#and your courage and honesty too :D <3

[clowncollectr]

Arknights - I want to see you. I need to see you. (Liang Xun / Lee) - Chapter 4

Rating: G

Word Count: 4943 (this chapter), 14804 (whole story)

Summary: Following the recent events in Shangshu, Liang Xun decides to visit Lungmen to properly give Lee his thanks and apologize for the trouble he's caused him. It's his first time visiting Lungmen, but he quickly finds that he's known in every corner of the city, despite never having visited before.

Notes: Final chapter! To anyone that stuck it out this long, I hope you enjoyed the story :D

AO3 Link

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

__________

Chapter 4: I want to give up on you.

The universe was playing a cruel trick on him. That was the only explanation for it. Before he set out today, he had checked his fortune. It wasn’t something he took too seriously. Just a little habit he had picked up over the years. He found himself quite pleased with this morning’s reading, which predicted that something very good would happen to him today. But now, seeing the person before him, he realized that he'd been played for a fool. He had spent the better part of a month trying to forget about him and move on with his life. And yet, there he was, sitting on his couch. Really, if the world hated him so much, it could’ve thought of other ways to mess with him. And why was Liang Xun here anyway? Was the fate of the nation hanging in the balance again? There was no way he’d be visiting just to say hi. He was never that type of frivolous man. Still, even if Lee wanted to forget, the arrival of an old friend was a cause for celebration. He approached Liang Xun, whose head tilted up slightly to meet the other’s gaze because he was still seated. They stared at each other for a little while, not saying anything. It was Lee who broke the silence first as he closed his eyes and smiled, extending a hand out to Liang Xun.

“And to what do I owe the pleasure of the esteemed Mr. Liang, magistrate of Shangshu, gracing my humble office? Ah actually, you’re even more important now, aren’t you?”

Liang Xun grimaced a bit at Lee’s words, but he was happy to see that the carp was still in a happy enough state that he could tease him like this. He got up to shake the other person’s hand, and the tense atmosphere in the room seemed to melt away. Lee was always quite good at mellowing out an entire room. His laziness was infectious even. After shaking the other’s hand, Liang Xun moved away slightly and stood up straight. He told him with complete honesty:

“The reason for my visit is that I wanted to see you.”

Lee only stared back at him with wide and curious eyes, as if trying to gleam the meaning behind his words. Then, one of his hands moved to pat Liang Xun on the shoulder.

“Hm. Well, we’ll save business talk for later, eh? I’m starving. Why don’t you all sit tight while I cook dinner? Hung, you can join me if you’d like, or talk with our friend here. Your choice.”

Hearing this, Hung shot up enthusiastically and ran after Lee to follow him, clearly excited at the prospect of cooking together. His tail could be seen wagging behind him as both of them headed to the kitchen.

Compared to earlier, dinner and the preparations leading up to it was a mild affair. With Lee around, no one felt it was appropriate to discuss what they were talking about earlier when the subject of the discussion was a room away making stir fry. Aak and Waai Fu sat with Liang Xun while Hung and Lee worked in the kitchen. The two began to ask the man rudimentary questions such as how long he’d known Lee for and what living in Shangshu was like. At some point, Waai Fu worked up the courage to ask about her father. Liang Xun assumed Lee would have already told her if he made any progress with the lead he had given him, so he decided to entertain her with stories from his past instead. He recalled the times when Huai’s obsession with kung fu or Lee’s carefree spirit had gotten them both into trouble, usually with Liang Xun caught in the crossfire. Looking back, it really was a wonder how he ever ended up being friends with those two, who are so completely unlike him.

Before he could get too lost in the past, Lee and Hung stepped into the living room, carrying plates of food with an aroma that could make anyone’s mouth water. It looks like the two had prepared some sort of sweet and sour pork stir fry, fried rice, and a type of dumplings. 

While it looked like Aak and Waai Fu were used to what they saw, Liang Xun could only stare at the feast in front of him dumbfounded. When was the last time he had Lee’s cooking? A decade? Two decades? The carp’s cooking has always been notoriously good but just what was he looking at? 

The food in front of him looked like something he’d see at a high quality restaurant. Scratch that, despite its obvious quality, there still seemed to be an element of home cooking that restaurant food simply couldn’t replicate.

Tik tik tik tik.

Liang Xun looked up to see Lee’s thumb and index fingers snapping in front of his face. After noticing that he’d successfully gotten the other’s attention, Lee crossed his arms and looked at him with a slight frown.

“I’m sure this doesn’t come close to whatever they’re serving you in that grand estate of yours, but humor me won’t you? Dig in. If it’s poisoned, then I’d be going down with you.”

Not wanting to aggravate the other person further, or rather to keep him from telling any more jokes, Liang Xun lifted his plate and took a bite.

It was unmistakably Lee’s cooking, but a little different from what he remembers too. Perhaps the man’s skills have been honed and tempered by his time at Lungmen. Liang Xun has never told the other person this, but despite all the food he’s tried over the years, Lee’s cooking always had a unique quality to it that he could never pin down. For lack of a better word, it had the feeling of “home”. Not as a sense of place but a sense of being. A part of Liang Xun wished he could have Lee’s cooking every day. But of course, he could never trouble the other person with such an absurd request. It was his sentimentality getting to him, and he decided that he should simply be grateful for the opportunity to have it right now.

They spent some time enjoying the delicious meal together, and Waai Fu and Aak thanked Liang Xun for humoring them with his stories. To which, Liang Xun responded by turning around and thanking Lee and Hung for cooking dinner as well. After such a heavy dinner, everyone could only sit there on the couch, feeling content but sluggish as each person digested their meal. Eventually it was Lee who clapped his hands and announced to everyone in the room:

“It’s getting late. Now that you’ve eaten, you three look seconds from passing out. Why don’t you head off to bed?”

He phrased it like a suggestion, but Hung, Aak, and Waai Fu knew what he really meant. Lee wanted to be left alone so he could talk with Liang Xun privately. The three excused themselves but not without each sparing one last glance at the Kuranta before heading out the door. The way they looked at him told Liang Xun all he needed to know. Their glaring eyes carried a whole host of emotions: concern, wariness, a threat. After they left the room, he couldn’t help but sigh a little. They still didn’t trust him.

“Don’t worry about them. I, uh, I may have given them a bad impression of you is all.”

But in the end it was because of my actions , Liang Xun thought quietly to himself.

Lee continued, “Let’s forget about that for now. How about you and I have a drink together? You’re still not off the hook for just randomly showing up at my place, you know. If you didn’t even have the time to write, then whatever brought you here must’ve been urgent.”

“It is urgent.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“I needed to see you.”

“Yes, I got that part. But why?”

“Because I owe you an apology. And a proper thank you, among many other things.”

Lee raised a brow at this. He wasn’t exactly sure what this person was getting at. An apology and a thank you were something Liang Xun could’ve easily done over a letter. And technically he had already received both of these things in a formal capacity. He had many questions. But asking questions was Lee’s specialty, and he knew better than anyone that sometimes the right thing to do was to just let the other person speak. So he walked into the kitchen and returned with two empty glasses and a bottle, sitting down to pour himself and his guest a drink before setting the bottle down and looking at the other expectantly.

Liang Xun got the hint. He nodded his head in thanks, reaching for his glass and occasionally taking a sip of his drink as he spoke sincerely.

“Lee…the way I’ve been treating you recently, it was wrong of me. What happened in Shangshu, even if I did it out of trust, I put you in harm’s way without even realizing. And the incident with Miss Ning, I’m sorry for being inconsiderate of your feelings. I don’t want you to think that I don’t value our friendship. In fact, what I’m saying now, I should’ve said sooner. But I let myself get distracted with my work again. Whether you think I deserve forgiveness or not, I want you to know how grateful I am to you and that I owe you more than I could ever repay.”

After saying all of this, Liang Xun waited for Lee’s response, mentally preparing himself for whatever judgment the other person chose to pass on him. What happened next, however, he hadn’t anticipated at all. Without saying anything, Lee covered his face with his hands and began to tremble. Liang Xun looked at him in panic, frantically thinking of how he could comfort him. Was the carp so upset that he could no longer hold back his tears? Or was he angry at him and doing all he could to contain his anger and frustration? Liang Xun didn’t have too much time to deliberate because a few seconds later, he saw Lee clutch his stomach and fail to hold back a snort.

“Pfft…ha…haha…hahaha…”

“Lee?”

“Ahahaha! Liang Xun-…Liang Xun did you-...did you come all the way here because you thought I was mad at you?! Hah…why on earth do you think you need to apologize for anything? You sent for me and I answered. Simple as that. And about the whole almost dying thing, I have to admit, I’m pretty happy to still be kicking. But well, dying for an entire nation and for a friend, I don’t think I would’ve minded all that much. Not that either of us even had any control over that situation. Why bother beating yourself up over it?”

Lee raised a finger to wipe away some tears from his eyes, caused by his unexpected fit of laughter. His expression softened as a look of fondness swept across his face. When his laughter finally died down completely, he said in a gentle voice:

“You haven’t changed at all, have you? You still take things too seriously to a fault. Hm…but I’ve always liked that about you.”

Seeing that look on Lee’s face, it felt akin to being warmed by sunlight on a breezy day. It made him want to forget all about his worries and follow that warm feeling in his heart. It would be nice to accept things as they are. But Liang Xun couldn’t let it go. No matter what, he couldn’t let go. This person has already forgiven too much. Even if they acted like nothing was wrong, Liang Xun still remembers everything he’s heard today. Waai Fu’s pained description of what Lee’s been like ever since he returned to Lungmen. His odd behavior when it came to reaching out to him. He surely did not miss the way Lee deliberately ignored what Liang Xun said about Miss Ning in his response either. The children were right. There was something Lee was keeping secret from him. It upset him. Worried him. It was driving him crazy.

Has our relationship deteriorated so much? Why don’t you trust me anymore? Why won’t you tell me how you truly feel?

So he pressed on. He wanted to bring his worries to light in a way this person couldn’t possibly avoid.

“Waai Fu tells me that you haven’t been well ever since you returned from Shangshu. She says that you're lacking energy and you’ve been drinking more often. And that you refuse to talk about me…”

Lee took a big swig of wine from his glass. He should have expected this. Those kids were too damn curious for their own good. It was his fault for teaching them to be like this, as perceptive and annoying as he was. He set his glass down again before responding.

“It’s not that serious. It’s just…ugh, I mean I was lugging around that Sui possessed cup the whole time I was in Shangshu. And those guys from the Escort bureau and the Yan government big shots gave me a real run for my money. Is it that strange for me to be a little tired when I got back?”

“Lee.” 

Liang Xun said his name in silent accusation. They both knew it was a flimsy excuse at best. In fact, the greatest sign Lee could possibly give him was his sudden inability to lie. Although he often said what he meant and believed wholeheartedly that honesty was key to establishing a successful business, Lee was an excellent liar when he wanted to be. But right now, even Lee wasn’t buying into his own lie. So he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbing the tired eyes behind his glasses. He gave a defeated sigh and tried again.

“You don’t need to worry your pretty head over my problems so much. I guess I just…had my expectations set too high about my trip to Shangshu is all. Thought I’d get to see an old friend and try out the local cuisine while I’m at it. Guess things just didn’t turn out how I expected it to. I was hoping for too much…delusional, even. I don’t know what I was expecting. Don’t mind me. I’m being foolish. I only didn’t talk about you because I didn’t want you getting involved with my idiocy.”

Lee had a small, somber smile on his face. His posture was the same as during that night, hunched over his drink looking down, refusing to meet Liang Xun’s eyes. His words barely made any sense. But for some reason, it felt closer to the truth than what he said before. While Liang Xun couldn’t gleam the whole truth he wanted out of the other person’s words, some pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit together. And the conclusion he arrived at, he didn’t like it at all. This entire time, so many terrible possibilities had floated through his mind, the reason for this strange distance between them and Lee’s odd behavior. Maybe the man resented him. Didn’t trust him anymore. Maybe Lee’s been secretly offended by his behavior for so long. But like a knife through his heart, the truth cut Liang Xun much deeper.

He thinks he’s a burden to me.

This conclusion made the most sense, explaining all the strange behavior Liang Xun has heard about today. The way Lee wrote him letters often but hesitated to send them. His wish to invite him to try Lungmen’s food together but failing to ever mention it. His refusal to ask for help even if it meant saving himself a month’s worth of work. It was like the carp thought of him often but simply didn’t want to get in his way. And what about his trip to Shangshu? According to Waai Fu’s account, Lee was really looking forward to it. Why wouldn’t he? The person that all this time, he was afraid of being a burden to, has suddenly asked for his help. If Liang Xun placed himself in the other’s shoes, it was a natural response. If he had received a letter from Lee saying that he needed his help and to come to Lungmen, he would probably feel excited at the opportunity to help and for the chance to see his old friend again. But he thought about this scenario more. About the incident with Ning Ciqiu. About the sad smile on Lee’s face that night when he joked about Liang Xun’s popularity, refusing to even look up from his drink. He looked at Lee now, who had gone completely silent after speaking, holding that same dejected pose and expression. Even after the matter with the Sui was resolved, their goodbyes had been brief. At the time, Liang Xun was swamped with paperwork after all the trouble that incident had caused. He had failed to send Lee a single letter in that time since he planned on visiting the carp in person at some point in the future. Thinking about all this now, a desperate feeling roused in his heart, as if his mind was screaming at him that he couldn’t make any more mistakes. Without thinking twice, he grabbed each of Lee’s hands into his own without warning.

Lee instinctively pulled back in surprise, but Liang Xun kept his grip tight so that the other person would only slip away if it was what they truly wished. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case as Lee found himself bound in place by the determined eyes looking back at him. When did Liang Xun’s face get so close to his?

Liang Xun felt a little guilty about overstepping his boundaries like this, but he didn’t want this person avoiding him so much anymore. Even if it was unintentional, his actions so far seem to have conveyed to Lee that he didn’t care about him at all. It was laughable really. How could they both be so wrong about how the other felt about them? Lee’s kids had been right. They really were “stupid old people” that needed to sort their problems out themselves. 

He kept his grip firm and looked into the other's golden eyes, which seemed larger and brighter than usual as they stared back at him curiously. At this moment, it felt like he was seeing two suns. He chose his next words carefully, making sure that his true feelings were conveyed with no chance at miscommunication. His tone was stern, even somewhat commanding. He usually only spoke like this when he was giving orders as magistrate, but right now he felt it was important to stand his ground. It’s not that he wanted to offend Lee, but rather he was standing up against the doubts and insecurities that had grown inside his friend for far too long.

“Lee. I shoulder the blame for pushing you away like this, and making you think that I’m not interested in your company or that I only see you as a burden outside of what’s deemed necessary. But I’m clarifying it now. You’re the person who I trust the most in the whole world. And I don’t want you to keep assuming that you’re a bother to me like this. I want to hear everything you want to say to me in your letters. I want to visit more and try Lungmen’s street food with you. I want you to ask me for help when you need it. Don’t go assuming what I want on your own. Even if you still refuse to tell me everything, please consider what I’ve said.”

Taking in everything Liang Xun just said was a lot for Lee. On one hand, he felt indescribable joy and relief hearing such caring words come out of this person’s mouth. Hearing that they wanted to spend time with him and they wanted him to rely on them more. It made his heart skip a beat for sure. He wondered how this person was ever teased for being unsociable in their youth. If Liang Xun spoke like this to everyone he met, forget being teased. Everyone would be at his beck and call. Except him, he would definitely still do both. But that leads Lee to the other emotion he was currently feeling, which was fear. Fear that he was beginning to have hope again.

When he returned from Shangshu around a month ago, a harsh reality had taken root in his heart. He realized that the current Liang Xun was doing just fine without him, better even. Sure, he needed his help for the incident with the goblet, but it was just him doing his job as a detective. It became clear that time had taken too much of a toll on their relationship, and the other man had already begun to form closer relationships even with his coworkers. It felt like Lee was being left behind. He had always hoped that maybe one day this person would return his feelings, but seeing him then in Shangshu, he realized that he was a fool for even thinking it was a possibility. So when he returned to Lungmen, he mourned for the loss of an old love, one he’d nurtured in his heart ever since he was young. It was a difficult process, but he’d gone through it already when he left everything behind once before. He knew better than anyone that time heals all wounds, even if it left a scar in the process. But now, this person was here, in front of him. Holding his hands and telling him such things. It wasn’t exactly a confession per se, but it was…something? So he felt that love in him, the one he’d tried so desperately to kill, slowly coming back to life with a renewed vigor. 

Lee didn’t say anything back, but just this once, he thought he would allow himself to be a little selfish. He finally moved his hands out of Liang Xun’s grasp only to put them around the other’s back, pulling him into an embrace. Whether Liang Xun realized or only saw him as a friend overcome by emotion, he didn’t care. Right now, he just wanted to hold him and soothe his own exhausted spirit. Liang Xun reciprocated the hug, relieved to see that his words had reached Lee after all. Even if all their problems weren’t solved overnight, he was happy to see a proper ending to this ordeal for both of them. And finally, that sinking feeling that had haunted him so much ever since he had that dream began to slowly ebb away, allowing him to feel a peace that he hasn’t felt in quite a long time.

When they finally pulled away from each other, Lee coughed a little. The reality of what had just happened was starting to settle properly in his mind, so he was desperate to get a conversation going before his mind had a chance to dwell on it for too long.

“So uh…about all that stuff you mentioned. Writing letters? Lungmen street food? Didn’t you just arrive today? What happened to you while I was gone all day, exactly?”

Liang Xun laughed nervously at his question. He forgot that he had mentioned those things in the heat of the moment. 

What’s done is done I suppose…  

He resigned himself to having to tell Lee all about his day. If he wanted this person to be more honest and open with him, then it was only right for him to take the first step. He started his story from the moment he had set foot in Lungmen.

__________________

They spent the next hour or so just like that. Liang Xun told Lee about all the people he met today, including his initial encounter with Aak who kickstarted his whole search to begin with. Lee scowled a bit after hearing that, muttering something about giving the boy an earful later. The tense atmosphere between them had dissipated by now, and at the moment it was really like they were just old men rambling to each other about how their day went over a drink. Every time Liang Xun brought up something another person had said about Lee, the carp would shut his eyes and take another gulp of his drink. Eventually, the other man was red enough that Liang Xun couldn’t really tell anymore whether it was his embarrassment or the alcohol that caused it. A few more minutes passed after that, when Liang Xun noticed the way Lee’s responses had started to become slower and shorter. He continued telling his story, but he carefully observed Lee, watching as the other man began to nod off with greater frequency. It wasn’t long before he was totally passed out, falling to his side and turning a little so that he was completely face down on the couch. It wasn’t too much of a surprise, given that Lee had been out working all day. The alcohol probably didn’t help either. But now, Liang Xun was at an impasse.

He stared helplessly at Lee who slept on the couch, the light rise and decline of his chest being the only noticeable movement from the man. Liang Xun was glad that he seemed to be having a peaceful sleep but…this was really unacceptable. He was still fully dressed in his outdoor clothes and his office couch could hardly be considered the ideal environment to sleep. He’d have back pain tomorrow when he woke up for sure. Liang Xun looked around for a blanket, some pillows,anything he could use to make the couch a more comfortable place to sleep for Lee. But there was nothing around for him to use. He looked back down at the person sleeping on the couch and bit his lip.

I shouldn’t but…there’s no way I can just leave him like this .

He decided to forego his reservations and shook the other’s shoulder a little in a gentle attempt to wake him up. While doing this, he whispered: “Lee…Lee…is there a bed in this building somewhere?”

The sleeping dragon groaned a bit, obviously annoyed at whatever was interrupting his sleep. However, he did manage to piece together enough coherency to respond to the question. In a low rumble, he muttered:

“Upstairs…”

That was enough for Liang Xun. He looked down at Lee and hesitated again for a few seconds before deciding once for all. In one swift movement, he scooped the old carp into his arms and carried him like how someone would carry their bride at a wedding. He was really surprised at how light Lee felt in his arms, comparative to their childhood that is. When they were young, Lee would sometimes fall asleep on top of him, claiming that he wanted to “steal his body heat” so he wouldn’t get cold. At the time, Liang Xun couldn’t really refuse. The carp was way too heavy for him to carry on his own back then, so he always kept a book with him to read whenever something like that happened. But now, carrying Lee wasn’t too much trouble for him. He wondered if it was a case of himself being stronger now thanks to his martial training or if it was the carp who had become lighter. Thinking back on what Waai Fu and Hung said before, he hoped it was just because he was stronger now as the thought of Lee eating less due to his poor mood saddened him. He didn’t linger on the thought for too long and instead focused on finding the stairs Lee mentioned so he could carry him to bed. 

