night. That wouldn´t happen. He could sleep tangled up with Albus and he could be sure he wouldn’t wake up with an unusual pain in the back of his throat, but instead he would be woke up when the albino tried to leave the bed as silently as possible, but when he failed and Sann clung to his shirt, the albino would greet him with a kiss in his forehead and a whispered “good morning”.

Sann spent most of his time alone at the house. Carrying the three legged cat all around the house as he searched for things to do. He could swim at the pool and step out of the house whenever he wanted. He even had access to the TV, laptop and all the books at the studio. He had so much freedom suddenly, at the beginning he had knelt in the middle of the house and waited. Expecting it to be a game where Zarai would appear out of nowhere to punish him for his incredulity. He had rather play it safe. But a few months later, the scared boy was curled up in the sofa watching videos about how to build a hinge for a prosthetic leg for the cat purring in his lap. He still had the habit to look around every few minutes just to make sure nobody would come to hit him.

It had been a reflex to scrunch his eyes when Zarai pulled her hand up behind him one night. The woman and the albino were working in another project together and had stayed working until deep into the night. Sann had taken that time to make them company in the living room working on the latex prosthetic and was so focused on it, he hadn´t noticed it was already past three when Zarai tried to touch him.

He knew she wasn´t the type to hit her pets, he knew it and yet his breathing still got cut short when she called for him and the only thing he saw was her hand growing closer. He hadn´t even noticed he had put his arms around his head defensively until she called for him again.

“Sann?” she asked, gently pulling his arms away to see his terrified face. “I´m sorry, I didn´t mean to scare you” she said as the boy pulled his arms down slowly to sign sorry while shaking his head. “It´s kind of late already and my assistant is taking a break” she said nodding at the boy peacefully sleeping with his arms over the dining table with a blanket draped over his shoulders. “I´ll be working a bit longer, but I´ll need some help. Could you give me a hand, Sann?”

The pet´s eyes widened at her before giving a hesitating nod. After a while, Sann was sitting in the ground working on the spreadsheets scattered in the coffee table while Zarai revised her part of the work when Sann felt something fuzzy covering his shoulders. When he turned to see her, clinging to the blanket, the woman looked at him for a moment before slowly pulling her hand up to his hair. The boy flinched away slightly, but as her fingers ran through his hair smoothly, the boy let his defenses down one stroke at a time. Each stroke a little closer, making him a little less stiff, until finally, he leaned into her hand with closed eyes when she cupped his face in her hand.

For a second he doubted if he needed to go further, if it was necessary for him to show eagerness but after a second she simply went back to her work, her hand going back to her lap not looking for anything else to happen. In fact, the next time she touched him, it was only to put the slipping blanket back over his shoulders.

It was a warmth he had never had so freely given at Robert Glass´ mansion.

At his Master’s house, he would sit idly by the bed and wait for the guest to come inside the room, just as ordered. His knees were callous with how much he knelt, but his body still resisted to get used to the cold when wearing just the black leather harness and collar while waiting.

The first time he had serviced another person that wasn’t his Master by his orders, his heart thrummed on his ears like a war band. It had been with many people watching, many of who he had pleased right after the other. He had pleaded in vain, made them laugh when he begged to be forgiven and reserved to only his Master. His heart had raced and lost strength over and over, so many times now, that in the silence of the guest room on those nights he waited for the guest to come inside, it was calm.

A firm rhythm that stuttered whenever he heard steps outside. That smothered when they went away and beat with renewed strength, when the door opened to a face he hadn’t seen before, yet looked amused and pleased when they stared down at him.

His mind wondered sometimes, if the albino would ever look at him that way, but the thought quickly vanished.

There was one night he fled to the studio when nightmares came for him -Of past games his Master played with him and he had no chance of winning, nor of escaping the punishment for losing- when he knelt next to the couch and woke him up with ragged sobs and face filled with tears. The albino had rushed to straighten up and sat on the ground with him, allowing him to bury his face on his chest and cry.

After he had dried himself of tears to shed, when his cheeks were red and his eyes hurt from the strain on his head, he realized the thundering thrum of his heartbeat would be quiet.

Being held was a privilege back then, but with him, it was not earned by winning a game. Nor was expected to make his heart race all over again when sleeping together.

It was strange…a placebo, maybe, to have a pillow that prevented him from slipping his hand below the other boy´s waistband when training took over his judgement. It was a rule to have it between them if Albus was going to start sleeping with him and he was definitely trying his best to keep it that way, getting used to it was quick.

But after so many nights of being woken up to collect Sann on his arms, Albus was exhausted. He had forgotten to put the pillow between them and Sann had to shake him awake a few times so he could change and slip inside the bed. Still, he had an arm over his waist.

Sann´s heart picked up when Albus pressed himself against him. Feeling his face nuzzling against his back just making it drum harder. He could feel him so well, yet, he didn´t dare to move at all. He couldn´t even hear him over the loud ba-thump, ba-thump reverberating on his head.

The shock on those red eyes, cowering on the edge of the bed was something he never wanted to see again.

So when he jolted at the other´s half asleep groan, afraid he had moved, only to notice he was trying to retrieve the arm he was crushing underneath him, he giggled wryly.

He could hear his heart get quieter as the albino retrieved his arm, most probably numbed out, with half opened eyes, he brushed his cheek with his other hand and mumbled a thanks under his breath before going back to sleep.

Sann then tried to follow, taking his hand on his own and curling around it like a cat. Effectively stopping the wild drumming on his ears that become, ever so slowly, a soft murmur that melted with the sound of soft breathing.

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minty-malfoy · 4 years

Text

milk and honey

• pairing: draco malfoy x fem!reader

• summary: when living feels like purgatory, you find heaven in the comfort of a lover.

• request: Hey i have a request. Can you write draco x female reader with a plot where she is totally pissed with life in sense where she has problems everywhere; school,home and draco is just being there for her and helping her through it. P.s: Include warm and comforting hugs and little pecks❤️

• warning tags: brief mentions of sensitive topics, but everything else is fluff

• word count: 1.2k

a/n: I wrote this at 2 am but I promise I tried proofreading at a more humane hour of the day. this is one of my older requests that I haven't gotten around to writing, hope you enjoy <3

Draco had just recently come to the bitter conclusion that— despite what you tell him— it didn't feel like you were doing alright. His hypothesis became factual on the days your eyes didn't reflect the smile on your lips, or on the days you huffed out more than once or twice, only to recoil into the grown habit of an "it's nothing"

Draco really did try to be an understanding boyfriend, in the sense that he never pestered, never once pushed a subject you were so persistent to avoid. He was stuck telling himself the same string of lies over and over, memorizing it like a mantra. That you were just having a bad day; that you'd talk about it when you'd feel ready, just like you promised; that you wouldn't carry lethal burdens on your own no matter how tempting it was to leave him out of your suffering.

But the moment he saw you arrive late to dinner with both eyes stained and puddled, he knew the predicament was no longer a fact— it was an urgency. One that he'd give anything in the world to eradicate.

You sat yourself beside him without muttering a single word, looking away to avoid the questions that would inevitably plunge out sooner or later. But they never came, instead being replaced by the warmth of a hand lacing itself into yours, fitting through the gaps of your fingers like a completed work of art.

That was how the two of you spent the rest of dinner, wrapped up in a comfortable and understanding silence. You didn't look at him, but you felt his hand never once leaving you, between sending slow soothing strokes down your back, holding your waist gently as he watched you nibble your food, or simply going back to hold your fingers in his.

No matter how concerned or hurt he was to see you miserable, Draco put in the effort of generously giving you a moment of time and space, he was determined to address the issue only when the storm inside you would have quieted down for all the rain and thunder to go away, so that this once, he could persuade you into telling him what exactly was bothering you this entire time. Then, better yet, put a permanent end to it.

By the time the two of you walked out of the Great Hall, he didn't walk you through the regular direction towards your common room, but instead led you to a destination you were yet to discover. It confused you, but you didn't object him slowly leading the way.

You didn't expect to end up in the courtyard, but here you were, in the hands of your concerned lover, accompanied by nothing but the night and the distant sound of crickets chirping.

His hands met yours nearly as fast as his eyes did, in which concern decorated both orbs like a christmas ornament. Icy greys glimmering just as bright as the moonlight, pulling you in to briefly discard all your troubles and worries for a moment, until he brought you back into the present with his words.

"What's wrong?"

The question was firm and delicate, overflowing with all the love he had for you. You realized you couldn't bear lying to him anymore.

"Everything." Your voice cracked.

It was almost visible the way his heart had dropped in his chest, but he didn't want it to be. This was about you, and only you. Anything else wasn't supposed to matter in the moment.

Before Draco could say anything or ask you to elaborate, the sound of your pent up pain surfacing into sobs attacked his auditory senses like a knife. He was frantic with concern and worry, trying to figure out how to make everything better.

"Oh, darling, come here," You let him pull you into his arms, more than willingly. You needed the warmth of his embrace and the constant feeling of his breathing against your cheek. He let you cry into his chest, one hand holding your waist tightly as if you'd disappear the moment he let go, the other tenderly stroking through your hair.

You cried and cried, letting out all the pent up tension, all the hurt you've been trying to hide from him. You wanted to talk to him, tell him how you've felt lately, but you weren't sure where to start.

"I just— I'm sorry, Dray. I thought I could deal with it on my own, but luck hasn't really been on my side lately."

He lets you finish before saying, "You don't have to, love. Let me help."

You don't respond for a few seconds, blinking once. Twice. Shedding the last few drops of tears swelling on your lashes.

When you begin to let it all out, he listens attentively, holding you in his arms, where your hands come to find refuge against his chest.

Life wasn't giving you the best set of cards to tackle it with, pitting you into horrible situations left and right. Whether it was the badly marked assgnments you've spent hours working on, or the turbulent relationship with your family back home.

For a moment, it felt frightening. To let all your fears and concerns be known, saying them out loud for the first time and making the words feel much more real. Let alone when it was to the person you loved wholeheartedly and couldn't stand to burden.

Yet simultaneously, it made the issues feel less heavy on your shoulders. You weren't sure how it was possible, but it may have been the effect of the peaceful night air, or perhaps Draco's effect on you. Whichever one it was, you couldn't tell.

You finally finished up with a quiet sniffle, snuggling deeper into his chest. "My parents haven't stopped lecturing me in their letters, this time. It just hurts."

Draco cups your cheek, tilting your head up slightly so that your eyes could meet his. "Darling, I wish you would've told me sooner."

"I know." You look down shyly.

He doesn't say anything, mostly because he's the type of person that believes love translates through actions better than it does through words. So he does exactly that, showering you in sweet little pecks that begin to form constellations on your skin.

His scent is soothing, more than anything. Familiar and comforting, just like how you'd describe the fragrance of one's home— or yours, at least.

But Draco felt more than just home. As though when you look into his eyes, you imagine catching glimpses of the land of milk and honey. His arms bring you to a place where clouds are made of cotton and the fields glimmer brighter than an emerald green. When you kiss him, everything ceases to matter.

"Would you like to stay the night?" He offers, brushing away the remaining wetness on your cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm taking you out on a date at Hogsmeade tomorrow. If you'd give me the pleasure, that is."

For the first time, your lips break into a smile at his words. "Yes, I'd very much like that."

The two of you stay there for just the slightest bit longer, wrapped in an invisible cocoon that promises nothing but an abundance of love and comfort.

• • •

draco taglist: @arossebyanyothername @kawaii-angelanne

#draco #draco malfoy #draco malfoy fanfiction #draco malfoy x reader #draco malfoy x y/n #harry potter #reader insert #draco fanfiction #draco x reader #draco x y/n #draco malfoy x you #draco malfoy x reader oneshot #draco malfoy x female reader #draco x reader oneshot #draco x you

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phanfictioncatalogue · 3 years

Text

Holidays (2) Masterlist

Links Last Checked: May 14th, 2022

part one

11 Years of Christmas (ao3) - Fictropes

Summary: Christmas texts throughout the years.

breakfast in bed (ao3) - sierraadeux

Summary: someone had a drafted tweet that said: dan probably promised phil breakfast in bed but then was like good morning for breakfast you get to eat my ass

and how could i say no?

Dog Kissing Booth (ao3) - sierraadeux

Summary: When your boyfriend tears up while watching a Jenna Marbles video, there's really only one thing to do.

Do it for the ‘gram (ao3) - RachelIsWriting

Summary: Dan is Phil trash number one (with a popular stan tumblr to show for it) after a surprise meeting in the local coffee shop that Dan visits purely for the aesthetics they bond over PSL’s and maybe find a little snapshot of happy along the way.

for the aesthetic (ao3) - silentdescant

Summary: Dan wears a choker on Halloween. It awakens some things in them. So then he buys a collar.

Homoerotic Vampire Make-Out Session (ao3) - phantasticphun

Summary: It’s October 2015 and Phil wants to indulge Dan in a little festive vampire roleplay. Dan seemed to like writing “The Urge,” after all.

I Will Be Loving You (ao3) - phantasticworks

Summary: Dan and Phil spend their first Valentine's Day out of the closet.

Jimmy's Anti-Valentine's Day Spooktacular (ao3) - sierraadeux

Summary: Phil doesn't really want to be at a Valentine's Day party. He could be doing much better things on a Friday night back at home by himself - that is, until a sultry man in a cat costume grabs his attention at the bar.

party poison (ao3) - howellesterfics

Summary: Dan wants to get properly drunk on New Years to celebrate the end of a decade, things don't go exactly to plan because he's kinda dumb

Remember, Everything Will Be Alright (ao3) - luvliv2004

Summary: Dan's life is forever changed when his plan to have a child at the same time as his best friend Harry goes awry. The community Dan finds in his newlywed husband Phil along with Harry and his partner Louis is what gets him through his roughest holiday yet.

The Scent of Pining (ao3) - americanphancakes

Summary: Dan and Phil grew up together, but were separated by university and the mundanities of life. After years of missing each other, keeping track of each other's careers, and asking their families about each other, they finally reunite at a Christmas party back home. Surrounded by fragrances that cast their memories back to their childhood together, they each work up the nerve to finally do something about how they've been feeling for a decade.

Two Chains, Six Letters: On the Edge of 2020 (ao3) - Spring_Haze

Summary: While spending Christmas with his family, Dan discovers an Instagram story that fills his mind with sensual possibilities. He can't wait to surprise his boyfriend on New Year's eve as they continue their ten-year-long tradition of beginning sex in one year and taking it into the next. Both men take turns surprising each other, and the end result leaves each of them speechless and supremely satisfied.

vampires will never hurt you (ao3) - howellesterfics

Summary: Dan is embarrassed by his mistake of a Halloween costume, but not everybody has such negative feelings towards it.

When the Weather Breaks (ao3) - sierraadeux

Summary: Sitting across from Phil on that worn out velvet Starbucks sofa, sharing sickeningly sweet coffees and what they would like to think were hushed giggles, was the first time Dan felt a glimpse at what real love could feel like.

or Perception checks, pining, and peppermint mochas.

would it be enough if i could never give you peace? (ao3) - panlesters

Summary: They've been through a lot, over the years. Some days are harder than others, but they are each other's constant.

You Make My Dreams Come True (ao3) - elated_witch

Summary: The one where Dan is an e-girl and Phil dresses like he's from the 80's and they become friends and fall in love :)

#phanfictioncatalogue #phanfiction #phanfic #phan #masterlists #holiday #holiday masterlist

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syms-things-5 · 4 years

Text

CLEAR THE AREA - Chapter Twenty

Previous Chapter here

Warnings: language and the usual angst

Summary: I made it! My first story at an end. Thanks for stopping by and sticking by me over the last few months. I'm strangely quite proud of myself for sticking with this even when I had zero idea of how things were going to go. I have plans for a sequel of sorts and I hope you come back for that (when I get my ass in gear to write it!).

Tags: Thanks to @kelbabyblue @jennmurawski13

Chapter Twenty

The hot shower was a welcome relief when she finally stepped inside. It had been a hell of a long day. Far longer than she could recall and she had battled plenty.

