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pizzarollsareokayiguess · 4 years

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Far too much (Kuvira x Fem!Reader)

This is part 2 to Close enough? And I’m so thankful for all the people that interacted with my first written work!! So here’s this, I had so much fun writing it! If you guys wanna see somethin more specific or have ideas, send ‘em my way! Love you!!

WC: 5200 (almost 2x my last one!) TW: none that i’m aware of, lemme know though <3

You felt as stupid as a raccoon-toad.

When the avatar came to collect you to travel back to Zaofu, you were excited because you were going back home, even if you were being punished for your crimes. Unfortunately, Suyin had extended the invitation to the other individuals who were also from Zaofu. It seemed that she was sentimental and decided that every one needed a second chance.

So you were stuck with a bunch of people that you were not entirely fond of, especially when they heard of what happened to Kuvira. After that, you could just feel the glares they sent your way, which was annoying because that’s all they did. They just stared and would raise their stupid eyebrows. Why couldn’t they just get over it and shove it? It didn’t help that your injury still required attendance by healers and physical therapy. So even if you wanted to avoid all attention, it was a little pointless when they said you could only apply yourself for a couple of hours before resting.

There was a constant dull throb in your side, no matter the number of healers. Sometimes it would chill out but when you were awake for too long or when you skipped a meal, it would come back and stiffen your back. It was a constant battle and there were some times that you just wished that Kuvira double tapped you. It could've saved a lot of emotional and physical turmoil.

So, back to the situation on hand. You and several others were on a train that would stop in the heart of the Metal Clan. After that, each person would be sent to a camp that was ran by a horse faced individual who lacked the sympathy of a real person. You were told to call him General Zheng, if you ever saw him, and after that he left to go talk to the head of the guard. You and the others were hustled into a medical looking outlet, and each person was given a platinum band around each left ankle.

“It’s to make sure you don’t leave and to make sure you obey. Can’t have you running around like hen-ducks, right?”

ugh.

It had been several days since you had arrived in Zaofu. By then, everyone had been stationed with their community service and you started to get used to the schedule given. General Zhen said since you had to serve the community as your punishment, you could choose your schedule, basically saying, “How long do you really wanna do this?”. You could remain under order until your sentence was done or you could rush it out and leave it early. As early as you could anyway with a 25 year sentence. You decided to go with the latter; even with your injury, you thought that you could cut it by a year or two which sounded pretty minimal but you’d take anything at this point. At 10am you would wake up and eat then head towards the outskirts of the ring. There, you would begin to bend the metal together to create cohesive pieces for other workers to make into the plates that would create the dome. Others were tasked with mining the actual ore, and they were even paid for that, but you had to create the joints for them. Sitting and concentrating for about 8 hours a day would cause you to slouch and then you’d get yelled at by the healers. Who were scarier than a guy on cactus juice. You’d visit the healers once a week and they would see if your scar had healed or if it was infected. After seeing them, you would head over to the park where they held physical therapy outside. It was really nice to see all of nature while an old lady calmly coaxes you into the tree pose. Gaining balance was the hardest because your brain was trying to compensate for the strain in your side. You also kinda wanted to punch the lady because that’s is as far as I go stop pushing me areyoutuchingmerightnowareyouserious.

Needless to say, it was nice to go back to the plain gray walls of your (holding cell) room and just breathe quietly by yourself.

Then you got used to your routine which was a mistake because then something had to go and mess it up. And who else would it be if not for the very person who put you here?

Madam Jilpa was going to be the death of you. That near death experience you had? Insignificant to the pain that this woman was gracing you with. You wanted to strangle her. She was super nice about your wound, saying how it was healing well and then she manhandled you into a position to “stretch your muscles, you’re awfully sore, my dear.” You rolled your shoulders and exhaled as you left the park. Ever since you came back, people avoided you like the plague and it made the anklet a little more tighter each time. Doesn’t help that it was platinum so it just seemed that it was mocking you every time you caught a glimpse of it. Stupid thing. Stupid city. Stupid community service. Stupid- who is that?

You were strolling through the main street of the city, heading to the store when you saw her. Kuvira. The devil herself. Was I thinking about her? Is that why she’s here? Oh god, she can’t see me, what do i do? Where am I gonna hide? You panicked and slid into the nearest shop, which happened to be a tea shop. Luckily there was a line so you didn’t look too odd. Unluckily, the shop had big glass windows. So as much as you could see her, she could possibly see you? Maybe? You dipped next to the door and peeked out, wondering why Kuvira would be away from the estate. Then you saw the entire Beifong family, whelp. That answers your question. No better way to survey someone than surround them with powerful earthbenders. As your eyes glazed over their faces, you saw Bataar Jr. and Kuvira at the back of the pack. You couldn’t tell if they were talking but they looked like they were standing next to each other, and the evil voice in your head wouldn’t stop talking about how they looked. Together.

Not wanting to add mental therapy to your list of visitation rights, you decided to exit the tea shop and go back the way you came. Back to your plain gray room. Because who needs closure when you have, uh, gray pillows and plain bagels?

…

After that train wreck, it didn’t stop.

Suyin (it felt wrong to call her Su) had talked to the General and they made a plan to talk to each of the prisoners. To really decide if they are evil or not. You could make that decision with the way that these people would play Pai Sho, some of them were just cruel and malicious and a better punishment would be to shove em in the boiling rock.

Unfortunately you were on that list of visits and it was 3 days from now. They even accepted letters from family members. So that you could read how disappointed they are, one more time. But! It was written so it had sentimental value. You felt nauseous when you saw your name scrawled on the letter. Better now than later, it would seem.

Y/n,

I remember the day you were born. You were a screaming ball of anger and you wouldn’t stop crying until you were placed on my chest. Then you shushed and swooned. I knew then and there that I would love you till the day I die and every day after. And it seems that even now, I feel the same way. But, I know now that some paths are a little crowded and you lost your way. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you find the light in this dim world, but I just wanted you to know that you are my light. And that is all that matters. When you first left, I was left with irreplaceable pain because in a way, you had left me. But you were just touching the ground and spreading your fingers. You thought you knew best and I’m proud of you for sticking with it. But now that you see the end of this journey, you must stick with the repercussions. That is what it means to find the light and settle with it. You face your decisions and lay with the judgements. I’m glad that you came back to Zaofu. Hopefully, one day, I’ll be able to see your beautiful face again.

Love always,

Mom and Dad

A chip had left your shoulder. Thank the spirits. You could feel the wetness on your cheeks from the compassion from your parents. Perhaps they were right.

Bracing yourself with these words of encouragement, you faced Suyin with strong shoulders and a flinch in your side (cause, honestly, the tea isn’t that good at keeping the pain down).

…

When you were growing up, your parents had tried everything to stop you from sneaking out of the house. They tried metal bars, they tried positive reinforcements, they tried every parental trick in the book. They couldn’t keep you from whatever entranced you from the house. The only person who ever humored you and whoever treated you with some semblance of respect was Kuvira, or ‘Vee, when you were kids. Granted, she also had a rocky relationship but what’s a pot and what’s a kettle? When your parents finally noticed where you were going when you left, they talked to Su about it. If they couldn’t keep you down, they’ll just make sure that nothing bad happens. Because of that, you would spend many hours on the Beifong estate, surrounding yourself with other earthbenders and playing games with the other kids. As you grew, you started to notice how Opal would talk about the cute boy in her class or how Wing and Wei would blush when the dance recitals were held. But, as you got older, all you could think about was how pretty ‘Vee’s eyes were. How green they were, and how much they sparkled when she talked about how she finally joined the guard. How the tank tops she wore outlined her shoulders. You never noticed that when other people were looking outside, that you had found your view right in front of you. Su noticed of course, being the romantic that she was, she got so excited whenever her children were talking about love. Su knew you well, and when Kuvira left Zaofu, she had a feeling that you would leave with her. She had tried so hard to understand you, but she was so angry. Angry at Bataar Jr, angry at Kuvira, angry about everything, that she forgot that you got the short end of the stick too.

So she was nervous too when she invited you over.

…

The door had opened by then even when you hoped that it would remain shut for a little while longer. A guard had escorted you from your quarters into the matriarch’s afternoon room and she was seated near a window that looked to the sprawling estate of the Metal Clan. She looked up at you and smiled softly, and even from the doorway, you could tell that she had gotten older. Maybe not physically, but her eyes were a little wiser and a little more battle worn.

You had settled into the opposite chair, with some grace that you managed to muster, and she had offered you tea. It smelled of lemon and blueberries and you couldn’t help but relax. You couldn’t help it, seeing Su as a mother figure made you wistful of all the memories you shared. With those came remorse and you immediately felt guilty.

“Thank you for allowing me to come back to Zaofu, Su-Suyin, I am eternally grateful that you have allowed me back after what I did,” you said. After your stutter, it seemed your words came in a rush, unable to be held back.

“I wanted to apologize for leaving in the first place. I didn’t realise that I was blind to all the hurt that occurred when this thing started and I should’ve noticed when the first person that was wounded was you. I thought that I knew what I was doing when I left because I thought Ku-” you inhaled sharply, “I thought she would be the answer. It was wrong of me to place such big standards on her without thinking of the consequences. I know now that I followed her out of personal feeling, and not logic. I will forever be humbled by the events that happened and I just hope that you may forgive me. I am incredibly regretful of turning my back on you Su, I wish my eyes had stayed open a little longer.”

You were a little choked up and you finally pulled your eyes away from your tea cup to look at Su, finding her eyes already on you. Tears were pooling in her eyes and she was softly smiling.

Laughing softly, she speaks.

“You don’t speak often but when you do, you speak,” she sighs and looks outside again.

“I must admit that the most heartbreaking thing was watching Kuvira walk out because i knew that if she left, you would too. It's been that way since you were children. Little younglings running across the estate, throwing rocks and giggling to yourselves. I knew when she left that you would go. You follow the ones you love, you want them in your lives so you do what you must. I understand the feeling well.”

She looks at you and stands from her seat, walking around the table and kneeling at your side.

Softly, she places her hands on yours and squeezes.

“When I saw you on the floor, my mind ran a thousand miles. But until your testimony before your trial, I never imagined. The Kuvira that you love exists, but the Kuvira you followed are not the same. I’m sorry that I didn’t get the chance to warn you. People change right before your very eyes and it’s hard to adapt. I love you as if you were my own, Y/n, and I forgive you. As a parent, I am disappointed but that’s to be expected.”

Smiling you lurched forward and squished her against yourself. It didn’t take you long to become a little touch-starved from being in prison but man, hugging Su felt like landing on cotton and honey. Squeezing your shoulders, Su pulls back.

“Y/n, I’m telling you now what I had to tell myself. The right people get second chances. Currently, Kuvira and Bataar Jr are working with Korra and her friends to stop the remaining forces of the United army. They are good people, and I believe that they can do good things. But it’s up to them. You must wait for them to come to you. This isn’t in your hands now. If they want to change, they must do it themselves. That is my advice to you: good people will come around, they just need time.”

She gave you one last hug and released you. Stepping back she smiled, her eyes finally matching.

“I don’t want to take up all of your day, so I’ll let you go for now.”

You said your goodbyes with Su and the guard escorted you off of the estate.

It didn’t hit you until then that you didn’t flinch everytime she said Kuvira. Taking what Su and your parents said, you lifted your shoulders and promised yourself that you would change your days. You would begin the days with a smile and you would end the days with satisfaction.

…

Days had passed by then and your mood had only gotten better. Physical therapy was going better, your side had stopped constantly throbbing and was starting to scar over. Blues and yellows surrounded the tissue but you were able to go up stairs without passing out! Checking the integrity of the metal plates was what filled your afternoons but those passed by too. Soon, the petals of the metal clan were slowly starting to form and the construction was almost complete.

One day, when you were coming back from your shift, you had heard that Kuvira had returned. Something about brainwashing and how Asami was kidnapped? It sounded crazy to you but when you thought about it, there was this one doctor who wanted to control a person's thinking. Luckily, ‘Vee thought it was too barbaric and the idea was shelved. Korra was able to put a stop to it and her friends were returned back to normal with both charges returning back to Zaofu. It seemed that that test had proved to the rest of the Beifong family that they had taken a step towards fixing their past and wanting to grasp their future. You were happy that they decided to redeem themselves. It made sleep a little easier knowing that your ‘Vira was still in there.

Your brain wasn’t helpful though. As successful physical therapy was, it never helped the nightmares. It didn’t help the murmurs of your brain and the self deprecating remarks. It was exhausting. (How come she gets a happy ending? Wasn’t I supposed to be a part of it? I thought she loved me? I thought-) Yeah, well, you thought a lot of things. Just eat your toast and inspect that metal. Spirits sake.

…

Flowers were delivered to you.

Lilacs. Their fragile petals and purple centers called to you and you froze looking at them. They were placed in your quarters along with mail from your parents. You weren’t allowed to send mail yet but you could still receive them. But flowers?

Listen, as an earthbender and a metalbender, you have grown to know the planet pretty well. From the flimsy sand to the swollen stone beneath you, you feel the breath of the earth in your bones.

But that doesn’t mean you know a single thing about flowers. You know that they are pretty and that roses can be yellow in certain parts of the continent but lilacs? Pretty, purple, dainty, flowers? Confusion couldn’t even begin to explain the words you were feeling. Don’t flowers have meanings too? You have never received flowers before, you had convinced everyone around you that you would rather punch a boulder than receive flowers. And yet here they are.

It seems as if they are staring at you. Glaring at you. Laughing at you. (Who calls themselves an earthbender but can’t tell the difference in flowers? How stupid of-)

Snapping yourself from your stupor you spin around and walk right into the door jam.

Son of a flying-

…

You corner Hahn later on that night. Word in the prison yard says that when he was a free man, he was a farmer who lived next to a guy who happened to be a gardner of flowers. Which flowers didn’t matter but the fact that you kind of knew someone that had knowledge of flowers seemed like a win.

You plopped yourself on the seat in front of him and stared into his aged eyes. He had dark spotted skin from his field days and the wrinkles around his eyes suggested that he knew many things. A trustworthy source. (Your only source)

“Do you know anything about flowers Hahn?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I got two days worth of desert that has your name on it if you tell me a thing or two.” Interest peaked, he leaned forward.

“I have a reputation kid, I ain’t just gonn’ blab about flowers to anyone. I don’t wann’ seem like a flim, ya know?”

“I ain’t gonna talk, I’ll even slide another honey cake in there.”

He thinks for a moment or two before nodding. You slide him the desert from today and he places it into his pocket. Leaning forward, you can smell sunshine and grass from him.

“What do you know about this?”

You had gently picked a single bud from your bouquet to show him. You weren’t positive if they were lilacs but they were purple and how many flowers were actually purple?

Humming for a moment, he responds. “. . .Syringa, if I remember correctly. Sold like hot cakes. There’s about several different kinds. This one here is just the smaller kind. If you tryna woo a lass, you call ‘em Lilacs. They got a strong scent though, so careful on the nose.”

Nodding, you ask, “does it have meaning?”

He shrugs, handing the bud back to you. “ Well, it could mean a lot of things. In the younger years, you’d give it to your lass to remind ‘em of your love. Like, a new beginning of love, remindin’ them of a new stage.”

He then looks you in the eye and glares. “Not a word about this hog wash or I’m stealing your pillow.”

You laugh, “you have my lips sealed, H.”

…

You hadn’t received any more bouquets and your pillows remained intact. New love? Who in the world could that be? You kept your eyes peeled for lurkers when you were on breaks and besides the common glare, nobody else seemed to be paying attention. So where did they come from? You had formed a vase with clay in order to keep your flowers and you were a little tickled to find that they lit up the room. Hmph.

…

Kuvira was two seconds away from suffocating herself. When did it get so hard to be a good person?

The amount of guilt that lifted from her shoulders from the trial was impalpable and she felt almost as confident as 4 years ago. The Beifongs were friendly and she was able to join and attend multiple events and she was slowly learning how to be a mentally stable person. She had started seeing someone in the city and once every two weeks they would take her apart and put her back together. She was getting used to it. Slowly.

But, spirits, did she miss you.

Something would happen during the day and she would turn to see you, see how your eyebrows would raise and how you would stifle your laughter behind your hands. And then she’d turn and you wouldn’t be there. It was total whiplash, and she wasn’t used to it just yet. Dr. Moko had yet to ask about the elephant-rhino in the room and Kuvira was waiting for the day where she would ask, “why did you attempt two murders, both of which were individuals you cared about?”

What a loaded question. Kuvira wondered how she got stuck with house arrest and not prison.

On one hand, it's an easy question. She thought she was doing a good thing. Bataar Jr. happened to be in the same place as the avatar and most of the resistance when she fired the spirit weapon and at the time it seemed like a good idea. (Not a good defense, she’s glad this question wasn’t raised during her trial). On the other hand. . .

Her soul would wither when she thought about. . .the. . kiss.

She felt that she was ignited and smothered at the same time. When she felt you melt into her arms, it was intoxicating. Your smell had surrounded her and you felt good in her hands. How she wanted to stay there forever. She wished that she could have stayed there forever. But the voice in her head was blood thirsty and on a victory roll and couldn’t be stopped. It was no excuse but the pain that Kuvira felt when she saw you slowly bleed out in her arms was so much that she zoned out and went on autopilot.

In one of the sessions she has with Dr. Moko, she mentions the voice with high reluctance. Dr. Moko says that the instinctual desires in her subconscious had risen to the challenge and took over, blocking out rational and emotional thought. This discussion had encompassed several sessions and because of that, Kuvira was able to gain control and become a little more independent with her thoughts. It gave her a sense of control, knowing that the Beifong family could trust her again, knowing that Korra wasn’t wrong when she said that they were alike. She had hope and all the split ends of her misdeeds were tying themselves together. But y/n. . .

You plagued her mind like a wine-stained carpet. So naturally, she (subtly) asks Su what happened after Korra stopped the spirit vine weapon. Su fills her in on the hospital visits, the trial, the physical therapy, the letters, everything.

That week Kuvira stomps into Dr. Moko’s office and says, “I need to talk about y/n.”

And so she does.

She sends you flowers.

Flowers?! She doesn’t have a flower bone in her body, why in the world did she pick out flowers? She even had a mind to pick out a specific type, lilacs: new love. She wanted to ask the florist for a bouquet that would convey “I’m sorry that I stabbed you, I am becoming a mentally stable person and I really wanna kiss you again and you are really pretty.”

Kuvira figures that lilacs are good enough.

. . .

It had been about two weeks since you received the flowers. They had started to wilt and you couldn’t help but get sad. You still had not figured out who sent them but a tiny part of you hoped that maybe she sent them. That she still thought of you while she’s learning how to be herself. It was selfish of you to think so, but you couldn’t help it. Kuvira was a major part of your life and to be without her made your heart ache. But you made do. After all, you still had 24 years of community service. . . you sigh. That doesn’t make it better.

You’re walking towards the park to take part in your therapy session. Several other people had come and gone and it was nice to see people learning how to overcome their struggles. You were growing stronger every day. Madam said that soon, you would be able to fully do the physical side of bending again. You could spar soon! You were starting to get antsy with all the chill meditation that Madam Jilpa was having you do. The bruising was gone on your side and you could extend your arms fully without twinges or aches.

You step onto familiar green grass and take off your shoes. Feeling the earth beneath your feet helped ground you when trying new therapy techniques that had you worried that your legs would suddenly give out on you. After placing your shoes next to your bag you look up and see your teacher and several others. There were more people today than usual which was odd. You couldn’t remember if there was a sudden climb of injuries in the last week but alas, more people meant less one-on-one time from the old lady herself. You walk over to a spot of grass and plop down, stretching your legs out in front of you. Planning on doing basic stretches you exhale-

“Need a partner?”

-and immediately inhale. You open your eyes and swirl around looking at the individual. Kuvira stands there relaxed, if not a little stiff, and is looking at you with her hands behind her back. The naive voice in your head screams in victory and you nod your head, still silent. Kuvira sits next to you and out of panic, you look around seeing everyone else doing the buddy system. Some were wearing the same clothing patterns as Kuvira meaning that they came over as a group. Meaning this wasn’t accidental. Meaning this was planned. Meaning this was the worst day of your entire life. Perhaps you should just run away and become a no name in the wilds, because then you’d be able to cope with the situation instead of just stewing in silence.

Kuvira places her knees together and leans forward, stretching her head towards her legs as she exhales. Knowing that Madam Jilpa would swat you, you slowly do the same. After you scootch further away, of course.

It’s painfully awkward. As Madam Jilpa begins, others join in with soft whispers and mutters of conversation. But the bubble that surrounds you is so tense that it doesn’t help the panic spasms that start to creep up your spine.

After coming back up from a lateral position, your eyes roam and they meet Kuvira’s. She’s looking at you fully, and not even Madam’s loud “Next!” breaks her attention. She’s looking at you and she stops her exercise to face you completely. Her eyes lower and she looks at your right side where your shirt had bunched up showing the scar tissue. Shocked, you pull your shirt down and shuffle a little farther away.

She speaks so softly you probably wouldn’t have heard her had you not been so attuned with her whole being.

“I’m sorry.”

You inhale and nod, bracing your attention forward and copying Madam’s next movement.

You try incredibly hard to ignore her stare for the rest of the session but it’s so heavy and so thick. At some point, Madam introduces a new position and spirits does it pull a muscle that you didn’t realise you had. It starts with your back on the ground, which is easy enough, and then you lift your hips and turn to the side. Keeping your shoulders to the ground, your head turns the opposite way. You flinch when it strains the muscles in your side. Your legs begin to quiver when a hand settles over your knee and brings your legs away from the ground, making the stretch more shallow. Your eyes see Kuvira as she holds your legs.

“Don’t do it too deep, you’ll sprain something. Start here.”

Following that, she lowers your legs again but into a place that doesn’t make you flinch in pain.

You missed her touch, you realise. You missed how softly she would hold you. Your eyes start to water when you realise how fucked up this is. She is right there in front of you, and all you can think about is how betrayed you felt. You never got the closure you needed from her and it’s being revealed as she helps you stretch. You’re silently crying while she places your legs down and helps you into a seated position.

“I should have visited you some time ago. I wanted to apologize to you, for wounding you and for leaving you alone when all you did was trust me. I misplaced your trust and I will forever be in your debt for doing so. I am incredibly sorry y/n,” she says as she looks into your eyes.

You sniffle as she grabs your hands. Squeezing them, you respond.

“Thank you, ‘Vee.”

And when you smile, the future seems a whole lot brighter.

#Kuvira #Kuvira x reader #Kuvira imagines #LOK imagines #legend of korra #LOK #I am a lesbian herald #my writing #new!

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jean-kayak · 4 years

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I Fell For You, No Literally

Summary: Your ex-boyfriend comes walking back into your life, causing a whole bunch of emotions to resurface

Pairing: Terushima Yuuji x black!fem!reader

Warnings: mentions of past relationships, like two handfuls of angst, real fluffy at the end, A LOT of dialogue at the end, Terushima being soft, brief mentions of sickness (like real brief), hurt/comfort, exes-to-lovers?, a huge misunderstanding, it gets really stressful at one point in this thing, implied past reader x oc, smut!, fingering (f. receiving), oral (f. receiving), unprotected sex, squirting, overstimulation, little bit of aftercare, Terushima has a dick piercing LMAO, domestic things, mentions of alcohol consumption (reader gets drunk), it’s basically an emotional rollercoaster, Terushima being suggestive *sighs* i think i covered everything

Word Count: 12,881 (BITCH im sorry it wasn’t supposed to be this long)

A/N: This was originally going to be apart of the writing event that I was doing, but this was really long, and it took me a little bit longer than I thought so I figured I would just do it separately. And also I tried to do fluffy smut, I don’t really know if I did that lmao. But anyways, enjoy!

P.S.: I also gave the reader a name bc this is really long!

All characters are 18+!!

"I think I have more lights in the back, I'll go get them," your best friend tells you, and you nod as you continue to hang up the lights on the top of your shop.

Although you realize your mistake when you lean over, and the ladder starts to slip. "Shit," you whisper, and you feel your heart drop, fear coursing through your body as you feel the ladder going down and not stopping.

You squeeze your eyes shut, bracing for impact on the freezing cold concrete, but it never comes. "Oh, my God, are you okay?!" It's a deeper voice, and you open your eyes to see that you're nowhere near the ground and that you're in someone's arms.

You're still a bit shaken from the fear of the fall, but the voice and the scent are all too familiar and it brings you back fairly quickly. You look up and see a face that you never thought you'd see again.

"You know, I'd always say you'd fallen for me," he quips, and you roll your eyes as you try to squirm out of his grip. "Wait, where you going? I like holding you like this." You chuckle softly as you roll your eyes playfully, and he lets you down. "But seriously, are you okay?"

You release a deep breath. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for saving me, Terushima."

He takes a few steps closer to you. "Come on, baby, you don't have to be so formal with me." You scoff as you take a step back, fully taking him in.

Terushima Yuuji. Your ex-boyfriend. Your relationship lasted all through high school and your first year of college until things went rocky. You prefer not to think about the details, but you can't not think about how good he looks right now.

He's still blond, with the undercut, and piercings, and even through his winter clothes, you can tell he's filled out a lot since you last saw him. Matter of fact, how long has it been? Three, four years?

"Three and a half," you flinch slightly. Shit, were you thinking out loud? His eyes rake down your figure, and even in the cold, you can feel the heat course through your body. "You look good."

"So do you," you reply, not really knowing what to say. How are you even supposed to talk to your exes? You've had others besides him, but you haven't made contact with them since you called it off.

There's a weird tension in the air, and you don't know what to say to break it, but luckily Kiya comes out of your shop, her eyes widening when they land on Terushima. "Oh, now, this is a surprise," she says, smirking as she looks between the two of you. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, you know, just being her knight in shining armor and catching her from falling off the ladder," he tells her smugly, and she looks at you in horror.

"Via, what did I tell you about doing things on the ladder without me watching you?" she scolds, and you shrug as you kick at the ground.

"I'm sorry, okay? And besides, I think that's enough lights for the front don't you think?" you ask, looking at the front of the shop to take in your work. Kiya follows suit, taking in the lights.

"Yeah, they look good. And I would tell you good job, but you almost killed yourself in the process." You roll your eyes again as you scoff. "Thank you, Terushima," she says, and he waves her off.

"Any time." So he still has that smug, confident personality. That hasn't changed much. You clear your throat as you gesture to the door.

"Well, I should probably open up shop. Thank you, Terushima, I really appreciate you catching me."

"C'mon, what'd I tell you about the name?" You tilt your head as you raise an eyebrow.

"See ya around, Terushima." And you're walking through the door.

Kiya comes in behind you a few seconds later, and you just brace yourself for the conversation that's about to happen and is going to last at least twenty minutes. "Holy crap, he is still hot as hell." You sigh as you put on your apron. You don't respond, and she knows you're agreeing with her, so he continues talking.

"No, Kiya, don't even go there."

"What? What's wrong with rekindling the flame, at least a little?"

"You remember how we left off," you remind her, and you see her wave you off before washing her hands.

"Okay, that was a few years ago. People change."

You scoff. "Yeah, I doubt he's changed." The conversation is quickly put to bed as people start to come in, and you submerge yourself in your cooking.

This week was your shopping week, but Kiya had family things so you're at the store by yourself, collecting a ton of food to stockpile for the shop. You feel a headache coming on as you cross out another item off the list, your vision full of lines every time you look up from the crumpled piece of paper.

You also have to carry and put all of these groceries in your car, and you want to whine in annoyance, that headache starting to beat behind your eyelids, and the cold isn't helping either. "You look like you could use some help, m'lady." You sigh heavily, recognizing the voice immediately.

"You're not following me are you, Terushima?" you ask, playfully, but a part of you is serious.

"Of course not, but it seems that whenever you're in trouble, I'm always around." You let out a surprised laugh, but you don't turn your attention to him, keeping it focused on putting the groceries in your car. "Let me help you," he offers, already moving to grab a bag, but you stop him.

"I got it, it's fine. Thanks anyway," you quickly tell him before catching your breath and starting again.

"Via, seriously, let me help you." Your movements falter at the nickname. Even though everyone calls you that, it always sounded different coming from him. You want to scoff at how easily your body reacted to it. You don't have the energy to fight, so you scoot over, giving him enough room to help pile the bags in your car. "So, you have your own shop," he starts, and is he really trying to make casual conversation right now?

"Yeah, I do," you respond, deciding to partake in whatever this is.

"American, right?" he asks, and you hate how he still remembers, and you drop the bag into your car a little bit more aggressively.

"Yeah. We have Japanese as well, but Kiya knows more about that than I do." He helps you put the last bag in, closing the trunk shut and returning the shopping cart.

"Well, that's great. I'm happy for you," he tells you when he gets back, and you nod as you purse your lips.

"Thanks." And there's that awkward tension again. Why was he trying to act like everything was normal? Why is he talking to you like nothing happened between you two? "Listen, Te--" You're cut off by his phone ringing, and he quickly fishes his phone out of his pocket and grimacing when he looks at the screen.

"I have to take this, uh--"

You cut him off with a wave of your hand. "Go ahead, it's okay. Thanks again," you say, quickly signaling the end of whatever this conversation was. You don't give him another look, turning around and getting into your car, thankful that it's still warm. You crank the car up and you look out the window as you do, seeing Terushima walking away on the phone.

You rest your forehead against the steering wheel. What are the fucking chances that he out of all people would walk back into your life? You take another deep breath. Thinking about it too much will only make your headache worse. You give him one last glance before driving off, hoping that you're actually getting away from him this time.

"You saw him again at the store?" Kiya asks, her eyes wide as she sits up on the couch. You roll your eyes from exhaustion as you stab your fork into your takeout.

"Yes, he said it's like whenever I'm in trouble, he's always around." You stab your food again, but you don't know if it's out of annoyance or anger this time.

"Okay, Via, come on, this is like a sign, isn't it?" You give her a look before shaking your head. "Why not?"

"Kiya, you were there through all of it. He's...he's not--he's probably still the same," you say, trailing off quietly, and Kiya's face turns into concern as she finally sees that the hurt you've tried to push back down is now coming to the surface. She moves closer to you on the couch before wrapping an arm around you, pulling you into her.

"You're right. I'm sorry, I just thought, maybe this one could be different. Different from those other douches you were seeing." You huff slightly, a smile forming on your face as you remember everything she said about what she didn't like about every last one of your exes.

Some of them were just flings, others could've easily gone further, but they always broke it off. You don't really know the reason, but you've sort of come to terms with it. Maybe dating just isn't your thing right now. "Yeah, I know," you say, burrowing yourself further into her embrace. "It's just, I don't know, what if it happens all over again?"

"If that does happen again, then I'll actually kill him this time." Both of you laugh at her words before she speaks up again. "But, all that aside, it's up to you what you want to do. Don't listen to me, I'm just the crazy best friend."

Your smile grows wider. "Crazy, you definitely are."

"Hey!" she says, shoving you away playfully, and you both dive back into laughter as you finish your takeout and the cheesy rom-com playing on the TV.

You sigh as you wipe off the bar counter, the shop quiet due to the fact that you're about an hour and a half from closing. You usually enjoy the serenity, grateful that it's not a rush like it is during mid-morning, lunch, and dinner. Around this time, you and Kiya usually get a chance to sit down and take a break.

You finish scrubbing off a stubborn stain on the counter when you hear the door open. "Welcome, I'll be with you in a moment," you greet out of habit without even looking up as you turn around to throw the rag into the sink.

"The place looks great." The familiar voice almost makes you stop in your tracks, but you recover quickly, wiping your hands off on a towel before turning to see Terushima sitting in the middle of the bar counter. You walk over to him, standing right in front of the counter, feeling like the counter isn't a big enough gap between the two of you.

"Thank you," you tell him honestly as you plant your hands on the edge of the counter. "What can I get for you?"

He smirks at you before he answers. "We both know you already know what I want," he says confidently, and you want to punch yourself because of the fact that you still know what his favorite food is even after you've been broken up.

"Coming right up." You turn around quickly, getting started on his order so that you can get him out of here as fast as possible before Kiya can see him. Unfortunately, that isn't the case, and she comes waltzing in from her office, her eyebrows raised high.

"Oh?" she starts, her voice a whisper. "What's he doing here?" she asks, and you shrug.

"I dunno. He just walked in here like a few minutes ago." You turn your head to look at him over his shoulder, and you see that he's taken off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. You notice that he's got a tattoo on his left arm that snakes all around his upper arm. Yeah, he's definitely gotten bigger since you've last seen him.

He looks up from his phone, catching you in the act, and he smirks at you before flexing his muscles, and your face heats up quickly, your head turning back to what you're doing. "He actually ordered something?" Kiya asks playfully with a huff, and you return it as you flip the patty.

"Yeah, I was surprised too. I thought he'd be here to bother me again," you admit.

"Which is what you would've wanted, right?" she teases, and you shove at her which makes her laugh, and yours soon follows.

"You guys talking about me?" you hear him speak up, and you roll your eyes with a scoff as you glance at him.

"Yeah," Kiya starts, "we were talking about how we could've closed up early if it weren't for you," she tells him, and you chuckle softly as you continue cooking.

"Well, I had to try the food for myself," he responds, and Kiya hums as she nods, obviously believing that he's not telling the entire truth. She starts to walk away back towards her office, but not before she nudges you softly, wiggling her eyebrows at you. You give her a look before waving her off.

Once she's left, you shudder lightly, feeling his eyes on you. You know he's watching you and everything you're doing. His eyes never leave you, watching you as you move along through the kitchen. You can't remember the last time you felt so heated under someone's gaze.

But you do remember that it took absolutely nothing for you to melt for him, and you internally shake the thoughts that are starting to pool into your head. You finish his food, sliding the plate to him softly, his drink following shortly. "Enjoy," you tell him easily, and he starts speaking before you can turn around.

"Thanks, but I think there's something that I want that's not on the menu." You roll your eyes, knowing what he's implying, but you play dumb anyway, leaning forward on the counter, resting your chin in your palm.

"Oh, and what would that be?" you ask, and he's leaning in, his face dangerously close to yours. He moves his eyes from yours to your lips before bringing them back up to your eyes. You feel your breath starting to pick up, your mouth falling open slightly, but you don't move away from him. You can't.