He was relieved to discover that the layout of Lee’s house was fairly simple, and it took him little effort to find the bedroom the other man was referring to. Once he found it, he gently placed Lee on the bed and took some time to remove the parts of Lee’s attire that would surely bring him discomfort while sleeping. He removed his boots and coat, then placed his hat and glasses on the bedside drawer as well as other small tools that Lee liked to keep on his person, such as his talismans and his coin sword. Liang Xun wished he could do more to help, but of course he couldn’t simply change his clothes for him. It was better to just leave the carp alone so he could get some much needed rest. So instead, Liang Xun pulled the bed’s blankets over Lee and took one last look at him to make sure he was comfortable. Seeing him tucked away and sleeping peacefully like this, it was kind of adorable, wasn’t it? He imagined what Lee’s reaction to such a compliment would be, and he couldn’t help but smile a bit.

As Liang Xun was heading out, he heard Lee mumble something and stopped for a second, thinking that the carp might be calling out to him.

“Liang Xun…I’ll wait for you…”

Lee’s light breathing continued after that, indicating that he was still fast asleep. Liang Xun stood there for a moment, wondering what Lee meant by his words.

Is he dreaming about me? What is he waiting for? Waiting for the next time I’ll visit maybe?

Liang Xun decided that it didn’t matter. Whatever it was, he didn’t intend to keep him waiting any longer. He looked back one last time before shutting the door.

“Good night, Lee.”

[lieutenantfloyd]

SFW relationship headcanons ; R.Floyd

requested?: yes

Warnings: brief mention of creepy men, one use of the word wh*re.

Words: 1836

note: I have received many requests for Bob and I could not be happier. The resounding sentiment was, quote: “ Literally anything and everything for Bob”. Ask and you shall receive. 

♫ My Heart Belongs To Only You by Bobby Vinton

a- asking (Who's the first person to confess and how does it happen?)

Bob would hope that you'd confess to him first. He'd drop small hints and try to spend more time with you. If you weren't taking the hint, however, it'd take him a few weeks until he mustered up the courage to ask you out. He'll have the fieriest blush on his cheeks while he stumbles over his words.

B - Butterflies (How they act when they're nervous.)

This lovely guy is always a little nervous. It's part of his charm. When it comes to you he's shaking in his boots. The first time you kissed him you practically had to hold him up so he wouldn't faint.

c- cuddles (What is their favorite cuddling position? Do they like physical touch?)

There are few things in life Bob loves more than physical touch with his S/O. His favorite thing is to come home and at the end of a long day and drag you to the nearest soft surface and just hold you. In moments where he's feeling more vulnerable he'd pull you into bed and have you face him. Neither of you would talk much, instead just enjoying each other's company.

d- domesticity (Are they the type to settle down with you? Are they willing to help with chores? What is your daily routine with them?)

Robert's biggest goal in life is to have the full 1950s nuclear family. A white picket fence, 2/3 kids, housewife, etc. He loves the thought of being the "man of the house" and strives to have the person(s) he loves most in this world see him as a strong, capable, and dependable man.

e- encouragement (Do they encourage you to achieve your goals? If so, how do they support you?)

He's you're #1 cheerleader. He'll support you in absolutely any way he can.

f- favorite thing(s) about you (What are their favorite personality traits/physical features about you?)

He loves your assertiveness and your confidence. Not only does he find those qualities extremely hot, but he deeply admires them as well.

 As for physical features, I picture Bob being attracted to more mid/plus size girls. Something about the more dramatic curves of a bigger body gets him all worked up. Bonus points of you carry your weight in your stomach and/or hips/legs.

g- goofiness (Do they like to make you laugh? How often do they joke around with you?)

Bob is the funniest person you know. Often times unintentionally. He knows he can come across as a little goofy but seeing you smile because of him squashed any insecurities he might have had about that.

h- honesty (Would they lie to you? How much do they share with you?)

One of two things happens if Bob tries to lie. 1: He mumbles short replies under his breath and will completely avoid looking at you. The guilt eats at him and he tells you the truth by the end of the night. 2: he'll produce an absolute word vomit, usually revealing the truth, his ears turn red and he scurries away.

Basically, he's the worst liar in the world.

i- impression (What was their first impression of you? Was it positive or negative?)

It doesn't take much to catch his eye. A cheery disposition, a pretty laugh, a tea length dress, a nice set of curls, or even just holding your own against some rowdy servicemen and he's falling for you. 

He'll absentmindedly watch you from a distance, hoping slightly that you'll notice him too.

j- jealousy (Are they the type of person to get jealous? If so, how do they react to being jealous?)

Robert is not jealous in the typical sense. He deals with more than his fair share of insecurities, and this is only heightened when someone else is obviously interested in you.

Jealously is hard to spot in Bob as his demeanor closely mirrors his attitude when he's tired or done socializing. His hand will drop from your hips and he becomes even more quiet. His jaw will tighten as he absentmindedly plays with the label on his beer. It isn't until you pull him away and start heading home that you notice the look in his eyes. Tears threaten to spill as anger, self doubt, and disappointment swirls just beneath the surface of his baby blues. That night he'll need some extra kisses and reassurance to get back to his normal self.

k- kissing (Where do they like to kiss you? How frequently do they like to kiss?)

Once you're official, Bob will not hesitate to smother you in kisses. He will kiss you anywhere he can. He'll wrap his arm around your waist, pulling you close while bringing your hands to his lips or dipping down to kiss your cheek. (ever the gentleman)

l- love language (What's their love language?)

All of them. Seriously.

Give him your undivided love and attention and he's trying to guess your ring size then and there.

m- marriage (Do they want to marry you eventually? Who proposes to who?)

Expanding on letter D a bit, Robert really craves the intimacy that comes with a lifelong commitment to love. As for a proposal, He (ever the romantic) will start planning his perfect proposal well over a year in advance, only to just blurt the question out at a random moment he feels particularly struck by how much he loves you. If this happens, he'll panic, try to back track, say he wasn't serious, etc.

If your answer is yes, pull him into one of those deep "my husband is home from war" kisses and he will short circuit. He will still require your full verbal confirmation to his proposal before he relaxes and celebrates. The second you say yes, he wraps you I the tightest hug imaginable and buries his face in the crook of your neck. Expect him to mumble something along the lines of "oh my god, this is really happening." He might even let (more than) a few tears slip out.

Overall, 10/10 experience.

n- nicknames (What do they call you? What do you call them?)

For you: Darling, doll, Honey, Angel, dove, sweetheart. For him: Bobby, honeybug, pumpkin, deary, my darling husband...

o- openness (How much do they tell you about themselves? Do they reveal everything at once or gradually throughout the relationship?)

If he's comfortable, he's an open book. You could ask him anything and he'll answer it 100% honestly. By the time you're married, there's almost nothing left to love about him :)

p- PDA (Are they affectionate in public or do they prefer to keep your kisses behind closed doors? Are they the type to brag about their SO?)

He doesn't mind PDA especially after a few drinks, but you'll have to be the aggressor. Dear Bobby loves a woman that will take control. So much as ghost your fingertips over his leg and he's flushed a deep crimson and sweating like a whore in church.

The most he'll do (sober) is rest a hand on your hip or place a light peck to your cheek. If he's truly drunk, all bets are off. He'd strip you bare in the middle of The Hard Deck if you'd let him.

q- quality time (how do they like to spend time with you?)

Anything you want to do he'll do for you. If it's his choice, you two will stay in, cook dinner, and slow dance to a vinyl he picked out.

r- romance (Are they the romantic type? If so, how do they express their feelings?)

He's a romantic in every sense of the word. He leaves you handwritten notes every morning, brings you flowers when he comes back from a mission, etc.

s- security (How protective are they of you? If they are, how do they show this?)

People tend to underestimate him. It's not a rare occurrence for people to bully him and/or treat him like he doesn't even exist. It doesn't even phase him anymore. However, if someone disrespects you, his shy and calm demeanor goes out the window.

There was one occasion at the Hard Deck when he overheard some men making lewd comments about you. He set his beer down on the edge of the pool table before excusing himself and proceeding to all but lunge at the men. While he may have lost the fight, he damn sure proved his point.

t- turn-offs (What traits do they find unattractive?)

Rude, catty, judgmental, trying to force him out of his shell.

u- understanding (Are they good at sympathizing with your problems? Do they listen to you when you need to rant?)

Growing up shy, Bob became a great listener. He hears everything and files it away. He's also a natural problem solver. Come to him with any issues and it's fixed in a matter of minutes.

v- value (What do they value most about your relationship?)

Like Rooster, he values safety and security. The fact that you provide an environment where he can not only trust you wholly and entirely but come to you with anything without any fear of judgment is literally life changing for him.

w- wild card (A random headcanon about your relationship)

Bob loves to dance. He's also shockingly good at it. As introverted as he is, he'll come to you one day and practically beg you to take a swing dancing class with him.  It soon becomes a Saturday night tradition for you two.

x- x-ray (How well are they able to read you?)

He struggles a bit at first, but over time he learns to read you like an open book. It's to the point where he can anticipate your needs. Top-tier husband material if you ask me.

y- yearning (How well do they cope when their SO isn't with them?)

To say Bob is clingy is quite the understatement. While he's away on missions he keeps a picture of you on his at all times. He's convinced it brings him good luck. This leads to him keeping your picture with him at ALL times. His confidence grows knowing that even though you might not be there physically, you are always right there with him. He even gets ragged on by his crew mates that bob with vs without you is like night and day. If he's away from you too long he struggles to even get out of bed.

Is the depth of his love for you slightly unhealthy? Probably. But when he said till death do us part, he was 1000% serious.

z- zappy (Are they fast-paced in a relationship? Or do they like to take things slow?)

He's been dreaming of settling down since he was in elementary school. He practically had to talk himself out of trying to convince you to get eloped on your second date. Like Rooster, he'll move as fast as you let him. He knows he can be a bit overzealous with his love at times, so don't be afraid to tell him to cool his jets (no pun intended).

[honey-milk-depresso]

Could i possibly request headcanons of the first years flirting or trying to woo their crush? I would prefer male pronouns but u can make it gender neutral if u want ;D (also if u dont feel like writing for all five, im okay with just ace, jack and sebek 👍)

Heya!! Making this gender neutral, hope you don't mind!! ^^

TWST First years' attempts of flirting with you

spoilers, they're pathetic-

Ace Trappola

A lot more experience than all 4 in this headcanon,

but still elementary.

In all honesty, I don't even think he knows what he's doing-

Just because he had a girlfriend before, doesn't mean he knows his way around in terms of courting you with flirts.

He's the type where you can't even tell he's serious or not.

He can act all casual and teasingly about it, and they can be super cringe that you playfully smack his shoulder. But little did you know he was actually being serious about it,

and it kinda leaves mental bruises on him.

But then again, he's adamant on showing that he actually does love you, and flirts are just his miserable way of giving you hints.

The only way you can truly know he's serious about it is by the way he looks at you. His eyes.

He may be smirking lightheartedly at you, but his eyes hold a hue of anticipation and anxiousness. Waiting, hoping and begging you could pick up what he means.

Geez, Ace-

Just cup his face and kiss him already- <3

Deuce Spade

Hopeless-

He's just hopeless-

He has no idea how on earth he's ever gonna flirt with you.

Ace joked that the most effective way of getting you to like him is by flirting with you with cheesy pick up lines, and he actually took that to heart.

JDHJDJDJ DEUCE-

tho that's adorable-

SHIT-

Deuce searched up on the pick up lines, and he was cringing and blushing in embarrassment when he read each one of them.

Does he really have to say that to you?????

Well, unfortunately, he trusts Ace since he had a romantic partner before, so it might work right????

When Deuce tries to flirt, halfway through he'll mess up, or just immediately get embarrassed by saying such, and immediately dismisses it.

Though, at some point of time, he can say the smoothest things without realizing it for a long period of time.

If he dazes too long and gets lost in your eyes, and you ask him where is one place in the school or something, maybe Sam's Shop,

he can literally, without jittering, say, "I don't know, I'm just as lost when I look at your eyes."

And only when you leave with a red face cuz DAMN DEUCE-, he'll realize it and be like, "CRAP, DID I SAY THAT TO S/O??? GOD, NO, I'M SUCH A DUNCE-"

Please, you two... just- KISS ALREADY- <3

Jack Howl

He's also is pretty bad at flirting.

But he doesn't believe in flirting.

He feels that he wants to be straightforward in his words when he confesses to you, but he just isn't confident yet.

He doesn't want to hint to you, he wants to be direct with his feelings, and he wants them to come from his heart, genuinely.

Not from the internet, and not to keep you guessing.

Though, he already is since he's still deciding when to confess.

But if he did ever flirt though,

he... probably be super awkward at it.

With a straight face,

and he would be screaming internally-

Like-

Oh shit- wtf- did they even get that- I'm so screwed- DAMNIT-

Yeah-

He looks stoic, but his dying inside-

It's sad and hilarious at the same time-

Ace dying in a corner while seeing his whole failed flirting attempt unfold-

That lil shit-

But, once he gathers the courage, which is pretty soon, Jack would be a very genuine, straightforward and sweet in his confession. No doubt <3

Sebek Vigvolt

Absolutely the most HOPELESS-

OUT OF THE FOUR-

OH MY GOD-

HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT ROMANCE IS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD-

WHAT MAKES YOU THINK HE CAN FLIRT????

When Lilia joked flirting would be great, he seriously took it to heart like Deuce did with Ace.

B R U H-

He does intense research about flirting,

and when he looks at them he is so embarrassed and confused you guys-

"What does it mean by "you're a fine print"?!"

Yeah-

completely clueless-

But when he actually understands some, which are the cheesy ones, he can't even SAY IT-

He just opens his mouth, hesitates, regrets, and goes to become a flustered and embarrassed.

As you can see,

absolutely hopeless-

Now, Lilia does eventually get serious and helps him to become more courageous in confessing to you.

So expect him to be very straightforward in his words, and I guess the only "pick up line" he is most confident to say is "I love you". <3

[dootdootwriting]

AHHH CONGRATS ON 600!!! I hope you're doing well heehoo and if its okay can i ask for the whole alphabet with scaramouche?:3 (also pls don't overwork yourself jdjajdkdlfmmeis)

600+ event!!

this is my first time writing for scara so i hope i did okay aha,, under the cut for length!

fluff alphabet with scaramouche, gn reader, warning for inazuma quest/scaramouche backstory spoilers!!

why is his name so long

A-Activities (what do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?)

- scaramouche isn't super knowledgeable about relationships, so he'll just sort of tentatively ask what you want to do and go along with it (though he might act like it's a stupid idea the whole time). really he doesn't care what he spends his free time on as long as you're a part of it.

B-Beauty (what do they admire about their s/o? what do they think is beautiful about them?)

- well first of all, he admires the courage you've got to have to be with him in the first place. other than that, he also loves your smile (but you won't hear him tell you that out loud, unless you're not really asleep when he thinks you are)

C-Comfort (how would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?)

- another thing he's alien to. at first just starts telling you to calm down and is pretty harsh about it. when he realizes this isn't working, he'll reluctantly take you into his arms and start awkwardly patting your head. it's funny how awkward it is and you end up laughing at him about it, which makes him annoyed, but at least now you feel better.

D-Dreams (how do they picture the future with their s/o?)

- scaramouche... either wants you to be by his side as he conquers everything and shows the world just how strong he is, or he wants to do it alone. though it would be much better if you were with him and it makes him sad to think about you not being there in the end.

E-Equal (are they the dominant one in the relationship or rather passive?)

- surprisingly passive, actually. he doesn't really know what he's doing so he lets you make most of the decisions about dates and spending time together. other than that though, he likes to drag you around to do whatever he wants.

F-Fun (what do they do for fun with their s/o? what’s their idea of a fun day out?)

- what's fun? on a day off, scaramouche will wander around and ponder his own existence. you'll have to take him to a market or a park or something so he can actually experience things first - once you do, you'll find he enjoys being alone with you somewhere quiet, where he doesn't have to listen to other people.

G-Gratitude (how grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?)

- doesn't show it, but is definitely grateful, though he also doesn't know just how much of a hassle he can be. scaramouche just sort of assumed love was supposed to be unconditional... but he can tell when he's crossed a line, and he's grateful for you sticking by him despite everything.

H-Honesty (do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?)

- obviously the one big secret is how he came into being in the first place, but once he trusts you enough to tell you about his being a puppet and a test, he's in all the way. he hides little things from you before that but once he's told you, you're in it with him forever whether you like it or not, and that means he doesn't keep anything else from you.

I-Inspiration (did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?)

- he's a lot more tolerable around you! you've been approached by fatui officers asking you "how do you do it?" and saying things like "thank you so much i totally thought i was gonna be yelled at today!" somehow you cool off his temper a bit.

J-Jealousy (do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?)

- JEALOUS JEALOUS JEALOUS man. he gets jealous so so easily and WILL confront you about it. after a while and once he knows he can trust you he gets jealous less frequently, because he knows you're with him for the long run.

K-Kisses (are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?).

- bad kisser at first because he's probably never been in love before. he gets the hang of it quickly though! your first kiss was because he had to shut you up and he couldn't figure out another way how so he just kissed you. you yelled at him after that.

L-Love confession (how would they confess to their s/o?)

- scaramouche confesses on purpose but in a really weird way. he plans it and everything - he takes you out to see the sunset and brings food (almost like a picnic) but then once he gets to the actual confession it's just like "how dare you do this to me? i stay awake at night thinking of you and somehow you're the most tolerable person i've ever met. childe had the audacity to call it love and to laugh at me so he got what he deserved. if you don't feel the same way i'll punch you too." but he doesn't end up having to punch you, which you're both very glad about.

M-Mornings (what’s it like waking up with them? do they sleep late or wake up before the sun rises?)

- he didn't have a reason to sleep in late until he started sleeping next to you. now he's stuck in his ridiculous sleep schedule so he always wakes up before you. but hey! bonus! now he gets to look at you while you sleep, which for some reason makes him extremely flustered (which is really cute to wake up to).

N-Nicknames (what do they call their s/o?)

- just calls you your name 🧍

O-On cloud nine (what are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?)

- when he discovered he was in love he got angry at you. then he realized it wasn't your fault, and, actually, this wasn't such a bad thing. man were you confused though. for a solid week he just yelled at you for no reason. childe guessed correctly when he realized scaramouche's more-unusual-than-usual behavior, but he had the decency to hold his tongue around you.

P-PDA (how are they with PDA? is it fun to them or are they more reserved with their affection?)

- hates pda. will hold your hand and that's it if you try to kiss him in public his face will scrunch up and his ears will pull back instinctively. then he'll avoid you for the rest of the day.

Q-Quirk (some random thing they do when they’re with you for no reason in particular)

- gently taps you at random moments, almost as if he's trying to remind himself that you're here with him.

R-Romance (how romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?)

- scaramouche tries to be romantic? he's doing his best. he tries all the gooey stuff to make you happy like buying you chocolate and giving you stuffed animals but in reality he has little to no tolerance for this kind of thing and you have to reassure him you love him, not the classic romantic things he forces himself to do. after that he stops, which is a huge relief.

S-Support (are they helping their s/o achieve their goals do they believe in them?)

- he's more focused on his own goals and climbing the fatui ladder, but he's also very invested in anything you're attempting to do. wholeheartedly believes in you, whether he outwardly expresses it or not.

T-Thrill (do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship or do they prefer certain routine?)

- scaramouche likes the security of his routine and the place your relationship is at. he gets embarrassed at pretty much any new milestone and needs some time to get to them, and he gets cranky when things change suddenly, so uh. no, he likes it better the way it is with little to no changes.

U-Understanding (how good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?)

- not very empathetic, but is very understanding. scaramouche lacks the ability to feel how you're feeling (is it because he isn't quite human?), but he does understand how you work and function, and the best ways to treat you depending on your mood.

V-Value (how important is the relationship to them? What is its worth in comparison to other things in their life?).

- since you're so important to him, you're about number two on his list of priorities, maybe almost tied with his work in the fatui. he can't stand people, but you've wormed your way into his heart, so he's not letting you go anytime soon.

W-Wild card (a random fluff headcanon?)

- any time you give him affection he's a little startled at first, but he comes to love it and eventually will ask you for hugs.

X-XOXO (Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?)

- yes but ONLY behind closed doors. he's afraid if he so much as looks at you lovingly his underlings will laugh at him, and he definitely can't have that. when you two are alone, however, he absolutely cannot get enough of your touch.

Y- Yearning (how will they cope when they are missing their partner?)

- angry angry angry and makes it everyone's problem. when you get back from your trip the mood is dark and agents are running up to you like you're their savior "OH GOD YOU'RE BACK THANK EVERYTHING PLEASE SAVE US."

Z-Zeal (are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind?)