Sarah had been back at work for a week or so and trying her hardest to deflect questions. Audrey had, she realised, kind of figured most things out without having to awkwardly impose the third degree on her pal. She knew everyone in the family knew and while at first she was happy and possibly even a little excited by that knowledge, her enthusiasm soon turned to concern when Sarah informed her that Shanna had been ignoring all of her messages and calls ever since. None of Audrey’s queries beyond that were met with much more than a non-committal shrug. How could Sarah be expected to answer any of Audrey’s questions when she didn’t have any of the answers to her own?

“She’ll come around. She has to.” Audrey said, in her soothing tone that always seemed to work no matter what news she was giving. “She won’t want to lose you. You’ve been friends for years.”

A few people had said variations of the same thing to her lately. That Shanna will come around, that she was just shocked but she’ll eventually understand, and that things will get better. Carly said Shanna had a wicked stubborn streak in her that even she struggled with at times but she also knew she loved Sarah very, very much. It was just a tough time but she’ll learn to understand. It would absolutely be OK, she would bet money on it Sarah wasn’t so sure.

She already knew Shanna was as stubborn as they come - she’d lived with her long enough - so when exactly was she expected to “learn how to understand”? More importantly, why did she even have to? They had been best friends for years but Sarah had betrayed her trust and flat-out lied to her face. Multiple times. “White lies” Scott called them, shrugging them off as though they were a big pile of nothing and just something people do when they need to get out of awkward situations. Sarah wasn’t sure sleeping with her best friend’s brother counted as an “awkward situation” or something that could be casually brushed aside with a sweep of the hand but nevertheless, she appreciated his efforts.

These were the conversations that kept circling around her mind as she stood under the shower head. Normally, she wasn’t one for wasting water but she allowed herself to enjoy it a little more this time. The soapy lather and fragrances of lavender and sandalwood surrounded her senses and was very soothing to her brain.

She barely noticed the fog steaming up the bathroom and focussed on the feel of the hot water cascading over her tired, worn-out body instead. If she died right here, right now, they could say she was probably the most relaxed she had been in months.

“Shall we pick you up from the airport? It’s no trouble.” Jocelyn fussed on the end of the line. There was a loud scraping sound somewhere in the near-background so Sarah figured she was back on the DIY again. That, or she had given the pottery classes another go. Recollections of Shanna laughing herself silly at Jocelyn “doing pot” flooded back into her memory all of a sudden and only served to leave her feeling sad in the pit of her stomach.

“No, Mom, it’s fine. It’ll be late. I’ll just get a cab.” Sarah calmly affirmed, one hand holding the phone to her ear and the other shoving yet more clothes into her suitcase. She’d given up on folding like an adult. “The flight could be delayed so I don’t want you hanging around the airport any longer than necessary.”

“But you’ll have bags, Sarah. Heavy bags and that’s no good. You don’t want to give yourself an injury.”

“Mom, I have one suitcase. Don’t be so over-dramatic.” She eye-rolled.

That was the…fourth lie? Perhaps the fifth since this conversation had started? Who knew. Sarah glanced down at the suitcase on her bed currently lying next to a smaller, overnight suitcase. There was also a backpack and a laptop bag sitting ready by her bedroom door. It was just easier this way. If she had to explain her real intentions, she would never finish packing and her parents would be on the red-eye to Boston.

“OK, well, keep us posted when you leave and when you land and I suppose we can go from there.” Jocelyn sighed. Whatever she had been doing had now stopped and Sarah could imagine the look of concern on her face. She was momentarily consoled by the fact that her Dad would at least see things from her point of view and hopefully Jocelyn would learn to just drop it.

Sarah hung up the phone and went back into the bathroom to finish drying her hair currently wrapped up in a towel. Shanna had shown her a trick with a towel and an old cotton t-shirt some years earlier after she had eventually agreed to stop cutting her hair. “It’s so beautiful and curly but, like, it’s a nice curl? A gentle curl. Honestly, girls would pay so much money every day to have waves like yours.” enthused Shanna at the time. It was a sweet thing to say. Jocelyn had said much the same thing as she was growing up but Sarah always preferred shorter cuts because she couldn’t be bothered to spend time styling it every day. And it would always take time. Too much time.

Her longer hair felt so lifeless and dull by comparison, she thought, except when Audrey would blow-dry it during one of their all-too-rare girls’ afternoons and rub this coconut concoction into her roots so it smelled delicious for days afterwards. Or when Chris would gently comb his fingers through it when he thought she was asleep. She didn’t mind it so much then.

She finished the last brush-through and switched off the dryer, wrapping the cord around the handle ready for it to be packed. A dab of foundation under her eyes and she looked reasonably well-rested now; well enough so as not to draw attention to any stresses or worries. Jocelyn always had a knack for sussing them out and it was frustrating and unwelcome at the best of times. That she was usually right was beside the point.

She mentally ticked off a list of items she made a point of packing; some comfy sweatpants, a couple of books, her particular brand of coffee because her folks now apparently hated the stuff. She located her passport and boarding pass for the tenth time, making sure they were safely zipped in the side pocket of her backpack. She was pretty much done. If it wasn’t for the looming feeling of regret, she would call a cab to take her to the station right that minute.

Looking down at her phone, she decided to call Shanna one last time. It rang a few times before a groggy voice appeared on the end of the line.

“Hey….” Shanna offered, cold but not totally unhappy to hear her, Sarah thought. The last few times she had tried calling Shanna, it would ring for a lot longer. The shortness here was a small step in the right direction.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Sarah asked with some trepidation, trying not to sound overly familiar and casual. She was trying to follow Shanna’s lead with regards to friendly small talk.

“Better. Mom’s been making soup every day. Sick and tired of the stuff to be honest.” Shanna had come down with a small cold and had used it as an opportunity to stay in the relative ease and comfort of her mother’s house. Sarah would much rather have seen her in person before she left but speaking on the phone without one of them, or both of them, ending up in tears was also good.

“Well, at least you’re in the best place. Your Mom always makes me feel better when I’m unwell.” Sarah smiled down the line.

“I’m not unwell, Sarah.” she said, defensively. “It’s just a cold. I’m just tired.”

Sarah feared she’d overstepped the mark. “OK, well, still, it’s good that you’re there. ‘Cos…Lisa would just worry otherwise. Probably.” She was babbling now and she knew it but she couldn’t think of anything to say. Shanna had put up something of a wall between them now and while she was talking to her and not completing freezing her out, it felt different and not altogether pleasant.

“Yeh, that’s true.” Shanna responded after a brief pause. “But you’re a nurse so you would think I would be better in my own home.”

“Nah, I’d just be bringing back all kinds of infectious things.” Sarah joked and was relieved to hear a laugh on the end of the line, a laugh that very quickly turned into a harsh cough. But it had definitely started out as a laugh so she’d take that as a win, too.

“So, have you been really busy?” Shanna asked after she managed to clear her throat.

“Same old. We have a new intern and she’s pretty eager to get stuck in which is great. Audrey is impressed so that should tell you how amazing she is.” Sarah offered. It had in fact been busier than most days but now wasn’t the time to relay the usual information she wouldn’t normally think twice about offering to Shanna when she had asked.

“That’s cool.” Shanna coughed again and cleared her throat. “Have you been working all the time or, um, have you had much of a break?”

“Pretty much all the time, yeh. I did those double shifts I was meant to do last month so I’ve cleared my flexi-time now which is good. I’m back on track.”

“That’s cool.” Shanna said.

“Yeh and I built up some more which is good, too. It’ll come in handy at Christmas perhaps.” Sarah was trying to keep the conversation going as best as she could.

“Cool. Do you just come home and crash, then?”

“Most of the time, yeh.”

“You don’t go out anywhere or anything?”

“Um,” Sarah had a vague idea of what she was getting at. “I don’t really have time to do anything else. I wanted to get my hours back up to a healthy point. You know what O’Brien can be like.”

There was silence on the end of the line. Sarah could hear her shuffle about in what she assumed was her bed. Shanna coughed again, gentler this time, and sighed as she tried to think of what to come back with. She knew she was probably being a little obvious now.

“Well,” Shanna started. “I hope you’re getting through it all OK. Y’know, the work and stuff. I hope you’re doing alright.”

“Thanks. Yeh I’m…I’m alright.” Sarah replied, touched by the slight concern she could hear her speak. “I hope you feel better soon, too. It’s not fun having a cold particularly at this time of the year.”

“I’m sure Mom has been crushing aspirin and vitamins into my food so I’ll be Wonder Woman before you know it.”

Sarah laughed. “Absolutely you will. I’ll, er, let you get back to resting. Are you up to much?”

“No, I’m just watching Netflix.”

“Ah right. That’s cool. Lots of new murder shows from what Audrey tells me.” Sarah nodded. She knew Shanna wasn’t about to launch into a description of what programme she had been binging the last few days so they both vocalised their goodbyes and hung up. It was the first call that had ended on a mutual note and not Shanna making a lame excuse to cut off Sarah’s equally lame attempts at small talk. Again, Sarah took it as a positive.

Sarah looked down at her phone, a photo of them both in their graduation gowns on her home screen. She hadn’t changed it since she’d gotten the upgrade a year earlier and she had no intention of doing so now. It was a nice day, a nice memory. The hangover she suffered for days afterwards was more than worth it.

She was unsure why Shanna had felt the need to ask her what she’d been up to. She had seemed very specific, more so than about anything else they talked about lately. Naturally, Shanna knew Sarah well enough now to know she relied on work whenever she was dealing with something upsetting and difficult so surely it would have been obvious that she had had zero contact with Chris. He probably would have said as much to her in person. Or he would have talked with Scott or Lisa, and Shanna would have eventually found out by default.

The more she thought about it, the more anxious she felt. Knowing how she and Chris had left things, it was almost entirely likely that he hadn’t spoken to Shanna too much. Perhaps he had holed himself up in his apartment like he did following a tiring shoot, trying to sleep and rest and eat whatever carbs he could get his hands on. Maybe the opposite and he’d thrown himself into some training again. Maybe he’d gone back to Los Angeles for work, that he’d finally given in to Matt’s nudges and agreed to accept one of the many lucrative endorsement deals brands would throw his way every so often. Maybe he had been entertaining himself with the boys. Or with someone else. Someone…

No. This had been Sarah’s fault. There was no point trying to find justification for his absence. She had created a rift between a brother and sister where one should not have existed. He should have talked to Shanna but from Shanna’s probing and what little information she could gleam from Scott, evidently that didn’t appear to have taken place. She briefly considered googling his name to see if any news outlets had a scoop before deciding against it. She almost made it to her kitchen before giving in and bringing up a search on her phone. No. Nothing. He’d gone radio-silent as per usual. As she suspected. Normally, it was quite impressive of him to go under the radar with such precision but now it was just inconsiderate. How dare he not make his whereabouts publicly known so Sarah could come up with a half-convenient lie as to why he and Shanna hadn’t seen each other. A comforting lie that could make herself feel better about the mess.

It would have made her feel so much better to know they were getting along again. Selfishly, it would have made it easier for her to leave knowing that they were finding their own way of getting back on track with one another. Sarah could imagine Lisa fretting to Scott and Carly at night, wondering how she could help her two most stubborn children become pals again. Sarah would rather she had been forgotten completely in favour of them piecing their relationship back together, for everyone’s sake. If there was one thing Sarah hated more than drama, it was knowing she was the root cause of the drama. Separating herself from the family now would be preferable than being made increasingly aware of the glaring hole setting up home in their house. A meteoric hole that she had been responsible for. A hole inside a family unit that had gotten through a lot in their forty-plus years together. A wonderful, loving, generous family that had taken Sarah in without question and had accepted her as one of their own just because Shanna had once said she was “pretty cool”.

No, Shanna did not deserve to be frozen out by her brother. Chris didn’t deserve to feel like he couldn’t speak to his baby sister.

Another day passed and Sarah didn’t feel much better. She did, however, feel momentarily relieved by Audrey’s personal admission that she had googled Chris a couple of times as well. Another sip of steaming hot coffee and she further admitted to having set him up on her Google Alerts “just in case”.

“For safety. I’m just looking out for you.” Audrey declared before smirking at her across the table. “I didn’t want you waking up one morning to photos of him draped over some starlet or whoever. And don’t think for one second that I will not come for anyone who dares to speak ill of you online. You are beautiful and kind and funny and sweet and absolutely good enough for him. I swear to God and he can quote me on this. Think of me as your own personal hype-woman.”

“Wow. Thank you. That’s a lot to take in but it’s very kind.” Sarah laughed nervously. “I think.”

“All I ask in return is dibs on designer dresses for the wedding.” Audrey winked at her as she left the staffroom. She didn’t catch neither the eye roll nor the middle finger Sarah proffered in return.

A few moments of quiet passed and Sarah pulled up Scott’s number on her phone.

Sarah 10.45am: Is Shanna feeling any better?

Scott 10.52am: So so. She’s terrible at being an ill person. I don’t know how you manage it xx

Sarah texted a laughing emoji back in response followed by a couple of red hearts. She’d give anything to “manage” an ill Shanna right now.

Scott 11.04am: But how are you??? We miss you Xx

Sarah could feel the tears forming at the back of her eyes. It had been a couple of days since she had last cried but as her departure flight loomed ever closer she was feeling it more and more.

Scott 11.08am: Seriously………

Scott 11.09am: Please come see us soon. Mom is super worried about you and threatening to bring you her tiramisu

Scott 11.11am: don’t worry, I stopped her xx

She bit the inside of her lip a little too hard.

Scott 11.13am: but you owe me one. I had to eat half that thing xx

Chris loved tiramisu, she remembered. Maybe he was responsible for eating the other half.

It was no good. She was going to have to call him soon. Against the promise she’d made to herself about not thinking about him, it only served to keep her worrying about him more and more.

Sarah 11.20am: I know, I’m sorry. Tell her I’ll call her soon, I pormise xx

Sarah 11.21am: *promise

Scott 11.24am: not sure that’ll do much honeybun. You know what she’s like. Love you xx

She texted him a kiss emoji and felt relieved that he didn’t respond again. She pulled up Chris’ number and contemplated sending him a message. How would she even start? A simple “hey” was not going to cut it at this point, nor was a “how are you?”. Time was running out and as Ryan peered his head round the door to check on her, she shoved her phone back in her locker and left to finish off her day.

Sarah 15.58pm: Are you still alive?

She stayed staring at her phone for what felt like an eternity. Just before she resigned in disgust at her pitiful attempt at casual humour, she saw the tell-tale three dots appear at the bottom of her screen. They flickered for some time before stopping then starting again. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was composing some irate response at her pathetic joke or if he was deleting a message in favour of ignoring her altogether. She wasn’t sure which option she would prefer had she had the choice.

No response came through. She pulled a cup from the cupboard and set about making a small pot of coffee for herself. She still had a little time yet before she was due to leave for the airport and she had made plans to clean the place up a little before Shanna returned home, presumably a day or so later when she figured Sarah was safely out of the picture.

She picked up some daffodils and daisies on the way home from the hospital and separated the bunches between the living room, the kitchen and the hallway. She had visited two different grocery stores to find Shanna’s favourite flavour of ice cream and the fridge was stocked with some healthy veggies and yoghurt so she could make her breakfast smoothies in the morning. She also set about steam-mopping the hard floors so the clean, floral smell could spread through the entire apartment. It was a nice welcome home, she thought. She would appreciate it if someone had done the same for her.

Her phone started vibrating in the back pocket of her jeans as she folded the bedding that was fresh out of the dryer. She wasn’t altogether able to name the feeling she experienced at seeing Chris’ name flash on her screen alongside a photo of him smiling like the goof he was. A beautiful, sweet picture taken from Shanna’s birthday party three years previous. There was a time recently when she’d let it ring a little longer than was necessary just to allow herself the chance to stare at it for a few seconds more. But now was not one of those times.

“I genuinely didn’t think you were gonna answer me.” He said, his voice displaying the disbelief he was feeling.

“You would have kept ringing me otherwise.” It wasn’t an accusation as such, and he knew it.

“Yeh, probably. But I would have tried not to.” He said, matter-of-factly. “I’m not great with sussing women out but I figured you didn’t want to talk to me that much.”

She felt sad to hear him say it out loud even though it was true to an extent. He seemed submissive in some way. “Really?” She asked, more beseeching than she had intended.