And then he's smirking at you again, and your knees almost give out. "You."

There's a knock on the door, and you let out an exasperated sigh that echoes throughout the walls of your apartment. You grab the baby currently sitting on the floor in the middle of your living room as another knock comes from the door. "I'm coming! Just give me a second!" you yell, your thin patience starting to disappear.

You walk to the door, yanking it open, getting ready to yell at whoever is presently throwing a monkey wrench into your day. "What are you doing here?" you deadpan, blinking a few times in confusion as you take in Terushima standing outside your apartment. "Actually, how do you even know where I live?"

He has the actual audacity to look sheepish as he rubs the back of his neck as he looks down. "I may or may not have gotten it from Kiya." You roll your eyes. Of course, it would be her. You really are going to kill her. Your niece starts fussing and you sigh. You really don't have time for this right now.

"If you wanna come in, come in," you rush out as you make your way back into your apartment. You vaguely hear the sound of the door closing and some footsteps, but you pay the sounds no mind as you set your niece in her high chair.

The first thing Terushima didn't expect when the door swung open was for you to have a baby in your arms. That alone almost distracted him from how you looked. Your hair was thrown together in a ponytail, curls falling out of it. Your shirt is covered in all kinds of stains, along with the sweatpants you're currently wearing, but Terushima thinks that you look amazing.

He slips off his coat and his shoes, throwing his scarf over his jacket before slowly making his way into the kitchen where you disappeared to. He takes in your apartment, the decorating and furnishing matching your personality to a T. The sound of fussing brings his attention to the baby that you were holding not too long ago, and he hears you speak.

"I know you're hungry, sweet girl," you say, opening the fridge. "What do you want?" you ask her even though you know she can't respond. Terushima smiles fondly as he sits down next to her, resting his arms on the island in front of him. "You want bananas?" You lift your head to look at her, and when she fusses, you try again. "How about peas and carrots?" Both her and Terushima's face screw up, and you smile softly as you turn back towards the fridge.

"Let's see," you bend over to look further into the fridge, and his eyes zero in on your ass before he snaps himself out of it. "Strawberries?" you ask hopeful, and when she laughs lightly, you smile before pulling out the container and warming it up with your hands as you bump the fridge closed.

You walk over to a drawer, opening it to pull out a small spoon before bumping it closed with your hip. The movement makes your boobs sway, and Terushima can't help but notice that he can see your nipples through your thin t-shirt. "Eyes up here, perv." Your words jolt him out of his spell, and he smirks at you as he shrugs.

"What can I say? They're nice tits." You scoff at his words, trying to fight the heat rising in your cheeks that he was checking you out, and it dawns on you how you actually look right now. You feel a little bit embarrassed, but the damage is already been done, and could you really blame yourself? You've been watching a baby all day.

Satisfied with your reaction, he turns to your niece, leaning forward to pinch her cheek softly, which makes her laugh. "And who is this pretty lady?" he asks as you smile at the interaction before walking to stand at the opposite side of the island.

"This is my niece, MJ." You set down the container of mushed food, taking off the lid before swirling around the food. You look up to see Terushima hold out a finger which she immediately grabs onto, and she smiles widely at him. "She seems to like you," you comment, feeling conflicted at the way your heart skips at their interactions. "You wanna feed her?"

You push the bowl his way, and he picks up the spoon with his other hand, his finger on his hand still being held hostage by your niece's hand. He feeds her with ease, and she even seems to be accepting the food a lot better from him than from you. "Do you think you could watch her while I get in the shower?" you ask. "I'll be quick, I promise."

"Yeah, go ahead. We'll be fine," he tells you without even looking your way.

"Are you sure?"

He finally looks at you after wiping some of the food off of her face with the spoon. "I'm sure, Via. I can handle it. Go do what you need to do." He quickly turns his attention back to MJ, and you quickly dart out of the kitchen making your way to your room.

You've been in the shower for about ten minutes, and the only thing Terushima keeps thinking about is the water running down your naked body, and he keeps shaking his head, forcing the images out of his head.

MJ's already eaten all of the food, and Terushima lightly presses on her stomach, seeing that she's completely full, and he looks around to see all of her toys in the living room. He finds the baby wipes, cleaning her up before he takes her out of the high chair and carries her to the living room.

He sets her down on the blanket you have out for her, and she immediately moves towards one of the toys as he sits on the floor next to her. Terushima's plan was mostly to bother you when he came over, and the last thing he expected was for him to be babysitting. He doesn't mind it though, he'll take any time he can spend with you. He'll take as much as he can in order to try to get you back.

He doesn't really know why he came to America, but part of him knows it was because of you. He knows that after you both graduated college, you moved back here and started your own shop. He hates how things ended between the two of you, and he wants to fix it, but he knows he's going to work hard especially because of how bad he hurt you.

He's been punching himself for three and a half years because of how stupid he was back then. If he could back in time and punch himself, he would curb stomp himself instead. He notices that he doesn't hear the water running anymore, and then he hears a door open. And he thought the clothes you had on before made you look good.

You walk out into the living room, your hair damp from the shower, and you're wearing a tank top and shorts, and he's glad you have a bra on this time. You're definitely not the same girl he dated back then. At all. "She wasn't too much trouble?" Your words jolt him out of his trance, and he forces himself to look at your eyes.

"No, she was not," he says, standing up before picking her up. He plants a small kiss on her head, but she's preoccupied with the toy in her hands to notice. "She was an angel." You sigh in relief, and Terushima moves her higher up on his hip. "Were you cooking something before I got here?" he asks, recalling something smelling really good vaguely filling his nostrils. Now, that smell has been replaced by your scent due to the fact you're standing so close to him.

"I was," you say, turning to walk into the kitchen, and he follows behind you while MJ smacks him in the face. "It was a new recipe," you continue, opening the oven. Terushima almost delays his response, his eyes zeroing on your ass again, but he manages to catch himself.

"New recipe for what?" he asks, and he's thankful when you stand up straight even though it's not that much better. When you set the pan down on the stove, you glance behind you nervously before speaking.

"It was a new recipe for cheeseburgers," you say, and he almost misses it, but he smirks as he walks around the island to stand beside you. You'd been keeping the burgers in the oven to keep them warm, and he looks down at them.

"They look really good," he comments. "You weren't thinking about me, were ya?" He has to jab at you, loving your reaction as you glare at him before looking down. "Can I try it?" he asks, and you nod before getting a knife to cut the burger in half. You grab a piece, bringing it to his mouth, and he puts the whole piece in his mouth, making sure to wraps his lips around your fingers briefly before pulling away.

The action has you feeling things that you shouldn't, and the moan he releases while he closes his eyes doesn't help either. "Oh, my God, that is amazing."

You feel your heart flutter at the compliment. "Really?" you ask softly, and he looks at you like you're crazy.

"Are you serious? This is the best thing I've ever tasted." He grabs the other half, stuffing it in his mouth before you can stop him. "Wow, you really are an amazing cook." You hate how easily your face heats up at the praise, and you just respond with a shrug. He reaches for another burger, and you grab his wrist before he can grab another one.

"You can't eat all of these!" you chastise. "I can make you some if you want me to." He uses the fact that you're still holding onto his wrist as an advantage, yanking his arm forward which causes you to bump into him. He barely moves, just wraps his arm around your waist, keeping you close to him.

"That sounds good. Thanks." You both lose yourselves in each other's eyes, time seeming to slow down as you feel your body going warm all over. God, you both missed being close to each other like this. You feel yourself starting to lean closer to him, your breaths started to mingle when MJ cries out, startling the both of you out of the spell you were in.

You jump away from him as you slightly shake your head. You did not almost kiss him. You quickly turn your attention to your niece, plucking her from his arm before walking back to the living room. Terushima sighs heavily as he puts the tray back into the oven, giving himself something to do to try to distract himself.

What would've happened if he had kissed you? Would you have kissed him back, or would you have pushed him away? He knows he's making some progress, but he doesn't know if kissing you would've ruined all of that. Do you want to kiss him? He sure wants to kiss you. He hasn't felt your lips on his in so long, and he wants to feel them so bad.

He forces those thoughts out of his head, and just as he's about to walk back into the living room, there's a knock on the door. "I'll get it," he tells you when he sees you about to stand up. He jogs to the door, and he opens it before almost being knocked down by two kids running past him.

"Boys, what did I tell you about that--Terushima?" The voice is filled with shock and confusion, and when he steadies himself, he looks at who's standing in front of him.

"Autumn?" he asks, and he steps to the side to let her in, closing the door behind him. "It's been a minute," he says, and she scoffs.

"It's been longer than a minute," she says almost in disbelief that he's standing in front of her. You walk to your sister with her daughter in your arms with your eyebrows raised.

"Aut, you wanna explain what this is?" you ask, gesturing towards the noisy boys running through your apartment. They run into your legs, both grabbing one, luckily you don't falter, still glaring holes into your sister.

"Auntie Via!" they both yell at the same time, Terushima wincing at the loud volume, and Autumn gives you a sheepish look.

"Look, something came up at the last minute, and I didn't know what else to do," she tells you, and you blink slowly.

"We have another sibling!" you argue, and she smiles at you.

"Yeah, but I don't trust him as much as I trust you," she says like that'll work, and you give her a deadpanned look. "I'm sorry, but I shouldn't be long, I promise. I owe you one," she continues, and you sigh as you roll your eyes.

"Fine," you give in, and she jumps up before giving you a hug on the side that isn't holding her daughter. She starts to head towards the door, and she waves goodbye to her kids, who really aren't paying her any mind, and she quickly slips out the door before they can see that she's leaving.

Your nephews are now focused on Terushima, prodding him with questions about his piercings and his tattoos. "I'm sorry about this," you tell him, and he looks up at you as he shrugs.

"I don't mind. I can stay if you want me to." He moves to go to the living room, but the boys jump on his legs, and he has to drag them to the living room as he walks.

"I can't ask you to do that," you say, smiling at him and your nephews.

"That's okay," he says, "You're not asking me. I'll stay," he concludes before sending a wink over his shoulder.

Turns out Autumn's "I won't be long" turned into five hours. Yeah, she definitely owes you. You're thankful that Terushima stayed, he was able to occupy the kids while you got stuff done that you had planned to do today. But you also hate how domestic it all felt, and it makes your heart do something weird. Like it doesn't know how to feel about the whole thing.

He even somehow managed to feed MJ while keeping your nephews distracted so that you could make dinner. You all eat in the living room, watching a movie that's more so for the boys, while MJ keeps herself entertained in her bouncer. When you all have finished, Terushima takes the dishes and even washes them before planting himself right next to you on the couch.

You notice that MJ is starting to get sleepy, she keeps rubbing her eyes and her bouncing is beginning to slow down. You grab her out of the bouncer, rocking her softly until she falls asleep. You're so glad that she doesn't fight sleep like her brothers did. You start to feel tired yourself, your eyelids feeling heavy, and Terushima seems to notice because he wraps his arm around you, pulling you into him.

You don't even fight it, his body heat pulling you further into sleep. As you're drifting off, you feel someone moving your arm, and you look down to see your nephews laying on either side of you and Terushima, laying down in your laps. You smile fondly as you rub his back before laying your head down on Terushima's shoulder. And before you fully fall asleep, you feel him kiss your forehead.

When Autumn uses her key to get into your place, she doesn't expect to see all of you asleep on the couch along with a questionable guy, but she can't help but smile as she pulls out her phone to take a picture. Once she's got them, she flicks your forehead. Your face scrunches up before you're blinking sleepily. "Oh, hey, you're back," you say, your voice filled with sleep. "Took you long enough."

She laughs quietly as she grabs MJ. "I know, I'm sorry," she whispers. "The twins weren't too much trouble, were they?" she asks, rocking her daughter back to sleep when she stirs.

"Then they usually are? No, not this time." You both exchange a soft chuckle before you carefully remove yourself out of Terushima's grip, not wanting to wake him, and you freeze when he shifts, but he just rolls his head to face the other way.

You help Autumn load her kids in the car, all of them still fast asleep. "I think they've only been asleep for about thirty minutes," you guestimate and she nods, but you know she wants to talk to you about the massive elephant in the room. You sigh. "Go ahead. Let it out."

"What the hell is he doing here? And in your apartment of all places?" You can hear a faint sound of disappointment in her voice considering the fact that you told her what he did to you and what led to your breakup.

You throw your hands up as you shrug. "I don't know. I didn't even know he was here. I found out when he caught me after I fell off my ladder." Her eyes go wide, and you wave her off before she can yell at you. "I didn't know he would be coming over here today either," you admit, and you sigh as you shove your hands into your jacket pockets.

"I just don't want you to get hurt again," she says, and you nod. "You've got nearly four years unaccounted for." You nod again, understanding what she's saying.

"I know, I know, but I don't know. He seems different now," you explain lamely, and you hear her sigh before you raise your head to meet hers.

"I know you don't want to hear a lecture from me, but be careful Via," she warns, and you nod firmly before moving in to give her a hug. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Text me when you get home," you tell her when you pull away. You watch her get in the car and drive off. You sigh again, watching the puff of air disappear into the chilly, night air before you make your way back to your apartment. You smile softly when you see that Terushima is still in the same position you left him in.

You take off your jacket, warming your hands up as you walk over to him. "Teru," you whisper, and when he doesn't respond, you tap him lightly. "Teru," you repeat, and you jump slightly when he grabs your wrist quickly, and he peels his eyes open.

"Your hands are freezing." You chuckle lightly as you see him look around. "The kids are gone?" he asks, rubbing his eyes with his palm.

"Yeah, my sister came and got them." He hums before he starts smiling widely, and your eyebrows come together as you look at him. "What are you smiling about?"

"You called me Teru." You feel your face heat up for the millionth time, and you scoff softly as you move to turn away, but he stops you, grabbing your wrist and pulling you towards him. He starts to stretch out on the couch, but you don't move, and he pulls you down with a little more force. "Lay with me," he murmurs, his body starting to drift off.

"You need to go home," you tell him, the nickname on the tip of your tongue, but you bite it back. He whines before pulling you down, making you fall onto him, and he traps you with his arms.

"I'll go home when I'm not tired." You chuckle again, situating yourself so that you're comfortable, and you notice that he's staring at you.

"What?" you ask, fighting the urge to shrink under his gaze. He brushes a strand of hair from your face before he rubs your cheek softly with his thumb, and you lean into the touch.

"You're just so beautiful," he whispers, and you huff as you look away, even your ears heating up at the compliment. "Hey." He turns your face so that you're looking at him again. "Can I kiss you?" There's something in your head that's telling you that you're already too deep and that doing this is a really bad idea, but it doesn't win.

You both lean in, and when your lips meet, you feel like you're back in high school, kissing him for the first time all over again. Tingles are sent all through your body as you sigh contently, and you feel yourself falling in love with him all over again. You know this is bad, but you can't bring yourself to care, blaming it on your fatigue.

He pulls away, a sleepy smirk on his face as he pulls you closer to him, your face buried in his neck. "Man, I've missed you so much." You feel your heart flutter at his words, and you're scared to respond with the same thing even though it's clear as day, but the soft snores filling your ears tell you that you don't have to worry about response right now.

Things seemed to do a complete one-eighty after that night. You thought when you would've woken up the next day, things would've been awkward, but to your surprise, you found yourself alone on the couch, and the smell of breakfast food filling your nose. He had made you breakfast, then sent you off to work with a kiss goodbye and a promise to call you later, which you wish you've would've let out when you were telling everything to Kiya.

"So, you guys are dating now?" she asks as she pours a cup of coffee for a customer.

"I don't know, I wouldn't call it that?" you say, unsure of where you both really stand right now. You serve two more plates to a table, and Kiya continues the conversation when you come back.

"But you guys have kissed?" she argues, and you respond with a shrug. "I don't know, from what you've told me, it seems like you two are back together."

"You don't sound very enthusiastic about it," you notice, and she replies with a pout as she tilts her head and you sigh. "Look, I know how things left off between us, but we'll talk about it," you try, and she holds her hands up.

"I'm not trying to tell you who to date or what to do. I just want you to be careful." You nod quickly at the repeat of words, and you really appreciate how much Kiya and Autumn care for you, and you smile as you nudge her.

"I know, thanks for looking out for me," you tell her, and she gives you a smile.

"Of course, that's what I'm here for."

Naturally, things are very prone to blow up in your face, and the blow-up happens about three weeks later. Everything with Terushima has been going pretty smoothly, both of you agreeing to talk about how things were left those years ago. He had been spending a lot more time over at your place, even more than you were spending at his. He'd been helping you babysit whenever your sister had to drop them off. It was like he had inched his way back into your life and planted himself there.

You decided to surprise him and make some of the burgers that he loved the first he came over. You can't help but bound happily to his apartment, the burgers in a plastic container, warm in your hands, and you finally get to his apartment, but just as you're about to knock, you hear laughing. Your hand stops midway as you lean in to put your ear against the door, careful not to alert anyone inside.

You assume it was the TV, but as you listen closely, you can hear Terushima's voice, but you feel your heart shatters when you hear a woman's voice coming from inside. You feel the tears forming in your eyes as you take in more of the conversation before you hear them erupt into laughter.

You finally find it in you to move, slamming the container on the ground before hurrying away from the door, your vision blurry from the tears. You were so stupid, so pathetic. You were so easy, that you fell for it. Again. And you thought that he had changed. You were dumb enough to think that things would be different this time around.

You don't tell anyone what happened, and you don't talk to Terushima. You don't even tell him what you heard, you just stop talking to him. It's not like you had time anyway. You and Kiya were hosting a Christmas party are your shop (her idea, not yours) and you barely had any time to really sit down and breathe. You both spent all day making the food, that you barely had time to sit down.

You luckily had enough time to run home and get in the shower to get ready. You came back just in time for the party to be in full swing, both you and Kiya's families here along with some friends. You've greeted everyone, and now you're just standing around, enjoying the atmosphere around you, while at the same time feeling a little bit insecure about the dress that Kiya made you wear.

It's a red sweater dress that's off the shoulder, but it hugs your body, stopping very close to the bottom of your ass with thigh-high boots. Why she had you wear this, you have no idea, but you decide that you're going to go change when she's preoccupied. "Via." You turn around, your heart dropping at the sight of him in front of you, and you hate how good he looks right now.

He walks closer to you, and his scent fills your nostrils, the way he fills out his suit should be illegal. "You look, wow," he says, shaking his head at a loss for words.

"Ridiculous, I know," you say, pulling at the hem of your dress and he scoffs.

"Gorgeous." You want to accept the compliment, but just looking at him makes you angry and upset at the same time. You mumble a soft thanks, and you're trying to find an excuse to get out of this conversation when he speaks up again. "You haven't been answering my texts or my calls," he starts, and you look away from him as you find an answer.

"Terushima, listen--"

"Via?" You turn your head towards the soft voice, and your eyes widen at the man walking towards you. He gives you a hug, and you reluctantly hug him back, disarray raging inside of your head.

"Kaleb! What are you doing here?" you ask incredulously, and he gives you a quick look of confusion before it's replaced with a smile.

"You invited me?" You raise your eyebrows. You did not invite this man to this party. You didn't even invite Terushima, and they coincidentally show up here? You internally roll your eyes. Kiya.

"I did, didn't I?" you lie. "Right, I'm sorry, I forgot, I've just been so busy." You haven't spoken to Kaleb in about a month. He was the recent guy you were seeing, and he was alright, but he really wasn't your type. You didn't even have his number saved in your phone. You sense even more tension in the air as Terushima and Kaleb stare each other down, and you definitely need way more alcohol.

"Terushima this is Kaleb. Kaleb this is Terushima." They both shake each other's hand, but the tension only seems to get thicker, and you feel like you're suffocating in it.

"If you guys would excuse me for a minute. I'm just going to check on the food," you rush out, not waiting for a response before darting off to find the culprit. When you spot her, you yank her to the side, and if looks could kill she'd drop dead on the spot. "You invited them both here?!" you yell, making sure to keep your voice lower than the music.

"Both? Who are you talking about?" You rub your forehead, feeling the stress really starting to hit you. This was the last thing you expected and you really don't need this right now.

"You invited Terushima and the guy that I ghosted a while ago." You sigh heavily, rubbing the back of your neck as her eyes go wide.

"Oh, shit. I did accidentally text a wrong number by accident, but I thought it was nothing." You give her a tired look, and she tilts her head in confusion. "I mean, it's gonna be okay, but you sound even more frustrated."

You sigh again. This really isn't the place to tell her, but you were going to tell her eventually. "I heard a woman's voice when I went to Terushima's apartment a couple of days ago."

"What?!" she nearly screams, her eyes wide before she slaps a hand over her mouth, realizing how loud she was. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know. Because there was just a lot going on, and I didn't want to be sad during the holidays or ruin yours, but that plan has failed miserably." You laugh bitterly, feeling completely drained.

"Shit, I'm sorry, Via. I didn't know." She reaches up to rub your arm as you shake your head.

"No, it's okay. You didn't know." You close your eyes as you take a deep breath, regrouping yourself. "It's okay. We'll worry about it later, 'kay?" You don't let her answer as you walk off, ignoring her calls of your name.

You linger around the party, hoping you don't run into Terushima, but your eyes land on him talking to your mom like they've been friends for years, and it feels like someone ripped your heart out of your chest. How could he just go about his life knowing that he was playing you? Just like he did before.

"Via?" A soft voice and soft hand shift your attention to Kaleb who's come up next to you, and you smile despite the fact that you feel like complete shit and that you're tired. Physically, mentally, and emotionally.

"Hi, Kaleb, what's up?" you ask, and he hands you a drink which you gratefully take, almost downing the whole thing in front of him.

"It's just, um, you're standing somewhere pretty cool." You look at him in confusion before you glance up, seeing mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Kiya must've put this in last minute. You feel your stress building up as you look at him, chuckling softly.

"I guess I am." You know he's going to kiss you, and you've never been so conflicted in your entire life. You don't really want to, but you want to, secretly hoping that Terushima's watching so that he can feel how you're feeling right now. But at the same time, you just wanna go home and cry yourself to sleep.

You've been quiet, your thought preventing you from answering, and you feel his lips on yours, and you feel your body sag slightly at the fact that you don't feel a spark from kissing him unlike when you kiss Terushima. When you pull away, you just happen to look to your right to see a very pissed off Terushima.

You see him shake his head before heading out of the door, and you hand your drink to Kaleb. "I'm sorry, I have to do something, I'll be right back." You rush to the door, disregarding your jacket as you follow Terushima out. "You got a problem or something?" you ask angrily, and he stops in his tracks, his back facing you for a few seconds before he turns around.

"Yeah, I do. You're over here leading me on while you're kissing other guys." You scoff at his accusation.

"Oh, like you're not doing the same thing," you spit back, and he raises his eyebrows at you.

"Excuse me? I haven't been seeing anyone else besides you, but you obviously have other plans."

"You know you have some real balls to accuse me of leading you on when that's all you did the entire time we were dating." He goes to speak, but you cut him off. "No! You entertained girls all the time, sometimes right in front of me. How you reacted to them is not how you're supposed to react when you have a girlfriend. Do you know how pathetic I felt?!" The tears are spilling, and you don't have any more will to stop them.

"I felt so stupid. You made me feel so...ugly." You see his face soften, but you don't wanna hear what he has to say. "And you're accusing me when you had a girl in your apartment a couple of days ago." His eyes widen at that, and he stops his trek towards you.

"What are you talking about?" You scoff as you throw your hands up. You'll have to spell this one out for him too.

"I went to your apartment to give you the burgers that you wanted, but when I went to knock on the door, I heard your voice laughing with another woman's voice." You see his face drop in realization, and he starts to wave his hands. "Did you both enjoy my burgers?" you ask, your voice cracking as more tears fall down your face.

Terushima recalls hearing something fall outside of his door, and when he opened it, he saw the burgers, but he didn't think anything of it. He should've been more aware. How could he be so stupid?

"Wait, Via, baby, that wasn't what it looked like, I swear--"

You chuckle bitterly. "You expect me to believe that?! Because that was the same shit you told me four years ago!" You're past done. You're exhausted. "Fuck you, Yuuji Terushima for being the same piece of shit guy you were four years ago! And for breaking my heart again." Your voice breaks when you say again, and Terushima feels his heart breaking into a million pieces. "I never want to see your face again."

You turn around quickly making your way back into your shop while Terushima stands there frozen, letting you walk out of his life once again. The words you just spoke to him the exact same words you said back then. He feels the tears on his face before he registers them. How could this happen? How did it all go so wrong so fast?

You walk back into the party, thankful that you didn't put mascara on as you wipe your face off, and Kiya walks up to you. "Girlfriend, are you okay?!" she asks you, concern etched all over her face as she pulls you to the side.

"No, I'm not," you tell her honestly. "But, this is a party, and we're supposed to have fun. So, that's what I'm going to do." For what seems like the tenth time tonight, you walk off without waiting for a response.

After everyone left the party, that's when you decided to get yourself drunk. You usually don't drink this much, but you couldn't bring yourself to think about anything else. Kiya takes you home, and she stays with you as you scream, cry, rant until you finally crash on your bed due to a mix of the alcohol and your emotions being all over the place.

She sighs worriedly at your figure, and sits next to you on the bed, brushing her hand over your head before your face which is stained with tear tracks. Your phone on your nightstand rings and Kiya picks it up, seeing that it's Terushima and she rolls her eyes before hitting the decline button. She sees that he's called you non-stop through the night, and she scoffs again. She's pretty sure she could get away with murder.

When the phone rings for the fourth time, Kiya angrily picks it up. "Via, baby, I am so sorry, please listen to me, it was just a misunderstanding--"

"Olivia can't come to the phone right now," Kiya cuts him off curtly. "She's passed out because a fucking piece of shit decided to walk back in her life and break her heart the same fucking way he did four years ago," she spits, and she hears him sigh heavily before he sniffles.

"Kiya, you gotta let me explain, please let me explain." He sounds completely wrecked, Kiya can barely understand what he's saying.

"I don't think so, Terushima. You barely deserved a second chance, and you definitely don't deserve a third. Goodbye."

"Wait, wait, wait! Please! Please let me explain!" He's practically yelling in her ear, and she knows that if she hangs up on him he'll just keep calling. But she's also never heard him like this before.

"Fine. You have five minutes."

It's been roughly a week since one of the lowest moments of your life, and you're not entirely healed, but you definitely feel better, and you swore off getting that drunk ever again due to the awful headache you had when you woke up the next morning. Right now, you were hanging with Kiya, which she fully insisted for whatever reason, and you assume it's just because she wanted to spend time with you before the new year.

"He proposed?!" you yell as you practically throw yourself off the couch. Kiya laughs as she nods. "What? Show me the ring!" you demand, and she holds her hand out which you quickly take into yours to examine her finger. "Woah, that is expensive," you comment as your eyes go wide.

She pulls her hand back as she agrees before looking at it again, her eyes full of love and happiness. You can't help the ping of jealously that stabs at your heart, but you push it away, replacing it with the happiness for your best friend. "So, I'm obviously going to be the maid of honor," you say matter-of-factly, and she laughs as she rolls her eyes.

"Of course you are. There's no one else I would want it to be." You both talk for a couple more hours, and you look at the clock on your phone.

"I should probably go. I don't want to implode on the newly engaged couple. He's going to be home soon, right?" you ask, standing and stretching.

"Yeah, but it's okay, you can stay. We won't mind." You shake your head as you start to gather your things.

"It's okay. I've got a bunch of takeout and some wine calling my name at home." You slip on your coat and your boots. That's mostly the reason why. The other reason why is that you really don't want to see any happy couples right now. That's just putting salt in a wound that's slowly healing. "Congratulations again, Kiya. I'll text you when I get home." She nods while walking you to the door, and she watches you walk to your car and drive off before closing the door.

You yawn loudly when you get home, kicking your boots off and throwing your jacket onto the couch. You decide that you're going to take a nap first, and then you'll eat, and as you walk to your room, you feel something under your feet. At first, you thought it was something weird on your sock, but when you keep feeling it, you look down to see rose petals?

You turn back to the door. You had locked the door when you left, and you just unlocked the door when you came home, so...

"Hello?" you call out into the quiet apartment, but you receive no response, and you follow the trail of rose petals, assuming that this is possibly the way that you're going to go out. The trail stops at your door, and you slide the door open, gasping when you see what's inside.

The lights are off, the only light being provided is from the vanilla-scented candles all over the room. There are rose petals all over the place, and there are vases of your favorite flowers spread out across the room, and standing in the middle of it is Terushima.

He's facing you, wringing his hands together nervously as he watches you take in the new changes made. "What is all this?" you ask in disbelief, and he steps forward before he speaks.

"An apology. I mean, I don't really think I can make up for the pain that I've caused you, but there's been a huge misunderstanding." You sigh softly as you look away.

"Terushima..." you start, and he startles you when he falls to his knees before grabbing your hands.

"Via, I'm begging you to let me explain. If you let me explain, then I'll be out of your hair. You won't hear from me ever again. And I know I don't deserve this, but please, please, let me explain." You only respond with a nod, mostly because of how he's acting right now. "For starters, I am so sorry for how I've made you feel. This year and four years ago. It was never my intention to make you cry or to break your heart, and I did both of those things, and so much more."

He takes a deep breath before speaking again. "Second, that girl in my apartment is not what you think," he tells you firmly making you roll your eyes, and he quickly starts speaking again. "I know, I know, but let me explain." He quickly pulls his phone out of his pocket like he's afraid that you're going to leave.

You watch as he brings up a conversation with a number before scrolling up to a certain part of the conversation, and he turns the phone to you. You hesitantly grab the phone, looking at him before bringing your eyes to look at the phone. You scroll through the messages, the messages themselves not outright telling you that he was seeing another girl.

One of them says 'it'll be ready in a couple of days,' another one says that 'you can meet me at my place.' That one's from Terushima. You hand him back the phone, not convinced at all. "You told her she could meet you at your place."

"And I should've realized how that would've looked. I was stupid, I wasn't thinking, and I'm sorry." You gesture to the phone.

"What was supposed to be ready?" you ask, your voice full of disinterest, and he quickly pockets the phone before reaching into his front pocket. Your eyes widen when he pulls out a box small enough for a ring, and he grabs your hand before you have the chance to move.

He opens it to reveal a small, simple ring with your birthstone in it. "Terushima..." you trail off, and he shakes his head.

"It's not what it looks like. It's a promise ring." A soft, surprised expression comes over your face. "It's a promise to you that I'm going to be better. Everyone knows that I don't deserve you, but this is a promise to you that I'm going to become the man that you deserve." Now you feel the tears coming, and he keeps going.

"It's a promise that I'm never going to hurt you again." He stands up quickly, your head now lifting upward to look him in the eyes. "Olivia, you mean the world to me. There's no else but you, there hasn't been, and there never will be." He takes the ring out of the box, setting the box on your dresser.

"I love you so much that it hurts. You're all I ever think about as soon as I wake up to the moment I go to sleep. Please, give me another chance. I promise I won't make you regret it." The tears are falling more frequently, and you wipe them away.

"How do I know you're not lying?" you ask quietly, trying to keep your weak resolve up. He steps closer to you.

"You know that I'm not lying," he tells you confidently, his gaze never wavering from yours, and you sigh knowing that he's right. He's one of the worst liars you've ever met, having tells for days. And none of them are showing. You're still fighting it in your head, looking down away from him, and he tilts it back up by your chin.

"Please. I will never make you feel that way ever again. I promise." He tells you firmly, his voice solid. Terushima feels like his heart explodes when you nod your head. He slides the ring onto your finger before wiping the tears from your eyes. He's so happy he could cry. He plants his lips on yours quickly, wrapping his arms around you, pulling him into him.

"Please, let me show you," he pleads after he pulls away, holding your face in his hands.

"Okay." That's all he needs before he's picking you up, your legs wrapped around his waist as he carries you to the bed, and he never breaks the kiss as you land on your back. He moves you further up on the bed before moving his lips to your neck, pressing wet, open-mouthed kisses on your skin.

Your hands move to his hair as you feel him biting marks into your skin, and you know that you're going to look like a freaking leopard tomorrow. He pulls your shirt off, throwing it somewhere off to the side, your bra soon following, and he doesn't waste any time attacking your breasts, one hand stimulating one while his mouth is on the other.

He pulls your hardened nipples between his teeth and his fingers at the same time, making your back arch off the bed at the different feelings. After marking up one breast, he moves to the other, doing the same thing before he starts to kiss down your abdomen.

He looks up at you when he reaches the waistband of your sweatpants, and you nod quickly as he groans seeing how your pupils are blown with lust. He quickly gets rid of your sweats, groaning again when he sees the growing wet spot across your crotch.

He licks a broad stripe up your covered cunt, both of you moaning simultaneously as you squeeze his head with your thighs. He makes quick work of your panties, almost ripping them with how eager he is to taste you. He digs his fingers into your thighs, almost entranced by your naked sex, and he teases you a bit more by marking up your thighs, whining when he pulls the skin between his teeth.

"Yuuji, stop teasing," you whine, and he smiles wickedly before he spreads your legs.

"I gotcha, pretty girl," he coos before licking another stripe through your folds, the action so sudden that it makes you jump slightly. His hands press your legs into the mattress as he eats you out like you're his last meal. "You taste so fucking good," he moans, the vibrations only elevating the feeling, and the taste of you on his tongue and the sounds you're making are like heaven, and he's close to blowing his load that he has to force himself to hold back.

He moves up to your clit, running circles over it with his tongue before sucking it into his mouth, making the grip on his hair tightening just shy of painful. He prods a finger at your hole before slowly inching his way in, and he ruts against the bed to find some release. You already feel so good on his finger, so he can only imagine what you'll feel like when you take his dick.

He slides another finger in while continuing to use his mouth on your clit, stretching you out before sliding in a third. He curls his fingers, hitting that spot inside of you with ease, making you release a loud moan. "Teru," you gasp, and he smirks against you.

"You close, baby?" he prods, already knowing the answer. He keeps curling his fingers, the squelching sounds almost overpowering your moans, and he feels you pulling at his hair, this time painful, but he can't bring himself to care as he licks up your clit making sure his piercing strikes it.

