#as i near towards my exams it will probably go silent other than messages on discord here and there

[gemkun]

i just wanted to say to people that i have written with , have yet to and have still not interacted with ( i’m so sorry ) that if i am not meeting your expectations , i will take no offence if you unfollow. i have an awful tendency to not reach out because of shyness and on top of that i am . . . a terrible replier. and i am so sorry for that. since this is a critical year for me and it’s the first time i’ve faced full time employment , my speed has absolutely fallen but i have always been relatively slow. i also get so easily overwhelmed and forgetful so if i ever miss your messages or anything please don’t hesitate to prod me again i won’t find it as pestering as long as it’s a gentle reminder. thank you for understanding i love you all.

[broadwayandnetflix]

OMG- BO FIC REQUEST

a fluffy fic where he takes you out to a fancy dinner. picks you up at your house & meets your parents, driving to the place, all that pizazz- and more if you decide to write! Im a big fucking sucker for the romantics as you can see LMFAO.

Meet The Parents - Bo Burnham x Reader

Warnings: Language

Theme: Fluff! Slight bit of Angst.

Word Count: 2.6k

A/N: picture this as like his what tour cause it fits up with the college timeline hoes. also, I hope you like that I added an airport, cause rom-com shit amirite? I’ll stop. wooooooo this is so long. I hope y’all like essays cause fuck.

It had been too long since you had last seen your boyfriend, Bo. The two of you had met in college at NYU briefly before he dropped out to pursue his comedy career.

Of course, you have been supportive. Why wouldn’t you be? You just really missed him, especially when he went on long tours, you in school, and him touring the world.

The two of you kept in touch. Bo often taking the time to call you before or after a show to hear your voice and call himself down. You knew what they did to his anxiety, and not being able to hold each other was difficult for the both of you.

He’d do the same for you, without a shadow of a doubt. Especially when school was stressing you out, and exams and essays were becoming a pain in the ass to handle. Even if it was just little funny texts or messages, he helped you.

It’s what you did for each other. You were a team, even if it was states away from each other. Except, luckily for you, his tour was ending soon. Or it should be, judging by the tiny calendar of dates that he gave you.

It was nearing Thanksgiving Break, and it just didn’t seem applicable that you’d be able to meet up in time. Given the short week window and Bo riding down from nearly a year of touring.

So you didn’t say much, as you packed your bags for the week and left for your home state.

The airplane ride wasn’t that bad. You wished that you had Bo beside you, cracking jokes to calm the inevitable way that your heart would jolt when you went up in the air. Unlike Bo, you absolutely hated flying.

Earbuds in, you strolled into the airport a tad bit jet-lagged and went to grab a bite from a small coffee shop. Slipping the cashier a twenty, you walked the airport in search of your luggage.

Through a sea of people, you trudged, already feeling fatigued and just wanting a nap. You didn’t even realize that you were gonna run smack dab into someone. That is until their hand shot up and held you steady.

You laughed pathetically and cringed quickly, going to apologize, hoping that the person who caught you would just keep moving on. Except, they still stood in front of you, silent as ever.

“Hey man look I’m so sorry, I’m just so tired I didn’t even see where I was going.” you mumbled before realizing just who you were speaking to.

Bo.

You froze, staring at the man in pure confusion. How was he here when he was supposed to still be on tour? You rubbed your eyes, wondering if he’d still be there when you reopened them.

News flash, Bo was still there. Fuck.

“Holy shit,” you murmured, realizing your hands were still full with your bag, phone, and lunch.

God, you were gonna cry; this wasn’t happening. He looked so fucking good, the glasses, the hair.

He watched you quietly, a soft smile resting upon his lips. While you clumsily pull on his arm to get out of the ongoing traffic of people around you, preferably a spot with a place to put your stuff.

Your tall boyfriend lumbering after you unbeknownst to you, trying to compose himself. It had practically been months since he had seen you last, and you had never looked more beautiful.

Once you set them down gently, you practically ran into the man���s arms. His bags gently fall to the floor as his arms are securely wrapped around you. Nearly lifting you off the ground.

The two of you rocked gently in the embrace, completely lost in each other. Bo resting his head on top of yours, pressing soft kisses upon your head. Tears softly pour down your cheeks and onto his shirt. Giving him enough time to wipe them away and plant a soft kiss against your lips.

“Bo, what are you doing here? I thought you were still on tour.” you sniffled, still wrapped up in his arms.

“Managed to make things work, I wanted to see you. Or I was gonna try and surprise you at the gate, but you kinda…ran into me.” Bo smirked, looking down at you.

“Well you definitely surprised me, man I really missed you.” you said quietly.

“Honey, you don’t understand how long I’ve waited for this moment. I swear my agents are probably sick and tired of me talking about you.” he exclaimed, causing you to smile.

This long-distance was really starting to get to the two of you; of course, his tour was gonna be over soon. Except, especially two different states away from each other, it made your heart hurt.

Moments like these, you wanted to just pause the time and exist in them forever. It seemed like between the two of you, you were running out of time. Just how much time exactly?

It was almost as if he could sense the hesitation as he swept up his bags and yours in the process.

“Just realized, we’ve got places to be.” he chirped, and you eyed him curiously.

“Like where?” you said, grabbing your coffee and bag from the coffee shop.

“Patience is a virtue my dear.” he tuts and slips his hand between yours. “Now, where’s your luggage terminal?”

-

It was roughly a forty-minute drive from the airport to your place. Bo had rented a car for the next couple of days, so it was smooth sailing from that point on.

Bo behind the wheel, and you are sitting in the passenger trying to figure out what music to play.

It didn’t help that you were in the car with a comedian, as whatever song you picked, Bo would pretend to critique it. Only sending you into a fit of hysterics.

“Oh okay, well you pick the music then!” you cried, pretending to stare daggers at him.

“I’ve got something for you, it’s this brand new artist I found while on tour.” he grinned, looking over at you briefly before focusing back on the road.

“His name is….Bo Burnham I think? I could be wrong? He was good-“ he said nonchalantly before earning a quick swipe to his arm from you.

“God, you look cute when you’re angry. You’re missing out on that Bo Burnham guy, he’s got potential.” he said.

“I hate you.” you giggle before finding a more comfortable position in the car.

“Oh shit you know what I just realized?” Bo yelped, causing you to slightly jolt in your seat.

“What?”

“Isn’t this the first time I’m meeting your parents?” he asked, causing you to slightly stiffen in your seat.

Technically, yes. It wasn’t like your parents didn’t know, it’s more so that there was never really a good time for them to meet. You wondered what they’d think, dating someone who dropped out of college to pursue comedy.

Not that your parents were judgmental. They wanted you to be happy, as any parents would. You just were worried if they wouldn’t respect and love Bo as much as you did. It had been close to two years at this point; what else did you have to lose?

