#as always reblogs are really appreciated uwu

[suguru-getos]

| Bully! Gojo Satoru x F!Reader | Part 5 |

Part: 4 / 3 / 2 / 1

Summary: You had just transferred schools, and your first day was an encounter with your new bully. He’s mean, terrifically hot & absolutely a menace. Though there’s more to that personna

Chapter Summary: After doing your much needed due-diligence with Satoru, he’s backed you up against the wall in the school corridor again. Things are a little… different however.

Warnings and A/N: For a change we have no such warnings here :3 Just Satoru Gojo sama 🙇🏻‍♀️ getting a little in his senses and grieving when the Reader-chan opens up a little. <3 Angst? Yeah.

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Can’t add more people in the taglist I’m sorry, it’s throwing me an error that I can’t add more than 50 users. If anyone has a workaround for this please 🙏🏻 please let me know. 🫡🩵🥰 Reblogs and comments are highly appreciated! 🙇🏻‍♀️✨

"Can I please have some money." You want to recoil and kill yourself right now. The scrutinizing gaze of your mother is like leech on your skin, itching your core. You don't like this, but after what you had done today in the cafeteria; you really want to get this over with. There are still flashes of Satoru's face in front of your eyes. He looked devastatingly beautiful with those bangs drenched with water. Pale skin reddening at the coldness of the water. He looked so harmless. So… human. The way he extended his hand to you, he didn't seem like he had any malice or could ever harbour any.

"For what?" Your mum asked casually, "We have given you enough money to be comfortable, Sweetheart. I don't see the point." She dismissed, sighing at you. She couldn't care less about you suddenly being a tad too needy over finances.

You expected this, which is why your lips are unable to part in resistance. You open your mouth in false hopes that a sentence will come to aid you, against your mother, against Satoru Gojo. It doesn't.

She has given birth to you, you'd like to be in the disbelief that she can't see the stress in your face. You get up, "That's fine, nothing important actually." Your shoulders droop in defeat. You don't want to be mistreated, called irresponsible, told that you should be careful, less egotistical, more bendable to people's wills, told to tone yourself down, to mellow your aura, to water yourself down…

"What is it, Y/N?" She called your name softly, "haven't seen you go and attend Kickboxing classes either. Want to do something else? You always pick up new things and abandon old ones. No discipline- no consistency-" normally, you're professional in letting her words linger through one ear and part from the other. Not today.

"Yeah, thanks for being so appreciative. Love that for me." Ignoring the chastising replies, you stomped to your room. Yeah, you can't be free of Gojo Satoru so easily. You can't even hope to fathom what he will do with you tomorrow in school.

---

Meanwhile, Satoru's not changed his shirt, even after returning from school, sitting in his room and replaying back your words and your actions over and over like a tape he wouldn't get sick of, even if he tried his best. Lips parted and huffing. He's hurt. His ego is bruised but his heart doesn't feel okay after watching the repercussions of the damage done to you either. Part of him feels rightly treated, now you wouldn't see him with that petrifying look of disgust he hates. His hands slump over his face as he leaned his back over his California king sized bed, sighing in dishevelled breaths. Truth is, yes he collided against you in the cafeteria after all this began. Yes he did purposely and you called him out for it in front of everyone. Someone who is calling The Gojo Satoru accusingly was hard to digest. Be like other people and apologize, or even better, act grateful that he talked to you. No, you didn't do that. You were fierce and stern, you were like burning coal, warm… capable of burning when held the wrong way.

He still feels better than the nonchalance you presented him with when he abided you in a contract. That wasn't the you he hoped to meet, he hoped to meet the 'you' he met today in the cafeteria. The 'you' who holds the guts to obliterate him and anyone else when angered. The 'you' who isn't scared of things like financial status, powers, influence.

He likes you so much.

He likes you so much…

He likes you so, so much…

It's sickening, his heart pangs at the way the subtle hints from his mind about having a crush on you are now intensely, brutalizing storms he can't ignore. The only revolting thought that curdled his brain was how he would like to kiss you. Maybe he should have bullied you like that - that way, at least, partly, it would feel good to you and would have given him a safe bet to reach out to you later. Even right now, all he can imagine is his long, thick, looming fingers wrapped around your waist, pressing you plush against him, rendering you immobile. How great would the then-faint scent of your perfume would now intensify when you're in his hold. How good would it feel to taste you on his tongue, to feel you crumble and to…

To trust him enough to crumble…

Suguru was right, what an stupid thing to do. He couldn't give up, you didn't give up. Now he's forced to see through his mess he wishes to pretend never existed.

Would grovelling help?

What about the copious amounts of unhealthy egoism he wears?

Fuck that… would you forgive him even after he bore his heart out to you? It would be worse than getting physically naked. Satoru Gojo can't take rejection. Even more than that, he can't take being vulnerable in front of anyone. Vulnerability is sacred, and Satoru isn't sure there's anyone worthy enough to carry his weakness and still shielding his ego. Maybe he should try… the worse you can do is reject him and his company. As if he's not making an exquisite pathway for it since the very beginning.

His thoughts are making him insane, they are making him lose his grip on his mind.

Which is why, you both are here. Satoru's had you pinned against the wall in school the next day, the same way this all started. You're struggling and wiggling to no avail. Panting heavily. "Please- stop it!" You whimper out, gasping out when his eyes land on you in a sternly arrogant manner. Why do you hate him so much god damn! Oh wait, he knows…

"I'm not going to hurt you or manhandle you or be an asshole. Just here to talk, hard to believe right?" He smirked, looking at you in a little tender undertone now that you're eyeing him curiously. You pouted, gnawing at your lip. "I don't believe you, especially after what I did yesterday. It was water though! You can't really get marks from water! I don't owe you any money."

Gosh you are hilarious without even trying, he leans back a little. Having no sense of personal space anyway.

"I don’t want the money. Okay? I thought that you would have a month to… get to know me and to talk to me." He pouts, sighing. It's so hard to suddenly talk to you after being an ass. You don't trust him anyway. It's visible with the way you look at him, trying to dig any ulterior motives.

"So what you just needed your ass kicked to stop?" Gosh your mouth…

"I'm being nice, little bitch. The moment you realize you don't have to pay me back your tongue is back to dancin' around shitty words, eh?" Satoru grips your face with his hand, sneering a little with an amused grin.

You roll your eyes, "not scared of you since day one." You half-lie. He does… intimidate you. You wouldn't admit it though. He has made you cry, he has made you miserable. You are not going to let it slide so easily anyway.

"Uh huh, I know." He leans back, embracing the weird and awkward silence that accompanies you both. You nibble at your lip and look down, "Look, if you don't want the money. We don't have any reason to talk to each other." You tried to sound as nice as possible.

Technically, you both do not have any reason anyways. Which is why Satoru came up with this ego-inflating scheme. Now that he's officially decided after much contemplation to hook you off. He can't shove you back in. He looks at you like a kicked pup. Something you haven't seen in his eyes. He was always controlling you, tossing you around.

"There's no reason to, unless… you'd like to tolerate me." He grins wide.

"I'd not like that." You smile. Bouldering over him with your words.

"Well… alright."

Satoru walks away, he can't really do anything about it. You just rejected the possibility of a conversation, let alone entertain the idea to have him close to you. After a few steps, he comes back stomping & you almost cower beneath him.

"I.. well, I- may have been, an asshole."

To be honest, you have no idea what he means suddenly and what does he want. He is emotionally stunted and somehow lacks the comprehension of anything else except what he wants. "May have?" You raised a brow in disbelief, what does he mean by 'May have'?

You grit your teeth, "I've cried myself to sleep twice because of you, I dreaded going to school, I wanted to give up and change my school, I wanted to ask you why are you so mean to me? I wrote things a thousand times as asked for you to 'review' as you said cause I talked to Geto san!" You winced, the memories are hurtful and scathe you badly. It aches. What you tolerated was essentially for nothing! It hurts. FUCK IT HURTS.

Satoru looked stunned as well, you have been appearing so normal he could never believe you were impacted. Which is why he was only trying harder… oh no. "I wished to be as rich as you so I could have ended this then and there and wouldn't get blackmailed." You sighed, and that sentence makes him fall into decay.

"Well, if you could have just-" his voice is meek and submissive and you're quick to cut it down.

"Could have just what Gojo san? Apologized for something I never did? You're going to give me that I collided against you by my own mistake when it was 'you' who did that purposely and kicked me for raising questions on it? Then proceeded to make my life hell because I didn't back down? Could have what? I could have begged you to be merciful like a caged prisoner? Asked you to show me some kindness for something I didn't even do?"

Oh will you stop? Will you please stop? Satoru can't take this, every sentence feels like a deep gash on his heart. His throat feels hoarse and there's a rock hindering his speech. He just- did it- without thinking so much upon it. Satiating his ego and getting a rise out of your little reactions. God he wants to undo this so bad.

How can he undo this? He can't…

"I- uh- I'm sorry." He finally manages to croak out a small mouthed apology. Though he means every word of it even if he knows that wouldn't do anything.

"You should be."

[presidentlokis-hornyhelmet]

Pavitr x fem reader

- Jealous HEADCANONS

A/N: Apparently, Pavitr's costume and fighting style is inspired from Kerala, so I went with him also being from Kerala. (Malayalam is google translated)

Also read on AO3

Pav Pooh is a uwu little jelly bean 

It began even before you started dating. You were bffs so, naturally, you're invited to his house for Onam celebration. 

Pav stands spellbound at your beauty as you'd worn the traditional off-white saree with golden border, your hair done and decorated with flowers. He's about to compliment you when his cousin beats him to it. 

"Are all of Pav's friends gorgeous, or is it just you?" 

Pav's face drains of colour as his cousin flirts with you. And you're indulging him!? That's it, you're not leaving his sight anymore. 

"Flattery takes you nowhere, cousin." 

His cousin ignores him. "Chuchudu, you should really visit Kerala sometime! We can go to all the tourists sites, go on a boatride -just the two of us, I can even teach you fishing!" 

The idiot rambles on and on but Pavitr's eyes blaze in green fury 🔥 Chuchudu!? Chuchudu!?! How dare he call you cutie! 

And, Gayatri just HAS to add fuel to fire. "Aww, you guys look so cute together! Don't they, Pav?"

"Of course! You look like father and daughter. What a rare bond, right?" 

Pav tells himself it's because his cousin is an a-hole, which they are, and he doesn't want to see you hurt. 

Lies, all lies. He jello 

He constantly tries to separate you guys or atleast just be next you like a bodyguard, shadowing over your convos. If his cousin got irritated, they don't show it. And, thanks to his spidey sense, his cousin can't talk to you alone for more than 5 seconds, though they do manage to ditch Pav at times XP 

Pavitr lets out a sigh of relief only after his cousin leaves. 

The next time it happens is when a new guy, Ravi, joins school. Ravi takes one look at you and he's interested. He's always flirting at you everywhere: cafeteria, by your locker, in the hallway -even in the field. 

Weekends usually mean extra superheroing so Pav can only meet you again on Monday morning at school. Or atleast, that's what usually happens. Today, though, you're at your locker with Ravi's arm around your shoulder as he talks to his friends. He says something in your ear which makes you laugh and slap his shoulder. 

Pav is seeing green. And you seem to hang out with Ravi more as the days pass!

You suddenly find Pavitr showing up at your house whenever Ravi comes around, tagging along with you two and always standing inbetween, telling how long you guys are besties at every opportunity, touching you a LOT..

"WHAT do you think you're doing, idiot?" Gayatri traps Pav into a corner and gets him to spill. 

"Okay, okay, I am jealous! I.. I like Y/n. Like, like her like her.." 

"You what me?" 

Long story short, you guys (FINALLY) get together and Gayatri squeals in joy.

After You Begin Dating 

Boy, you underestimated how much he flaunts you

Hand-holding, kissing your cheek when he senses potential threat (thanks, spidey sense!), hugging a lot, lost of texting ("miss u moloo 😘", "can i come overrrr I'm boreddd :< ") 

You assure him he's the only guy for you. "Pav, baby, I don't want anyone else. I've always been yours." 

And, a little later in your relationship, you admit that the whole flirting thing with Ravi and Pav's cousin was a ruse to make him jealous. And Gayatri was in on it! ;P

"I'm sorry but you just look sooo cute when you're jealous!", you say, squishing his cheeks. 