You cum with a scream, and he moans when you clench on his fingers, but he keeps going, his fingers seeming to go deeper inside of you, and a weird feeling sits in your core, and you try to push him away, but he keeps going until you feel another release.

"Fuck. Holy shit, babe." You come down from your high, gasping for air as you watch him come up with your juices all over his face while he sucks his fingers clean. "You just squirted." You move to cover your face with your hands but he stops you. "Don't be ashamed. That was really hot," he admits, licking around his mouth to get some more.

He kisses you hungrily, and you moan as you taste yourself on his tongue and when his piercing knocks against your teeth. He hisses and breaks the kiss when you palm his straining erection through his jeans. "Do you want me to return the favor?" you ask, still breathless from your previous orgasm, and he lightly brushes your hand away as he shakes his head.

"Later, right now is all about you," he tells you, and you wrap your arms around his neck to pull him close to you.

"Then I want you to fuck me," you whisper against his lips, and he groans before making quick work of his shirt and his jeans. You can see a huge wet spot in the front of his briefs, and he gets rid of them quickly, his dick smacking his abdomen once it's free.

He stands at the edge of the bed, lazily stroking himself, and you feel your mouth go dry at how beautiful he is, so you tell him, and he responds with a soft chuckle, but you can see his face deepen with a blush at the compliment. "Nah, that's all you, baby girl." He smirks when he sees your eyes widening once they land on the pair of metal balls at the head of his length. "You like it?" he quips, and you just gulp, your eyes having a hard time looking away from the angry red tip dripping with pre.

His eyes drag down your figure, making you hot all over and he moves onto the bed, hovering himself over you. "You're so gorgeous. The prettiest woman I've ever met." You don't have time to feel flustered by his words because he leans down to kiss you, this one different from the previous ones.

This one is softer and filled with love, but still has the same amount of passion and hunger. "I have a condom," he tells you when he pulls away, and you shake your head.

"I wanna feel you," you tell him, lust dripping in your words, and he bites back a moan as he gives you one last kiss before guiding his dick towards your leaking hole. He pumps himself a few more times before sliding in, and you can't help the whine that falls from your lips.

It's been so long since you've felt him inside of you. And it's an addicting feeling you didn't even know you were missing until now. "Fuck, you are so tight. Shit." He bottoms out, stretching you in the best possible way, and he rests his head against yours.

"Move, Yuuji," you urge, and he nods while he pants.

"I know, baby, I know, give me a second. Fuck." He takes a few more deep breaths, and when he's sure that he's not going to bust just from how warm you feel, he backs up until only the tip is inside and he rams back into you, making the bed knock against the wall.

You cry out, your arms wrapping around his neck again as he repeatedly slams back into you, the feeling of the piercing rubbing against your walls foreign, but it feels so good. He keeps shifting his hips until he finds that spongy spot inside of you, and he grips the headboard, using it as leverage to piston that spot, and you feel like you're going to explode with pleasure.

You rake your nails down his back, and he feels it hit every nerve ending all over his body, and his hips falter just a tad when you clench around him. "Fuck, baby, touch yourself for me, please touch yourself," he spills out, knowing he's not going to last much longer.

You bring your hand down to roll hard circles on your bud, clenching at the sudden stimulation, and Terushima shudders. "Feels so good, Yuuji," you moan out, and he can't help but reciprocate it as his face scrunches up in pleasure.

"You feel too good, baby, oh my God." You can sense that he's close, so you clench around him again, and that's what send him over the edge, letting out a shout of your name as his hot seed shoots into you.

He doesn't stop moving though. He brings one hand down to your shoulder and fucks into you harder than he had before. He whines at the overstimulation, but he's determined to get you there. "Cum for me, baby, cum for me."

With one last hard thrust, you cum hard, back arching off the bed as you scream his name while Terushima moans at you coming undone under him. Your back meets the bed again, and Terushima rests his head on your forehead as you both catch your breath.

He pulls out of you slowly, wincing at the overwhelming feeling of pleasure mixing with pain before he gets up and makes his way to the bathroom the best he can on shaky legs. You feel yourself starting to drift off, and you jump when you feel something warm at your core.

"Sorry, I gotta clean you up," he tells you softly, wiping the mix of your juices away before putting the rag in the sink in the bathroom. He comes back, pulling the blankets down and getting in before pulling you into his chest. "I love you so much, Olivia. And I am so sorry. I won't make you regret giving me another chance."

You look up at him with a sleepy smile and sleepy eyes before sitting up to kiss him. "I love you too, and I forgive you, maybe," you joke, and you giggle when he pinches your side.

The rhythm of his heartbeat and the finger dragging up and down your arm lulls you to sleep fast, and the last thing you remember is hearing "goodnight."

Terushima wakes up before you, the sunlight bleeding in through the blinds and into his eyes. He takes a deep breath in and looks around, thankful that he remembered to blow out the candles before he went to sleep. He looks down to see you still sleeping peacefully, and he feels his heart do a somersault. He finally has you and he going to make sure that you don't leave. Not again.

He never realized what he was taking for granted until you broke up. He had slept with a few other girls, but they weren't you. All he could think about was you. He even got kicked out of a girl's place naked because he accidentally called her by your name. He pulls you closer to him, and you stir slightly, moving your head so that it's angled more towards his.

He thinks you look ethereal. The way the sunlight makes your brown skin glow almost makes him melt. He runs a finger down your sleeping face lightly before brushing the hair out of your face. "I'm sorry for being so stupid," he starts even know he knows you can't hear him. "I didn't realize what I had lost until it was too late. I wish I could go back in time so I could fix it or beat myself up, one or the other," he jokes laughing softly. "Probably both."

He rubs your back softly. "I don't even know if I have enough words to describe how much you mean to me. I should've never entertained those girls, like I said I was an absolute idiot, and to be honest, I didn't think you would've given me a second chance. I would've understood if you didn't." He holds you a little tighter. "But I'm glad that you did. I love you, and I'm going to keep saying it until you get tired of it, but I want you to know that. I want you to know that it's true and that I seriously mean it."

He takes a deep breath. "After the Christmas party, I cried so hard I almost threw up." He laughs bitterly, he doesn't really know why he's saying this, but he feels like he should get it off his chest. "That night it felt like my heart had been ripped out and stomped on multiple times. I only have myself to blame though. And I figured that must've been what you felt like because of me, and that happened to you twice.

"I was almost in hysterics. I kept calling your phone, but you never answered, and when I was about to give up, Kiya picked up the phone." He laughs again." And she almost hung up on me until I explained to her everything that happened and the huge misunderstanding that caused all of this. She held me put this whole plan together actually. She got you out of your apartment so I could do all of this."

He looks down at you again, giving you a kiss on your forehead. "I hope you stay with me forever. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You really are sappy in the morning." Your groggy voice makes him jump, and you smile as you struggle to hold back your laugh, peeling your eyes open to reveal a very red Terushima.

"You were awake?!" he asks, and you laugh fully as you nod. "You heard everything?!"

You nod again. "I did, I'm sorry. I thought you were talking in your sleep, but I realized it was too coherent for it to be sleep talk." You sit up, resting your hand on his chest and putting your chin on top. "Did you mean everything you said?"

He responds quickly. "Every word." You fight back tears as he pulls you in for another kiss, his hand resting on the back of your head softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Yuuji Terushima."

EPILOGUE:

"Teru, you're not taking me to the woods to kill me, are you?" you ask, looking around blindly due to the blindfold wrapped around your eyes. You hear him laugh as you feel him take another turn.

"No, I'll do that for our next anniversary." You laugh as you try to figure out where you are. Terushima had woken you up saying that he was going to show you your anniversary present, but then he blindfolded you and led you to the car. "Stop trying to figure out where we are with your weird powers!" he yells at you, and you nudge at him while playing with your necklace that he got for you after you both made up. It has his name on it, and he bought a matching chain with your name on it.

"It's not my fault I know this city like the back of my hand." You feel him take another turn, and you close your eyes as you try to narrow it down. "Are we in a subdivision?" You smirk when you hear him groan, knowing you guessed right.

"Can you please stop? You'll ruin the surprise."

"It's hard to focus on anything else," you admit, and you quickly go quiet when you feel his hand rubbing up and down your thigh.

"It is hard now?" he asks you, lowly, and you feel your core clench at his words and his actions. Now you can't focus on anything but his hand, but you're abruptly pulled from his actions when you feel the car stop. You hear him turn the car off and you hear his door open and close while you take your seatbelt off.

Your door opens, and he's guiding you out of the car. "You ready?"

You jump excitedly in impatience. "Yes, yes, hurry up!" He peels off the blindfold, and you blink a few times, letting your eyes adjust to the light before they focus on a two-story house. "A house?" You feel something cold touch your hand, and you look down to see a pair of keys in your hand.

"Our house." Your eyes go wide as you snap your head up to look at Terushima before looking back at the house. "Happy anniversary, baby."

"Are you fucking serious?!" you say, jumping into his arms, almost taking him out before you run towards the door, unlocking it as fast you can. Terushima smiles at you fondly as he follows you around the house as you tour it.

"This bedroom's kinda small though," he comments, looking around, and you step in the room, spinning around as you look at the room before stopping to face Terushima.

"I don't know. I think it's the perfect room for a nursery," you admit, and you see him shrug as he looks around again before the words dawn on him. He almost breaks his neck to look at you, and you smile widely as you nod.

"You're fucking serious?! I'm gonna be a dad?!" He runs to you, picking you and spinning you around. You both laugh loudly before he sets you down, pulling you into a loving kiss that leaves you breathless.

"Happy anniversary, Yuuji."

A/N: If you stayed this long thank you for reading, but if you didn’t, I don’t blame you LMAO

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johnsbleu · 4 years

Text

Hold My Hand: John Wick x Reader Chapter 95

warnings: nsfw hold my hand masterlist

Ever since John got his results back from his doctor, things have been amazing in the Wick household. The two of you have been actively trying to get pregnant, but you’ve had no luck so far. Your honeymoon was amazing, and exactly what the two of you needed. It was nice to be away, just you and John, and just spend time together not stressing out about test results.

It’s a few days before Halloween and you’re just getting the last of the things that you’ll need -- basically just more bags of candy. Jimmy is having a Halloween party tonight, and you’re so excited to finally see what John has decided to dress as. You’ve been guessing, but he’s kept such a tight lip on it that it’s been pissing you off.

Running into the house, you head for the guest bedroom, and John furrows his brow as he watches you run past. You didn’t bother to stop and say hi because you know he’ll try to get a look at your costume. You’ve done such a good job at hiding it from him, but you remembered you were forgetting one crucial piece of your costume.

“What are you doing?” John asks, knocking on the door, “Just let me see your costume.”

“No!” you playfully yell at him from the other side of the door, “You haven’t shown me yours yet.”

“Because…”

You open the door and cock up an eyebrow, “Because it’s a secret, right?”

“Well, yeah.” he laughs and looks over your shoulder to see if he can see your costume, and you lightly punch him in the stomach as he laughs, “Okay, okay, I’ll stop.”

“You only have to wait a few more hours.” you push past John and grab his hand to keep him from going into the guest bedroom. “I can’t wait to see your costume. I honestly have no idea what you’re going to be, I certainly can’t see you dressing as a vampire or something.”

John shakes his head and laughs, “No, not a vampire.”

“A…chef?” you ask, sitting down on the couch, and John shakes his head again. “A mime?”

“Nope.” he smiles.

“Hmm…” you tilt your head to the side and think. You have no idea what John could be going as. The possibilities are endless, and John always likes to surprise you.

John looks at his watch to check the time, then slaps his hands on his legs, “Well, I better go shower and start to get ready.”

“Very good idea.” you lean over to kiss John and smile, “Me, too.”

The two of you head your separate ways, and John leans over the staircase railing to see you again, “Hey…”

“What?”

John smiles, “Can’t wait to see your sexy costume.”

“I bet you can’t.” you laugh loudly as you lock yourself in the guest bedroom.

You’re looking at yourself in the mirror, trying your hardest not to laugh. John is expecting something sexy, and your costume is…well, it’s sexy to you. John, on the other hand, you don’t know how he’ll react. You’re just hoping he’s actually going to wear a costume.

There’s a knock at the door that startles you, and you open it up to see Tess wearing her costume.

“Oh, my god. You look so cute!” you gasp and hug her tight. “How very Madonna of you!”

Tess laughs as she fluffs up her hair in the mirror, “Jimmy wanted to wear matching 80s costumes, so I was told him there’s no way in hell I’m not going as the iconic ‘Like a Virgin’ Madonna.”

“But what are you doing here?”

“Just wanted to check up and see the progress,” Tess laughs, then she gestures you, “John is literally going to die when he sees you. I just saw him in the kitchen, and he’s fully convinced you’re going as like…some sexy librarian or something.”

You look at Tess, furrowing your brow, “Did he actually say librarian?”

Tess brushes you off and heads for the door, “Anyway, I’ll meet you over there.”

“Okay.” you lock the door behind Tess and grab your jacket from the bed to put it on. Smiling wide, you fix your top, then grab your heels to put them on. You take a long look at yourself in the mirror and grab the plastic gun that you had bought earlier today at the dollar store, then you take a deep breath and exhale, “I’m John Wick.”

You had convinced John to head over to the party before you. You knew you wanted to make an entrance, and right now, only Aurelio and Amanda are at the party to help set up. Tess is on the front lawn with her phone pressed to her ear.

“Okay, I just wanted to make sure that he’s being good.” she says and nods her head, “Thank you so much. We’ll be over to get him in the morning. We really appreciate this. Okay, bye.”

When Tess looks up and sees you, she laughs so loud that you have to press your hand to her mouth to keep everyone from looking outside.

“Shh!” you put your finger to your mouth as you laugh.

“Oh…my god.” Tess backs away a little and checks you out, “You’re John. Well, actually I think you need to like put some blood on your face or something.”

You pull out the tube of fake blood and laugh, “I have the idea of putting it on more and more throughout the night. Oh, and I have a fake gun too.”

“Why didn’t you slick your hair back though? He always combs it back when he works.” Tess asks, tucking your hair behind your ears. “There, I mean, at least leave it tucked behind your ear.”

You fluff your hair back out and squint your eyes as you walk past Tess, “You’re such a mom.”

Opening the door to Tess’ house, you see Jimmy moving a table to the back patio. Amanda is dressed as a bubble bee, and Aurelio as a bee-keeper. They look so cute and you want to squeal, but you have to keep up your John Wick act.

“I gotta act…cool.”

Tess laughs, “You think John is cool? He’s not.”

“Yes, I am.” you say, trying to make your voice deeper. “I’m really cool.”

Tess looks at you as she laughs and walks into the living room to talk to Amanda. You playfully stumble in behind Tess, and Aurelio gets off the couch to help you.

“I’m fine.” you say, putting your hand out, “I’m fine.”

“Are you serious?” Tess laughs, then shakes her head as she look at Aurelio, “She’s--”

“You’re John.” Aurelio laughs.

“John Wick.” you reach out to shake his hand and try your best John impression.

You look over your shoulder to see John walking through the back door, and you try your hardest not to laugh when you see him in a gray pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt to match.

As you stumble over to John, he laughs loudly, “Really?”

“I’m John Wick.” you smile.

John laughs and gestures to you, “I see that. I’m pretty sure I’m not as cute as you are though. I also don’t look as good in a pair of heels.”

You lean closer to John and whisper, “Don’t ask if I’m workin’, you already know the answer.”

Laughing quietly, John walks a little closer to you, unsure if you’re going to let him hug you, and he smiles when you reach out for him. He hugs you tight in his arms as more people begin to come into the house, and he leans back to see your face.

“You look so sexy.” he says, looking down at your shoes then up at your face, “No beard though. Is it weird how turned on I am by this? Because I’m finding this very hot.”

“As you should!” you laugh as you kiss John, “So, Mr. Balboa...”

John laughs as he shrugs, “I couldn’t think of anything. I sat on the couch for hours and turned on the TV, and they were playing Rocky. Simple enough outfit.”

“I like it.” you smile, scooting closer to him, “I like you in sweatpants, and your cute little stocking cap. A little disappointed that you’re not in the shorts and robe though.”

John lets out a loud laugh, “Yeah, sorry, you’re missing out on all of that.”

“Well,” you trail your finger down John’s beard as you smirk, “I’ll get to see it later.”

The party has been going great so far, and John has been eyeing you all night. He keeps winking at you and wiggling his eyebrows when you look at him, and he looks so damn hot that you can’t wait to get home tonight.

Jimmy has invited quite a few of his friends to the party, and you’ve been laughing at all of their costumes. Your favorite so far has been the chicken. The only problem with so many people in the house is that it’s so damn hot. Stepping out onto the back patio, you tilt your back and exhale, watching your warm breath in the cold air. You take off your suit jacket and lift your arms to allow some air to flow through your shirt to cool you down, then you shiver from the sudden rush of cold air.

A noise behind you that startles you, and you squint your eyes a little to see who is behind you, “Hello?”

“Oh, sorry,” a man says, stepping into the light more, “Didn’t mean to scare you. I just needed a cigarette.”

You laugh a little, “It’s okay, I just…thought I was alone. Good thing I didn’t start talking to myself, that would have been embarrassing!”

Reaching out to shake your hand, the man smiles, “Gary.”

“Gary, hi, I’m Y/N.” you squint your eyes a little to get a better look at his costume, “Hawaiian shirt and jeans.”

Gary holds up a fake mustache and smiles, “A mustache.”

You snap your fingers as you think, “Oh, oh, oh! Yes! Hopper from Stranger Things!”

“You’re good!” he laughs, tucking the mustache back in his pocket, “If we play games, I want you on my team. Okay, so let me guess what you are. Uh, I have no idea.”

“I’m my husband.” you laugh and put your jacket back on.

Gary furrows his brow a little as he takes a puff of his cigarette, “And your husband is…”

“John.” you say, then you quickly add in his last name since he seems to have no clue who you’re talking about. “He’s inside, he’s dressed as Rocky Balboa -- his favorite movie.”

“Hmm,” he drops his cigarette to the ground and steps on it, “Don’t think I know him. Won’t lie, I’m a little bummed that you’re married. It’s a shame that you’re not single.”

You chuckle nervously, “Oh, uh, I’m not sure how to respond to that.”

“Maybe you can…give me your number.”

A creepy smirk spreads across Gary’s face as he moves under the light a little more, and you take a step back when he stops closer again.

Okay. You’re uncomfortable now.

You give him a polite smile, then you move past him a little, but he blocks your way. Exhaling loudly, you look up at him and shake your head as you hold his gaze. What is it with drunk guys at parties? You were being friendly with him and talking to him, but he had to go and ruin it.

“Excuse you.”

Gary laughs, “You don’t like me, do you?”

“I don’t know you.” you say, taking a step to your right, but he moves with you. “Don’t do this. Trust me, you don’t want to do this.”

You’re starting to get cold from standing outside, and you’re also starting to get a little scared. Gary is just about as big as John, a little more hefty than him, but he’s pretty scary. You take another breath and roll your eyes before you turn around and head to the gate that leads to the front of the house.

Gary grabs your jacket and pulls you back to him, but you turn around and punch him hard in the face, causing him to stumble back a few steps with his hand over his mouth and nose.

As he stumbles back a few more steps, you inch your way around him and head inside, frantically looking around for John. He’s laughing with Aurelio and Tess, and he looks over at you, immediately changing his demeanor when he sees your face.

“What’s goin’ on?” he reaches for your hand and pulls you aside, and he looks down to see the blood on your hand, “What the fuck happened?”

“I…punched someone.” you look up at John in shock, and you start to laugh a little in disbelief, “I just punched a guy.”

Tess grabs your arm, “You what?”

“Gary, I punched him.” you look down at your hand and see it shaking, “He grabbed my arm, so I turned around and just…punched him.”

John looks at Tess and shakes his head, “Who’s Gary?”

“I don’t know.” she shrugs, “We don’t know a Gary.”

You look over Tess’ shoulder when he walks into the house, and you hide around the corner a little so he won’t see you. Pointing at him, you look at Tess and John, and you watch John’s eyes narrow as he looks at him. The look of pure anger on John’s face causes you to shiver, and you frown when he looks back you.

“I didn’t even do anything. He was just standing in the yard and I started talking to him because he was back there smoking -- I was just being nice. I guessed his costume, then he tried to guess mine, and I immediately told him that I was married and that I was dressed as my husband. I was just being nice, I just wanted to be nice. I’m sorry.”

John cups your face and shakes his head, “Don’t do that. Don’t start apologizing like you’ve done something wrong.”

“But this is the second time it’s happened.” you say as you start to cry, “I was just being nice.”

John looks at Tess and puts his hand on her shoulder, “Take her and get her cleaned up.”

Tess puts her hands on your shoulders and pushes you, but you look at John and reach out for him, “Don’t get arrested, please.”

“I won’t.” John laughs.

Tess turns around and looks at him, “Don’t kill him on our new rug. We just bought it.”

You’re sitting on Tess’ bed while she looks over your hand, and you sigh as you look down at it. The blood is cleaned off of it, and thankfully it’s not swollen or anything. It surprisingly doesn’t have any pain, probably because of the adrenaline.

“Looks good, goose.” Tess says, looking up at you. She rubs your back a little to get you to look at her, then she gives you a small smile, “It’s not your fault.”

“This has happened twice now. First Matt, now this.” you sigh again as you look away from Tess, “Should I just never talk to someone because they might take it the wrong way? I told him I was married and he just started hitting on me, I didn’t even flirt with him. I don’t flirt. I don’t know how! I flirt with John, but that’s different. He’s my husband.”

Tess sighs, “Some…men just don’t understand. It’s disgusting. This isn’t your fault. He’s gross, I don’t even know who he is. I didn’t invite him, and I’m pretty sure Jimmy doesn’t know him.”

“So, who is he?”

“I don’t know. He must have come with someone.” Tess says, and the two of you look up when someone knocks on the door.

“Hey,” John smiles, then he hides his left hand when he comes into room. You cock up your eyebrow a little as he kneels down in front of you, and he places his right hand on your thigh, “Are you okay?”

“Show me your hand.” you say, and John holds up his right hand. You give him a disapproving look as a smile tugs at his lips, “Your other hand, Jonathan.”

John inhales deeply as he holds up his left hand, and you grab it to look over, but you see it’s free of any cuts and it’s not bloody. You furrow your brow slightly as you look at him, and he laughs as he looks at you.

“So, you washed your hands before you came in here.” you say, crossing your arms. “Did you kill him?”

Tess excuses herself from the bedroom and leaves you and John alone, and he gets off the floor and sits down next to you on the bed. He puts his arm around your waist and pulls you over so you can lean against his shoulder.

“I didn’t kill him. I didn’t even hit him.” he says, shaking his head, then he starts to laugh, “I can’t believe you punched him. What did you do?”

You look at John and make a fist, “I did what you taught me: decked him in the nose.”

“Oh, it’s broken. Well, if it wasn’t before…” he says, and you bite your lip to keep yourself from smiling. “I didn’t hit him because I didn’t get to him first. A few other women said he was weird with him. Amanda said that he…groped her, so…”

“I bet Aurelio was pissed. I’d be more afraid of Amanda though. You and your friends love strong women, don’t you?” you say, and John laughs quietly as he nods. “I’m sorry that this happened. I mean, I know it’s not my fault. I really was just being friendly. You know that I wouldn’t do that to you, right?”

John furrows his brow, “What? Cheat on me?”

“Yeah.”

Turning to face you more, John looks you in the eyes and nods his head, “I know. I know you love me. I trust you. Do you doubt that?”

“Well, no. And I trust you. I’ve said before that I could put you in a room with the most beautiful woman in the world and I would trust you.”

John starts to smile, and you roll your eyes before he can even say something cheesy. “You’re the most beautiful woman in the world.”

“Anyway.” you laugh as you look at John, “Seriously, I’m sorry our night was ruined.”

John gets up from the bed and stands in front of you, “It’s not ruined.”

John pulls you up from the bed and wraps his arms around you before he leans down and kisses you several times in hopes that it’ll take your mind off of things. He exhales as he lets go of you and looks down at your hands, inspecting them a little.

John presses a delicate kiss to your knuckles, then he looks at you and smiles, “You really are John Wick tonight. Dangerous little woman.”

Tilting your head back, you laugh as you look at him, “I just…didn’t even think. I shouldn’t have hit him though, that was a little out of line. I should have just pushed him.”

“No, you should have punched him.” he says, cupping your face, “I’m so proud of you. I worry about you so much, but it’s nice to know that you’re able to take care of yourself. Not that I ever doubted it since you’ve been kicking my ass lately when we would practice.”

Leaning closer to John, you wrap your arms around his neck and lock eyes with him as you bite your lip, “Why don’t we just go home? The party is almost over anyway.”

“You sure?” he asks, moving his hands down your back and underneath your jacket.

You bite your lip as you nod your head, “Yeah.”

Stumbling into the house, John pulls your jacket off and tosses it to the ground as he kisses you. He doesn’t even bother to unbutton your shirt, he simply rips it open, and you hear the buttons fall to the floor. He stops kissing you when he feels the plastic gun you have tucked into the back of your pants, then he holds it up and laughs.

“You got a gun?”

You ignore John and continue kissing his neck, “Keep kissing me.”

John drops the gun to the floor and lifts you up to wrap your legs around his waist, and it turns you on even more how effortless it was for him. He pins your body against the wall as he kisses you, then he opens your shirt a little more to get a look at your chest.

“You look so fucking sexy tonight.” he says, kissing down your chest and in between your breasts. “I’ve wanted to fuck you the moment I saw you.”

Letting out a small moan, you tilt your head back as John continues kissing your neck, but you stop him when you realize he’s going to leave behind marks. You wrap your arms around him tighter as he walks over and sets you down on the arm of the couch, and his lips are persistent on yours as you pull his sweatpants down, revealing his cock.

“We’re not going to make it to the bedroom, are we?” you laugh against John’s lips.

John shakes his head as he continues kissing you, “We haven’t the last four times.”

“Well, how about we at least make it to the guest bedroom?” you say, pointing over his shoulder.

John scoops you into his arms and shuffles into the bedroom, trying his best not to fall since his pants are around his ankles. He plops you down on the bed, then he kicks his shoes off so he can finally take off his pants. As John undresses himself, you sit up to take off your heels, then you lay back on the bed and remove your pants as you watch him.

The room is dark since it’s nearly midnight, so you reach over and turn on the lamp next to the bed so you’ll be able to see John. You lick your lips and hold John’s gaze as he crawls on the bed, then he leans down to kiss you, slipping his tongue into your mouth as the two of you moan. John opens his eyes to look at you, and he smiles as he leans back in to kiss you again. Propping himself up, he kisses and licks a path from in between your breasts to your belly button, then back up to your chest.

“John…” you whimper a little, tilting your head to the side so he can kiss your neck. “Will you do something for me?”

John sits up and nods, “Of course. I’d do anything for you.”

You smile as you look at him, rubbing your thumb against his beard, “Will you fuck me?”

“Oh, I can do that.” he nods, pulling off your bra, “I can definitely do that.”

You wrap your arms around John’s neck as he slowly slides himself between your legs, and you open your mouth to moan, feeling the pressure between your hips. You widen your legs more to allow him to slide in further, and you watch as John’s eyes roll shut.

John rocks his hips slowly at first, but he quickly picks up the pace as you pull your knees into your chest. You lay on your side a little and put one leg over John’s shoulder as he bucks his hips wildly, and he hums happily.

“Harder, baby.” you whine and feel John grabbing at your breast as he grunts. “Harder!”

John laughs as he leans down to kiss you, “I will tear you in half. I don’t want to hurt you, baby.”

Placing your hands on John’s ass, you push him in further and arch your back when he hits your hidden spot relentlessly. You’re tipping over the edge already, and every nerve in your body is pulled so fucking tight, you think they all might snap.

John’s mouth envelopes yours, and he bites your lip as he lays down on top of you, still thrusting his hips hard and pushing himself in deeper. The sound of John’s cock between your legs turns you on even more, and John looks down to watch himself. He lets out a moan that is so loud that it takes the two of you by surprise, and he shakes his head as he smiles when you look up at him.

“So fucking delicious.” he whispers against your cheek, “Does that feel good? Huh? When I fuck you like this?”

“Yeah,” you whine loudly as you squeeze your eyes shut.

He pulls out and lays down behind you, then lifts your leg back up to insert himself again. He holds your leg as he jerks his hips hard, and he rubs circles on your clit as you whimper and moan.

“Fuck, John.” your body shakes from pleasure, and you try to close your legs, but John keeps a good grip on your thigh as he gives his last few thrusts before he fills you up.

“Oh, my god, baby.” John pulls you close to his chest and kisses your neck as he continues to slowly thrust his hips. “Fuckin’ hell.”

You roll your hips lazily, still shaking from the pleasure, and you moan loudly into your blanket. The two of you are breathing heavily and your mouth is going dry from panting so damn loud, but it’s hard to catch your breath. You can tell John is afraid to pull out, but you start to move off of him and he holds tight to your hip.

“No, not yet.” he whispers, “Give it another minute. Just in case.”

You laugh loudly and wiggle back down on John’s cock, “Fine.”

John’s arms are so warm and comforting that you’re beginning to fall asleep in his embrace. You look over your shoulder a little and pucker your lips to kiss him a few times.

“I love you.” you whisper, finally rolling over to face him. “I love you so much.”

John laughs and looks at the ceiling, and you notice his eyes are a little glassy from tears.

“Hey,” you sit up a little and look at him with a genuine concern, “Hey, what’s going on?”

“I just love you so much, and I can’t wait to have a family with you. I couldn’t imagine doing it with anyone else.” he wraps his arms around you and pulls you onto his chest.

You chuckle softly as you look up at study his features, “You’re the sweetest man I’ve ever known, you know that?”

It’s finally Halloween, and you’re beyond excited to see all of the kids in their costumes. The book shop is having a little party for kids, and if they come in with a costume on, they get a free book! Any book of their choice! Totally John’s idea.

Employees are more than welcome to dress up, and you’re so happy to see that Grace is dressed up -- Little Bo Peep. Tony is dressed in a onesie that looks like a sheep, and you have to laugh at how unbelievably obvious they are about dating. They’re trying their hardest to hide it from you and John, but you’re not oblivious. You and John are the last people to ever judge anyone for dating, and you have no problems with them dating as long as they don’t let it affect their jobs.

John is sitting in a chair near the front door so he can give all of the kids a gift bag when they come in, and you smile as you grab your purse and head over to stand next to him. He’s been sitting there all afternoon and greeting kids, and you’ve been internally screaming over how absolutely adorable he is.

“I am…a…robot.” Benji says, mimicking a robot, and Amanda laughs when you look at her. “Need…candy.”

John laughs, “You’ll have to come to the house later for candy.”

You lean down a bit and smile, “We got all your favorites!”

Benji looks up at Amanda and tugs at her shirt, “Can we please go to their house tonight?”

You laugh as you nudge Amanda, “We live in a rich neighborhood. Full size candy bars.”

Benji widens his eyes even more as he looks up at Amanda, and she laughs as he nods her head, “Yes, baby, we will go to their house tonight.”

“Hey,” you pat John’s shoulder and look at him, “I have to run to the store and grab a few things, so I’m gonna take off a little early.”

John nods, “Okay.”

Leaning down, you kiss John a few times, then you smile at him before you leave the shop. As you head for your car, you try to contain yourself, but your excitement is a little overwhelming. You’re not even sure, but you figure you should just do it anyway. You need to take a pregnancy test.

John called you to let you know that he was closing up the shop and that he’ll be on his way home soon, and you’re frantically running through the house to try and get into the bathroom to take the pregnancy test before he gets home. Your period is a few days late, so you’re starting to get a little suspicious. You don’t really feel any different, but that doesn’t really mean anything at this point.

You sigh as you look down at the box of pregnancy tests, then you look up when you see John standing the doorway to the bathroom -- he’s much quieter than you’d realized.

John looks down at the box in your hands, then he smiles when he looks at you, “Do you want me here for this?”

Leaning back against the sink, you bite your lip nervously, “I don’t know if I want to take it yet.”

“Why not?” John asks as he walks closer.

“Because we’re about to have a bunch of little kids show up at our house, and I don’t want my mind to be occupied with something else. I don’t know. I don’t want it to come back negative, then I have to sit and watch kids come up to our house for an hour while I try to hold back tears.”

John nods, “That makes perfect sense.”

“And if it’s positive, I just want to sit in your arms all night and we can’t do that if kiddos are coming to the house.” you say as you place the test on the counter and look up at John, “So much for surprising you.”

“I had no idea you were even in here, I just came up here so I could use the bathroom.” he laughs, and you move past him to let him have the bathroom. “Hey, come here for a minute.”

You walk back over to John and place your hands in his, “What?”

“No matter what the result will be, it’s going to happen. Okay?”

Inhaling deeply, you look up at John, plastering a fake smile on your face, “Okay.”

You close the bathroom door behind you, then you head downstairs to get things ready for trick-or-treaters. You know that you’re a little too eager to take this test, but you’re just really wondering if you’re pregnant. You’re excited, you’re scared, it’s understandable.

Biting your cheek, you mindlessly get the candy ready and step out onto the porch to light the candles in the pumpkins that you and John have carved, then you turn on the porch light to let the kids know that you’re home.

You inhale deeply again and exhale slowly, “Just stay calm.”

Since it’s warmer tonight, you and John decided to get the camping chairs and just sit at the end of the driveway. It’s a bit of a long driveway anyway, so you know kids will be a little tired. John is still passing out candy, and he’s so sweet and cute with all the little kids. They’re getting a kick out of Bleu, who is wearing a teddy bear costume. The packs of kids are beginning to dwindle down now that it’s getting later, but there are still a few kids on the block coming up the street.

You’re in the kitchen getting yourself something to drink as quick as you can since Amanda has texted you to let you know that she’s on her way over with Harper and Benji. Tess is also coming over with Finn too!

Walking back down the driveway, you see John sitting in the chair as he talks with a little boy about his costume.

“Spider-Man.” the little boy says, then he sprays John with silly string. “That’s my web.”

“I’m so sorry.” his mom laughs, reaching over to pull the silly string out of John’s hair, “I nearly begged him not to bring that with, but kids, you can’t resist their cute little faces.”