He paused and she could hear him sigh. “Yeh, I would have. It would have been tough but I’ve thought about it a lot recently and I do have a little pride left, believe it or not.” She heard him straighten up and realised he’d been either lying on his couch or on his bed. “But you messaged me first. I’m kinda surprised to be honest.”

He wouldn’t be as surprised or impressed if she said it was just to check he hadn’t died in his sleep. She decided to keep that little tid-bit to herself.

“You’ve been quiet lately.” She said. “I mean, I thought...I don’t…” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I don’t actually know what I meant to be honest. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t haven’t contacted you out of the blue like this.”

“It’s fine. I’m glad you did.” Chris was feeling generous and decided to help her put out the fire. He knew she was panicking a little and no matter what else he was thinking right now, hearing her sound apprehensive wasn’t going to make him feel any better.

“I just wondered how you were doing, I suppose. I’ve been talking to Shan a little bit. Not a lot, not like we’re back to normal or anything but I wanted to check you were OK as well.” She tugged at the end of her sweater sleeve currently stretched between her fingers. “I haven’t really asked you that.”

He thought for a second. How was he feeling? He wasn’t sure he could give her an answer. He didn’t really know and he couldn’t make it sound half-positive even if he did. He had thrown himself into his work a lot more, much to the joy of Matt and some producers who had been trying to get his attention. When he wasn’t working out, he was reading scripts and when he wasn’t reading scripts, he was watching his diet. He had been very quiet on social media to an extent that someone in his PR team had taken to posting a couple of things on his behalf. Just two or three charity posts and something NASA-related to let his fans know he hadn’t completely disappeared. The team had notified him earlier that day that a cute dog video they had posted just 24 hours previous had gone viral and he had received more marriage proposals than usual as a result.

By now, he had learned how to fend off his mother and his brother. To be fair, it wasn’t all that hard to do with Scott. Scott had been understanding enough recently and he had the benefit of knowing when to shut up and let Chris go at his own pace. Pushing him was only going to have the opposite effect. More than once, he found himself wondering if Scott had spoken to Sarah. When he tried to hint around the situation to see if that had in fact been true, Scott had shut him down just as quickly. He didn’t mind that all too much. He appreciated Scott’s discretion and no doubt Sarah needed him just as much as he did.

“I’m alright, Bernette.” He said. “You know, fine.”

“Fine?”

“Yeh. Just fine. Nothing more.” He said. He didn’t much care about sugar-coating things but maybe that was out of a little tiredness and boredom. They were way past protecting each other from the other person’s feelings at this point.

“Anyway,” he shook his head. “What about you? How’s things with O’Brien?”

“Oh y’know. Yeh, fine, I guess.” She replied. “How did you know there was any issue with O’Brien?”

“You gotta love that Audrey.” He chuckled.

O’Brien had come under fire last week for yelling at a couple of interns and one of them, unbeknown to anyone else, happened to be the niece of a local congressman. Rumours were circling but Sarah and in fact most of her team had no time to pay attention to anything going on above their heads. That’s the thing with medical emergencies, you see: they never stop just because somebody’s job is on the line.

“Right.” She said. “What else has she said?”

“Nothing much.” He said. “She said you were worried about me.” There was a smugness that she decided to gloss over. Why was Sarah so surprised they had been talking about her behind her back? Why was she surprised that they had each other’s phone numbers?

“And you didn’t think to get in touch?”

“I thought you didn’t want to talk to me.”

Sarah chewed her bottom lip. If he could only see her now. He’d get a kick out of it for sure.

“Alright. Fair enough.” She sighed. “You’re OK. Good to know. I’ll let you get on with whatever you’re up to.”

“Is that it? That’s all you wanted to say to me?”

“Apparently Audrey has been filling you in.”

“Oh fucking-” He stopped himself. “You cannot be mad about this, surely. Listen, all she said was that you weren’t sure if I was OK because you thought I hadn’t been in touch with the guys. That’s all. She was doing the very thing you should have done yourself.”

She paused and swallowed. “Right.”

“Come on, Sarah. She thought she was helping. She’s just being a good friend.” He pinched the skin on his forehead between his thumb and forefinger. “And it was like yesterday or whenever. It’s not like we’ve been in touch constantly and talking about you all the time. She hasn’t said anything about how much you’re in love with me or how you can’t sleep for thinking about me.”

“What?!”

“It was a joke.” He deadpanned.

“Oh.” She said.

His heart sank – it wasn’t that much of a joke, he had hoped. He slid his hand down his face in frustration, pinching his nose slightly before leaning back on his sofa and staring up at the ceiling. He held his phone tightly to his ear and waited for her to speak.

“It’s OK.” She finally spoke. “I get it. I shouldn’t have been so distant these past few days. I’m sorry, Chris.”

He certainly wasn’t expecting that apology but he could roll with it. “This isn’t all on you, Sarah. I could have been in touch more, too. With everybody, I guess. I had a couple of meetings I had to prepare for so I think I just took that as an excuse not to be more present.”

“Anything fun?” She asked, taking the opportunity to change the subject.

“Kind of. Nothing massive. It’s an ensemble piece that a director wanted to talk to me about. It actually sounds pretty cool.” He scratched the side of his beard in contemplation. “It’s your cup of tea for sure. You like those murder-mystery-type films, right?”

“Oh yeh! Like Agatha Christie and Poirot? Love them.”

“I thought so. It’s a great script and I get some funny lines for a change. It’s something a little different and Matt keeps telling me that I need to think outside of the Marvel box, so…we’ll see how it goes.” He could feel himself growing a little more enthusiastic at the prospect of doing the movie. He should probably call Matt and tell him the same thing. He sounded like he was having a rough day so a contrite and grateful actor would cheer him up no end.

“Anyway, that’s about it. I’m kinda bored to be honest. Have you eaten yet today?”

She had all but emptied the fridge last night to remove anything that might go off in the next couple of days. Now it was filled with some of Shanna’s favourite things and there wasn’t anything in it that really appealed to her at this moment in time. She hadn’t thought much about food all day to tell the truth. She figured she’d grab a bagel while waiting for her flight.

“Um, no.” She said. “But I’m not that hungry either.”

“You don’t want waffles? With white chocolate? Raspberries?”

She did want that now he mentioned it. “No, I’m good.”

“That’s a lie.”

“It is not a lie.” Even she knew she wasn’t being convincing.

“Everybody wants waffles.” He implored. “It’s God’s way of saying he wants you to be happy. Come on, it’s my treat.”

“I just think…we probably shouldn’t see each other for a while.” She looked down the hall at the packed bags currently leaning against her bedroom door.

“It’s waffles, Sarah. I think I can control myself.”

“Um…”

“That’s good enough for me. See you in twenty.”

He hung up before she could respond. With no opportunity to persuade him otherwise, she stayed put in her kitchen, waiting for waffles.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” She smiled at him openly and saw his shoulders relax. Without prompting, he walked in past her and placed the take-out boxes on the counter. They were the size of pizza boxes and she felt her tummy rumble in anticipation.

“So, I’ve been thinking.” He started as he turned to face her again.

“In the few minutes since we last talked?” She spoke in jest.

“Hush, Bernette.” He eye-rolled. “I’ll have you know, I’ve been thinking very seriously these past few days and I know it’s tough right now but just hear me out, OK? Because I think I know a way to make things a little easier. Maybe if you get some time off from work, get some time away from everything, from Boston perhaps, it could actually make things a little better for the both of us. For everyone. I’ve been trying to think about things in a different way and not in my usual blinkered view or whatever the fuck Scott says I have, and I honestly think I’m seeing things a little clearer now, and…”

He glanced away from her face for only a split second but it was enough for him to visibly shrink a little in his stance before her eyes. Sarah followed his eyeline to the bags currently resting down the hall. The angle of the suitcase was hiding the other bags behind it but if he shifted a mere foot forward, he could possibly get the full picture.

Turning back to look at her, he furrowed his brow in confusion. “What’s going on?”

Sarah visibly swallowed and he knew the answer before she even opened her mouth. He became all too aware of her hands and arms hanging limply at her sides.

“I’m going to see my parents for a few days.”

“A few days? That’s a lot for a few days, Sarah. You normally travel light.”

“I just packed for a little longer ‘cos I wasn’t sure what I was going to-”

Chris didn’t give her time to bend the truth. He turned and walked back into the kitchen. She watched him move to the window before looking down at his feet and shaking his head in frustration. He rubbed a hand solidly over his beard. “You’re leaving.”

“Well, yeh, I’m going to see my parents and the two usually go hand in hand.”

“Oh, fuck off, Sarah.” He spat. “Don’t get smart with me. You’re doing a runner. This looks like a fucking cop-out.”

“No, you’re wrong. It’s not a cop-out and I don’t appreciate that tone either. If I was doing a runner, do you think I would do it in broad daylight and tell everyone what I was doing? I literally just told you where I was going.” She retorted.

She grabbed the last bottle of water from the fridge. She wasn’t particularly thirsty at that moment in time but she knew that he would eventually want it and she didn’t much feel like being accommodating right now especially not to a man who was calling her out in her own home. That he was entirely accurate in his assumptions was, well, irrelevant.

“How long are you really going for?” He asked as he watched her disappear from view and back down the hall to her bedroom.

“I just told you. A few days, maybe a week or so, and then I’ll figure it out from there.”

“Figure what out?”

“Just…” She turned back to face him, waving her hand vaguely in front of her in the vain hope he would suddenly understand everything she was trying to say. Either he did and didn’t want to give her an easy “out” or, most likely, he had zero clue because neither did she. Giving up, her shoulders slumped from their squared-off position just seconds ago when she was trying to give the impression of strength. “It’s just a lot, all of this, and I need some time out.”

He took another couple of small steps towards her before stopping by her bags. Looking down, he could see her intentions as clear as day now but as he looked back into her eyes, he could see her exhaustion ever clearer. They should be on the same side. He shouldn’t be picking on her this way.

“You just said I could do with a break, right?” She shrugged. “So, this is what I’m doing. You should be pleased. You could even say I’m taking your advice if you wanted to.”

“Yeh, but I actually meant taking a break together.” He conceded. “I came here to say I thought we could go to L.A. for a little while. I need to check on a couple of work things and I thought you could come with me. Nothing funny, I promise. Some proper sunshine might be cool, right?”

Sarah was struck by the kind gesture and the glint of hope now showing in his eyes. Despite what they had both said, he clearly hadn’t lost the small possibility that maybe they could try and forge something out of the ruins and, under different circumstances, she might have been tempted.

“Thanks for thinking of me.” She offered, merely giving him a small smile. It didn’t seem like there was much else to say. The bags were packed and now that he could take in his surroundings, it felt a little emptier somehow and like it had all been wiped clean. Except he didn’t feel so clean. He could feel her on him, on his skin and in his head, and he doubted he could remove her as easily as she was clearly hoping she could remove him.

“Do you think you’ll let us know when you come back?” he asked.

She looked passed him and down the hall, focussing on nothing in particular. “Yes, of course I’ll let you guys know. I’m not going forever.”

She tried her best to convince him but she knew it wasn’t going to do much.

“I know that,” he sighed. “but it’ll be weird not seeing you every day. It’ll be sad. I’ll be sad about it.”

He let out a deep breath and shuffled his feet awkwardly as he tried to think of something to say that might drag things out a little more, that might cause her to rethink her plans. It was one of the more frustrating things about her, that she could keep a secret so well. He briefly wondered if he could think of some more frustrating things about her that might help him cope with the current situation but no. Who was he kidding?

“I like this apartment.” He finally offered. “Some good memories.”

“You know that Shanna will still be here, right?” She chuckled.

“But you won’t be.” He said. “And between you and me? You’re kind of my favourite.”

“I won’t tell Scott you just said that.”

“He knows already. I wouldn’t worry about it.” He said. “Hey, do you think I could come and visit you?”

“Um-”

“-Just think about it. You don’t need to answer right now. It’s been ages since I’ve been to Maine and I hear they have amazing seafood.”

Sarah laughed again and regarded him like the small puppy he so obviously was. A small puppy that she realised she had been kicking ever-so-slowly over the past few weeks and it made her feel like shit. As much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, she knew she was running away and she knew she was a coward.

“I am sorry, Chris. For everything. I can’t really explain it in a way that means anything right now but I just wanted to say it clearly one more time to you in case I hadn’t really said it before.”

Chris held his hand up to stop her from saying anything more. He didn’t need an apology from her. Hearing her apologise only made him feel worse. Of the multiple times she had been caught under his gaze, nothing was quite like the way he was looking at her now.

“Sarah,” he started. “I need you to know that whatever it is you want from me, I’ll never say no.”

“Chris, I-”

“-Honestly, that’s….that’s the only thing I really wanted to say.” He held his hand up again to stop her if she was thinking of interrupting him again. “I’m gonna go and I hope you have a safe trip, OK? Enjoy your waffle. Maybe send me a text or something, let me know you made it there in one piece. If you want to. Maybe we’ll see each other again sooner rather than later.”

She saw his eyes glance behind her and into her bedroom. He turned and glanced once more into the bathroom like he was taking a mental picture of the place which seemed crazy to her until she remembered that he wasn’t strictly talking to Shanna and it was unlikely he’d be back here anytime soon. God, she hoped they’d fix things. She needed to at least believe her leaving would make things a little better for them. Otherwise, what would be the point?

They didn’t say goodbye in the typical sense or any kind of sense, really. She was almost relieved to watch him walk away quietly without looking back and equally as relieved to have made it to the airport without much more fuss.

Like it was said, she was a coward.

Audrey had called her to wish her a safe journey and then spent fifteen minutes complaining about O’Brien and a patient who had taken to calling her “princess”. Sarah was glad of the distraction as she made her way through the airport towards the waiting lounge. It was pretty busy for the time of evening but she was glad to feel invisible once again as she moved through the heavy criss-crossing crowds of people, each with their own issues to deal with. Something about strength in numbers perhaps. A couple more hours and she’d be home again. A couple more hours and Jocelyn could stop texting her messages that made little sense.

Oh God.

Living with her mother again was going to try her patience. Maybe this was the price she had to bear? It wasn’t too late to change her mind, Audrey had said before pleading in a half-joking, half-serious manner that surely, she wasn’t going to leave her to handle the hospital by herself? It was almost like she was expecting never to see Sarah again. A few weeks. That was all it was going to be. Then she’d figure out what to do from there, with a break and some fresh Maine-air to clear the cobwebs. Chris was right about the seafood and the closer she got to her departure time, the more she started looking forward to it. She was sure she was making the right decision.

Chris 19.46pm: Don’t forget about us xx

She was sure she was making the right decision.

It was 100% the right decision.

Right?

#chris evans #chris evans fic #fanfiction #clear the area #sarah bernette #chris fic #chris evans x original female character #evans fic

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artificialqueens · 3 years

Text

Galactica, Chapter 66 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Last Chapter: Katya decided that parenthood might be in the cards after all, Pearl couldn’t get Dahlia out of her head, and Violet worried that Sutan’s friends would never be able to respect her.

This Chapter: Brunches, presents, an announcement, a trip to the champagne room, and a new hire.

***

Sutan opened the door to his apartment, a smile blooming on his face at the fact that the light was still on, which meant Violet hadn’t gone to bed yet.

It was after 8, Sutan spending the day with Gigi and then going to a Christmas reception in the evening with Tamisha, his boss pleading with him to please come with her and make sure no one she hated talked to her, Sutan guarding her for the entire cocktail hour.

“Violet?” Sutan called out, hanging his jacket up and toeing his shoes off.

“Bathroom!”

Sutan walked through the apartment, the door to the bathroom open. Violet was standing at the sink, her fingers braiding her hair into French braids.

“Hey,” Violet smiled and gave him a quick kiss, her lips tasting faintly like sugary lip scrub. “I didn’t know if you’d be home, but I got dinner for you too.”

“What are we having?” Sutan leaned against the sink, watching Violet who unscrewed the lid on one of her face creams, scooping out a dollop and rubbing it into her skin.

“Lentil soup.”

“Yum.” Sutan drawled, his tone bone dry.

It wasn’t that he hated lentil soup, but he’d never understand why Violet ate it voluntarily when the entirety of Manhattan's takeaway options were open to her.