Pav feigns offense but he's melting inside knowing you only have eyes for him. 

Also... C'mon, can anyone resist making this cutepie jealous? 

________

reblogs and comments appreciated!!!

[mazeinthemiroh]

i’m deep in my feels rn haha could i request a soft little skz reaction where their s/o puts a lot of thought into learning about their interests and stuff? i want the skzers to feel special and appreciated cos they are :(

stray kids reactions to their s/o putting effort into their interests

genre: general

word count: 0.7k

warnings: none

pls like and reblog if you enjoy! feel free to request anything <3

bangchan

channie is a workaholic and so his interests lie with what he is working on at the moment. he would absolutely love it if you took an interest in his work, and will even run you through how to compose a song, write lyrics, produce, etc... he might even let you make a song with him on the side for fun! i mean, it's not impossible. he's made a whole song on one of his lives! so doing it with you should be easy, and really makes him happy.

lee know

minho has quite a few interests but the one that dominates his heart the most is, obviously, his cats. he can't help but speculate on different toys he should buy them and whether they need any supplements or different meals. he loves taking care of his babies ;-; so when you take an interest in his fluffy children, his heart simply melts. it's definitely important to him to that you get on well with his cats because he loves them so much <///3

changbin

binnie's main interest is working out. which, of course, is not for everyone. if you are the type of person who likes the gym just as much as he does, he would love to share his time at the gym with you! if you are not the type to usually go to the gym or don't regularly work out, but still try your hardest to get involved with that interest of his, changbin will be really flattered and make sure he will help you and make your gym experience worthwhile, since you're doing such a nice thing for him.

hyunjin

hyunjin would probably appreciate his s/o doing this the most. he likes feeling understood. but also, he spends a lot of time on his passions and interests, in particular, his art so they have become really important to him. they are a part of him. so the fact you want to get involved in what he loves? he's over the moon. he would love to teach you how to do certain techniques and even share his hobby with him.

han

han loves getting into new things to watch, especially anime! forget sleeping, he's bingeing the new episodes of what he's currently watching atm. he loves it when you get involved with the shows he's watching because it means he has someone to completely rant about the plotline or openly simp over a character with someone who knows what he's on about. it makes him feel like he has a voice and he can express how passionate he feels about a character being killed off in the third episode because wtf?? he needs someone to talk about this with!!!

felix

this gamer boy would LOVE it if you joined him playing video games. he's so invested in the storylines of certain video games and will get so excited when you ask him about it and genuinely take an interest. and he will happily tell you all the things he knows. he gives you advice on what each of the characters does and which is the best character in his correct humble opinion. will be super excited to play these video games with you and will really appreciate you being interested in what he loves.

seungmin

seungmin has been getting into more artsy stuff lately. he likes photography, for instance, and likes to get outside and look at the world through a different lens other than his own eyes. he would love it if you were to join him on a little photography date uwu. ALSOOOO reading dates are totally his thing. he loves burying his head in a good book, and having you taking an interest in his hobbies means that he can share these peaceful moments with you.

jeongin

jeongin is a fashion lover. we know how well he dresses and how his style is always on point. even if you are not so keen on passion but find ways to make his interest feel understood, he will love you even more. like sometimes you will get him an expensive item of clothing or maybe even suggest going clothes shopping with him. he likes it when you ask for advice too, so he can put his fashion knowledge and expertise to good use!

[samantha-and-her-chaotic-desires]

The hazbin hatedom is getting out of hand for me it's really cringe. Your thoughts

I have mixed opinions on this. So beforehand, I am going to say that this is a longer post from me, and I appreciate the anonymous message! <3 I will be talking about this specific question, as well as my interpretation, thoughts, and overall feelings on this matter. Please feel free to reblog, like, and comment your opinions and keep it civil. I want to have a friendly discussion, no matter how brash I seem: this is brutal honesty coming from my heart.

For those who have ZERO clue: Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss are dark "comedy" shows for an adult audience, created by Vivienne "Vivziepop" Medrano, originally airing on YouTube. Helluva Boss is currently in its second season, while we have yet to find out anything else on Hazbin Hotel, as it is now a part of A24 and BentoBox. They center on the same setting, Hell, but have two different plot lines.

Hazbin Hotel is redemption focused, led by Princess Charlie Morningstar, the daughter of Lucifer. She wants to help the sinners in Hell become good and go up to heaven to avoid the yearly Exterminartion, aka a Purge. Helluva Boss, however, is about a murdering business called I.M.P., with Blitz, Millie, Moxxie, and Loona, going up to Earth with a grimoire that is provided by Stolas of the Ars Goetia, a prince. So here we go, into the Depths and reasoning of this post: the Hatedom. So lo and behold, my answer below.

On one hand, yes. The Hazbin Hatedom is a bit over the top. Yes, people are assholes. However, the Vivziepop stans who don't want to admit their precious senpai Vivziepop has done some pretty fucked up shit in the past. The hate can be unnecessary, but you know what else can be unnecessary? The toxic stans. I follow #vivziepop for certain analysis portrayals and criticism, or just general news. Sometimes people are tiresome. This is no exception.

I am falling out of the fandom because it can be toxic. I enjoy most of the characters, but other than that? Helluva Boss's current writing is NOT good. At all. The latest episode irked me to no end. I'm unimpressed with Seeing Stars. I am not very happy that they are forcing Stolitz down our throats as an "uwu pwease wove us" type of bullshit ship. I would much rather prefer Blitz and Stolas to be friends. I wished Stolas had his pilot personality and not the "uwu im a gay, tragic prince with a shitty wife, feel bad for me" bird we know in the series.

Moxxie in the latest episode is bitchy. He got on my nerves and was pissed at Millie being happy. This girl deserves more screentime (and I'm glad she got some of it) but seriously...Millie is always there for Moxxie, and Moxxie needs to reciprocate.

They made Stella seem stupid, when in reality, and if written properly, she can be a cunning and calculating villain with her brother. We've yet to see how Octavia and Stella interact, but I'm unsure.

I have definitely tried to keep my mouth shut as much as I could on this matter, because when I finally openly admit how I feel, it's not a pretty thing, especially with something that I'm so passionate about. Animation takes time, writing takes time, scripting, acting, everything takes so much time, and this is wasted potential. We can have so much better than just a fan-ficcy type rom-com, dark humor, sexual humor schtick. It's getting annoying, and I fear the worst when it comes to Hazbin Hotel.

Criticism is welcome here! Let me know what I left out. I'm willing to hear other opinions, so long as they're nice. If anons start flooding my inbox and getting mad, anons are off. Anon is a privilege, not a right.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 345. brb x oc

a/n: still meh but, i miss these two so much. (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

/316/317/318/319/320/321/322/323/324/325/326/327/328/329/330/331/332/333/334/335/336/337/338/339/340/341/342/343/344

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-

“You sure you are okay?”

She pulls the sock up to her ankle as she looks up at him,Rooster is leaning against the doorframe, “Huh?” she asks as she looks up, hair already pulled up into a bun and she was wearing her uniform. 

Rooster's eyes soften as he takes in the sight of Beatrice getting ready for her day. The morning sunlight filters through the window, casting a warm glow on the room that makes her skin shine…but his concern lingers as he waits for her response.

Beatrice glances up, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I'm good, Roos. The ankle's holding up well, and I'm ready for the game."

He crosses his arms, leaning more into the doorway. "You sure?"

"Positive. I've been doing those exercises you recommended, and the ankle feels almost as good as new. Plus, I've got Evelyn and Shells as my backup if anything goes awry on the court."

Rooster's expression relaxes a bit, but his concern stays in his gaze. "Just promise me you'll take it easy. Alright?"

Beatrice nods, reaching over to wrap her arms around his neck. "I promise, Roos. I'll be cautious, and if anything feels off, I won't hesitate to sit out.” she smiles, “You’ll be there,with the kids, cheering me on too,won’t you?”

Rooster smiles, his arms circling around her waist. "You bet I will. The whole cheering squad will be there, ready to celebrate every spike and victory.” he kisses her forehead and leans back to meet her eyes But, seriously, don't push yourself too hard. Your health comes first."

Beatrice leans in, pressing a soft kiss on his lips. "I appreciate your concern, Roos. It means the world to me and I’ll be okay. Now, I should finish getting ready. The game's in a few hours, and I want to be there early to warm up."

“Hm.”

“Roos.”

He tsks, “If something happens,” he begins, “I got bandages in the car, I got a lot of stuff that I can shove in the backseat and away from the kids.” he says softly, tucking a few loose strands that left her bun behind her ear, “And I’ll enter that court, just you wait. I’ll carry you out myself.”

"Because ou're my knight in shining armor."

Rooster grins, his eyes dancing with affection. "Always, gorgeous. Ready to charge in whenever you need saving."

She gives him a teasing smile. "Well, I hope it doesn't come to that dramatic rescue, but I appreciate the sentiment." and she cups his face with her hands, pecking his lips, “But thank you,really.”

She steps back to finish getting ready, Rooster stays by the doorway, watching her with a soft gaze. He can't help but marvel at the woman before him—strong, determined, and the love of his life. The way she handles challenges, whether it's a volleyball game or the hurdles of everyday life, never fails to inspire him.

Beatrice catches his gaze and tilts her head inquisitively as she’s partially bent over to check her sneakers. "What's going on in that mind of yours, Roos?"

He grins, tilting his head to follow the curve of her ass with his eyes. "Just thinking about how lucky I am. Lucky to have you in my life, lucky to see you in action on and off the court." he smirks, “Lucky that you love short shorts.”

Beatrice laughs, giving him a look before straightening herself to prop a hand on her waist “Are you trying to distract me with compliments?"

He chuckles, “Me? Am I a distraction?"

"Maybe you are, LC. But I've got a game to prepare for, so your distracting tactics will have to wait."

Rooster smirks, adopting a mock salute. "Understood, ma’am. I'll save the compliments for the victory celebration."

She chuckles, reaching for her gym bag. "Now that's a plan I can get behind.”

"Oh yeah." he replies, watching as the black fabric of her shorts hug her ass tight and he has to get close to her. Close enough that he can gently brush the bottom part of her uniform, “For good luck.” and he slaps the left cheek hard enough for it to jiggle.

She yelps, covering her ass and leaping away from him with her face red “Rooster!!” and she’s a mix of amused and worried because holy hell,she was wearing shorts.

Rooster bursts into laughter, and he raises an eyebrow teasingly. "What? Just adding some flair for the victory. You know, a good luck slap." he smiles more, “They won’t see it.”

Beatrice shoots him a mock glare, but there's a playful glint in her eyes as she rubs her bottom. "Oh my God,you're incorrigible, Roos.”

“Sure am.”He smirks, leaning against the doorframe once more. "Consider it part of the strategy. A winning strategy, I might add."

“Oh yeah? How so?”

Rooster grins, "Well, you see, it's all about the element of surprise. The opposing team will be so baffled by the unexpected good luck slap that they won't be able to focus on the game. Victory through distraction, baby."

“Really.”

“Oh yes, really.”

Beatrice shakes her head, then chuckles softly  "Well…if it brings us good luck, I'm all for it."

He winks, "Sure will,gorgeous.” he says, “You got everything?” he asks as she places the duffel bag on her shoulder, “Nothing missing?” 

Beatrice checks her bag, ensuring she has everything she needs for the game. "Jersey, knee pads, water bottle, and lucky charm," she lists off, glancing at Rooster with a soft smile. "I think I'm good to go. Anything else you want to add to the winning strategy?"

Rooster taps his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I could offer a motivational dance routine, but I think that might be pushing it."

“Oh?”

“But less clothed, y’know.” he smirks, “For movement.”

She laughs, shaking her head and blushing even harder, "As tempting as that sounds, I'll stick with the good luck slap for now. Save the dance routine for the after-party, maybe." she smiles, “If you want-”

"Deal," he says without missing a beat. "I’m gonna get the kids and I’ll meet you downstairs?”

Beatrice leans in, stealing a quick kiss. “Sounds good, are they watching tv?"

“Yep.”

"Great. I'll meet you downstairs, and then we can head to Northride  together."

Rooster returns the smile, his eyes filled with warmth. "You’re going to do great,gorgeous. Go out there and show them what you've go."

With a final peck on her lips, Rooster heads out of the bedroom to gather the kids. Beatrice takes a moment to compose herself, her heart fluttering with a mix of excitement and nerves. 