John laughs, “Hey, I get it.”

“Sorry again, you have some, uh…” she reaches over and pulls silly string out of John’s hair, leaning a little closer to make sure she’s gotten it all. She finally looks up at you and smiles, then she stands up and reaches for her son, “Happy Halloween.”

“Happy Halloween.” John says, waving at the little boy as he walks down the driveway. He looks over his shoulder at you and smiles, “Come join me.”

You sit back down next to John and look over at him, “I’m getting really anxious to take this test. I’m starting to feel sick.”

“Hey,” he reaches over and touches your cheek, “Everything will be okay.”

“I’m totally going to be a chronic tester.” you say, and John furrows his brow like he doesn’t quite understand what you mean. “I’m going to take a pregnancy test every damn time I feel any difference in my body. We have sex, and I’ll immediately take a test a few days later. I’m already starting to do it.”

John sits back in his chair as he holds your hand, “Well, we’ll just buy tests every time we go to the store then.”

Laughing quietly, you look over at John, “I love how much you indulge me.”

“You can do this.” you whisper to yourself as you stand in front of the toilet.

John wraps his arms around your waist and presses a kiss to your cheek, “I’ll be just outside the door. Well, I mean, I’ll be in the bedroom, I won’t just be standing right outside the door.”

You look over your shoulder at him and nod, “Okay.”

John gives you a reassuring smile before he leans down to kiss you several times, then he leaves you alone in the bathroom. Unwrapping the pregnancy test, you begin to shake a little as you unbutton your jeans. You stick the test between your legs and close your eyes as you try your best to pee on the stick. On second thought, you should have just peed in a cup and put the stick in it, but you’re here now.

Quickly putting the cap back on the test, you set it on the counter and finish using the bathroom and washing your hands before you join John in the bedroom. He looks down at his watch for the time, and he smiles when you sit down next to him.

“You’re so quiet.” John says, wrapping his arm around your waist, “What’s goin’ on in that head of yours?”

You exhale, laughing a little, “I don’t know. I’m starting to feel like I’m not pregnant. I feel like I jumped the gun on this one.”

John rubs his hand over your back and leans over to kiss your head, “Yeah, but we should take one just in case. Because what if you are, and you drink? Or what if you’re pregnant and we don’t know, and something happens and you get into a car accident?”

You laugh loudly, “I can’t believe how sweet you are.”

Reaching over for the test, you hold it in your hands and look up at John as he begins to grow a little more nervous. You reach up and touch John’s face as you lean over to give him a warm kiss. He inhales deeply as he kisses you, pulling you closer to him and into his lap. The kisses are slow and wet, and you wrap your arm around John’s neck as you get situated on his lap.

John leans back and cups your face, rubbing his thumb against the apple of your cheek, “No matter what, this is just one test. We’ll keep trying every month until we get it right.”

“Yeah,” you nod as you get a little teary-eyed. “Here we go.”

You flip the test over and see the thick pink line indicating that you’re not pregnant, and you immediately lean your head against John’s shoulder as you cry. He tugs the test from your hands and wraps both of his arms around you, letting you cry it out for a few moments.

“Baby, look at me.” John whispers, and you lean back to look at him. “This is one test. Just one! We’ll try again.”

“It’s not. It’s two! We took one over the summer.”

John smiles slightly, “That doesn’t even count. You had just gotten off your birth control but it was still in your body.”

You wipe away the tears on your cheeks and sigh, “But what if we keep trying and you get tired of it?”

John laughs, “You think I’m going to get tired of having sex with you?”

“Well, no.” you shrug as you look down, “But I don’t want you to think I’m like…barren or something.”

John lets out another laugh as he holds you tight and lays back on the bed, “I don’t think that, and I would never think that. We know you’re not, we went to the doctor to make sure of it.”

“I just know how bad you want kids, and I want to give that to you.” you admit as you look over at John, “I want kids too. I want us to have a really cute baby!”

John trails his finger over your face and down to your lips, “And we’ll have that. This is just one time, baby. We’ll try again. When do you get your period next?”

“Well, it’s late.” you shrug, “But I’ll probably get it tomorrow. I can already feel the cramps coming. So, we could have avoided this whole situation if I had just waited until tomorrow.”

Letting out a small laugh, John look at you and smiles, “It’s okay. It was fun to think that it was happening.”

You roll over onto your stomach and look at John, and you wrap your right arm over his stomach, “It will happen. Soon, I promise.”

“Isn’t it funny how I was reassuring you a minute ago, and now you’re reassuring me?” John chuckles, “See? This is why we’re perfect for each other.”

You close your eyes as John sits up to kiss your cheek, then you lay back and look at him as he lays down next to you. He gently rubs his nose against yours as you smile, then you open you eyes and reach over to cup his face.

“It’s going to happen.” he whispers against your lips, “We just need to be patient.”

“Yeah, I know.” you sit up and sigh, then you look over at John, “We should go get some ice cream because I’m sad.”

John laughs as he gets off the bed, “Anything for you, peach.”

Reaching up for John’s hand, you hold tight to it and smile when he leans over to kiss your cheek before the two of you head to the stairs. John stands in front of you and holds your gaze as you look up at him, and you laugh quietly when he raises his eyebrows.

“It’s going to happen.” he whispers, nodding his head.

You nod, “I know.”

“Don’t get down on yourself about it,” John pulls you into his arms and kisses your cheek, “We got this, baby.”

“We do.”

A smile grows on John’s face as he slides his hands down to your ass, “We can always...practice.”

“Yeah, sure.” you scoff as you look up at John, then you yelp loudly when he lifts you up and carries you back to the bedroom.

#john wick imagine #john wick x you #john wick x reader #fic: hold my hand #me @ john and reader: we gon get u that baby #also reader at that party lmaoooo we love ha

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thebibliomancer · 4 years

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Song of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 28

Song of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because after all of that, Kylan finally has a bell-bird bone to make a super-duper magical firca out of.

Last times on book: Kylan, Naia, Tavra (stuck in a spider), and new party member Amri saved the Grottan Clan from millions of angry spiders who wanted their caves back. Also, the spiders got their caves back. Good compromise. They also trapped skekLi the Skeksis Satirist on top of a mushroom and found a bell-bird bone so Kylan can make a special flute that will help warn all Gelfling about the Skeksis drinking them. Everything is coming up Kylan, really. All he has to do now is make a magical firca he has no idea how to make and come up with a warning.

Chapter 28

Kylan makes a magic firca. And gets lethally embarrassed by Amri.

As Team Kylan is leaving the corrie, they find urVa standing watch dramatically.

The Archer’s mane danced in the wind where it was not tied back in braids and topknot, and he faced the direction of the breeze to take its scent.

The most dramatic urRu? Maybe.

Naia asks urVa if they’ll see him when they come out but he tells them no.

“I traveled this far in search of my others, little Drenchen,” he replied. “I found one, but it seems he will stay here. I must move on. We will meet again. Someday.”

“Are you all right? We fought skekMal... I was worried we would harm you as well.”

urVa shook his head. When he did, the wind blew his mane from his face, and Kylan saw a wound on his cheek and eye, in the same place where he’d struck skekMal in the Dark Wood.

“What is done is done. The suns turn.”

You’re a chill guy, urVa.

urVa gets ready to head out but asks the Gelfling that if they see any of his “urRu others” to tell them to meet him in the valley.

Huh! So the urRu are all just kind of spread out and urVa is seeking them. I think in the show’s conception of things, the urRu tended to gravitate toward the Valley anyway and the Wanderer was the Wanderer because he’s the one who stood away longest.

The Gelfling find themselves in another tunnel, although a short, well-lit one and as they go Naia muses out loud about the state of things.

“The Skeksis live together in the castle... They have power there, because of the Crystal, and because they are all in one place. The Mystics are alone. We found urVa trapped in the Cradle-Tree. urLii was in the Tomb of Relics. They had power over skekLi with their song... but only because he was outnumbered. If all the Skeksis were to overtake urVa alone, or urLii... if they all came to rescue skekLi, and only urLii was here to guard him...”

“But if the Skeksis come to get skekLi, they’ll have to defeat urLii, right?” Amri asked. He held up two fingers in parallel. “But if they defeat urLii, then won’t skekLi also be defeated? Right?”

“Either way,” Kylan put in hastily, “urLii stayed behind by his own will. He seemed confident he could contain skekLi safely. We have no choice but to trust him. We have our own journey.”

So this is something I’ve been thinking about since Aughra said what she said about how Skeksis and Mystics could counter each other.

Its very unequal! The Skeksis have a bunch of societal power, the Crystal, a sweet castle, and strength in numbers! The evil that Skeksis do is therefore a lot greater than the good that the Mystics do!

Anyway, the Mystics are pretty lucky that the Skeksis just avoid them out of sheer ‘ugh that guy!’

The Gelflings finally exit the caves and tunnels in a pretty beautiful area.

The mountains here were soft and undulating, not jagged and rocky. The air was clear, blowing flurries of leaves and sometimes white and pink petals by, and Kylan thought he heard the sound of chimes. It was beautiful and gold and green, but the scene left something to be desired. Kylan frowned deeply. Their belongings were back at the entrance to Tide Pass, including the Book of Raunip, the pearl amulet, and Tavra’s sword. The others were quiet, too. No one wanted to be the first to bring up the subject, but it was too important. They couldn’t just leave their things, not with the journey they had ahead.

But Naia sees an arrow sticking out of the ground which makes her burst out laughing.

Cool guy that urVa is, at some point he found their stuff and moved it over here for them to save them a trip. Nice!

Really streamlining this part of the narrative, urVa!

Kylan retrieves the Book of Raunip, turns to the section about Gyr’s Firca, and gets really in the zone!

He forgets all the terrors and troubles of the past couple days, all the worries and wounds accumulated, and even forgets his cool friends as they give him space and quiet to work in.

All he saw were the sketches of the firca and the hope it had to offer. It was like every other firca he’d ever seen or played, with one mouthpiece, which split into a fork. The pipes on either end of the fork were carved with three finger holes, one for each finger when held properly in two hands. Firca were made out of many materials, each with a slightly different voice. Most were carved from a single piece of wood, though many were made from forced reeds. The Sifa were known to make theirs from the prongs of welhorn shells, and their firca’s voices came with the ghostly roars of ocean waves. The firca was the most common Gelfling instrument, and perhaps one of the simplest, yet the many materials used in its creation also made it one of the most varied. It could play single notes as well as harmonies, while still being small enough to dangle around one’s neck.

That’s so many firca in one segment.

I’m glad that we’re getting background on the importance of the firca to Gelfling culture but its a bit funny to me that its coming at the very end of the story after all this journeying to find a special firca. Although it makes sense for it to happen now because Kylan has the bone and he’s pondering the enormity of the task.

The bell-bird bone is already forked and a little bigger than your av-er-age wooden firca. Kylan feels lucky that Amri found the Last Bell-Bird Bone in the entire mountain and that it happened to be the correct shape and not broken.

A single bone could have been used to make a flute but Kylan decides that a single flute wouldn’t have had the same impact, remembering joining urVa and urLii’s song.

No, a pipe or flute would not have been the same. The firca was special. It could play two notes at once, leaving room for a third. What that third voice was, Kylan didn’t know, but he felt instinctively that it had to do with the legend of the bell-bird. The birds that sang and the mountains sang back. Perhaps, if the bell-birds sang with two notes, it was Thra itself that sang the third part. Perhaps the firca was so valued by the Gelfling because it left a place for the very voice of Thra.

Rule of Three: the planet.

Kylan doesn’t even have any tools to sand the bone or carve the holes but he knows that if he doesn’t make the firca now, he’ll lose his courage to even try. What with it being an irreplaceable only bone left in existence.

SO HE USES DREAM-ETCHING

My god, it just keeps getting more and more versatile a skill!

It was established that dream-etching put out a lot of heat since it basically just burns things into surfaces. So Kylan just focuses the heat of dream-etching onto the surface of his thumb and rubs the jagged edge where the bone broke and he just sands it smooth with dream-etching heat!

Amazing!

The vibration of the etching heat made the bone sing in a high, resonant key.

Also, amazing.

Kylan takes all afternoon and until Naia returns with dinner.

Naia looked over his shoulder, and he opened his hands. Lying in his lap was a white firca, sculpted and smoothed to the finest detail. He hardly remembered making it, or at least, he recalled none of the moments. As his head cleared from the focus, he realized he had gone into a kind of trance. His fingers were blistered and sore, but the product of his dedication was perfect, as if he had transformed the bell-bird bone into the instrument it had always been meant to be.

Naia declares it beautiful and Tavra agrees, adding that she wished she still had Gelfling ears so she could hear him play. Because when he played the bone, it sent her flopping to the floor.

Kylan apologizes again for turning her into a spider but she’s having nothing of it.

“If you hadn’t, I would be dead. And I would not have had the chance to see the two of you succeed as you have. For this, I am only grateful... Stop berating yourself for doing the things your heart calls you to do.”

You’re a good, Tavra.

Amri cooks dinner and puts one of his alchemical pastes on the fish Naia caught which causes Naia and Kylan a Concern but it turns out enjoyable.

Kylan hangs the bone firca around his neck because after going through this whole Song of the Dark Crystal book to get it, its his most precious possession and he’s not letting it out of his grasp.

While they eat, Naia suddenly remembers that note Kylan gave Tavra and then Amri and asks what was in it. Hey, tying up that loose end!

Kylan tries to say that hey that loose end doesn’t matter lets forget about it! but Amri saved the note and he pulls it out and dodges Kylan’s attempt to stop him from reading it.

“Dear Tavra,” he began to read. Kylan interrupted in a hurry, hoping to drown out Amri’s reading.

“I guessed that whatever was controlling Tavra couldn’t read. That it couldn’t read the note on the rock wall, so it had the spiders try to conceal the message -”

“... I write to you on behalf of Naia, and Gurjin, and those others whom you have helped since leaving Ha’rar on an errand for the All-Maudra...”

“- I had to test it, so I used -”

“I know it must be very difficult for you, having been betrayed by the Skeksis in the most painful ways. I wanted to let you know that we all care for you and that, should you need us...”

“So I used what I had on hand...”

But there was no stopping Amri, so Kylan put his face in his hands and waited for it to end. Amri stood before Tavra, Naia, and all the stars and moons above, reading for all to hear:

“... simply call on us. For especially I admire your courage and your loyalty to all that is good and right, and even if I’m unable to put these sentiments into words to say to you directly, I wanted at least to give to you this promise in words that stay. Your friend, Kylan.”

Oh my gooooooooood, the boy really did it! He wrote his feelings in a letter so he wouldn’t stumble over his words! This precious bean! This poor, mortified Gelf! Everyone’s grinning at him!

Naia is saying that she’d learn to read just so she could read it if Kylan ever wrote her anything “sticky-sweet” like that.

This poor boy!

Kylan justifies that after he saw “Tavra” talking with a Skeksis he needed to be sure whether it was Tavra or not so he gave her this letter that he’d prepared ahead of time. It’s such a personal note that if it were Tavra and she could read, she’d definitely react to it.

Tavra finally pipes up, after sitting silently as poor Kylan was mortified to death, to agree that it was a clever plan.

I’m thinking that she didn’t want to pile on so she just stuck with the narrative Kylan is trying to emphasize.

Despite his conviction that she would have reacted to his letter had she been able to decipher it at the time, the All-Maudra’s daughter showed no reaction now. Kylan wasn’t sure which he preferred.

This poor boy!

And when Kylan fished the letter out of the fire and gave it to Amri, he knew something was up because no way would a Vapran princess be illiterate.

The topic changes to Kylan’s relief, so he brings up his ideas for the Big Message that this whole quest has been about.

He’s been thinking a lot about it. They can’t just use a normal message because Skeksis can read Gelfing but not all Gelfling can read Gelfling. How vexing. But urLii reminded him of dream-stitching in the Tomb of Relics.

So his idea is to dream-stitch the message into some innocuous symbol that the Skeksis won’t notice but a Gelfling will get a dream-fast when they touch it.

And since he accidentally dream-stitched “the dream of her mind to the spider’s body” he’s prettyyyyy sure he can do it.

“I will deliver the message that begins our fight against the Skeksis.”

Heck yeah, Kylan!

So with that so declared and the final chapter of this book setup, the party sleeps under the stars. Although Kylan has trouble sleeping because there’s so much anticipation for the following day.

A blade of grass moved to the side near his cheek. It was the only sign that Tavra had joined him, silently picking her way across the tips of the grass as he might hop along the pathway stones in Sami Thicket. She said nothing, balancing on the stalk of a grassflower like a tiny, delicate acrobat.

He waited for her to speak, but she didn’t. There was simply a shared quiet - an acceptance - and then she left, not one word spoken.

When I first read this bit, I got so mad. I thought Tavra was going to leave the group, just vanish in the night because spider and so Kylan could play the bone firca without worrying about the effect on her. I was like TAVRA C’MON WE KEEP LOSING PARTY MEMBERS!

But on another pass, I think this is Tavra accepting his letter and his sentiments.

Aww, friends.

#dark crystal #Song of the Dark Crystal #the dark crystal #liveblog #Kylan #Naia #Amri #Tavra #urVa #the Archer #a lot of feelings in this one #it was a bit of a longer one so it took longer

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5-secondsofcolor · 4 years

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Much Ado About Nothing || A.I

Prompt: office!Ashton, ‘I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I have no idea what I’m doing. I almost never do.’

Length: 1.4k word

Warning: reference to body image issues. Swearing(?)

Event Masterlist

A/N: I want to close this out by saying a thank you and to @h0tsos and @maluminspace who put this all together! I love you both.

———

“You’re still here?,” standing in the doorway, Beatrice is unsure if she’s bothering Ashton a moment. His smile beacons her in. Letting her know the distraction is appreciated.

“Yeah I’ve got this deadline and I don’t think my coworker would appreciate me missing it.”

“No. Something tells me she really needs you to finish,” she jokes.

“Want to check out what I’ve got so far?”

With that she commits to entering the makeshift office he makes himself when he visits Messina headquarters. His visits becoming more and more frequent even as a freelance hire for them. She didn’t think he’s stay as long as he did. Especially with the start of a rocky professional relationship.

It’s insane to her to remember the days when she was up to her throat with his bullshit. His lack of email responses giving her heartburn as she tried to pin down the odd graphic designer they’d hired. It took a few visits over a before there was an understanding of peace and even more before there was an understanding of friendship.

Her emails were care. Her way to show support for the one employee far away. The one who she could never offer a cup of coffee to or a quick walking break. Meanwhile his silence was as necessary to him as air. He needed his space for work and for self care that he held ever sacred.

She sits in the chair closest to his, looking over the endless sketches he’s produced since settling into his seat. Picking out one in particular, “This one’s amazing. I like that you incorporated more colors. It catches the eye really well.”

Ashton's eye is caught by her arm instead, a small trio of leaves tattooed there first caught his attention the night they met. A simple outline of an olive brand, it felt ironic on someone who seemed to always be fighting. He reaches out, expecting her to recoil but instead she lends him her hand, holding the poster in the other as she feels his fingers trace the tattoo.

“I still don’t understand how you pick a color pallet.” She mulls over the balance in his work. His talent, however late and stressful to her, was the one thing she could never argue against.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I have no idea what I’m doing. I almost never do,” as usual it’s nearly impossible to tell how serious he is. Instead she puts down the sheet, picking up his notes scribbled onto sketching papers. “Honestly, I let the colors tell a story. Can I color these in?”

“Sure?” With that Ashton grabs a few green markers off the desk, she can feel the cold marker as he slowly adds colors into the outlines. She’s too focused on his notes, seeing the progression of his sketches until he begins to reach a final illustration for the magazine and accompanying video.

“Don’t you have anyone to get home to?”

“No. Not much has changed in a while,” She admits. “I try sometimes but other times it’s just insecurity taking me out.”

His brows furrow in confusion, “What do you mean?”

He looks up a moment, his face much closer than she expected. From this angle, she can’t help but see how long his eyelashes are, the light freckles settling on his nose, the steep shape of his Cupid’s bow. They are silent as he looks on, still confused. She exhales heavily realizing she needs to spell it out for him.

“It hasn’t always been the easiest to be confident in my body. Of course now, it’s better. I just wear the clothes I like and I learned to say fuck it but that wasn’t the easiest.”

“Is that why you got an olive branch?”

“Yeah actually. It’s a little olive branch to my body,” she’s taken aback by his understanding. It feels silly saying it out loud, to admit she’s hated her most basic self, and that she’s learning to make peace. Some of her time spent wishing it didn’t feel so necessary yet she stares at the proof she needs a reminder.

“Took more work than I’d like to admit to get to neutral ground.” She admits. “Why am I telling you this?”

“Because you care very little what I think. Which is good.” He says pulling out a second marker. It’s blue this time, he layers it on her skin with green before picking up a black black marker again and connecting the branch further down to a freckle on her forearm. The liberty he takes on his sketch only growing her tattoo.

He takes in what she said. He doesn’t argue or try to tell her she’s wrong. He won’t try to explain how he sees her. Instead he sits in silence a moment, absorbing her reality and understanding what she said. “Thank you for sharing with me.”

“Can I ask you something?” something in her tone tells him she’s serious. This isn’t a guise to be smart with him or a stupid rebutal.

He answers with a short nod, too focused on filling in the leaves he’s added.

“Do you ever think you’ll stay? If Leon offered you a perminant position here?”

“Maybe. I like working with you and Nova too. I loved the first few articles you put out and was sad I just kinda had to hope we crossed paths again after we met at those conferences. I don’t know. I love being my own business. Working as I please but I do miss having office mates and the job protection this provides,” he says as he inspects the last of his work on her arm, running a thumb over his final addition before capping his pen. “When you have your own company, you’ll understand, a lot of them just use you to get on top.”

The smirk is immediate. She can’t help but till her eyes at him as he dramatically feigns heartache.

“I’m sure it’s not hard to get on top of you,” the joke lightens the odd mood, shaking off some of the seriousness that’s befallen them. It halfway works as she gives him a quick one over glance before she walks out of the conference room. He can’t help but watch the easy sway of her hips as she walks away, only turning his attention back to his work once she turns the corner into her own office.

She stares down at her little leaf, expecting him to have drawn something inappropriate. Instead there’s now a full olive branch to stare at. She packs her bag with a smile plastered on her face, enamored with the way he’s filled in all the leaves with blues and greens and extended the branch further, and for a moment she thinks, maybe there will be peace. With a sigh, she collects the last of her things from her office for the weekend.

“Have a nice night.” He shouts when she finally walks past the door again.

“I’ll see you Monday.” she shouts back. She watches the elevator numbers change slowly. Counting up to her floor slowly but she’s gone by the time the doors open.

In another circumstantial, maybe they’d have gotten along but Beatrice adjust. They get along. For now. That’s all she needed anyways and Tuesday, he’s gone just the same.

____

Beatrice comes back into the office on Monday, her weekend gone all too quickly. First order of business stays the same— check on Leon’s weekly update, usually a drag, today there’s a thing of sadness as she thinks about the end. Leon gave the same goodbye to all visitors ‘Our warmest goodbye and best wishes to our visitors Ashton and Luke.’

The subject line alone brings her joy “Leon’s Monday Update. Delivered 7:23 AM” She skims the opening, well aware of everything at the company. Her eye’s don’t stop until she sees, “Thank you for welcoming our visitors Luke and Ashton. As you know we’re pushing for a revitalized marketing strategy and in bringing them in, we’ve learned a lot and will continue to learn a lot. I’m very pleased to say our partnership will continue. As both Luke and Ashton have agreed to stay on board as advisors.

It has been a great time having them collaborating with our lovely marketing team. So much so that we’ve decided to extend their stay through the end of the month to explore additional projects.

Best wishes,

Leon”

Before Beatrice can get a word out, finishing processing what his email says, Nova’s response comes through, “Thank you for the update, Leon. We’re over the moon to have them here for the rest of the month. We’ll confirm that an office is set aside for the remainder of their stay. Thank you.”

Beatrice slowly puts her head down on her desk. Unsure why there’s a twinge of excitement in her heart with the extension of their stay.

#5 sos writing collab #5sos writing collab #ashton irwin #5sos #luke hemmings #5 seconds of summer

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ohwereusingourmadeupnames · 4 years

Text

Better Homes & Gardens

Pairing: Peter Parker/Tony Stark Rating: Explicit (E) Summary:

Peter Parker is running on mixed up feelings when Quentin kicks him out of their apartment. To make matters worse, he's beat up and mugged. Getting back on his feet, MJ suggests taking boxing classes at Iron Man's Boxing Gym. The gym owner? No one other than Tony Stark. Filling in for Happy on a Wednesday night, Tony's life is changed when a very cute and insanely interesting stranger walks through the doors of his gym. All good things the Starker way!

Find it on AO3 here

It was all for nothing, it was all a waste.

When he thought closely about it, Quentin forcing him out the door was the only real ending that made sense. For the two years they’d been together, Peter let the man control everything about them – and the couple they ended up becoming. Letting someone take advantage of his vulnerability could only end one way – that vulnerability being exposed. Quentin was the perfect representation of hope at the end of the tunnel after May died. He offered protection and to some extent, a love that only someone manipulative could give to another person.

The more on his feet Peter started to become, the less Quentin wanted to do with him. Peter felt him pulling away long before he walked into their shared apartment to his boyfriend in bed with the neighbor across the hall. And to think, all twenty-five years of his life fit into a duffle bag and a couple milk creates. Walking out of that apartment was both the worst and best moment of his life. Freedom felt nice, if just a little heavy with an angst he couldn’t help but feel. The thought of being reduced down to so little made him full body cringe – but there had to be worse things.

Things that were worse weren’t very far off, though. It’d been a long time since he’d been out late at night by himself – especially hauling a couple cases worth of goods, even if nothing in anything he was carrying was worth a goddamn penny. Just blocks outside of MJ’s apartment, Peter felt his skin start to prickle, like he was being watched, or something. The subway ride from upper Manhattan back to Queen’s was pretty miserable, so he already felt a little irritable. Picking up his pace a little, Peter felt that irritability very quickly change to fear. His fingers were achy from carrying the crates all over the place, but he gripped the slim handles tighter, anyway.

The alley they ended up cornering him in used to house his favorite pizza parlor. Maggiano’s went out of business ages ago – the alley, though, it was just as dark and creepy as it’d always been. The first punch made the right side of his face go numb, and the second one brought him to his knees. With the milk crates filled with personal memories and picture frames that were almost as old as he was on the ground, it was much easier to curl in on himself and keep the beating as far from his stomach as he could.

Coming to in a hospital wasn’t the greatest thing – the last time it happened, his parents were both dead and he’d suddenly become a burden to his Aunt May. This time, he was alone, and all of his belongings were forgotten in an alley way or well on their way to being sold in a pawn shop. The fracture to his cheek would eventually heal and probably not affect the way he looked, but when MJ came to pick him up, even that news couldn’t keep him from feeling so very helpless, so very weak. The flannel he’d been wearing that night was the only thing he had left from the before times – the blood stain on the cuff of it the ultimate reminder of what happened and how very hopeless it’d been.

With the help of MJ, Peter physically got on his feet pretty quickly. In all of the chaos, Peter managed to keep his computer software job – which easily paid enough for him to get a modest apartment. An apartment that, for the first time in his life, would be his and only his. The concept was everything Peter wanted – freedom, his voice being the only voice heard, a chance to spread his wings and fly on his own for a while. Yet, in a lot of ways, it felt a little scary to Peter, too. Up until now, he had someone with his interest scheduled into their priority list somewhere. May tried to make him into the son she could never have and Quentin – well, at least he gave Peter somewhere to call home for a while. Truly being on his own, for the very first time in his entire life, it was a little daunting – and made the psychological step of getting back on his feet a little harder.

Getting into the apartment was easy. Peter was pretty smart about the way he spent his money and set his credit up early – so he was set in that aspect. The art of finding comfort in his own place did not come easily, however. Many nights, he called MJ to come walk home from work with him, even if he had to drop money on the fancy Thai food. A long time ago, they’d come to the realization that they were friends and friends only – but having her there, it made him feel better. At least he wasn’t alone and if something were to try and get him, there’d be another person to have his back – to make him feel like he wasn’t the last helpless person on the planet. It was taxing for her, he knew it. MJ’s career was just getting off the ground too and having to come to Peter’s rescue more often than not was nowhere near practical. It seemed like she got it, though – so Peter clung to her as tightly as he could for as long as he could.

MJ presented the idea for Iron Man’s Boxing Gym three months to the date after the attack. Peter was slowly starting to get his comfortability back and it was becoming very clear that he needed just a little bit of a push to take that final step. She thrust the flyer into his hands unexpectedly. They’d been playing Call of Duty and exchanging the control every other death – a flyer for a boxing gym was the last thing he expected to have in his hands when he next looked up. “What’s this, MJ? It looks like we’re only a kill or two away from getting a top spot,” Peter said, his eyes and focus still on the game despite their character’s immobility on the screen. A quick hit of a button and the game was effectively paused, the controller hit the floor and MJ’s hand was pressing against his knee affectionately. “It’s a push in the right direction. I think you should check this place out. You might find that last bit of safety you’re looking for.”

Peter desperately wanted to ignore MJ’s suggestion. In fact, he went three whole days before he pulled the flyer off the floor and straightened it out – the address now readable and just as easy to Google. The place looked clean and the rate wasn’t too out of his price range – why shouldn’t he figure out more about himself behind a pair of boxing gloves? Peter might have been helpless for a point in his life, but he was athletic and with a bit of knowledge – he could probably have that final piece of security in his back pocket to feel better again. Whatever feeling better again actually meant.

The gym ended up being something that looked way better once you got into the door. Since the gym needed so much space, the location was a little out of the way – and for a singular second, Peter let himself feel a little scared. There weren’t any fancy advertisements in the windows or flashing neon signs – Iron Man’s Boxing Gym spoke for itself. Which made a lot of sense when he walked in to see four rows of two boxing rings deep and a whole corner filled with heavy bags with space to dance between them. The makeshift weight room was set up along the back corner – all and all, it screamed Rocky and Peter was immediately hooked. The sign-up process consisted of getting his name and number and putting down a credit card for the lessons done every Wednesday night.

He felt a little silly, standing in the cluster of himself and five others, waiting for his first ever class to start, and yet, at the same time, the good kind of anticipation sat waiting in the depths of his muscles, too. After doing research on all the best ways to wrap a wrist and cover his fingers, Peter was certain he had the proper supplies – he was ready for whatever Boxing 101 had to offer. Peter didn’t really know what to expect walking into the ordeal – but he for sure knew he wasn’t expecting the instructor who bounced into the room to be so goddamn hot. The man was a little older, maybe mid-thirties – and ruggedly handsome. The slightest hint of grey was starting to overtake his temples, and a huge scar stood stagnant above the man’s right eye – the look one that shouted experience and endless practical knowledge. He was hot – so insanely hot.

Settling into the warm-up, Peter noticed that most people were watching the man with a keen eye, both the men and women alike. He couldn’t remember a time when people paid that close of attention to another person – except when they were in the same coffee shop as Eminem, but he was a celebrity. Eyes widening, Peter wondered if the man leading him through a relatively efficient dynamic warm-up was in fact someone he should know – someone that was worth watching so avidly. Soon, the ability to think was no longer within his grasps, and Peter lost track of the thoughts scratching at the front of his mind. By the hundredth time he’d transferred his weight from heel to toe and tripped over the jump rope, Peter’s only thought was surviving and walking out of the place with all of his toes exactly where they should be.

The intense way his t-shirt and hoodie were soaked with sweat made him smile when Peter sat down at the edge of the ring – his first lesson over and done with. He felt completely spent and his elbow was raw from the insane amount of times he’d eaten shit throughout the footwork portion of the 90 minutes – but he couldn’t help but feel totally successful, too. He already felt a little safer in his own skin and he’d barely broken into the basics of what boxing and hand-to-hand combat could entail. He let the last couple drops of the water bottle flow down his neck, eyes closing in a new kind of delight. Peter rested there for another couple of minutes, then went about getting his hands free from the wraps and his feet out of the high laced shoes. Coming down from the ring, Peter was surprised to see the instructor from earlier looking over at him – the older man’s smile wide and inviting.

“You’re a new face. I hope you enjoyed yourself,” the man said – his hand out between them before Peter could even process the words. “I’m Tony Stark, you’ve got quite the left hook.” Tony’s eyes were on him, the look one of curiosity and genuine interest. Peter returned the handshake after a second, his brain short-circuiting slightly – the man really was insanely handsome. “Nice to know you, Tony. I’m Peter – Peter Parker. Glad to hear I didn’t look like a total idiot out there,” Peter kept the hand in his for a second longer, than let it drop – the smile on his face cool, despite the developing feeling of freak out that was swimming in his chest. “You’re a natural, Peter Parker – we’ll have you dancing around the ring in no time,” Tony replied coolly, his smile growing. A hand with a large palm and long fingers reached up to brush through the hair on Tony’s temple and he was hooked.

Peter felt his face heat as they shared a look – one that lingered for who knows how long. He forced himself to tear his eyes away and get the hell out of there. He’d be damned if he made a fool out of himself so soon into meeting this guy. “Here’s hoping. I’ll see you next week, Tony,” Peter felt himself hold his breath as he walked away, a weaker part of him screaming to turn around and flirt, flirt, flirt – the vibe he was getting was absolutely attraction. Instead, he kept his eyes down and only let himself breath when he was out the door. Holy fuck, Peter thought to himself, maybe this whole boxing experience would be a lot better than he initially expected.

----

Tony watched with avid attention as the attractive, yet incredibly strange young man kept coming back to the gym. Picking up that certain Wednesday class happened purely by accident. Happy slept through an alarm and grumpily guilted Tony into covering for him. It’d been a long time since he’d done anything in a bigger than one-to-one setting and it took a couple weeks to get into the flow of it. Most of the people were probably there to catch of a glimpse of what a retired MMA fighter looked like or see what a washed-up athlete did for a living once they were no longer young and spry – primped and ready for action. Most people would be surprised to know that retired athletes lived the exact way they’d done their whole career – just without the notoriety and fame.