“Don’t act like that,” Violet huffed, holding up her hand with a bit of leftover face moisturizer, silently asking him if he wanted it and Sutan nodded, Violet’s fingers gliding over his cheek seconds later. “It’s good for you.”

“Do I at least get bread this time?” Sutan had to bite his lip not to smile, Violet looking at him like he had grown a second head when he had complained about the distinct lack of bread on his plate the last time she had ordered dinner.

“Yes,” Violet rolled her eyes, but she continued rubbing in tiny circles, even dipping her fingers again to make sure she had enough to cover his entire face.

“Lucky me,” Sutan wasn’t sure if he was talking about the bread, or about the strange little things Violet always tended to do for him, this little traditions of theirs starting in Paris when Violet had needed to get rid of some extra hand moisturiser and had ended up massaging it into his skin.

“Did you have a good day?” Violet ran a finger down his nose, the pressure weirdly comforting, her never ending attention to detail carrying into this as well, the finishing tap on his nose a sign that she was done.

“Very good.” Sutan smiled as he watched Violet wipe her hands, her bedtime routine done for now even though she was still in her work clothes. “Been all over the city. Shopping, dinner, the whole shebang since I’m training a new model.”

“Great.”

Violet wasn’t fully paying attention because she had already heard of days like that before, instead grabbing her crutches to get to the kitchen, but Sutan didn’t mind.

In past relationships, he would have been interrogated if he had said he had spent the day with a model, Kahmora in particular, always keeping an eye on him.

He hadn’t thought much of it then, hadn’t even considered that there could be anything wrong with it, after all, it showed that they cared, but he had to admit that it felt amazing that Violet trusted him to do his job and just his job.

“I put your soup in the fridge,” Violet made her way to the kitchen table, sitting down to keep him company while he ate his dinner. “Sorry that it’s cold.”

“I don’t mind,” Sutan pressed a quick kiss to her temple, walking over to the fridge. “Oh. Speaking of.” Sutan looked over his shoulder. “I got you something.”

“You did?”

“It’s on the table.” Sutan grabbed the container of soup, an order of bread lying untouched on the counter. “White plastic bag!”

Just like with the ring dish, Sutan hadn’t actually realised how often he just dumped his stuff on his kitchen table, the quick pitstop he had taken at home to change into evening wear just enough time to add to the ever growing pile that Violet patiently stacked against the wall every single day.

Sutan dumped the soup into a bowl, opening the cabinet that hid the microwave to pop it in.

“Sutan… What…” Sutan turned around, looking at Violet who was holding the iPhone 6 box he had picked up at the Apple store. “What’s this?”

“A phone?” He leaned against the counter, the microwave humming away. “I’m sure you’ve seen one before.”

“I understand that it’s a phone, but why are you giving this to me?”

Sutan paused, that question not at all the one he had expected. He was thankfully saved by a ding, the microwave telling him that his food was ready so he had time to think.

“Well, isn’t it obvious? They had the newest model in stock,” Sutan took his bowl, grabbing a spoon before he walked over to the table, Violet’s brown eyes following his every step. “And your phone is barely working.”

“I don’t think-” Violet pursed her lips, clearly swallowing her words. “I can buy my own phone.”

Sutan smiled. Of course. He should have seen it coming. You wouldn’t know it just looking at Violet, his girlfriend so prim and proper from the outside, but she was adorably non-materialistic if it didn’t concern clothes.

“You could, but you haven’t, and I happened to be at the Apple store.”

“I-” Violet looked at him, her brown eyes searching his face. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome lovely eyes,” Sutan captured her healthy foot under the table, holding it between his own. “I’m here for whatever you need.”

***

Bianca picked up the French press and poured herself a second cup of coffee, inhaling the fragrance as she lifted it to her lips. She and Courtney had been in bed all morning, but finally decided to wander downstairs for a very late breakfast.

She looked up to where Courtney stood at the stove, concocting some kind of tofu scramble.

“How’s it going over there?”

Courtney had insisted it was one of the few things she knew how to cook, happily chopping tomatoes, zucchini, shallots, and pretty much every other vegetable Bianca had on hand before dumping it all in a sizzling wok. Bianca was frankly unconvinced that she knew what she was doing, but told herself she’d eat it regardless.

“It’s great! Almost done!” Courtney chirped, adding what Bianca noted was a respectable amount of hot sauce for a white girl.

“Sounds great,” Bianca said, opening a cabinet to grab some plates.

“It’s so nice having a stove,” Courtney commented. She said it in a breezy, offhanded way, but it gave Bianca pause, turning towards her with a furrowed brow.

“You don’t have a stove?”

Courtney bit her lip, suddenly embarrassed, and explained, “Well, my place is a studio, and...uh, there’s not like a full kitchen.”

Bianca nodded, doing her best to keep the judgment off her face. No stove meant that whatever place Courtney was renting was not a real studio, and likely an illegal sublet. She shuddered to think of all the potential safety violations in that kind of set-up. Nevertheless, she decided to drop the subject, putting the plates down and slipping an arm around Courtney’s waist, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“Thank you for making breakfast, baby.”

“Anytime…” Courtney gave the pan another stir with a wooden spatula before leaning back against Bianca, letting her hold her even tighter.

“So listen...I, uh...have a proposal for you.”

“Oh?” Courtney tilted her head back, one eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, so, there’s this big fucking board meeting scheduled for January 6th, so I’m probably gonna stay in town over the holidays. I was thinking that maybe you could stay here, while Galactica’s shut down. With, uh, full stove access. Would you like that?”

Courtney whirled around, her beautiful face beaming, throwing her arms around Bianca’s neck and exclaiming, “I’d love it!”

Bianca leaned forward to capture her lips in a gentle kiss which soon grew deeper as Courtney arched against her, backing her up against the island. Bianca smiled against her mouth, unable to stop the dimples from piercing through as she thought about how lucky she was.

They stayed like that, blissfully wrapped in each other, until Bianca lifted her head to ask, “Is something burning?”

“Shit!”

***

“Mmh,” Trixie had to bite down a moan, his mouthful of waffles and bacon like an explosion of flavor. “Holy shit!”

“So?” Katya grinned, looking at him with her blue eyes. “Are they up to the standard?”

Their entire Sunday brunch crew, and even Violet, was gathered in their living room, Katya cooking for everyone, the table stacked with hearty and filling winter recipes like ginger and peach pudding, spiced sweet potatoes, apple pancakes and baked chickpeas.

“They’re amazing!” Trixie smiled, shoving another forkful down, the salt and the syrup perfect together.

“Awh thanks sugar butt,” Katya pressed a kiss against his cheek, which made Kim produce a retching noise.

“Take it to the bedroom you two!” Kim threw her napkin at them, which made Shangela snort and Ivy giggle.

“Be careful what you wish for Kimmie,” Pearl drawled, a stack of apple pancakes largely untouched on her plate, “because you really don’t want them to take it to the bedroom.”

“Everyone,” Max rolled his eyes, even though he was still smiling and Trixie snorted, a sense of pride welling up in his chest at Pearl’s words.

Sure, he and Katya had a tendency to be loud, but how could he not when Katya was the hottest woman alive, her innovation, commands and demands in the bedroom so fun and rewarding to follow.

“Actually,” Katya sat up straight, Trixie mourning the loss of her heat for a moment, until he recognized the serious expression on her beautiful face. “Trixie and I have an announcement.”

Everyone grew quiet, all watching them as Katya stood up.

“I’m pregnant...and we’re keeping it.”

At once, the table erupted in cheers, Ivy hopping up off the chair she was sitting on to go hug Katya, while Pearl made a beeline for the kitchen, yelling over her shoulder that she was getting the champagne.

“Congratulations!” Violet smiled, her hands clasped together. “That’s amazing!”

“It is,” Trixie smiled, warm happiness filling his entire body as he watched Katya laugh, Shangela joining in on the hug.

“Mama! I can’t believe you're gonna be a Mama!” Shangela grinned, holding Katya’s elbow and shaking her. “I thought you were completely set on never having kiddos?”

“I thought I was, but-” Katya looked at Trixie, their eyes meeting across the table. “It happened and, I mean. What’s the worst case scenario? That we fuck up and they become a serial killer?”

“Shit, that would be fucked up,” Kim snorted, her eyes widening. “Not that killer isn’t a cool name.”

“Now that’d be something!” Pearl grinned, returning to the living room with a bottle of champagne and several glasses, the stems between her fingers. She bent down, pressing her cheek against Katya’s stomach. “Hi Killer! We can’t wait to meet you!”

“Pearl!” Trixie swatted his best friend's shoulder, but Katya was laughing, holding Pearl’s head and pressing it against her stomach, and while Trixie seriously hoped his child wouldn’t become a serial killer, he had to admit that it was a little bit funny.

“Seriously,” Shangela looked around. “All y’all need Jesus. Stat.”

***

“Courtney,” Tyra said, rapping on the glass jewelry case to get her attention. “Courtney…”

“Court!” Morgan cut in sharply, and at that she finally looked up.

“You ready to take a break?” Tyra asked. “There’s a pho place right around the corner that we could try.”

“Oh, uh...yeah, just give me a couple of minutes.”

Tyra exchanged a put-upon look with Morgan, who returned her look with an exaggerated eye roll. When they’d suggested meeting up, neither of them were anticipating following Courtney around as she scoured antique stores to find the perfect Christmas present for Bianca.

She’d already found a huge book of 1960s fashion photography, as well as a vintage Hermes scarf, but apparently that wasn’t enough for her precious girlfriend. And worse, she’d been talking about nothing except Bianca all afternoon.

Tyra didn’t care if Courtney was gay or bi or whatever, but this slavish devotion to her brand new relationship was extremely tedious, and it made Tyra long for the days when Courtney would date men whose names she forgot three days later.

“Ooh, look at these!” Courtney exclaimed, pointing to a pair of earrings. “Aren’t they beautiful?!”

“Nice,” Morgan said, barely looking up from her phone.

They were nice. As annoyed as Tyra was, she had to admit that. They looked like brass, cut into art deco shapes and adorned with garnets, exactly the right style for Bianca, at least from what Tyra could tell from seeing her on TV.

“Excuse me,” Courtney asked the sales clerk, “How much are these earrings here? I can’t see the price tag.”

The clerk took a key and opened the case, pulling out the earrings to examine the price tag before declaring, “$279.”

Morgan whistled softly under her breath and the clerk raised one eyebrow, just barely but enough to be noticed.

“Shall I ring them up for you?” he asked drily, clearly expecting her to say no, already moving to put the earrings back into the case.

“Um…” Courtney bit her lip, fingertips resting on the edge of the glass.

“Court, you’re not seriously gonna spend that much are you?” Tyra asked, appalled. She’d seen Courtney’s apartment. That girl did not have a damn penny to spare.

“Yeah, she knows you’re poor, there’s no way she’s expecting some expensive gift,” Morgan added.

“No, I know, but…” Courtney squared her shoulders and looked at the sales clerk, saying, “I’ll take them.”

Tyra looked at Morgan behind her back, scandalized, shaking her head. Morgan smothered a laugh with her hand and gave a little shrug as if to say, ‘It’s her credit card debt.’

***

Pearl was back at the club again. At 4 pm on a Sunday. Which was totally normal, right?

Right.

She sighed slightly, swirling the whiskey in her glass, unable to hear the clink of ice cubes over the pounding bass. She should definitely leave, she knew that, and told herself that she would… She wasn’t going to say that she was obsessed, wasn’t going to give in to the fact that she couldn’t stop thinking about Dahlia, but she was leaning on the side of pathetic, and if there was one thing Pearl Liaison didn’t do, it was pathetic.

She probably had to rethink that though, as she handed one of the managers 200 dollars in cash, the man taking her to a small enclosed room, a heavy red curtain blocking out the rest of the club.

Her stripper alias was “Sin,” which was both absurdly simple and painfully fitting, Pearl drawn to her dangerous beauty like a spell, hungry for even the smallest taste of her.

Pearl tapped her fingers against her thigh, her lip between her teeth, when she heard a voice come from the doorway.

“Well well well,” Dahlia smirked, pushing the curtain aside. “Look who’s back.”

Pearl felt her heart skip a beat as Dahlia gave her a slow once-over, her bedroom eyes even sexier when she was so close. Today’s outfit was a sinful (fitting) red set, a garter belt digging into Dahlia’s soft tan skin.

“Mmmh.” Pearl tried to keep her face blank and expressionless, tried desperately to hang onto the last bit of control, but she couldn’t stop her heart from speeding up as Dahlia made her way across the room, her palms getting sweaty as she swayed her hips to the music.

“So,” Dahlia smiled, swinging a leg over Pearl’s lap. “You know the rules right?”

She smelled like peaches, and Pearl had to dig her fingers into the velvet of the couch she was sitting on.

“No touching,” Dahlia reminded her, full lips twisted into a smirk.

“I’ve never been a fan of rules.”

“Good thing that isn’t up to you then,” Dahlia sat down, and Pearl had to bite back a groan as she took her weight, the woman an insane tease. “Promise me that you’ll be good?” Dahlia tilted her head, her lips slightly separated, “or I promise you that a bouncer will kick your ass to the curb.”

“Shit, right, right.” Pearl nodded, and Dahlia grinned.

“Good girl.”

Pearl swallowed. Dahlia reached out, grabbing a remote from behind Pearl, a small speaker inside their room powering up, and Pearl was in heaven as she began to move.

To call it a dance would be generous, but Pearl didn’t care. She was mesmerized by her curves, watching her with rapt attention as she swayed her hips, bent down to slowly unhook the garters, leaving them dangling. Dahlia was sin personified, her bra holding her perfect tits in place, the promise of hard nipples just underneath the lace.

Dahlia turned around, and Pearl knew instantly that she worked out, her ass round and firm, the kind of deliciousness that only came from discipline and hard work. A quick motion and her bra was now unhooked. She let the straps slide off her shoulders, finally dropping the bra on the ground.

“Turn around,” Pearl whined, unable to help herself, and Dahlia looked back over her shoulder, dark eyes flashing with amusement.

“You really want it, huh?” she asked, and Pearl nodded vigorously.

“Uh huh.”

Dahlia turned back slowly, hands demurely covering her chest, lashes fluttering.

“Please…”

She kneeled on the couch, straddling Pearl’s thighs before removing her hands, arching up forward to display her glorious tits, brown nipples hard and so, so close.

Pearl bit back a whimper, and Dahlia began to roll her hips slowly, inching closer and closer until her perfect mouth was right up against Pearl’s ear.

“What are you thinking about, baby?”

“How much I hate rules,” slipped out of Pearl’s mouth before she thought better of it, and Dahlia laughed.

“Poor thing...” Dahlia clucked, taking Pearl’s hand from the arm of the sofa and inching it towards her body. First her thigh, skating her fingertips higher and higher up her beautiful tan skin, flashing the naughtiest smile as she got closer to her lace, barely-there panties.

Pearl’s chest heaved, and Dahlia laughed, right in her face, redirecting her hand higher and higher, palm very nearly brushing against one of her pert nipples, finally letting it rest on her bare shoulder as Dahlia ran her own fingers teasingly across Pearl’s.

She arched forward again, those incredible tits grazing Pearl’s own chest. Pearl squirmed painfully on the sofa as Dahlia body-rolled against her, not daring to move her hand from where it was placed, fingers digging into the smooth skin.

She was close, could feel herself on the edge, and orgasm so close just from this, and then suddenly the song had ended, and Dahlia hopped up off her lap, re-clipping her garters, picking up her bra from the floor.

Pearl tried one last hail Mary, hoarsely saying, “Give me your number.”

Dahlia laughed, shaking her head. “No way. This...this is business.” She gestured to the room around them. “That would be...not. And anyway, what would your girlfriend say?”

“She-” Pearl swallowed. “We broke up.”

“Do you think I’m stupid?”

“We did!” Pearl sputtered. “It’s true.”

“Yeah, well, even so...you do know I’m her friend, right?” Dahlia asked pointedly.

“Well…”

“Exactly,” Dahlia said, shaking her head again. “You’re asking for trouble.”

“I want to see you again,” Pearl said.

“You can see me anytime,” she said sweetly, adding pointedly, “As long as you bring cash,” before leaving, shutting the curtain behind her.