A little fear doesn’t hurt anyone,right?

After checking her ankle one last time she descends the stairs, the sound of the twins' laughter grows louder. The living room is filled with the playful banter between Rooster and the kids. Nicole, in her mini jersey, seems particularly enthusiastic about the day's events. She stops, widening her eyes, “...what…is Nikki wearing?” and her husband just picks the twins up, “What are all of them wearing??”

Rooster turns towards Beatrice, a wide grin on his face. "Well, it's the official game day uniform. I thought we'd go all out for the victory celebration. Matching jerseys for everyone!"

Beatrice surveys the scene with pure  surprise. The twins, dressed in tiny Northride jerseys that Rooster must have specially ordered, look adorable. Nicole, in her mini version of the team uniform, is bouncing with excitement with a jersey that reaches her knees.

She bursts into laughter, covering her mouth. "Roos, you've really outdone yourself this time. I didn't know we were hosting a Northride fashion show today! Should I call Marcus and let him know?”"

Rooster chuckles, holding Gavin and Aurora in his arms. "Marcus actually helped.”

“Huh?”

“Oh,I didn’t show you,right? I’ll show you later. But Marcus did this to you. Evelyn let him know and he got…inspired.

Nicole, oblivious to the conversation, claps her hands and cheers, "Go, Mama!"

Beatrice has her hands in front of her mouth, “I…I don’t even know what to say.”

Beatrice takes in the adorable sight of her kids, dressed in matching jerseys, and she can't help but feel a surge of warmth in her heart. She steps closer, crouching down to be at eye level with Nicole, who is practically bursting with excitement.

"Nikki, you look amazing! “

"Go, Mama! “

“Aw,” and her eyes sting, she sniffles, “Sweetie, aw,” she picks Nicole up and hugs the one year old tight, quickly wiping her eyes as she looks over at Rooster, “You are impossible.”

And he has a proud grin on his face. "What do you think, gorgeous? Your own little cheering squad."

She looks up at him, genuine appreciation in her eyes. "Roos, this is... It's beyond amazing. I love it. Thank you for making the day even more special." she wipes her eyes again, “Oh,God…I’m in shambles.”

Rooster leans down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “Thought you’d like it,baby,” he gently wipes her cheeks with his thumb while still holding Gavin, “Don’t cry, gorgeous, gonna make me cry.”

Beatrice chuckles through her teary-eyed state, shaking her head. "I can't help it, Roos. This is just... It's too sweet, and I'm feeling all these emotions." she pouts a bit, her voice cracking, “You did this for me. I don’t fucking deserve you, Roos.”

Rooster grins,kissing her forehead. "Bea, you deserve the world, and if I can add a little happiness to your day, then I've done my job."

“Stoooop!! Beatrice hugs Nicole a bit tighter, a mix of emotions overwhelming her. "You always know how to make everything so special, Roos. God I’m all messed up, damn it. I love you so much.”

Rooster gently strokes her cheek. "It's a team effort, gorgeous. And I love you too.” he nods at the door, “Ready?”

“Yeah,ready.”

-

She remembers the last game she played at Northride and remembers how many people were there and by god it was like it doubled. She looked from inside the Bronco as lines and lines of people walked in and out, “Jesus, Roos that’s…so many people.”

Rooster chuckled, his arm draped casually around Beatrice's shoulder as they watched the bustling crowd from inside the Bronco. "Yeah, it's quite a turnout. Northride sure knows how to throw an event."

Beatrice's eyes scanned the sea of faces, the buzz of excitement evident in the air. "I never thought so many people would turn up. I’m happy to see that they are still getting students after so long…”

"Well, it's not every day that they get to witness a legendary game."

She chuckled, giving him a look . "Legendary game?"

"Hey, you remember how people still talk about it," Rooster said, a twinkle in his eye. "It's not every day you win a game with such style, especially after the little ankle incident." he flicks his gaze down, “Keep an eye on it.”

Beatrice rolled her eyes playfully. "Roos, I'm fine.I’m just…” anxious? Nervous.

Scared?

“...you know, trying to figure our how we’ll go inside. Do you know where you and the kids will stay?”

"Don't worry, Bea. I've got it all sorted out. There's a designated family area, and Ev helped arrange it, everyone will be there, Mav too. We'll have a good view of the game without being in the middle of the crowd."

Beatrice sighed in relief. "Okay,good.”

“You’ll do fine.” he coos, with one of his arms on the steering wheel, Caravans over his eyes, eyebrows up and head tilted, “Gorgeous, hey,look at me.” and he rubs her jawline with his thumb to call her attention, not forcing her to turn.

Beatrice turned her gaze toward Rooster, his touch on her jawline grounding her. His eyes held a warmth that transcended the busy surroundings outside the Bronco. "Hey, I believe in you. You've got this. Just go out there, play your heart out, and enjoy the game. We're all here to cheer for you, no matter what."

She managed a small smile, but she wrung her hands. "Thanks, Roos. I needed that."

He leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Anytime, gorgeous. You're not alone in this, remember that." he kisses her again, “Anything else before we leave?”

Beatrice took a deep breath, letting the reassuring words from Rooster sink in. "No, I think I'm good. Let's do this." before she chickened out.

Rooster grinned, his eyes filled with pride. "That's my girl. Off we go.”

The Bronco door swung open, and they stepped out with Rooster holding the twins’ carriers and with Nicole holding Bea’s hand until they got separated. Rooster stood close to her at all times until they saw Maverick in the distance and Evelyn on the opposite side.

“...I guess this is where we separate.”

“Yeah.” he whispers, “I’ll stay with the kids next to Mav.”

“Okay.”

“Gorgeous.” he says softly, “You’ll be great.”

Beatrice nodded, "Thanks, Roos. I'll see you after the game, okay?"

"Absolutely," he said, giving her a reassuring smile. Rooster walked with her toward the entrance of the gymnasium, making sure she felt supported every step of the way.

As they approached the lively crowd, Beatrice's heartbeat quickened.Rooster sensed her tension and squeezed her hand. "You've got this, Bea. Just play like you always do."

She gave him a grateful look, her eyes reflecting a mix of emotions as she rubs her wedding ring. "I'll do my best. See you in a bit."

Rooster pressed a quick kiss to her temple before letting her go. He watched as Beatrice navigated through the crowd, the sea of people almost parting to make way for her. She turns just in time to wave at him and he waves back with a smile on his face.

Now he had to find Mav.

[chaikachi]

I appreciate you so much for being loud about rg, despite all the unnecessary hostility this ship gets on a daily basis ❤️, it's my comfort ship and these two dorks literally makes me so happy 💕

Awee of course!!! 🥺💕 This ship means the world to me and I don't know how to be quiet about it these days even if I tried, as evidenced by the fact this answer turned into a whole essay somehow uwu

V8 was when i first really joined the fandom/RG and it was rough. I was scared to admit I shipped it romantically for the longest time because of all the discourse/harassment and I know I am very much not alone in that feeling. For the longest time I was scared to even draw them kissing lest it incite something. But ffs I'm over it. This ship is cute as hell, has so much going for it in canon, and so much creative potential in fanon. I love analyzing their story and somehow still discovering old crumbs even after all this time. Not to mention all the new crumbs this volume has given us!! Feels more like a whole loaf of freshly baked bread than anything else!

Every single argument I've ever seen thrown against the ship in the last 2+ years has been made in bad faith, is a double standard not applied to other ships, or is easily debunkable. Some of the loudest RG antis have a terrible reputation even outside of our 'ship wars', and it actually become so easy to not notice or let it get to you when you block without remorse.

I can't really speak for tumblr as I've gotten not-so-good at interacting with people here recently and feel a bit disconnected from the community (aside from the stray asks/tags y'all send me which I always appreciate 💕). But I know on twitter we've had a handful of new artists and vocal shippers come out of the woodwork in light of the new volume that are flooding the tag with positivity, memes, and creations every day. I've seen multiple rival shippers admit that they have to 'prepare for when rg is canon' and they genuinely believe it. We've even got a few bigger RWBY youtubers standing up for us and shutting down that discourse when people try to stir the pot.

Also numbers aren't really indicative of anything on tumblr when reblogs are more scarce than ever, or on twitter where the algorithm is anyone's guess, but there are some rosegarden posts on this site from 2017 that hit over 4k notes. Some of my own rg pieces on other platforms breach 1-2k. Heck, even some of the metas that I have cross posted to twt have hit more than 600 likes.

There are so many rg shippers out there. And what I am seeing with v9 is a few things. First, any people joining the fandom anew that aren't aware of all the discourse fall into RG pretty easily without that bias being pushed on them.

And second, that when we are loud and we are enthusiastic and we are kind to each other... when we foster healthy and approachable community, that is how we tune out all the negativity, and that is when we have the most fun.

So i'm glad you appreciate all my yelling, and I am not trying to pressure anyone into speaking out or participating if they don't have it in them... but this is a very friendly reminder is always room for more of us out here 💕🌹🌲

[springdandelixn]

Behind Closed Doors - Part IV

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/41825796/chapters/106445373

Roommate!Loki x Reader / Steve x Reader

Summary: You and your roommate, Loki, have come to a mutual arrangement. But as time passes by, you can’t help but wish for it to be more.

Warnings: tons of angst (we have reached that point, ladies and gentlemen), Steve being Steve, hang on to your hearts because it’s a bumpy ride

This chapter, well, it was a pain to write but here it is! At long last uwu As always, your comments, thoughts, possible screaming at me, likes and reblogs are very much appreciated! Put on your seat belts, guys! Love you all 💚

Part I | Part II | Part III

As the days pass by, Loki still continues to hover around you, his persistence adamant as he tries to get his chance to corner you while you’re in the kitchen or the living room, catching you off guard with a sudden question or a brush to your arm. But you match his determination with your own, dodging the questions he throws at you and giving him excuses, or simply evading his presence, your room being a constant safeguard from him.

 And for the first time since he moved in, you’re thankful for the difference in your schedules, with him still working at night and you in the day, it gives you a chance to fulfill your routine as usual—as pathetic as it may be; setting up the coffee machine in the morning and preparing him food, when available, at night for him to take to work, before preparing for the next day in the safety of your locked bedroom.

 Except Loki isn’t the only one determined to grab your attention. Steve’s presence has also been palpable for the past couple of days that it almost feels like you’re suffocating with him constantly blowing up your phone with messages of ‘hello’ and ‘good morning’ that you thought to be innocent and quite sweet. But they gradually change into asking if he can pick you up after your shift to grab a coffee or to invite you for breakfast before you start your shift, even going the extra mile to ask if you both can hang out at your place after work or over the weekend.

You’re not dense. You know of his intentions and he hasn’t been shy about them either. Nevertheless, the same with the treatment you give Loki, you evade him, rejecting his requests and giving him lame excuses that you know he doesn’t believe but take them either way. It’s not that you don’t enjoy Steve’s company, quite the opposite, but the whole awkwardness and tension between you and Loki during his last visit still sit fresh in your memory and you don’t want to entrap yourself in such a situation ever again.

Besides, it would only be unfair to Steve for your heart is still in limbo, especially with how rocky your relationship with Loki is, you cannot find it in you to entertain the affections of another man when you still harbor feelings for your roommate. For Steve to pine over you when you, in turn, have nothing to offer.

Until one Friday night, just at the end of your shift, you are left with no choice as Steve shoots you a text saying that he’s within the area and asks you to join him for dinner at a newly opened Italian restaurant that he really wants to try.

You try to come up with another excuse, worrying your lip as you scroll through his chatbox to see if there’s one that you haven’t used on him yet. But the next message he sends makes you sigh and you end up accepting his invitation, telling him to wait for you in the lobby of your office building.

“I can wait for you as long as it takes. I really want to see you again, Dove.”

The restaurant Steve takes you to is not what you had in mind. You imagined it to be one of those quaint spots within the downtown area that you wouldn’t even notice it to be a restaurant when you pass it by, a hole-in-a-wall type of place that still served authentic cuisines; not the five-star setting you’re staring at with chandeliers hanging from the ceilings, the customers dressed in semi-formal attire, making you feel out of place and under-dressed with your plain cream blouse, dress pants and flats while Steve wears a powder blue button-up underneath a leather jacket and jeans, and a maître d' guiding you to your table, a corner booth in the dining room, a floor to ceiling window at your side that gives you a beautiful view of their garden.