- he would literally kill for you (please tell him not to)

[outivv]

Boy do I have an angsty request for you :D So The Boys confess their love to their crush, but she asks them if they take her for a fool, because she believes that they're using her as a substitute for someone they couldn't have. Like Zhongli with Guizhong and Dainsleif with Lumine, etc. She doesn't believe they love her because she's been in a toxic relationship like that before, and it left her heartbroken. Just sum angst with maybe sum comfort. Also congrats on 801 followers! ＼(≧▽≦)／♡

Synopsis: it’a happened a few too many times, being used as a replacement. So when (idk insert a character from the tall boys group) confessed to her, she doesn’t believe it.

Warnings: angst, and mentions of a toxic relationship, I also made y/n a bit... bitchy(?) in the beginning of kaeyas part. Flat out I made them kinda rude.

Game/ fandom: genshin impact

Characters: zhongli, Diluc, childe, kaeya, and Dainsleif

Pronouns for reader: she/ her (I assume that’s what you wanted... if not then I apologize)

A/n: I am in love with this request oh my god. Zhongli and guizhongs relationship pains me so much, like all of the fanart and headcanons for them it just ahhh. Makes me so sad. But aside from that, thank you for congratulating me it means a lot ☺️. It’s a lot of fun seeing how far I’ve come, and with that I hope you enjoy and take care of yourself! Remember to eat something if you haven’t and drink water you amazing human!!! <3

— zhongli —

Zhongli built up the courage to confess to you while stargazing one night. Only to have his hopes and dreams crushed. You though he was lying? He was using you? Why would he ever do such a thing to someone he admired and loved?

“I know your past relationship with guizhong... I’m not an idiot zhongli. I know that you’re going to use me to get over her.” You said coldly with a deadpan expression.

He didn’t understand... how could you think that he’d hold on for that long. He loved her once, but then... then he didn’t. It was hard to explain his feelings, but he knew that it was different with you. He didn’t know how to express that though.

Zhongli pondered for a second before saying, “I wouldn’t do such a thing even if I still loved her. I’ve moved on, and I want to be with you now. My words are true and are straight from the heart.” You still were hesitant though.

You wanted to be with zhongli, but were too scared to be. Past relationships made you have trust issues when it came to giving someone access to your feelings. Because you’d let them in only for them to move on from you weeks later. You were the recovery girl, the practice dummy, only there to get their confidence back.

Zhongli wouldn’t treat you like that though... would he? He could see the gears in your head turning with worry, so he cupped your face in his hands and said, “I would never say something I didn’t mean. Especially something as serious as this.” And kissed your forehead.

Butterflies formed in your stomach at the closeness, and you could feel yourself getting emotional. You hugged him tightly, and nodded, a way of saying that you trust him. He wouldn’t take your trust for granted.

— childe —

Childe wouldn’t like to admit it but he’s had few partners in the past. Being more focused on fatui work, and not wanting to hurt anyone. You had him wrapped around your finger though. He’s never felt this connected, and emotionally attached to someone. It took him a while to sort out his feelings but here he is, confessing to you.

As soon as the words left his mouth he felt a weight lift off of his shoulder, only to be replaced with a nauseous feeling growing in his stomach. “Childe... I know what happened with your last partner. I’m not going to be a replacement.” Replacement? Is that how you thought he viewed you...

Before he could think he said, “no! It’s not like that you’re way more than just a replacement! I haven’t spoken to them in ages, I don’t even know where they are now... how can I still be in love with them.” He made a valid point. You still were cautious though.

Not wanting to get your heart broken again you took baby steps. Your heart was fragile, and surrounded by walls to protect it. It took a lot to break down those walls, but maybe, just maybe could childe do it.

“I haven’t felt this attached to someone, I know that sounds stupid, or cliche, but that is truly how I feel.” He said pouring his heart out. He took your hands into his and looked into your eyes, his own bright blue ones full of love and honesty.

“I’ve loved you since I first saw you. I tried to get your attention many times, and now I finally have it, do you really think I’d lie about anything that I’m saying?” He said, his voice hushed, and his face painted with a smile.

You muttered a no, looking away from his intense gaze. “Well there you have it!” He shouted, a contrast to his previous attitude. “Do you believe me now?” He gently grabbed your chin to make you look at him. He smiled goofily waiting for an answer. How could you saw no to him when he looked so excited?

— kaeya —

Kaeya has been with many lovers in the past, none of them were serious relationships, he never quite found the right person. Until you.

It took a long time for kaeya to confess to you, afraid to get rejected, and break an amazing friendship he built up. His fear was proved to be correct when he confessed to you though. “Kaeya I know about your past lover. They wouldn’t shut up about you...” you said your arms crossed “I know that I’m just the rebound, they still talk about you after months, clearly they still like you. Why go for me when you can go back to them hm? You’d probably do it in a week anyways.”

Wow... he didn’t know you thought so... horribly of him. For once kaeya was speechless, he was so hurt that he couldn’t think straight. “I wouldn’t go back to them even if I was forced to. Why would you think that of me...” Kaeya said speaking the truth. He hated his most previous lover, they were a god awful person, so he left them.

“That’s what everyone does. They get with me, and then leave when they’ve regained their confidence and go get the girl that they originally wanted, or go back to their ex.. as simple as that.” You said coldly. You were treated like a doll to be tossed around, and mistreated until the person got what they wanted from you. You weren’t about to get your heart torn to shreds by someone you came to love.

Kaeya was shocked even more by your words. Were you really treated that way? He felt angry, and hurt all at the same time. He looked at you apologetically, and pulled you into a hug. “I wouldn’t do that to you. Ever. I wouldn’t take this long to confess to someone if I didn’t really care about them.” He said putting his hand on your head. You could feel tears pricking your eyes at his sudden show of affection. You’ve come to trust kaeya with your life, so his words meant something to you.

“Seriously it took me ages to do this.” He said with a chuckle, an attempt to lighten the mood a bit. You let out a laugh yourself, pulling away from his hug and rubbing your eyes. He truly did know how to put a smile on your face.

— Diluc —

Diluc contemplated his feelings for you for months. He didn’t want to get his own heart broken, and he never had been in a serious relationship with someone. He’s never wanted to be in a serious relationship with someone. He was the most sought after bachelor in all of mondstadt, and he had no interest in anyone. Until you.

He wanted to make sure what he was feeling was love, and not a... strong yearning to be your friend. Oddly enough he’s never had that feeling either.

He confessed to you one night, showing you a beautiful sight of the ocean from stormbearer point. He oddly loved the ocean, so he thought it was a perfect place to confess to you. Sadly you rejected him. His heart sank and he felt embarrassed.

Though he held his composure, and asked, “I... I see. May I ask... why?” He wanted at least some sort of explanation. He thought he was owed that at least? “Diluc. You’re the most sought after man in all of mondstadt, you could, or better yet would, leave me in a week.” You said bluntly.

He.. didn’t understand. He had paid no mind to any of the people who wanted him, and finally he had some sort of attraction to someone and they say he’d leave her in a moments notice? Why would he ever do that? “I’ve... I haven’t felt this way about anyone. Why would I leave you for someone I don’t even like?” Diluc said confused.

You looked at him sadly and coldly, “because you can.” You said shortly “you can, and then you’d be just like everyone else.” Everyone else? What did you mean everyone else?

Diluc walked closer to you, and put his hand on the back of your head saying, “I don’t know what you mean by everyone else, but I can assure you I’m not like them. I’ve never felt anything close to this until I met you.” His words were from the heart, and you could tell.

Diluc was a man to speak what was on his mind, and to speak the truth. Even he knows not to play with someone’s feelings. He wouldn’t go out of his way to cause someone pain, he’s too familiar with the feeling himself. He would only treat you with the utmost care, and you could relax and let your guard down around him.

— Dainsleif —

Dainsleif is a man who has seen many people in his lifetime, only truly growing romantically attached to you. He loved once in the past but... they turned out to be... on the wrong side.

Traveling with him for about a year made him trust you, as you trusted him. It also made him love you, as you hopefully loved him. He confessed one rainout night as you took shelter in a ruin in liyue.

He could feel his jaw drop and his heart sink when you said, “dain... I can’t... I don’t want you to leave me... I... I care about you. A lot. And I don’t want to lose you.” Your voice was shaky and sad. His heart broke hearing it.

“Why would you lose me? I want to stay with you, that’s why I’m saying this.” He said starting to get worried. You looked at the ground in front of you, snuggling into the blanket you had wrapped around your shoulders before saying, “that always leave... so I left for once. I left my hometown and started traveling with you...” your voice started to crack as tears started to form in your eyes. “I don’t want to go back there. I want to stay with you, and travel and...” you cut yourself off with your own sob.

You truly cared about dain, and you’ve grown rather attached to him. But you had an inkling feeling that he’d leave you like your past lovers. His heart broke for a second time that night, and he scooted closer to you wrapping his arms around your smaller frame, and kissing the top of your head.

“I wouldn’t leave you. Especially not when I’ve come this attached to you.” He said kissing the crown of your head once more. You have felt more at home traveling teyvat with Dainsleif than you have in the very twin that you grew up in.

[jesswritesthat]

Hello!! Can I request a Haikyuu drabble about Kuroo and a gender-neutral s/o that has never dated before so Kuroo would be their first boyfriend and it's really soft and fluffy and it's cute as hell man 🥺💖 that would be amazing!! And Kuroo would respect some aspects of the relationship if their s/o doesn't want it so they cuddle instead!!💖

A/N: This is adorable, Kuroo is definitely a Respectful Man™ and my gosh you made me want to write headcanons of firsts with some characters <3 You’re a genius.

Sorry it took me so long.

>>>>———————————>

Kuroo Tetsurō with S/O Whose Never Dated Drabble:

When Kuroo first plucked up the courage to ask you out, he hadn't perfectly predicted your reaction like he had everything else.

Being friends first meant he knew what you'd like, managing to orchestrate a time you'd enjoy regardless of outcome.

It also meant Kuroo was aware of your romantic inexperience as you'd willingly told him before despite your awkwardness in the beginning.

It was why he'd chosen a cozy coffee shop in Tokyo that you both hadn't visited before, (so your favourite ones wouldn't be haunted by uncomfortable memories if it went horribly wrong) and ordered before engaging in whatever came to mind.

“D-date? You know I- I haven’t ever had a partner Tetsurō, I don’t want mess up because of my inexperience...”

"How many people you’ve dated doesn't change who are, I like you because you're single~"

"Tetsurō, you're not funny.” Though, with his hyena-like laughter ringing across the table, you couldn’t help but join him.

It reassured you, as chaotic as it was, that maybe a relationship with Kuroo was a good ‘first’ experience.

———

Never were you forced into anything, your dates compared to that of hanging out with your best friend - the only difference being the romantic sparks thrown in. The way Kuroo looked at you was enough to indicate the relationship you shared - as Nekoma gladly teased.

Kuroo was cautious to initiate physical contact, a soft grace of your fingers with his own and a “Is this okay?” following shortly after.

Only when you smiled, and properly interlaced your hands did he begin to re-inact physical affection without hesitation.

Such was the case with your first kiss, a beautiful spring evening underneath the cherry blossoms and the sunset warmly painting his skin.

“This is very cliché of you~”

“I thought you liked cliché, especially since this is your first relationship.” Kuroo could’ve added how he wanted it to be perfect for you, a memory you wouldn’t forget and speak wistfully of in years to come, but he figured you’d already knew him well enough to infer that.

“I like you, kitten.” He broke eye contact with you at your words, an amused grin directed at the ground before flicking to you again and leaning in to indicate his intention, eyes lidded and warmth fanning your lips.

It’s fate left to you, the remaining centimetre that is - so you closed the gap allowing your boyfriend to kiss you once, chasté and slow before gauging your reaction to determine whether he could proceed.

Of course, you weren’t going to let the feeling of weightless euphoria end, meeting him before he had the opportunity to respond - a smirk against your lips before melting into you.

———

A few months in, and expectedly when you are attracted to someone romantically and feelings blaze, moments reflected their heated temperatures.

"Hey, hey..." Kuroos’ voice was velvety soft as he pulled away from your lips, hovering over you on his elbows providing a few inches of distance, though this puzzled you.

"Kuroo?"

"What's wrong?" A furrow of his brows, and gentle brush of his thumb across your cheekbone quelled your anxieties slightly but still you answered with a hint in your voice.

"Nothing- I'm fine, you didn't have to-"

"I can feel how tense you are, and I know you well enough to see you're nervous. I'm listening (Y/n)."

Credit to the Captain, he was in tune with you and took note of your habits naturally as you were someone close to him thus he’d also know if you decided to lie.

"I've never— I've never had a boyfriend before, so I've never gotten this far." Despite the quietness of your tone, Kuroo released a gentle chuckle and tilted his head in coy curiosity.

"I know, so I'll potentially be your first kitten?"

"My first...?"

"I have no intention of letting you go unless you really want to break up, I love you (Y/n) and I want to show you in any way I can." A sensual kiss was placed to your lips, as if translating his words into actions.

"Now?"

Your boyfriend shook his head at that, manoeuvring to lay beside you but keeping his close proximity.

"No, not now."

"Wh-why? Have I put you off?"

"Never, but we don't need to rush and you may say you want this but your body doesn't feel that way to me, and I don't want to push you beyond your comfort zone."

"Are you sure, you're not just saying that right?" In honesty you believed him, but was it wrong to voice such a question? Kuroo would rather clear communication and if anything would appreciate the consideration you held.

"I'm sure, besides... I'd rather cuddle you instead."

It wasn’t like the romantic soft cuddles you’d seen in movies this time, this one more playful due to your boyfriends nature - but your original judgement solidified, he was a beautiful ‘first’, and hopefully he’d be your last too.

<——————————<<<<

[ Masterlist ]

[tetsvya]

❛ does it ever drive you crazy, just how fast the night changes? ❜

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷  daichi has spent days trying to ensure that his first date with you goes as smoothly as possible. unfortunately for him, mother nature has other plans.

➼ song! night changes - one direction

➼ pairing! daichi sawamura x reader

➼ word count! 2.2k

➼ warnings! none

➼ type! fluff

➼ author’s note! first fic of my one direction series!! first one goes to my baby in honor of his birthday! this one is centered more around the concept of the music video rather than the actual lyrics. also, happy new years eve!! i hope 2021 is a better year for all of you! enjoy! <3

Daichi can't help the way he fidgets in his spot. He's been standing outside your house for nearly three minutes now, trying to work up the courage to knock on your door. His palms are beginning to grow sweaty, and in all honesty, he feels like he might throw up, but he tries to ignore that feeling as best as he can. He's never been one to get so nervous, but he can't help it, not when it comes to you. Swallowing thickly, Daichi sighs through his nose before curling his free hand into a fist. Mustering up whatever courage he has, he timidly brings his fist up to your door, rapping his knuckles against the wood. He's quick to drop his hand back to his side, taking a step back. No going back now.

He waits with a bated breath for a few moments before the door is being pulled open. Daichi's breath is stolen away from him the moment you step into view. His eyes inspect you from head to toe, and he can't help the way his cheeks begin to grow warm. When he glances back up at your face, he's greeted with a soft smile that makes his cheeks burn even more.

"Hi Daichi" Your voice is as sweet as honey and Daichi swears he could listen to it all day.

"Hi" He manages, willing the burning of his cheeks to go away as he flashes you a warm smile, "You look great."

"Thanks!" You beam, your own eyes running up and down his figure. When you meet his eyes, you're sporting that teasing smile of yours that sends his heart into a flurry, "You don't look too bad yourself, captain."

He's sure he's beet red now.

Your laughter fills the air not a moment later, and when you turn away to lock your door, Daichi takes the opportunity to fan his scorching cheeks with his free hand. By the time you're turning back to him, he has his blush mildly under control and his hand held out to you. You take it gleefully, letting him intertwine his fingers with yours as he begins to lead you down the walkway, and onto the sidewalk running alongside the street. You take notice of the picnic basket Daichi is carrying in his other hand, but you choose not to comment on it.

The two of you fall into a comfortable silence as the sun shines down upon the two of you. The air is brisk, a gentle breeze blowing, and when you sneak a glance at Daichi, you take note of the way it rushes through his hair. You have the sudden urge to run your fingers through his hair, curling your fingers into your palm to fight it. This time, it's your cheeks that grow warm as you turn away from him.

Your eyes settle on the surrounding scenery, and you eventually find yourself lost in your own world. Daichi's eyes are drawn to you a few moments later when he hears you begin to hum to yourself. You pay him no mind, unaware of his stare as you slowly begin to swing your intertwined hands back and forth, eyes settled on the rose bushes adorning the outside of a home to the left of you. Daichi feels his heartbeat pick up at the sight. You were so effortlessly beautiful.  Sensing his eyes, you crane your head to the side, eyes meeting his dark brown ones. The smile on your face is instant. Daichi is quick to return it.

"So," You start, the same teasing tone from before as you bump your shoulder against his, "Where exactly are you taking me, captain?"

"We'll be there soon enough" Is all he offers, a cheeky smile adorning his features as he runs his thumb along the smooth skin of the back of your hand. He doesn't miss the way your eyebrows furrow and the tiny pout that pulls your lips downwards at his words, his smile melting into a softer one. The walk continues on for a few more minutes, mindless chatter taking over the comfortable silence the two of you once shared until you eventually reach your destination.

The first thing you take note of is the fact that you're at a park you used to visit frequently as a child, a younger Daichi alongside you. The two of you had always been joined at the hip, you can't help but think. Your eyes are then drawn to the blanket laid out upon the grass, and the pretty flower petals scattered out across it. Daichi can't help but turn to you curiously, a hint of worry in his eyes as he watches you take in your surroundings. He notices the way your lips part just the slightest as your eyes widen, taking it all in. Daichi can't help the nervousness that begins to claw away at him. It's all washed away, however, when you're suddenly beaming, turning to face him as you squeal in excitement, "It's perfect!"

Daichi's cheeks grow warm for the umpteenth time that day as he glances away, a coy smile playing at his lips as his free hand rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, "I'm glad you like it. Suga and Asahi helped plan it."

You're smiling at the thought, envisioning a bossy Suga and dumbfounded Asahi trying to help their best friend. Seemingly knowing what you're thinking, Daichi lets out a boisterous laugh as he tugs you after him, "You really don't want to know."

Your laugh is joyful, warm, as he pulls you over to the blanket. Daichi helps you settle down on the soft material, quick to seat himself beside you as he sets the basket down. You run your fingers over the blanket you sit upon, fingers caressing the flower petals that adorn it. There's a content smile sitting upon your lips.

"Are you hungry?" Daichi asks after a moment of watching you, earning a curt nod from you in response.

"Here," He starts, turning his back to you as he begins to rummage through the picnic basket. Daichi pulls out container after container, setting them down on the blanket, and it doesn't take long for you to notice that they're packed with all of your favorite foods. Well, now you know why Suga had decided he suddenly wanted to know every single thing about you a few days prior. Leave it to Sugawara to be his best friend's spy.

When Daichi turns to face you once more, you're quick to lean in, brushing your lips against the smooth skin of his cheek. Daichi's eyes widen in shock, and when you pull back, you offer him a gentle smile, "Thank you."

"No problem" He manages, growing bashful as he avoids your eyes.

Your smile is soft as he begins to hand you food. The two of you talk about any and every thing, soaking up each other's presence. You scoot closer to him when the air grows colder, and his hand brushes against your's a few times until he eventually settles it on top of yours. Your head falls against his shoulder as you lean into him, shaking with laughter as he tells you dumb jokes, one after another. He has the humor of a dad, but you don't mind. Daichi's eyes sparkle with admiration as he peers down at you. He can't help but press his lips against the crown of your head.

There's a period of time where you try to toss grapes into his mouth, and when he finally manages to catch one, the smile on your face sends a frenzy of butterflies through his stomach. When a flock of ducks waddles past the two of you, he watches as you happily toss them tiny pieces of bread. They waddle away eventually, and the two of you fall into a comfortable silence.

"Daichi?" You start suddenly, peering up at the quickly darkening sky. He hums, turning towards you to see you with your head tilted back, eyes settled on the sky. Daichi does the same, eyes widening slightly as dark clouds began to gather in the sky, starting to block out the once shining sun. He feels a nudge, and he turns to you to find you glancing at him, an inquisitive look on your face, "You don't think it's going to rain, do you?"

Despite the sinking feeling he gets in his stomach, Daichi shakes his head, offering you a reassuring smile, "No, I'm sure we'll be fine."

"It hasn't rained like this in forever!" You call out, the loud patter of the rain drowning out your words. Daichi nods, using the hold he has on your wrist to tug you along with him. Soft droplets of water fall upon the two of you, making your clothes stick to your body. The feeling of your clothes clinging to you is one that is rather uncomfortable, but you don't really mind it, not when Daichi's hand is in yours, the warmth of his palm heating up yours. He pulls you under the awning of some shop, sheltering you from the rain. Daichi turns back to you, eyebrows creased in what you believe to be annoyance. His cheeks have grown red from the cold weather, chest heaving from practically sprinting in order to avoid the rain.