Pearl let her head drop back against the sofa, a deep sigh leaving her. Fuck.

***

“So,” Trixie tried not to tap his fingers or look at himself as he watched his computer screen, Skype pulled up.

Trixie didn’t like doing job interviews, the process tedious and draining each and every time, living up to Fame’s expectations and wishes difficult on a good day.

Interviews, however, were especially draining when it happened digitally, trying to act natural hard enough on its own when on screen, but as the manager and department head, it was his responsibility to feel out potential hires, to figure out if they’d fit with his team or not, but he had a decent feeling with this one.

“Are you interested?”

“Fuck yes!”

Trixie had to hide a grin, Aurora practically beaming through the screen. She was very pretty with tan skin, white blonde hair and full brows, the striped shirt she was wearing fashionable and fun.

Aurora had an impressive portfolio, her references were decent, and most importantly, she seemed like someone Fame could be impressed with if given time and guidance.

“Oh fuck-” Aurora grimaced, the enthusiasm gone for a second before she recovered, trying to play it cool. “I mean yes. Yes I’d love that.”

“Great.” This time, Trixie couldn’t hold back the laugh, Aurora probably fitting right into his department if she could keep the attitude in check.

“Our legal department will take care of your visa,” Trixie jotted down that he’d have to talk to Rita, work permits always a massive pain in the ass, “but you’re starting January 10 either way, and hopefully you won’t have to work remotely for long.”

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taylorinthetardis · 4 years

Text

Wallflowers - A Henry Cavill x Reader fic

So I did a thing! Rather than continue to work on my larger, more complicated Pride and Prejudice fic, I decided to make a fanfic out of the fantasy I had at work the other day!

There will most likely be a part two to this, I just thought I was at a good stopping point and wanted to see what you guys thought about it.

Full disclosure: I didn’t mean for this to whole ass turn into a Bath and Body Works ad, but it kinda did. For those of you reading in countries that do not have Bath and Body Works, its basically just a body and home care store. In the US their scents are legendary. Pretty much every young girl went through a BBW phase where that was all they used for soap and perfume. That all being said, in the interest of further disclosure and covering my ass, I own neither Bath and Body Works nor any of the trademarks on the scents listed herein. I also do not own Henry Cavill because owning human beings is a crime.

This is my first Henry fic so be gentle with me! It’s a bit longer than I had anticipated and un-beta’d.

Warnings: just a lot of fluff. some self-deprecation. loads of swearing. don’t know if I should warn for slight bashing of the religious but I will anyway so no one gets mad at me.

Wallflowers

It was shaping up to be another boring ass day at Bath and Body Works. I had started working here during the Pandemic after I was laid off from my job at the movie theatre. I had planned on it only being temporary, but even after things got better and I got my theatre job back, I decided to stick around. What can I say; a bitch is broke. Nothing wrong with double-dipping.

There was something about Sunday mornings in the mall. Probably because people around here still went to church in the mornings. Like it matters. Sunday mornings are always so slow, here and at the theatre, but the day always picks up after 1, when morning church services finish. It was me and Samantha up in the front room this morning, working out the leftover boxes from yesterday’s shipment. She was one of the first people I really bonded with here, both of us being super into both Marvel and DC, specifically Sebastian Stan and Henry Cavill. They had just started filming the next Superman movie and they were going to be shooting scenes up in Michigan again, like they had for Dawn of Justice.

“I’m just saying, we should really consider asking for a few days off and just going up there and scoping it out. I mean, it’s Henry fucking Cavill. He’s less than an hour away from us. Right now. Less than an hour. When is that ever gonna happen again? I can use some of my vacation time at the theatre, so at least I’m not missing out on money from them. It’ll be a blast. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? We don’t see him? I mean at least we’d have tried. I’d rather try than stay down in stupid Ohio with the knowledge that he’s that close.”

“Do you really think Ann’s going to give us time off to stalk Superman?”

“We ain’t gonna tell her what it’s for! Just lie, c’mon now.” I laughed. I dropped a box of Gingham body cream into the understock drawer and broke the box down. Out of the corner of my eye I caught movement, oh goodie, a customer. Samantha was quicker to greet them.

“Welcome to Bath and Body… OH MY GOD!” I turned around and was met with the sight of none other than Henry fucking Cavill, sheepishly running his hand through his now jet-black curls, obviously embarrassed at having been recognized. Damn, am I glad I put make-up on this morning. Alright Y/N, this is your fucking chance. For once in your damn life, be fucking cool. You can do this. You look good, you smell like Champagne Toast, you’ve got this. I pulled my hair down from its messy bun and shook it out a bit before walking over to where Samantha was still trying to collect herself. The store radio started playing Halsey’s Bad at Love and I had to bite my lip to stop myself from bursting out laughing at the absurdity of the situation we were now in. Not five minutes ago we were talking about seeking him out and now here he was in all his brick-shithouse-ness. I looped my arm through Samantha’s in a show of support.

“What a wonderful coincidence! We were just talking about you and now here you are! It’s crazy how the universe works, isn’t it? I’m Y/N, this is Samantha; what can we help you with today, Henry?” I smiled my most adorable smile at him, the one that makes my little cheek dimple pop out, and, honestly, they both looked shocked. Samantha was clearly surprised that I was more capable of speech than she was, and to be honest so was I, and Henry seemed shocked that I would openly admit that we had been talking about him before he got there, which probably wasn’t a great thing to say, but I panicked.

“Well, I was told this was the best place to go for candles and air freshener-y type things. The house I’m renting just has this odd odour that I can’t get rid of. I’ve been airing it out during the day, all the windows open, and I come home and it still smells funky. I know I could just find a different place, but it’s close to a park and that’s been nice for Kal and I don’t want to make a fuss, so…” Henry sort of shrugged, the buttons on his plaid shirt straining with the movement of his broad shoulders, and gestured around the store as if to say “that’s why I’m here”.

“Well, you’ve definitely come to the right place. All of our home care is in the second room, grab a basket, I’m sure we can find you some scents you’ll like.” He walked over to the basket tower to grab one as a couple more customers walked in. Samantha nudged me towards the second room; I was going to have to handle Henry alone for now, it seemed. He followed me over to the Wallflower wall. “So, these are our Wallflowers. They’re sort of like the Glade Plug-ins, I don’t know if you’ve seen those, you plug this diffuser into any power outlet and screw the fragrance bulb in and it diffuses the scented oil into the room. They last for about a month or so. These’ll probably be the best option for you, well these and maybe a room spray or two to start with. The candles are good, but obviously the scent is gonna be strongest when they’re burning and it’s probably not a great idea to light a bunch of candles and then leave for the whole day.”

He chuckled. “No, I’d say you’re right about that. I definitely don’t want to burn the place to the ground. Are there any scents that you’d recommend?”

“Well, I mean, it obviously all depends on your personal preferences. I like sweet scents. I like my space to be smelling like a bakery or a candy shop at all times, so I tend to go for anything like that. We actually still have some of our holiday scents that we’re trying to get rid of and there’s this really great one in that line called Spiced Apple Toddy. It smells like apple pie. I love it. It’s only out during fall and winter so I stocked up. I need it all year long, honestly. I still have so many other scents at home, but like I’m probably never gonna get sick of it, for real, it smells so good. Or I might go every other month swapping between that and Black Cherry Merlot because that’s awesome too. And then there’s Champagne Toast, I mean, that one might be a bit too feminine for you, but I love it. It’s sweet and just a tiny bit citrusy. I can’t do any of the floral or like, outdoorsy scents, they set my allergies off. And honestly there’s some of these that I smell them and I’m like, who is putting this in their house? Like, what nutjob thinks this scent is good? How many people have senses of smell that are this screwed up?” At this point I was rambling, talking excitedly and with my hands, handing him testers to smell and trying to gauge his reactions to know what to hand him next. He didn’t have any bad reactions to anything I gave him until I handed him the tester for Fresh Balsam. His nose scrunched up in the most adorable way and he very carefully set the tester down on the counter as far from him as he could manage. He handled my word-vomit good-naturedly, with a small smile on his face, nodding and chuckling when he thought something I had said was funny. Our fingers brushed a few times as I handed him the testers and after the third time, I began to feel like it was deliberate on his part, but it couldn’t have been, could it? He couldn’t really be interested in me. He’s Henry Cavill. I’m just, well, I’m just me.

Me, with my two minimum wage jobs, still living with my parents, inching ever closer to 30 years old. Why would he want any of that? Why would he be interested in me physically either? I mean, he’s literally flawless and I’m short, overweight, I eat like shit, I don’t exercise, hell, I barely know how to put on make-up correctly. Yeah, I look good today, but that’s not par-for-the-course.

He put a few each of Cinnamon & Clove Buds, Black Cherry Merlot, Limoncello (for the bathrooms, he said), and Laundry Day (for the laundry room, obviously) in his basket along with enough of the plugs so he’d have one in each room. He also grabbed a Black Cherry Merlot and a Limoncello room spray off the shelf next to the Wallflower display before turning back to me. “So then, where do you keep this Spiced Apple Toddy that you like so much, or did you hide them so you could have them all to yourself?”

I chuckled nervously and ran my hand through my hair, sort of disbelieving that he was actually paying attention to what I had said. Boys never listen to me when I talk, I always have to repeat myself, but I guess that’s because I usually end up talking to the dumb ones. Henry’s not dumb. He really is just fucking perfect, isn’t he? Pretty and he listens? That shouldn’t be such a difficult combination to find, but for me it had been. “They’re on the table over here with the rest of our leftover Christmas stuff. Hopefully the tester is still there somewhere.” I put my hands in my apron pockets and I could feel the jolt of confidence I had had just minutes before leaving my body. His charm had worn me down, bringing me back to my normal, anxiety-ridden self. I caught the toe of my boot on the corner of one of the other tables as we walked towards the center of the room. I stumbled, but before I could fall his arm was already out to steady me, wrapping around my waist to keep me upright.

“Are you alright Y/N?” A look of genuine concern was on his face and I swear to God I swooned. Like, fuck, I just stubbed my stupid toe, it’s not that serious. I mean yeah, I stubbed my toe and then almost fell into a table covered with candles in glass holders, but like, I didn’t fall, you caught me, please stop looking at me like you care. You can’t give me that much hope. It isn’t fair. And goddamnit I love the way my name sounds coming out of your mouth. Like, fuck it’s never sounded so good. This isn’t fair, why is this happening?

“Yeah, Henry I’m fine, just a stubbed toe. Thank you for…you know.” I gestured down to his arm, which was still around my waist. The sound of me bumping into the table drew the attention of the rest of my co-workers, however, who were now coming out of their various positions to see what was going on and to make sure no one had broken anything. Samantha popped her head in from the front room and Kelynn and Mira came out from the cashwrap with Pilar and walked to the edge of the third room to peek in. All they saw was me, blushing profusely, with Henry Cavill’s beefy-ass arm still wrapped around my fucking waist. “Everything’s fine guys. I promise.”

“Holy shit, is that…”

“Mira!”

“But Kelynn that’s fucking Superman!”

“You can’t cuss in front of him Mira, he’s a customer!”

“Will you guys cut it out? You’re embarrassing us in front of the hunky British dude!”

“Hey, I’ve got an idea. How about we all pretend like this isn’t happening right now? Pilar can go back to the cashwrap, you two can go back to whatever it was you were doing, and I’ll go back to what I was doing, namely making a damn sale!” I extricated myself from Henry’s grasp so I could shoo them back towards the cashwrap. They turned and walked away, bewildered looks on their faces. I turned back to Henry who was shifting awkwardly from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and ran his hand through his curls, leaving them messier than they were before. An errant one fell over his forehead and I wanted to brush it out of the way, but he just left it.

I walked over to the table that I was originally heading for and found the Spiced Apple Toddy Wallflowers. There wasn’t that many left, but there was still a tester. I grabbed it and spun around to bring it to him, assuming he hadn’t followed me, but as I turned, I found myself going face first into his massive chest. I put my unoccupied hand up to steady myself and pushed on his chest to force him back. He was just too close. Why was he so close? He opened his mouth to say something but I beat him to it. “Here. This is what I have in my bedroom right now, this is Spiced Apple Toddy.” Oh god, why did I say it like that? The one I have in my bedroom. Jesus Christ. He quirked his eyebrow at me and cocked his head to the side, smirking a little. Instead of taking the tester from me, he took my much smaller hand in his, guiding it up towards his face so the tester was close to his nose. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. A serene smile spread across his face and I felt my face get hotter. He opened his eyes, looking down into mine. Fuck I could drown in those ocean eyes.

“Oh, I like that very much. You were right. I think that one’s my favourite.”

#henry cavill #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill x reader #my first henry fic #fluff #unintentional bath and body works ad #be gentle

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we-are-the-amb · 3 years

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Hey what up bro. How have you been? I was wondering if you had any headcannons of Star hanging out with Edgar and Alan? I dunno if I asked this or someone else, but ya know-

And if you wanted to take a break from talking about the lost boys, then what's your favorite fruit? I have a three way tie of Strawberries, Kiwifruit, or Mangos. Anything tart is pretty preem.

Hey there, buddy! I’ve been well, thank you, I hope you have been, too? I will happily answer both your queries! My favourite fruits are mangos, cantaloupe and pineapple. However, I also enjoy raspberries, mandarins and green apples. I agree, tart fruits are king. Funnily enough, I think I’m slightly allergic to kiwi fruit! Each time I’ve eaten it, my lips have gone raw and sore.

As for headcanons about Star and the Frogs, I certainly have some! I’m taking note of the term “hanging out”, because I have a lot of angsty thoughts about this, but I shall keep it a bit lighter.

- Okay, here’s the thing; Star, Edgar and Alan are all really quite similar and come from similar backgrounds. All are children of neglectful parents, and all are neurodivergent and undiagnosed. The main difference is that Star was an only child, where the Frogs are siblings and very close knit. This has affected their developments, differently.

- It does reach a point where they can see eye-to-eye, and consider each other friends, even family. However, they have a lot to unpack, before they get to that point. Progress is slow, because while they do see each other a great deal, they rarely converse and are rarely alone with each other. I wanted to air some of this out in a fic I planned to write, but never did, in which Star and Edgar have a heavy confrontation. Specifically Star and Edgar, because while their backgrounds are similar, their is a greater conflict of personality, than between Star and Alan.

- The Frogs had joined the Emersons on a camping trip, and one evening the youngsters decided to play hide and seek, in the forest. Star had split off from her group, to enjoy the scenery, alone. It was on her walk that she came upon Edgar, also alone and fast approaching a meltdown. He in an unfamiliar area, and Alan was nowhere to be seen, and that was enough to make him feel like the trees, themselves were bearing down on him.

- Star remembered seeing Marko get like this, at times, and she had not known what to do then, either. Though she liked Edgar much less, hated him even, she knew it wouldn’t be right to leave him alone in that state. So, she gingerly approached Edgar, reluctantly holding out her scent locket, her favourite stim item. When Edgar took notice of her, he growled defensively, and refused to sniff the locket in her hand, he wasn’t a dog. With some strain, she took off the locket and offered it to him to hold, snapping at him not to drop it. He did listen, holding the locket so hard his knuckles turned white. Huffing at the tiny gap in his fingers, he was surprised and relieved to smell lavender, not patchouli. He had always hated the smell of patchouli, as his mother wears it, as an alternative to bathing. He could never sit near Star, because of the familiar smell.

- Star stuck with him, until the others found them. It was then that all the bad feelings came out. See, both parties have some strong flaws, preconceptions and issues that have gone without confrontation. Star, at her core, is a very stubborn person, with a view that much resembles those of the fantasy books that comforted her, as a child. She’s carrying a lot of guilt from that bloody night at the Emerson house, because deep down she believes she could have done more to prevent such an end. She coddles herself, by projecting her own feelings of weakness and selfishness onto the Frogs, but particularly Edgar, being the stronger personality. Edgar does not seem to feel conflicted at all about what he did, and she both envies and hates him for it. It’s easier for her, to cast him and Alan as the villains.