You’re still baffled by the extravagance of the place when Steve pulls your chair back for you to sit. You thank him and claim your seat before proceeding to scan the place once more, noting the intricate decor before looking down when a server sets a cardboard menu in front of you.

“Order anything you want,” Steve tells you as he sits across from you, nodding towards the menu and giving you a wide smile. “My treat.”

But you blanch when you don’t see prices written down. You skim through it, reading every item meticulously before settling on the Penne all'arrabbiata, something simple, something you know and you hear Steve order the Chicken Parmigiana and a Pizza Margherita.

“This place looks very expensive, Steve.” You almost whisper when the server leaves your table. “Not what I was expecting.” You confess.

“I just wanted to surprise you.” He grins. “Did it work?”

“Very much so.”

It doesn’t take a while for your food to arrive, thanking the same server once more, blinking in surprise when a bottle of white wine is brought to the table, your glasses filled halfway before he leaves it sitting in a bucket of ice at the side.

The dinner starts off quiet but Steve eventually pulls you into an animated conversation, throwing you question one after the other that you answer truthfully and slowly, you’re filled with a sense of ease, his laughter contagious when you tell him of a time during university that you almost set your entire dorm building on fire while your friend was teaching you how to bake a cake.

“And here I thought you were a great chef from the start.” He teases, taking a sip of his wine while he keeps his eyes on you.

“Even Gordon Ramsey had to start somewhere right?” You tell him with equal glee, taking another bite of your pasta, your fork stilling in mid-air when you feel his large hand envelope yours.

“I really want to get to know you more, Dove.” He begins, and you blink at him, a blush slowly forming on your cheeks at his sudden admission. “And I know that you already know that but I feel that you’re not ready for anything more.”

“It’s just—” You sigh internally, his words mentally taking the strength out of you for this is the last thing you want to deal with at the moment. “Things are very complicated right now and I don’t want to give you any false promises.”

“And I’m fine with that, really.” He smiles, your eyes darting back to your joined hands when he rubs his thumb against your knuckles. “As I said, I can wait for as long as it takes but I hope you allow me to still get to know you, even as friends.”

That makes you look up at him, a slow wash of relief flooding into you. Friends. You can do that. You can offer him that. So, you nod and give him a small smile in return. “Friends.”

The night ends unexpectedly well with Steve’s carefree aura slowly bleeding into you that the stress of going home and possibly facing Loki becomes nothing but a droning thought that gets pushed back from your mind. He drops you off and you smile when he walks you up the steps of your building, laughter still leaving your lips and filling the night air as he goes on with more of his life stories and playful quips.

“I really enjoyed tonight.” He says, turning to face him when you reach the top of the steps, getting to his level when he stops just two steps below. “And I hope you did too.”

“I did, Steve. Thank you.” You say with sincerity. “Though the restaurant did feel a bit too much.” You chuckle when he looks down at his feet, reaching up to rub the back of his neck with a bashful smile on his lips.

“I know. I’m sorry.” He glances up at you before reaching over to take your hand, a light gasp leaving your lips at the sudden gesture. “When can I see you again?” He asks. “As friends of course. No more impromptu fancy dates. I promise.” And you sense that his words are genuine.

That makes you smile. “I’ll text you when I’m free again.” You promise.

As you turn to enter the code for your building, a squeak leaves your lips when you feel Steve pull you towards him, his other hand reaching up to cup the side of your face, his body already pressing against yours, his head leaning down and quickly pressing his lips against yours. Your eyes widen in surprise at his kiss, your hands reaching up and pressing them against his chest as you make to push him away.

But you halt your movements when you see the familiar black car stop in front of the both of you, your body going rigid and your heart dropping to your stomach as the window of the driver’s seat rolls down, revealing Loki looking at you with wide eyes, shock, and confusion evident on his face and pain?

This is not how you envisioned your night to end. How could you even forget that Loki leaves late in the evening? The elation you were feeling earlier immediately dissipates as you come back to your senses and gently push Steve away, breaking the connection of your lips and looking at him with furrowed brows. Bewilderment and annoyance running through your veins for Steve stepping over your boundary of being friends.

“Steve.” You say his name with a bite. “Friends.”

“I know. I know. I’m sorry.” He gives you an apologetic smile. “I just couldn’t help my—“

His words get cut off when a loud rev coming from Loki’s car echoes throughout the street, the window already rolled up when you look back at him, the wheels screeching against the pavement when he drives off, making Steve look back, his eyes following the vehicle.

“I didn’t know people raced here.” He says offhandedly, his eyes following Loki’s car before he brings them back to you, a frown forming on his lips when you look at him with irritation. “Dove, I’m really sorry.”

“Just—” You sigh and wave him off, turning your back on him to enter the code of your building once more. “Don’t do that again. We agreed on friends.”

“I know.” He sighs. I’m really sorry.” He sounds remorseful and you feel a slight pity toward him.

You nod and greet him a good night, not waiting for his reply as you let the door close behind you and walk up the steps to your floor.

You just want to forget this night ever happened, want to forget that Steve even kissed you. You want to ask why he did such a thing but you already know the answer to that. But most of all, you want to forget the way Loki looked at you, the hurt in his eyes leaving you flummoxed as to why he would elicit such a reaction, but all at once, the realization strikes you. The thought that he’s surprised, possibly annoyed that another man has made his move. That it is no longer just him who wants to take hold of your being and bestow upon you their attention.

That’s it! Of course! What else could it be? You think to yourself and sigh, slamming the front door of your flat closed and rushing to your room, looking forward to the oblivion you would fall into in your slumber.

 -

You notice Loki’s distance after that fateful night. No longer does he show his desire to speak with you, and no longer does he hover around you, mostly staying in his room and only leaving to grab something from the kitchen or the living room. You don’t know whether to be thankful for the space he’s giving you or be sad that you’re feeling more and more of his absence.

But you choose the first, choose to bask in the feeling of being able to breathe without seeing the faces he presents to you. This is the decision you made, the nail you’ve hammered into the coffin of your relationship with Loki and even if it hurts, even if as the day passes by the pieces of your broken heart get chipped by a fraction, you stay strong. For if you bend, if you break, you’re unsure how you’ll be able to put yourself back together.

Steve though, is another issue you face. With Loki’s dwindling existence comes Steve’s full-blown persistence.

He’s never stopped trying to contact you since that night. Messages of apology and invitations to see each other again constantly raging on your phone that you contemplate turning it off or even go as far as blocking his number. But you desist from such a decision and settle with telling him that you’ve swept his unwanted actions under the rug.

With all the stress happening in your personal life, you indulge your time at work every chance you get. It’s the only place you don’t see Loki or Steve, instead enjoying the company of your co-worker, Sam, whose puns and rants about your workload make life seem pretty easy making the problems at home nonexistent even for a short while, making it bearable even.

Yet a call from the front desk takes you by surprise when they inform you that you have a visitor in the lobby. When you ask who it was, the woman only says that the person refuses to give a name. You can’t think of anyone else who would come all this way downtown to see you—unless Loki has retracted his silent treatment and decided to handle things outside of the apartment.

The thought makes you sigh deeply for you really don’t want to face such a plight in the middle of a busy day. A light nudge on your seat startles you, making you look down at the floor and see Sam’s foot pressed against the wheels of your chair. “All g over there?” He asks, cocking an eyebrow in your direction while he fiddles with a Rubik's cube in his hand. “That sigh was so loud I thought you were having a heart attack.”

That might as well have been the case. But you give him a smile and stand from your seat, grabbing your phone from your desk before tucking it in your pocket. “Reception says I have a visitor and I just wanted my work done.” You lie.

“Well, go see who it is and tell them to fuck off. We have work to do.” Sam says as he turns back to his computer, his comment making you laugh. “I don’t want Maria all up our asses by the end of our shift.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make it quick.” You assure him before you leave, Sam giving you a lousy salute.

You can’t help but feel nervous as you enter the elevator, your eyes looking up as the numbers displayed at the top of the door descend along with you. You cannot believe that Loki would miss sleeping just to come all the way over here to talk. Has the situation affected him so much that it warranted him to visit? You sigh. Thinking of what to tell him. If you should send him away and tell him that you’ll talk at home, finally taking the courage to face the conversation you have been dreading for so long? Or should you just settle everything here once and for all?

Taking a deep breath, you exit the lift as soon as the metal doors open, your hands clenching into fists as you try to calm yourself, to push the anxiety crawling up your skin from seeing and talking to Loki at bay. But the raven-haired man you expected to see is not the one waiting on the couch the receptionist directs you to, but a blond man holding a bouquet of sunflowers, a smile on his lips as he stands to meet you.

“Steve—” You stop in your tracks when he stands in front of you. “What are you doing here?”

“I just had to see you.” His voice is laced with shyness, holding out the flowers to you. “I know you said that you’ve forgiven me but I can’t stop thinking that you haven’t. Not really anyway.” He sighs and looks on with a frown. “I really want to make it up to you.”

“You could have just called me, Steve.” You say with slight irritation. “I’m really busy today.”

“I’m sorry but I just—” His words falter, his eyes meeting the ground and you take pity on him, exhaling softly and taking the flowers from his grasp. There’s a smile slowly forming on his face, a smile of relief, as he looks up at you once more.

“I’m free on the weekend.” You begin. “Nothing fancy and this isn’t a date. Just friends hanging out. Understood?” The strength you show him startles you but you decide to put your foot down, weaving the direction you want to take with this man, and won’t take any chances for anything beyond friendly gestures to happen again, and you know you should have done the same with Loki. “I’m serious, Steve. No funny business.”

“I promise.” He breathes and moves to step forward but stops when you take a step back. “I’ll plan something and send you the details, yes?”

“Sounds good.” You hum and greet him goodbye with a smile, feeling his eyes boring into the back of your head as you make your way back to the hall of elevators.

It’s only Thursday and you already can’t wait for the weekend to be over.

 -

The weekend finally arrives and you sit in your vanity, all dressed in a simple black tank top that’s covered with a green flannel and skinny jeans. You look at your reflection in the mirror as you tame your mane with a brush, your eyes glancing down at your phone every once in a while to check if you still have time to spare.

Your breath suddenly catches in your throat when you see Loki enter your room, the maroon of his sweater making him hard to miss as he sits on your bed, his hand resting atop your sheets and gently caressing them, seeing the longing in his eyes. You don’t move to make him leave, you don’t move to do anything, your body too stunned to be so close to him after almost two weeks of the both of you avoiding each other.

You try your best to focus on getting ready instead, looking down at the surface of your desk, your small chest of accessories open as you try to pick out a bracelet if only to distract yourself from his presence.

“I miss sleeping here.” He suddenly says, his voice full of sadness as he keeps his eyes on your mattress. But you feel no empathy towards him, his words proving your assumptions that he only wanted you for your body and nothing more. “But I miss you the most.” That makes you stiffen, your eyes looking up at the mirror, meeting his eyes as you look back at his reflection. “Where will you be going?” He asks, only sensing his curiosity and none of the mockery you’re expecting.

“Steve asked to go bowling with him.” You say truthfully, seeing the frown that forms on his lips from your answer. You then move to stand from your dresser, picking up your purse, and grabbing your phone, a silent gasp escaping your lips when you see him walking closer. You turn to leave, purposefully keeping the distance between the both of you and making your way to the front door, pulling out your sneakers and slipping them on.

“You don’t have to run away from me.” His voice comes from behind, making you stand straight, your left foot half in your shoe. “I won’t pester you any longer. But please, before you go, will you answer one question?”

Oh no! This is it! The conversation is about to happen. But you can still avoid it, your eyes staring heavily at the doorknob in front of you, your hands getting all clammy as the nervousness and anxiety drenches you. You can stop it before you faint, before you collapse into a panic attack on your living room floor. All you have to do is reach for the door and leave.

“Please, Darling.” The brokenness in Loki’s voice makes your heart break, your hands tightening on your purse and deciding, with a heavy heart, that it’s now or never. That you’re finally coming clean.

You turn around and keep your eyes on the ground before gathering the courage to look up at him, swallowing thickly before asking “What is it?”

You see a small sense of relief wash over his features, but the frown returns when you take a step back as he takes one forward. He sighs. “There was one morning. After we—” His voice stops, his throat bobbing as he swallows hard before continuing. “I was asleep on your bed and I didn’t know if I dreamt it or if it was real. But—you told me you love me.”