“You are right, oh dear god. I wonder how that’s gonna go, hopefully well, right?” you ask, more so to yourself than Bo.

“Oh please, I’m great with people’s parents. Plus, they raised you, I’m sure they are great people. Babe, you’ve got nothing to worry about.” he reassured before continuing on the route.

-

It wasn’t long before he pulled into your family driveway, pulling the car into park, quickly placing a comforting hand on your shoulder.

“You ready?” he says quietly, looking at you sweetly.

You eyed the front door before looking back and meeting his eyes, nodding, as he leaned in to give you a quick kiss.

God, you missed those.

“Here goes nothing.” you smirk before slipping out of the passenger side and gather your bags.

Bo now follows suit as you knock on the door, his taller frame towering over you. One hand pressed on the small of your back, holding you steady.

The front door opens with a swing, with your mother greeting you at the door. A firm grin upon her lips as she rushes out to hug you, your father appearing behind her.

“Oh I’m so glad you were able to come home! We missed you so much!” she exclaims, squeezing you tighter.

Before giving you a slight nudge and knowing look towards Bo, who had remained oblivious, while he shook hands with your father.

All of you gather inside your house, Bo taking control of the conversation when acceptable.

Sitting down at the kitchen table, your parents are engulfed in his stories and laughing at his jokes. All the while getting to know the man that you loved so much.

Bo was pretty much a natural when it came to impressing others, and you knew it wasn’t gonna be an issue with your parents.

The two of you answering almost any questions, Bo excitingly telling the story of how the two of you met.

-

“Oh I almost forgot, I need you to do me a favor.” Bo murmured when the two of you had a moment to be alone.

You looked up at him in confusion before he mentioned something about dressing up nice. A knowing look upon his lips before giving you a slight wink and walking off towards the guest room.

There you stood, gaping like a fish in wonderment at what he possibly could be planning. Slowly walking into your childhood bedroom, looking for anything that would meet his description of nice.

You settled for something that you wore to a formal gathering that still managed to fit you. Giving yourself a quick look in the mirror, you left your bedroom to find Bo standing there.

You had to hold back a gasp; the man looked rather handsome in a dress shirt and pants. His hair was nicely done, and his hand gestured out for you to take.

“Bo what is all this for?” you exclaim, as he only smirks and leads you towards the front door.

“Shut up, I’ve been wanting to take you out for months.” he says as he opens it and leads you towards his car.

The man practically doing the whole nine yards, all the while you looking at him in pure wonderment. Of course, the two of you had been on dates prior, but never like this.

You had to practically stop yourself from grinning as he suavely got into the driver’s side of the car., Giving a quick glance over at you unbeknownst to you, trying not to melt at how gorgeous you looked.

“Where are we going?” you ask as he starts the car slowly pulling out of the driveway.

“You ask a lot of questions my dear.” he says, keeping his eyes focused on the road.

“Oh shit is this my execution?” you smirk as he dramatically nods.

“Babe, how the hell did you find out? Who told you? Was it my manager? I knew she’d rat me out!” he exclaims.

“You know I had to be certain, you did make me dress up all nice and all.” you play along, grinning ear to ear.

“Oh well, I can’t give away the entire surprise so zip it with the questions sweetie.” he quips as he continues the drive.

-

It’s not long before he pulls into a fancy Italian restaurant, way out of your usual pay range. You could feel your stomach do somersaults, giving the man an incredulous look.

Bo simply grins as he gets out of the car, rushing over to open yours for you. Eyes wide, still staring at him like he was fucking insane. He shakes his head and carefully pulls you out of the car.

“Now no complaints. Or whatever you plan to do. I’m paying, I’ve been wanting to treat you like this for over a year now. I’m doing it, and I’m gonna enjoy doing it.” Bo huffs, all dignified.

You simply nod in disbelief before he slips his hand within yours. While he enters the restaurant, he mentions his reservations to the hostess, and they seat you at a table.

Once the butterflies subsided in your stomach, you took the attention of the man in front of you. Never had anyone done something like this for you. You were trying to not look like a genuine fool with the smile you wanted to express.

You knew he was the one for you, but the way that he had looked at you. The pure adoration in his eyes and how he had planned everything, you were practically melting.

“I love you.” you whisper, wondering if he could hear it.

He did.

Bo looked up from his menu, a blush now practically kissing his cheeks. He dimples, rising at the declaration before reaching across the table since he was large enough to kiss you gently.

He was quick enough as the waitress came over to take your order. That goofy lovesick grin still plastered across his face as he straightened up in his seat.

The two of you ordering whatever looked best on the menu, clinking glasses when they arrived and looking dreamily into each other’s eyes.

“Man, I missed you. Like I know I say it a lot, but I mean I did. Going on tour is….well it’s lonely. I know you’re still in school, but sweetie. When I’m done, you’ll be sick of me. I promise.” Bo said insistently.

“No I won’t, I’m sure it’s gonna be the other way around. I don’t know if I say it enough, but I really am proud of you. I am so proud to call you my boyfriend, to call you mine. I don’t mind waiting.” you say quietly.

“How did I get so lucky?” he paused, eyeing the plates of food that were coming your way.

“Thank NYU, they did all the work.” you joke, thanking the waitress before digging into the meals.

The food was excellent; it was incredibly worth the price. Even if it was steep, the dinner was lovely. Bo is cracking jokes and telling you his favorite fan encounters that have occurred since his tour began.

It was hard to believe that the man who was often so quiet and shy could be so loud and brave enough to yell at hecklers. Except you could believe it, you had obviously been to one of his shows.

It made your heart begin to flutter at the fact that he wasn’t afraid to be himself around you; it made you feel secure.

The way his stage presence dominated the scene, it was practically impossible to keep your eyes off of him. No matter the situation.

Even now, his eyes glimmer while he tells you whatever story he had dug up. This was his passion, and you reveled in it all.

The night went well as the two of you caught up, knowing it would be quite some time before he’d meet up with you again. As he too had Thanksgiving to celebrate with his family in Massachusetts.

You shared a nice dessert, and he left a rather hefty tip simply because he could. Bo never made it necessary to note that he had money, but you knew he was excited to spend it.

All the while, you spent the night in a dizzying smile. Not giving a shit whether anyone knew it or not, even in the parking lot. The two of you waltzing messily towards the car, giggling and sputtering like a bunch of fools.

He was your fool, and you were his, who knew how long you’d have with him for now. You were destined to make the most of it.

Even as the ride home dwindled and you knew he’d have to catch a flight soon. You weren’t surprised or shocked even; days with him tended to be like this.

As the two of you reached your front door, Bo carefully leaned down to a comfortable position and kissed you softly. Not desperately, just tenderly. As if by the time he’d kiss you again, you’d simply wouldn’t be there.