Edgar, for his part, does have one regret from that night. It does scare him that he wielded a stake so readily against Laddie, even if he could have fought back and won. Laddie has sort of become his friend, a kid he wants to protect. It makes him queasy to remember standing over him with a stake, ready to kill. But, similar to Star, he comforts himself by thinking he did what he had to do, to make things right and protect Santa Carla. He wasn’t the genius who turned Laddie in the first place. And he hates Star, because that fanciful, flighty way of her’s just makes him think of his mother, who has never raised a finger to help him. How dare she blame him for her failure to fix things on her own.

- So, that’s where the relationship really begins, with a fight. By the time the others find them, things have changed. They’ve both seen sides of themselves and each other, they had not wanted to, but had to. It’s rocky, but it’s a start. When Star gets her locket back from Edgar’s hand, the metal is hot from a clenched fist. She can hardly stand to touch it, though the fragrance has become strong in that heat.

- Anyway, on to the lighter stuff, because things do get better!

- Alan and Laddie are pretty close. Both share a great love for fantasy and fairytales, as Star does. More than once, Star has caught him reading one of her’s and Laddie’s books to him, with Edgar sitting back and listening (Edgar is dyslexic, and Alan frequently reads to him, too). When Alan quarrels with Laddie about whether, or not fairies are real (Alan says yes, Laddie says no), those arguments invariably end up coming up with Star. Star, for her part, very much wants to believe in fairies, but isn’t as sure of them, as Alan. The first Halloween she has with the Emersons, Alan actually tells her to leave some dishes of honey around the perimeter of the house, to keep the fairies away from Laddie.

- As you can imagine, the three end up talking folklore quite a bit, when they do talk, at all. Star has a great interest in it, but the Frogs exhaust themselves into comas every Halloween, trying to kept the town safe. It gets to a point where she begins to help with some of the cake baking and cross making that goes into their elaborate defences.

- Star is a very good artist, particularly when it comes to sculpture. She rediscovers her talent, living with the Emersons. She makes toadstools, and dragons and little nonsensical critters. Sometimes, when the Frogs are waiting for Sam, they furtively watch her sculpt. One year, Sam commissions Star to make a pair of little frogs, for the brothers’ Christmas presents. They repay her the next year, with a painted pebble and a hand woven bracelet. They are quite artistic, themselves.

- Star teaches herself embroidery, and the Frogs can sew fairly well. Now and then, they sit together and customise their jackets.

- Their taste in music is quite similar. Sometimes they can all sit and vibe along to Janis Joplin, or The Grateful Dead, or The Incredible String Band. They all really let their stims out when they listen to music, as it make sense them so happy and eases their self consciousness.

- Star and Sam both collect crystals, which they share with great enthusiasm. Edgar and Alan have a fear and mistrust of crystals, though they played with them as children, and refuse to even touch them. Star almost teases them at first, waving pieces of her collection near them and almost getting her hands smacked, each time. Then, she and Sam make an effort to help them see that the crystals won’t harm them. Star picks out the smallest, smoothest rocks and places them in their hands, getting them used to the feel of them and showing them the stones have no power over them and won’t hurt them.

That’s all I can think of, for now, buddy! It’s not much, I know, but I hope you enjoy it. 🖖

#star #star (the lost boys)#edgar #edgar frog #alan #alan frog #the lost boys #lost boys #awesome monster bashers #frog brothers #headcanons

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mooshys · 3 years

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THE OSAMU, TENDOU, AND MATTSUN ONES ARE TOO REAL BECAUSE SOMETHING SIMILAR HAS HAPPENED TO ME IRL

when i was little i was absolutely OBSESSED with bath & body works™️ like everyday i would ask my kindergarten teacher if she was wearing bath & body works lotion today and if she was she’d let me smell her arm and i could usually correctly guess which scent it was and one day i was just playing around with one of those fragrance sprays while lying down on the couch at home but i accidentally sprayed some in my eye and i didn’t want to alert anyone and have to explain what happened so i just laid there In Pain until it subsided and the thought of osamu going through something like this KILLS ME

AND THEN WHEN I WAS AROUND THE SAME AGE I thought ninjas were cool and one time during a family reunion i apparently said i wanted to be a “ninja princess” when i grew up

MY STORY RELATED TO THE MATTSUN HEADCANON IS MORE RECENT BUT i was with my cousin and my sister and we were playing a game called heads up with my sister’s phone and the word we were trying to get my cousin to guess was “scooby-doo” so my sister and i (completely unintentionally) said RUH ROH at the same time and it became an inside joke like if you’ve been affected by a slight inconvenience? ruh roh sisters!!!

OH OH OH BEFORE I FORGET THE BOKUTO HC REMINDED ME OF THIS FANART I SAW ON TWITTER WITH SUNA AND THE TWINS the translated caption is also so funny rjjdjskdmsmms

THIS IS SO CUTE AND FUNNY LOL OK I'm going to have my answer below the cut since it's kind of long WOOSH

your bath and body works obsession is genuinely hilarious to me because I'm just imagining you waiting at your teacher's desk and going. Hey. Can I smell ya. AS A LIKE 10 YEAR OLD BAHAHAHA and adding in the fact that you nearly blinded yourself with fragrance spray and instead just kept mum and waited out the pain... something about you just screams chaotic neutral alignment LOL

Ok let me also add in that I too wanted to be a ninja when I was in elementary school, so you're definitely not alone... like my obsession with naruto as a kid ran so deep (this was what inspired the tendou headcanon)... okay I'm going to share this with you bc I think it's hilarious, but when I was like. maybe 9 or so. I made a christmas wishlist for santa and the entire page was just naruto stuff. the wishlist will be added at the bottom, but it's... it's so 😭

"Ruh-roh" is the funniest saying that I've heard HAHAHAHA like can you imagine this giant intimidating 6ft dude going "Ruh-roh" behind you during an exam?! I wouldn't be able to hold it in. let's bring back ruh-roh as common vernacular within the youths

GOOD GOD I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT FANART 😭😭�� they would... those twins and suna the instigator... the really would 😭😭 kita does not get enough credit for what he has to go through on the daily with those dunderheads...

thank you for sharing all this, like it made my night to read and laugh + ok the moment you've all been waiting for... my old naruto christmas wishlist 😭

#long post #moosh woosh #anon #sorry my reply is so long kajshgd #Fyi the reason why I have my old wishlist is bc my parents saved all the christmas wishlists I made #when I was a kid to look back on them #they're sooooo funny bahahaa

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getitinbusan · 4 years

Text

Only Love Can Hurt Like This

Y/N doesn’t want a relationship, especially not with an idol. Jaebeom only wants her. Love after heartbreak and all the things that fall in between. Angst, Cheating, Fluff, Smut. Inspired by lyrics, the bold lettering indicates music or lyrics that can be found in the accompanying serendipitous universe playlist.

The only reason to go to the club was to pick up, but when everyone knew who you were, it was just a dumb idea.

Yugyeom and Bam Bam however, were all about dumb ideas.

He hated this scene, didn’t like attention, didn’t like the sloppy drunks and especially didn’t like girls who threw themselves at him.

He wasn’t sure how exactly they’d talked him into coming here tonight. Sitting at the bar, head down he let his phone distract him until the inevitable happened.

Waiting for your drink you watched the scene play out.

“I can’t believe you haven’t bought me a drink yet.” She slithered over to him.

“Why would I do that?” He answered barely looking up.

“It’s the least you could give me in return for all things I’m going to do to you tonight.”

“The only thing you’re going to do that makes me happy tonight is walk away."

A laugh escaped from your mouth and she turned to eye you up and down.

Ignoring him she leaned in closer inserting her hand between his legs. "Listen, you’re not my type, my dick’s not interested.”

Picking his drink up off the bar she threw it in his face, “Your fucking loss.”

“I think you upset her a little,” you laughed handing him a napkin.

“Good luck when she drops this as a Dispatch scandal tomorrow.”

The bartender handed you your drink and you started to walk away.

“Wait,” he stood up and offered his hand, “I’m…”

“Lim Jaebeom,” you cut him off leaving his hand outstretched in limbo.

“You know who I am?”

“I do, and while it was nice to meet you Jaebeom, my dick’s not interested.”

“Wow, that’s just” he grinned…“using my own words against me. I mean… just because you’ve heard of me doesn’t mean you know me.” He was joking, you weren’t.

“I know there’s nothing about your lifestyle I want to be a part of,” you said walking back towards him.

“I know that you’re on tour about 300 days out of the year and the other 65 you’re stuck practicing.”

You got closer, “I know your fans are fucking crazy and they’ll destroy every personal relationship you try to have.”

Closer , "I know that however committed you intend on being, the road gets lonely and you’ve got a whole PR team to cover it up.”

As close as you could be, right in his ear, “Above all, I know that you’re too beautiful and too rich for your own good.”

Backing away, “Did I miss anything?"

Raising his eyebrow he was intrigued at what had you so bitter, "Can I buy you a drink?”

You smirked before walking away, “Already bought my own, thanks though.”

He’d never had a girl so adamantly deny him and he couldn’t get his mind off of you. Picking up his drink he set off to find the two idiots responsible for bringing him here.

There they were, and there you were about 20 feet away. You looked up and made eye contact, smiling before turning your attention back to your friends.

Bam Bam was quick to notice, “Oh, JB!! Say it’s not so, I think he’s got his eye on someone Yugyeom."

Following their glances Yugyeom saw you. "Uh-Uh get that idea out of your head right now, she’s damaged goods."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Jaebeom asked.

“It means,” he pulled up his phone and showed it to JB, “That is Min Yoongi’s ex."

He took the phone out of Yugyeom’s hand, he remembered seeing these gossip articles a few months ago. Min Yoongi caught in a cheating scandal, secret relationship revealed!

He didn’t want this. He certainly wasn’t looking for a girlfriend but there you were.

The back story…

They were on to you.

The photographers lurked in corners, cars followed, you could feel their shadows hanging over you wherever you went.

This lifestyle was bullshit. Why the hell did you have to hide? It wasn’t normal to live like this.

As angry as it made you, you still played along. Year two, fuck you loved him. He was like an addiction, bad for you but you needed him.

So here you were, circling the block sneaking into your boyfriend’s house like a teenager trying not to get caught.

It had been the ultimate shit day and it was only 10am. Your alarm hadn’t gone off, you were late for work, got yelled at, quit, stopped for coffee, spilled it all over yourself, cried in the car and now you were dodging the paps just so you could do the one thing that would make you feel better, hug your boyfriend.

Fuck it, they weren’t letting up, let the chips fall where they may.

Parking on the road you walked to the house as quickly as you could and let yourself in.

Still crying, you closed the door behind you stopping to take a breath and re group. How the hell were you going to explain to Yoongi that you’d just outed your relationship?

Trying to pull your disheveled, tear soaked, coffee stained self together you made the trek to his downstairs studio.

Knocking lightly there was no answer, maybe he had his headphones on. Empty, the usual hub of activity was dark and quiet.

Lately he’d been distant. You thought he was just overworked and stressed. How were you so blind to not realize he must be sinking back into his anxiety.

Making your way upstairs to the bedroom, he was most likely still asleep.

Opening the door, his blackout curtains kept the room shrouded in darkness. You could hear the soothing sound of waves flowing from the white noise machine you’d bought him for Christmas.

Finally, something that made you smile. You would spend the rest of the day curled up beside him forgetting anything existed outside these walls.

Walking towards the bed your feet caught on something, clothes?

Yoongi was meticulous with his clothing, it wasn’t like him to just leave things lying around.

Your heart began racing, it always knew before your brain clued in that something was off.

Lifting the edge of the covers, you now knew why. Laying naked, curled up together, he clearly hadn’t been having a depression nap.

Flicking the lights on you stood waiting for recognition to kick in. He sat up rubbing his eyes, looking beside him he realized she was still in the bed and it was you standing in the doorway.

That was enough, you turned the light back off and left. There was no crying, he wasn’t worth the tears.

Opening the door, it was as if the paparazzi had multiplied, cameras snapping you, clearly distraught, while he followed in pursuit.

What was the expression? Not with a fizzle but with a bang? You’d hidden for two years but now you were finished, everyone was going to know what he’d done.

“I’ve wasted two god damn years on you Min Yoongi, I hope you get a fucking STD from your new slut"

That was that, your whole life spread over the Dispatch gossip page before lunch.

No boyfriend, no job, your life had completely changed over the course of an hour.

It had been four days and you were still on his mind. He couldn’t figure it out; it’s not like you’d even given him a flicker of hope.

“Fuck,” he said aloud as his fingers sent the text.

JB: You’ve got to find out about Y/N for me. I can’t stop thinking about her.

Yug: Why her JB? She’s 100% negative press. Name somebody, anybody else and I’ll hook it up.

JB: I never ask you for anything. Can’t you just fucking call Jungkook and get me her details

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

Yug: She owns a small bookstore in Ikseon-dong called Serendipity. Listen, Jungkook wasn’t happy about you asking. He said she’s been through enough, and you’d better not fuck her over.

JB: Thanks, I owe you one.

Yug: I hope this doesn’t bite you in the ass.

A bookstore, he grinned, well that was just fate or…serendipity. He could just pretend running into you was a coincidence, everybody knew he loved books.

He pulled it up on Google.

Serendipity, a Bookstore/Cafe located in the heart of Ikseon. A charming Old Hanok hidden amongst the Dongs tiny alleyways

While he scribbled down the address, the reviews caught his eye.

⭐ I don’t know who this whore thinks she is, but I hope her store goes out of business.

⭐ This store is trash just like the owner.

⭐ Stupid bitch deserved to get dumped. I can’t believe Yoongi would find her attractive.

⭐ Poverty ass gold digger. You’d better stay away from our boys.

His heart broke for you, he knew fans could be possessive, but these were just cruel. What terrible things for you to have to read, and for what? False ownership of their idol

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

Opening the door, the smell of coffee and books filtered through his nostrils, if he could create his own signature fragrance, this would be it. His eyes scanned the shop until he found you, glasses on sitting behind a computer screen at the checkout.

Browsing around he’d glance up every now and again taking you in. He noted how comfortable you looked in your own environment. Unlike at the bar your face was relaxed, soft, even more beautiful than he remembered.

You smiled at the customer you were serving, and he knew he was a goner.

He went back to perusing the shelves, his heart was beating quickly. How was he going to approach you?

“Can I help you find anything,” came from behind him.

He scanned the books quickly, and turned with a smile, “I’m just looking for I Want to Die, But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki.”

You gave no reaction

“Well that’s pretty convenient Jaebeom, because you’re standing right beside it.”

Starting to walk away he caught your hand, “Hey, come on, I’m just trying to know you.”

“Funny, I think you already know all about me, you found me easily enough.” You pulled your hand away.

“Listen JB, I’m a real career killer and it seems like you’re doing pretty well for yourself. Why would you want this kind of drama?”

He knew the words were going to come out wrong but he was trying to say them before you could leave.

“I feel bad for how you’ve been treated, you deserve better. I think that I could make you better, fuck, not that there’s anything wrong with you.. I mean that we could be better….together, not separate.”

“I don’t need anyone feeling sorry for me Jaebeom, last call for the pity party ended a while ago. I’m doing just fine putting myself back together.”

“I’m sorry, I promise I’m not usually like this. I don’t know why I can’t talk to you without sounding like an idiot.”

He sighed deeply, “I’m just…is it okay if I stay? I promise I’ll just have a coffee and read, I really like it here.”

“It’s bad business for me to chase away customers, stay as long as you want ”

You felt kind of bad, maybe you were being to harsh on him. Bringing his coffee to the table you set it down placing a slice of cheesecake next to it. “It’s on me.”

“Thanks,” he smiled shyly.

“Can I ask why you chose Serendipity? It’s kind of a romantic notion for someone who’s so cynical.”

Cocking a brow you asked, “Are you really interested, or is this you hitting on me?”

He laughed, “I’m not going to stop hitting on you, but yeah, I really want to know.”

You walked away and grabbed a book off the shelf. Sitting beside him, you slid it across the table.

“Have you heard of The Three Princes of Serendip?” He shook his head no.

“It’s a fairy tale. The heroes were always discovering things they weren’t in quest of.”

He thumbed through the pages while he listened to your explanation.

“That day a few months ago,” you interrupted yourself, “I’m assuming you know what day I mean?”

He pursed his lips and nodded.