That stuns you. Your purse dropping to the ground when his question sinks deep within. He heard you! That morning when you told him you love him before you left for work. He heard you! Your heart begins to beat hard against your chest, almost feeling it jump into your throat, your stomach turning as he finally asks his question.

“Is it real then? Do you love me? Or was it a dream?”

The panic within you surges and you feel pathetic for avoiding this conversation when he already had an inkling of your true feelings. That your fear of him cutting ties with you, or worse, him still wanting a physical relationship yet not feeling the same way was already bound to happen. And he’s simply asking the truth from you, probably to determine what decision he would choose.

You look into his eyes and see the greens of his irises implore you to answer. And you only realize that you’ve started to cry when a tear drops on your hand, making you look down as you lose the strength to face him and hide your face as you try to wipe away your flowing tears.

“It’s true.” You choke out. “I love you.”

And in an instant, Loki is in front of you, his hand cupping your face as he tilts your head back to have your eyes meet. There’s so much pain in them and it only triggers your tears to continue falling.

“Then why are you doing this?” He asks with a shaky breath. “Why are you going out with Steve? Has that been the reason you’ve been avoiding me?”

“Because I know that you don’t feel the same way, Loki.” You breathe, pulling away from his hold and turning your back to him to hide your face, your chest heaving as you suddenly find it hard to breathe, the room and Loki’s aura suffocating you. “You told your friends I was simply your roommate. Not even a friend and I knew then what I am to you.”

“Darling—”

“I’m going to be late.” You cut him off and turn to the door, leaving quickly and running down the steps by twos, wanting nothing but to get away from the apartment, to get away from him, to get away from the shit show that just happened. The cat is finally out of the bag and you know there’s no way to put it back in, that now all you have to do is wait for the next thing to happen and it’s either he leaves the apartment or you do.

But you don’t meet Steve as you’ve planned. Texting him a lame excuse about catching the stomach flu and making your way instead to the cafe you and Loki first met. It’s painful, with the small memory of Loki lingering within but it’s one of the places you find comfort in, one of the places you feel safe. It’s why you asked Loki to meet you there in the first place.

You order your drink and take a seat in your usual booth, a frown forming on your lips when you realize that it’s the same booth you and Loki sat on when you discussed with him the apartment. That you’ve embedded him into your places of comfort without you realizing it and it just further adds to the heartache you’re feeling.

But you try to drown out your misery, choosing to bask in the calming atmosphere of the cafe; the light chatter from the few customers that litter the place, the sound of glasses and plates clinking against each other from the back kitchen, shutting off your phone when you hear it beep and ring simultaneously, seeing Steve’s name blaring at you from the screen, another entity you cannot deal with at the moment.

 “May I join you?”

You freeze when you hear the familiar timbre of Loki’s voice in front of you, making you look up at him as he places a ceramic mug on the other side of the booth. You move to stand from your seat, another attempt to get away but stop when he blocks your path, seeing the frown once more on his face.

“Please, Darling. Stay.” He implores you. “You don’t have to speak but I just want you to hear what I have to say. If you don’t like it, then you are free to leave. But please just hear me out.”

You keep your eyes on him and sigh before giving him a nod of agreement, settling back in the booth, your eyes cast down on the table and hearing him take his seat across from you.

He doesn’t speak immediately, taking a sip of his drink first before folding his hands on the table, exhaling audibly before he speaks. “You’re wrong you know.” Your eyes widen in surprise at his words, making you peek up at him in utter curiosity. About what? “Those assumptions you have, they are wrong. I-I feel the same way about you. I’ve had for a while now.” He breathes out before looking up to meet your eyes. “I love you, Darling. I have since I first saw you sitting in this very booth eight months ago.”

He loves me. You blink as you try to register his words. He loves me. This couldn’t be real. He loves me. But he’s just told you that he does and you sense no lies in his confession, the way his green eyes glow as you stare at them says that he’s telling the truth. That he loves you. And you feel your heart slowly piece itself back together, a sense of joy running through your veins but the happiness you’re trying to feel stops as a question lingers within the forefront of your mind.

“Then—why did you tell your friends I was simply your roommate?” You finally ask, your hands tightening around your mug as you push on. “Not even a friend or a companion or something that would insinuate that we have somewhat of a relationship. Simply a roommate.”

The way he runs his hand through his hair and how you notice his other hand tightening around his cup makes you worry. But you hold on, waiting for him to respond.

“Because I saw the way Steve was looking at you when he came over that night.” He starts and you furrow your brow in confusion. “Not just him, my brother as well. He never winks at a woman unless he’s interested in them. And I became arrogant and confident that you wouldn’t bat an eye in their direction,  to prove to them that because of what we have, you would always choose me. Only choose me. I didn’t think you would go out with Steve and I kept holding on to the fact that you would come back to me. But I was wrong and that was my mistake.”

You blink at him as you feel your slowly mending heart shatter even more. The tears flowing once again, looking down to hide your face from him as you try to comprehend his explanation, his reasoning of why he’s treated you as such on that day. You feel played, you feel used, anger surging within your veins to think that he would treat you like some pet that he can leave unattended and expect you to come crawling back to him. That he deliberately acted as such after knowing of your feelings for him. But most of all, you feel hurt that he would do such a thing when all you’ve ever done was to make him happy.

You suddenly feel his arms wrap around you and you can’t find the strength to push him away. The brokenness you’re feeling too strong that you just give in to the pain, sobbing in your hands as your thoughts are filled with so much doubt, so much hurt. You couldn’t believe that he would do such a thing to you that it makes you question why you even love him in the first place when he’s not thought of your feelings for one bit when he did what he did that day.

You flinch when you feel him press a kiss on your hair and reach up to push against his chest, making his hands drop from his hold on you. You sniff and wipe the mess on your face on the sleeve of your flannel, not giving a damn about how you look and taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm yourself.

“I want to go home.” You tell him, hearing the weariness in your voice.

You’re thankful that he doesn’t push you to stay once more, standing from his seat beside you to give you room to slide out of the booth, and you don’t even look back at him when you leave the cafe in a hurry.

You walk out into the frigid autumn night and will yourself to stop crying. You shall not waste any more tears for this man, you shall not waste any more time even further for he doesn’t deserve it. You thought that confessing your love for him would have been the worst thing to happen, and you even thought that things would fall back in place when he confessed his feelings to you. But after hearing his words, after hearing of the insensitivity he’s bestowed upon you, you don’t even want to be near him any longer.

You sense him following you as you walk back to the apartment, your arms wrapping around your torso to shield yourself from the cold and stop yourself from shivering, not from the weather, but from the intense wave of emotions rushing through you. But you look up when you hear your name being called, releasing a heavy sigh upon seeing Steve waiting at the front door, a bag in his hand and confusion in his eyes.

“I thought you had the stomach flu?” He questions you as you near him but choose to ignore him all the same, pressing the code of your building as the only desire that fills you is to get away. But you're stopped when Steve moves to turn you around, his eyebrows furrowed as he cups your face with his hand, no doubt noticing the redness of your eyes and knowing that you cried. “What happened? What’s wrong?” He asks, his voice full of concern.

“Rogers?” Another sigh escapes you when you hear Loki beside you, the tension that abruptly engulfs the three of you and the hostility seeping from the both of them suffocating you, moving to pull away from Steve, not wanting to be a part of their looming confrontation and turning back to face the front door once more.

“I came to check on her. She said she was sick.” Steve answers him, then the anger rolls in his voice when he asks Loki, “What did you do? Why was she crying?”

“It’s none of your business.” Loki spits and you turn to look at the both of them when you hear a foot slipping on the concrete steps, a container dropping to the ground and a grunt erupting from the both of them, yelping when you see Steve grabbing Loki by the neck of his sweater, Loki’s hands grabbing hold of Steve’s wrists as they bare their teeth at each other, like two dogs in a stand-off.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” You shout at Steve, pushing at his thick arm and hitting it with your fist. “Let him go, Steve! I mean it!”

“He hurt you! I know he did!” Steve growls, his hands gripping tighter on Loki’s sweater, your roommate’s eyes narrow as he looks straight at the blond man, showing no weakness or signs of backing down.

“Go ahead, Rogers! Hit me!” Loki taunts and it only riles Steve further. “Show her what an animal you truly are!”

“Stop it, Loki!” You shout. “Let him go, Steve! Please!” Your heart rate quickens as you keep hitting his arm, the tears spilling down your face as anger and exhaustion consume you like a tidal wave, drowning you and you have no idea how to push through the water to save yourself. Your hands falter, gripping Steve’s shirt instead as you slowly give up, choking on your sobs as you beg once more. “Please, Steve. For me. Let him go.”

You only know that he’s done your bidding when you hear a thud on the ground, Steve taking your hands in his. You don’t look at him, you don’t look at Loki either to check if he’s alright, feeling so tired emotionally, physically, and mentally that all you want to do is disappear, to leave everything behind and go somewhere where both of them cannot follow.

“Dove, I’m sorry.” He whispers against your forehead as he presses a kiss on it. “I won’t stand you getting hurt—“

“Go home, Steve.” You cut him off and pull your hands out from his grasp, balling them into fists as you face him, rage dominating your entire being. You know why he’s being protective of you but you can’t shut down the thought that such intentions are misplaced for Loki is right, it’s none of his business.

“What?” He’s confused. But you’ve had enough.

“I said go home! Go home and just leave me alone! The both of you!” You yell, facing Loki as well who physically steps back from your outburst, punching harshly on the pad of the front door, leaving both of them to strangle each other if they wish as you climb up the stairs as fast as you can.

You’re done. Done with all the bullshit that surrounds you. Done with Loki’s selfishness and Steve’s imposing presence. As soon as you walk into the apartment, you slam the door shut and toss your purse on the couch. You don’t even bother taking off your shoes as you walk down the hall, too furious to comprehend what you’re doing.

You lock your door and pace in your room, stopping in front of your vanity mirror to look at the mess you’ve become before letting out a scream, releasing all the tension, the pain, the anger all at once. You then close your eyes when you finish and sit on the edge of your bed, recalling the breathing technique Sam taught you when the stress of work catches up with you. Slowly, you feel yourself relax, all the negativity slipping out of your system that when you open your eyes, all you feel is determination.

You grab your laptop from the side of your bed and boot it at once, your mind floating to your thoughts earlier, with Loki’s confession and Steve’s brash actions solidifying even further a decision you never thought you would actually make. Going on Craigslist, you waste no time scrolling through the page and clicking on the tab that holds the lists of apartments for rent, hoping you’d find a place before this month ends.

Taglist: @mochie85​ @stolenlucifer​ @michelleleewise​ @rmoonstoner​ @muddyorbs​ @javagirl328​ @lucylaufeyson3​ @huntress-artemiss​ @ariacraigggg​ @silverfire475​ @lonadane

[randomfoggytiger]

No Drama: Just Clearing Up Some Misconceptions

For the past few weeks, I've noticed that a few gif making blogs have been blocking me from seeing their posts... and I had my suspicions but didn't want to assume anything.

I'm crushed (no joke) to report my suspicions were correct.

A few weeks? months? ago, @jewish-mulder and I had an exchange which i thought was completely bantery and in good faith, see post here to determine for yourselves. The context was laughing over screenshots from DD's old skit with Gary Shandling. Anna/jewish-mulder read it through a bisexual lens-- which is a-okay to me! (the exchange is still in my archives here, for reference.) I saw it through DD and Gary's original intent-- Gary accidentally interpreting DD's actions as sexual interest rather than DD being a Weird Man TM; which is really funny to me. Regardless, either way is hilarious.

Soon after our exchange, I returned to the post to see if my last comment was responded to... and found the comments muted. Immediately after that, I noticed I could no longer reblog her gifs. Which... hurt; because, frankly, I was one of the mutuals that foamed over her new creations and supported (still do) her when she was debating putting watermarks on her gifs (because theft is revolting; and she has every right to protect her property.)