His lips grazing yours, hands pressed carefully against your cheeks. You reciprocating all the while leaning into him in a warm embrace.

When you finally pulled away to catch your breath, he gave you a look that you knew all too well.

“I’m not saying goodbye.” you whisper into his arms.

“I’ll be back soon don’t worry.” he murmurs into your embrace.

With one last kiss on the forehead, you watch as he walks back to his car. Judging by the way his schedule worked, you knew he’d be back sooner than he would in the past.

Yet, with the soft ‘I love you’ said between the two of you couldn’t help but shed a tear and just hope that the next time would last longer.

[honeyheartsandkisses]

Best friend’s brother

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Gryffindor reader

One shot, 3k word count.

Summary: You have been best friends with Ron, Harry and Hermione ever since your first year in Hogwarts. But lately you’ve been feeling a little different about Ron’s older brother. You, Hermione and Harry have been invited to spend the last week of the school holidays at the Burrow. Could anything possibly happen between you and Fred?

“Oh welcome dear!” Mrs Weasley chirps, rushing out the door to greet you as you heave your heavy luggage out the trunk of the cab. “Leave your luggage dear, I’ll get the twins to bring them in for you.”

“Thank you for having me Mrs Weasley! I can’t wait to finally have your signature pumpkin juice again.” You give her a big hug before pulling away. Mrs Weasley erupts into a fit of giggles. “Oh you’re too kind dear. Come on in, Harry and Hermione arrived over an hour ago and Rons been wondering when you’d arrive.” 

As if on cue, your three best friends burst out of the front door, sprinting in your direction. Before you knew it, you crash down to the ground by the impact, the wind knocked out of you. The four of you burst out laughing, laying on the ground out on the lawn.

“You’re finally here!” Hermione says, before getting up to dust the dirt off her jeans. You follow suit, looking over at the boys still wrestling on the ground. 

“Did you guys miss me?” You tease, playfully kicking Harry’s leg.

Ron was the next to stand up. “I think ‘miss’ is a strong word. We simply wanted you to reach earlier because Hermione wouldn’t stop talking about the latest book she read.” He says with a goofy smile on his face.

Despite all the playful banter, you couldn’t be happier seeing your closest friends again. Your parents are muggles and you didn’t have anyone to talk to about the wizarding world. “Well, you can tell me all about your book Hermione. Its not your fault the boys are uncultured barbarians.” You say, rolling your eyes at Ron.

“Hey!” Harry protested, but only earned himself a playful slap on the shoulder from you. 

Just as the 4 of you were about to head back into the house, you see Mrs Weasley dragging Fred and George out into the lawn by their ears. The twins groan and protest, but fail to struggle out of their mother’s iron-like grip. “The two of you better help y/n with her luggage. After causing all that mess in the kitchen with your pranks, it’s the least you can do!” With that, she throws them out the front door, slamming it shut behind them.

For the first time of the day, your heart does a little backflip the moment your eyes fall on Fred Weasley. He's wearing a maroon sweater and black jeans, his hair in its usual messy state. Nothing has changed since the last time you saw him other than his left ear which was a little redder than the right from where Mrs Weasley pinched it. “Merlins beard that hurt...” He groaned, rubbing his ear. 

Your crush on Ron’s older brother was no secret to your three best friends. Your feelings for him surfaced just over a year ago when you were doing your final exams in the great hall and the twins flew in on their broomsticks, setting off fireworks in the great hall. Ever since that faithful day you couldn’t stop thinking about him. Be it bumping into the twins in the Gryffindor common room, or sitting near them during mealtimes in the great hall, all these small encounters made your heart skip a beat.

“Hey y/n! Great seeing you again.” George greets you with a big smile and the two of you exchange a friendly hug. “Ill grab the small trunk. Fred will handle the heavier one.” He smirks mischievously while his other twin lets out a loud sigh in defeat. You laugh at this, “I’ve missed you George.” You watch as he grabs the smaller trunk and hurries back into the house.

Fred, who is now standing in front of you, clears his throat loudly. “Ahem”

“Well, we’ll be inside waiting for you y/n! See you back inside!” Hermione chirps, steering a very confused Ron and Harry towards the house. You sent her a thank you message mentally. Right now, only you and Fred were left standing on the driveway, out in the cool evening air. 

You subconsciously run your hands through your hair, attempting to comb out any tangles from the earlier tussle with your best friends. “Hey Fred. Its great seeing you again.” You smile up at him.

“Not going to say you miss me too?” he bends forward, bringing his face closer to yours. This makes your breath catch in your throat. You lean backwards a little, feeling nervous and confused all at the same time. But this only makes him lean forward even more. Before you could catch yourself, you feel your weight shift and you lose your balance, falling backwards. In that split second, Fred grabs you around your waist and pulls you forward into him, allowing you to regain your balance. Your face now inches away from his, you freeze completely.

“Breathe y/n. You’re turning blue.” He laughs. Only then do you realize you had been holding your breath for the past few seconds. You quickly took a deep breath, before slapping his arm. “That was completely unnecessary!” Fred flashes an innocent smile, nearly making you hold your breath yet again. 

“What was?” 

“Oh you know exactly what i mean Fred Weasley. You complete arse!”

Fred continues to laugh, the most adorable sound you’ve ever heard. “Alright alright come on, lets get you out of the cold.” He says, swiftly lifting your massive luggage off the ground before leading you towards the house with one hand on the small of your back.

When you step into the house, you’re greeted with the glorious smell of Mrs Weasley’s cooking. She’d already started preparing dinner. You see your three best friends sitting on the couch, Ron and Harry at a game of chess while Hermione had her head buried in a thick book. You could hear the sound of laughter coming from the back yard and you assume George is out there playing with his two older brothers Charlie and Bill. 

“This way y/n. You’ll be sharing a room with Ginny and Hermione.” Fred says as he lugs your trunk up the stairs. 

“Right...” you reply, following him up the stairs.

Fred stops climbing the stairs and turns around to face you. “You sound rather disappointed y/n.”

“No not at all. I just—“ 

“Would you rather stay in my room?”

You stare at him for a few seconds, expecting him to burst out laughing or show any sign that this was a joke. But it never came. “Oh um... well it’s really kind of you offer but—”

“Ah bummer.” He says, before turning around to resume climbing up the stairs. Did Fred Weasley just flirt with you?

You reach the third floor and walk past a few other rooms as Fred leads you to the one at the end of the corridor. In one of it you see Percy hunched over a messy desk, scribbling away on a sheet of parchment. “Hey Percy! How’s work at the ministry—“ before you could finish, Fred pulls you away from the room. “Trust me, you wouldn’t want to get him started. We won’t hear the end of it.” He says, drawing circles with his index finger in the air next to his ear. This makes you laugh.