"I'm sorry about the rain, I guess we forgot to check the weather" Daichi admits, disappointment swelling inside of him. He can't help but think that the day is ruined, but you have other plans, eyes settling on the gentle downpour.

"It's okay" You shrug, eyes twinkling under the streetlights as you turn back to him. "Besides, I've always wanted to dance in the rain."

"That sounds fun. Wait, what—" Daichi isn't granted the chance to finish his sentence as you reach out, fingers enclosing around his wrist. Using all your strength, you yank the boy out from under the awning and right back into the rain. The rain pelts down on your skin, matting your hair to your forehead, yet you don't mind it this time, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to turn towards Daichi. You drop his wrist and smile at him.

"Dance with me!" You shout, and Daichi can't help but think you've gone crazy.

"Absolutely not" He shakes his head, trying to pull you back under the awning, but you hold your ground, "You're gonna get sick."

"I'm gonna dance with or without you, Daichi" A sigh slips past his lips as he knows you're not going to relent, and he's actively trying to avoid looking at you, knowing he can’t say no to you for long.

"You're really gonna make me dance all alone?" There's the tiniest pout on your lips, and Daichi feels his cheeks warm up as embarrassment rushes through him.

"Uh," He splutters, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm not really the best dancer."

"So?" Your reply is instant, eyebrow shooting up as you tug on his hand, "I can't dance either, can I?"

Daichi thinks back to the many times he's witnessed you dancing, and with the face he makes at the thought, you know he's not going to refute your words.

"There's no music" He tries to argue, but you're having none of it.

"Don't need any!" You shout over the sound of the heavy rain, and when Daichi peers at you, taking in your soaked state and determined eyes, he knows you're not going to change your mind, and he figures he's probably going to get sick either way, so why not? Still, he rather reluctantly places his hand in your outstretched one.

Your smile is infectious, and Daichi wouldn't be able to himself from returning it even if he wanted to. You place his hands on your waist, before wrapping your own arms around his neck. You begin to hum an upbeat tune as the two of you sway on your feet. Daichi feels all his worries melt away as your hum fills his ears, and you feel him relax under your touch.

You laugh every time he stumbles over your feet, and you nearly stumble to the ground when he attempts to twirl you around. People passing by can't help but stare at the two of you, and you know they probably think the two of you are nuts as the rain continues to fall, soaking you and Daichi to the core, but neither of you mind. Eventually, your head falls against his chest as he pulls you in closer, softly swaying you back and forth. The rain has softened to a drizzle, and your eyes have fallen shut as you fall into a state of peace.

"You know, your parents are probably going to kill me if you get sick" Daichi murmurs, resting his chin on top of your head as he slowly moves along with you.

You hum in acknowledgment of his words, wrapping your arms tighter around him, "No they won't. They love you, more than me sometimes, I think."

Daichi's body shakes with his laughter, and he feels you smile against his chest at the sound.

"And what about you?" He can't help but ponder, glancing down at you when you pull back to be able to peer at his face.

"What do you mean?

"Do you love me?"

The smile you offer him is nothing but sweet, "Of course I do, dummy."

"Good" He murmurs, before pressing his lips against yours. The night might not have gone the way he had expected, but to both you and him, it couldn't have been more perfect.

[milktyama]

karasuno boys on first dates pt.2

part 1

a/n: idk about yall but this pandemic making me feel extra lonely </3 LIKE I CAN’T EVEN HUG MY OWN FRIENDS FFFFFF. sucks being a physical person during this time. i’m also procrastinating from math homework, words make more sense than numbers

genre: fluff, lighthearted, g!n s/o, kinda?? cliche??

includes: tanaka, sugawara, asahi, daichi

wc: 1489

tanaka ryunosuke

he is the type to bring you to a movie date

classic and simple

he wants to recreate that oh so romantic moment of casually laying his arm over your shoulder and bring you slightly closer together

maybe if he wants to get a little spicy have you lay your head on his shoulder

but let’s move a few steps back to the asking out part

oh dear god

this man, although he is a mad gentleman, cannot handle feelings for the life of him

and in all honesty, probably took him a little far too long to ask you out

he had this whole scenario out of a movie in his head, all the vibes of a protagonist; boy meets girls moment

and the second he musters his courage and walk up to you during the end of the day, he freezes up

needed ennoshita to give you that sweet insight so you made the first move yourself or it would’ve taken a solid month or two before he could manage to greet you and start some small talk

he does not deal with feelings too well

fast forward to the date

he suggests a a rather romantic movie since he is kinda that type of guy

but you were feeling rather active today and suggests an action movie

and honestly he couldn’t thank you more because although he’s a hopeless romantic, probably could not stand a 2 hour romance movie

he doesn’t like to be called out by a movie </3

anyways, remember that movie scenario in his head? yea that’s out of the question

for one, you two were too hype during the movie; something about superheroes kicking ass is just oh so exciting

secondly, he was wimping out a little

at the end of the movie, you just, shine the brightest smile he has ever seen on you

and oh baby does he feel so HONOURED to be the cause of that smile

but the next thing you do absolutely makes his heart swell

you ask him for a second date

we did it gamers

quite ironically you guys go on a arcade game for your second date, and this mans does not give you an easy time, but you just love that competitiveness in him

sugawara koushi

starting at the beginning, he asks you out

he keeps it simple and straightforward

calls you out right before you exit school buildings, and asks you if you wanna watch practice because he’s obviously trying to woo you a little before his nerve wrecking question

and you gladly agree

i mean who can say no to mr. refreshing sugawara koushi

when he walks through the gym doors and the members seeing you walk right behind him, they would totally kinda misread the situation

i mean no questions asked when it comes to the boys having some insight to the setter’s feelings, however they were just a few steps too forward

saddest part it was DAICHI himself who went “woahh suga you already asked her out? good job man!”

his soul never left his body as fast as that time

like his boys really ruined that one time he wanted to go perfect

but it’s fine

because although you two were in a little of a blushing mess, you lightly grip his sleeve and murmured the cutest “i’m free on saturday afternoon”

saying that he short circuited is honestly an understatement

saturday rolls around and you two unanimously agreed to baking class date

it’s just a really fun and interactive date idea and suga is so in for activity dates

even though you two knew it was gonna get a little messy, yall SIMPS still put on some of your fav outfits

it was so worth it though ‘cause suga’s reaction to your outfit was just all you needed in the world

the date is really fun and playful

totally not at you two flouring each other haha nooo....

he walks you home just before you two part ways, his bold little butt places his hand on top of your head, pecks your forehead and gives you the widest smile

“pottery painting next?”

azumane asahi

asahi is a simple and shy man

i’m pretty sure that’s the obvious

and he would def opt for a simple, at home date

of course only if the other party is comfortable enough for that

don’t get me started at how he asked you

asahi is such a baby and probably has so much trouble with expressing his emotions on the whim/real time

he’ll probably go for a love letter (damn cheesey) just in case he messes up his wording and turns into a blabbering mess trying to make up for the previous mistake

i can imagine his love lever being just the most aesthetically pleasing

like homeboy pulled one of those scrapbooking, journaling people on instagram

plus points he did a wax seal thing (so fancy oml)

most likely put in your locker and then just RAN out of the place like usain bolt

and for the cherry on top, you would return a letter with the same amount of effort (probably not as pretty as his tho LMFAO) accepting his little date uwu

when the date comes, he would set up and clean his house to the tip top utmost cleanliness it could be

at his house, you two would probably watch some movies, play some board games, bake a little and so on

but the highlight of the date is when while watching your like 3rd movie, you doze off into asahi’s shoulder and boy you should’ve seen his FACE

so read and so cute

*insert pleading eyes emoji x2000*

he would gently stroke your hair, careful trying not to wake you up

but unfortunately for him you are a light sleeper

so you would wake up but allow him to run his fingers through your hair

and then when you decide to wake wake up, you tell him that when he strokes your head feels so nice and makes you feel safe AIJFSOLDKRG

and you ask him if you can do the same to him or try styling his hair

and how could he say no to you?

you two spend hours playing with each other’s hair (or only his if you have short hair)

oh and you took so any adorable pictures of him

he got so flustered but it was fine if it was you

sawamura daichi

as a man with the biggest appetite in the series, no surprise that daichi would bring you to a local restaurant for a little date

daichi is also a confident man

so he would puff his chest and put the effort to approach you

though as confident as i make him out to be, there’s still light pink dusted on the apples of his cheeks and hand awkwardly scratching the back of his neck as he makes eye contact with you

he’ll have you watch their practice and right after you two would make your to his favorite local restaurant for dinner

also during practice the third and second years would NOT give their captain a break while the first years are probably either too confused or don’t care (COUGH COUGH TSUKISHIMA)

anyways after practice and walking to the place is literally so perfect because sun in setting and the atmosphere is so romantic

you two probably walk right beside each other and making small talk when daichi is hinting that he wants to hold you hand by brushes that back of your hands together often

BUT YOU’RE PROBABLY SO SHY THAT EVERYTIME IS HAPPENS YOU JUST BLUSH AND APOLOGIZE AND EVENTUALLY U PUT YOUR HAND INSIDE YOUR BLAZER POCKET?????

HONEY YOU CAN ONLY BE SO  D E N S E

n e ways

knowing daichi, he probably goes to this restaurant very often and knows the menu like the back of his hand

so he would ask you for your preferences and then give you his recommendations based on that

he just wants to make sure you will enjoy your meal to the fullest

as a regular, he is also well acquainted with the restaurant owner

so like when mr. restaurant owner sees daichi walk in with another person while sporting a very clear blush on his face, he KNOWS something is up

while serving your orders, he was being sNEAKY by giving yall a freebie

and it turns out to be like the couple special

like those very pretty sparkly milkshakes with one of those straws that has two sides to it branching out

and like he refuse to serve yall other drinks FAGKFHJADH so you two had to with the milkshake and like oopsie moment when you two decide to go for it at the same time

the restaurant owner DEF took a pick of that exact moment and gave it to daichi as a gift AHAHAH

[monochromatic-echo]

Comfort

A request made for a valentines exchange for a discord server. Shy Reader X Dante 

[Confessions and Plushies included

The fresh crisp air of the night rain was refreshing to your lungs as you finished saying your goodbyes to the small makeshift family Nero and Kyrie built. The bricked roads coated with the last of the droplets of the sky reflected the bright lights of the warm homes that they lead to. You tightened the thick sweater that kept the breeze from nipping. You looked up onto the glittery sky, the sight entrancing you. A dream-like feeling took you; the pull of the starry gravity lulling you to a more sleepier state that with what you began with. 

An arm interrupted your etherial drop into a close slumber, a gravity of its own waking you. Its owner’s heavy baritone voice clearing your head, “You already snoozing while standing sunshine?” He lightly laughed at your expense. “You weren’t kidding when you said you were tired.” 

“Yeah, I wanted to leave a little earlier but I wanted to see the kid’s faces when they opened the gifts I made for them,” You smiled at the silver-haired fox, “ I’m so happy they enjoyed the little plushies.” You blushed, “ I was worried that they wouldn’t like them”

“Hey, don’t get all embarrassed about your work, I thought they were really cute ” He held you closed with a one-armed hug, “just like their little maker” He teased, pinching a rose-tinted cheek. Lightly swatting at his playful hands you followed him to the car, he opened the passenger door for you, “Madam your carriage awaits.” He bowed. 

“Oh my god dante stop,” you laughed, “how do you even have all this energy?”

“I have a ton of stamina ” he looked up from his bowed position, wiggling his eyebrows at his raunchy joke, his smile grew at the laughter you gifted him. To the devil hunter, your laugh was like clear bells in his foggy mind. Taking a seat you grinned at your friend, “I’m sorry to disappoint but I’m going to be knocked out tired in bed and not because of you being in it.”

“Worth a shot” He shrugged, closing the door lightly and taking his place on the driver’s seat. “Home sweet home for you then.”

The drive was so lovely, the calm air between the both of you made it so relaxing, and you were so bent on still keeping awake that you went into a more loose state. The separation of your mouth and mind began to slip away. As you stared at the passing sky and thought about your time with the son of Sparda.

How you both met is something that was buried in the sands of time. But ever since that day, it was as if you knew each other your entire lives. Being with each other was so natural. The honesty that you both had for one another was almost life-saving. He didn’t have to put up an act for you, so you got to meet the more mellow caring dante that most people didn’t even think existed and in turn, you let him into your own little world, one that you built up walls for your whole life. As a team, you both helped each other grow, with his growing depression you were his sunshine, and with your ever-increasing anxiety and shyness, he was a pillar of strength and comfort. But in all that promised honesty, there was something that weighed heavy on your conscience, your heart. 

You developed feelings for the man, you couldn’t imagine your life without him now. He was what you looked forward to, from his smile all the way to his crazy dorky sense of humor, and even the weird dances he does at his home when he forgets you’re there to witness such absurdity. You wanted to tell him, but your shyness made your will weak. You loved this man, but maybe one day you will have the courage to spill your secret to him.  You turned to look at the man, smiling with a sleepy daze, the shine of his locks mesmerized you. 

As the car stopped at a red light, dante felt your gaze and looked to you. “ You doing alright?” 

At that moment you let your thoughts slip, as you brushed your hand through his hair, “Did I ever tell you, that your hair reminds me of starlight.”

He chuckled at your openness, “I don’t remember you drinking at the party sunshine.” taking your hand gently off his head, “ Must be the drowsiness talking”

“Dante, I maybe yawn sleepy, but I don’t lie to you,” you looked into your eyes and what witnessed he could only describe as starlight. Sparkles that shone in adoration to the hunter. “You deserve every compliment and praise “ and then you giggled “Don’t get all embarrassed about it. ” You repeated to him in your poor attempt at his voice. 

Dante struggled to tear his eyes away from you to continue driving ahead, “I should take my own advice then huh” he lightly chuckled, if it wasn’t for the lack of lights of in the current road the vehicle entered, you’d think the man got flustered. But in your increasingly tired state, you sunk into the sea of slumber, trusting dante to take you home safely. 

The drive may have been as serene as a sweet jazz song on a still Sunday night, but the devil hunter’s mind was a bit of the opposite. Your words echoed in his mind, he had feelings for you as well. But with your shy nature, he was worried that he would take advantage of the situation. He would wait as long as needed for something, some kind of proof that you felt the same. But you were making it so difficult for him, a small cocky voice in his head would try to coax him to be bold, and be the casanova that most girls drool over. But he knows you too well, anything like that would seem false. You knew HIM too well, so he needed to bide his time, it was worth it. You were worth it. 

Dante stopped the car once he got to your home, a small apartment a few streets away from Devil may cry. As the engine died down the soft sounds of your soft snoring floated in the air. He quietly went around the vehicle, opened the door to your apartment and scooped you up. “Up and at em’ party girl” he quietly jabbed at you. Closing the vehicle door and the door to your home with a light kick of his foot. The holiday scents of cinnamon and nutmeg welcomed him to your humble abode.  He was familiar with the set up of your apartment, so he continued to your room, the glow of the living room lamp guiding him to your room. The door slightly open, he wondered what your room actually looked like. Knowing you though, he kind of knew what to expect, being into “nerdy” stuff as he liked to poke fun at. He lightly set you down on your bed, even with the messy hair and disheveled clothes, to him, you were beautiful. 

He was about to take a turn to leave your room when something red and soft caught his attention. Something was poking at your back, it looked a bit uncomfortable to he reached to grabbed what looked like a plush. Once he got it out of the way, you adjusted comfortably on the bed. “What is this?” he examined the item, a small plush that looked just like him, even down to the scruff his chin. He couldn’t help but smile and lightly chuckle at the cuteness of such a thing. But then he realized something in his delight, she made this. But why? And it was on her bed. Has she been sleeping with a cute version of himself? Why? Unless….

Was this the clue he’s been looking for? Who sleeps with a plush of somebody they consider a “friend”? No, this has to be what he has been looking for, this is his stepping stone. He sighed, “ Ok senorita, we have some business to talk about tomorrow morning”  He didn’t want to get his hopes up too much, again this was only a clue. He set the plush back on the bed and was off back to devil may cry. 

Well, he would have, but nature had other ideas, as he walked on the cobblestone street, he slipped and fell on his haunches. “Ahh, dammit.” He slowly rose, rubbing his backside, looking around he noticed a shine from the sidewalk and even to the streets, “Great just my luck, the freezing temp made everything ice.” he turned back into your home, “I guess its  a sleepover tonight for this old man.” He made himself comfortable in your home, taking himself to his usual sleeping spot in the guest room you had. As he laid himself to sleep he took a deep breath, he was so used to biting the bullet while hunting demons, but this was something that truly made him nervous about confronting. All he could do at this point was hope for the best. 

________________________________________________________________

Morning finally came, as the heat of the sun through your window tickled your nose. Opening your eyes you took in your surroundings, recognizing your room but not the process of your arrival. You let you mind rattle to find the reason, but then remembered the soft embrace of the silver-haired fox you’ve come to admire.  

Shaking off the rest of your drowsiness, you went downstairs to get some much-needed coffee, taking your plush with you to keep you silly company. You smiled at your handy work, thinking it to be the most adorable thing you’ve ever made. You just hoped dante didn’t see it, oh god how embarrassing would it be that he found your little self-indulgent plush. You wouldn’t be able to live it down, how would you be able to exp-  “ Oh hey you brought dante jr, it wouldn’t be a family breakfast without him!” 

You jumped and froze. Your brain stopped, then the shot of adrenaline sped up your thoughts into hyperdrive.

What is he doing here? How does he know about the plush? Wha? Who? Why? Huh? Oh shit, he saw it, he SAW IT. Oh shit shit shit shit, what do I doooo? What do I doo?

“D-D-D-D-dante… Uuuuuuuuuuhh ” You turned to him, hiding the plushie behind your back. “What are you doing here? I mean not that I mind you being here… I’m just curious about what kept you from Devil may cry….” You nervously word-vomited, trying badly to steel your nerves from being found out.

He just acted casually, eating away at some of your snacks,“ Oh just some iced-up roads, it was too cold, and I got a nice bed here anyway.” He watched you squirm about trying to keep your cool, finding the whole debacle adorable and highly entertaining; but as much as he loved to see this, his curiosity was ravenous and he needed to know about how you both stood with your feelings. 

“So, you mind tellin’ me about your new amigo?” He pointed at your back, “Saw it last night”

You started to overload, the cat was out of the bag. This is it muchacha, the end of the road, the place of no return. Now or never. You breathed in deeply and took the plush back into view. “ I thought of making myself a gift too, so once I was done making the kids their toys, I made one just like you.”

 “ Why me though? I know I’m a real looker, so I don’t blame you for all of this,” he gestured to himself. “But what gets me sunshine, is why do you sleep with it.” His gaze became razor-focused on you, he just gave you the bait, now he hoped you would take it.

“I - i….” your heart started racing, the beat getting harder and harder as if it was trying to rip itself out to escape. You took a deep breath and just blurted out, “ I wanted to have a plushie of you because I always want you with me, even if it means if it’s just a plush. ” you kept your gaze down, your cheeks burning with emotion, “I love you dante. I’m sorry, I should-”  His arms embraced you in comfort, his natural scent calming your senses. 

“What did I say yesterday?” He brushed your hair with his calloused fingers, “Don’t be embarrassed about your work, sunshine.” I looked up at him only to be blessed by his smile, “ Especially when I feel the same.”

This was your dream come true, you gripped his arms just to make sure you were not dreaming. “Really, dante.” You scanned his eyes checking for any reason to doubt him. Anything to give any indication of a lie, but none were there. Just him, looking onto you with unfiltered adoration. 

“You are what brings my heart comfort.”

[kaypeace21]

I have a question but I just want to say first that I love your theories. They’re very well thought-out and interesting. Anyway, I wanted to ask if you could explain how Mike is queer-coded? I’ve seen you mention it and I’ve seen others talk about his attraction to androgynous El, but is there more? Thanks!

ALOT MORE! I talked about it here in the past- but without getting too much into s3 (since I’ve already talked about s3 byler extensively).I’ll just have links for everything I noticed in s3 at the bottom of this post. In regards to s1 and 2, Mike was heavily coded as queer. But most significantly this was done in s1- arguably he was more queer coded than Will ever was. I won’t get into all the details (we’d be here all day) but the highlights, at the top of my head are-

s1

- Mike in his his basement has a red heart being propelled by a rainbow.