After the third week of letting his eyes catch the vision that was Peter Parker moving easily throughout the ring, Tony figured there was another thing contributing to his enjoyment of these classes, too. For whatever reason, the older man could not stop himself from watching Peter. Despite not having much footwork knowledge, the guy was pretty good with his hands and very fast. Whenever they did bag drills, Peter’s hands moved a mile a minute – the sight of it hypnotizing, reminding Tony of the original reason he let himself get lost in the boxing world so long ago. Sometimes, it just felt good to hit things. The more comfortable Peter seemed to become, the better he got – a thing that did not go unnoticed by Tony. For the most part, his idea to offer training to Peter on an individual basis came from a purely innocent level. It seemed like he wanted to learn about boxing, and he had the skill and the modicum of potential it took to at least try to be good – why shouldn’t Tony extend the help?

The answer to that question came a couple minutes later when Tony felt his eyes roaming over that delicious back side – the man bent over to tie his shoes, the wraps on his hands making it a comedic performance instead of the simple task that it was. The uncontrolled part of Tony yearned to walk over there and bend down – take a knee in front of Peter to tie his shoe and see what it was like to see the other man from that position. The dryness in his mouth was a little silly – it hadn’t been that long since he’d gotten laid. Although, it had been a long time since the craving for another person like this reared its ugly head. He could still feel the ghost of Steve’s hands covering his skin – on the days he lets himself think too much about it, it’s almost like the man is still there. Shaking his head, Tony ran the last couple of drills before gathering the remaining four people around – his face heavy with a genuine smile.

“Good work today, guys. It has been pretty cool to watch you all develop. I think it’s time to put what we’ve been learning into some practical situations – so next week, we’ll be partner sparing in the ring. You guys are ready, and it’ll be the first real experience with what boxing is really like.” Tony could see all the smiles that came from his words and felt good about the suggestion. There wasn’t a written curriculum for this sort of thing and the move felt right – so he went with it. He’d let Happy off the hook with the class after that first week, the least he could do is come in and act as a ring coach, or something. For the first time since retirement, Tony felt good about something. Funny that it took stepping back and watching a bunch of beginners succeed.

Everyone started to pack up not long after that, each person leaving with a quick nod Tony’s direction, or a high five for the friendlier guy of the group. The gym emptied out quickly until it was just Tony and Peter – this week’s occurrence not amongst the first time. “Hey, Pete. Want to work a little extra? I’ve got some time to hold the pads for you,” the words were out of Tony’s mouth before he could stop himself. He couldn’t pinpoint what made him decide to extend the offer, but the smile on Peter’s face when he saw the guy nodding made the impulse worth it. Even if his arms were tired from fatigue and a hamburger from Bucky’s down the street was calling his name. “Sure, Tony – I could use a little extra practice.” Peter’s voice was bright, like he was filled with a never-ending amount of energy and goodness. Smiling to himself, Tony nodded and grabbed the striking pads – decision made.

Bouncing on his toes, he instructed a one-two punch with the left hand leading, the man in front of him obviously better on his left side. Peter went through the drill easily, the slap of the pads loud in the otherwise empty gym. “So, what brought you here, Peter Parker?” Tony asked in the break between switching feet – Peter was talented and could probably keep up a conversation while moving around. Unsurprisingly, Peter hit the pad a little harder and started to speak. “I got some of my safety stripped from me, so I wanted to get it back,” the other man answered simply. Tony shifted onto the back of his foot and dropped the pads, his arms heavy by his sides. “Sounds about right. Glad you decided to come do it here. Are you feeling any better? Safer, I mean?” Tony fired back, his shoulders rolling before he had the pads back up and they were moving around the ring again.

The other’s focus was on the pads for a couple silent moments, Tony counting the breaths between each hit – the man glad that Peter listened when he instructed them on breathing rhythm a couple weeks ago. His eyes were alight watching the rhythmic beat of Peter’s fists against the meat of the pad. “Yeah, a lot, actually. To be honest, this is the best I’ve ever felt. It feels nice to just – let go and hit something every now and again, you know?” Peter’s words were enhanced with more punches to the pad, the guy throwing strikes freestyle. Tony nodded at the rhetorical question and kept his hands firmly in front of his face, if he wasn’t careful, he’d take one right to the cheek. The heaviness of his feet and hands had him holding up the gloves in surrender a few minutes later, the sweat on his chest making him feel cold – the lack of carbohydrates and water becoming very evident. “I think that’s it for me, Petey. Good work.”

It was easy to climb out of the ring after Peter and collapse back against the side of it, his entire body in the clutches of fatigue. The feeling was the best and Tony let it wash over him and hold him under – the worst part of being retired was the lack of rush that could only come from getting somewhere when there was nothing left to get there with. On the verge of shutting down fatigue was the only way he even got close – so he reveled in it, the quake of his muscles the most intoxicating thing he’d felt in ages. “Any chance you like greasy cheeseburgers?” Tony asked after a while, the man gathering enough energy to get the padded gloves off his hands and his ring shoes off his feet – the sweaty remains of his clothes the only reminder of the past three hours spent. Tony waddled over to the open door of his office and started to take of his sleeveless hoodie before he heard Peter speak. “Do you know people that don’t like greasy cheeseburgers?” Looking up, Tony stopped short, the vision of Peter leaning into the open doorway of his office tantalizing – on the verge of ‘should be illegal’.

Tony fumbled with the spare shirt he brought in his gym bag and shrugged into it, the Ugg slippers he always wore after the fact on his feet, the comforting warmth of the lining really the only way to feel relaxed after exerting his body so. “I’m sure they’re out there. I try not to spend too much time with them, though – “ Tony muttered his reply, his hands busy shrugging a flannel on and shouldering his bag. “There’s a great place just down the street. Want to come? I’ll buy you a milkshake.” Tony reached a hand out and grabbed the younger guy’s arm, his fingers lingering for a second. He let his hand drop and walked out the door, his body now turned towards Peter completely. “That sounds like a hard thing to pass on. I’m in,” Peter replied and brushed passed him, the touch from earlier fully returned. Tony grinned and leaned forward to pull the door closed, locking it when he heard the latch click.

“I knew you were smart,” Tony fiddled with the keys in his hands while he spoke, the tactile distraction enough to keep the threatening blush at bay. “Buck makes a patty melt that will knock you on your ass. It’s the best in the city.” It didn’t hurt that Bucky was one of his closest friends, or that when Bucky came back from the desert – Tony welcomed him back with open arms and the helping hand he needed to open the greasy spoon. There were many things people did not know about Tony Stark – things like how generous he was, things like how close he kept his friends – how well he took care of them. While he and Peter walked closely together on the Brooklyn streets, Tony got a feeling that Peter was going to be one of those people – a somebody he kept close, took care of. Bumping his shoulder into the other man’s, Tony figured there were worse things in life.

Like, for instance – a lack of fried potatoes to go with the admittedly delicious collection of toasted sourdough, all beef patties, and the perfect combination of thousand island dressing, mayo, and fried onions. The lack of fries brought the experience way down – though, didn’t seem to effect Peter Parker a single bit. His mother always told him the way to someone’s heart was through their stomach – and she didn’t seem to be wrong now. Peter enjoyed life to the fullest and let every piece of food rest in his mouth before he chewed it – the savoring of each flavor obvious, and totally distracting. When he swallowed it, the impatient puppy masked twenty-something took another eager bite – the man never going a time when he didn’t look like a chipmunk storing nuts. The whole thing made Tony’s heart beat a little faster – and admittedly made him a little sick, but the affection of the moment easily won out.

“What do you do when you’re not hitting people for fun?” Peter asked through a mouthful of chocolate shake. “I like to dabble with car parts and watch shit TV, to be honest with you,” Tony replied, his mouth equally full – the words the most honest ones Tony could remember saying to another person. He saw Peter light up at the mention of car parts and the rest of their time together was spent between discussing what it was like to take apart an entire vehicle and put it back together. Peter said he always wanted to try it but never had the space to do so and hung on every one of Tony’s words. By the time he was waving to Peter heading in the opposite direction, Tony knew he was done for – the thought both terrifying and exciting all at once.

Shaking his head, Tony ran a hand through his hair and headed back towards the gym – a delighted hitch in his step evident the entire way back.

----

Peter waited anxiously for the following Wednesday. Following his impromptu meal with Tony, Peter found himself slung over the end of MJ’s bed, gushing about the entire interaction. Harboring a seemingly one-sided crush was one thing. Since his first lesson, they’d been debating Tony’s actions towards Peter and were still on the fence – but he felt pretty sure about it now. Dancing around another person wasn’t usually his thing – the uncertainty gave him anxiety, and that was never any fun. Peter found himself craving the steady rock from his toes to the balls of his feet, though – the man enjoying what boxing had to offer in all ways possible. He felt safer, that was for sure – he was probably in the best shape of his life and could now successfully throw a punch without breaking anything. More confidence came each week, his fists hitting the bag with more force and speed – each punch more efficient than the last. It didn’t hurt that he could feel chocolate brown eyes roaming him appreciatively, either – the touch of them merely adding fuel to his fire.

The more confident Peter felt in the ring, the more confident he felt elsewhere, too. His job was going spectacularly well, his boss even considering him for a promotion he wasn’t even sure he qualified for. It felt good to get up and go to work, his office a place where he excelled – and the freedom of actually believing in his strength brought along so many things Peter never knew he was missing. He felt so good going into Wednesday’s class, the determination to ask Tony out settled into his mind and became more permanent of a decision the closer the day got. Peter couldn’t recall a time he felt this good – and he wanted to include all the aspects of life in that, including the personal bit he’d been purposefully avoiding since the bitterly disappointing ending of his previous relationship. A grin came to his face any time he thought about what being out with Tony would be like – the man’s mystery keeping all the possibilities misted with the slightest tinge of uncertainty. The old Peter wouldn’t have appreciated not knowing – he understood the curious rush of not knowing now, though. He understood it and was quickly becoming addicted.

An invigorating feeling rushed over Peter when he walked into Iron Man’s Wednesday night. He managed to get his wrists taped exactly the way he liked him – the simple act leaving him feeling pretty damn good. Getting into his shoes and hand wraps was easy by then, the process just as relaxing as the pull of breath in and out while he punched – Peter settling into that easily when he got in front of one of the heavy bags to warm up. His feet felt a little heavy from the lack of movement throughout the day, but the sluggish feeling quickly wore off and he was moving seamlessly around the bag – totally lost in thought. The best part of boxing for Peter over the past couple months of attending the classes was the fact that he could just let go – there weren’t many places for Peter to do that. Something told him more than one thing in the boxing gym would give him that – but he’d be patient and see how it played out.

There turned out to be only three people that day – so Peter ended up sparring with Happy, the other owner of Iron Man’s Boxing Gym. The man was a few years older than his co-owner, though his arms were still heavily muscled, and his reaction time came as easily as the next trained boxer. It felt surprising, to do so well in the ring with someone of Happy’s size and abilities. Peter expected to be ass over face on the mat – tripping over his feet in the worst of ways, or something. Yet, he moved pretty easily, navigating the tarp of the ring like he’d been learning it intricately for weeks (which, well – he kind of had.) The few punches Happy was able to land were going to ache and there’d be bruising – but the satisfying way the older man held up a hand in defeat would forever be one of his favorite memories. The first taste of success was luscious – so delightful in fact, Peter found himself wanting more.

“Up for a tumble in here, Stark?” Peter asked, his upper half leaning against the ropes of the ring, a bottle of water in his hand. “I want to see what good foot work looks like,” Peter’s quip was met by the middle finger from Happy and a solid snort from Tony. The man didn’t waste another second and got suited up – his boxing gloves a dark red, the color a nice contrast to the dark blue of Peter’s own. They hit fists in the middle of the ring and then Tony was moving forward swinging. Pete didn’t stand a chance and laughed heartily when he hit the mat for the fifth time in a row – his ass tender and body sore from the few hits he managed to take before getting swept off his feet. When he threw up his hand, Tony tossed off the gloves and helped Peter up, a shit eating grin on his face. “You’re not half bad, Parker. Get your kit off and come to the office, I’ll give you some ice for that eye of yours.” Tony pointed towards the rapidly swelling shiner he was sporting – the evidence of a fight well fought.

Peter couldn’t keep the grin from his face as he got out of his shoes and unwrapped the stupid amount of protective stuff around his wrists. He needed his hands to do his work and knew the precautions were silly – but they made him feel better, so he did them, anyway. Finally done and in a clean shirt, Peter’s eye was starting to throb – Tony’s proffered ice would be a welcome addition to ease the pulsing ache in his face. This time, though – he didn’t feel helpless, he felt strong and the bruise was another reminder of how far he’d come. Entering into the office, he was met with the same sight from last week – Tony Stark without a shirt, sweat clinging to him. He couldn’t decide if the man did it on purpose, but the sight was worth the confusion – he’d watched many pornos that started just like this. Biting his tongue, Peter felt himself color at the thought, oh how he wished that was true.

Instead, a break and use ice pack was tossed his direction – the coolness of it hitting him immediately. “Thanks, Tony,” Peter mumbled gratefully, his eyes closing to soak in the relief. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone move that fast before. What did you do before you owned this gym? You must have boxed, right?” Peter asked, the sound a little muffled by the ice pack against his face. He sat on the one chair in the office, a huff leaving his lips. “My friend MJ told me I should Google you, but I thought you might tell me about it, instead.” He bit his lip to stifle the laugh that tried to escape – Tony’s eyebrow shot up, the man stopping himself halfway through the process of putting his shirt on. “You’re telling me you don’t know who I am, Peter Parker?” Tony shook his head and smiled wide – “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

The older man shifted and got the shirt on – a rush of disappointment running down Peter’s spine at the loss of the sight. He shifted a little, his eyes taking in Tony’s movement, the man leaned against the edge of his desk – his crossed arms pressing the muscles of his arms up, giving them more shape. Sucking in a breath, Pete forced himself to focus – though it was getting harder by the second. “I boxed professionally until the MMA craze hit – then I changed shit up and got my ass beat for the big bucks for a few years. It’s all fun and games until you fuck up your back enough to warrant either fighting more or walking the rest of your life.” One of Tony’s hands moved through the scruff on his chin, his fingernails brushing back and forth against it. A nervous gesture, a tick he can’t control – so odd a sight coming from such a well put together man. “Now, I teach cute characters like you how to box. Which, you’re pretty good at, by the way. Sorry about your eye.”

Digesting all the information, Peter let the ice pack drop from his eye – a couple blinks bringing his vision back into dual eye focus again. “I kind of like it. I earned this one. Besides, don’t act like I didn’t get a couple of good shots in on you. I saw that bruise on your side,” Peter gestured towards the left side of Tony’s body with the ice pack in his hand. “I’ll sign it, if you want.” They both laughed at that and Tony took a couple steps towards Peter, a hand reaching out to grab the ice pack. Peter gave it up easily and then let out a surprised huff when that same hand grabbed his and pulled a second later. Coming to his feet, Peter’s entire body started to flush, the feeling of Tony pressed up against him better than any fantasy he’d been dreaming up the past couple of weeks. “Maybe you can just kiss it better, instead?” Tony’s words were barely audible, the space between them diminished down to nothing but the distance of a shared breath.

There wasn’t any reason to waste the opportunity he’d been given, so Peter pressed in and closed the distance between them. He assumed he read the room right and got a very nice confirmation when the echo of a moan could be felt against his lips. Peter wrapped his arms around Tony’s neck and pulled him closer, his fingers tangling in the strands that were still wet with sweat. Tilting his head, Peter deepened the kiss, a soft groan of his own leaving his lips.

The sound leaving his lips left just enough room for Tony to slip the tip of his tongue into the warmth of Peter’s mouth. Their tongues tangled together, the sweet heat of taste and warmth overwhelming – disorienting in all the right ways. It was obvious that Tony’s plan was to map out every inch of his mouth – so Peter let him, his lips and skin tingling in all the places that the older man touched or pressed against. Peter hadn’t experienced such sensory overload since his teens – it felt a little silly to be so hard pressed already.

Tony pulled away first, their lips breaking apart suddenly – then little chaste pecks were placed against Peter’s lips. It was hard to catch his breath between all of the stimulus, but Pete tried his best – his entire body on fire, the overload of it all fresh and new, exciting in its intoxication. “That could probably be arranged. Want to go grab some food first?” Peter tightened the fingers in Tony’s hair for a second, bringing their faces together for another kiss with the grip. “I know the perfect place.” Tony nodded and slotted their lips together for a handful of soft barely there caresses. “I would love to grab food at this perfect place. Is what I’m wearing okay? I didn’t think I’d be doing anything other than walking to Buck’s.” He felt Tony brush their noses together before the older man pulled away – creating a little space between them to cool things down, take them back to a place where control was still the name of the game.

“You look great,” Peter replied easily, and followed the older man out of the office.

As Native New Yorkers, neither drove a car around, so they set off towards one of Peter’s main haunts on foot.

----

Enjoying the night air with Peter by his side helped to ease some of the boiling heat still threatening to overrun all the control systems in his brain. It was a little cool, and the sneaky brushes of their arms together every few steps were just on the right side of too cute. The saccharine sweet nature of it making his head spin. It didn’t take long for them to stop in front of a small looking building that was darkly lit on the outside, but the flash of neon lights could be seen through the windows. “I haven’t been to Two-Bits in forever!” Tony exclaimed, noticing the name on the door. Opening it and walking in, Tony was instantly brought back to a summer night a couple years ago. He beat Happy’s ass at Tekken and they drank the rest of the night away taking turns playing Silent Hill. It’d been years, but there were fond memories of the little bar. The fact that the seemingly marvelous Peter Parker decided it was first date material – well, that just might mean he’s the one.

The look on Peter’s face might have sealed the deal, too. He could see the joy of doing at least this part of the date right radiating from his eyes – Tony understanding the pressure of picking the most suitable location. Boldly, he reached out and grabbed the younger man’s hand, knotting their fingers together. “Good idea, Pete.” He stayed upfront and pressed a kiss to their joined fingers – a smile on his face at the blush that creeped up into the swell of Peter’s cheeks. “You must’ve known I was looking to beat your ass twice in one day,” Tony broke the cute moment with a little joke – typical Stark style. It didn’t matter, though – Peter let a gasping laugh fall from his lips. He watched the other man shake his head before he was getting tugged inside, both of them now eager, eager and ready to spend time together and see if their spark went a little further than dancing around the ring and casual small talk.

Peter was a good host and got them a couple drinks right off the bat. The bar didn’t do too much in the way of organized food, so they grabbed a couple of appetizers and spent most of their time waiting for sustenance playing the Back to the Future pinball machine nestled in the corner. There weren’t many people that were able to keep up with Tony video game wise, but the second time Peter got a score higher than his, he conceded that Peter was in fact an equal – if not better than him. The food was a good break from the intensity of their competitiveness and begrudgingly delicious. “How did you get so good at pinball? I’ve never had someone not only beat me, but actually kick my ass,” Tony mumbled halfway through a cheese stick – his entire body on fire from the feeling of excitement. Excitement from being out with Peter, excitement from spending a whole night playing video games – hell, excitement from simply enjoying time with another human being.

“The bodega I worked at during high school had an old pinball machine – and the place was never busy. Del Mar would give us each a quarter and let us play until there weren’t any balls left from that quarter. I got so good that I would spend entire shifts behind the pinball machine instead of doing my actual job. He stopped giving us quarters after a while, but I never stopped playing. My dormmate at MIT and I spent a bit of money and had a machine in our room for the couple years we lived together,” Peter didn’t take a breath the entire time he talked, his eyes glowing with the memories of the good times in his life – Tony liked the look, it was stupidly suiting for the precious guy sitting in front of him. “You hustler, you,” Tony replied after a while. He shot a wink in Peter’s direction and was delighted with the blush that came creeping up that pale skin. “To be fair, you let me pick the game. Who picks a game they’re shitty at when they’re trying to impress someone?” The question sat between them for a second, the meaning of it creeping under Tony’s skin. “Consider me impressed already, Peter Parker. You can let me win the next few games.”

And he did – at least, Tony figured that was the case. They moved on to Galaga – which Tony played often in what the kids today would call vintage arcades. He grew up on the game and it wasn’t surprising that he racked up the points. Peter didn’t attempt to step in and take the controls, either – the man seemed more than willing to stand by Tony’s side and watch with glee. Then, they went head to head in Ms. Pac-Man, the kid’s hand-eye coordination was a little better than his at that point, so he conceded defeat after a well fought third game in which they both finished with sweat on their brows and huge smiles on their faces. When they moved on to the next game, Tony let himself be pulled close by an arm around his waist – he threw his own arm around Peter and narrowed the distance between them even more. “This is a lot of fun,” he murmured, the words more than likely lost in the jumble of Peter’s hair. His lips lingered to press a soft kiss against the side of Pete’s head. The words were true, too. Tony couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed himself so much.

They finished the night at the punching bag game – which made a lot of sense, all things considering. Tony watched Peter pull a hand back and hit the bag pretty hard – though his technique was all wrong. “Do that again. This time don’t swing back like you’re trying to throw a baseball. Go square through it – like you’re trying to get a punch in right down the shoot.” As he spoke, Tony moved enough to be able to get behind Peter, his hands wrapping around the man’s limbs until he was shadowing the other completely. “If you imagine that’s my face – I bet it’ll make things easier.” Tony’s words were mixed with a laugh and he felt Peter shiver in his embrace. A soft smile played across his lips and he let himself soak up the feel of Peter against him while he took him through the flow of the movement – the last couple passes a bit gratuitous, if he were being honest.

The look of pure joy on Pete’s face when he doubled his score with the next quarter was totally worth it. He watched the younger man pump his fist in the air and dance from foot to foot – his victory chant ending abruptly when he swung his arms around Tony’s neck and pulled him into a tight embrace. “You’re the best teacher I’ve had, Tony. You make it seem so easy. Thank you.” Peter looked at him the entire time he spoke, the intensity of his gaze almost overwhelming – though Tony hoped this wasn’t the only time he’d get to understand this feeling. Tony wrapped his strong arms around Pete’s hips and kept them both in the embrace. “You’re welcome. I’ve been in the nitty gritty – it’s easier to impart wisdom when you’ve been in the shit. I’m just glad there’s smart guys like you that actually like what I’m putting out there.” They shared a smile and Peter nodded; his eyes still bright – the shine in them so easy to get hooked on.

“I think I just like you,” Peter said in a whisper, the space between them minimal, each word bouncing off Tony’s skin instead of sounding in his ears first. “I like you and I think coming to class to see you – to watch you do your thing – that’s been the best part of this. Learning how to protect myself was the original purpose, but now I think I want to learn more about you, too. Does that sound okay? I’ve had a lot of fun tonight and think we could probably spend nights like this having even more fun.” Peter finished his thought by pressing their lips together. The touch was chaste, and Tony didn’t have enough time to even respond – but it was perfect all the same. To think he started today thinking he might ask Pete to Bucky’s again – that he might try and get a read on Peter’s interest. He never thought he’d be here – wrapped up in Pete’s embrace – on the verge of getting to do this more than just one time. What a concept. “It sounds perfect, Pete.”

Tony leaned forward and pressed their lips together again, the same chaste nature of the kiss there – they didn’t spend much time actually letting themselves get comfortable in the affection, they were in public after all. Though he needed to pull away to keep himself under control, Tony kept a hand on Peter for the rest of the night. He didn’t beat up on the guy like he figured he would – Peter was unsurprisingly very good at all the games he led Tony to, but the time he spent losing was the best use of 120 minutes he’d ever experienced. Leaving the spot, Tony was almost reluctant. The night was too good to end – so, he clung to it just a little while longer. “Could I walk you home? I’ve had such a good time tonight, I don’t think I’m ready for it to end,” Tony hated to admit something like that – hated to let someone else see any sort of weakness, but sometimes it felt kind of good to step outside his comfort zone and actually try for something he wanted for a change. “Yeah, you can definitely walk me home, Tony.”

The slim fingers between his own felt right – like their fingers were perfectly meant to fit together. The thought made him squeeze those fingers, the contact drawing a lifted brow from Peter. “This side of you surprises me,” the other said, breaking the easy silence between them. “A big part of me thought you’d be all reserved like you are in class. Like maybe you’d crack a smile or something, but you’re – y’know, a sweetheart.” Tony chuckled at that, Peter’s observation wasn’t wrong, though – the last time he’d been called a sweetheart, he was five and was pretending he didn’t just break a thousand-dollar vase.

Most people quickly found out he was not that sweetheart and left him to his gruff nature. Peter didn’t seem like the type to be easily ran off, however. He’d seen a couple different sides to Tony and so far, he didn’t seem too disturbed by them. “You’ll have to keep that last part a secret. I’ll lose all my street cred if you go around saying stuff like that too much,” Tony’s response was a default one, a thought he figured Peter was aware of. He felt a similar squeeze to his fingers and heard a soft chuckle as a reply. “Your secret is safe with me, Tony Stark.”

Peter didn’t invite him up. Instead, he pulled the hand he’d been holding to him and produced a pen out of nowhere – the digits that ran across the palm of his hand were thankfully enough to be a phone number. He capped the pen and pressed a kiss to the palm of Tony’s hand, right over the numbers. “If you’re up for it, I’d love to see you again. Now, you know how to reach me,” Peter kept Tony’s hand in his the entire time he spoke, the tone in his voice saucy – just on the right side of flirty. Tony couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled from his chest and the smile that remained was one he’d quickly come to find belonged solely to Peter. “You got it. Thanks for tonight, Pete. I had a great time.” The words were easy and the way they moved together to seal their lips in a kiss was even easier.

----

That Friday found the two of them together again, this time, at Coney Island. They rode the teacups until Tony was puking up the two corndogs he’d shoveled into his mouth when they first walked in – it was absolutely perfect. When Tony walked Peter up to his door, the man did not invite him in again. The other’s lips were fleeting and this time – the kind of teasing that said there were things to come, things that were totally worth the wait. The rest of the weekend was spent texting back and forth – and Sunday night ended with Peter falling asleep on the phone, the sound of his soft snores the thing that lulled Tony to sleep himself. Meeting up again on Monday, Tony could feel the shift between them. Peter’s touches were much more determined, and the air felt charged – for whatever reason, it felt like they’d reached a new level.

Which made a lot of sense when this time, Peter did invite Tony in. In fact, Peter’s lips and hands were demanding the second they cleared the threshold of the apartment’s entrance. For the first time in many, many years, Tony thought he might not be patient enough to get his clothes off before he came all over himself. Luckily, Peter lived on the fourth floor and the flights of stairs were not a ridiculous task to take on. They only ended up pressed against the wall twice – quite the feat considering how far Peter’s tongue was down his throat and how much Tony wanted to plaster him to the wall and take what he’d been thinking about for longer than he cared to admit. A sigh of relief fell from Tony’s lips when Peter was able to get the key in the door. Of course, he probably could have stopped peppering the man’s neck with kisses and halt all the distractions – but where was the fun in that?

With the space between them still existent, Peter took advantage and stripped his shirt off – the garment and his house keys flying across the room with a careless flip of his wrist. Tony only got far enough to close the door, slip his shoes off and get his socks from his feet before Peter was back in his space, demanding his focus and attention. Things that Tony were totally into giving to the other – his hands wrapped around Peter’s hips and grabbed greedily at the globes of his ass. The move pulled them flush together and he felt the heat of Peter’s excitement against his thigh. “I haven’t felt this much anticipation since I was a teenager. I both can’t wait to fuck you and want to drag it out as much as I can. You drive me crazy, Peter Parker. Absolutely crazy,” Tony broke away from the other just long enough to get the words out and as he spoke, he pulled his own shirt off. The press of their chests together pulled a joint moan from both men – the sound getting lost between them. Tony didn’t have a clue where they were going, so he let his attention move to the planes of Peter’s skin, each inch of it a feast of unmarred flesh and subtleties that made up the man in his arms.

A little more fumbling found them down the hall, finally ensconced in the comfort of Pete’s bedroom. The bed was a decently sized queen and the right kind of firm. Tony was surprised to feel himself be pressed back against the bed, but he didn’t fight it – he liked the weight of Peter across his lap, the strong legs the other was building through his time boxing were hard and clenching where they were wrapped around him. Peter gasped when Tony thrust up against him, the open button of his jeans the only thing bringing any semblance of relief. At least his cock wasn’t hard as nails and pressed against the teeth of his jeans. “We’re wearing way too many clothes. Take them off, will you?” Tony mumbled against Peter’s lips, the two on an oxygen break between kisses. He felt the other nod and watched with wide eyes as Peter got up off of Tony and onto his feet on the floor. The process wasn’t slow and seductive – but no less sexy, regardless. Peter pulled his jeans off first and kicked them away – the socks and boxers combination way more adorable than it should have been. His boxers came off next and the confident way he stood there butt ass naked was the cherry on top.

Tony didn’t wait to disrobe himself once he caught sight of the entire package in front of him. Pete’s limbs were long and well-muscled – the definition not nearly as severe as Tony’s, but there all the same and perfect for the smaller body. His stomach rippled with each breath – Tony promised himself that he’d learn what it felt like to have those muscles bump against his face while he licked every inch of each one of them. The best part, though, was the subtle blush that tracked across Pete’s cheeks and forehead, down his chest and pecs, until it stopped just above Peter’s groin. The crimson flush was the perfect map of Peter’s arousal and manifested into a thick erection that was pressed straight out in all its dignified glory. A swell of spit flooded into Tony’s mouth; his entire body eager to finally get a taste.

Now naked and entirely too impatient, Tony shifted until he could reach out and grab Peter, his hands greedy in the way he pulled the other back on the bed. This time, he instructed that muscled back to press against the mattress and settled between the v of Pete’s thighs. A surprised gasp slipped through his teeth at the feel of their erections slipping together – the first nude touch of heated flesh absolutely divine. Tony distracted himself with Peter’s skin and attacked it with his lips – his tongue made the tracks and his lips followed along the path. At the end of this, he wouldn’t be surprised if Peter was littered with red marks and bites from the eagerness of Tony’s affections.

“Fuck, Tony. More – touch me, put your mouth on me. Anything,” Peter’s words were panted out, broken in their delivery. A flash of goosebumps spread across Tony’s skin and he felt himself moan again. “What do you want? What can I give you Pete?” The response was immediate, and Tony wasn’t sure how much he needed to hear the answer until the words were out in the open. He didn’t know too much about dealing with feelings or mastering this type of relationship – he couldn’t remember the last time he didn’t beat his way out of any type of situation that dealt with more complex feelings than hunger. The simple fact that Tony didn’t want to hurt a single hair on Peter’s head spoke volumes, though. Even an emotionally stunted person like Tony knew importance came with caring – and damn did he care about Pete. The feeling crept up on him and now that it was out in the open, it felt right.

Peter’s mumbled out request to be fucked made Tony chuckle against his skin and tap on his hip. “Turn over, Petey. Your ass is too delicious to not get a taste,” Tony said, his entire body flushing from the dirtiness of his words. The truth of the matter was, however, that Tony wanted a taste of every inch of him and intended to do just that – eventually. His focus now was the beautiful length of Peter’s back and the crease between pert cheeks – each globe of Pete’s ass a marvel in and of itself. Tony started by running his hands along what seemed like miles of skin, the muscles under his fingers twitching each time he caught a sensitive part of Peter’s flesh. His fingers continued moving until they were between those beautiful cheeks, both thumbs pulling them apart to reveal Pete’s clenched pucker. Teasingly, Tony huffed out a warm breath just to watch the muscles flinch and clench – the flutter of that hole like a straight shot to his already aching cock. The pad of his right thumb traced around the muscle and pressed in ever so slightly. The gasp from Peter made his entire body shift and suck in more of Tony’s thumb. This time, it was Tony’s turn to moan.

Done with the teasing, Tony tucked in – his tongue circling the hole first, then pressing in like he’d done with his thumb. He couldn’t help the way his hips thrust forward, his untouched cock yearning for a little bit of friction. The cold air kept him in check, though – each squeeze of Peter’s ass around his tongue was almost too much and the contrasting sensations kept him just on the right side of the edge. Peter was incredibly responsive, the sounds leaving his lips like music to Tony’s ears – and incredibly distracting to boot. Each one sent a solid ball of arousal bouncing down the maze of his insides, pulling him closer and closer to that precipice. By the time Tony could fit most of his tongue and a finger into Peter’s tight heat, both of them were delusional with want – Peter was thrusting back against Tony’s face, and the older man was using his free hand to press a barely there touch to his cock, just enough to take the edge off.

“Lube and condoms?” Tony said after removing himself from his now favorite spot, his goatee totally soaked with his own spit – the man known to be enthusiastic in everything he did, eating out included. A hand shot out and pointed towards the one bedside table in the room, Peter’s hips were still thrusting back against him – the man obviously totally done for. Tony didn’t spend much time prepping any further, either. He lubed up two of his fingers and slowly let them slip inside Peter’s tight heat. The stretch felt like fire burning, slow to start then suddenly overwhelming. He pulled his fingers back out and scissored them, the motion pulling a long shout from the man below him. “Fuck – fuck! I need you, Tony – please,” Peter was practically begging, the wantonness of it too much. Tony pulled his fingers free after another couple of passes in and out. Peter felt stretched enough and he was quickly losing himself. This man would be the death of him – the passion and want seeping out from all of his pores was everything Tony hadn’t known he wanted.

Entering Peter felt like coming home. He felt a little cheesy thinking that, his higher brain functions a little out the door now that carnality was finally winning. Yet, it was the only way to describe how easily their bodies joined together and how good they looked when Tony glanced down and stared at the place where they were joined completely. His cock pulsed, the way they looked stupidly attractive and so hard to look away from. Flipping Peter over so he could see his face was one thing – this sight was something else completely. A clench around him brought him back, though – those beautiful hands pulled his face down and they were kissing. Tony got lost in the caress of their mouths and his hips moved on their own accord. Pete’s legs were wrapped tightly around him and he moved seamlessly with Tony – each coordinated drag of their bodies making the big finale inevitable and coming sooner than either was ready for.