Soon you two reach the last room at the end of the corridor. Fred places your trunk in the corner of the room, right next to Hermione’s. “Well this is where you’ll sleep for the next few nights.” He says, taking a look around the room. “Trust me when i say it’s much cleaner than mine. George always leaves our room messy.”

“So George is the ONLY one messing things up in this house. You’re the obedient one.” You say sarcastically, knowing full well the two of them were always up to no good.

“I am, and always have been.” He winks at you, dropping down onto the mattress on the floor. The one you assumed was going to be your bed for the next one week. “Actually y/n there’s something i need to tell you—“ before he could go on, George pokes his head through the door, smiling mischievously. “Dinner is ready lovebirds!” He immediately disappears, laughing gleefully running back down the stairs.

You looked at Fred, raising an eyebrow as if to ask ‘What was that all about?’ He simply sighs, running his hands through his fiery red hair. “Um... we should probably go downstairs.”

Sitting at the overcrowded dinner table with Harry on your right and Ron on your left, a little part of you was dying to tell Hermione about what George said a little earlier. All this time you thought Fred only saw you as his little brother’s best friend but so many things have happened today, making you think otherwise. The dinner table is flooded with a feast whipped up by Mrs Weasley. Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, green peas, and of course, pumpkin juice. 

You take a long swig of pumpkin juice. “Thank you for the feast Mrs Weasley!”

She waves it off. “Oh don’t mention it dearie! Help yourself to the food everyone.” With that, everyone starts digging in. Mr Weasley passing the potatoes over to Percy, George using his wand to summon a plate of yams from across the table, everything was loud and messy. But this was what you loved about the Weasleys. 

Amid the chaos, you catch a glimpse of Fred, sitting right across the table from you, and your eyes meet. You feel your heart do yet another backflip, and you quickly direct your attention into scooping a lump of mashed potatoes onto your plate. 

“You feeling alright y/n?” Ron asked, giving you a weird look. “You've gone all red.”

“Yeah I’m fine.” You quickly say, hoping no one else noticed it.

Ron ignores you, pressing his palm on your forehead to feel your temperature. When this doesn’t work, he cups your cheeks. And when this doesn’t work, he feels your neck. “Seems fine to me.” He finally says.

“Look if you really need to check her temperature use one of these. Do you really have to put your hands all over her like that!” Fred explodes, magicking a thermometer from a cabinet across the kitchen. The whole kitchen goes silent, staring at Fred. His sudden outburst shocked everyone, even you. The playful, carefree boy had never exploded like his before. Fred looks around the table at all the eyes staring at him, turning a little red.

George is the first one to break the silence. “Well brother dear, it looks like you’ve finally let the cat out of the bag.”

Mr Weasley diverts his gaze from Fred to George. “What do you mean son?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Fred has a crush on y/n!” Bill says, laughing hysterically. 

“Good for you brother!” Charlie stands, shaking Fred’s hand. “Who would’ve thought our little Fred was capable of love!” This makes George howl with laughter, causing Fred to chase him around the kitchen trying to get him to shut up.

For the first time ever, Fred looked embarrassed. He’d played so many pranks in Hogwarts and received all sorts of punishments, but never once did he look embarrassed. This was a first. 

You couldn’t  help but laugh too. The entire situation was so embarrassing for Fred but it was so adorable at the same time. Harry leaned over and whispered in your ear “Should we tell him?” 

You shake your head. “I want to be the one to do it.” To this he nods, smiling gleefully. Hermione overhears this and gives you two thumbs up. You couldn’t possibly feel any happier than you do in this very moment. A million thoughts race through your mind. Fred likes me back? When did it begin? I can’t believe this!

“Now settle down boys! Leave him alone!” Mrs Weasley says, shushing them. The twins return to their seats, Fred as red as a tomato. He looks across the table at you, clearly searching for a reaction. Anything at all to signify you liked him back. You feel his gaze see right through you and your silly smile. Theres no way that boy doesn’t know you like him back.

After dinner Mr Weasley and Mrs Weasley do the dishes with a few swishes of their wand while all the children spread out across the house once again. Percy was back in his room busy at work. Bill, Charlie and Ginny watching a movie on the couch, though Bill was already half asleep. Fred and George were hiding away in their room doing God knows what. The mischievous twins were always busy planning their next prank. You, Harry, Hermione and Ron decide to sit on the benches out in the backyard, enjoying the cool night breeze. There under the blanket of stars, the best friends talk about the dinner scene. 

“Oh you have to tell him y/n!” Hermione jumps up and down, buzzing with excitement. “Its not everyday you find your crush likes you back!”

Ron folds his arms defiantly. “I still think y/n has bad taste when it comes to guys. I mean, of all people it just had to be Fred. The boys a fool!”

“Well why are you going to do y/n?” Harry asks, looking over at you. 

You keep your eyes fixed on the mesmerizing night sky, as though searching for an answer. “I really don’t know. I thought we’d talk about this after dinner but he’s hidden away in his room.” You let out a huge sigh before turning to look at Harry. “Maybe it was just a joke?” This made your heart sink. Your friends stay silent, all deep in thought. 

Hermione finally breaks the silence. “Well theres only one way to find out. You have to ask him.”

“I’d rather not find out.” You quickly stand up trying to shake the dreadful feeling threatening to consume you. “It’ll kill me to find out it was all just a joke.”

Just like that, sleep fell over the Burrow. Everyone tucked away under their blankets in their overcrowded rooms. After everything that happened you found it hard to fall asleep. Tossing and turning on your surprisingly soft mattress didn't seem to help and so you pull on your robe and decide to head on downstairs for a warm glass of milk. You quietly close the door behind you, careful not to wake Hermione and Ginny. When you turn to head on down the stairs you see Fred sneaking out of his room, gingerly closing the door behind him. He completely freezes when his eyes fall on you. Feeling slightly self conscious, you pull your robe tighter around yourself before quickly making your way down the stairs and into the kitchen. 

Pacing back and forth, you try to utilize the last 5 seconds you had before Fred joined you in the kitchen to brainstorm something to say. Anything at all. You turn around to pace the other way only to come face to face with Fred’s chest. “Hey there.” He says.

You tilt your head up to meet his eyes. “Oh hey. What are you doing out here?”

He grabs a pitcher of milk from inside the refrigerator, pouring it into two tall glasses. “I could ask you the same thing.” He slides one glass across the kitchen island to you. 

“Thanks.” You take it and swallow quickly, allowing the cool liquid to sooth your throat that felt like it was closing up.

“Truth is I couldn’t sleep.” He says, looking straight into your eyes.

“May i just ask you one thing?” You blurt out before you could stop yourself.

He nods, walking around the kitchen island towards you. “Ask away.”

“That thing that happened earlier... was it a joke?” 

He take a long sip and sets the cup down on the table before answering. “That depends.”

You frown. “What do you mean by that?”