- 4 separate characters said El looked like a boy, but Mike doesn’t care! Even one of the men thought El might be the missing ‘Byers boy’. When El loses her wig , Troy said “she doesn’t even look like a girl” to the cops. But Mike just calls her “really pretty”

-Nancy says “I thought you were acting weird, but I thought it was because of Will” And Mike responds “I thought you were acting weird too I thought it was because of Steve … Do you like Jonathan now”?” Nancy: “No, do you like Eleven?”. They literally compared the explicit love triangle between Steve/Nancy/Jonathan to the Will-Mike-El dynamic!

- Mike literally uses gender inclusive pronouns when talking about crushes using the word “someone” (3 times), and embarrassing himself because he can’t articulate the difference between friendship and romance. When he could of simply given the 80s heteronormative  answer of ‘when a boy likes a girl’.

Mike: “ you go to school dances with someone. 

You know someone that you like” 

El: “a friend?”

Mike: ‘not a friend uh … uh someone like a” (gives up and kisses her)

-Mike’s mom said “ What’s been going on with Will, I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you. I just … want you to feel like you can talk to me. I never want you to feel like you have to HIDE anything from me” (she even emphasizes the word ‘hide”  (which is heavily queer coded)

- when Will ‘dies’, “we can be heroes” by David bowie (a bisexual singer) plays,   “And we kiss as though nothing could fall and the shame” is the lyric that plays when Mike returns to his house and cries in his mother’s arms over the ‘death’ of Will. Do I have to explain how ‘kissing and shame’ are queer-coded . And how such a lyric is oddly romantic- if we’re supposed to see their bond as nothing but platonic XD

-his dad jokes “Absolutely not” *turns to wife* “our son with a girl?”.

- when Lucas makes fun of his crush on EL, Lucas gets down on one knee  and says “ I love you so much, will you marry me?” and literally 1s later, we’re introduced to the bullies and the idea (for the first time) that Will is ‘gay’, and Mike is in the forefront of the scene and unlike his friends he is THE ONLY ONE physically assaulted (like a gay-bashing) .  They leave Lucas and Dustin unharmed. Even though Lucas just proposed to another guy- which should have gotten him a beating by the homophobic bullies.

It’s supposed to subconsciously hint Mike is queer like Will, and likes Will. The first interaction with the bullies, they mention Will being ‘gay’ right after they mention Mike’s crush on androgynous El and have a guy propose to Mike. Mike says to “ignore them” ( the homophobic remarks) but is assaulted anyways. And when asked what happed he doesn’t want to tell El the details cause he’s ashamed . 

2nd time the bullies talk about Will, Mike is once again in the forefront, unlike his straight friends who are in the background . But this time Mike initiates the confrontation), as the bullies say Will is “flying in fairyland with all the other little fairies. All happy and gay”. Mike was literally on the verge or tears at this comment (despite being happy a few moments earlier , telling the others to ‘act sad’ because they’d look suspicious other wise). But this is the comment where Mike snaps and pushes Troy back (because he took it personally/wanted to defend Will). 

The framing of Mike once again being in the front and snapping at the homophobic remarks (these gifs don’t do it justice, just rewatch the scene -Mike eyes water at the remarks). Then the last time the bullies appear , Mike jumps off the cliff and “flies like a fairy” (like Troy said) thanks to El . Troy at the police station even uses the word “fly” not levitate.

- Mike proclaiming “I’m the only one who cares about Will!” Seems like something a kid with a crush might say ( because obviously his other friends care about Will). But he thinks he cares the most.

-Mike sneaking out to find Will, as Steve sneaks in to Nancy’s. They both even make eye contact (and pretend not to have seen each other).

- they share dinosaur toys , in s1 and 2 they appear to be the only ones with dinosaur toys.

- The s1 mom hug scene where Mike feels he lost Will is paralleled in s3 - signifying how he lost him a 2nd time.

- Mike in the 1st ep being the one to insist on looking for Will in the rain (callback to s3). But he never went looking for El when he saw her through his window? Even when Mike saw Will’s dead body, the second he heard his voice he convinced his friends to help rescue him!

- You remember the binder (from s1) that Mike keeps, filled with 100s of Will’s drawings, and how he caresses the drawing after thinking Will was dead. That’s totes platonic.

s2

- Will in all 3 seasons identifies as a wizard. But in s2 Mike (the paladin) says Will is a cleric. Meaning this reflects how Mike actually feels about Will. In d&d, they have similar moral values, powers, and generally need and depend on each other in the lore of d&d. Paladins have similar healing powers to clerics, but clerics have stronger healing abilities - which is interesting since Mike has always been viewed as the protector. But to Mike Will has helped him (maybe deal with the loss of El and other trauma) , just by being there. And if Mike says Will is a cleric,despite Will still identifying as a wizard in s3, it shows how deeply Mike actually feels about Will. It shows he views Will as one of the only people who understands him and views him as a healing presence and his moral compass.

“ strength of conviction gave many paladins a sense of common fellowship but did not always endear them to others. In many cases, paladins did not get along quite as well with other non-paladin adventurers, with the exception of clerics with similar beliefs.”

“A Paladin tries to hold to the highest standards of conduct, but even the most virtuous Paladin is fallible. Sometimes the heat of emotion causes a Paladin to transgress his or her oath (of honesty, courage, compassion, honor ,and duty). A paladin who has broken a vow typically seeks absolution from a cleric who shares his or her faith or from another paladin of the same order. After a rite of confession and forgiveness, the paladin starts fresh.

-Mike stands next to Will under the rainbow poster

- Mike forces Will to dance with a girl, but you literally see Mike’s shocked expression like  ‘what,why’d I do that ?’ And after this, they show Dustin looking sad about Max/Lucas dancing and then they have Mike get into the frame (next to Dustin) and look sad when Will/girl are dancing in the same exact frame as Max/Lucas. As they switch between these 2 shots.

- All the mileven byler parallels or byler scenes were almost ALL initiated by Mike. If the parallels were meant to show a one sided love triangle (on Mike’s end). They would of made Will the instigator not Mike! Parallels can be watched here , start at 6:50)

-Mike initiated the “crazy together’ line- and in s3 he said ‘blank makes you crazy’. So subconsciously he knew the line had romantic connotations.

-Mike initiating the hand hold (with a zoom in shot) and in the show this is only done for romantic pairings. Also Mike being the one to initiate the ‘arm thing’ which is generally romantic. But in s3 , Lucas also does this, saying “I am spending quality time with my girlfriend’

-Mike saying, asking him to be his friend was the “best thing I’ve ever done”

-Mike constantly following Will around, asking if he’s okay or biking to his house to check on him. In s3 running out to chase Will to the garage and apologizing, and running into a storm to apologize a 2nd time.

YOU SEE A PATTERN! Mike is whipped! And is the one constantly chasing and pursuing Will, not the other way around! Before s3, people always portrayed Will as the (stereotypical- problematic trope of ) a sad-pinning-gay in a one sided love with Mike. It’s like people didn’t even watch the show (and just assigned tropes/stereotypes they wanted, that weren’t actually there). Will (probably too shy or scared to- because of homophobic taunts) never initiated a single byler moment- it was ALWAYS Mike!!! If people were actually objective, they would of thought it was Mike who was the one pinning! I talked about it here. 

We literally only saw Will pine or be jealous in s3 when Mike was in a relationship with El/when they fought.  

The cannon Spotify playlists

called ‘Mike’s basement beats’- These are character playlists that Spotify and St worked on together after s2.

-his first song is “small town boy” an 80s LGBT anthem about living in a small town and being queer and bullied. Every band member was openly gay.

-his 11th song is ‘don’t you want me’ from a “celebrate your gay pride” album

S3

I’m not repeating my literal essays so here are the links to pretty much all my s3 byler meta.  (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

- brief s3 mentions) it’s implied Will and Mike go on movie double dates all the time (right after he makes out with El). He celebrates the holidays (generally associated with introducing s.os) with Will/El. The breakup with El is treated comedically - and all Mike does is complain and burp on the couch. The byler breakup is serious (with the backdrop of rain)while Mike was visibly upset he hurt Will and apologized twice almost immediately . Running to the garage and then into the rain and banging on his door (s2 callback). The “it was the best thing I’ve ever done “ shed scene was shot purposely more romantic than the pool shed scene of “you’re the most important thing in the world to me”. The fact he think “blank makes you crazy”,and he used a similar line on Will in s2. The fact that Mike equates falling in love with girls as a part of growing up and his love for El as something “old people” say. While his affections for Will , he believes are childish (like d&d) and something he has to grow out of. The “I love her” scene was treated comedically. The last Mike/Will exchange vs Mike having his eyes open and not kissing El back . Not remembering he said “I love her”, and dismissing it as something he said in the heat of the moment. Mike looking back at the Byers house , then flashing to Will crying, than flashing back to Mike hugging his mom. Then those scenes having a monologue about not wanting feelings to change but how it’s inevitable.

Also we see in s3 (in El’s room) the return of the heart being propelled by a rainbow.

No hate, but I’m honestly flabbergasted when people think Mike is straight when he’s literally MORE queer coded than Will. Is it just my autistic brain seeing things as obvious, that others easily miss- or just people refuse to see it … or heteronormativity getting in the way?

gif credit : (not sure about the first 2, tell me if they’re yours so I can give credit), last 3 by  eggogorgon , the last gif by cath-avery

[crackimagines]

Ashe x Marianne cause no one sees this damn ship like I do and dammit I need that content of this ship

IF I HAVE TO BE THE LAST MAN STANDING TO MAKE CONTENT FOR THIS SHIP, SO BE IT!

Thanks for the ask, anime-etpt! I hope you enjoy!

Sequel to this post (Honestly? This is one of my favorite short fic’s I’ve written)

—-

Confession for Dummies (FE: Three Houses Short Fic)

Ashe x Marianne

—-

Marianne

Ashe had been on her mind ever since they had dinner together.

In her head, the thoughts of ‘How much did I hurt his feelings’ were now becoming replaced with ‘Would he like to spend time with me?’

It had been about 3 weeks since then, and they’ve been spending a lot of the time together.

Ashe was introducing her to all sorts of books that he read, which were mostly about knights.

Marianne showed Ashe all the animals she loved to care for, and both spent quiet afternoons just playing with some of them.

Dorte took quite a liking to Ashe, though that was unsurprising considering how much she gushed to the horse about how kind Ashe was.

Though, something was off for the last few days. Whenever she was with Ashe she was…uncomfortable?

No, that wasn’t the word. Whenever he smiled at her, she would feel so at ease, and wanted to see them more. 

Then, why did she feel her chest getting tight around him? 

Why was her heart skipping beats when she heard him laugh?

Not knowing the answer, she went to the one person who might.

“So, what’s up, Marianne? You look like you have something on your mind.” Hilda said, sipping her tea.

“Well…” Marianne replied. She then explained the situation from the night they shared, to the present.

“D-Do you know what this is, Hilda?”

She took another sip, and put the cup down gently on her plate.

“Simple. You have a crush on Ashe! I don’t blame you either, he’s really cute looking, and super nice!”

“A crush…?”

Oh. It was love she was feeling.

…Oh goddess, it was love she was feeling?

“I-I see.”

“Oh no, Marianne! Don’t you DARE say what I think you’re about to!”

“But…!-”

“No buts! Listen, he personally went out to find you that night, right? Not to mention he invited you to dinner himself! If that doesn’t sound like he cares about you too, then I don’t know what does!”

“But…What should I say to him? I never felt this way before!”

“Knowing him, I think he’d appreciate it if you were honest. I know you’re probably nervous, so don’t worry about going over the top on your confession! Say something like ‘Hey, I like you because, your reason here, would you like to go out?’. Like I said, honesty is the key with him!”

“Honesty…Got it. Thank you so much for the help, Hilda!”

“Of course! And don’t worry about rejection, from the sound of it, I’m sure he wants to be with you as well!”

Marianne nodded and left her room. She went off to the dining hall to find Ashe.

Ashe

He didn’t want to do this.

He really didn’t want to do this.

However, he had no choice but to ask the master of this topic.

The things he did for love.

“Sylvain? Are you busy right now?”

“Ashe! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Um…I-It’s about a girl-”

“Oh? A girl? She giving you trouble? Don’t worry just leave it to me and-”

“No, nothing like that! It’s…well…I like her and I-”

“I see it now, Ashe! You need to ask me how to woo her, right?”

“…Essentially, yes. What should I say to her?”

“Well first of all, do you know what she wants?”

“Knowing her? Happiness-”

“What kind, Ashe…Wait a second. Does she want money? Status? You’re a nice guy so…She’s not trying to abuse you, right?”

“Goodness, no! Marianne would never…AH!”

“Ooooh, it’s Marianne? Jeez man, you should’ve said that from the start!”

Sylvain motioned for Ashe to follow him, and they were finally alone.

Surpisingly, he didn’t have his usual carefree smile, it was completely serious.

“For someone like Marianne? Be completely honest with her. Don’t beat around the bush, just be yourself. After all, that’s why she chose to stick around.”

“B-But what if I-”

“Get rejected? Don’t worry, I know you won’t. After seeing you guys together and how much you make each other smile? I’m sure you’ll be just fine.”

Sylvain’s smile returned, and he patted Ashe on the back.

“Go make me proud, kiddo.”

Ashe smiled, and went to the stables to find Marianne.

…

Marianne arrived at the Dining Hall, but she didn’t see anyone. Sylvain was waving at her though, which made her slightly nervous.

“Y-Yes?”

“Looking for Ashe, right Marianne?

“I-I am…! How did you-”

“He went looking for you. I think he’s at the Goddess Tower.”

“Oh okay, thank you…!”

…

Ashe was on his way to the stables before Hilda stood in front of him.

“Oh, Hilda. May I help you with something?”

“Hey there, Ashe! Nah, I think Marianne was looking for you!”

“R-Really?”

“Yeah I think she went to the Goddess Tower.”

“I see, thanks, Hilda!”

…

They both arrived at the Goddess Tower and greeted each other.

“Hey, Marianne!”

“Hello, Ashe. You said you wanted to see me?

“…Oh, I thought you were looking for me?”

They were both confused, but decided to shelf the thought for now. They had more pressing matters at hand.

“A-Anyways, are you busy right now Marianne? I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Me too, a-actually…Should we go inside? I think it’s a bit more private in there.”

Ashe nodded, and followed Marianne in.

Meanwhile, Hilda and Sylvain were watching from a distance, both nodding.

“Our work here is done, mister Sylvain.”

“Indeed…I’m so proud of my Ashe.”

“I’m proud of Marianne too…It’s like watching our kids go off into the world…!”

Once they got to a nicely lit area alone, they both took a deep breath.

“Ashe…Would you like to go first?”

“That’s alright. Mine can wait. Go ahead Marianne.”

“Okay…W-Well…” She started to look down, a blush slowly starting to form.

“Ever since that night, Ashe I…I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately.”

Ashe’s heart stopped. 

Is…Is she really-

“I don’t think I can get out of my mindset quite easily but…When I’m with you I…I feel like I want to try my best to because…you’ve stuck by me, even though I’m a curse.”

“Marianne…You could never be a curse because I…I feel the same way.”

“R-Really?!”

Ashe mustered all the courage and grabbed her hands, and…!

…That was it.

He held both of her hands tightly with his, and looked into her eyes.

“I…I like you, Marianne. Would you…l-like to go ou-”

Marianne smiled and hugged Ashe before he could finish.

“…I’d like that very much, Ashe.”

Ashe chuckled, his face heating up as they held each other.

“I-If it’s okay Ashe…can we stay this way for a little while?”

“…Of course, Marianne.”

They both felt each other being held tighter.

There wasn’t any talking for a quite a while. They just held each other in a loving embrace…

[elceeu2morrow]

NEW DIRECTION Louis Tomlinson on why he’s not ready to make up with Zayn Malik and how fatherhood made him grow-up fast

Beth Neil  2 Feb 2020, 0:01  Updated: 2 Feb 2020, 3:06

Back then he didn’t appear to be a natural frontman. He wasn’t one to hog the spotlight, nor did he seem remotely interested in competing with the magnetism of Harry or the vocal range of Zayn.

“There were times I struggled to find my place in the band,” Louis admits today.

But it’s often the quiet ones you’ve got to look out for.

Behind the scenes he was very much centre stage: Louis was the mouthpiece, constantly fighting the boys’ corner and acting as chief negotiator between band and management.

“Being from Doncaster,” he says, “I’ve never had a problem with telling anyone ‘no’.”

On top of this (and perhaps most significantly), in the six years that the band were together after finishing third on The X Factor in 2010, Louis diligently racked up more songwriting credits than any of the others, hinting that a hard-working and ambitious young artist lurked beneath the surface.

Indeed, while he might be the last of the band to release a solo album (four years after they announced their hiatus, breaking several million hearts in the process), the result suggests that Louis, having held his nerve and bided his time, might just prove to be the dark horse.

“There was a while when I was worried I was getting left behind – some of the boys are on to their second album now,” he says, taking a draw onthe first of several cigarettes. “At times, I’ve been swimming against the tide, working out who I am. I was trying to find a way back into the industry, thinking of it mathematically rather than going off feeling and emotion.”

He’s referring to collaborations with Bebe Rexha and Steve Aoki in 2016 and 2017 respectively, which, although successful, weren’t where his heart lay. With Kill My Mind – the exhilarating ’90s-inspired opening track of the album Walls – he sets his stall out with a clear departure from anything he’s done before.

Walls is about regret, reflection and ultimately, hope, and feels like Louis, who sings in his still-broad Doncaster accent, has finally found his voice.

“I’ve always wanted to be autobiographical and honest. And in the last six months the songs I’ve written and recorded are of a better standard because there’s an honesty there,” he says.

Honesty certainly characterises the album, sometimes devastatingly so. There’s no escaping the fact that Louis, 28, has faced unimaginable pain over the last few years.

First losing his mum Johannah Deakin, known as Jay, in December 2016 to leukaemia, and then his sister Félicité, who died last year aged 18 following an accidental drug overdose.

The lyrics to Two Of Us, written about his mum, include intimate details about Louis’ experience with grief.

“It wasn’t until after I’d written it that I realised how much vulnerability I’d put in there,” he says. “When I first performed it… I had fans coming up to me in tears telling me their stories, and that’s not something I’ve ever had before. And to do it on that level about something so delicate… It was really cool to take something so dark and make people feel like that.

“I had to get a song like that off my chest. It was difficult writing about things that felt trivial compared to what was going on in my life. There was, I think, a necessity to write that song before I could move on creatively.”

Understandably, Louis won’t talk specifically about Félicité. But when asked about how grief has shaped him both as a man and an artist, he pays tribute to Jay.

“I think it’s a credit to how my mum brought me up that I have a resilience,” he says. “There’s nothing I want less than to have people feel sorry for me, so having that mentality has helped me through the hardest of times.

"I’ve also felt a real support system through my fans. I’d always felt it on a lower level, but when it’s something so impactful and life-defining, I really did feel it from them.”

Days after Jay’s death, Louis appeared live on The X Factor to perform Just Hold On with Aoki.

He was clearly in pieces and it was hard enough just watching, but somehow he held it together, presumably thanks again to that resilience.

“Sometimes it’s fight or flight,” Louis explains. “And the way I was brought up and because of where I’m from, I only see one option in that situation. I also wanted to put myself second and do it for my mum.

"That moment was bigger than me and it was actually incredibly liberating. It used every bit of strength and power and I look back on that performance as one of the proudest moments of my career.”

He says he tends not to suppress emotion and is able to share his darkest points with those he’s closest to.

But as the eldest of Jay’s seven children (five girls and two boys), he also feels a huge weight of responsibility towards his younger siblings and hasn’t had any professional therapy himself.

“No, no, nothing like that. That might be down to a bit of Northern pride, but I have a lot of responsibility on my shoulders and that drives me. I’ve got siblings who look up to me and I’ve got my grandparents as well. So all those things keep my head screwed on.

“My mum had a massive influence on me and I lived with a lot of sisters in the house, so I do find it easier to speak about my emotions. But I’m also from Doncaster, where to be a guy is to be tough and traditional and I feel like [there are] times where pride kicks in and I just say I’m all right.

"I’m lucky that I’ve got good people around me who I can trust and who I can be completely vulnerable with and say how I feel. Nine times out of 10, I don’t bottle things up. I wear my heart on my sleeve.”

[below the cut is the rest of the unedited article - including Eleanor, Freddie, 1D]

His model, blogger and politics graduate girlfriend Eleanor Calder, 27, who Louis first got together with back in 2010 during the last week of The X Factor (“before it got manic”) has been a crucial part of the stability he’s needed through such sadness.

“She’s been amazing. With any monumental time in your life you need people who understand and love you. She makes my life easier.”

In 2015 they split up for nearly two years during which time Louis became a dad to Freddie, now four, following a brief fling with LA stylist Briana Jungwirth.

The track Too Young is almost an apology to Eleanor for that period (“I’m sorry I hurt you, darling… I cut you off cos I didn’t know no better”), but Louis says the time apart taught him some tough lessons and has made them stronger.