Tony didn’t think he could experience something that would change him but watching Peter cum was a new experience. The pinch at the corner of his eyes and the way his mouth dropped wide open was – it was enough to pull him right over the edge with him. Tony forced his eyes to stay open as long as possible, he wanted to remember this experience. The force of his orgasm eventually forced his eyes to shut and the intensity of it had him burying his face into the crook of Peter’s neck. “Holy fuck,” Tony gasped out, his entire body drained, each limb heavy with satisfaction.

He felt Peter’s arms wrap around him and a kiss pressed to the side of his head in answer.

----

We held on tight, for dear life.

In a lot of ways, dating Tony Stark didn’t change much of anything for Peter. His job demanded the same amount of attention, he got to see MJ a couple times a week, and Wednesday’s were always spent in Iron Man’s Boxing Gym. Of course, in the time between Wednesday’s and his hangouts with MJ, Peter spent most of his time in Tony’s company. When they weren’t in the gym, they were hanging around the small garage Tony kept all of his projects in and when they weren’t doing that, they were tangled up together in some way. Whether that was at Two-Bits getting their arcade fix or on Tony’s big sectional couch not paying attention to Breaking Bad on the flat screen tv – things were good. Peter couldn’t remember ever being treated in the way Tony did – like he was something worth having in his life. Tony went out of his way to make him feel good, if not great on those better days. There were a lot of things different between them, but that kept things interesting. For the first time in a long time, Peter felt cared about. Cared about in a way that made him feel safe and sound – like Tony would be there if he ever needed him.

Which, Peter did – lots of times. The closer it got to the anniversary of the attack, the more nightmares and flashbacks Peter found himself having. He tried to pull back from everyone, to divest them of the burden of his emotional instability. For a while, he figured being by himself was much more important than having people that cared about him. Tony didn’t let that thought remain for very long, though. The second time Peter missed Wednesday night class, Tony was there knocking on his door. He tried to disguise his worry with a styrofoam bowl of chicken noodle soup and inquiries about him being sick – but Peter could see a little bit of sadness and terror in the other man’s eyes.

In all of his worrying and dragging himself away, Peter didn’t think for a second how any of his actions might have affected Tony. At that point, they’d been together close to six months – and a sudden disappearance would have worried anyone that attached. For the first time in 14 days, Peter stepped aside and let someone in. Holding him in his arms later that night, Tony pressed a kiss to the side of his head and whispered another something that would change Peter forever. “Don’t push me away, okay? I’ll be here. I care about you, Petey. I’ll be here.”

The following few weeks were much better for Peter and the times he thought about pulling away – Tony kept him grounded. Instead of turning away, Tony taught him to take his anger out on something that couldn’t hit back – so, he took to swinging at the heavy bag whenever he got the chance. Tony’s classes were teaching him the art of boxing – Tony’s private lessons taught him the art of decompression and how to unleash anger in the most productive of ways. Every time he let himself get lost in the sound of his fists hitting the bag, Peter would resurface and feel so much better.

Sometimes Tony joined him – he would hold the bag and throw taunts his way or camp out at the bag next to him and add to the sound of fists and hitting and the bag swinging. And sometimes – well, sometimes Tony left him to himself. There were many instances that a quick look between them said more than any words could. Tony would pull a couple bags out of the closet, hang them up, and then retreat into the office. Those times were his favorite. Not because he didn’t like learning from Tony or being in his presence – but mostly because it felt good to be so well known by another human being. Quentin’s example of what a significant other should be didn’t even come close to the reality of Tony.

Which was proven to him again a couple weeks later. Tony convinced him to take an early lunch so they could hit a small brunch place just opening up. His boyfriend tried for days to get the morning off and Peter easily agreed to join him. In their time together, Peter was slowly learning the subtle delicacies of life and for Tony Stark, the main one was food. Watching Tony enjoy one of his favorite things in life quickly became something Peter didn’t want to miss out on – so he joined him almost every time the man asked. This new place was rumored to have the best waffles, anyway – Peter couldn’t possibly pass up on something like that. It didn’t hurt, either, the fact that Tony strolled into his building and asked for him by name. Of the people that knew of Tony, he got looks of interest and slight jealousy. The rest of his office stared open-mouthed as they walked out together, the beautiful man’s arm wrapped firmly around Peter’s shoulders.

Their time in line went by pretty pleasantly and the meal was better than either of them expected. Peter’s waffle was one of the best he’d eaten in a long time. When they left, Peter was floating from the high of being with Tony and having a full belly – he was so preoccupied, he didn’t see Quentin until a hand on his shoulder was stopping their movements. Looking up, Peter sucked in a harsh breath – the man who so carelessly tossed him out on his ass was standing right in front of him. The petty part of Peter was glad that he didn’t look all that good. The pretty boy appearance no longer carefully kept – the hair that was meticulously done up looked longer than Peter remembered it ever being and a lot greasier, too. He looked like shit and a huge part of him, one that was trying so hard to win out, wanted to laugh in his face. So much for better off without me, Peter thought.

Peter forced himself to blink a couple times before he even thought to speak. “Quentin.” The hand in his own tightened and Peter could feel the question in the squeeze. “Peter Parker. It’s great to see you, babe. You’re looking great,” Quentin said, the hand still on his shoulder giving him a squeeze – the uncomfortable feel of his touch a total contrast to the safety he felt with Tony’s hand clenched in his own. He tried to come up with something to say but was beaten to the punch. He should have known Tony would pick up on what was happening – the man was incredibly perceptive and insanely protective.

“He’s not your babe. He does look great and you’re kind of in the way,” Tony’s voice was an octave Peter hadn’t heard before – the tone a little frightening, honestly. He looked over at Peter, his brow raised in that signature arrogant Tony Stark look. “We’re off to live happily ever after,” Tony’s smirk was evident, and he returned it with his own grateful look. Tony Stark to save the day. Peter pressed a kiss on his cheek in thanks – the man a total hot head, but absolutely amazing. “And we might never come back. If you’ll excuse me, Quentin,” Peter finally got out, his smile growing at the look of confusion on his ex’s face.

The laughter they dissolved into not even a block later was the last little bit of healing Peter needed. For the longest time, he’d been debilitated. Quentin Beck took his trust and twisted it until Peter didn’t trust himself. Getting thrown out of that apartment all that time ago was the best thing to happen to him – he knew that now. The feeling of Tony’s arm wrapping around his shoulders and pulling him close was worth all the heartbreak and recovery it took to get back to the person Pete knew he could be.

It wasn’t all on Tony – Peter knew giving the man that much credit would only create a rift in their relationship, and he didn’t want that. Most of the work came from deep within him and the confidence he got back was probably the thing that landed him Tony in the end, anyway. No, for Peter, Tony was the guiding light that kept him on track. The older man could keep him grounded and when he didn’t remember the path that he was on, Tony put his arms around him and held him close until he found his way again.

There were many things that could be said about a person that didn’t try to control or push – many things that wouldn’t even come close to doing them justice. Tony’s presence in his life brought a type of peace that Peter couldn’t remember ever searching for. Understanding his self-worth made it easy to appreciate how Tony felt about him. And in the end, Peter found himself falling in love with the man every single time he didn’t float away, every time the teether back to the ground came from one Tony Stark and the simple way he could make Peter feel like the strongest person on the planet. He didn’t know much about the future or what it held in store for him, but boxing and Tony were two things Peter knew wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, he had a long way to go if he ever intended on putting Tony on his ass. There wouldn’t be any peace between them until that happened.

Later, when Peter found himself in the tangle of Tony’s arms, he felt happiness boil over the edges. They didn’t do a lot of talking about their feelings and each man seemed to appreciate that in their own way. For some reason, Peter couldn’t hold himself back – if he did, he might actually explode. “I love you, Tony. I love you and I’ve probably never been happier. Never.” Peter’s words were muffled by the skin of Tony’s chest, but he knew the other heard him. That chest under his head fluttered – with bated breath and the slight quiver of nervous excitement. Tony’s fingers stopped the tracing they’d been doing over the skin on his back and dug in ever so slightly. Those arms were tight around him by the time Tony collected himself enough to say anything back. “I know. I love you, too. Have for a while. I hope you’re happy enough to stay. There’s no one else this world seems quite right with.” Tony pressed a kiss to his head to cover up the vulnerability of his words. Peter recognized the gesture and leaned into it – his heart forever growing for the complex man surrounding him.

Snuggling into the warmth there, Peter felt himself sigh with contentment.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

#starker #peter parker/tony stark #tony stark/peter parker #fics #fan fics #marvel fanfiction #bobbie writes #tony #peter

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bibliodragon · 4 years

Text

Fic: Breaking Point

Sarah Palmer deals with the aftermath of Draetheus V

Fandom: Halo

Characters: Sarah Palmer, Tom Lasky

Rating: T

AO3

She checks the gun. Three shots left. Two targets, shielded. No, three. One of the hingeheads she put down earlier. Thought she put down. It staggers up, spitting curses. Usual stuff, about heretics and unholy. It’s shields would have recharged now. Dammit.

Spartan Sarah Palmer eyes the focus rifle lying discarded halfway between the remaining Covies and the rocky outcrop she’s taking cover behind. Two hingeheads, two jackals now: one with a shield. Smart thing to do is hold her ground. They’re holding back, they don’t know how much ammo she’s got left. But it’s only a matter of time before they split up and try flanking her. A grenade would be handy right now, the way they’re bunched up right now. No point wishing for what she doesn’t have.

What she does have is a gun with three bullets, a nagging pain in her side, and a dull buzzing in her ears. And four enemies in need of killing. Even if they very kindly turn their shields off and stand still for her, that still leaves one of them standing. Maybe one of the jackals could stand perfectly in line behind the other.

Bastards are moving now. Probably figured out there’s a reason for the lack of gunfire pointed in their direction. One of the hindgeheads barks out something while giving a sweep of his arm in her direction. She doesn’t need a translator to work that one out.

She kicks out from hiding, sending a spray of gravel up from her feet. Straight line, right at them. She stumbles, but keeps on going. The shield-less jackal squawks and flinches back, the other holds it’s ground. And the elites, her old friend aims a kick at the coward, while the other…damn, the other has spotted just what it is she is going for. Sword out, he’s striding out towards the riffle with a slowness that’s dammed insulting.

Her shields are crackling as she comes under fire. She doesn’t need an audience. One bullet to take out Shield-less. Second to finish the job on the elite. Third only catches the other jackal’s gauntlet. Crap.

She dives for the riffle as the elite reaches it. Bastard jackal continues to shoot. Elite brings down the sword. She hits the ground, rolls, grabs the riffle and upright again fires at the jackal, then twists round to shove the riffle in the elite’s face and pulls the trigger.

Nothing happens.

The elite actually slows its swing and she can see the amusement in its eyes. She heaves the useless riffle at the middle of its smug four jaws. She hates showboating. She feels a moment of satisfaction at the crack, before the elite punches her helmet with its other hand, sending her reeling backwards.

Bastard’s still showboating.

She can taste blood in her mouth. Alright then, draw on that front. She feints to the left, and then barrels straight forward before it can bring up the sword again. They both go sprawling. She has a knife, even if energy sword trumps that, but the damn thing refuses to make it easy for her. It’s snarling and spitting and truth be told she’s snarling right back. Not that it can tell. Punching it in the face gets the idea across.

It’s a scrabble of clawing, kicking, punching in the dirt. She is unaware of anything else. At some point she had gotten the sword from it, but that wasn’t important. She doesn’t need it. She’s managing just fine with fists.

Bastard kicks out, gets her in the side, the pain is enough that the next thing she knows is her back hitting the dirt, the thing snarling something but she can’t hear right. Not that it matters. She just needs to get up and hit it again, and then keep hitting it. As a plan it’s flawless. Pity she forgot about the sword. Pity the elite didn’t. Round over.

“Round Over!”

She fucking hates that thing.

“Run it again.”

Spartan Sarah Palmer pushes herself upright, ignoring the pain in her side which thinks it can make itself known again. She grits her teeth, allowing a wince of pain hidden by her helmet as she gets to her feet. She still has the sword; she watches it smoke for a moment before deactivating it and placing it on her hip. She still needs to stab something. “War Games, run the simulation again!”

“Non-Spartan personnel present; simulation paused.”

Hell there is! “And I told you not to let anyone else in!”

“Over-ridden.”

Hell with that. But she needs to rearm anyway. Her surroundings shimmer and give way to bare deck as she makes her way to the exit. She stares straight ahead, focused on her goal. Get the biggest, badest gun she can find and then go and shoot something. Such as whoever it is who thinks they can interrupt her. She knows full well who thinks they can interrupt her, but she really wants to just be shooting something right now.

“Better have a good excuse for being in here.” She doesn’t look up from the assault rifle in her hands. She checks and rechecks it, finding the familiar action soothing, even though not as much as getting to shoot something with it would.

“That’s the thing about being commander,” Tom Lasky says casually as he enters the room. “I don’t need an excuse.”

“Well, I’m sure that’ll impress the simulated Covies into not shooting at you.” The weight of the rifle seems off, somehow, even though the display says it is fully loaded, so she checks it again. Perhaps he’ll take the hint.

Of course, he doesn’t. “I’ll have you know I managed to shoot a few live ones in my time.”

“Feel free to help yourself.” She indicates the weapons locker with a curt nod. “Might last, what, two, three minutes.” The rifle’s still bothering her. Should have gone with the dual pistols, but she just…really wants to stab something with the energy sword.

“I think I could manage at least five.” He’s talking to her same way as normal, none of that kid-glove crap the others tried, and she’s grateful for that. Really. But he really, really needs to learn to take a hint. She can see him in her peripheral vision, standing there and watching her as she checks the gun again and again before unloading it once again and then slamming it back down. The crack of metal against metal remains between them even as she picks up another riffle and begins the routine once again. This one feels off, also. “Damn it.”

Alright, fuck it. She just needs the sword. More fun, anyway. She puts the useless riffle back, fumbling slightly. Definitely something wrong with it. She needs to get someone to check them later. And chew out whoever left them in this state. But she needs to stab something first.

“What was wrong with that one?”

Yeah, he’s not taking the hint. She’d glare at him, despite being hidden by her helmet, but that would involve turning her head. She glares at the guns instead. Not that they can see under the helmet, either. “Weight’s off. Apparently basic maintenance is just too hard for some people,” she says, bitterly. The dull ache is becoming sharper now.

Footsteps against the deck, and he’s beside her, picking up the gun she had just put down and hefting it. “Seems alright to me.”

“Well, feel free to use it!” She snaps, louder than she intended, and it causes her head to ring. She grits her teeth. She’s wasting too much time.

“Sarah…”

“Don’t!” She can deal with this, just so long as he doesn’t use that tone of voice. “Just don’t.” She’s stopped for too long as it is. She needs to be moving, doing. Killing something. She turns away from him.

“Is this helping?” He speaks softly. Before, when she was regular grade human, she would not have been able to hear over the metallic stomp of her own armour. But back then, being able to hear over a half ton of armour wouldn’t have been a problem down to lack of opportunity. She can ignore him, and go back to killing things. Would certainly be the preferred option. But for some reason she finds herself stopping, just for a moment.

“Yes. Yes it is. And it would help if you would get out of here and let me get on with it.”

“Get on with what? You can’t keep running the War Games until you pass out from exhaustion. Or worse. You know the medics can keep track of you, there’s a whole bunch out there freaking out about you right now.”

That gets a laugh, a short, sharp crack that jars at the back of her eyes. “Really? Well, I’m touched for their concern. Not enough to actually tell me that.”

“Come on, can you blame them?” The light scuff of his boot against the deck gives away that he’s shifted his stance, probably got his hands on his hips. Probably got that look on his face, the ‘oh so disappointed, but I am trying to be reasonable here’ one. “You’re pretty terrifying at the best of times.”

“Thanks. That makes me feel much better. Problem solved. You can go away now.” She can feel herself sway slightly. She needs to keep moving. But it’s harder to get going now, somehow. There is a heaviness in her limbs, as if she’s feeling the weight of the armour somehow.

He takes a step towards her, as if he can sense this weakness. “All I’m saying is that you can’t keep on like this forever.”

“I’m still standing.” And it would really undermine her point if she were to fall over right at this point. She needs to keep moving. And he really needs to get out of her way.

“So that’s the plan, is it? Just keep on going until you’re unconscious? Or worse? How is that going to help?” He sighs. “Look, I don’t know what-“

“Don’t!” She whips round, her hand up as if she can shield herself from the sentiment. “Just…don’t.” That isn’t what she needs right now. She just needs to shoot something. She just needs to keep shooting, and everything will be fine.

“You can’t think this is healthy? You’ve been in here non-stop since you got back.” She was right, he has got the concerned look on his face. “Look, you need to stop. This isn’t going to help.”

He’s sweet, but he has no idea what he’s talking about. She glares at him, the one that can send people running even with the helmet in the way. He doesn’t move. Of course he doesn’t. God damn, she’s tired.

He can sense the weakness. “You can’t keep running from this. You’re going to have to stop at some point, and it’s going to catch up with you.”

“But it doesn’t have to be now.” The weight of the armour is pulling on her. If he doesn’t get out of her way soon she’s likely to fall on him. “Don’t make me move you.”

He just crosses his arms and gives her a look. He’s figured it out how he just needs to wear her down by keeping her talking long enough. Clever bastard. The buzzing in her ears is getting louder, and she takes a step towards him. He continues to stand his ground. Of course he does.

She’s going to have to call his bluff. He can try and stop a determined Spartan in a half-ton of armour, or he can get out of her way. She takes her second step, and he’s still staring her down like he can stop her.

The third step’s too much for her. She stumbles, and he actually steps forward as if he can stop her falling. She catches herself before she goes further than one knee, and through gritted teeth hisses “really?” at him. He meets her gaze evenly, as if she wasn’t wearing the helmet. And as if he hadn’t almost gotten himself flattened.

“You know you can’t keep doing this.”

The quiet words cut through the sound of her heartbeat and the rasp of her breathing, echoing all around her. She pushes her fist against the floor, metal against metal. She can taste blood. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t.

She wonders how it would feel to punch the floor, to keep going until there is nothing left. But for the first time in a long time she is tired.

“I’m sorry.” He’s still so quiet, but for the first time she can see the worry in his eyes. But then he keeps talking. “It wasn’t your fault. A lot more people would be dead right now if not for you.”

“I am really not in the mood to hear that crap.” She looks down at the floor and considers trying to push herself back onto her feet. But the buzzing’s not so loud down here. “I did the job in front of me.” She barks out a laugh. “I got lucky. Other people didn’t. Isn’t the first time.”

But it is the first time, isn’t it. In the old days, in the meat grinder, fighting for the survival of the human race, she’d seen so many of her fellow soldiers snuffed out just like that. But she’s a Spartan now. Spartans don’t die.

She laughs again, a bitter sharp bark. Maybe she had bought into that bullshit after all.

He’s crouching down beside her now. “Just because it isn’t the first time, doesn’t mean you ever stop feeling it,” he says softly. “At least we can do that for them.”

He’s wrong, of course. You get them back as good as they got yours. That’s what you do for them. But she just can’t find it in herself to tell him that right now.

“Davis deserved better.” That’s the thing that’s been pushing at her, gnawing away at her. “KIA. That’s one thing. We all know that.” She laughs again. “And what a way to go right? There are a hell of a lot worse ways to go. Not that anyone’s allowed to know that. Classified information. And that’s fine.” The claustrophobia gets too much for her, and she pulls of the helmet. It drops with an anticlimactic clang. “But he deserved better than that!”

She must look like crap. She can tell by the way his eyes widen slightly. But he doesn’t comment on it. He just looks at her, sighs sadly, and shifts to lean back against the wall beside her. “I’ve had to leave people behind as well. I know how much it hurts.”

It’s the ringing of metal that tells her she’s punched the floor. She waits for the pain to follow. She needs it to follow.

“What happened at Ivanoff?”

He’s still there. He hasn’t moved. Not beyond the automatic flinch when she hit the deck. He’s still just looking at her sadly, and she wonders how much he already knows.

But he’s looking her in the eye at least. None of the others could manage that. But that feels worse, somehow. He has kind eyes. She hadn’t noticed that before.

“Better watch out.” She breaks from that gaze with a shake of her head. “Need to know, and all that crap. Don’t want you getting black bagged by ONI.”

But it hurts. It’s dragging on her, and it hurts. And Davis deserved better than that.

“He was calling for help. Before he died. He was calling for me. But it was too late. Some Forerunner bullshit. And what was left of him…” She stares down at her fist, still sitting in the small indent in the floor, as she finds reserves of anger deep enough to cut through the exhaustion. “I did not go through all that to bring him home for that!” Her fingers itch for the riffle, to squeeze the trigger until there’s nothing left, but it’s so far away and her bones ache. She’s tired, for the first time in a long time, but the anger, the rage, it sits on her, smothering her, while the bile rises up. “To be some…science project! For that…woman! And they just expected me to just hand him over.”

She had never seen Catherine Halsey move so fast. So very keen to get her hands on a new toy. And she had to just hand him over. Just another bit of Forerunner tech. And very much aware that she was under orders to hand him over.

To leave him behind.

She so badly wants to punch something again.

She pulls her hand up and gingerly flexes her fingers. The dent in the floor looks up at her accusingly.

“That’s fine. I’m sure there’s still plenty time to buff that out.” He’s still at her side. Still hasn’t gone anywhere. She laughs at that, or his lame joke, she doesn’t know. She’s glad he’s still there. That does surprise her.

“God what a mess.” She makes a fist, but just taps it against the floor this time, then pushes to her feet. It’s a long way up.

He’s beside her again, and this time he does touch her arm. She’s aware of it even through the metal. “Well, you certainly gave the War Games a trial by fire. If it can take that, it can take anything.”

“I’d like to see someone else beat that score.” She winces. It hurts to laugh.

“It’s ok to be mad at orders, you know. Brass asks a lot at times.”

She raises an eyebrow. “That’s downright subversive. Never would have thought you had it in you.”

“Well, there’s a lot you don’t know about me.” He’s smiling when he says it. “If you agree to let the med team look at you I can tell you about it.”

There’s a joke about wanting to get her out of her armour there, but she’s not quite yet in the right place to find it. It’ll keep. “Fine, but you’re buying the drinks.”

“It’s a deal.

#halo #sarah palmer #commander palmer #tom lasky #captain lasky #fanfic #aaaaaaaaaaaa #this thing has been on my back since 2014!#thomas lasky

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kyukun · 5 years

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Psyching Yourself up for Failure (OumaSai)

ohoho! hell yes

this is basically just best friends turned lovers ig lmaO and i also live for shumai being a smug little shit so enjoy!! <33

title: Psyching Yourself up for Failure

summary: Confessions aren't necessarily an easy thing to do. Especially if you're confessing to your best friend whom of which you still aren't sure feels the same way you do. So what does Kokichi do? Invite him over for a totally platonic painting date.

word count: 1461

~~ prompt starts after cut! ~~

Kokichi hadn't known what had been up with him for the past few months. He had been a complete an utter gay mess the entire month of December. And you may be asking yourself why that is, and to answer that, he has fallen into the pits of a new type of Hell called Love.

This Hell wasn't fun either. Not like the cool type of Hell most people expect to see where all the bad people rot forever, no, this was exceptionally worse than that.

It all started when he had met someone named Shuichi Saihara. And while this feeling hadn't begun to fester until later on, he was primarily the reason why Kokichi was in this Hell. Shuichi and Kokichi had known one another for a while, a little over a year to be exact. Their relationship was rocky at the start, not exactly getting off on the right foot but later grew into a very strong bond.

Of course, like most best friends do, they had begun to share each other's insecurities, even joking occasionally about their past traumas and such. But little did Kokichi know that with every conversation he had with Saihara, the more the Hell had wrapped its vines around his entire being.

And once they had their grip on him, they did not hold back. They dragged him under and beat him to death with a stick and more. Soon those once platonic conversations grew more than platonic. His heart ached for more than that. He yearned for Shuichi's attention and god, he went absolutely feral when he received it.

Their late night talks seemed more therapeutic the harder he had fallen for him. He was absolutely in the hard grips of Love and there was no escape from it.

Now we trail over to the present. Kokichi felt like he was confident in his feelings. And while yes, he maybe should've thought about this more instead of letting his hormonal teenage brain take over once again, it was already too late. Shuichi had been on his way.

He quickly scooted over to his phone constantly checking it to be sure he hadn't texted him, dying a bit each time he noticed his notifications were empty. It was until he received a ping from his phone from Shuichi himself. He could feel the adrenaline rush through his veins as a goofy grin immediately took over his face the minute his name lit up his screen.

The text had signified that he was here. Kokichi squealed a bit, jumping up from his bed and rushed over to fix his already made bed to assure things were perfect for his guest. While yes, he had been over dozens of times, today was the day. The day that would determine if he wouldn't sleep due to happiness or due to him sobbing his eyes out.

Either way, he hoped his way towards the front door. He unlocked it, noticing Shuichi had a regular casual outfit under a green painting apron. He smiled, holding up a basket full of paints and brushes as well as a canvas on his other hand. "Hey."

"Hey, Shumai!" He leaned against the door, feeling his own heart race the more he thought about what he was going to do. "Can I come in? Or are you just gonna continue blocking the door?" Shuichi joked, smirking slightly as Kokichi nearly slipped against the door he had leaned on.

"R-Right! Come on in. You know where my room is." Well, that didn't totally sound sexual at all! Way to go. He stepped aside and allowed for his friend to walk through the door, mentally slapping himself silly afterward.

The two walked into the room, the bright sun poking through the translucent curtains as a gentle breeze walked into the room with them. Shuichi took a seat on the ground as Kokichi brought out his own paints and canvas. He sat across from Shuichi, feeling himself at a loss for words as he unpacked each item from his bucket.

Fuck it. It can't be that hard right? It's only three words. Just three little words. He was Kokichi Ouma after all! He was fearless! He could do a simple little confession. This was nothing.

"Hey so, uhm," This caught Shuichi's attention but he still had his eyes downward but he could hear a small hum to indicate that he was listening. "I've been thinking and…" Shuichi finally managed to look at him, his eyes pouring into his own. And for a minute, Kokichi could feel his own heart stop.

Fuck he couldn't do this.

He quickly shifted his eyes elsewhere, trying to distract himself from looking and Shuichi. If he just stopped looking at him while doing this, that would be great. "You can do this. You'll be fine. You got this! You're Kokichi Ouma, you can do anything." He inhaled sharply, feeling his heart beat out of his chest the more he thought about it.

"And, uhh, we've been friends for a long time and…"

"And?" He raised an eyebrow. "And I like…" Come on, you're almost there. Just one more word, come on you can do it.

"What? Not finishing your sentences? Trailing off? Come on, Kichi. What's up with you today?" He laughed, teasing the flustered male. Shuichi playfully nudged him in the shoulder, which didn't help his situation. "Damnit let me finish!" He finally broke.

Shuichi cooled off, nodding and allowing for Kokichi to finish his sentence. "We've been friends for a long time now. You come over a lot and I really like that. You're an amazing friend and honestly, probably the only person I trust with my life. We're best friends, but don't tell Miu I told you that because she'd beat me." Shuichi laughed, picking up a paint brush and dipping it in the water Kokichi had placed already.

"I won't."

"Good. Anyway, uhm, and since we're best friends, I can tell you anything right?"

"Naturally."

"Ah shit. This is hard to say." His entire face grew heated, looking down at the ground with his arms crossed and a slight pout to his lips. But there Shuichi was eating this shit up like it's a fucking buffet. "Go on, use your words." There he goes again. Using that same smug shit-eating grin attitude he always did when Kokichi grew flustered.

It honestly pissed him off. Here he was, pouring his heart out to Shuichi and he was over there laughing at him like he was a clown. "You know what? I know something better than words." He had no clue what on Earth fueled him more: frustration or his genuine inability to speak properly around Shuichi.

Either way, he slapped his thighs with his hand, making a loud smacking sound which echoed through his room. This caught Shuichi by surprise, causing him to flinch a bit backward. Kokichi gripped him by the straps of his apron and forced him closer. Once he was close enough, Kokichi looked Shuichi dead in the eyes, feeling Shuichi melt under him as his lips touched his in a fit of confidence.

His eyes closed as soon as their lips met, still feeling Shuichi's eyes on his. He drew back from the short but sweet kiss slowly, coming back to reality as Shuichi sat back in shock with a blush covering his face.

"Ah shit. Shit, shit, shit, that was your first kiss wasn't it? Shit! Uhm, here!" He used his hand to wipe his lips and then used it to wipe it on Shuichi's. "Have it back! I don't want it."

Shuichi's fingers now traced to his own lips as Kokichi paced his room in embarrassment. While he was having his existential crisis, Shuichi couldn't help but smile to himself. He was glad he had felt the same. Though, seeing Kokichi like this was quite cute.

Maybe playing dumb would be a better option for now. "But you didn't read the fine print. There's no return policy."

Kokichi stopped his pacing, glancing back at Shuichi who had that same shit eating grin on his face as before as he had begun painting. "There's only one condition though. Meet that condition and I'll forgive you."

"What?"

"That condition is that you'll be my boyfriend."

Goddamnit. He did not expect that. Kokichi slowly plopped down on the ground, picking up a paint brush and dipping it into the water. "I guess I have no other choice but to follow that condition…" He mumbled.

The rest of the day went along well. And needless to say, Miu would be more upset over the fact that not only did she get replaced as a best friend, but that he got a boyfriend faster than she did.

#oumasai #kokichi ouma #shuichi saihara #danganronpa #saiouma #drv3 #kyus post #and welcome back to one of my fav personal headcanon:#miu and kokichi being best friends #and shuichi being a smug bastard to kokichi when hes blushy #aND KOKICHI BEING A SMOL #FDVG #ANYWA Y I HOPE YOU ENJOYED ANON ILY

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warbetweenthevanities-x · 5 years

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So I've got this headcanon. Remember how they had this sleepover in January 2011? That's after X Factor ended. And I've been thinking that this might be where they could have first had sex, cause before that, they were always in that X Factor house and around people and I'm sure some stuff happened there too but nothing all the way. Anyway, that's my headcanon. And I'm suddenly thinking that Why don't we go there sounds like a callback, a memory of that.

Then I wanted to tell you a bit about some thoughts I had before reading your analysis about what I thought when they might have had rocky patches or breakups.