“Did you want it to be a joke or did you want it to be real?” He looks down at you, taking one step closer. Your heart pounded in your chest.

“Why should that matter?” You say, taking a step back.

“If you wish it was a joke, its a joke. If you wish it was real, then its real.” He says, once again taking a step closer to you.

“You’re such a pain Fred Weasley. If you didn’t like me you should’ve said so. This is a pure act of cowardice.” You say, turning around to leave. But before you could make it two steps away from him, he grabs your arm, pulling you back with force. This makes you lose your balance and stumble backwards straight into him. His arms wrap around you from behind, leaving no escape. 

“Um... Fred?” You manage to say, your voice barely a squeak. Your heart raced. You could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. You guys were close but you’ve never been held like this before. 

He kisses your cheek, before slowly loosening his grasp allowing you to turn around to face him.

You touch your cheek where he kissed you. “Wha... what was that for?”

“I like you y/n.” You stare at him, in a complete state of shock. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you ever since we first met at platform 9 3/4. I’m sorry about dinner. That wasn’t the way i hoped you’d find out but it’s true. Everything you do drives me crazy. When you went to the Yule Ball with Ron it wrecked me.”

“You know we’re just friends Fred. There’s nothing going on between Ron and I.” You take his hands in yours and bring them around your waist. “I’m already yours.” 

His face twists into a smile, pulling you closer burying his face in the crook of your neck. He kisses your shoulder, then neck, and finally crashes his lips with yours. Your lips move in sync, and you feel yourself go lightheaded. The most wonderful feeling in the world. He lifts you up, placing you on the kitchen island and you wrap your legs around his torso.

“Wait!” You say, pulling away just before things could get too heated. “Can we take it slow? I just don’t want to mess this up.” Still sort of breath from the lack of oxygen, you place a hand on your chest to regain composure. 

He brushes away a lock of hair that fell over your eyes before cupping your face with his large hands.  “Anything for you darling.” 

“Darling?” You couldn’t help but let out a giggle. “I didn't think you had it in you.” You always imagined Fred wasn’t the romantic kind but it appears you were wrong.

He lifts you off the kitchen island, carrying you bridal style. “Oh you have no idea.” He walks all the way to the couch, setting you down. The two of you spend the next few hours talking and laughing by the warm fire, only falling asleep an hour before daybreak.

[marveloussupernerd]

The Flu - SakuAtsu

Writing this for my wonderful friend’s bday !! Sorry it’s posted so late whooops also this is short af bc I might do a part 2 or something idk

Summary: Omi gets the flu, which is a rare occurrence, and Atsumu goes to take care of him. Pure fluff

Background: Sakusa is attending college in Tokyo and Atsumu is still playing volleyball in his home town so like still a commute for them

Omi never got sick. Man was one of the most careful people in the world — he always wore his mask when he was out and about around large groups of people, carried hand sanitizer with him and sanitizing wipes to clean off any surface he may have to touch (the handles on the train, for instance), and made an effort to keep his home spotless, even wiping down groceries as they made their way through the door.

So when he did get sick, it kicked his ass.

The last thing he needed was to get sick now, with an exam in a little less than a week. He had outlined what he needed to study, but hadn’t actually gotten to studying yet. And it wasn’t a cold... his high fever, chills, and congestion made it very clear to him it was the flu.

What was he going to do though? He had to skip class. At least today was a Friday, so he could spend the weekend recovering. He grabbed his phone and texted Komori, begging him to bring some medicine because he couldn’t imagine pulling himself out of bed.

He hated asking people for help, or showing any sort of weakness. That’s why when Atsumu texted him, he proceeded through their conversations like usual, trying to conceal the fact that he was sick until he finally passed out from exhaustion, leaving Atsumu’s texts hanging.

Omi never left the conversation abruptly. It made Atsumu uncomfortable, but he ignored it. He was probably studying. Still, he sent him a few messages to get back to him as soon as possible.

When a few hours had passed, he asked Komori if he knew what was up, and that’s when the cat was out of the bag: Sakusa Kiyoomi was sick.

It was the weekend, so it wasn’t like Atsumu had any priorities. He packed his bag, strapped on a mask, and took the train to Tokyo.

He always traveled this trip with a mask for Omi. His boyfriend was always so careful that he’d feel like a jerk for giving him a sickness he picked up on the trip because he hadn’t been careful. His boyfriend had, admittedly, rubbed off on him just a little—trains were gross and unsanitary and he couldn’t help but think about it from time to time during the trip.

His first stop in Tokyo was at a pharmacy near Omi’s house. He purchased some canned soup (there was no way he’d be able to make anything from scratch... he was... himself), medicine, a few boxes of tissues, the hand sanitizer Omi liked, and some ice cream for good measure. The next stop was to Omi’s place.

It was a good thing they had gotten locked out that one time and his boyfriend told him about the key he hid in the flower planter. He didn’t have to wake the sick man up at all to enter the house.

“Omi Omi!?” He called, not actually expecting an answer. It was pretty clear that he had been napping, and was likely still asleep. He just hoped his boyfriend wouldn’t hear him moving around and think someone had broken in (although technically, he had).

He went to the kitchen and wiped down his groceries with Clorox wipes to make sure they were sanitary before putting them away. He pulled open one of the drawers to grab a piece of notebook paper to write to his boyfriend.

Hi Omi <3 I’m in the shower. Love you lots.

Tsumu

That would be fine for now. He slid the paper under Omi’s bedroom door and went in the direction of the bathroom. He had to make sure he washed away anything he could have picked up on the train.

He liked using Omi’s body wash — it smelled like lavender. He had never been huge on the scent in the past, but now it made him feel all warm and fuzzy, associating it with his boyfriend’s scent. He made sure to wash every square inch of his body, leaving nothing up to chance, but still tried to get done as quickly as possible. He didn’t want to keep his boyfriend waiting (more like even though he knew his boyfriend was sick, he couldn’t wait to see him... it had been two months already since their last hangout).

He turned off the shower and shook some water out of his hair, going into his bag for a fresh, clean pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He pulled on the outfit then made his way to his boyfriend’s bedroom, knocking quietly on the door before entering.

Omi was passed out in bed, his phone next to him, blanket covering half his body. Atsumu strolled over to the bed, taking a seat on the edge of it next to his peaceful-looking boyfriend. He very gently placed his hand on the sick boy’s forehead, then put his other hand on his own forehead to compare. Yep. He was definitely warm. He tucked a stray hair off of Omi’s forehead and gently took his arm away.

He was going through a crisis of whether he should wake his boyfriend and inform him of his presence or not. He looked so relaxed, and it was probably hard to fall asleep to begin with. But also, he was very worried Omi would groggily beat the shit out of him when he woke up because he was afraid he was an intruder.

Yeah, sounded like his mind was made up.