“I think we both agree that we needed [that break]. I was too immature for a relationship of that seriousness. But I had to learn that and be an idiot first.

“A lot of young men won’t understand until they have hindsight. The responsibility of meeting someone you could spend the rest of your life with at 18 is too much for most immature men. I was very immature at that → age and didn’t understand the feelings or importance.”

He and Eleanor guard their privacy ferociously and very deliberately haven’t made themselves a public couple. They don’t go to places where they’ll get papped or post pictures of each other on social media.

“Me and Eleanor have been together ages and I don’t have a lot of private photos for myself,” he says. “Even on a night out there’ll be some f**ker taking my picture and it goes everywhere.

"So those moments to ourselves are special. It’s the same way I look at Freddie. Do I wanna show him off and tell the world how amazing he is? Yes, of course I do! But I know he’s amazing and he knows that and that’s what matters.”

He dotes on Freddie (“I cherish my time with my boy”) but admits the unplanned pregnancy was a wake-up call.

“Yeah, it was unexpected and I had to grow up very quickly. It was another one of them moments – being faced with the reality of a situation and having to step up. It was a very maturing time in my life.

“And, again, I’ve kind of got between two headspaces. I’m the responsible dad and brother some days and other days I’m still the reckless idiot chav I used to be. I’m still trying to work out a happy medium.”

Absolutely no one could have predicted the global phenomenon that 1D became, least of all Louis, Liam, Zayn, Niall and Harry themselves.

They sold 20 million albums worldwide, earning over £40million each, but the pressures of fame were, at times, intolerable. Louis says they were only able to keep their heads screwed on because they had each other.

“You can never be prepared for that. It was such a head f**k. But we grounded each other so the minute one of us acted like a d**khead one of the others would say: ‘Stop being a d**khead’. I see people in this job surrounding themselves with superiority and they lose the concept of the real world.”

He remembers doing a shoot with the band for Pepsi over in the States with American footballer Drew Brees.

“This guy was like a god and we were insignificant when he was around, which we understood. But I’ve never seen anything like it. Every sentence that came out of his mouth he’d have an audience of hangers-on in hysterics.

"These people were so far up his arse and he didn’t have one good joke. He had no banter! I still hang around with my boys from Doncaster and I hear real stories all the time, which helps me understand the world that unfortunately I don’t get to see. Having empathy with people and a connection with the world is imperative for any songwriter.”

Harry Styles recently said that he never touched drugs during his time in the band (although he’s made up for that since), because he didn’t want to “mess it up”. Louis smiles as he confides that he can’t say the same.

“All I’ll say is that I did my fair share and enjoyed my time in the band. It’s right what Harry said and it was smart of him, but I definitely had a lot of fun in the band. I was always aware of how amazing the opportunity was, but also enjoying the moment for what it was. I lived like anyone else my age – the difference was that I was in One Direction.”

He’s in touch with Harry, Niall and Liam “sporadically” (we’ll come to Zayn shortly), but they’re all on very different paths for now.

“If we all went to a pub tomorrow it’d be like we’d never left. The enormity of what happened in One Direction creates a massive bond and we’ll always have that.

"There have been times when we’ve done each other’s heads in. There might be something I say in an interview that bugs Liam or vice versa, but we all know what each other is like and we can call each other up and say sorry for being a d**k. We’re like brothers.”

But that’s not necessarily the case with Zayn, who quit in 2015 and with whom Louis has had a turbulent relationship since. He was hurt when Zayn was the only one not to turn up at the X Factor studio to support him through his performance after Jay’s death, despite promising to be there.

Then there’s Zayn’s apparent repeated digs. In one interview he branded 1D’s music “generic as f**k”. There’s a difference between making a break from the past and dismissing it completely, and it’s a line Zayn perhaps hasn’t always managed to walk.

“Hmm,” agrees Louis, cautiously. “Other than maybe Niall, there is no one who is prouder of the band and the songs we created than me. But while what I did with One Direction is relevant, it doesn’t define who I am and I don’t struggle to make that dissociation.”

Does he think some of what Zayn has said has been disrespectful?

“Yeah, I do. But I can understand it. We have a lot of situations where we’re sat in interviews and if you’re in a certain mood you might run your mouth. The older you get the more you can tell if these things actually carry any malice or if they’re just a prod in the back. That’s life, innit? Sometimes people chat s**t and that’s the reality.”

He’s not ruling out resolving their differences in the future, but there’s no olive branch on the horizon.

“No, but I’ve not actively tried. We’ve all got a lot on our plates and there might be a day where I wake up and think: ‘OK, I want to right that wrong’, but not yet.”

After being in his company for a while, it’s not hard to see why Louis was 1D’s driving force backstage. He’s thoughtful, articulate, open and self-aware, but there’s a steeliness to him and the requisite pop-star swagger, which doesn’t seem to spill over into arrogance.

He’s based in LA these days, to stay close to Freddie, but “Donny” will always be home. He says comparing the two places is “literally chalk and cheese” and it’s taken him time to “come round” to living in the States.

“It’s taken a while to get used to spending so much time there. I feel like I’m very British at heart.”

And that is reflected in his music, which is heavily influenced by the Arctic Monkeys, The Smiths and Oasis. In fact, the title track and latest single Walls sounds so similar to Oasis B-side and fans’ favourite Acquiesce that Louis’ manager flagged it as a potential issue.

“These kinds of things happen. There are only so many melodies you can write and if you listen to a band all the time like I do with Oasis…”

Anyway, says Louis. He had to make a choice.

“I was ready to risk it, but everyone said we should get in touch with Noel [Gallagher] so we did. Often the industry, and especially Noel’s world, can be a bit snobby and say: ‘F**k you you’re not using this song’. But he was really cool about it, signed it off no problem and although I’m sure he’s not happy about this, I f**king am, I’ve got a writing credit from Noel Gallagher on my album. That is some sick s**t so I’m buzzing.”

Is he nervous about going it alone? “I think I’ve got a good record so I’m confident. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t little bit nervous – there’s three and half years work gone into it so there’s a level of anticipation.”

The most overwhelming emotion though, is relief.

“Because it’s taken such a long time. I’m excited to go on to the next phase of my career.”

Louis Tomlinson’s new album Walls is out now.

[onewaigu]

Memory (pt.2)

Genre : short story

Theme : angst

Pairing : Kanghyun(Onewe) X Reader

Description : time had stopped once you caught his eyes. this was the very first time you guys met in a very long time. were you friends? who knows. you did ruin a perfectly normal friendship with him. Question was, why were your eyes filled with regret when you saw Kang Hyungu in front of you?

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Smiling with a drink in hand, I can talk about it now.

“That'll be-”, you choked on your own words.

You couldn't believe it. Out of all the people in the world, your first ever customer had to be him. Kang Hyungu. Maybe it wasn't him, maybe your eyes were just playing tricks on you. You tried to convince yourself.

“..free-of-charge?”, he cocked his eyebrow questioningly. He was probably amused at your sudden daze.

You snapped out of it.

“2000 Won please”, you avoided his gaze looking at only the money in his outstretched hand.

Once he took the change you gave him, you let out a deep sigh of relief. An air of awkwardness was clouding your consciousness that you weren't even aware you were holding your breath for quite some time.

Finally, he was about to leave.

Except he didn't though. Instead, he paused right in front of the store's entrance with his hand clutching the door's handle, head bowed.

From your peripheral vision, you stared at him quizzically. Slowly in that short period of time, questions started to flood your head only to be interrupted.

Scoff.

“Did you really think I wouldn't recognise you, Y/N?”

He chuckled but it was different than before. Your heart clenched upon hearing the once familiar sound, now coated with an essence of melancholy.

Time seemed to miraculously slow down. The silence in between was almost deafening. Your heart was pounding against your chest. No.

“And here I thought I'd gotten the wrong person but no, it is you isn't it?”, he humoured sarcastically. Ah, that hurt.

Before you could muster up the courage to reply him, you found his fingers curled around your wrist before gently yet firmly dragging you around the counter and out of the store.

You couldn't care less about leaving the store unsupervised. Besides, there weren't many people around.

Thunk.

The sound of the banana milk bottles hitting the table outside brought you out of your thoughts. “You never changed, huh?”, he asked, a faint glimmer of jest in his eyes.

“Still the same Y/N who loves daydreaming”

Now both of you were facing each other, sitting at the table outside the store. The LED lights behind you were illuminating softly onto Hyungu's face. It made him look like an angel almost. Anyone who saw him at this moment would have described him with one word — ethereal. Your eyes unconsciously wandered around his features. Blond suited him well.

“There you go, again”

“So do you”

“Hm?”

You repeated yourself, “I mean, you changed too”. Specks of red dusted your cheeks.

“We have something in common then”, you caught him lifting the corners of his mouth slightly.

I wanna go back, back, back, back, back.

Fitting. Cause you wanted to go back to how it was before with the banana-haired boy in front of you.

“Hm, nice song”, Hyungu hummed.

“..yeah”, your voice trailed.

“It makes me wanna ask, do you ever wanna go back?”, he asked knowing you knew what he meant by 'going back'.

There it was. The kind smile that you always saw whenever you were with him. With your friend, Hyungu.

He nodded understandingly at your silence, he knew. Of course he would.

“If only he hadn't existed in our lives, huh?”

Both of you knew who he meant. Kim Youngjo.

Seemingly perfect to anyone who knew of him, he was a year above you in school. Raven-coloured hair, alluring dark orbs, pearl-white teeth. Juniors idolised him while seniors wanted to be friends with him.

Everything happened when he crossed paths with you.

Ring!

It was lunchtime but you and Hyungu decided to skip it for the school library instead.

Miss Lee, the school's librarian, had told the both of you that the library was going to be restocked with newly-released manhwas. You guys were manhwa addicts so it wasn't surprising that you wanted to be the first two to grab ahold of them.

A few manhwas in, your eyes were starting to droop involuntaringly. Glancing to your right, you saw Hyungu's black fluff of hair touching the pages of a manhwa he was reading. Idiot fell asleep.

You tried to tug the manhwa from under him so he wouldn't drool all over it but you accidentally tugged too hard Hyungu's head hit the table with a low thud.

Oops.

Someone stiffled a laugh.

Your head shot up to see Kim Youngjo-sunbaenim standing near a bookshelf not to far from a still-sleeping Hyungu, trying hard to hide his laughter.

You smiled gingerly in his direction.

That was the very first interaction.

Spicy food should be dubbed as the devil's food in your honest opinion. It tempted and it tortured people. Too bad, your love for it had blinded any signs of rationality in you. You kept eating it then regretting after.

One day, you had bought spicy tteokbokki for lunch. Normally whenever you were having a spicy food crisis, Hyungu would immediately get you some fruits to cool down the spice.

However, he was on sick leave that day so you were forced to suffer silently in your seat. The spiciness was too much you couldn't even stand up.

Luckily for you, a bottle of banana milk appeared in front of your eyes. You didn't even care who gave it to you, you immediately downed the whole bottle.

Later you found out that it was Youngjo-sunbaenim who had given you the banana milk. Blush creeped up your cheeks out of embarrassment. How kind of him.

After that, both you and Youngjo-oppa kept crossing paths with each other. Every time you did, he'd always give you a bottle of banana milk. You found it cute. Days passed and the two of you slowly got closer each day. People were waiting and expecting you two to date.

Eventually on your birthday, he met you after school with two bottles of banana milk in hand.

“Aw, two for me? Tell me, Youngjo-oppa..do you maybe have a crush on me?”, you nudged his shoulders teasingly.

He scratched his red ears, “Actually Y/N, yeah I do”.

You stopped in your tracks. His blunt honesty caught you off guard. Yeah you always thought he was cute and kind but never did you imagine the two of you being more than friends. It made you curious.

“D-do you maybe wanna be more than friends with me?”, he stammered while he fidgeted with his hands behind his back.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you..wanna be my girlfriend?”

For the rest of your school years, you and Youngjo-oppa paraded the hallways as an item. It began with him joining you and Hyungu during lunch. Then he was practically there with the two of you anytime and anywhere. You found it quite endearing..in the past.

Blind love took ahold of you that even when Hyungu would always excuse himself everytime Youngjo-oppa appeared, you didn't even think twice as to why he did it.

The more you were with Youngjo-oppa, the more you were drifting apart from Hyungu. You didn't even notice.

Dating Youngjo-oppa was a thrill. You skipped lessons with him, hanging out under the bleachers. You would sneak out of the apartment at 2 in the morning to go to noraebangs with him. Being with him made you rebellious and you thought that it made you happy.

Until one day, Hyungu approached you after you had avoided him for a few weeks straight.

“Y/N”, he called out.

You tried to avoid him but he was too fast. He then led you under an empty staircase. His face devoid of any humour. “What's happening to you, Y/N?”, he asked looking at your eyes that were avoiding his gaze.

You shrugged him off, “Absolutely nothing's happening to me, Hyungu”.

Just as you were about to leave, he'd caught ahold of your wrist before replying to you in his most gentlest voice, “This isn't funny anymore, Y/N. You know you've changed ever since that guy entered our lives”. He sounded like a defeated puppy.

“That guy is my boyfriend, Hyungu and if you can't accept that then maybe you're much better off without me!”, your voice started to raise, anger boiled in your veins. The nerve of him insulting your boyfriend.

“No I'm not, Y/N..because I care about you”, his voice cracked saying those last words.

“Well, if you cared about me you would understand my feelings”

With that, you just left him alone under the staircase without even daring to look back. Little did you know with slumped shoulders, Hyungu was trying hard not to let his tears fall as your back became smaller in his blurry vision.

From then on, both of you didn't talk to each other even until Hyungu graduated. Unfortunately for you, you had to stay back a year because your grades were failing. So after a few long years of friendship..that was eventually ruined, the two of you were finally not going to see each other everyday.

You always thought to yourself about how stupid you were for trusting Kim Youngjo more than your bestfriend. Now you were alone without a trusted friend or a cheating snake by your side. If you could, you wished to go back to how things were before.

Whoever heard your prayers, you couldn't thank them enough. You had been wondering if fate ever decided to make the two of you cross paths again.

Finally, you were there sipping banana milk with him.

Looking back then, I would've called myself a fool.

[a/n]

this one really took a long time to write heh, anyways here's the angsty part two of Memory ^ ^ Part three's gonna be them talking it out with each other~

enjoy reading and stan Onewe

(video credit : Onewe - Reminisce About All)

[karenninaaa]

Iron Dad Bingo #1

AN: wheew! glad to finally cross out something after staring on that bingo card for days! i love this au so much so i took the liberty to play with this idea. also i love tony stark interacting with kids! there would probably be a lot of plot holes and inconsistencies but whatever.

Unbeta-ed Chapter.

enjoy!

Summary: In which, instead of Mr. Harrington, Mr. Stark was the head of the Decathlon team at Midtown Tech. 

(alternate events of Spider-Man Homecoming and Tony never recruited Spider-Man for Civil war. Though CW still happened (lets just fit everything within the timeline :D)) 

For Irondad Bingo:  Au: Teacher and Student

--

Chalk and Rebel

Peter could feel Mr. Stark’s piercing gaze at him. The science teacher and the head of the school’s Academic Decathlon Team remained quiet when Peter had broken out the news to his teacher that he couldn’t go to Washington for the Decathlon competition. He was sitting adjacent to Peter and arms crossed on his chest.

“Can’t you take one weekend off?” Finally, Mr. Stark asked sitting up straight. This time, he settled his one elbow on the desk. “It’s nationals. We’ve been preparing for this for weeks.”

“I-I’m sorry. I really can’t, Oscorp internship is really strict and-”

“If you were interning for Stark Industries, things like this wouldn’t be a problem.” Mr. Stark said shaking his head.

“W-wait, what’s happening?” Cindy, one of their decathlon teammates, asked. She was sitting behind the desk on the stage.

“Parker is not going to Washington because apparently, the internship was more important to him,” Flash said who was sitting at the far behind with his feet propped on a chair. He was holding their reviewer booklet.

“Flash,” Mr. Stark called in warning not bothering to look at him.

“You can’t really go, Pete?” Abraham asked who was sitting next to Cindy.

“Really? Right before the Nationals?” Liz was standing behind a podium. Dismay was evident in her voice.

“He already quit the marching band and robotics club.” Michelle piped in from the corner of the stage. All heads turned in her direction.

“I’m not obsessed with him, just very observant.” Michelle defended.

“Flash, you’re in for Peter.” Liz glanced back at Flash.

“Oh, I don’t know, I have to check my calendar first. I’ve got a hot date with Black Widow coming up.” Flash answered looking down at his booklet.

Abraham rang his doorbell. “That is false, right Mr. Stark?”

“I’m not quite sure about that, I haven’t seen Widow in a while and why did I tell you about abusing of the bell?” Mr. Stark said then turned to Peter. He relented. “Fine, you may not go but it would be such a shame that you wouldn’t be with us. This kind of competition just happened once in a while you know.”

Peter’s eyes wandered on the stage where his best friend sat. Ned Leeds was looking back at him. Ned was the only one who knew the real reason why Peter couldn’t go to the competition.

Three days ago, Spider-Man discovered a group of robbers stealing in a bank one night. They were using weirdly looking and enhanced weapons. Unfortunately, they got away after Spider-Man chose to save Mr. Delmar’s bodega that had been hit by the said tech. However, they might have gotten away but a piece of tech fell out from that weapon. Ned was holding that tech for safekeeping since his best friend was the only person who knew his gig as Spider-Man. And now, Peter was going to use the weekend to track down those robbers. The whole Oscorp internship was obviously a lie because he quit the internship months ago when he had gotten so busy being Spider-Man.

Peter felt bad for lying to Mr. Stark. After all, Mr. Stark was the coolest teacher he ever had. He remembered freezing in his seat when Mr. Stark casually strolled into the classroom and introduced himself as their new science teacher. He remembered feeling giddy, because the person he had been idolizing his entire life, was standing in front of him and whom he could now see every day.

--

“Can’t you just ask Mr. Stark about the glowy thing? Maybe he can help you out or something?” Ned whispered to Peter as they walked through the hallway full of students milling around.

“I just couldn’t bother him with that,” Peter glanced at Ned. “He’s probably so busy being a teacher, Iron Man, and an Avenger.”

“It’s just that, he’s always feet away from you most of the time. He’s got a lot of resources. You could probably ask him for tips about this whole superhero-ing.”

“But, I got you,” Peter smiled at him. “My guy in the chair?”

“Oh stop that,” Ned waved his hand at him in dismissal, though he was visibly pleased with the title.

“See you later okay? Same time?” Peter said.

“Fine and bring some chips on your way to my house later,” Ned replied.

“You got it.”

--

In all honesty, Peter had a lot of questions.Often times, he would find himself faltering on his way out of the classroom as everybody had dispersed out and he was the only one remaining standing next to the desk. There was one time when Tony Stark was erasing the writings on the whiteboard and Peter was dumbly standing there. He should be leaving but the things that he wanted to ask Mr. Stark left him rooted to his spot, things that he didn’t know how to voice out loud. Tony turned around and paused when he saw Peter was still there.

“Mr. Parker.” Tony put down the eraser on the table. “Is there something wrong? Or do you have questions about our earlier lesson?”

How do you deal with bad guys and still looked cooler?

Where are you getting that huge amount of courage when facing life-threatening situations? Cause I still get scared most of the time.

How do you deal with failure when things had gone wrong in a mission? Have you ever failed? Cause you looked like someone who did things in perfection.

How to be a great superhero like you?

“N-nothing, Mr. Stark, t-the lesson was great, I learned a lot today.”

“Well, that was the goal.” Tony sat on the edge of the table crossing his arms. “And because of that, I expect you to be ready for our quiz tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yes, Mr. Stark.”

Tony nodded. Peter was about to walk away when he paused once again. Instead of asking the questions that had been swimming in his head, he asked a different one.

“Mr. Stark?”

“Hmm?”

“Why did you suddenly become a teacher?”

“I need a change of pace.” That was all his teacher had said. He glanced at the window. Rays of sunlight were seeping through the window making Tony’s brown eyes appeared to be lighter. For one second, Peter could see his teacher’s tired and worn out eyes. There seemed to be more wrinkles on the side of his eyes. He looked sad and resigned. Another question popped in Peter’s head, a question that would probably stay unanswered.

--

“I told you they’re gonna come back!” Spider-Man was swinging through the buildings chasing a gray truck zigzagging on the street.

“Yep, but the cops are moving too slow. Your bad guys are quick and smart. Are you closing in on them?” He heard Ned answered through the Bluetooth earpiece under his mask. His phone was on the pocket of his red hoodie, his improvised costume. Well, not everyone was as reach as Tony Stark to make cool superhero outfit. Meanwhile, Ned had a walkie-talkie that was intercepting the signals of other walkie-talkies used by the cops. That was how they were able to get some news from NYPD.