I had a prior incident that I thought was Tumblr weirdness: after joining tumblr, @jewish-mulder and @baronessblixen were my inspirations; and I loved (love) their creations. The first time I got blocked, I chocked it up to Tumblr weirdness (the first wave of the porn bots wrecked havoc); and, after contacting jewish-mulder through anon/Ao3, etc., she was just fine reinstating me. I had so much fun with her as a mutual. And it's okay if I'm not her cup of tea-- no one is everyone's! :DDD If she had needed to block me, that was okay in my book. So, when she did, I thought it was either Tumblr shenanigans or personal taste. If she wanted to refollow, she'd see my work and hop on later. In essence: I moved on.

BUT the timing always made me wonder worriedly... and my worst suspicions were confirmed when I noticed other gif blogs started blocking me.

So... I activated Anon Mode and found this post about me (screenshots below):

What's even more... crushing? is that I checked her replies and... yeah, it turns out I WAS blocked intentionally the first time.

I don't know why the first time, either, so I can't lay out proof. Didn't even have a suspicion on my part then, honestly.

(Gonna be honest: my "uwu" was something I use exclusively for this fandom because I felt accepted and included, sharing a space with fellow fans of a show that pulled me out of a COVID depression. I guesssssssssss I should dial back on that.)

Here's my response:

Anna, why didn't you just ask me? Why did you block me, never communicate, and secretly tell others to block me as well? I've never and will never do anything to hurt or marginalize anyone. Why did you not give me the curtesy to defend myself?

I am not a bigot. I condone hate of any kind; and I wish everyone to live their lives in their happiest way possible.

I want to have fun on my blog, laugh at my own things, and appreciate mine/your/everyone's humor. Your sexuality has nothing to do with my estimation of you as a person; and I'm both sorry it came across that way and hurt that you'd assume so about me.

Truly, I do hope this is all a misconception. I don't bear any ill will, I'm sorry if there was hurt because it was unintentional; and I don't want to pit you and yours against me. Keep making awesome things; and if our journeys are separate, then I wish you a good one, regardless.

Thank you to anyone who read this. Please don't cause her problems, etc.-- I don't think you will XDDD just had to put it out there-- and feel free to keep on keepin' on with Anna. Mutually enjoy each other to your hearts' content! I welcome everyone and don't want to draw lines, because your fandom or interpretation experiences are your own.

But I can't tolerate misunderstandings or... lies? To this day, her work is an inspiration to me; and I'll still read and enjoy her fics that drew me to Tumblr in the first place. And it really, really hurts to think I'd never have known about this if I hadn't followed my gut.

If you think there's something I'm missing or have missed out on, feel free to tell me-- comment, tag, anon, or dm. I'm always open.

[lunaencantada]

SPREADING ENCANTO POSITIVITY!!!!! Are their any Encanto Blogs you would happily show appreciation for and why????? Please tell us!!!!!

I think it's a lovely idea!!! That said, I'm the worst person to ask because I don't really follow that many people, I follow blogs who reblog other Encanto blogs. But I'm still going to try.

Short list; there are more blogs and people I appreciate, but I don't have too much tiem, don't want this to be too long and I think you all already know my friends hmm

@encantoisawesome Lovely person, constantly sharing Encanto-related things, super well organized blog to easily search for each character! Also, I think we have the whole movie in screenshots thanks to them and I always find there that reference I can't find anywhere else, so thank you so much <3

@encantowishes Right now on hiatus if I'm remembering correctly, but one of my favorite blogs to find Encanto content. Besides, romantic fic with asexual Bruno? I haven't been able to read it yet because I'm too busy, but knowing it exists makes me happy uwu

@omgcheez Look. If there's new Encanto content, merchandising, comics, whatever, you'll find it here first. It's always interesting to read his headcanons and comments about the characters and on top of that he makes cute drawings.

@waitingonavision Our pancita lore master. Cute art, sweet fics, lovely person. And everything that Moon posts about Jewish Madrigals is super interesting to read.

@pepa-brainrot I can't say enough about how much I love his art style, the Madrigal look beautiful. Pepa looks gorgeous! If I am sad I look at this drawing of Pepa smiling and I feel better.

Since we are talking about her, @cloudy-encanto is Pepa herself and not just because of her incredible cosplay and the videos she makes, she is like a ray of sunshine when you talk to her. Fics, 3D art, an amazing animation she did for EBB. Just... Wow.

Are you looking for genderbend Madrigal? @firinnie got you covered. And in general super cute content <3

@unskilled-dabbler Nyda also shares a lot of content Encanto-related and she has a very nice art style, I love the way she draws Bruno!

@thecrazyashley-blog Anything I can say about her is overshadowed by the thought that she has a 300k+ word fic. I really admire her for that.

@naoko-world shares Jared Bush's tweets when he does Q&A's and I also like that she post the merch she buys (official or from artists), so I've discovered things I didn't know I needed, too bad about the price and shipping every time lol

Uuuh, okay, I've spent too much time on this and I have to go now. I may extend the list in the future if I have time, sorry......

Super quick round for people I met on instagram! @dororoxpenana Helianthus Deenah Dinarion

[phyrestartr]

Heyo! Just wanna say that ur writing is actual gold wtf ur so good! The teacher sumuna fic and pr stunt were actual masterpieces (any more parts in the works?????)

Hope you have a great day :)

EYYY tysm!! I always see your acc reblogging my work and I really appreciate it!! :'D

AND YES, PR stunt has a bit of a denouement that will probably be quite short and sweet (was supposed to be on the original fic but I ran out of steam LOL), and the prof!reader/Sukuna fic will prooobably get more? I kinda just write little chunks whenever inspiration strikes/I get an idea from something I'm watching or just, y'know, shower thoughts LOL. But I'm definitely open to adding more to that should I feel the urge UWU

THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN!! ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT <3

[weird-dere-fics]

Hi dere 🐙🍧

Nada, my bleach bestie and beautiful gworl, how are u today? 💞

I love u very much and I hope u know how special u are :3 💋💋💋💋💋.

I believe I would assign u graphic design.

You are so so talented at making your edits and from the things I see you reblog, you have exquisite taste~. Cute n soft type vibes ପ(๑•ᴗ•๑)ଓ ♡. You are oh so kind and, you struggle so much but always continue to hope for a better day. That kind of hope says a lot about you. You still make the effort to look for things that make you happy and that is so so wonderful. I feel like through your edits and posts you try to help others to feel the joy you sometimes feel like you just can't grasp, and you are oh so appreciated for doing that <3. Being able to put your soul into the design of something online someplace I think would be a nice form of expression for u in a slightly different way than you are used to owo. U deserve to experience so much love, my dear, and I hope maybe you would be able to find some for yourself through this imaginary study uwu. Ichigo would take a look at the things you design, and he would be able to tell SO much about you without having even met you. Somehow little touches you add give him the ability to read you like the back of his hand. It's a part of why he loves your work so much. He, as a person who holds so much in, admires that you find a way to let so much out in a productive way, and really that you're able to do that at all. He's the happiest guy to be someone who's close to you :). He loves you more than you know. You teach him so much that he could learn about himself <3. Cuddles for you baby 🫂💗💗💗

.

.

Send in an emoji and I’ll tell u what study vibes u give me :3

[mellifloraa]

List five things that make you happy, then put this in the inbox of the last ten people who reblogged something from you, get to know your mutuals and your followers! (no pressure) :)

AAAAA tysm darlin this made my day!!!! i love getting asks unprompted i'm so excited rn omg ;w; i'll put this under a read more cuz it's long as fuck lmfao

umm okay!!! seeing as how i've been watching a ton of it lately number one is yellowjackets!! i've never seen it before and it's honestly super cool, i really love horror and psychological horror especially, and the body horror is fucking peak so far i love how they're not afraid to show really gross shit and i love it OwO and ofc the blatant gay is always nice too =w=)

number 2 is chloe moriondo!!! i hung the poster i got at her show in november above my bed so every morning i get to wake up and see that i'm both capable of and allowed to go do fun shit for myself!!! on top of her being an incredibly talented performer and musician she means a lot to me and has kinda become the icon of this phase of my mental health recovery and that makes me so happy!!!!

number 3 is cooking!!! i've been trying to make a concerted effort to cook more for my family, and while part of it is a lil scary because i'm still kinda new to it, i'm learning a lot and i feel like i'm practicing for when i'm able to get a place of my own!! meals in seattle were often kinda subsistence only and i didn't have the opportunity to experiment, but now that i have proper ingredients and a stove that i can actually use it's so much fun!!! last night i made this gnocchi dish with crumbled sweet italian sausage and broccoli and swiss chard and a ton of parmesan cheese and it came out so great holy shit, i had leftovers for lunch >w<

number 4 is my dear friend and snugabug companion whose name has been withheld for privacy reasons UwU

and number 5 as a collective ig are my lovely followers who send me asks and write nice things on my posts and in the tags!!!! i know i don't update my tumblr super often and when i do i talk a lot in the tags n shit but it truly makes me so happy to hear from you guys, it makes me feel very connected with lotsa people all around the world!! and as someone who's struggled with maintaining a support network in the past, the fact that you guys choose to follow me and interact with me is such a blessing ;w; i consider you all my friends and i'm super thankful i get to be here with all of you!!! ^w^)

ty darlin you're so sweet, thank you for giving me this opportunity to reflect and be appreciative :3 make sure you're staying hydrated and grab a snack if you haven't recently!!! 💖💖

[pummedraws]

same anon: the nice thing about tumblr is that there aren't really rules to what you do with your blogs! personally i love how you're running it right now, there isn't "too much" or "too little" of yours vs other people's art and it's all wonderful-- it comes down to what you're comfortable with, but ik as an artist i really appreciate it when other art blogs rb my art <3

♥ That helps a lot!

And I agree, as an artist myself I always am happy when someone reblogs my art so I wanna participate and spread as well you know? Help to let the art being seen. uwu!

[mazeinthemiroh]

Hello can I request a stray kids with there s/o being a stylist !

( imagin one of them getting jealous on how close there s/o is to a other idols face when doing there makeup >-<)

stray kids with a stylist s/o

genre: fluff

word count: 0.9k

warnings: not proofread

pls like and reblog if you enjoy! feel free to request anything <3

bangchan

channie just loves the way you do his makeup. like he really feels only you bring out his best features. you make him feel confident in himself when he is performing because you give him outfits that not only are flattering but also that he feels comfortable in. even when you're not styling him, he might ask for fashion tips or your opinion on his outfit anyway. what makes channie super happy though is that you always remember to compliment his handsome face whether he is wearing makeup or not, knowing that he's insecure about his bareface. this makes his heart flutter for sure <3

lee know

minho loves the perks there are in having a partner who is a stylist. you have a good eye for things so he comes to you for free fashion advice and stuff like that. what he isn't too keen on is when you are styling other idols. he knows it's part of your job but when he catches glimpse of you leaned over another idol to do their makeup, he can't help but feel a little jealous. even if the other idols you are styling happen to be his members! why should they be worth more attention than him? that's where his mind is at. so be sure to pamper him and give him special treatment uwu

changbin

he loves the fact that you are mostly there backstage whenever he has a concert or special event. he feels like he can get positive vibes and support just by knowing you're not too far from him. he loves it when you take care of him, especially in between performances at concerts. while adjusting his make-up and outfit, you'll wipe his sweaty forehead and always ask him if he's ok and if he needs anything. you mkar him feel so loved and care for no matter what setting or circumstance. he likes to think that you take care of him at work and he get's to take care of you at home >.< idk the whole scenario is just very cute to him.

hyunjin

he admires your work because to him being a stylist is like being an artist; you have your own creative process and speculate on how to make things look beautiful or make outfits look unique for performances. he always claims that every time you style him, you give him the most iconic looks. whether that is giving him a new hairstyle or vibrant, intricate makeup on his face, or even a new style of clothes that has never been tried by an idol before. he likes making a good impression on the fans and being known as striking and daring, so having you by his side to support this idea is a dream come true for him.

han

he finds it quite a novle idea that he would be connected to his partner this way. he still finds it funny how he could ask about different clothes and hairstyles that you would be willing to try out in him while you talk long into the night. having you in his work aspect of life is something he is still getting used to, but definitely something he very much appreciates. just knowing you are there, even jn the backgrounds of the dressing room somewhere, even if you're styling another idol, he knows you're there. and that's the main thing. he feels he has someone to turn to just incase something happens. he is very comforted by you.

felix

every time you get the opportunity to do his makeup for an event, you also make sure his beautiful freckles are visible, which he really appreciates. as felix's stylist and partner you feel that you tend to focus more on complimenting his personality and talents than looks. this is because felix has expressed to you that he doesn't want to just be known for his handsome face, and you completely understand that. as someone who is constantly around handsome faces anyway, you tend to be unfazed with regards to looks, and so you reassure him that his personality shines the brightest <333

seungmin

before he started dating you, seungmin was super shy when you came over to style him, and this was mainly because you could not stop yourself from complimenting how handsome he is. i mean... i can't blame you?? i would totally do the same lmao. anyways, now that you both are dating he's a lot less shy because he's used to being around you a lot more, not just at work but also in a less professional setting, like when you guys at home. but you still make his heart flutter regardless; he's just not used to getting so much attention from just one person. it's a new feeling, and a feeling he likes very much indeed.

jeongin

you are able to shield jeongin from any awful hairstyles that other stylists attempt to infringe upon him. like the amount of times other stylists have come at him with hair crimpers is appalling and definitely not happening, not if you have any say in it! he definitely appreciates you understanding his wishes, for sure. when he sees you styling other idols, he can feel himself getting more and more jealous. he's just lowkey insecure, especially if he deems the idol you are so close to as being 'more handsome' than he is. but he will never mention it to you because he recognises that you are a professional and this is merely what you're paid for.