He shook the man’s shoulder carefully. “Omi,” he whispered, trying to wake him gently. Luckily it worked, as the latter’s eyes peeled open slowly. “Hi,” Atsumu whispered.

“Tsumu?” He asked, his voice hoarse.

“Ya coulda told me you were sick,” Atsumu playfully complained, leaning forward to kiss his boyfriend’s forehead. “I was all worried.”

“I’m okay,” he frowned, but he knew that playing it cool wasn’t working. His throat felt all ticklish and he started to cough.

“You haven’t gotten sick since what? Middle school? Ya need someone to take care of you.”

“I don’t wanna make you sick...” Sakusa whispered, his eyes shutting.

“You won’t. Even if you do, though, I’m a big boy and get sick all the time too, so I’m used to it.”

“Fine. I don’t want you making me more sick because you were out,” Sakusa grumbled. It was clear he was actually concerned about his boyfriend’s health, but sometimes speaking this way was the only way to get it through to Atsumu. Tsumu was somehow the most arrogant and selfless jerk he had ever met.

“I wore a mask on the train and everything! Sanitized the groceries, took a shower before I came in here. All for you Omi,” Atsumu explained proudly, his back straightening a little bit as he spoke.

“Mm whatever,” Omi mumbled. He still hadn’t opened his eyes from when he shut them earlier. “Can we go to sleep now?”

“You want me to too?”

Sakusa reached out and grabbed his boyfriend’s hand, pulling it closer to him. “Cm’ere and lay down. This is the only time in your life you get to be big spoon.”

Atsumu carefully clambered over his boyfriend to the other side of the bed, plopping down beside him eagerly. He was trying to not make too many motions that might shake the bed and make his boyfriend nauseous, but he was extremely cuddle deprived and would be lying if he said he wasn’t on cloud nine. He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. “Sleep tight Omi. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Omi slept like a rock for a few hours. Atsumu took a nap with him, woke up, went on his phone, checked up on his boyfriend, and those sorts of things. It had probably been about three hours when Sakusa started moving, tossing and turning and trembling.

“Omi? You okay?” He asked, reaching over to feel his boyfriend’s forehead for a temperature. It felt even warmer than before.

Atsumu clambered out of bed, rushing to the kitchen to get an ice pack and a glass of water. When he returned, Omi was now mumbling in his feverish state.

“Atsumu...”

Atsumu rushed to his side, sitting on the edge of the bed. He carefully put the ice pack on his boyfriend’s head, holding it in place despite Omi’s sudden movements.

“I’m here Omi. It’s okay.”

“Don’t...” he whispered.

He pushed the sweat-coated hair off his boyfriend’s forehead so he could get the ice pack on well. “You okay?”

“I’ll be better...”

“Omi? Are you dreaming or talking with your eyes shut? You’re freaking me out.”

“I’m sorry...”

“That’s not helpful for my question honestly.”

“Don’t go...” he sniffled, inhaling heavily, the congestion making it hard to do so.

“Dreaming it is.” Atsumu shook him gently, trying to wake him up. “Get up Omi, it’s just a dream.”

His eyes snapped open, then blinked furiously, a few tears escaping as he did so. “Tsumu?”

“It’s okay. I’m here. It was just a dream,” Atsumu cooed softly, dropping the ice pack and opting cup his face gently and stroke the tears off his cheek.

Sakusa sat up, scooting to his boyfriend to give him a hug, burying his face in the crook of his neck. “Had a dream you left. Said you didn’t love me,” he muttered. “I was still sick and everything.”

“I’d never do that.” Atsumu kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t do anything.”

“I know. But I’m sorry Dream Atsumu did that.”

Omi laughed, a pitiful laugh that sent him into a coughing fit, but a laugh nonetheless.

“Oh! Let me check your temperature. You feel warm,” Atsumu remembered, scrambling out of his boyfriend’s grip to run to the bathroom cupboard and grab a thermometer. He quickly returned to his spot, sweeping his legs to plop down on the bed. He held the thermometer out towards his boyfriend. “Say ‘aw’.”

Sakusa sighed, rolling his eyes, then opened his mouth and let out a small ‘aw’. Atsumu put the thermometer in his mouth and waited patiently, silently, as the temperature was being read.

“102. Why is your thermometer in Fahrenheit?”

Sakusa laughed. “I didn’t realize it was when I bought it.”

A Google search later told the two that it was, indeed, a fever, but he would be okay.

“You sure you’re alright? You wanna take some more medicine and go back to sleep?” Atsumu offered, laying back on the bed.

“Not yet. I don’t think I can sleep anymore.”

Atsumu paused, a small smile forming on his face.

“What is it Miya? You’re scaring me...” Sakusa asked, averting his gaze from the blonde’s.

“You know what’ll help your fever? Ice cream. If you’re up for it, I bought a pint.” Atsumu offered, looking up at his boyfriend with a very small pleading look that said ‘please give me ice cream or I’ll cry’.

“Okay,” Omi smiled. “It’s going to help me get better, so how can I say no?”

[whisperednarratives]

EVOLVE

/ɪˈvɒlv/

verb

1. develop gradually.

summary:

bakugo katsuki has hated l/n y/n since the moment she first took a punch for izuku midoriya.

the beginning of bakugo’s reign of resentment towards the girl was also the start of a wonderful friendship between izuku and herself.to say bakugo hated this arrangement was an understatement.

and things only got worse after that.after junior high school, both teenagers found themselves realising what they truly wanted.he had his goals and she had hers yet to get to where they wanted to be, they both had to attend the prestigious u.a. high school.

this is the story of how two future pro-heros found their feelings evolving over time until they realised that there really was a thin line between love and hate.

•

pairing:

bakugo katsuki x reader

genre:

enemies to lovers/slow burn/a bit angsty(?)

a/n:

i do not own or take credit for any part of bnha/mha’s manga/anime characters, plot etc.

all of it belongs to kohei horikoshi. i do not take credit for any art/photographs/visuals that will be used for any part of the story.

to be added to the TAG LIST of this story; please feel free to message me!

[NONE OF THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS HAVE BEEN PROOFREAD OR EDITED]

[AGE: SIX YEARS OLD]

“If you don’t stop bothering him, I-I’ll fight you myself!”

Izuku Midoriya raised his tiny fists at his friend. He knew Kacchan could go a bit overboard sometimes, but it seemed like today he had finally snapped.

“You’re going to stop me?” Bakugo Katsuki threw his head back in laughter. “With what? You’re just a Quirkless little brat.”

Izuku rubbed his eyes, the tears becoming even harder to hold back. Kacchan’s fists were raised, no signs of his Quirk being activated yet, however, his ‘friends’ behind him had already activated their’s. It seemed as though they would do anything to impress their leader, even if it meant harming an innocent boy.