“Well, I quit the job I hated, I lost my boyfriend and the whole world treated me like I’d done something wrong.”

You shrugged, still not understanding how it all happened.

“I was lost, I had nothing but myself and a handful of hush money from Big Hit. I came here to hideout but instead I found this place for sale. If that’s not a Serendipitous string of events, I don’t know what is.”

He smiled and closed the book, “I think I’ll take this one today.”

Pretending to be shocked you questioned him, “What? You didn’t really want I Want to Die, But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki? ”

“I think I’ll leave that one as an excuse to come back.”

His deep chocolate brown eyes were heavy on you, you know because you made the mistake of looking into them.

“This is a public space, you don’t need to make excuses to come.” You tried to sound flippant.

“And JB…I wasn’t always this cynical, life just hasn’t given me a chance to be anything but.”

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

He laid in bed reading, or trying to at least. He’d been over the same sentence about four times unable to stop thinking about you.

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

You were laying in bed when you heard the ping. You knew it was a stupid idea, but after he left you stalked his accounts, and turned on his post notifications.

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

The Vlive began, he wanted to tell everyone about a great book he was reading that he’d found in a cool little shop in Ikseon-dong.

📖 Lady: I’m glad you like it.

Reading your comment he smiled, he really was a beautiful man. You examined his features and expressions but they suddenly changed. He tried to quickly sign off but it was too late.

😭Is he talking about y/n?

😱Are you kidding JB?

🤮I can’t believe he’s going after Yoongi’s sloppy seconds.

He knew he fucked up and he didn’t know what to do about it. He’d finally made some headway and now he was back to square one.

So, the next day he was back. Standing in front of your counter he held out a cup of Hotteok.

Before he could speak you jumped in, “See JB, the way this whole retail thing works is, you pick something you want that I’m selling, then give me money for it. Nowhere in the scenario do you bring me random shit just because.”

Your eyes were red, he felt terrible, after only 2 conversations he’d already managed to hurt you.

“It’s not random shit, it’s an apology. I’m sorry I drew attention to you last night.” he paused, “you don’t deserve to be attacked like that."

You turned away trying to gain your composure, "The one thing I’ve learned through all this is to never apologize for showing your feelings. When you do, you’re apologizing for the truth."

You looked back, "I’ve never apologized for loving Yoongi, because it was real whether people want to believe it or not.”

You sighed, “You didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t put the target on my back JB it’s been there a while, I’m just sad because now you’ve got one too."

His heart sank when he realized that you weren’t choosing loneliness to protect yourself, you were keeping your distance so he wouldn’t get dragged into it.

He placed his large hand over yours as it lay on the counter. "There’s only one thing that’s going to make me walk away from you.” He tipped your chin so you were forced to look into his eyes, “Tell me you don’t want me here."

The door chimed, you were no longer alone.

"Like I said yesterday, it’s bad business for me to chase away customers, stay as long as you want.”

He smiled brightly, “That’s not a no."

Taking the Hotteok from the counter you were still unsure, but he was right, it wasn’t a no.

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

Standing at the bar in the exact spot you’d met him, you’d hoped he’d be here tonight. You felt like a desperate fool with a schoolgirl crush.

Three days had passed since you’d last seen him and despite your best efforts, you found yourself missing him. You hated the way your heart hurt, of course he’d given up why would this be a surprise?

A hand reached around placing a drink on the bar in front of you. "You look like you could use this, still pining over Min Yoongi?"

"Actually I’m waiting for a friend Minho."

"I could be your friend tonight Y/N. I guarantee I can get you to stop thinking about him,” he grabbed your ass.

“No thanks, I don’t think 5 minutes in your bed will change my world.”

He grabbed the drink back, “No wonder he cheated on you, you’re such a bitch."

Dumb, Dumb, Dumb…you’d let your guard down and everything was feeling all too personal. Shooting back the last of your Soju you grabbed your jacket and made for the exit.

"You’re not leaving when I just got here?”

Your traitorous heart fluttered, “I didn’t know I was supposed to be waiting."

His grin got bigger, "Are you mad because maybe you actually missed me a little?”

Mad, sad, who could tell them apart anymore?

“Yeah, actually I am and I’m livid with myself for it."

He put his hand on your waist, "Hey, I’m sorry, I got called for re shoots.”

His thumb rubbed over your hip soothingly, “I only have your work number…I just got back and I was hoping you’d be here"

A voice shouted from across the bar "Don’t waste your time on that one JB, come sit with us"

You closed your eyes trying to keep the tears at bay, "You heard the man. I’m leaving anyway, I guess I’ll see ya around.”

Shooting a look at Minho he ran out the door to catch up with you.

Standing at the curb waiting for a cab he reached his hand out to you. “I wanted to be with you tonight, and I’m pretty sure you wanted to be with me. It’s still early, let’s go somewhere okay, can we still do that?"

Placing your hand in his, "Only if we’re alone…and there’s alcohol.”

He smiled victorious, “I think I know a place."

Walking up the crowded street you felt better, anonymous. He kept squeezing your hand making sure you hadn’t slipped away.

"Right here,” he stopped in front of a pink neon lit Karaoke Bar.

“Karaoke? I think one of us has an extremely unfair advantage JB."

"Don’t worry I’ll let you win."

Stepping closer to him you kissed his cheek, "Why are you being so nice to me JB?"

"Y/N, why do you keep questioning my motives?”

His hand ran up your arm, “I hate that you’ve been mistreated for so long that you don’t realize what normal behavior is.”

He held the door open for you, “How’s a private room and bottle service sound?"

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

You consumed copious amounts of Grey Goose as you took turns performing for one another. What you lacked in vocal talent you made up for in your ability to mimic choreography.

"I think I’ve lost my voice,” you shouted after your efforts to sing Itzy’s Wannabe.

“I’m going to have to tell JYP about you, maybe with some training you can debut next year and come on tour with us,” he laughed.

He queued up the next song, “Come here, I want to dance with you."

You moved into his waiting arms and allowed yourself to surrender to his pursuits. His song came on and you laughed, "it’s so cheesy Jaebeom-ah!"

He sang anyway,

Our love will lead the way for us

If the road ahead is not so easy

Like a guiding star

I’ll be there for you if you should need me

You don’t have to change a thing

I love you just the way you are

You let your head rest on his chest, his heartbeat was louder, more important than the words he was singing.

Glad he was holding you up, you felt a little drunk, a little in love and for once, you weren’t going to stop yourself.

He kissed the top of your head and held on a little tighter, "So does this mean you’ll finally give me your number?”

You looked up at him nodding, locking eyes he moved slowly closer, lips almost touching …until his phone went off.

He frowned, “Fuck, it’s management. Sorry I’ve got to check in. Just stay in my arms ok?"

"You’re going to read texts over my shoulder? How romantic,” you jibed, but you didn’t break away.

JYP: Dispatch has reached out to us for comment regarding a new dating scandal. They were tipped off that you were with Y/N at Cakeshop Night Club tonight and now they are outside of the Karaoke bar waiting for photos. We need to discuss your intentions immediately. A car will pick you up in 15 mins, wait inside for security. Do not leave the building together as it is still controllable speculation.

You could feel his body react to what he was reading, deep breaths, tensed muscles and finally pulling you in tightly. “What is it J?"

"I’ve got to get you out of here, the press are outside"

He handed you his phone, "add your number.”

But JYPs text was still open and you saw every word.

You keyed in your info and switched it off before handing it back.

You breathed deep, “You know, sneaking in and out of buildings is my specialty,” You put your hand over his heart and gave a sad smile.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m sure there’s a back entrance, I’ll just grab a cab home. If you go out the front they’ll be too busy taking photos of you, they’ll never notice me.”

You tried to sound confident and uncaring so he’d do what was best but Jaebeom had his own plan.

“Get your stuff, we’re going out the front together."

He pulled your hand through the bar and out the front door. Lights flashed as they took their photos for tomorrow’s headlines.

Hailing a cab he leaned over and kissed your lips, "I’m going to call you as soon as I can okay?”

You weren’t okay, your first kiss would be your last kiss. Your smile hid the stabbing pain in your heart, you knew it was over before it had started.

“Jaebeom,” you called him back after he closed the car door behind you, “It’s been a really great time.”

He smiled and waved.

Getting into the companies blacked out Suburban he was happy, he was going to stand his ground.

He’d felt bad that your first kiss had been under these circumstances so he opened his phone to text you a quick apology.

Searching the contacts he found your entry, “I’m sorry” with random numbers underneath.

So much for not getting attached. Unlocking the door you collapsed crying, the exhaustion of life had finally beaten you into submission.

The shrill ring of the store’s landline broke through the quiet of the courtyard, a reminder of his persistence. He wasn’t going to give up so you had no other choice but to cut him off.

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

Barely having slept, coffee in hand, you made your way over the wooden path to the store.

The indication light was flashing in a rhythm that brought back the sound of his heartbeat in your ear.

You have one unheard message…

Y/N, I know that you were happy last night, don’t walk away from this…from me. Do you remember the day I first came into your shop? You asked me how I intended to fix you? I didn’t know then, I was just grasping for a shot…but…I know now..I’m just going to love you. All you have to do is let me…can’t you just let me?“

Reaching out you hit delete and tried to convince yourself it was for the best.

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

Watching from your office he’d come in everyday for a week. The staff, as instructed, told him you weren’t there but several times he’d caught you looking at him through the window.

He looked hopeful but you were sure he’d get over it, you’d get over it.

There was a light knock on your door before the handle turned.

"Hey, sorry Y/N, he insisted on leaving this for you.” She placed the book on your desk and left.

Running your hands over the cover you could tell it was well loved.

Its condition would normally drive you nuts but it was his, and in his passionate demeanor he’d most likely tackled it head first, caution less, as was his way.

You were unfamiliar with it, Tablo’s “Pieces of You." Flipping through the marked up pages you found a bookmark, a hand drawn blue tree with flower petal leaves pointing to what he wanted you to see.

"So here I am,

Choosing to kick away the ladder

So that I may remain at your side.

I understand your solitude

I see your shadow.”

His phone number was scribbled on the inside cover with the inscription. “When you’re ready, whether it’s tomorrow or two years from now."

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

The worn book sat on your desk catching your eye every so often. He hadn’t been in for a few days, had he given up? Why did it hurt to think maybe you’d never see him again?

"Fuck,” you opened the cover And picked up your phone.

Y/N: I miss you and I don’t want to do that anymore.

JB: You don’t have to, just let me in.

Y/N: I need some time.

JB: I’m just….Y/N…don’t shut me out okay?

He left you space as requested ….sort of.

Every night you got notifications of his v lives. He talked to you indirectly through the camera, speaking about the books he’d read while sending secret messages through his song choices playing in the background.

He looked happy and he never wavered when your name was brought up by the fans. He stood up for you, called you a friend and told people they shouldn’t say such horrible things.

Slowly he was breaking your resolve, you were healing.

📖 Lady: I really enjoyed Pieces of You.

He smiled knowing you were online. He queued up his next track, it was Junny’s By my side and he sang…

stay right by my side

And let me teach you how to love

With you I just can’t get enough, oh girl

He closed his eyes and hummed in contentment.

Your phone notification broke the trance Jaebeom’s sweet melody had lulled you into.

Yoongi: Can we meet, I think we should talk.

Y/N: I don’t fucking think so.

Yoongi: it’s about Jaebeom.

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

You got to the coffee shop early and were surprised he was already there, punctuality was never his strong suit.

He stood to greet you. Thinking better of the hug he was going for, he gestured to the chair.

“I want to say I’m sorry”…he stammered over his words.

“I know it means nothing and you hate me but…I am…sorry.”

He remembered your order and it was already on the table.

“Can we just cut the shit. Why exactly do you want to talk to me about Jaebeom?”

He ran his hand up the back of his neck, “I keep getting messages from the fans about you two.”

“You know what Yoongi, I’m tired of your fucking fans. They’ve sent me hundreds of death threats, they write rude comments on my business page and now that someone actually likes me again they keep telling him that I’m a piece of shit."

You spit the feelings that had been trapped inside you out at him.

"You know you could have told them to stop, but you didn’t.”

He looked at you puzzled and pulled up his weverse page.

“You think it’s only you?”

He scrolled through reading you select comments.

“I’ve lost all respect for you Yoongi… I can’t believe you’re a cheater. Here, this one’s great……..Y/N deserves better, I’m happy she’s with JB now…"

You were shocked, not once had you seen or received messages that were team Y/N.

"Well you fucking deserve it."

He shrugged, "Jaebeom, he’s a decent guy…Jungkook’s been talking to Yugyeom and word is you’re not giving him a chance because of what happened.”

He wouldn’t look up from his Americano.

“Don’t let me fuck up your life any more than I already have okay, I’m not worth it."

You sighed, reaching across the table to touch his arm.

"I appreciate that you’d come here to tell me that."

He picked up your hand and held it tightly in his.

"I’m sorry I did this to you. Let him be the man I couldn’t."

Standing to leave he kissed your cheek, grabbed his coffee and walked away.

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

Sitting in your office there was a soft knock at the door, "Hey, sorry, I just…did you,” she approached apprehensively with a cup of tea, “have you seen the dispatch page?”

It didn’t take long, the photos, the headlines, the comments…

Yoongi and Y/N are back together! Seen today, the couple were holding hands and kissing over coffee. Was she just using Lim Jaebeom?

You felt the wind knocked out of your lungs, of course this would happen.

Had Jaebeom seen? What would he think? As you sat panicking he sent a text.

JB: Just can’t manage to stay out of trouble, huh? I’m beginning to think you tip off your own location to Dispatch to grab the headline.

You threw your phone into the drawer and slammed it shut.

He waited, no answer, shit… he’d shoved his foot in his mouth again.

Why did he turn into a completely inarticulate unfunny idiot when it came to you?

JB: Y/N I’m sorry that was supposed to be a joke…

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

You looked at your assistant, “I think I really fucked up, you want to go out and get completely loaded tonight?"

She smiled agreeing, "I’ll start closing, you go put on something sexy."

You stood to leave, "May as well, If I’m going to get accused of stupid shit I might as well make it worthwhile.”

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

The drinks flowed freely and you just didn’t give a fuck anymore, about anything. If they were all watching, you didn’t care. You danced, you sang, you laughed, you needed no one. Until he was in front of you.

“Shit, let’s go”, you grabbed your friends hand but she smiled devilishly at you.

“I called him, its time to get the fuck over it Y/N. You’ll thank me later,” She waved him in and walked away.

Zeroing in on you, he made his way over. Ready on the defensive you expected him to be angry.

In your best effort to save face you’d cut him off before he could you.

“If you want to be mad at me go ahead, but I fucking warned you this would happen.”

You were pointing at his chest, trying to drive your point home.

“So if you’re here to tell me you don’t want anything to do with me, you go right ahead Lim Jaebeom."

"Are you done?” He raised his voice.

“You are the most stubborn girl I’ve ever met Y/N. I’ve gone to bat for you for the last month, I never gave up. AND! despite how hard you’ve pushed me away I’ve never left. Do you think I’d actually walk away because of a dispatch article?"

You both stared in a deadlocked gaze. Time standing still until he wrapped his arms around your waist. You could feel a million eyes on you all at once.

"Take me home Jaebeom.”

He grinned and kissed your forehead, “I thought you’d never ask."

The ride was quiet, you tucked your head under Jaebeom’s arm, the vehicle’s movements making you sleepy. He held your hand like a nervous high school boy, afraid what he really wanted to happen was about to happen.

The car pulled up to the front of his place and he smiled nudging you awake. “We’re here.“

Drunk and groggy you looked around, "where’s here?"

He put his arm around your waist to keep you from falling over, "You’re at my place, in Hannam. Remember? You asked me to bring you home?”

You looked him up and down giggling, “Yeah I did.”

Trying to balance you and getting his key in the lock he finally got the door open. At least 5 cats came running to greet him, “Oh my God JB, you’re a crazy cat lady!"

"This is why I can’t have friends over,” he picked up the smallest fluffy one and kissed it’s head.

The pretty little Siamese brushed against your leg until you picked her up. He looked shocked, “She doesn’t like anyone."

"You purred into her fur, "Well I’m not just anyone, am I?”