“I am!” Another web shot out from his webshooter. It hit the wall of a building nearby. Spider-Man made a great swing like a pendulum and landed on the rooftop. He ran and used his web to leap off another building. “And I would never let them get away. They were our only shot on knowing the source of their weapons.”

Spider-Man had been chasing the same robbers who were using enhanced weapons. They successfully robbed another bank. They immediately fled before Spider-Man could even reach the scene. When he was sure that no one got harmed on the scene, he switched to plan B and the chase was on.

As Ned had predicted, the robbers lost the cops. Spider-Man continued to tail them until they reached an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the borough. The truck went into the warehouse as he quietly sneaked in by crawling on the wall. The robbers, seven in total, climbed down the car whooping in joy because of their successful heist.

Spider-Man crawled in closer to them but not close enough that he would be noticed.

“This is awesome!” Robber no.1 guffawed. “I can’t believe those idiot cops fell for our bait.”

“But of course,” Robber no. 2 piped in. “This wouldn’t be possible without our babies.” He patted affectionately the weapon he was holding. It looked like a shotgun but bulkier and instead of bullets, it was shooting off a laser beam that could cut through almost anything. Spider-Man had witnessed how it worked earlier.

Another roar of laughter echoed among them.

“Hey, have you heard that boss is going to Maryland for another heist?” Robber no.3 said to Robber no.4.

“Is that at Crain Highway? I’ve heard some of them talking about it.” Robber no. 4 said. “It would be fun if we could join that heist. It is going to be one of our biggest heists so far!”

“Maryland huh?” Spider-Man mused as he crouched on the steel frame of the ceiling looking down at the robbers.

“That was too far,” Ned said.

“But not too far from Washington,” Peter supplied.

“I think I know what you’re thinking,” Ned replied.

“Yep, we can’t let these bad guys pulled off another heist,” Peter said. “But first off, let’s web these people up.”

And so Spider-Man leaped in action.

Soon, patrol cars surrounded the warehouse. The cops had found the robbers webbed up in different areas of the warehouse. Another cop had found a letter from Spider-Man webbed on the wall, letting them know that they were the robbers from the earlier heist.

--

Peter jogged towards the bus that was parked on the school grounds. Their bus wasn’t your ordinary yellow school bus. It was a private air-conditioned bus owned by Tony Stark. Once Tony had a full look of the bus they’re going to use for their future out of town decathlon competitions, it only took three seconds for him to decide to replace the school’s old and cranky bus with a luxury one, with built-in speakers and fully automated system run by Tony’s very own AI, Friday. His decathlon teammates were lounging next to the bus with their luggage.

Tony Stark climbed down the bus clapping his hands and calling the attention of the students. “Alright guys, it’s time-”

“Hey, it’s Peter!” Abraham cut in and pointed at Peter. Everyone looked in his direction

Tony Stark turned and saw Peter approaching them. He smiled at the teen.

“I-I was hoping I could rejoin to the team. . .” Peter said.

Flash walked up to him. “No way! You can’t just quit on us and strolled up and be welcome back.”

“Actually, he can,” Tony butted in. He patted Peter’s shoulder. “Welcome back, Pete and Flash you’re back on being the first alternate. Come on guys, let’s all get into the bus.”

When they reached their destination, the group walked through the lobby of the hotel where they would stay for the night.

“Wow, this place is huge!” Charles marveled looking around.

“Kids, stick together,” Tony instructed as he talked to the facilitators of the event sitting behind the desk.

Soon, Tony gave them their keys to their designated room. Ned and Peter were roommates and retreated to their room. Later that night, Peter suited up. He wore another hood and jeans to hide his suit.

“Just ring me up if something happens,” Ned said who was sitting on the bed. “Be careful.”

Peter nodded. “Yeah, I’ll do my best to be back before the competition starts.” Then he headed out of the room. “Keep the glowy thing safe. That would be our evidence.”

Ned nodded picking up the purple glowing stone on the table.

Peter closed the door behind. He sneaked through the quiet and dimly lit hallway. He made another turn around the corner. “Shit!” He cursed under his breath. He backtracked immediately and hid behind the wall.

Peter slowly poked his head from his hiding spot. Tony Stark was walking towards his direction. Thankfully, Tony hadn’t seen Peter yet since he was looking down on the phone on his hand. Peter leaned back on the wall and took a deep breath. He looked at the railing on his left. He took a few steps back. Then he ran straight to the railing and jumped off. Web shot out and stuck on the railing. Gravity took over. Peter twisted around and swung towards the floor below. He safely landed on the ground.

Meanwhile, Tony Stark paused and looked up. He blinked on the empty hallway.

--

Peter hitched a ride on a car carrier truck towards his destination. At first, he thought that he had gotten lost along the way. He reached his destination and jumped off the truck a while back and was walking along the darkened road. He stopped at a gas station and crawled towards the roof of an abandoned bodega.

Peter looked around and muttered. “Is this really the place or the Google maps is wrong?”

It was then that three trucks came lined up together. Suddenly out of the sky, something with huge wings came down. Thanks to Peter’s enhanced senses, despite the darkness of the area, he easily figured out that it was a human with mechanical wings harnessed to him.

“Oh, that’s the boss!” Peter straightened up, more alert.

Big Bird anchored himself to the truck that was on the rear. He dropped down and disappeared inside the truck leaving his wings strapped to the roof of it. Peter swung towards the truck to investigate.

He also dropped on the roof and looked closely. The roof had gotten a rectangular hole thanks to the small stones placed on 4 corners.

“Woah cool, this looked like some kind of a matter phase shifter!” Peter said in quiet awe.

When the masked man emerged from the hole, he dropped the bag on the roof to retrieve the stones. That was Peter’s opportunity to web up the bag pulling it towards him.

“Hey, Big bird this doesn’t belong to you!” Spider-Man quipped.

Big bird turned to him with green glowing eyes. He growled at Spider-Man.

“Oh, god,” Spider-Man said, a bit startled by his eyes.

Big bird attached himself to his wings, retracting his strap anchors. He flew towards Spider-Man. Spider-Man ducked down and stepped back. He shot Big Bird with his web but the latter dodged it. He charged at Spider-Man again, taking the bag from him with his feet claws. There was a tug-of-war between them as no one wanted to let go of the bag. Then, Big Bird kicked the bag and letting it go. Spider-Man toppled backward and into the hole. He fell with a thud inside the truck. He immediately stood up and was about to jump off the hole again but ended up banging his head unto the concrete metal roof.

Spider-Man blacked out.

--

Ned Leeds was already dressed and pacing back and forth in his room. It was already morning and Peter was not yet back. He tried calling him but Peter wasn’t answering the phone. He was worried about Peter’s status and also about what alibi he was going to tell the team, especially to Mr. Stark about why Peter was missing.

“Ned? Peter?” Liz knocked on their door. “Come on guys, we’re gonna be late!”

“Y-yeah! Coming,” Ned stuttered. He quickly grabbed his bag and the glowy thing on the bed and headed out.

--

Peter woke up with a dull pain on his head. He guessed that he had a mild concussion from hitting his head earlier.

“Ugh, my head?” He groaned and observed his surroundings. He was surrounded by metal cages containing junk techs. “Wait, where am I?” The gears on his brain started to turn. “Wait, they must have hijacked the truck and had taken it to their evil lair.”

“I must find a way out of this one.” He briefly stared on the wall ahead. He squared his shoulder and ran straight to the wall. With his superhuman strength, the wall broke. Spider-Man rolled on the ground. He stood up in a fighting stance.

Spider-Man blinked. The place didn’t look like an evil lair. It looked like a huge storage warehouse with rows and stacks of huge container boxes in it.

“W-where am I?” He turned around to get some clue as to where he was. He paused. On the wall, there was a huge DODC-VO5 written.

“DODC?” He muttered. Then it dawned on him. “Oh come on, you’ve got to be kidding me. Am I in a Department of Damage Control facility now?”

--

Tony Stark gathered his student in the backstage. Any second from now, his students would be called to be on stage and the competition would start.

“So, guys,” Tony said to them. “No pressure, alright? Just enjoy the competition.”

“Hey, Mr. Stark,” Abraham said. “If we win this one, pizza is on you, yeah?”

“Sure,” Tony said without missing a beat. “We’re gonna have a celebration party if you win.”

That seemed to boost up the team’s morale as they cheered upon hearing the news. He looked at everyone and noticed something.

“Ned,” He called a certain teen. The teen was hiding behind Charles and was quiet the whole time.

“Y-yeah, Mr. Stark?” Ned answered peeking from Charles’ back.

“Where is Peter Parker? You two are roommates.” Tony asked.

All the team’s attention was now on Ned who was fidgeting with his yellow coat.

“I-I don’t know, Mr. Stark. . .” Ned answered.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Tony frowned.

“He sneaked out last night, said that he was going to study in the business center and he didn’t come back.”

“And you’re just telling me this now?!”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. . .”

“The next team that will participate in this year’s Decathlon competition is from Midtown School of Science and Technology!” They could hear the emcee speaking from the stage.

The team was quiet and seemingly didn’t know what to do about their teammate’s sudden absence.

“Flash, you’re up on Peter’s place.” Tony finally decided.

Flash punched the air in delight.

“Come on guys, Go on stage.” Tony forced an encouraging smile on them. “Go kick some butts!”

He continued to smile at them as the team disappeared on the stage. That was when Tony’s smile slipped off. Peter Parker was many things. He was hella smart for his age that sometimes, Tony couldn’t help but to remember his youth when he was Peter’s age. He was aware that the kid had potentials, potentials that could take him anywhere he wanted. Yet, it was the same potentials that were giving Tony Stark an incoming headache.

--

Peter’s first thought when he reached the 246th sequence trial on overriding the time lock of the storage vault was, he wouldn’t make it to the Decathlon competition. He still didn’t know how he would explain it to Mr. Stark and not get into any trouble. He tried calling Ned earlier but a secured facility like this; he should have known that the signals would be jammed. Though, getting in trouble with his teacher was for later problems to brood over, when there was an even bigger problem before him. He just couldn’t wait for the vault to open up later or for who knows how long, so he took it in his own hands to find a solution.

Somehow, he managed to find a way to navigate through the wirings of the time lock. He used his scientific calculator and wired it to the circuit to control the system. He needed some sort of password to open up the vault so far, he was on 246th combination of the code and probably counting.

“Right, here’s 247th trial. . .” He punched in the codes on the calculator.

To his surprise, the door slid up and opened.

“Oh my god! It worked!”

--

The Midtown tech team cheered as they exited the auditorium hall. They won the national, thanks to their group effort, especially to Michelle Jones who gave the answer on the Sudden Death Round. The group was taking pictures when Ned checked the phone that was given back to him after the competition. There were 5 missed calls from Peter. Then his phone rang. Peter was calling.

“Peter!” Ned hissed walking away from the group. Unknown to him, Tony Stark was looking at him.

“Where were you?” Ned continued when he reached an empty and short hallway. “You completely missed the decathlon, we won! We’re still here at the building.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry, I got locked up at the Damage Control facility-”

“What?”

“Yeah, long story, I’m just gonna tell you afterward. I’m on my way back there. How’s the glowy thing?

“It’s safe, it’s in my pocket-”

“Hey,” A voice came from behind Ned.

Ned turned around putting down his phone. There were two unknown guys standing before him. They were tall and bulkier and had a menacing look on their faces. And when Ned looked down, he could see a gun peeking out underneath the jacket of one of them. Though, Ned was sure that both were armed. How did they get in despite the security, he didn’t know.

“Ned?” Peter was still on the line. Ned dropped the phone on the ground.

“Where’s the gem?” The guy with long hair and cap asked stepping forward.

“W-what gem?” Ned stepped back.

Long hair dude raised a small rectangular machine. There was a red and blue light on it and it was beeping. “This thing is reading high energy signatures from you. You have the gem.”

It must be the glowy thing, they were after. Ned thought. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ned continued to step back.

“Alright, you die or you’re gonna give us the gem.” The other man, the bald man, fished out his gun and pointed it at Ned.

Ned was frozen in his spot in fear.

“Hey!”

Suddenly, there was a deafening shockwave that momentarily paralyzed the two men, even Ned. Then there was a blinding light. Ned got yanked away by someone, away from the men.

When Ned returned to his senses, he looked up and saw Tony Stark was dragging him away.

“M-Mr. Stark!”

“Who are they and why they were after you?”

Before Ned could answer, gunshots echoed. Tony and Ned ducked down. People around them started to scream in panic and ran away.

“Shit.” Tony pushed Ned into the corner, into the safety. “Stay there!”

Tony stood up and tapped his chest twice. Blue light glowed in his chest as the detachable arc reactor underneath his shirt activated. Nanites seeped through the fabric and spread around his body. His nanite mask covered his face, eyes glowing blue.

“Fuck, that was Iron Man!”

“Hell yes, that was me.” Tony flew towards them, his hand repulsor aimed at them. However, to his surprise, the bad guy whipped up his weapon and shot off a purple laser beam. Tony raised both his arms shooting off a similar laser beam. Two laser beams collided. When the energy of collision was too much, it exploded throwing both parties away. Though, Iron Man immediately regained his stance. There was thick smoke everywhere. The fire alarm was blaring. His students were still there and could be in danger. A lot of civilians could get hurt

So Iron Man flew straight to the smoke, using the smoke as a cover. He knocked down the weapon from the bad guy’s hand. Then he grabbed hold of the two of them and went straight to the nearby window. The glass shattered as Iron Man flew out of the window. He dropped the bad men unto the lawn and aimed his repulsor at them again. The two men remained laying on the ground as Iron Man hovered over them.

“So, why you guys are after a kid?”

Friday was doing a facial scan on them but none of them were on FBI’s wanted list, which confused Tony even more.

They remained quiet even though, fright was evident on their faces.

“Oh, so we’re playing bad cop and good cop here? I don’t have all day.” Iron Man fired his repulsor above their heads.

“W-we’re after the gem! The kid has it!” The bald man replied hastily, shaking in fear. “Please don’t kill us!”

“What gem? What is it for?” Iron Man asked.

Before Iron Man could get anything from them, there was an explosion from the building where they had come from. Iron Man glanced back at the building. There was smoke coming out of it and a huge chunk of wall was starting to collapse from the third floor. There were civilians down below right where the wall could drop and crash them.

“Fri, what the hell happened there?”

“An exposed Chitauri core has detonated,” Friday said. “A section of the wall was about to fall off.”

“I’m not done with you.” That was all Iron Man said as he flew away from them and towards the building.

--

As Spider-Man reached the building where his teammates were, all he could think was, his best friend was in danger, because of the glowy thing he entrusted him with. He webbed up his backpack somewhere as he ran towards the auditorium hall. They must somewhere near there. He used the Fire Exit staircase to reach his destination. He was on the second round of stairs when he heard a gunshot.

He froze. Then he started to imagine the worst. He swung his way up faster.

The Fire Exit door burst opened. People ran for the stairs against Spider-Man’s direction. Spider-Man fought his way against the tide. Then there was a sound of an explosion.

“Excuse me, coming through!” Spider-Man shouted dodging people left and right.

But then when he reached the floor, Smoke was everywhere and Iron-Man zipped past him holding two men towards the window and out of it.

“Holy shit, what the-!” Spider-Man was flabbergasted.

“Spider-Man!”

He turned to see Ned running to him.

“Ned! Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine!” Ned answered which was to Peter’s relief. Then Ned fished out the glowy thing from the pocket of his coat. The glowy thing was brighter. Ned continued hastily. “There were two guys who were after this. I don’t know, they were able to track this thing. Then Tony Stark came and saved me.”

“I know,” Peter said. “I’m sorry, you almost got in danger because of that and because of me. Give me that.”

“It’s alright.” Ned gave him the stone. “Wait, is just me or the glowy thing was hotter than usual?”

Peter accepted the stone and Ned was right. It felt like the stone was burning in his hand. His glove was started to blacken. Ned looked at Peter in panic. It mirrored Peter’s expression.

“Get back!” Spider-Man shouted. “All of you get back!”

“W-what are you going to do?” Ned asked stepping back. Some of the people listened to Spider-Man as well and some were even more confused as to what was really happening.

Spider-Man turned around. He threw the stone to the wall next to the shattered window and webbed it up. He coated it with a lot of webs until it looked like a white cocoon.

“This better works,” Spider-Man muttered.

Soon, the cocoon glowed purple. Spider-Man stared at it and so were the civilians and authorities who were on the scene. As if all of them were anticipating on what was going to happen next.

Then, there was a blinding purple light that they all had to cover their eyes. Afterward, there was another sound of an explosion. People screamed.

The light was gone. And when Spider-Man looked up there were cracks on the wall, quickly spreading out like a web. Moments later a huge chunk of the wall started to fall off outwards. Spider-Man webbed up the wall. With all his might, he pulled it in. He couldn’t let it fall back when there were civilians down below.

He pulled harder, his feet sliding on the floor. Suddenly, the chunk of wall moved inward easily without even Spider-Man’s effort.

“What?” Spider-Man let go of the web as the wall fell on the ground with a thud.

Iron-Man was floating right outside the hole. Everyone cheered.

--

Tony Stark had enough as he watched the news of the earlier incident in Washington on the holographic screen in his lab at Avengers Compound. Fortunately, no one had gotten hurt from the incident. Thanks to Iron Man and Spider-Man’s immediate rescue. The news believed that it was rogue shooters who just wanted to wreak havoc in the place. Their faces were now on the wanted list and the authorities were searching for them.

Then he gazed at another holographic screen where the feats of Spider-Man showed. He should have talked to that young vigilante sooner. He should have come to Peter Parker before he got himself killed in one of his adventures.

He knew for a while that Peter Parker was the one under the mask. After all, he was keeping tabs on people with potentials who could be trained as an Avenger.

Peter Parker was the reason why Tony Stark chose Midtown Tech to teach, so he could keep an eye on him and see for himself what the kid was like when he wasn’t playing hero.

Well, what he had discovered about him exceeded all his expectations.

Peter Parker was the kind of kid who refused to pick up a fight with his bullies. Instead, he avoided it when he could have easily won the fight because of his abilities. He was this bright spirited boy who could easily be awed by simple things. There were so much wonder and curiosity dancing in his eyes and who was so eager to know more about the world. He was this kind of kid who would not hesitate to step forward and help when no one would and could. There were just so many things ahead of him and Tony could see all of that.

That was probably why he hesitated to recruit him for Avengers.

There was a future waiting for him and Tony didn’t want to steal it from the kid. So he remained quiet and watched from the distance instead.

But he couldn’t watch now when he discovered, thanks to Ned’s phone he hacked down earlier when the kid was on stage competing, that the kid was actively chasing criminals that used junks from Chitauri’s as weapons. Peter had disappeared last night to do another chase. Tony was also aware of Peter’s lie about Oscorp’s internship, but he initially didn’t know why the kid couldn’t join. And for whatever reason, he came back and Tony learned the reason why later on.

Tony reached for his mug of black coffee on the table and sipped. He was about to put it down when a hand reached for his mug instead.

He looked up to see Pepper smiling down at him.

“Hey, hon.” Tony smiled back.

“You’re watching him again,” Pepper noted as she sat on the armrest of the chair Tony was sitting on. She sipped on the mug and blanched at the bitter taste of it. His fiancée was the type who put lots of cream on her coffee.

“I swear, that kid is gonna kill himself sooner or later.” Tony leaned back on the chair. Pepper leaned on him as she put her arm on the top of the backrest of the chair. She crossed her legs resting the mug on it.

“I told you, you should mentor him so he would know how not to kill himself with his little adventures,” Pepper said.

Tony looked up. “Do you think I’d be a good mentor?”

“You are a teacher now at his school, do you really need to ask me that?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

“That was different,” Tony argued.

“Oh, how different?”

“Being a teacher was easier because you’ll gonna spout things that came from a book but mentoring someone to be a hero? I don’t think I have the right qualifications for that. You knew I screwed up far more many times that I could actually count on this superhero business.”

“Oh, Tony,” Pepper put down the mug on the table and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. Tony leaned into her as he rested his head on her stomach.

“Yes, you screwed up a lot of times but you are also the type of hero that always fights for what was right and doing your damn best to protect this vulnerable place. And I think that was the most important thing of all. So get your ass up and just mentor the kid, the kid needs someone who could guide him, that job will suit you.”

Tony closed his eyes and smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

With that Pepper stood up. “I’ll just be in my office.” Then she paused when she had noticed the papers and notes laid haphazardly on the table. “What are those?”

“That, my love, is my lesson plan for next week and test papers that I haven’t checked yet. But first off, I have to be somewhere.” He stood up.

Soon, Iron Man flew into the night sky.

Iron Man set his course to Peter’s apartment. He wasn’t even nearing his destination when Tony saw something he truly didn’t expect nor imagine happening.