In my head, the happy honeymoon phase actually lasted until mid 2012. at first, when the whole thing with the stunts started, like Caroline, Eleanor, I don't think they took that seriously at all. I think for a while that was more of a laugh to them, which, in my head, is why they were still so flirty in Dallas, Australia and New Zealand in spring 2012

then in June, there were the first signs of real separation. like aborted gestures, where you can really see that they're suppressing their instincts to touch. painful to watch, those gifs always kill me. that's where I think they were really in trouble and realized that management etc were really serious about this, especially with Harry supposedly moving out, the denials they had to do, the "biggest load of bullshit" tweet, and then Haylor. I think all those things hit home real hard. which is also when they start getting their partner tattoos. such a coincidence... (also this screams Through the dark and Something great to me)

anyway, from what I've read, they seemed pretty miserable in 2013 during the tour, visibly separated, tense, pale etc. there were still accounts of them having gone on dates or to parties though, there were the rope and rose tattoos, so I think they held on throughout the first half of 2013. but I can imagine that it was really wearing them down. that would have also been the time when Louis stopped being... well, "flamboyant", and enough time would have passed that all this would have had to mess with them

and then add to that that Harry was constantly being pushed as this front man, eventual solo artist, he had those new friends in London with the group surrounding Grimmy, and I think on top of everything else they would have had to deal with the constant attention Harry was getting, like, they both would have realized just how incredibly popular he was, how many people would have flirted with him. I imagine there was probably a bit of self-discovery for him going on there too, except not in the HarryandLouis bubble, but with others around him. we know how jealous they could both get, and I don't think there was necessarily a lot of drama or distrust about it, but - it was a thing they had to deal with on top of everything else

which is how I explain to myself everything that happened in october: on the 15th, there was a blind gossip article about one of them having cheated on the other, and that Harry was having a coke problem. on the 16th (and 28th), Harry talked about Still the one in 1D concerts, on the 17th, there was that concert where it looks like Harry was getting really choked up at the end of Over Again. that was also the time when this picture was floating around on Instagram with Harry and that model Paige Reifler sitting on top of him in a dressing room, so that's on top of everything else. then add to that that Louis was losing weight and escaped alone to Fiji for a few days...

what I was thinking so far is this: that this was the first kind of sort of but what I see as a possibility is that late summer 2013 to late autumn 2013 things got really rocky with all that going on and piling up. that's what I'm thinking that maybe Louis refers to in his lyrics, when he "gave in to the pressure" (to quote Too young) at the time and actively tried to stay away from Harry, and that Harry was sort of desperately trying to convince him otherwise (see Still the one, I imagine that to have been a way of not just telling everyone else but also telling Louis "hey, you're still my person, despite everything else that's going on, that's all bullshit, please don't do this". it would explain the blind gossip breakup rumours, the Louis going to Fiji alone, Harry during Over again, and... well, I found somewhere that two ghosts was written at THAT time, late 2013, while you have it one year later. but in my head it fit really well here, and maybe Harry's finally like "okay you know what, we'll have it your way then", but regrets that pretty quickly? (Where do broken hearts go referring to that time?)

anyway, there's this theory I read somewhere that they spent christmas 2013 in Holmes Chapel together, and that afterwards, Louis went home and told some family members about Harry, like Lottie and Fizzy, because it seems like he avoided his family for a few months after that, and I can imagine that it would have come as a shock to the girls, especially considering that they had gotten along well with Eleanor

so then in 2014 there seemed to have been a push back to being more open with each other again, lots of receipts seemed to have started popping up about someone having seen them together etc, Blind Gossip even reports that Harry and Nick broke up (haha) and that he and Louis are working things out. lots of Ready to run and Fireproof vibes. there's a receipt that they were in Jamaica together, in The Box on Valentine's Day, they're getting the anchor and arrow tattoos, there's a receipt of someone having talked to Harry about Jamaica and how he said that he was there with his friends and boyfriend, and when he was asked if it was still the same he supposedly said "of course, always". in may they were supposedly seen kissing behind a car, the rainbow bear becomes a thing, july is Jay's wedding after which Lottie definitely starts acting like she knows exactly what's going on (and like she had time to get used to it), they've got matching tans afterwards, several people said they had seen them out having dinner together that autumn, Lottie and Gemma spend lots of time together, Louis gets his dagger tattoo, Harry supposedly talked to someone about his "other half" who he'd been with for 4 years. Harry sold his house and didn't buy a new one, then Louis buys a house in LA that should have been a bit overkill and too expensive just for himself, so it's said that they probably bought it together. february 2015 they fly down to australia together, for the first time publicly on the same flight since 2012

now, from what Louis said about the break, I think he wasn't happy with that suggestion at all at first, cause he'd just felt like he'd really found his place etc. and if Harry really was the one to make it back in 2014, I can imagine that that threw them back into something rocky, especially if we add to that what you said about Harry's desire to explore rockstardom and LA and all that, and Louis was like "... okay where does that leave me/us?" so maybe that's where Love you Goodbye comes in? and what I was actually thinking was, what if Perfect comes RIGHT AFTER. like, the MORNING AFTER. that they decide "okay, whatever happens, we probably won't see each other as much when that time rolls around, but for now let's enjoy this anyway? it would fit if that lead into Olivia with all the "I LOVE YOU" but also the "I'm scared of what happens when you're not here anymore" vibes. and then right into Walking in the wind, and IICF and Home

okay, now something else comes into play that I've been thinking about a lot. so their last concert is in october, then it's officially over and they're free to go and do whatever. but the thing is, before the band's break, they never had to work to be together and see each other. you know what I mean? since their schedules were made for them by other people and they always saw each other. and after the break, it wouldn't be like that anymore. and since they're not used to that, they might not have actively put work into making sure they see each other even if they still love each other. so they might actually have not seen each other more often than not and might have just gone about their lives and done their own stuff. they'd grow apart before they even realize that it's happening. and that's when I think they could have started to fight a lot more, and go back and forth a lot (hello Sweet Creature), and fight some more, and go in circles, and "run out of words" to say because they've said it all before, and finally Harry takes "the higher ground" and puts an end to it (and this is where I get major Ever since new york vibes).

so they don't see each other. they go and do other things (and other people, probably... Carolina?), they get everything out of their system. EVEN THOUGH they probably both know very soon that they miss the other and that it's all not the same without them. I think they still would have had contact from time to time, especially because of Jay and what happened with her and how Harry would have been there for support from time to time and definitely at the end. maybe they even have sex again at some point, who knows (Meet me in the hallway gives me that vibe). Sign of the times totally fits there as well, as a mix between Jay telling Louis "Stop your crying, it'll be alright", and Harry going "we've been here before, will we ever learn, we don't talk enough, we should open up".

and man, From the dining table. Harry's MAJORLY MISSING HIM and real tired of that break. Cherry, even if written later, seems to me about just that time, like, if he ever got wind of Louis with aaanyone else, also Louis seems kind of alright, why does he seem alright if I'm feeling like shit? (cue Louis and Miss you and "everything's fucking great") and maybe they're "trying to be friends" but Harry hates it (just everything that will later be To be so lonely, basically)

also I don't think Lights up is about Louis, or at least - I think it's about Harry more than it is about Louis, and that journey of self discovery he kept talking about. finding out who he is. who he wants to be. sort of his coming out song, but it also reminds me of that struggle they probably did go through about whether they actually would want to come out, officially, or not. but yeah, for Harry it feels like a reflection of him finding himself and becoming comfortable with who he is and where he's at and what he might want. Falling is playing into this in my head too, like you had a connection there as well, the whole identity crisis thing where he'd desperately have missed Louis helping him through it (but ultimately it was probably good that he did it on his own).

and on the other hand there's Louis, doing a shitload of growing, "doing better" in his place on the other side of London "even when it hurts like hell", cause "nothing wakes you up like waking up alone", and he thinks a lot about their relationship and everything that happened and that he'll always love Harry despite everything (Fearless and Habit and "I'm too tired to be tough, just wanna be loved by you" and Always fucking you), AND THEN Harry comes along with that damn album and everything he's saying on it and then they SIT DOWN AT THE FUCKING KITCHEN TABLE AND FINALLY HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. like a real, proper, serious ADULT conversation about how, if they do want this again, they're gonna have to be adults about it and actually put some real, grown up work into their relationship

and basically there's no way they weren't back together at the start of 2018. and we can have all those songs, Golden, Adore you, Sunflower, Canyon Moon, Only the brave (even if he didn't write that by himself) and Fine line (we'llbealrightwe'llbealrightwe'llbealright)

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ladylynse · 5 years

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Happy birthday, @queenofhearts7378! I managed to get it done in time. I wrote you a Secret Quartet ficlet.

Summons: The request to appear before the Dragon Council was...unexpected. And impossible to refuse. [FF | AO3]

“A summons?” Adrien repeated dumbly as he read over the mysterious letter in the relative safety of his bedroom. He’d found it stuffed in between sheets of piano music while practicing after lunch and had begged off to ‘study’ soon after. Fortunately for him, Nathalie had let him go. “Can they do that?”

“Dragons like to think they have authority over the entire magical world,” Plagg said. Adrien felt the kwami land on his shoulder. “They don’t, but enough people act like they do that they can get away with it.”

“This…. It says they want to evaluate my magical ability and assess the risk of exposure of the magical world.”

“Which just means Jake hasn’t told them about me and that they don’t believe you can keep a secret.” Plagg sniffed. “You better transform. They didn’t give you much warning.”

“What do you mean, they didn’t give me much warn—?” But the paper was turning to ash in his hands, and wind that shouldn’t exist inside his bedroom caused the remains to swirl around him. Adrien cried out for Plagg to transform him as the miniature whirlwind thickened, and then it closed off his view of his room completely.

XXXX

When the whirling ash cleared and the dizzying sensation of being caught inside it abated, Adrien found himself standing on the stone floor of some kind of open-air temple. A bright mosaic spread out around him, depicting a battle between two dragons whose names he didn’t know. Columns rose on either side, and between them….

Well, between the nearest pair of columns stood someone who looked very much like an elderly man dressed sharply in blue, but Adrien had no doubt that he was much more than he appeared to be.

“Chat Noir. Bienvenue.” The man inclined his head. “I am Councillor Kulde. Please, come with me.”

Adrien didn’t move. “This is the Isle of Draco.” It was more statement than question at this point; he didn’t know where else he could be. “Why am I here?”

“You are here because it is necessary for us to meet,” answered Kulde, “just as it is necessary for us to meet your friends.”

Kulde was a dragon, which meant the friends he was talking about were Randy and Danny. Adrien shifted his weight, readying himself to run if it proved necessary. He doubted he could outrun a dragon, but he might have a chance if he could make it to the trees where Kulde wouldn’t be able to easily follow him. “They’re here, too?”

“Councillors Andam and Omina are greeting them,” Kulde said, as if that explained anything. As if that made a difference.

“So you kidnapped us?”

“You answered our summons.”

“How is this a summons? I was hardly given a choice!” Anger wouldn’t win him any favours, but it was hard to keep his emotions out of his voice.

“The summons were enchanted to come only when you all would not be missed. You needn’t worry about being discovered. We are careful.”

Adrien wanted to run, to fight, to do anything but go along calmly, but diplomacy was the only thing that might help him—help them—right now. Randy was hopeless at it, Danny little better, and Jake…. Jake still had a lot to learn. If anyone was going to speak for them, it would have to be him.

He couldn’t afford to give Kulde any more than he already had.

“Very well.” Adrien was careful to keep his voice level. Reserved. He tried to emulate his father. That was easier than relaxing his stance. “Please lead the way.”

XXXX

“This is wonk,” Randy insisted as he trailed after the guy who’d introduced himself as Councillor Andam. “You don’t need to put us on trial!”

“No one is on trial,” Andam said calmly. He didn’t pause, and Randy had to run to keep up—not an easy task, given the rocky terrain at the base of the mountain. Or volcano? Whatever it was. Maybe a volcano, considering how much it looked like the base of Mt. Chuck. Either way, he didn’t want to get left behind here, especially not when he was pretty sure Jake had said something about sections of this island being booby-trapped.

“It’s not like Jake told us about the magical world. We found out on our own.”

“Many have discovered it on their own,” agreed Andam.

Randy waited, but Andam didn’t give any indication that that was okay.

And Jake had mentioned how he technically should’ve given some kind of mindwipe potion to Trixie and Spud.

Really, Randy already knew this was in his future when he was through being the Ninja; he didn’t want to get it prematurely. Again. Especially at the cost of his friendship with the others.

He kept talking, hoping something would get through to Andam, but if the councillor was moved by anything Randy said, he didn’t show it. His expression remained calm, composed, and closed. Randy had no idea what he was thinking. Which didn’t help matters.

His current rambling probably wasn’t helping matters, either, but he kept hoping he’d hit upon something.

Andam led him towards what might be some kind of training ground. Okay. Randy could deal with that. He’d brought his mask. He could show them that the Ninja wasn’t as incompetent as Jake’s stories might have painted him. He could show them that he had the right to defend Norrisville, that he’d been chosen as the Ninja for a reason, that they didn’t have any right to say he wasn’t fit to be the Ninja of Norrisville. He could prove himself and show off some bruce moves.

Probably.

Randy spotted Adrien, already masked as Chat Noir, but he couldn’t see Danny or Jake. To be fair, Randy wasn’t sure if he would see Jake. Their association with Jake must be why they were here, why this Dragon Council had used some teleportation magic Jake had never mentioned to bring them here, but these people trusted Jake, more or less. He was the American Dragon, and they hadn’t stripped him of that. And…and maybe they wouldn’t see Danny, either. Ghosts were technically magical creatures, and if Danny was half-ghost, he wasn’t any different from Jake, who was half-dragon.

But Randy was like Adrien: an ordinary kid who needed to use magic—someone else’s magic—to have any special powers.

Andam left him standing beside Adrien and moved to join the group of adults standing opposite them. It…it really felt like a trial, even if it wasn’t supposed to be. And of the people on the council….

Randy frowned and pointed at the sole woman. “What’s she doing here?”

“That’s Councillor Chang,” Adrien hissed.

“What the juice? Isn’t she the evil one?”

Adrien’s kick wasn’t very subtle, but Randy got the point: shut up. Making accusations wouldn’t help them, and if Chang was here, she must’ve been cleared of whatever charges had been against her.

Seriously, though. She was the evil one. Randy was not about to trust her. If he had known she’d be here, he’d have put on his mask so she couldn’t see his face. Which is probably what he should’ve done anyway, but it was Sunday, and he’d been in the middle of breakfast, and who would’ve thought opening the mail would require him to be masked? He was lucky he’d had it on him at all.

“Do you know if Danny’s coming or if it’s just us?” Randy asked, this time trying to keep his voice low.

“I think he’s here,” Adrien answered quietly. “You came with Councillor Andam, so Councillor Omina is supposed to be meeting him.”

Randy didn’t remember which one Omina was, but he hadn’t remembered which one Andam was, either. He only really remembered Chang, since Jake had gone into great detail about her so they all knew who to avoid in case she ever showed up on their turf.

Councillor Omina turned up about five minutes later—though it felt more like fifteen or twenty, Adrien didn’t look the least bit fidgety, so it couldn’t have been that long—from the direction of the beach, with Danny (as Phantom) trailing sourly behind her. He looked wet, which was weird, because he could just go intangible and dry off.

Randy wondered how much he was going to regret the Dragon Council knowing his real identity. Since magic had been involved in getting him here, they probably hadn’t needed to know who he was; the magic letter could have just been enchanted to find the Ninja. Sure, they still might not know his name, but now they knew his face, and—

“My apologies for the delay,” Omina said smoothly. “Phantom is stubborn.”

Danny wiped at the water dripping from his hair into his eyes. “Hey, I still came, so you can stop it with the water curse thing already.”

Omina just smiled. The other councillors nodded, and Randy didn’t see anything change, but all of a sudden Danny was dry, so Omina must have stopped whatever she’d been doing.

Danny was still scowling when he flew over to hover by Randy and Adrien, though. Randy knew he didn’t like remaining intangible for long periods of time—he claimed it was too tiring—and Randy could only guess that whatever magic Omina had done counted on that. That wasn’t entirely comforting. He’d thought, from the letter, that the Dragon Council didn’t know much about them, but….

“Thank you for joining us today,” said Andam. He introduced the councillors again and basically repeated what the letter had said about why they were here. As far as Randy could tell, Jake hadn’t told them much, if anything, and they wanted to know more.

Randy itched to sit down, but Adrien hadn’t moved, and Danny was cheating by floating cross-legged in the air.

No one offered them chairs, but Chang brought forward a selection of food and beverages from a table Randy hadn’t noticed earlier. (He wasn’t sure if it had actually been there earlier or if he just hadn’t noticed it. Hard to tell when magic was involved.) None of them took anything, and judging by Danny’s glare, he didn’t need Adrien’s confirmation that Chang was the evil councillor. She’d probably poison them as soon as drug them with something, just to distract Jake long enough for her to get whatever she wanted for whatever she was trying to do now.

Randy didn’t realize how much he’d zoned out the entire discussion until Danny burst out, “This is so stupid! You can’t keep us here. You had no right to bring us here. Chat Noir and the Ninja were entrusted with the secrets that allow them to be Chat Noir and the Ninja. They can keep a secret. They already are keeping secrets, theirs and yours. And I’m a ghost. Doesn’t that mean you’re supposed to protect me, too? Not interrogate me?”

Councillor Kukulkhan stepped forward. “The Panther once protected my people. My ancestors worked with him. Honoured him. And then he vanished, and the old ways faltered, and the Central American Dragons of the time were not enough to save them. The magical society was decimated, the common populace little better. How can I be sure that the same pattern will not be repeated here?”

Adrien swallowed. “You wish to hold me responsible for crimes committed generations past, ones of which I have little to no knowledge?”

“The fault is your own,” Councillor Omina retorted. “You cannot stand here and claim to uphold a legacy when you do not understand it or know its histories. My people were also visited by the Black Cat, and my land was lost to the waters because of it.”

Adrien winced, and Randy guessed he’d heard that story.

“The Norisu Nine are also not without fault,” Chang put in. “Were they competent, there would be no need for the Norrisville Ninja today.”

“Hey! The Sorcerer is one shnasty piece of work. And if you guys are so great, why didn’t you help them defeat the Sorcerer in the first place?”

Chang’s lip curled. “You would know that answer if you knew any of the history of the land in which you live.”

“We don’t intend to bring harm to the magical community any more than we do to the people we protect every day,” Adrien said. “The Ninja will protect Norrisville as long as is necessary. I will do the same in Paris, and Phantom in Amity Park. When needed, we will work together with the American Dragon, regardless of where that fight takes us. Because of what we do, you and the other dragons are free to deal with larger issues affecting the magical community. Is that not true?”

Chang smiled. “Then surely you will not protest proving your worth, as the American Dragon has?”

“Proving our worth how?” Danny asked suspiciously. “You know about us. You already know what we can do.”

“A more formal evaluation would not be amiss,” Kulde said quietly. “I would test your judgement in fire.”

“And I your wisdom in battle,” said Andam.

“And I your courage in flight,” added Chang.

“He’s the only one who can fly!” Randy protested, pointing at Danny.

Chang shrugged. “Your courage in fight, then.”

Danny crossed his arms. “Fine. When do we start?”

The dragons transformed. “Now,” cackled Chang, sending a wave of fire at them.

XXXXX

Danny bit back a curse and flew at Randy and Adrien, turning them all intangible before the flames hit. He hadn’t fought enough practice battles with Dora to be wholly comfortable with something like this, but he probably had more experience fighting dragons than the other two.

“We need a plan,” Adrien said.

“Don’t have time for plans!” Randy was digging through his pockets, trying to find his mask. “We need to move!”

Adrien grimaced. “Stay with Randy till he’s transformed. I’ll distract them.”

Danny didn’t argue. As the flames died down, Adrien rolled away from them and pulled out his staff, vaulting over the dragons and then spinning it to deflect further flames and— That was ice. Kulde could breathe ice.

Danny could handle ice.

“What do you think?” Randy asked once he was suited up. “Ninja Tengu Fireball or Ninja Hydro Hand or Ninja Air Fist or Ninja Earth Attack?”

“I think your all attacks have long names,” Danny retorted. “But if you go with your water fist, don’t waste your time around Omina.”

Randy groaned. “Fine. I’ll see how she likes a Ninja Electro-Ball and then fight fire with fire.” He broke off, taking the right flank since Adrien was coming more from the left.

Danny turned invisible and shot forward, shooting ghost rays or ice blasts in turn to buy his friends the time they needed. He didn’t think he’d win a battle of wills against any of the dragons if he tried to overshadow them, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t willing to use every other trick he had.

Including, if it came to it, his ghostly wail.

The island was uninhabited but for them, anyway.

And Adrien would use his Cataclysm if he needed to.

The dragons all had different fighting styles, none of which resembled Jake’s, which made predicting their moves difficult. But Adrien’s agility meant he wasn’t an easy target, and Randy called up an army of Sandjas to help them fight on the ground while tossing everything he had at the dragons. Danny stuck with protecting them from the air—and distracting the dragons from there, especially when he saw Adrien vault over to talk to Randy.

Those two began coordinating their attacks, trying to divide and conquer, and Danny helped out however he could.

By the time Andam called for the battle to halt, Danny was exhausted and headed immediately for the ground. Randy gave up and just lay down after pulling off his mask, and Adrien was hunched over, his hands on his knees as he took huge gulps of air. Danny had no idea how Adrien had gotten through the fight without using Cataclysm—he hadn’t been able to watch that closely—but he knew it wouldn’t have been easy.

The dragons themselves, back in human form, showed the occasional battle scar—a cut on the cheek, a favoured wrist, that sort of thing—and though they stood as straight as before, their fatigue was easier to see.

“Well fought,” said Andam. The admiration was clear in his voice. “You showed much wisdom in battle.”

“And excellent judgement in fire,” said Kulde.

Chang sniffed. “Your courage was adequate, I suppose.”

Danny raised an eyebrow, but at a warning look from Adrien, he didn’t open his mouth.

“We have proven our worth, as you requested,” Adrien said. “Now let us return home and—”

“Not so fast.” Chang raised a finger. “I said your courage was adequate, but that is not enough.”

“Councillor,” warned Andam.

“I agree with Councillor Chang,” Omina said, earning surprised looks from everyone, including Chang herself. “I believe that if you are to be protectors of the magical world, as you are by the very virtue of who you are—the Ninja, the Phantom, the Black Cat—you should understand what it is you are protecting.”

Randy sat up. “You want us to come here for history class?”

“Additional training also would not be amiss,” Kukulkhan pointed out, “particularly if you intend to work regularly with the American Dragon.”

“None of us have time for additional classes,” Danny said flatly. “History, training, whatever. We’re not coming here once a week or anything like that. We fight well as a team already.” He glanced at Adrien and then risked adding, “Besides, we’re not intending to tell you any more about our secrets, so don’t think you can bring us here on some excuse just to study us.”

He thought Adrien would rebuke him for that—silently, given that they were trying to make the point that they were a good team already—but instead, Adrien smiled. “Dragons,” he said, quite clearly, “do not have authority over the entire magical world. If our areas truly endangered yours, you would have sought us out long before we began working with the American Dragon.”

Danny shared a surprised look with Randy, but none of the dragons corrected Adrien, so he must have been right.

“If you wish to speak with us again,” added Adrien, “please inform the American Dragon. He will hereby act as our contact with the Dragon Council, and he will arrange any subsequent meetings in accordance to our schedules. We will not decline a meeting without good reason, so a summons like we all received today will be unnecessary. Is that clear?”

Kulde smiled. “Crystal,” he agreed. “Your demands are quite reasonable, Chat Noir, as are your concerns. Allow me to extend my apologies on behalf of the Dragon Council for your seemingly abrupt meeting with us all today. I can assure you we did not mean to cause alarm.”

Randy groaned. “Can we please just go home now? I really want to finish breakfast.”

Andam laughed, and the tension amongst the council members drained away. Well, except for Chang. She still looked more than unhappy, but she didn’t protest when Andam invited them to stay for lunch. Danny, Randy, and Adrien found themselves served from the same plates of food as the dragons themselves—which was just as well, since none of them trusted Chang as far as they could throw her, meaning they didn’t take anything until they saw the dragons partake freely. (If Chang was going to pull something, it wouldn’t be in front of the entire council, not after they’d agreed to play nice.) The food was good, some of the best Danny had ever had, though after growing up in a household with regularly contaminated food, his standards weren’t terribly high.

“Good job getting us through that,” Danny murmured to Adrien when he had the chance.

“Thank Plagg later,” Adrien whispered back, “though I wouldn’t have been able to do it if we hadn’t held up as well as we did in the fight. They wouldn’t have believed anything I said if we couldn’t back it up.”

Danny grinned and raised his glass. “To teamwork.”

Adrien smiled, raising his, and Randy hastily swallowed and clinked their glasses. “To teamwork,” they echoed.

(see more fics)

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oldfashionedswiftcurse · 5 years

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Like Pieces into Place

Hi hi hi,

I’m working on a new fanfic that takes place near the London countryside with Taylor and Joe (during/post-Calvin, Tom Hiddleston doesn’t exist in this lol). Please let me know if you have questions, comments, feedback, etc. Enjoy!

The lush greens and reds greeted her and her Range Rover as they barreled over the rocky driveway to her cabin. She certainly wasn’t in Nashville anymore. She wasn’t even in America. Taylor had left behind the populated city life for some time away. Although Tree had mentioned that the private cabin was located right on the outskirts of London, she hadn’t specified the immense distance between Taylor and her neighbors. Other than the beautiful ranch they passed earlier, there was little sign of life, and while it would definitely allow her to concentrate fully on her next album, it gave her little to do otherwise.

“Tree, when you said private, I didn’t actually expect a murder cabin. Just to be clear, should I call 911 during an emergency or just accept that I will most likely be slaughtered by a serial killer?”

“Taylor, no one is going to kill you. It’s both cute and rustic, and you did reiterate how much you wanted your privacy,” Tree echoed, and Taylor admitted defeat.

“You’re right. I guess, if a daily phone call with Adam and utter loneliness for the other twenty three hours of the day is the path I chose, I’ll just have to deal with it.”

“Atta girl,” Tree beckoned, rustling with her phone in the background. “By the way, you can take a break with the dramatics. The Maxes will be joining you every morning for this next week, so I think you’ll manage just fine. It’ll be a great new album.”

Taylor chuckled, hanging up the phone. As she parked the car and carried her bags inside, she basked in the refreshing feeling of doing something alone. It had been so long since she had carried her own bag or driven herself that she was glad to be doing basic chores. After unpacking slowly and memorizing the basic layout of the cabin, Taylor changed into a gray sweatshirt and leggings and walked through the seemingly endless forest. As the wind began to blow her blonde curls into her eyes, Taylor opted to cover herself with her hood as a shield.

It was the perfect temperature, just cool enough for the wind to leave some goosebumps on her arm, but warm enough for her breath not to leave a trace in the air around her. Taylor would describe it as the perfect level of balminess. As she continued onward, Taylor spotted the same ranch from earlier. There were distant cries of laughter, and she was relieved that she was vacationing (if that was even the right word for it) near a family. Families always made her feel warm inside, and in this particular moment, she thought back to her own childhood farm as she picked pumpkins while her brother, Austin, ran through the fields.

The ranch was massive, but still maintained a distinctly homely quality to it. The farm area was attached to a large white Victorian home equipped with a wraparound porch and a porch swing. It was the kind of home you grew old in, accepting the peaceful transition from a bustling city to a quiet town. She wondered what Christmases were like in that house and whether or not the children shared the same memories that she did from her childhood.

“Lucky, come back! Dad’s going to have a fit, and I won’t be able to go to the festival this weekend!”

The sound was very distant, but as Taylor watched a tiny Australian Shepherd waddle right past her, she knew that the voice would be linked to a young child. The cherubic, blonde child appeared before her, armed with a doughnut and a long leash, and frantically raced after her dog.

“Here, let me help,” Taylor muttered, chasing after the dog and scooping it easily into her arms as the girl clicked the leash into place. “This little guy’s got a lot of power in him, huh?”

The girl eagerly nodded, and as Taylor placed the dog onto the ground, the girl managed to take a bite of her very pink, very frosted doughnut.

“Thank you, Miss. If we hadn’t caught him in time, he’d be gone forever, and Dad would never let me get another pet! This is Lucky, and I’m Madilyn. We live just down the path there,” she said, extending a hand to Taylor and then deciding against it due to her frosted fingers. “Are you living out in that cabin? Dad said it was about time we got a new neighbor.”

“I am. Hi, my name’s Taylor,” she said gleefully, sliding her hood down. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Madilyn. And you too, Lucky, rebellious as you may be.”

And as Taylor smiled at the excited puppy, Madilyn’s jaw dropped.

“You’re…this can’t be real. Maybe I hit a boulder and fell off a cliff or something because…well, I don’t know if anyone’s ever told you before, but you look an awful lot like…”

“Taylor Swift?” The pop sensation teased, but as Maddie’s cheeks grew pink with embarrassment or awe or a series of different emotions, Taylor couldn’t help herself. “That would be me.”

She shrugged, and Maddie looked on in amazement.

“Do you mind?” Maddie glanced inquisitively, reaching for her phone.

Taylor acquiesced immediately, smiling brightly for the selfie. Her smile was authentic, unblemished by the city facades and too-bright paparazzi lights.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” the girl interrupted politely, “what are you doing…here? My friend from school, Elizabeth, never wants to play here, and her mom’s only in banking. I can’t imagine an actual pop legend wanting to spend time around here when you could be surrounded by crowds and cameras!”

“First of all, your friend, Elizabeth, doesn’t seem like she gave this place much of a try. You should never have to convince or beg people to spend time with you in your home, especially if you have a puppy as cute as Lucky. Second of all, the fame and attention…it can be too much too often. It’s nice to distance yourself sometimes, which is exactly why I’m here in this wonderful setting as you so quaintly put it,” Taylor responded, and the girl’s wide, green eyes looked back in great doubt.

“I’m only eight,” the girl replied succinctly, and Taylor wondered why she even tried. “I’m not sure I can quaintly put anything.”

At that age, friendships still carried the appearance of continuity, and of course a girl just about to enter tweenhood was still tricked by the allure of fame. It was a disillusioning realization one could only come to after spending years and years in the spotlight.

“MADDIE! MADILYN?!” A deep voice bellowed, and Maddie instantly glanced backward and then back to Taylor.

“Is it okay if I invite some friends over tomorrow to meet you? They would die if they knew you were here!” The girl uttered, reaching once more for her phone.

When she noticed the huge glops of frosting made by her fingers during the selfie, she hesitated and wiped her fingers on her bright red leggings.

“I’d actually appreciate it if you kept my presence here a secret, Maddie,” Taylor muttered, and the girl’s head shot back in resignation.

“Are you kidding? This could change my life!”

“I’d be pretty upset if one of my friends broke my trust like that, Madilyn. I hope we can be friends.”

Maddie’s shoulders fell in defeat, but she smiled back.

“Tell you what, I won’t tell anyone about you if you don’t tell my dad that I almost lost Lucky. I really want Lucky to have a brother or sister, and both Dad and Granny Lu always vote me down, and it’d be a tremendous help…”

At that moment, her sentence was cut short by the appearance of a broad-shouldered, blonde man.

“Madilyn, how many times have I told you not to stray too far from the ranch? I knew getting a dog was a bad idea, but somehow, I let you convince me anyway.”

He froze when he spotted the two blondes before him.

“There you are! Madilyn Alwyn, when I say that dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes, I don’t mean that we’ll wait for the princess’ grand arrival whenever she feels like stepping into the kitchen.”

He glanced over at Taylor quizzically, then back to his daughter.

“Now, I expect to see Lucky all washed up and you sitting at the dinner table in approximately ten minutes,” he said unflinchingly, and the blonde child shrugged apologetically at Taylor and then raced away with Lucky in tow.

“I apologize to you if she kept you. I’m Joe, Joe Alwyn, I own the ranch just down there. And that was Maddie. She’s eight, and while I’m glad she can finally walk without a diaper or a stroller, I must confess it has proven to be a struggle to find her anywhere,” he said breathily, and the rapid inhale-exhale pattern of his chest acknowledged that he had been pretty frantic in his search for his daughter.

“Taylor. It’s nice to meet you. She’s really a pleasure, and she does have a way with people,” she teased, extending her hand.

Joe reciprocated the action, and the sleeve of his dark blue flannel brushed against her hand when their hands locked together.

“She didn’t try to sell you anything, did she? I’d check your pockets too for valuables. I’d say she ranges from savvy saleswoman to common grifter depending on the day.”

Taylor chuckled before noticing that their hands had not separated. They both glanced down, returning their respective hands back to the side of their bodies.

“She did not try to sell me anything, I promise. She did say something about a huge blowout party tomorrow though, something about unicorns and carnival rides,” she teased.

He rolled his blue eyes, chuckling himself. His ice-blue eyes crinkled when he laughed, a habit Taylor wondered whether or not he was aware of.

“She got it from her mum, I swear,” he said, his bright gaze growing slightly grim. “So how long are you planning to stay around here?”

“A few weeks, at least. I’m a musician, and I’m planning to write a bit of music while here,” she said, gesturing to the copse of trees surrounding them.

“If you ever need someone to play a saxophone,” he whispered, gauging from her wide eyes that this plan would never come to fruition, “I’m always available. I was a pretty skilled sax player in my day.”

“I will definitely take you up on that offer if I find myself in need of a…saxophone,” she joked, slipping her hands in her pockets. “It was nice to meet you, Joe Alwyn.”

“You won’t be taking me up on that offer, I assume,” Joe said, scratching the back of his neck goodheartedly. “I may have slightly over exaggerated my saxophone playing abilities.

Taylor shook her head, smiling at the ground.

“But if you keep Lucky around, I will make every effort to see him. That Maddie is pretty special too.”

Joe grinned back at her, and they separated with a quick wave. Taylor made her way back to her cabin just in time for her to respond to a few texts from close family and friends. She spotted a quick text from Adam and checked her hair quickly to make sure she was prepared for their scheduled Facetime call. One glance at the text, and Taylor knew it was bad news.

Sry babe, didn’t register the time change between Sydney and London. we’ll figure this out. xxx adam

She exhaled in defeat, throwing her hair into a loose ponytail. Tonight, she would soak in a long, hot bath and squeeze in some writing time. There were many ideas swirling around her head, and as she slipped into a restful sleep in the bath, her mind kept thinking of ways to incorporate a saxophone into her next album.

#taylor swift #taylor swift and joe alwyn #taylor swift fanfiction #taylor and joe fanfiction #taylor and joe

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phantomphangphucker · 5 years

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A King For Tonight’s Fentertainment - Chap. 5: Getting Lairs Home, WITHOUT Any Disrepair

Summary: Where the fuck's Sam and Tucker? Here, that's where. And they might just be a little too protective

As everyone watches as the Fright Knight and Nightmare fly off, Dash mutters, “what the fuck...Fentaco”. Blatantly confused by Danny speaking all regal like.

Red pushes Danny’s shoulder, “wow Danny, not sure if that was political or war talk but you go”, Red looks him up and down, shaking her head, “the whole look is still a bit much. And I still can’t believe this shit. It’s still “what the fuck Danny” worthy”.

Both Star and Kwan run up to Danny, basically dragging Dash along, exclaiming, “wow! That was so cool!”. Kwan elbows Dash, “come on man! It’s sweet”, muttering then, “though kind of messed we’ve been shoving a king into lockers”. Dash glares at Danny’s cape, “Fentable‘s still just a scrawny loser. Nothing could make him cool”.

Danny tilts his head back, groaning to himself, “is this guy even capable of not being a twat? Like fuck man”. Tilting his head back down and giving Dash a loose smirk, “Baxtax, yes I did just bastardise your last name, I’m quite literally the most powerful person of the Human Realm. While you’re just a regular lived mortal human boy, I think my kingly ass is cooler by default. Anyway, home time”. Kwan pretty well has to put Dash in a headlock to keep him from assaulting their ticket home.

Danny flops back down on the ground, crossing his legs. Speaking, slightly annoyed but amused, as he closes his eyes, “since everyone’s gonna pester me about this crap, just shush for now. Big portals actually do take some level of effort”. Danny smirks as Red, blatantly ignoring Danny's request for silence, snorts and mutters, “he says that like making a fucking portal is a piece of cake”.

“Oh it is, here anyway. There’s enough free-floating ectoplasm here to make shit for days. It’s fairly easy in certain areas of Amity aswell. But most places elsewhere? It’d be easier to gargle glass than make portals bigger than my body”.

Ms. Teslaff frowns, “even I’m beginning to see your phrases are concerningly messed up, Fenton”.

Danny flicks open one eye as a swirling green begins to coat the sky, the town air becoming thick with swirling green mist and floating liquid ectoplasm. Danny chuckles, playing with the ectoplasm in the air, “well then, aren’t I just ghoulishly ghastly”. Danny shuts his eye as he opens the portal, so no one would see his green ass eyes. Muttering, “hold on, I won’t be so rocky a trip as that pixie dust turned magic carpet ride into face fucking my secrets, but still”. Danny only waits a few seconds before yanking the portal over the town, sending the town through it and back to the Human Realm. Smirking, amused, as it’s clear a few didn’t take his warning or were too slow. Listening as a few pick themselves up off the ground or grumble about forming bruises. “If you wanna blame anyone for concussions or whatever, I’m sure the winery has a few sales and I’m sure my mom wouldn’t mind leading the attempted, but not really, drowning of two Snow White’s who are not the fairest of them all”.

Danny stands and pats off his pants before opening his eyes. Promptly getting hugged by his mom, who rubs her cheek against his “oh thank you, sweetie! I’m glad we’re out of that filthy place!”. Danny grumbles, “would have been out faster if y’all coulda hushed it, shushed it, and rushed it. But naw, wasn’t y’all’s style”. Danny pushes his mom off him, holding her shoulders while his cape’s lounging over his arms, “and my Kingdom’s hardly filthy, it cleanses itself quite nicely”.