[animeangelriku]

Puzzleshipping: Where the Lights Aren’t So Heavy

(Written for the Yu-Gi-Oh! Mini Exchange!)

[Also read on AO3!]

*-*-*-*

It wasn’t that Yugi didn’t like his job. He loved his job, almost as much as he loved his favorite burger joint, of which he had been a regular client almost since he could remember. The thing was, just because he loved something didn’t mean he didn’t grow tired of it every once in a while, or that he wasn’t grateful for it. He had no problem going out to eat burgers with his friends, but there came a point where the cycle went from “enjoyable” to “kind of disgusting, actually.” Damn it, sometimes Yugi just wanted pizza instead! Maybe even a damn salad!

(Okay, the salad thing was mostly his body demanding he eat some vegetables instead of continuing to feed on only fast food—please, for the love of the gods!—but the point still remained.)

His feelings towards his job were more or less the same. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it, because he did. It was just that, after a few years of being a professional duelist and going to tournaments and not really having as much of a social life as he would’ve liked to try to have, making a living off dueling started to slightly lose its appeal. Yugi wouldn’t ever give it up, he would never even dream of it; he knew how lucky he was to have gotten this far and how many people wished they’d been as lucky.

But then he would see the faces he had been surrounded by for half a decade and realize that the only reason he knew the names attached to them was because they were well-known in the dueling industry, not because they had introduced themselves to him or because he had asked them. With barely a moment to himself, it felt like he didn’t have the time to go and strike up a conversation with whoever had been his opponent just a moment ago before he was dragged off somewhere else.

Yugi wanted to strike up a conversation with them. That was the thing. He wanted to get to know the people he saw in every tournament outside of the arena in which they dueled. He wanted to be their friend, or at the very least their acquaintance. Where was the fun in being the King of Games if he couldn’t celebrate his victories and mourn his losses with the people he had fought against?

Then again, he wasn’t always the King of Games—that was a title he often exchanged with Sennen Atem, someone else whom Yugi knew almost nothing about and wanted to get to know better. It had become such a reoccurring exchange, in fact, that most of the time, they were both referred to as King of Games. Although Yugi had honestly found that slightly odd at first, he didn’t mind sharing the title with as worthy an opponent as Atem.

Maybe Yugi would get his chance to approach Atem and strike up a conversation at the Domino Convention Center, where an important press conference would be held, later today. He wasn’t sure what the press conference was about or what was going to be announced (he assumed it was either a tournament or the release of a new deck archetype), but as one of the Kings, his presence was politely required.

And by ‘politely required,’ Yugi thought as he fiddled with the leather cuffs around his wrists, it means that Ryou will have my head if I don’t show up.

That was fine. If it could get Yugi a 10-minute conversation with Atem, he would take it. Baby steps and all that.

*

The gods were apparently smiling down on Yugi today.

He had seen Sennen Atem at the press conference he had attended (in which a new tournament had been announced), but he hadn’t been able to go up to him and introduce himself during it. Then, after the press conference, Atem had left so suddenly that Yugi had lost sight of him. The convention center wasn’t as full as Yugi had expected it to be, but it was still incredibly crowded, and so he’d had no hopes of encountering Atem before the day was over, much less of having the chance to actually talk to him.

“Don’t look so down, Yugi,” Ryou had tried to cheer him up. “I’m sure you’ll get your chance to talk to him at another event!”

What if this keeps happening? Yugi had thought, crestfallen. What if this was what his life was meant to be? What if the only way he would ever know his fellow duelists was thanks to the media? What if he never had the chance to interact with them beyond tournament matches?

“Yeah,” he said out loud. “Yeah, I guess I will.”

Still, Yugi hadn’t given up on trying to find Atem. The guy had to be around here somewhere, right? He wouldn’t have just come to the press conference and then left immediately, right?

Yugi’s optimism and determination had, in the end, been rewarded. He had continued exploring the convention center until he came across a nearly empty room, and suddenly there was Atem, leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed, and this was the perfect opportunity Yugi had been waiting for!

He cleared his throat to catch Atem’s attention. “Um, excuse me? Sennen Atem?”

Atem opened his eyes and turned to look at him. He seemed to be about to say something, but then his eyes widened and his lips parted in surprise.

“Mutou Yugi,” he said as his mouth was overtaken by a smile. There was such kindness in his voice that it made Yugi grin.

Yugi held his hand out for a handshake. “It’s nice to finally meet you outside a tournament for a change.”

Atem chuckled, shaking Yugi’s hand. “Likewise. I assume you came to one of the press conferences?”

“Yeah, the one for Industrial Illusions’ new tournament in a month,” Yugi answered. He was kind of relieved that Atem hadn’t noticed him there. He had feared that Atem had seen him and purposefully avoided him, but now he could breathe calmly, knowing that hadn’t been the case.

“Wait, really?” Atem seemed to come to the realization that they had been in the same room for forty-five minutes and he hadn’t realized, because his cheeks suddenly flushed bright red and he stammered out his next words. “Oh, gods, I’m so sorry, I was there and I didn’t— if I had known, I— I-I hope you don’t think that I didn’t want to—”

“No, no, don’t worry!” Yugi hurriedly said. “I think I was a few rows behind, anyway.”

“Still,” Atem mumbled. The flush on his face lessened, but he still scratched the back of his neck. “I’m sorry.” The smile he gave Yugi this time was shy, so different than the smug, confident smirks that would cross his face during one of their matches, that Yugi couldn’t help chuckling slightly to himself.

“Seriously, there’s no need to apologize,” he assured Atem. “I would expect the King of Games’ attention to be on the press conference, not on the people attending it.”

“One of the Kings,” Atem replied. “Shared title and all that, remember? Besides, I haven’t forgotten how you beat me last tournament.”

Yugi hadn’t, either. He had used Gold Sarcophagus to lock away one of his cards, and if Atem happened to use the same card, its effects would be negated. When Atem had tried to use Monster Reborn to bring back one of his most powerful monsters, Gold Sarcophagus had negated it, leaving him open to Yugi’s final attack.

Not that Yugi was one to boost his own ego, but that had been quite a victory—the one he felt the proudest of, actually. He had taken a huge risk by locking away a card as useful as Monster Reborn, and it had been worth it in the end. Then again, now he also felt kind of embarrassed at the praise, especially coming from the guy he had defeated, despite the fact that Atem had congratulated him at the end of their duel. Thankfully, Atem saved him from having to respond.

“I’m looking forward to the next time we face each other,” he said. Yugi raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth quirking up.

“Already thinking about how to beat my strategy?” he teased.

“Maybe,” Atem answered, his smile turning into one of the smug smirks Yugi was used to. “Regardless of the result, though, I always enjoy facing off against you.”

Yugi had to press his lips together in order to hold back the grin threatening to overtake his mouth. Even though he obviously tried to win every single one of his duels, when he dueled Atem, he didn’t care about the outcome. The only thing that mattered to Yugi was how much fun he had, and he was beyond overjoyed that Atem apparently felt the same way he did.

“I could say the same thing,” he told Atem.  

It was only until neither of them said anything that Yugi looked down between them and realized they were still holding hands. Almost as if Atem had come to the same conclusion just as suddenly, they both pulled their respective hand back, the two of them letting out a small laugh.

“So,” Yugi began after a moment. He leaned back against the wall next to Atem, their arms separated by the shortest of distances. “Any other press conferences you’re interested in attending?”

“Not… really?” Atem shrugged his shoulders and glanced around the room. “Social events and big crowds aren’t exactly my thing.”

“As opposed to Duel Monsters tournaments?” Yugi asked.

Another soft blush covered Atem’s cheeks. “Tournaments are different, I guess. It’s always just you and your opponent, and you don’t really have to worry about saying the wrong thing, you just have to focus on doing, you know?”

Yugi nodded his head. He never would’ve thought someone like Atem would be nervous in front of an audience, though he could understand the feeling.

“You should’ve seen me at my high school graduation,” he chuckled. Atem turned to him, his head cocked in a way that asked for more information. “I had to give a speech,” Yugi said, “but I was so scared of messing it up that I had to lock myself in an empty classroom for ten minutes to calm down.”

“What?” Atem demanded, as if he couldn’t believe such a thing had happened to Yugi. “No way!”

“I’m serious! I don’t mind big crowds, but don’t ask me to give a speech, please. That’s my one true weakness.”

“A bold fact to tell your opponent,” Atem said, his lips twisting into another smirk. Yugi narrowed his eyes at him.

“I was under the suspicion you were honorable enough to keep a secret outside the arena,” he said. “Should I not have been?”

Atem’s smirk became a genuine smile once more. He pressed his lips into a thin line and ran his thumb and index finger across them like he had just zipped his mouth shut. Then he pretended to throw an invisible key away. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

Yes, Yugi had thought as much. Still, he was glad to have confirmed it.

“If it makes you feel any better,” Atem began to say, “before my first tournament duel, I was so nervous and terrified that I actually threw up.”

“What?” Yugi almost shrieked, completely shocked by the confession. Atem had always seemed so confident, so sure of himself, so prepared for whatever challenge he might face. “I don’t believe you!”

“It’s true!”

“You?”

“I know, I know,” Atem said, laughing. “Once I started getting used to dueling, I got better, but I still feel sick before a match every now and then.” He leaned even more against the wall, as if revealing such a personal anecdote had taken a great amount of energy. Yugi felt… honored that it had been him whom Atem had confessed such a thing to.

He bumped their shoulders together. Once he had Atem’s attention, he mimicked his gesture from earlier, pretending to zip his mouth shut and throwing the key away.

“Your secret’s safe with me,” Yugi echoed.

The genuinely thankful smile Atem gave him made him feel like his chest was being squeezed, and he had to look away in order to breathe normally again. Who would’ve thought he would go from knowing close to nothing about Atem to knowing one of his deepest secrets, to being trusted with one of his deepest secrets?

I should’ve done this years ago, Yugi thought. He shook his head. At least he had finally been given the chance to do it, no matter how long it had taken.

The room they were in suddenly started to fill with more people. Yugi assumed another press conference had probably finished, and these were the people who had attended it. Maybe a tournament was about to start, and these were the participants.

Next to him, Atem shifted his weight from one leg to the other one. Yugi recalled what Atem had just told him, that social events and big crowds weren’t his thing, and he couldn’t help admiring him for his bravery. It couldn’t be easy for him to be in a place that made him so uncomfortable, and yet here he was. He was definitely worthy of the title of King of Games.

“I could really use some fresh air,” Yugi said. “Do you want to get out of here?”

Atem turned his head to look at him. Yugi was giving him the chance to walk out of a situation he might want to escape, but he was also giving him the chance to stay if he so wished. He really wanted to continue talking to Atem, but he wanted to ensure that Atem was in a space in which he felt comfortable instead of trapped or anxious.

Atem crossed his arms over his chest and raised a curious eyebrow. A smile was tugging at his lips. “What did you have in mind?”

Feeling slightly bolder, Yugi held out his hand, his palm facing upwards, and said, “I guess you’ll have to find out.”