“K-Kacchan please! Why do you have to be so mean?” Izuku was crying now. Although he was trying to be brave, the tears flooded his face as his voice trembled.

The boy Izuku had been trying to protect stood behind him. He was too scared to say anything to the blonde boy who seemed to hate them for no reason.

Bakugo’s expression did not change, showing no signs of sympathy for his classmates. Instead, he took one step forward and pulled fist back back to attack.

Izuku raised his arms in front of his face, knowing what was coming. His eyes closed as he placed his arm over them, waiting for Kacchan’s fist to collide with his body but the strike never came.

Instead, he heard a groan of pain causing his head to lift from its position, his eyes now uncovered.

His line of vision was blocked by a bright blue. A girl stood before him, her hands clutching her reddening cheek. She was panting, as if she had just ran a marathon.

As Izuku moved his head to the side, he managed to catch a glimpse of Bakugo’s face. His eyes had widened and his mouth was open as he clutched his fist.

The girl looked at Izuku over her shoulder.

“You okay?” she said, flashing him a smile.

Izuku found himself nodding. He didn’t trust his mouth to speak yet.

It seemed as though the girl had taken a punch for him, even when he had no idea who she was. She was staring right at Bakugo with such defiance that it left Izuku shaking in his place. He knew firsthand how much pain Bakugo could cause even with his small fists yet here she was, still standing.

The boy Izuku had been protecting had already ran off.

It seemed as though everyone was in shock because it wasn’t until the girl spoke up that Bakugo realised what had happened.

She had been so fast to jump in front of Izuku that Bakugo hadn’t even been able to realise until his fist had collided with her cheek.

“Why don’t you walk away before this gets any worse?”

Izuku watched Bakugo’s mouth close instantly as his eyes glared daggers into the girl’s form.

“Who do you think you are?” his fists were clutched tightly against his sides as he took a step forward again.

The girl stayed unintimidated and instead, took a step towards him as well.

“Someone who thinks you’re a big bully,” she stared back at Bakugo with as much ferocity as she could.

“WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?”

Bakugo’s palms held the telltale signs of his Quirk being activated as he raised his hand again.

“Bakugo, stop! She’s that weird girl with the rock Quirk!” a boy yelled. “She made someone land up in the nurse’s office once!”

Bakugo’s eyes narrowed and he saw the girl flash him a smug smile. The ribbons in her hair had loosened as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her left cheek was now a bright red because of his punch and it didn’t seem like she was going to give up anytime soon. For some reason, he was reminded of himself as he continued to study her...

And he didn’t like it one bit.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m the strongest person in this class, I can—”

Bakugo’s words were interrupted as their teacher’s voice was heard from the distance.

“Bakugo Katsuki! Your parents are here to pick you.”

Letting out a scream of frustration, Bakugo lowered his hands. He was contemplating ignoring the teacher altogether, before he decided against it. His mother had a nasty temper and he wasn’t in the mood for a scolding today.

“This isn’t over yet,” he growled, before turning on his heels to face his friends. “Come on.”

As Bakugo retreated the scene, he looked over his shoulder in time to see Izuku grab the girl’s extended hand.

The amount of anger that surged through Bakugo’s body upon seeing the scene was something he’d never felt before.

How dare this unknown, annoying little girl stare at him so boldly?

How dare she protect dumb Deku who deserved every punch thrown his way?

Nobody had ever stood up to Bakugo before. Nobody.

So how can this girl have the audacity to face him with such unreserved opposition?

Suddenly, Bakugo remembered who she was.

Always sitting alone in their classroom, she often stared out the window. Her behaviour always got her reprimanded by their teacher but she was one of the first few kids (much like Bakugo) to manifest their Quirk.

He remembered her showing how she could float some stupid rock in the air for a few seconds before her face turned green.

She wasn’t strong at all. Just some nobody who could do a few party tricks.

Then why did that idiot say she landed someone in the nurse’s office?

Bakugo felt himself rolling his eyes as he got closer to their impatient teacher.

Tomorrow, he promised himself silently. Tomorrow, I’ll show her who she’s messing with.

-

“Hey! My name is L/N Y/N, what’s yours?”

Izuku stood silently, staring at the girl’s hand. He looked from her hand to her face repeatedly, before he decided to extend his own.

“M-Midoriya Izuku.”

He was sure the blush he had been repressing had risen to his cheeks, a clear sign of how flustered he was.

After letting go of his hand, Y/N spoke up again.

“You shouldn’t let him treat you that way, you know,” she said, placing her hands on her waist. “He’s just a bully who needs to be taught a lesson.”

The small girl huffed as she frowned at the bushy haired boy.

“Kacchan’s always been like this,” Izuku managed to whisper. “I don’t mind though, he’s my friend.”

The boy’s answer caused her eyes to widen in shock.

“Your friend?” she said. “Friends aren’t supposed to treat you that way!”

“He’s the only friend I have...” Izuku trailed, his eyes starting to water again.

She probably thinks I’m a los-

“No, now you have me.”

Izuku was sure he was about to faint.

Did she just-

“If he ever bothers you again, let me know okay?” her bright smile was back in its place as she grabbed Izuku’s hand.

First, this girl defends him. Then, she offers to be his friend and protect him against the strongest boy he knew.

Izuku was sure he was either hallucinating or asleep.

“W-why would you help me?” Izuku managed to stutter out.

“Because we’re friends now, silly!” Y/N giggled. “Friends always protect each other.”

-

[AGE: FOURTEEN YEARS OLD]

Izuku shook his head, recalling one of his fondest memories as L/N Y/N sat next to him. She was rambling as usual as their teacher tried to distribute their exam papers.

As much as Izuku loved remembering how he had found his best friend, he couldn’t help but feel guilty.

After the two had become inseparable, Kacchan’s anger towards the young boy had increased a tenfold. This caused Y/N to fall victim to Kacchan’s wrath as well.

And if Izuku didn’t know any better, he was almost certain Kacchan hated Y/N as much as he hated him.

However, the young girl never stopped defending him in any way she could. Her and Bakugo had fought more times than he could count, with Bakugo terrorising anyone who tried to befriend Izuku or the girl.

She was still never as cruel as Bakugo. She dealt with him with her words rather than her fists. Izuku had seen the extent of her Quirk and abilities and knew she was strong - dare he say, as strong as Kacchan - but she never used her skills to torment the blonde boy.

Bakugo was the exact opposite.

Y/N was made fun of constantly but the worst thing Bakugo had done was burn all of her textbooks the previous year. Izuku had watched in horror as the young boy burnt her backpack to crisp, Y/N’s eyes brimming with tears.

And that was when she had snapped.

Izuku had never seen her that angry before yet he still remembered the words she had said that day.