Tony didn’t expect to see Peter Parker on the way, falling from the sky, a hundred feet to the ground and falling at a speed that could totally kill him on impact without something that would slow down his descent.

There was a screeching sound from the sky. Tony looked at the source of the sound. His night vision scan could see a man with mechanical wings. Tony had a lot of questions as usual, like how the kid had gotten himself in the air and been thrown down by a mechanical devil out of nowhere. But questions could wait; he had a spiderling to save first. After all, spiders couldn’t fly.

Tony dived down towards Peter’s direction increasing his thrusters. As he neared him, he could hear Peter screaming.

Iron Man zoomed in and grabbed Peter before he could hit the lagoon. The mechanic teacher made a loop in the sky before changing his flight course towards the Avengers Compound instead.

--

“So, uh, you knew the whole time that I was Spider-Man?” Peter asked in a small voice as he played with his mask. He was sitting on the couch of Tony’s lab.

Tony was looking down at him with arms crossed on his chest. “You know that wasn’t the issue right now, you could have gotten died! What-why are you even up in the air?!” He threw his hands in the air.

The kid, again, was a lot of things and one of them was giving Tony a consistent migraine, vertigo, aneurysm and all other kinds of headache. The mentoring wasn’t even starting and Tony’s hair was starting to turn gray quickly.

“The guy with wings threw me down. I was chasing bad guys then he swooped in and dropped me on a hundred feet.” Peter explained.

Tony took a deep breath. “That’s it! I am going to mentor you if you’re so sure about this career path and please remove that onesies, you’re going to have a new suit.”

And all Peter could say was, “W-what?”

Tony rolled his eyes and turned around. “Friday, unlock 16-A.”

At the far end of the lab, the wall shifted and slid open. A big glass transparent cylinder emerged. Inside the cylinder was a new Spider-Man suit. Tony walked to the cylinder. He glanced at Peter who remained frozen in his seat with wide eyes staring at the suit.

“Your new suit.” Tony knocked on the cylinder for emphasis.

Peter finally stood up as he walked in a daze towards the cylinder, still staring at it.

“T-that’s mine?” Peter asked stopping in front of the cylinder.

“I just said that,”

“Thank you, Mr. Stark!”

What surprised Tony, even more, was when Peter hugged him. He froze on the spot while the kid squeezed the oxygen out of him.

“This is so cool!” Peter exclaimed pulling away. “I have a new suit and Mr. Stark is going to mentor me! You’re not just going to be my science teacher. This is the best moment of my life! I have an awesome mentor and dope suit. Oh my god!”

And with that, Tony had a fleeting thought that maybe mentoring this kid wasn’t going to be that bad after all.

[jade-island-lives]

You already know who my girls are - torrent and Delilah trying to motivate each other to do something really hard and finding themselves motivating each other with something a little taboo and silly.

Okay, so I’m sorry this took so long to get out. I always struggle with timing when writing for other people. In honesty, I need practice so I’m glad I asked.

Also. I struggle with doing silly things. I’m just not a funny person and I need practice with it too.

In short, this might not be the story you were looking for and I’m sorry. But I really did try. I’m just struggling with emotions these days, and I’m ashamed to say I don’t really feel goofy or happy like I used to.

But here’s the story anyway. 

“Delilah please, it’s 3 AM…”

The wailing of a tiny baby pierced the night air as Torrent stumbled out of bed, her frizzy brown hair cascading over her tired peridot eyes. Her feet drug the few footsteps it took to reach the small lavender bassinet.

 The moon shone clear and bright over the glossy palm trees ripe with green coconuts full of sweet water. Its silver light shimmered through the white curtains billowing in the soft summer wind. For a moment, Torrent relaxed as the air met her arms and shoulders.

She slowly picked up a bundle in a lavender onesie that was screaming its tiny little lungs out. Torrent shushed the tiny infant, soothing the few strands of ginger atop Delilah’s tiny head.

“You had your bottle, you’re all clean…” Torrent muttered tiredly, rubbing her back in tiny circles, “Delilah, you’re okay. It’s time to go to bed.”

 Delilah screamed even louder, her face turning all red as she buried her head in Torrent’s shoulder, clutching the white fabric of her tank top.

 “Delilah…” Torrent sighed with exhaustion as she tried her best to sooth the screaming infant, “You need to sleep…or your mom is gonna kill me.”

At the mention of her mom, Delilah let out the loudest wail Torrent had ever heard from a baby, or any person for that matter.

Torrent flinched, holding the child in front of her with a stern look, “Hey. Stop that.”

Delilah hiccuped before looking up into Torrent’s eyes with surprise.

 “Look, I know you wanna see your mom and dad, but they’ll be back soon. Crying is not gonna make them show up. I know you miss them, but they’ll be back.”

 At once, Delilah outstretched her hands.

“What?”

 Delilah’s tiny hands grabbed Torrent’s cheeks, looking up into the mer’s eyes with wonder.

 Torrent’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden touch. For a moment, she almost pulled away before Delilah began to giggle.

 Suddenly. Everything clicked.

“You’re not going to sleep anytime soon are you, are you?”

Delilah giggled, squishing Torrent’s cheeks with joy.

 Torrent narrowed her eyes, “Unbelievable…well this has been fun, but PLEASE go to sleep…”

 With that, Torrent began to place Delilah back into the bassinet. Only for her to squeal and cry.

Torrent lifted Delilah up and narrowed her eyes with a sigh, “What will get you to sleep? Please…I have work in the morning…is it the shadows? I keep telling you that I won’t let them get you-”

 Delilah placed her hands-on Torrent’s cheeks, cooing softly.

 Torrent grumbled, “Fine…you’re so spoiled, you know that?”

Delilah let out a giggle as Torrent carried her to Torrent’s bed, where she laid herself down and propped herself up with a few pillows, bringing Delilah to her chest.

A bright blue flame erupted from the center of Torrent’s chest, soft and gentle like a candle flame. It glowed in Delilah’s wide enraptured eyes before she buried her head against Torrent’s chest, gripping the blanket surrounding her as she fell asleep.

Torrent let out a sigh of relief, “I swear, you are allergic to sleep…I don’t understand it.”

Delilah curled deeply into Torrent’s chest, breathing softly as Torrent rubbed circles on her back.

 “Are you afraid of the dark? Is that it? Or…”

Delilah’s tiny hands began to clutch Torrent’s tanktop tightly, not wanting to let go.

 Torrent sighed and rested her head on her pillow and felt herself begin to drift.

 “Whatever it was, I’m not doing this when you get older…not that I want you to get older that is.”

BONUS SCENE

 Sun began to set over the titanium sky, staining the line between the sky and the sea. The wind was slow and humid, smelling of oncoming rain.

Torrent sat at her kitchen table, mug of black tea curled around her fingers as she watched the sea ripple and swing onto the crystal white beach.

 A humongous yawn hit her, the kind that makes your eyes water and a wave of tiredness hits you instantly.

Seven days.

Seven days had passed since Torrent had slept.

Torrent not sleeping was nothing new. She had always struggled with sleeping throughout her entire life, she had grown accustomed to it.

Yet as the light from the sky faded and the claw scratch of silver became visible, Torrent was planning to pull out a book, perhaps Julius Star’s novel on ship building. It was boring, mindless, but better than sleeping in Torrent’s mind.

Her eyes sunk for a moment, only for a flash of silver and red to blind her. Screams echoed in her ears, pounding and paralyzing. 

Her heart leaped into her throat, her mug crashing to the ground and shattering. The deep purple scars dug into the right side of her face began to pulse with a dull ache, sweat poured from her forehead as Torrent buried her head in her arms on the table.

 She would never sleep again. Ever. There was no way in all of the seven seas that she would ever fall asleep again. Even if it killed her, which she knew it would, at least she wouldn’t be forced to relive the worst night of her life.

“Torrent?”

Torrent winced as she turned to the entrance to her kitchen to see Delilah, her eyes wide with worry as she was clutching a paper bag that reeked of herbs.

Those eyes.

Those storm grey eyes that once belonged to an old friend.

“What are you doing here?” Torrent muttered, glancing at the shards of ceramic and cooling tea on her white tile floor.

 “Alana wanted me to bring you some tea…I’m sorry.”

Torrent’s shoulders fell, “No, you’re okay. I just wasn’t expecting company…”

Delilah’s eyes softened, “Torrent, you look…” she bit her lip for a minute before mustering her courage, “Awful.”

“I’m okay Delilah…” Torrent reasoned as she bent to clean up her mess, only for a wave of dizziness to sweep over her, causing her eyes to roll into back of her head as she collapsed to her knees.

Delilah dropped the herbs and rushed to Torrent’s side, grabbing the older mer before she could her head.

“Torrent?”

 Torrent’s eyes were glazed over as the sounds of screams filled her head again.

“I…I…”

Delilah turned the mer to glance into her eyes. For a moment Torrent could see jet black hair and handsome teal ears and scales glancing back at her with worry.

 “How long has it been since you’ve slept?” Delilah breathed.

Torrent blinked and let out a soft groan, “Seven…”

“Seven hours?”

“Days…”

“Days?” Delilah’s jaw dropped, “Are you insane? This WILL kill you!”

“It’s fine…” Torrent mumbled, “It’s all fine Kil…Delilah.”

 Delilah blinked as she stood up, dragging the mer to her feet, “You are going to bed. Now.”

 “No….no I’m not going to bed. You can’t make me.”

 Delilah sighed, “Torrent please…don’t fight me.”

“I’m fine D…” a large yawn swept through Torrent, “I don’t want to sleep.”

 “Why?”

The smell of copper filled Torrent’s nose, making her stomach turn violently.

 “I…I just don’t want to.”

Delilah seemed to move Torrent with little difficulty. From the kitchen to Torrent’s bed. She sat the drowsy mer at the foot of the grey bed and peeled back the covers.

“T-Torrent, if you don’t sleep, you will die…”

“I’ll be fine D…honest.”

 “Lay down.”

Torrent tried to resist, but the sheets felt so soft and warm. And feeling her body relax at its soft touch caused her breath to increase at the screams of pain in her ears filled the room. Delilah recoiled for a moment as Torrent began to lose her breath in a panic.

“No…nonono…”

Delilah’s eyes softened with pity as she brought the sheet up to Torrent’s neck, “You can’t let bad dreams keep you from sleeping.”

“P-Please…I don’t want to Delilah…” Torrent begged, “I don’t want to sleep…don’t make me sleep, I’m begging you…”

Torrent stiffened as the child took her hand and smiled, “It’s going to be okay. I promise you. You’re going to wake up and we’re all going to be here, you’re safe.”

“I’m not…I can’t…go back…-“

Delilah’s chest flickered with a bright lavender flame, soft and gentle like a candle flame. She muttered something under her breath.

 Torrent tried to fight it, but a new wave of sleep hit her. Darkness swept over her.

When the bright sunshine and the sight of yellow flowers came to her sight, all she had to look for was a maiden with curly black hair with stars upon her face.

Picking the flowers and humming a soft tune.

Delilah withdrew her hand, but she stayed in the kitchen, helping herself to some tea and some of the chocolate chip cookies Torrent kept. Perhaps Merlin would come over and play a song, or Pepper would barge in demanding some of those cookies as she always did.

\But as Delilah watched the claw scratch moon, she could hear Torrent mumble something in her sleep.

 “Jus…like ol’…times…”

Is this cannon? Probably not. I don’t know if this is any good so I’m sorry. But at least you guys get a story. That’s rare these days.

@toboldlywrite @futureauthor-mabye @spellboundinks @lady-redshield-writes @namingtoohard @the-crafty-fox @soul-write @dream-weaver @miniaturemagic @wchwriter @ramblingrubyred @stone-goddess-writing

[zelalecki]

Always: The Pilot

A/N: Hello everyone! It has been a long time. But you know, life happens and what not. I didn’t think I would ever finish this series. But I was looking through my old google docs and found the last part of this series. And then I re-read the other parts of Always, and fell in love with the story all over again and decided to post what I have with what was supposed to be the last installment.  It’s a little rough and kind of not finished but I liked how it ended. Anyway, I know it’s been a long time. But I hope you guys enjoy anyway. I’ll most likely reblog the other parts just so it’s updated. 

Links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Pairings: Sam Winchester x Original Female Character

Summary: Bobby finds a little girl during a hunt and didn’t have the heart to let her go, so he decides to raise her as his own. Sam is instantly enchanted by little Eva, and vice versa. The series follows the two as they grow up together in the hunting world.

Warnings: John might be a little OOC and some details of the show may have been altered to fit the story.

"Dean? You scared the crap out of me!"

Dean let's out a laugh. "That's 'cause you're out of practice."

Sam grabs Dean's hand and yanks, slamming his heel into Dean's back and flips, making Sam on top of Dean.

"Or not." Dean groans.

Sam taps his brother twice where he's holding him.

"Get off of me."

Sam rolls to his feet and pulls Dean up.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, I was looking for a beer." The older brother joked.

Dean puts his hands on Sam's shoulders, shakes once, and let's go.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sam asks again.

"Okay. All right. We gotta talk."

"Uh, the phone?"

"If I'd'a called, would you have picked up?"

A blonde woman enters the room and flips the light on. "Sam?"

Sam and Dean turn their heads in unison.

"Jess. Hey. Dean, this is my girlfriend, Jessica."

Dean looks at her appreciatively.

Jess looks at Sam with a surprised look, "Wait, your brother Dean?"

Jess smiles as Sam nods. Dean grins at her and moves closer.

"Oh, I love the Smurfs." He starts as he takes in her clothing. Or Lack there of. "You know, I gotta tell you. You are completely out of my brother's league."

"Just let me put something on." She says shyly.

Jess turns to go. Deans' voice stops her. "No, no, no, I wouldn't dream of it. Seriously".

Dean goes back over to Sam without taking his eyes off Jess. Sam watches him, his expression stony.

"Anyway, I gotta borrow your boyfriend here, talk about some private family business. But, uh, nice meeting you."

"No." Sam goes over to Jess and puts an arm around her. "No, whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of her."

"Okay." Dean turns to look at them both straight on. "Um. Dad hasn't been home in a few days."

"So he's working overtime on a Miller Time shift. He'll stumble back in sooner or later."

Dean ducks his head and looks back up. And clears his throat. "Dad's on a hunting trip. And he hasn't been home in a few days."

Suddenly, a body steps out from the shadows of the dark apartment. Being distracted by Dean, Sam failed to notice that there was another person in the room.

Sam's breath is caught in his throat as he realizes who it is.

"Evie?!" He gasps.

Eva smiles and shyly puts a stray hair behind her ear. "Hiya, Mammy. It's been a while."

Sam swallows. Dean coming to him for help was a surprise, but more importantly, he knew that Eva wouldn't have come if it wasn't an emergency.

"Jess, excuse us. We have to go outside." Sam says, never taking his eyes off of Eva.

Eva, knowing that the brothers needed a moment to talk, tore her eyes off of Sam and to the blonde woman next to him. "Uhm, can you show me where the kitchen is? I'd like a glass of water."

Jess first looked at Sam, but his eyes were still fixed on Eva.

"Sure. Yeah. Follow me." She said with a smile.

Eva chewed at her lip as she studied the blonde who was currently fixing her a glass of water. Eva couldn't help but think that this woman, the woman that Sam has been with for the past 2 years, was the complete opposite of her. Jess was tall and slender, whereas, constant diner food and her genetics, left Eva on the curvier side and barely reached 5'4. Jess had cute hair that had a perfect natural curl, most likely from the extra time she had for it.  Eva, not only did she not have enough time to even shampoo her hair, couldn't even afford extra hair products, which left her with a frizzy mess of waves. The blood and guts of the supernatural probably didn't help either.

"You don't have to worry, ya know." The other woman said, interrupting her thoughts. "Sam's still in love with you." Jess told her as she handed over the glass of water.

Eva's eyes shot to Jess's. "What?" She asked shocked at what she said.

Jess smiled. "It's Evie? Right?"

Eva looked back down at the glass  "Eva, actually. Sam's the only one that calls me that."

"Right. Of course, Eva. I'm Jess. It's nice to finally meet you." Jess said as she stuck out her hand.

Eva looked at it confusingly. She figured Sam would have gotten a girlfriend eventually. It's not a thought that she particularly enjoyed thinking about. But Eva knew he wanted the full apple pie life. Wife, kids, and a white picket fence. The whole nine. What she didn't expect was to meet the girl, and she really didn't expect to be shaking hands with her.

Nonetheless, Eva took her hand.

"Finally?" Eva asked.

Jess let out a small giggle. "Sam talks about you all the time! It's nice to put a face to the name."

Jess noticed the peculiar look on Eva's face. "You look confused."

"I just- I didn't think Sam would’ve talked about me." In all honesty, Eva didn't know what to think. Of course, they didn't end in bad terms. It was the complete opposite. Their last night together was a bittersweet moment. It was obviously filled with the heaviness of goodbye, but it was more importantly filled with the love of their first time together and excitement of his new future, despite her not being able to be in it. Being a part of the past he was trying to escape from, she didn't think she would have been mentioned at all.

Jess gave her a pointed look. "You know, Sam and I were friends before we became what we are now. Actually, I was the one who asked him out." She laughed .."and he shot me down."

Jess continued with her story when Eva stayed silent.

"Throughout our friendship, I got to know him more, and of course, that just made me want him more. And I didn't exactly hide it. "

"I promise, there's a point to this." Jess added as she saw the scowl that appeared on Eva's face. Eva just took a deep breath and motioned for her to finish the story.

"One night, we went out drinking with our friends. I was able to get Sam alone, and with a lot of liquid courage running through my veins, I decided I would make a fool of myself one more time.

So I said, 'Look, Sam. I know, you know, I like you. I promise I won't bring this up again if you tell me why you won't go out with me’ .You know what he said to me?"

Eva shook her head.

"He said, it wouldn't be fair. When I asked him what that meant, it took a while for him to respond. I think he was debating about telling me about you or not. But eventually he explained. He said that, if we were to be anything, he wouldn't be able to give everything, and that isn't fair to me. He told me 'I gave my heart to someone long ago, so it isn't mine to give. Jess, you're a wonderful person, and you deserve someone who can give you what I can’t."

Eva let out a small laugh, "That sounds like Sam." Always thinking of the others before himself.

"Right?!" Jess agreed and laughed with her before she continued.

"Any normal girl probably would have taken his word for it, and would have fled for the hills. I mean, who would want to be with a guy who was in love with someone else. But for some reason, what he said made me fall for him more. Trusting me with that small truth about him, made me see how caring and how loyal this guy is. And I thought to myself, a part of Sam is better than no Sam.

So I told him, 'I am a grown woman. I get to decide what I deserve and don't deserve. And I'm okay with what you can give me. I bet, what I get from whatever relationship we have, is more than what some other people have in certain marriages. I understand what you're saying Sam and this my choice'. And so began our weird relationship."

"My point Eva," Jess paused until Eva locked eyes with her, "is that, Sam never looked at me the way he looked at you just now. And that is how I know he still loves you. Because I've waited 2 years to see that look on his face."

Eva took a deep breathe in and let it out slowly as she digested what Jess told her. "I think this would have been easier if you were a bitch."

Jess laughed and Eva laughed along with her.

All in all, she felt more confused because she no longer felt jealous toward Jess. If anything, all she felt was gratitude. Thankful that Sam was able to find someone to love him despite his baggage. So Eva said the only thing she could. "Thank you, Jess."

She smiled, "You're welcome."

Just then, Sam walked in. His eyes shot to Eva first but then to Jess. "Uh, Jess, we need to talk."

Eva looked back at Jess and gave her a hug. “It was nice meeting you, Jess.”

“Yeah. You too.” she replied, returning the hug.

Jess followed Sam into their bedroom. "So, how long will you be gone?" She asked sitting down on the bed as Sam placed one of his overnight bags on it.

Sam started to throw random articles of clothing in it. "I don't know."

"Will you be back for your interview?"

Sam sighed, “I don’t know.”

Jess stayed quiet as Sam finished packing his bag. Once he was done, he sat on the bed with his head in his hands. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He was out. He was doing great. He had friends, he was ace-ing his classes. Just when he let himself believe that this could work.

A hand on his shoulder made him jump, interrupting his thoughts. His eyes met Jess’s. What could he say to her? She sacrificed so much choosing to be with him, even when he couldn’t give in return. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she interrupted him with a shake of her head.

“It’s okay, Sam. I’ll be here if you decide to come back.” If, not when, Sam noted.

She grabbed his hand and placed something in it. Sam looked and recognized the small little stuffed dog. Evie had given it to him after their last night together, saying that he’s going to need protection. He smiled at the memory.

He looked at Jess again, and he could see the forgiveness in her eyes. He leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss, “Thank you. For everything.”