Atem glanced down at his hand and then at Yugi, back at his hand and back at Yugi again. For a moment, he didn’t say or do anything, and Yugi felt little sweat beads start to form on his temples. Had he gone too far? Had he crossed a line he hadn’t even known was there? Had he ruined his chances of becoming Atem’s friend before they could even be called that?

I really want to get to know you better, Yugi thought, hoping he could somehow transmit the message to Atem through his eyes.  

To his luck, it appeared that he managed to do so. Atem’s smile widened into a grin.

“I guess I will,” he said. He grabbed Yugi’s hand and squeezed it as if he never wanted to let go.

Yugi grinned back. The feeling was mutual.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 276. brb x oc

a/n: apologies for the short chapter. I'm s i c k SO KACNKWJNDKJ (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

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-

As Beatrice lay in the dark room, the pounding in her head seemed unrelenting. It was as if a relentless drumbeat was playing in her skull, and she longed for some respite. The cozy cocoon of her blankets provided some comfort, but the pain was persistent.

Downstairs, the voices of her brothers and Rooster were a distant hum. Beatrice tried to listen in but found it difficult to concentrate. She strained her ears, wondering if their conversation would shed light on how Rooster's day at the base had gone. It was one of the small pleasures she looked forward to, hearing about his day and how everyone was too.

She heard Michael's booming laughter and imagined him regaling Rooster with one of his outlandish stories. Michael's voice was always a force of nature, capable of filling any room with mirth and energy.

Leonardo's voice, on the other hand, was mellower and more measured. Beatrice knew he was the one who often offered advice and a calming influence to the group. She appreciated how he could balance out Michael's over-the-top enthusiasm.

Guillermo had a deep, resonant voice that carried wisdom and authority even when he wasn’t planning to. She often joked that his voice vibrated the walls every time.

Despite the warmth coming from downstairs, Beatrice couldn't shake her migraine. She'd tried to rest and hoped that the pain would subside, but it remained stubborn. The darkness of the room was her only solace, shielding her eyes from the piercing light that often exacerbated her condition.

She covers her head with the blanket, the fabric muffling the voices downstairs and making it hard for her to understand - even more - what was being said. She does however, feel footsteps walking past her bedroom to Nicole’s nursery then go back to their door. A gentle creak as it opened and a voice, a voice she adored, spoke, “Baby?’ Rooster calls, “You alright?”

With a soft sigh, Beatrice slowly pushed the blanket away from her face. The relief from the darkness was immediate, and the throbbing in her head seemed to lessen just a tiny bit. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the soft light filtering through the curtains. Then, she whispered, "I'm here, Roos. Just a little headache."

The doorknob turned, and Rooster entered the room. His face lit up with concern as he approached the bed. "Baby, your brothers said you’ve been resting here for a while. Are you sure you're okay?"

She offered a reassuring smile, though her eyes still held traces of discomfort. "I'm sure, Roos. It's just a minor headache, probably from the long day. I’m okay.”

Rooster bent down to press a gentle kiss on her forehead before taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "You are kinda warm, you had any meds?" 

"I took something earlier, Roos, but it hasn't really kicked in yet. I'll be fine, though."

Rooster leaned closer, brushing a lock of hair away from her face with his fingers. "I hate seeing you in pain, Bea. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

She placed her hand on his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Your presence is already making me feel better, Roos. Just being with you helps ease the discomfort."

Rooster's lips curled into a gentle smile as he continued to caress her hair. "I'm glad I could provide some comfort, baby. You know, I don't like it when you're not feeling your best. I wish I could take your pain away."

Beatrice's eyes locked onto Rooster's, her cheeks turning red and her cheek pressed tighter to his hand "I know you do, Roos, and I appreciate it more than words can express. But it’s okay."

Rooster leaned in to place a soft kiss on her lips. When he pulled away, he spoke in a hushed, caring tone. "You sure you don’t need anything?"

She sighs softly, falling back on the bed, “I’m sure…I think I might just nap a little bit more…I dunno if I can go to the Hard Deck tonight.” she mutters, feeling a bit disappointed when she said that, playing with her hands on the blanket, “Can you…call Penny and let her know?”

He nods, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and then smiling at her face, “Even sick you are beautiful. That’s not fair.” he says, then brings her hand to his lips, kissing the knuckles, “Your brothers took good care of you,hm?”

She nestled into the bed a bit more comfortably, feeling the soft fabric of the blanket against her skin. "Thank you, Roos. And yes, my brothers have been looking out for me. They're the best." she pauses, “When they don’t go all overprotective over me.”

Rooster chuckled softly, his eyes filled with affection. "I'm glad they're here to take care of you, Bea. You're so precious to me, and knowing that you're in good hands eases my mind."

“How romantic,LC.” she whispers, fluttering her eyes, “Are they still here?”

“Yeah.”

“Mkay…” her eyes fall shut but she forces them open again, “Are you…how was…your day? Was it good?”

"It was a typical day on the base, baby. I had my usual meetings, pre-deployment preparations, and flight exercises. Nothing out of the ordinary, really." he didn’t feel like sharing that he and Mark talked.

Not now.

“Kay…” she whispers, letting her eyes fall shut, “I’m going…to sleep a bit more,alright?” and she doesn’t wait for him to reply, she just allows her body to relax and her breathing to go completely even.

Rooster observed her as she drifted into slumber, he couldn't help but feel a touch of helplessness seeing her in pain, but he knew that being there for her, even if it meant just keeping her company, was the best he could do. He gently placed a tender kiss on her forehead and whispered softly, "Rest well, gorgeous."

After some time, he carefully extricated himself from the bed, being sure not to wake Beatrice. He rose to his feet and tucked her in a bit more, ensuring she was comfortable. He gazed at his sleeping wife, smiled and then walked out of the room.

His brothers in law were still downstairs and Michael had Nicole on his shoulders - the toddler nomming his hair and he didn’t care one bit - “Hey,” he says, ‘How’s she?”

Rooster pursed his lips and walked up to Michael, gently picking Nicole from his head and letting her hug his neck, “She’s tired, sleeping again. This migraine really hit her hard…she didn’t, you know, throw up or anything,right?”

Guillermo shook his head, “No, she mainly slept and had lunch, then went back to sleep.’ he crosses his arms over his huge chest, “She needs to rest and heal.”

Rooster held Nicole close, his daughter's small body wrapped in his arms. He pressed a soft kiss to her tiny hand, smiling at the way she just touched his face. "Thanks, guys," he said to his brothers-in-law, "She's still in pain, and I hate seeing her like this. But she's resting now, and I'm glad for that. Just hoping she gets better soon."

Leonardo added, "Don't worry, Rooster. She'll bounce back in no time."

He smiled then glanced at the clock on the wall. "I need to run out and grab some more pain relief medication for Bea. She's running low."

Guillermo nodded, understanding the urgency. "You go ahead, Roos. We'll watch over Nicole and make sure Beatrice gets some peace and quiet." he nods, “Don’t worry.”

“Thanks guys,I,” he looks down at his uniform, ‘I should change first,I just got back from the base after all.” he frowns, thinking that he should just go to the laundry room and get stuff there instead of going back to their bedroom so he wouldn’t wake Beatrice up.

-

The grocery store wasn’t packed, which was shocking considering this was the middle of the week and the Halloween decorations were already out. “Jesus,it’s july.” he mutters to himself, pushing the shopping cart forward as he wandered about the aisles. 

Beatrice’s meds were the first thing he got and now he was finding something to pamper her with. Maybe some flowers, some candy. He checks the packets for a little while then puts it back, “Cherry flavored stuff, I need cherry flavored stuff.”

As he strolled along the shelves, his mind was focused on finding the perfect treats for his wife. Cherry-flavored sweets were her favorite, and he was determined to indulge her. His eyes scanned the various candies, searching for the perfect cherry-flavored delights.

A few minutes of scrutinizing the options, Rooster finally settled on a mix of cherry-flavored candies. There were cherry-flavored hard candies, chewy gummies, and even some cherry-flavored chocolates. He couldn't wait to see the smile on Beatrice's face when he surprised her with the sweet treats.

With the candies safely in his cart, Rooster decided to move on to the next item on his list: flowers. He knew that Beatrice loved fresh flowers, and he wanted to pick out a beautiful bouquet for her. The floral section of the store beckoned to him, a vibrant splash of colors and fragrances.

Rooster perused the selection of flowers, carefully considering which ones would brighten up their home and make Beatrice's day even more special. He spotted a lovely arrangement of red and pink roses, their petals velvety and inviting. It seemed like a perfect choice – romantic and beautiful, just like his wife.

As he picked up the bouquet of roses and held it in his hands, Rooster couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. He imagined Beatrice's delight when she saw the beautiful flowers and the cherry-flavored candies. 

“Those are lovely flowers.”

He stares at nothing when he hears the voice, then he inhales for courage, “...Miranda.” he strains his smile, turning to look at her. “...hi…”

Miranda’s cart was full, almost exploding with things and she smirked at him, ‘Those are for Beatrice,” she gave him no time to reply, “Oh I always thought she’d be more of a lily type of girl, interesting that you chose roses.”

Was she going to always be this passive aggressive???

Rooster had to gather his composure quickly. Her presence never failed to put him on edge, but he knew he needed to keep a polite facade, especially since they were having a conversation in public.

He cleared his throat, offering a strained smile. "Yes, these are for Beatrice. She loves roses." Rooster didn't want to delve into the specifics of Beatrice's flower preferences with Miranda, nor did he feel the need to justify his choice.

Miranda raised an eyebrow, her expression giving nothing away. "Roses it is, then. I suppose everyone has their own taste when it comes to flowers."

Rooster felt a surge of irritation at her thinly veiled condescension, but he managed to maintain his politeness. "Yeeeep. "

Miranda glanced at the assortment of cherry-flavored candies in his cart. "I see you're also indulging Beatrice's sweet tooth."

Rooster decided to take the high road, not wanting to engage in any passive-aggressive exchange with Miranda. "Of course, it's a little treat to make her day special."

Miranda seemed to be enjoying the interaction, her tone light and teasing. "Well, it's essential to keep the spark alive in a relationship, isn't it?"

Rooster maintained his polite demeanor, although it was clear he was growing tired of the conversation. "Absolutely.”

Miranda tilted her head, looking thoughtful. "Speaking of romance, how are you and Beatrice enjoying your time together before your deployment?"

Rooster's irritation flared up. He wasn't comfortable discussing the intimate details of his relationship with Miranda, and he didn't appreciate her prying into his personal life. Still, he kept his tone even. "We're savoring every moment together, making the most of our time before I leave."

Miranda seemed pleased with herself, her eyes glittering with a hint of satisfaction. "That's wonderful. Oh I know I have such a hard time when Mark leaves, oh,” she shakes her head, “It’s so hard sometimes.” but something in her words felt…so off. So off.

"Deployments can be tough," he agreed, keeping his response general. "But they're also part of the job."

Miranda nodded, her expression seemingly empathetic. "Yes, it's a necessary sacrifice isn't it?"

‘...yes.”

“Oh, by the way,” she flicks her hand, ‘If Beatrice feels lonely these days when you are gone, do tell her to come over. I’d love some company.”

Doubtful.

Rooster couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Miranda's offer. It felt odd to him that she was being so friendly and seemingly understanding. After their previous encounters, this sudden change in tone was difficult to trust. "I'll keep that in mind."

Miranda smiled sweetly, her tone continuing to radiate artificial warmth. "Of course, anything to help a friend in need."

The whole conversation was becoming more uncomfortable by the second. Rooster found himself itching to change the subject, to move away from this unsettling exchange. And his lips raised up in a way that could only be translated as ‘cringe’  "Well, I  uh…appreciate your concern, Miranda. We're just taking it one day at a time."

Miranda nodded, her gaze lingering on Rooster. "That's the best way to go about it, Bradley. I hope you both enjoy your time together." With that, she turned and continued down the aisle.

Rooster watched her for a moment, his irritation simmering just beneath the surface. He wasn't sure what had prompted Miranda's sudden shift in behavior, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. 

And to meet her here? When he was shopping?

Also, why was she so bothered if he was buying his wife cherry flavored candy? That’s not her problem, “Fuckin’ weird woman.” he mutters to himself, watching her place even more stuff in her cart from a distance.

Rooster pushed his cart down the aisle, his focus returning to the task at hand – finding the items on their shopping list. He had a wife to pamper and he still wasn’t done.