“Clearly."

He walked over and took the cat from your arms, "Let’s take care of you. What can we do to minimize the hangover you’re going to have in the morning?"

He held your face in his hands. "What do you need?"

You were feeling a little dizzy, whether it was from the alcohol or his proximity you couldn’t be sure.

"Maybe some fresh air, water…your arms to keep me from falling over.” You propositioned.

He slid the balcony door open and led you outside. “You’re going to have to hold onto the rail till my arms get back."

The air was cool and you closed your eyes inhaling deeply, everything felt right.

Perched atop the Seoul Skyline the stars shone brightly in the astronomical twilight. In the grand scheme of all the overblown things that had taken place in the last few months, you were still just a small player in a larger roll occurring around you.

A helicopter broke through the silence of the night "Uh-oh, looks like Dispatch tracked you down already.”

You shot him a look, “what, too soon?”

He passed you a glass and an aspirin, “Drink.”

He stood close beside you, leaning on the rail staring out at the city. You walked your hand over closing the distance until it touched his.

“I want to apologize."

He cut you off, "you really don’t have to, you didn’t do anything wrong."

He brought his hand the rest of the way to lay over top of yours.

"I’m pretty sure you once told me to never apologize for showing your feelings because if you do you’re apologizing for the truth."

Amazed you turned to him, "You remember me saying that?"

He nodded as you moved towards his lips.

He pulled back, "Y/N, you’re drunk, I’ve already ruined our first kiss I’m not going to let you forget the second."

"You’re a good guy JB"

He wrapped his arms around you and rested his chin on your head.

"Unfortunately I am…so I’m going to have to send you to bed."

You looked up at him with big eyes and a pout, "You don’t want to sleep with me?”

“Jesus Christ, you think I don’t want you? You’re really making me question my morals right now.”

He ran his hand up your arm and sighed while spinning you back towards the door.

Flipping the switch his bedroom lit up before you.

“It’s so cozy Jaebeom-ah. Cats, Plants, nice sheets…how are you still single?"

He handed you a t-shirt from his drawer, "I was kind of hoping I’m not anymore…you can sleep in this."

You grabbed it looking upset, "I’m going to feel bad if you sleep on the couch.”

He undid the zipper that ran up the back of your dress. “You’re going to feel bad in the morning anyway plus you’re not even going to remember this conversation."

You broke out the pout again, "What if I get scared or lonely?”

He bent down and picked up the cat that had followed you since you arrived.

“Nora is the best company and she wouldn’t dare let anything happen to you.” He kissed your forehead and pointed, “Bed, now."

He was still laughing at you as he turned off the light and closed the door.

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

You woke up in the huge bed, alone save for the tiny cat curled up into your side. The smell of coffee wafted under the door calling you to get up but your head swam in scenarios.

You remembered him being a complete gentleman, you remembered falling asleep against the pillow that smelt like him, you remembered…he was just on the other side of the door.

You liked it here, you didn’t want to leave. You wanted him to know you weren’t a waste of time, you’d already lost so much of it by pushing him away.

Grabbing your phone you composed your words into a poem you needed him to hear.

I was fine on my own, every night I slept alone

The distance kept me safe

It’s easier to fake the feel than dance around with something real

Promises might break

Then you came along and said that I was different

You were missing something and it felt like we should see

Normally, I’d fall away, your face is a distraction

But I like the way that you’re distracting me

I went home before my friends so I could hear your voice again

But it feels strange to care

I hesitate to say out loud that when I’m drunk and in a crowd

I pretend you’re there.

We watch the helicopters from the top of your apartment

And all I could think is I don’t want to leave

Normally, I’d fall away, your face is a distraction

But I like the way that you’re distracting me

I’m writing this from your bed while you’re in the other room

I like what you do to me, and I wanna tell you soon.

Maybe you’ll shy away, maybe you’ll fall apart

It’s hard being honest, but I’m being honest

Get in the play, running your fingers through my hair

Don’t wanna behave, how do you act when no one’s there?

Feeling inside, feeling a way, it’s different and it’s working

Oh, you make me nervous, oh, you make me nervous

You read it over and flopped back on his pillow…send…you heard his notification go off ….you waited.

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

There was a soft knock before he turned the handle.

He looked beautiful standing in the doorway. His pajama pants hung low on his waist, it was the first time you’d caught a glimpse of his body and your breath hitched at the sight.

Wrapped in nothing but his sheet you pulled the covers back in invitation.

He walked over to where you sat, "Is this what you really want?”

You bit your lip and nodded.

He pulled his pants off letting them fall to the ground and he crawled in beside you.

His hands drew through your hair and his lips found their way to yours…properly, undisturbed, no flashbulbs to commemorate the event. It was soft and languid, his tongue taking its time to explore your mouth.

He pulled away to stare at you, “Tell me I can finally have you."

"All of me Jaebeom…I’m yours.”

He caressed your face, thumb sliding between your lips, over your chin and down your neck as he kissed into the crevice of your collar bone.

It had been so long, yet it had never felt like this. You could feel his desire with every touch, his lips, his fingertips and his hard cock pressed up against your hip.

“I want you so bad J,” your hands tugged through his hair as you wrapped your leg around his body to guide him in closer.

“Shit..Shit…do you have a condom? I just never thought this would happen..fuck"

You both collapsed back onto the bed breathing heavy.

"Ugh, no,” you sighed frustrated.

He put both hands over his face, disappointed that even this moment couldn’t go smoothly.

You rolled into his side, “I never stopped taking the pill…and after what happened, I did get tested…I mean, if you’re not okay with it..it’s okay…we can wait.”

He placed his hand on your cheek and kissed you softly, “I haven’t been with anyone in years, it’s mandatory we get tested during our physicals…"

"Fuck thank God!” You rolled on top of him and ground yourself over him.

Laying kisses down his chest you let your fingers skim lightly over his abs. His skin tingled with goosebumps under your touch and you felt him twitch at your center.

“Are you ready?”

He nodded biting his lip, “Please."

He held your hips as you lined yourself up over him. Not breaking eye contact you slowly lowered yourself, taking him into you.

You felt like you could cry, it had been so long since you’d let yourself feel the intimacy of giving yourself to someone.

You both moaned in unison as he hit your cervix. "You feel so good,” he sighed.

You didn’t move, you wanted to feel him in you, feel him filling you, this wasn’t just sex. You were both here, in the same place at the same time feeling the same thing.

There was no past, only two people fusing themselves to one another’s future.

You began rocking your hips. Looking down his face was focused, beautiful, lost. His lips were parted and soft breaths escaped from between them every time you met back together.

He held you pressed against him as he sat upright. Brushing away your sweaty hair he kissed your neck, your shoulders and down to your breasts. He touched them reverently, his fingertips brushing lightly over your nipples making you clench around him.

His face scrunched up, “oh my god baby, you can’t do that.. it feels too good.”

Pushing his hair back you placed kisses all over his face, “We can do this all day, as many times as we want, I’m not going anywhere.”

He secured his arm around you and flipped you onto your back.

Hands on both sides of your face he rolled his hips into you. He hit different, deeper, the repetitive sliding building up the orgasm inside you.

It wasn’t rushed but it was excited, your hands, mouths and bodies had no motive other than providing each other pleasure.

Wrapping both legs around him you held him tightly against your core. “I’m so close Jaebeom, so close…”

Your head was thrown back and your hands gripped the pillows beside you. You felt him cumming, spilling out of you as he continued. He didn’t give up until your nails were dug deep into his skin and he could feel you pulsing around him.

He collapsed on top of you trying to catch his breath, “Are you okay? Was it okay?”

You couldn’t help but smile at his sincerity, “It was perfect.”

Your voice trailed off and immediately noticing, he sat up to look at you.

“I’m scared Jaebeom, I don’t want this to start wrong, I don’t want to keep us a secret."

"Then let’s not.” He grabbed his phone and held it up to take a picture.

“Are you fucking nuts?” You asked while hiding in the sheets beside him.

He tapped the keys, “What are you writing?”

He wouldn’t answer you, “Jaebeom-ah, give me the phone…stop!"

Smiling he hit SHARE and handed it to you.

What you need to know:

1: I am in love with a girl and I think that she’s in love with me.

2: I am incredibly happy.

What you don’t need to know:

1: Anything else about us.

2: Especially not why I’m in bed at 2:30 in the afternoon

3: Or that Y/Ns hiding under the covers beside me.

#Jaebeom #lim Jaebeom #jaebum #got 7 #got7 scenarios #def cnvs #myprds #jayb

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thegayfromrulid · 4 years

Note

How about something holiday related for Eugeo x Asuna?

Hello friend!! Since this prompt left a lot of creative room, I ended up focusing on the romantic aspect of Japanese Christmas that I see a lot in shoujo manga. I really had fun writing this rare pair, they’re so soft and sweet and wholesome. <3

A strong peppermint fragrance met with the cloud of sweet gingerbread that wafted out of the bakery at the corner of the street. It was a special-edition perfume, only up for sale around the holidays; a special treat for lovers who felt the holiday spirit lifting up their souls. Eugeo had come to learn something about Japan. Christmas wasn’t born here, by any means, but it had come, and it had taken its own unique shape for this culture. It was important for him to know how it went, after all, when his lovely date, meeting him here with that tantalizing scent, was from Japan herself.

Unlike the Underworld, where there was a Winter Solstice that was focused on sharing and gifting to one another, this Christmas in Japan was a romantic holiday, filled with brightly colored outfits, glittering lights displays, and special treats, made both locally and imported from the same countries that invented the holiday elsewhere. As he walked up to Asuna, he noted that she was dressed up in red, a color that Kirito said was special to her and the holiday itself. He smiled and offered her his hand. She took it.

“Merry Christmas, Eugeo-kun,” she said, her voice sounding cheery and light. “Have you thought about how you want to spend your first Christmas in Japan?”

He wrapped his fingers around hers. He’d looked up everything he could, researching the traditional and modern ways to spend this holiday with a lover. The holiday seemed very important for young couples, it seemed, so he wanted to make sure this was an event that Asuna would treasure in her heart. He started off walking into the café they’d met in front of. For this outdoors date, they’d need something warm in their bellies. She kept her eyes up on Eugeo, though, focused on him rather than the menu.

“I’d like to see the lights with you,” he said, smiling at her. “Does that sound nice?”

She wrapped her arm around his and pressed up against his side, humming in a musical tone. She nodded her head up and down, causing her hair to bob from under the knitted cap that was covering up her crown and ears.

“It sounds lovely,” she said.

His smile widened.

“How about something warm to drink as we look at the lights, then?” he offered, pulling her into the line.

She giggled and nodded again.

“I think I’m going to get a gingerbread latte,” she said. “What do you think you’ll get?”

His eyes wandered over to the menu. A lot of the options seemed foreign to him. There were a few seasonal drinks, like Asuna’s selection. There was a snowman-themed milk tea, a cinnamon coffee, and a peppermint mocha. A sugar cookie cappuccino also had its place on the menu. If he selected according to his own taste buds, he’d probably go for either the milk tea or the cappuccino. He decided to be a little daring and match Asuna’s peppermint perfume, though.

“Probably a peppermint mocha,” he said. “You’ve put peppermint on my mind.”

Her cheeks flushed a little red, but she looked rather pleased with herself. He determined that he’d somehow made the correct choice. They stepped up to the cashier, and Eugeo took care of the orders for both of them. He was getting the hang of little things like this. Asuna squeezed his arm while he handled the order; it was her own way of telling him he was doing a decent job. He handed the cashier his card, took his receipt, and stepped off to the side with her to wait for their order.

“You’re getting good at navigating Japan,” she said, her voice only slightly teasing. “In no time, you’ll blend in with all of the locals.”

Asuna reached over to pick up their drinks when they were ready. She handed Eugeo his cup. It was warm to the touch, still quite hot from the brewing process. Asuna latched onto his free arm, and they walked out of the shop, each clutching their warm cups as they headed off to look at the lights downtown.

He took a sip of his drink as they walked. The coffee flavor was still present amongst the chocolate and peppermint, but it wasn’t so strong that Eugeo felt the need to run back for sugar and milk. It was sweet with only a hint of the bitterness he disliked in coffee. Asuna offered him a sip of the gingerbread latte. It, too, was a bit on the sweet side, but unlike the coolness of the peppermint, the gingerbread spices made the drink seem a bit warmer, and his tongue tingled from the flavor.

They discussed for a moment which way they should go. Asuna pulled up a map on her phone and showed him all of the places where light displays were set up throughout the city. She suggested a few that she thought might impress Eugeo the most, and he told her that he trusted her instincts about his taste. Having decided on a route, she grasped onto his hand and assumed the position of leader.

It was clear that Asuna knew the way. She’d told him that she’d spent a few Christmases in Tokyo since coming to the SAO Survivor school, so she was getting rather good at navigating. He was much newer to the city; he’d have to let her be the tour guide for today. She hurried him into an open square and turned around to watch his reaction as they walked into the space. He turned his eyes upwards, trusting that she wouldn’t lead him into any walls or other immovable object, and he took in the full view as they entered the square.

The display was enormous, consisting of thousands of little colored lights. They made huge shapes of trees and gifts, and there were some deer pulling a sled with a jolly-looking man inside of it. The lights flickered on and off, appearing to dance in time with some music that was playing from nearby speakers. Eugeo turned around and looked at the buildings. They, too, were covered with these little lights. He hadn’t imagined them to be so plentiful. There were too many to even try to count.

“So, what do you think?” she asked, laughing. “You look a little overwhelmed.”

He shook his head.

“How long does it take to put these up?” he asked. “It looks difficult.”

Asuna smiled and squeezed his hand gently.

“Oh, it takes hours,” she said. “And many, many people come to help put them up. They make intricate plans and have to follow them exactly in order to make sure everyone puts the lights up in the right place. It takes a special kind of eye to see all of this in three dimensions.”

Eugeo hummed and nodded.

“It all looks so magical,” he said.

In his heart, he wanted to tell her the lights weren’t the only magical thing about this night. When he’d come to Japan, he hadn’t imagined getting to spend a special, romantic holiday with someone like her. The way she smiled up at him while they walked around and took in the lights made the magic of the holiday seem real. He found himself gazing more and more at her instead of the grand displays.

They arrived at the final spot just a few minutes before midnight. Eugeo drew in a deep breath and pulled a small wrapped package out of his coat pocket, handing it over to Asuna with an awkward smile. Her cheeks flushed red as she accepted the gift with both hands. She smiled up at him.

“What’s this?” she asked.

He swallowed.

“I…I heard it was also traditional to give your lover something nice for Christmas,” he stammered. “I hope you like it.”

Asuna’s smile felt a bit warmer now. She thanked him and started to open it very carefully, pulling off the bow with the grace of a swan taking flight. After removing the bow, she opened up the top slowly, careful not to accidentally spill any contents on the ground. She slipped the lid underneath the bottom and daintily pulled aside the crinkled-up tissue paper, taking care not to rip it. When she’d opened it all of the way up, her mouth formed a little ‘o’ and a gasp escaped from her lips.

“It’s beautiful,” she murmured, her breath visible in the cold air.

Eugeo reached over to the box.

“May I?” he asked.

Asuna nodded. He reached into the box and removed the necklace. She pulled her hair up away from her neck and let him place the necklace on her, latching it behind her to let it rest against her chest. Her hair fell back down, and she held the charm in her hands. It was a delicate-looking piece of glasswork, a red rose set into a gold backing that attached to the gold chain that graced her neckline. She smiled up at him, her cheeks rosy.

“Thank you,” she said.

She pushed herself up on her tip-toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss as midnight struck. Eugeo wrapped his arms around her waist, drinking up the lingering taste of gingerbread on her lips. If this was what was meant by holiday spirit and cheer, then he’d look forward to the holidays even more next year.

“Merry Christmas, Asuna,” he whispered.

Humming, she touched her nose to his. It was warm.

“Merry Christmas to you, too, Eugeo-kun,” she said.

They pulled together for another kiss, a pair of tender lovers filled with joy under the glittering lights.

#sword art online #sword art online alicization #alicization #sao fanfic #eugeo #asuna #asuna yuuki #one shot #christmas #holidays #ask #Fanfic Request #bearandbirdfan

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