Maddie blinks at him a bit, before placing one hand on his hand, “I, um, sorry sweetie. But it’s filled with those things, and I still don’t get the why. Why take this role? Why claim it? Why lead, rule those things?”. Danny looks around, some folks are just fucking off back home or to hang out. Some of whom are actively avoiding him for sure. But most stick around, blatantly curious about him. But only a few are curious enough to stay/be close, and even fewer to actually speak up.

Mr. Lancer walks up to Danny, looking down at him, “I would like to know that as well, Daniel. You hardly ever seem the type for any kind of responsibility, considering your school efforts and attentiveness. Yet I can hardly think of anything more burdening with responsibility than that of leading a country, an entire world even more so”.

Danny rubs his neck, cape slipping off one shoulder, “tell me about it. But it’s kind of different, ghost royalty and leaders aren’t the same. The jobs easier actually. Paperwork is not a thing for one, the Ghost Zone is and ghosts are pretty well self-governing. Being The Ghost King is more like being a freakishly respected meddling and mingling watchful guide and protector”. Mr. Lancer mutters about how that sounds like more, not less, work. While Danny taps his chin, “I guess there’s a lot of aspects. Sometimes I’m a therapist, sometimes advisor, sometimes negotiator, sometimes babysitter, and sometimes warrior. Heh, well, it all comes naturally sooooo”.

Danny grabs his mom’s hand, patting it, “today’s been a load of ghost alicorn shit but the why is just cause it was the right thing to do. That, and I’m a reckless basket of straight strange. It was my right, my claim. How could I say no? What reason would I have to refuse?”, Danny sighs, his parents' intolerance towards ghost was frustrating and damn stupid.

“But they’re ghosts sweetie, that’s the ghost zone? This”, Maddie gestures at the crown and flaming cape collar, before bunching some of the capes plush and velvet in her hand, “it’s like you’re one of them, like you’re ghostly. You are ghostly, because of this claim you took. You’re walking, conversing, existing; amongst ghosts. And you’re just a kid, a human kid. Yet this, it’s making you live like a ghost”.

Red mutters that she’s just gonna go, muttering about getting back her damn visor while officially feeling rather awkward and not wanting to blow her cover to Maddie. Though Danny doubts he’s really gonna miss her presence, easily seeing Sam and Tucker running over in the distance.

Mr. Lancer goes wide-eyed, putting a hand on Danny’s shoulder, “you lack in your schooling because you’re putting effort towards this Ghost King thing”. Danny nods, earning a disapproving glare from his mom but catches Mr. Lancer's faint smile. Danny’s not really being honest here but hey, when someone handpicks your bullshit get-out-of-a-reveal-free card; you fucking take it. Mr. Lancer nods, “well clearly you care. So I can’t complain. I wish you well in your endeavours. As unusual and ghostly as they may be, though somehow I feel I should have expected you’d go down a path far too strange for regular schooling to do you much good”.

Danny chuckles, “if it’s anything, I do have to be educated on pretty well everything in the Ghost Zone. That’s some kind of schooling”.

Tucker speaks as he aggressively throws his arm around Danny’s neck, making the flames flare up, “yup! He’s the strangest! But that’s freaking awesome!”. Mr. Lancer smirks before stumbling back as Sam practically jumps on Danny, slinging her arm around his neck too, “you stupid idiot! There had got to be a million other ways to fix this fuck up!”. Mr. Lancer shakes his head, hiding a chuckle, as he walks off, waving over his shoulder. The trio watches him go while Sam mutters, “thanks tho...”.

It doesn’t take long for Maddie to speak up again, both unimpressed and worried, “Danny....”.

Danny mentally groans before looking to his mom, while his friends tighten their grip around his neck, basically sandwiching him between them. Bunching his cape up horribly and practically pushing the collars flames in his face. Speaking, muffled, as the flames obscure his mouth and dance in front of his eyes, “gurfs lift murch, lurk tuf srphek”. Danny spits out bits of cold flame while his friends apologise and give him a little wiggle room; not much though, just enough so he’s not getting a mouth full of cold fire.

Maddie tries not to be bothered by the flames reflecting in her son’s eyes as he talks, “mom, I know. This is all very ghostly. But that’s damn fine I’d say. I’m happy, if a bit weird and messed up”. Danny shrugs to get his friends to loosen up even slightly, but they don’t; which just makes the act of shrugging slightly painful. Flicking his eyes upward to reference his crown, “this has more worth, meaning, importance, value; than human schooling. It’s a choice I made, recklessly sure, but it’s mine and I like it that way. So I guess just, like, take that knowledge and not be pissy? Maybe? If you could? Yeah, that’d be great”.

The two stare each other off for a beat before Maddie sighs, “but it’s so...ghostly. Ghosts are evil...this, it’s wrong. Like being the lord of evil....”. Danny blinks finding that sounding like one hell of an escalation and rather absurd. Almost like she was trying to call him the freaking devil. Which well, some did see the Ghost Realm as the underworld so ‘devil’ wasn’t exactly far off. Quirking his mouth up, “uuuuuuhhh...is that a no?”.

Sam puffs her cheeks out, forcing Danny to squint his right eye. Sam snaps, “ghosts aren’t damn monsters. They’re good and bad, just like humans”. Tucker nods and glares defiantly at Maddie, “and Danny dude is, like, the goodest fucker around”.

Danny mutters, “that’s not a word Tuck”, shaking his head as much as he can, “but anyway...”. Danny locks eyes with his mom again and taking a step closer to her, dragging his friends along in the process. Sighing, “evil isn’t a thing, not really. And yeah, I am one of them in a sense. Definitely ghostly and, considering your guy’s profession, defiantly so. And yeah, all of this makes me more ghostly than even some ghosts. Many actually”, Danny spins around his ring, prompting Maddie to glance at it quickly, “I’ve got more ghostly power in the palm, or well finger, of my hand than they do. But it’s cool, I’m cool, we’re all cool. Well...you’re not, not really”.

Maddie shakes her head, glancing back down at his ring before speaking, “how could I be ‘cool’ with this? How can you be? Being made ghostly, even if still living, even if still breathing with a beating heart; how is that remotely ok?!? You live, but this is making you live like a ghost!”.

Danny grumbles into his collar flames, “nothing can make me do shit”, chuckling and laughing quietly, “cause I’m da boss”. Shaking his head and clearing his throat, “er, um, no. I willingly chose, opted in, decided towards, agreed to; this. Nothing is making me do anything, again, I am not and was not forced into shit. This shit is my own shit, by right; and right’s always a choice in the end of shit. I’m with the ghosts, my people, my subjects, my citizens; on this, with this. I could say vassals or underlings but that wouldn’t be quite right”, chuckling, “they don’t exactly act subordinate”.

“They would if you actually exerted control, you’re too soft boy”.

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snibnoom · 5 years

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It’s been over a week since ASTRO were in Dallas and my thoughts are only just now starting to settle into something I can navigate and put down into words. The entire trip was perfect and, honestly, a huge relief. I’ve been going back and forth for a while on my feelings about how involved I’ve been. I used to do a lot for the aroha community, constantly posting updates and fan photos, but now I only do that for things that are a bit out of the way or otherwise hard to know. I even started to think that putting this much time into it is a waste, but after this trip, all of my doubts have been whisked away. I know that being here, being an aroha, is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing, no matter how I’m doing it.

Biggest things that happened:

Bin and I made eye contact at the airport and he waved at me.

Love Wheel. Bin stood basically right in front of me.

I got candy from Sanha during I’ll Be There. We made eye contact and he threw the candy and it hit my phone.

I got into Dallas two days before the concert. I took the trip with my mom since I’m not comfortable driving in the city and I have issues with my back and because she’s great and loves ASTRO, too. We got in pretty late, had dinner, and then before bed I looked through all the photos people were posting from the Newark concert.

Come Wednesday morning, I knew ASTRO would be flying into Dallas but I was terrified, partially from being nervous about meeting the people from the group chat I’d joined and partially from the idea of being face to face with ASTRO. But I got up, picked up a friend from the airport, had lunch, then it was back to the airport to wait for ASTRO.

The DFW airport is relatively small, I think, so it was rather easy to determine where ASTRO would be exiting. I’d been to the airport once before to greet another kpop group, but the energy this time was different. This time, it felt like everybody was a friend I could walk up to and start talking with. There were only about 20-30 of us there, including a couple of fan sites. Everybody was constantly checking the board to see when their plane had landed, of course, so when the time got near, we lined up on either side of the door. It was a straight walk from the exit of the terminal to the door leading outside, with baggage claim carriages (is that the right word?) on either side. We left some gaps, of course, so people who were coming off the same flight as ASTRO wouldn’t be trapped in place.

As we waited, an older man was the first to come out. He seemed genuinely shocked to see a bunch of young adult girls hanging out at the airport, but who wouldn’t be? He said something to the effect of “I didn’t know you all would be here waiting for me!” and he turned red. And then he got his phone out and recorded us all and we, being kind as we are, cheered for him and he walked off. More people started coming out from the terminal and, upon seeing all these people waiting, also chose to wait after grabbing their luggage. The lines started to shift a little and grow a bit closer to the middle but we all kept our ground relatively well, as we didn’t want ASTRO to feel burdened walking out.

I don’t really know how to describe the feeling I had when they walked out. Awe is probably the closest word to it. It didn’t hit me until later that all we could see were their eyes, as they all wore masks, yet they still had such a profound effect on everybody. Jinjin walked out first, followed by MJ. My eyes sort of glossed over them, if I’m honest, because Sanha was right behind them wearing all white. I didn’t expect Sanha to catch my eye as much as he did, but one of my friends that I went to the airport with felt the same way.

Bin was right behind Sanha and he looked right at me and gave a little wave. Probably my biggest regret from the airport is the fact that I forgot the sign that I made that said “stage genius Moonbin” in Korean, but Bin still looked at me anyway. And his eyes... I honestly covered my mouth with my hand when he looked away from me. I wouldn’t say I was actually on the brink of tears but inside I was crying. (I didn’t even register until after the whole thing that he was wearing jeans and a hoodie, the best look. Maybe in my subconscious I realized and that’s why I had to cover my mouth with my hand.) Eunwoo followed after Bin and I thanked everything that is that he was still wearing his beanie because that’s a real good look. Rocky brought up the end of their train, honestly looking super sleepy and tiny, and that was the end of it. They got in their van and took off.

My friends and I made our way back to the hotel and hung out in the lobby and several more of our friends showed up. (Almost everybody in our group chat who had to travel to get to the concert stayed in the same hotel.) A desk clerk came over and asked if any of us had a charger he could borrow. I took photos with some of my friends. The entire time I was on cloud nine and I couldn’t shake the feeling of awe. ASTRO... are real. They’re just boys, and they have such a friendly, approachable air to them. They feel like guys you could walk up to and just start having a conversation with and that left me more shook than I thought it would.

And then concert day. I don’t think in any of my daydreams about an ASTRO concert that it happened the way it did. I always expected to be screaming and dancing and crying and laughing and I didn’t do much of that at the concert. I felt the rush of excitement when first walking into the venue, but it faded soon after and I just felt comfortable. It didn’t feel like seeing 6 idols on stage. It felt like seeing 6 internet friends do a performance. It felt like everything I’d done was leading up to this great night of pure happiness. Even now, more than a week after the concert, I’m still riding on that high. A lot of people talk about “post concert depression” but I don’t feel that at all.

When they started to play the All Night music videos on the screens, I honestly couldn’t hear it. The screams of the 1,700 aroha in the venue were deafening. (1,700 tickets sold, roughly. My mom spoke to one of the venue staff. For reference, though, the venue can fit about 6,000 people total. The entire upper balcony was closed off. Still, the number seems kind of small to me but that’s just a detail.) I was holding my phone at my chest and my robong at my shoulder and I just stood with a dumb smile on my face as I watched the music video, then the opening VCR, and then there he was. Cha Eunwoo. The screams, again, were so loud that I couldn’t hear him singing. My video picked it up way better and, going back and watching, his voice is so stable. I don’t know how they do it. The way they came out onto stage was so beautiful, and I was so close to the stage that I could see them walking out in the dark before the lights came on.

Something I think no video could ever capture is how much power there is behind their dance moves. I was so surprised at how sharp their movements were, even the small moves. It’s really obvious how much they practice and how much they practice together because they’re so together. And through the entire song I was mostly just standing there in awe, hardly singing, hardly moving at all. That’s when it really clicked that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Everything I’d gone through, with ASTRO at my side, had been leading to that night, and I was so thankful for all of it, for ASTRO, for all the other fans in the venue with me.

Also, Rocky’s singing in Always You is remarkable in person.

So that I don’t just keep saying the same things about their stage presence, here’s just a few things from the next few songs they performed.

With You has the best choreography, hands down. I’d forgotten what it was like but it’s so good. Also I realized how sharp Moonbin looks on stage. He was very cute at the airport but on stage it was like he was a different person and I remembered how he said he loves being on stage and. Yeah. I maybe had a moment. Also every time they even generally looked my way, I waved my robong up over my head I’m pretty sure. Just, short spasms of excitement.

Crazy Sexy Cool. As soon as they got in the opening position, I knew what song it was, but in my shock, I couldn’t remember to do the fan chant. Sanha seemed to look in the direction of where I was sitting a lot but it seemed more like a general look rather than being at me. But he really has such a strong stage presence. When I wasn’t looking at Bin, I was usually looking at Sanha. Eunwoo was pretty close to my side of the stage during certain parts, too, and I swear I could see the gears turning in his head as he was dancing. It’s so clear how much effort he puts into trying to pull off the dance and how it doesn’t come very easily to him and I just felt so much pride in that moment.

MJ took off his jacket practically right at the start of the opening ment and through the rest of it, they all took off their jackets. I realized pretty fast that something was wrong with Bin’s mic, because he kept reaching up to touch it, and he actually ran off stage during Rocky’s ment. Jinjin’s english blew me away. There was some parts of his pronunciation that made me realize that he really put a lot of work into it, though I can’t say if it’s because he really practices what he said or if he’s actually really good at English. Eunwoo giggled when he introduced himself and hearing that on video is one thing. Hearing it in person, I smiled so wide that my cheeks hurt. MJ paused for a moment before introducing himself and the whole venue screamed, as could be expected. He has such a bright persona on stage and it really really shows that it’s just a part of who he is at this point. Sanha’s introduction was the cutest and I will remember how he said his name until the day I die. When he was done with his introduction, we tried to sing happy birthday, but we got interrupted by Bin walking back out on stage.

Real Love. Since I was sitting on the very outside section I was sort of worried that they wouldn’t come to the side, but Sanha and Rocky were rather close to standing right in front of where I was and they kept looking over and waving and smiling and making finger hearts. Rocky gave a lot of thumbs up, too. I can’t say for sure if they ever looked at me specifically, but with how often they looked over, I feel like they must’ve at least glanced at me. During this song, people from upper sections also started to run down to stand right in front of the stage. It blocked some people’s views and they brought signs so every once in a while someone would hold up a sign and I wouldn’t be able to see Rocky or Sanha for a few seconds. It didn’t particularly bother me at first but it got annoying after a while. I was too focused on watching ASTRO, though, to really be upset (and security sent everybody back to their seats during the VCR, thankfully). Real Love has always been one of my favorite songs and I loved hearing it live. They went to the opposite side of the stage for a moment then came back to the side of the stage I was in front of and I was shook by Jinjin. I could kind of see his tattoo poking out from his shirt and he waved and gave such a tiny cute smile.

Dream Night. I feel like Sanha definitely looked at me during this song. Jinjin was also real far to the side during one part of this song and I realized that his dancing is really comfortable, in a way that video doesn’t capture.

Butterfly. This is when I finally started to get more comfortable. In my video, you can hear me actually singing and can even sort of see my robong in the corner. I never really thought much about Rocky’s rap during this song but after seeing it live.. it might be my favorite part of the entire song.

VCR time. I didn’t record the VCR, as my phone was dying. It went from almost 100% to about 30% in recording just the first part, so I hurriedly plugged my phone into my portable charger, and I’m so glad I did.

Moonwalk. I already said it, but I feel like I need to say it again for this song. The power behind their dance really isn’t capture by videos. It becomes even more apparent in this song just how much control they have to have when dancing. I feel like the style of Moonwalk also suits them really well. It shows their technical skills really well without really diverting from their fresh feeling.

Again. This song is pretty much the only time I noticed the big screen behind them because they had a giant hand reach out in the very beginning of the song. Hearing an older song like this really sent me for a loop, though, because their voices have evolved so much. Unfortunately for my video, this is when I decided to start scream-singing, but I remember being really shocked by Sanha and Eunwoo’s voices during the song because I was so used to hearing it a certain way on the album. Also during the song there was this reoccurring sort of metallic sound. I don’t know if that was a sound issue or a part of the song I just never noticed before and it was amplified during the concert or what but it threw me off. Also, Moonbin is really beautiful.

Confession. I’m not sure if the other people in my section were singing but I know I was screaming the lyrics. I want to think ASTRO could hear me screaming along to the raps but I really doubt it. It’s a nice thought, though, because I was on fire. Confession is such a great song and I feel like it’s the song that got a lot of people into ASTRO. It certainly felt like a fan favorite in the venue with how much people were singing along vs outright screaming.

4stro went back stage and left Jinjin and Rocky to entertain the crowd. Jinjin’s English, again, surprised me. Rocky started a ah-seu-teu-ro chant that, of course, everybody was into. Jinjin said he posted on Instagram in the morning after waking up at 7am, which was something he couldn’t imagine doing in South Korea. I paused for a second, wondering if 7am was late or early for him. Could be either or. He said, in Korean, he woke up and opened the curtain and (in English), “oh my god.” We also got a “something Dallas.” The other four came back out to join rap line, all of them now having hand held mics rather than the wearable ones. Eunwoo dove into a story of how he took a “hike” when he woke up (the translator said hike but Eunwoo actually said walk; there were a lot of instances during the concert where I noticed the translator was saying something that wasn’t entirely accurate). And before they jumped into the next song, Jinjin said (in English), “We’re connected by a love wheel” and it was real cute how he said it.

Love Wheel. Bin came to stand basically as far to the side of the stage I was in front of and lemme tell ya, I had a minor panic attack. He looks unreal in person. Photos really don’t capture how good he looks. He’s so much sharper in person and his eyes are so much more intense. Watching him jam along to the song and then just look over the crowd—I think we’ve all seen the videos of Bin just fondly looking out over the crowd, but seeing him do that in person is 10,000 times more touching. He so clearly loves being on stage and in front of fans and I just hope he gets to always be on stage. I want to say Bin looked at me because it felt like he did, but who can say how much they can really see from on stage. All I could think of was that they have such a different vibe on stage vs what they did at the airport. They perform and there’s really a switch they flip that changes how they present and it’s endlessly impressive.

I’ll Be There. I always thought I’d cry listening to them singing I’ll Be There, but there was none of that. Between songs, Rocky moved and Jinjin came to stand beside Bin instead, but I honestly hardly looked at him because Bin was right there. Then they split into trios to throw candy and Jinjin, Eunwoo, and MJ came to our side of the stage first. I was so distracted by Jinjin that I hardly looked at Eunwoo and MJ except to notice that it was them standing there. Eunwoo let Jinjin sing his couple of lines and he took it serious at first and then broke into his joking manner of singing as MJ started to throw out candy. To be honest, I was never a huge fan of MJ’s red hair but it looks a thousand times better in person than it does on camera. Jinjin grabbed a handful of candy and I mean, I don’t know how to say he threw it other than by saying he yeeted it as far as he could. Like, I was afraid he would lose his balance and fall off the stage with how much he put into his 2 throws. Meanwhile Eunwoo just kinda tossed the candy to whoever was close. Then they switched sides and Sanha— Sanha only threw a few pieces of candy on our side and I got one of them. You can actually hear it hit my phone in the recording. I had my robong in one hand and my phone in the other so I couldn’t actually catch it but it came directly to me. (And the candy—a little bag of M&Ms—now sits in a clear acrylic display box on my shelf.) I don’t know if Sanha’s intention was to throw it at me directly or if it just worked out that way, but I’m going to say he threw it at me on purpose because we made eye contact right before he threw it. They hung out on our side of the stage for a little bit longer and Bin did the off-the-shoulders thing with his jacket.

Time for another VCR. By this point, my back was starting to hurt. (I have some not insignificant back issues; don’t worry, I’m usually fine! It was just the stress of standing up for a really long time that was starting to make my back hurt.) I didn’t record, or even really watch the VCR, though, because I was talking to the girl sitting next to me. Her phone ran out of space so I said I would send her my videos so I got her phone number. Except... almost as soon as I got back home... I got a new phone.. and I lost her phone number.. if you’re out there, please come say hi so I can get you the videos I feel so bad.

Merry Go Round! They came out with animal ears on! They were so cute and I’m honestly amazed at how high their energy levels stayed because I was starting to get tired by this point (but then they came out and I was fine). It was also during this song that I realized how different Rocky sounds live vs on a studio album. He’s a lot more rough live, but not in a bad way. I’m also pretty sure Sanha pointed at me.

Cotton Candy. At the beginning, they were all yelling stuff. MJ said (in Korean), “What is this?” Rocky said “Sanha Sanha Sanha.” MJ said something else in Korean. Jinjin said, “Ready, Sanha time! Happy birthday Sanha!” When it was time for Eunwoo to sing the second bit, Jinjin lead it by going “Eunwoo Eunwoo!” They hype each other so much when they’re on stage and I love it. Jinjin yelled for everybody to jump but I really couldn’t so I just waved my robong harder. Also, going back and watching the video, I’m literally screaming instead of singing and my voice was starting to give out but I kept doing it anyway. Jinjin’s 기분이 좋아 la la la is even better in person, which I didn’t think was possible. The choreography for Cotton Candy is also just really fun.

MJ, Jinjin, and Eunwoo went off stage, leaving the three youngest. Moonbin commented on that, too (in Korean), saying “we’re the younger ones.” Rocky started the conversation talking about what animal ears they’re wearing and Moonbin led it to Sanha first. I don’t know what the translator was doing but they were either particularly slow or we just couldn’t hear them over the screams. Moonbin said they always do the same sort of style when wearing the animal ears and then suggested maybe they should change their ears. Rocky asked Bin which he preferred and he took a moment before choosing to take Sanha’s rabbit ears. So Bin became a rabbit, Rocky took the cat ears, and Sanha put on the wolf ears. By this point, the other three had come out but were standing off to the side. When the oldest three came out, I got a straight look at Jinjin’s rib tattoo and that was a shock. He said (in English), “Younger brothers so cute” and Eunwoo responded (in English), “We’re so cute, too.” When MJ was starting to talk to explain what animal he was, someone screamed his name and I think it made him pause for a moment. Not sure if the other two were teasing MJ about what animal he was because of his pronunciation problems or if they just like to tease him in general. When Eunwoo was going through what he was, the other three made themselves at home on the side of the stage. When Jinjin asked if we knew what he was, Bin said “mouse mouse rat rat” and it’s a shame they didn’t actually give him mouse ears. They changed translators but still this translator didn’t get what they were saying. They talked a bit about what they’d eaten the day before (BBQ, at the place with the g i a n t pieces that they posted on insta) and Bin compared it to “rib size” but the translator said “it was cow.” Hire me to translate for them instead please.

Baby! Before they performed, Jinjin said, “It’s finally time to enjoy the concert with our babies” and it was cute. It was also super nice to hear that opening for Baby. It has a special place in my heart. A lot of fans actually yelled the opening fan chant for their names and I really hope ASTRO heard it. Jinjin yelled “Rocky swag” before Rocky’s rap and when Bin got to his position in the back he yelled “come on, swag!”

Breathless. Baby went right into a percussion sort of break where they wanted everybody to yell ya ba ba bara bwa bwa a couple times. Honestly, props to them for being able to go from one song right into the other. I couldn’t do it. Their energy levels seemed to be constantly going up the closer we got to the end of the concert. They were getting more comfortable, yelling out stuff during the songs, joking with each other on stage. It’s so nice to see them just be so comfortable.

Hide&Seek. Literally right into it after Breathless. They didn’t go right into the choreography, so I was a little surprised and it didn’t register with me what song it was until a little bit after. Hearing them sing their debut song is all I ever dreamed about, and my mood was already through the roof. I was smiling so much that my cheeks were hurting, and when I wasn’t smiling, it was because I was rapping. In the gap between Jinjin’s rap and the next verse, he said “I love you” and it was timed just perfectly. Rocky also seemed really intense during this song.

Talk time! Sanha went off stage for something. Eunwoo said that Jinjin saying “I love you” during Hide&Seek surprised him, and Bin said he had good timing. Eunwoo asked Jinjin to do it one more time, so we got to hear Jinjin rap a capella. Jinjin said their next song would be their very last one, but the usual ending-concert dread didn’t hit me at all.

Rocky: First of all, the concert went by really fast. We were so happy because you guys were dancing and jumping with us. Also, the people in the second section, we’re very touched by the fact that you guys are all standing up and enjoying with us. If you think of it, we only have a little time left. Did you guys enjoy tonight? (aroha screams, of course) Thank you! Jinjin: We only have one song remaining and we’re all very sweaty here right now. (In English) Because of you guys. (Back to Korean) Because of all the heat we’re getting from the Dallas fans. Thank you so much. The next song is very special so please look foward to it. Eunwoo: The weather in Dallas is really amazing. I was in a very good mood starting from the morning. I’m glad I could take that happy emotion and bring it here to the show. Something even better than the weather is you guys. Moonbin: This is our first time in Dallas. The fans, the crowd, all of you guys are wonderful. From the moment I landed and saw the good weather, I knew something great was going to happen here. The moment I met you guys, it was a special moment. We’ll try even harder from now on. And since we’re not done yet, please enjoy to the last moment. Thank you! MJ: (fans were yelling “I love you MJ” so he said thank you) Dallas is especially hot. I think I’ll never forget it. Thanks to you guys, we’ll try our best to come back again. When we come back, you guys are going to be cheering even louder, right? You guys are incredible. Thank you so much. Because of you guys, today was a wonderful day.

Sanha didn’t get to talk because he was interrupted by the special event. The screen behind him said “happy birthday yoon sanha,” we started singing to him, and the staff rolled out his birthday cake. I was honestly shocked at how massive the cake was. Jinjin reminded everybody to show their slogans that they’d been given.

Sanha: First of all, it’s an incredible experience to be able to celebrate my birthday in Dallas. I’m so happy that I can feel all the love from you guys. Before the candles melt, I’m going to blow them out. (He made a wish and actually had a bit of trouble blowing them out. I thought they might be trick candles, but he got them to go out.) Moonbin: I can’t believe Sanha’s already an adult. Little brothers grow up so fast. Eunwoo: Sanha, what did you wish for? Sanha: You’re not supposed to tell your wishes. Eunwoo: (in English) Never mind, never mind. (Jinjin laughed and repeated him.)

All Night. The stage lights came on a little early so we could actually see them sit down in their positions. Some fans actually knew the fan chant, so it was really nice to hear that. Their difference between just sitting there and talking vs performing is so apparent and I don’t think I’ll ever be over it. Halfway through the song, my alarm on my phone went off (because Thursdays are for Critical Role) and it started blasting Heart Brew Love. Since it was in the middle of a song, though, I don’t think anybody heard it. Kind of wish it had happened during their ment. Fans really tried to do the fan chant during Jinjin’s rap but our timing was all sorts of off. We’re the same as them in that respect. It was really fitting that Sanha’s the last one standing at the end of All Night since it was his birthday. He got a moment of spotlight before they shut off the lights and they all went back stage again.

The last VCR is the only one that I recorded. I could really feel the difference of how they were on stage vs in video/photo. Video/photo truly does not do them any justice. They’re so good looking in person and video/photo couldn’t possibly capture their aura and stage presence. The VCR itself was very cinematic and I feel like there’s supposed to be some sort of poetic message to it but I can’t think about that right now.

You&Me. Eunwoo came out carrying MJ and Bin came out carrying Sanha. Rap line came out behind them and model walked up the center of the stage. Jinjin and Rocky did the Michael Jackson dance thing. I really tried to dance along to the choreography but it was hard to do that with my phone in one hand and robong in the other, but I did my best, using robong to point at Bin who was the closest to our side of the stage again. I swear he pointed right at me. It was such a comfortable feeling watching them just kind of jam together on the stage. I also think Sanha made eye contact with me from the middle of the stage, and later during the chorus again, I think Rocky and I made eye contact for a few seconds, too. During the point dance part, Rocky definitely pointed at me, though.

And now the actual ending ment. They seemed as reluctant to go as we did.

Rocky: We got to come to Dallas for the first time. Because it was our first time, we really wanted to do our best in front of you guys. Did we do okay? Although this is the first time, it’s not the last, so please look forward to the next time. Next time we come back, we’ll be even cooler. Dallas, I love you.

Jinjin: Since we came to Dallas for the first time, I’m really happy. Dallas aroha, thanks so much for all the energy you showed us. (in English) I’m so happy, yeah~ (back to Korean) Thanks so much for standing up during the concert from the beginning to the end and enjoying with us. (in English) It really touched my heart. (In my video, I go awww really, really loud.) Thank you guys so much. Thanks for coming. I love you guys.

Eunwoo: (He started by pointing out all the sections and waving to everybody.) ASTRO was able to come to Dallas for the first time. The first impression is very important. The first impression that we have of Dallas is fantastic. (in English) So, I promise to come back again. Like Rocky said, we will be more... more handsome, more sexier, more awesome. (back to Korean) So please look forward to it. We really had an amazing night. (in English) Thank you guys. I love you.

Bin: Our first show in Dallas is coming to an end. There are some things that I wish I’d done better. Since it was our first time, there are a few things that I actually overdid. (Aroha yelled no at him and he laughed a little) So I love that you guys cheered a lot while I was performing. For some reason, I really wanted to capture every moment that I was spending with you guys. (I aww’ed real loud again.) Just like the pretty and beautiful weather in Dallas, you aroha are amazing. We’ll come back even more handsome and talented and cool. (in English) I love you guys. (I didn’t realize, but apparently I yelled “I love you” right after he said that.)

MJ: Woah! Dallas, your cheering is different. (He made a pun. Dallas in Korean is 달라스 and different is 달라. Nobody really understood it in the moment, so Eunwoo had to explain it, but I think it was lost on most people.) You guys were incredible. You guys lit the fire in our 6 hearts. We’ll never forget this feeling today and we’ll come back. We love you, we love you, and we’ll see you again.

Sanha: (He got a ton of screams in the beginning) This really really is our final goodbye. Thank you for the surprise birthday wish. Out of all the birthdays I had, I think today’s is the best one ever. It’s really meaningful that you guys were able to celebrate my birthday with me. I’ll always remember the love that you guys showed us. We’ll try our best to come back as soon as we can, so please continue to support us. Because we still have our LA and San Francisco show, it’d be nice if Dallas aroha could come to see us there, too.

Photo time! Staff brought back out Sanha’s cake, they all sat down on the floor, and MJ started a short “San! Ha! San! Ha!” chant. Bin and Jinjin both counted to three, then they wanted everybody to make a heart and Jinjin counted again.

By Your Side. I was singing real loud and I think it got Rocky’s attention. He was super chill about looking over though. They all seemed real chill, as bummed as us that the concert was about to be over. I was thinking the whole time that none of them better cry and they didn’t, thankfully. I think I made eye contact with Rocky while he was rapping, or at least I hope I did, because I was rapping along with him.

Call Out. Bin started out strong by laying down on the stage. Right before the chorus, Rocky yelled “everybody jump!” and, to my surprise, a lot of people did. The energy level was right back up to where it had been before. It’s one thing to see them being fools on video, but they’re so similar live as they are in videos. I’m just so happy with how much energy they put into everything, how much they try to connect with fans. At the end of the song, they took a moment. Rocky said “wait, wait... Dallas aroha, scream!” and they went through it again. Sanha shushed everybody until the venue was basically dead silent, then he said, “We’re very happy because of you guys” and they went another time. MJ really got into the dancing, as he does. Moonbin got everybody to go to the back of the stage, and yelled, “one last time!” and they ran to the front of the stage again. They really made sure to wave and make finger hearts at as many people as they could.

They did their “thank you we are astro” goodbye in the middle of the stage, on either side, then in the back to say goodbye to every section of the venue. I got a personal goodbye wave from Sanha as they walked off the stage, and the concert was done just like that.

It took a while for hi-touch to start. They cleared out almost the entire rest of the venue before they started lining people up for hi-touch, so we all just sat and watched the venue staff start to take down the set. They got it all put away surprisingly fast, and at one point, the people I was sitting near all cheered for this one staff member who looked in our direction (he was super into the cheers). Event staff decided to take people into the back for hi-touch and photo op starting from the other side of the seats, so I was in one of the last few groups to see ASTRO. We waited and waited. In line, one girl said “I came here an Eunwoo stan and I’m leaving a Bin stan.” There was also a girl in line in front of me who didn’t know what had happened with Fantagio last year, so an event staffer and myself helped explain it to her. I was so caught up in talking to the people around me that I didn’t get to set my phone to record and stuff it into my purse, as I intended to do for photo op.

As soon as I walked in, I was shook. MJ was standing closest to the door, and he was leaning close and waving with his cute smile and I honestly panicked. I hardly looked at Rocky before I sat down in front of him. They stepped up behind the chairs and I was honestly just so frozen in place. It happened super fast. As they ushered us out, the line moved quick so I didn’t really get much opportunity to say anything. I honestly glanced over Jinjin, Eunwoo, and Bin. Sanha was standing at the end and I said happy birthday to him in Korean and he laughed and said thank you back in Korean. That’s when my hands started to shake.

I stood outside the venue for probably 20-30 minutes, trying to calm my shaking and waiting for ASTRO’s van to leave. Most people grouped up when they were driving out, but I stood off to the side a little with my robong and my official slogan and waved at them as they drove by.

This concert was really important to me and I’ll always remember it. I won’t talk too much about why ASTRO are so important to me (I already did that on their anniversary), but they really are some of the most important people in my life. I’m so happy that I got to go to a concert and shout and dance and meet people who all share the same love I have for these six boys. I wish I would’ve been coherent enough during photo op to tell them all thank you but I feel like they already know how much I love them, how much we all love them, whether we can attend concerts or not.

#snibnoom at starlight #i hope this is all coherent #i'm not doing any proof read lol its too long for that

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