“I hate you, Bakugo Katsuki. I am done trying to be the better person. From now on, if I see you so much as breathe near me, I will not hesitate to let the ground swallow you whole. You’re nothing but a dick,” she had said. “Stay the fuck away from me or you’ll regret it.”

Even since that incident, they hadn’t spoken to each other nor clashed heads. Their rivalry had reached the point of unresolved hatred and Izuku knew that Y/N hadn’t lied back then. Kacchan hadn’t exactly stopped bothering Izuku but he always kept his distance whenever she was with him.

Which meant he had noticed the blatant honesty in her voice as well.

Izuku had asked Y/N if she could actually control her Quirk enough to make the ground swallow people and she had just laughed. Although she was back to normal, he doubted she would really go through with the threat. However, Izuku knew it wasn’t a risk Kacchan was willing to take.

As they sat in class, waiting for the last day of junior high school to end, Izuku was thankful that he had managed to make a friend he knew he could trust with his life.

Beside him, the girl suddenly stopped talking as the teacher approached his podium.

“I would pass out these forms considering it’s your third year at this school,” the teacher paused. “But you’re all going to opt for the Hero Course anyway so what’s the point?”

The class started cheering, excited to finally be able to train for something they’ve always to do.

Y/N and Izuku had always talked about joining the Hero Course together. One of the reasons Izuku had even considered applying to the same school as her was because of how much the girl had pushed him.

“Quirkless or not, you’re still going to be an amazing hero one day Izuku!“ she had said.

After a moment of silence, Izuku spoke up.

“Why? Why do you think I can be a hero without a Quirk?”

The girl raised her gaze to meet his before replying.

“Because you are one of the most bravest people I know. We met because you tried to take on Bakugo without a Quirk and I’ve always admired that about you. Your ability to have the pure guts to take an enemy head on!”

Y/N never failed to make Izuku feel like he was the strongest person in the world, Quirkless or not.

Even now, as their teacher continued, she leaned towards him from her desk.

“We’ll train together later, okay?” she whispered.

Training mostly consisted of Y/N trying to gain better control and precision over her Quirk as Izuku took notes but he didn’t mind.

He wanted to help his best friend get stronger in any way he could.

Nodding slightly, Izuku’s train of thought was interrupted by Kacchan speaking up.

When Bakugo spoke, the entire class knew it was time to shut up. Someone didn’t stop when he was talking once and they ended up getting blown across the school during lunch break.

“No need to put all of us in the same category,” he said, his feet up on his desk. “I don’t plan on aiming low like these extras.”

She kept her head down as she scoffed at his words.

What an arrogant idiot.

“Ah yes, Bakugo. You plan on going to U.A High School right?”

This caused her head to snap back up, eyes wide as she glared at the back of Bakugo’s head.

He’s planning on going there too?

As her classmates around her discussed how difficult her dream school was to get into, Bakugo continued to boast about his achievements.

She felt an uneasy pit settle in her stomach.

As much as she wanted to get into U.A, she couldn’t bear the thought of having to spend the next three years with Bakugo.

And if he found out I was applying along with Izuku, he’d never let-

“L/N and Midoriya, you plan on applying to U.A as well right?”

Y/N buried her head in her hands as the teacher called her out. She knew Izuku was probably stiff as a board besides her as the entire class shifted their eyes towards the two teenagers.

It wasn’t long before the entire class bursted out laughing.

Even though they weren’t laughing at her, Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed in anger.

She knew how hard it had been to convince Izuku to apply to U.A with her but she couldn’t bear the thought of her classmates making fun of her friend.

“You can’t just apply thinking you’ll get in without a Quirk!”

“Like they’d ever take a Quirkless kid like him!”

Before Izuku could respond, Y/N had stood up in her seat.

“Why don’t all of you shut up and mind your own business,” she snapped back at the kids who had made the previous comments.

Everyone else immediately shut up, knowing how protective the girl was of her friend.

“Well Y/N, you do have the best scores in class besides Bakugo. I’m sure you’ll be able to qualify, considering how strong your Quirk is!” the teacher said, trying to diffuse the situation. “As for Midoriya, it doesn’t hurt to try.”

Rolling her eyes, Y/N sat back down.

Izuku gave her a small smile, silently thanking her.

With a subtle thumbs up his way, she went back to waiting for this class to end so she could head home already.

Little did she know, Bakugo had heard the teacher’s comment about her Quirk and his fists had clenched in anger.

He couldn’t believe he might have to deal with her for the next few years of his life. The thought made him angrier by the minute and he knew the only way he could end his frustration was through one thing.

Deku.

-

Walking back into the classroom to see Bakugo towering over her friend was not something Y/N was happy about. His friends continued to laugh as he snatched something from Izuku’s hands.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

All four teenage boys turned around to face her.

Bakugo’s scowl was instantly replaced with a smug grin.

This was going to be good, he thought. She hadn’t spoken to him for the past year and he had been waiting for her to finally burst. He hadn’t taken her threat lightly but he knew Y/N didn’t have the heart to actually harm anyone.

It was why he found her even more infuriating.

“Oh look, it’s Deku’s little bodyguard,” Bakugo said.

Even though it had been quite long since she’d interacted with him, Y/N was able to calm herself down before taking any action against the blonde boy.

Y/N sighed before walking towards the group. She realised he had taken Izuku’s notebook, one in which he kept all of his tips and tricks to do with all the heroes he had ever heard of. She knew how important it was to him, considering it was the closest thing he had to make him feel like a hero.

“Hand his book over and walk away before I choose to get violent.”

Bakugo seemed to have realised the importance of the notebook as well as his grip tightened around the tattered object.

“No, I think I’m good. Why don’t you try and take it from me?” Bakugo extended his arm towards the girl, his grip still intact on the book.

A year later and he’s still an insolent fool.

The girl’s calmness was slowly starting to fade away and Izuku knew she wouldn’t hesitate this time around.

Shaking his head, he tried to tell her to stop but she didn’t listen.

“I swear I am about to shove a brick up your ass. Give him the notebook back!” Her hand reached out to grab the book but Bakugo was too fast.

He turned on his heels just in time to avoid her, taking a several steps towards the window as she continued to try and grab Izuku’s book.

Bringing both his hands to encase the journal, Y/N immediately realised what he was about to do.

“Bakugo don’t you dare-”

It was too late.

The boy had already burnt the book, flipping it over his shoulder and out the window.

Izuku let out a choked sob as he watched Bakugo burn his dreams to the ground.

Literally.

Y/N’s mouth remained open in shock.

“What happened? Didn’t you say something about the ground swallowing me whole last time?” Bakugo laughed as the girl stood as still as a statue before him.

She hadn’t realised her hands had started shaking out of anger until a brick flew inside through the window.

Bakugo, whose back was facing the window sill, didn’t realise until the brick landed a harsh blow on his head.

“OW! WHAT THE FUCK?”

Scowling, he grabbed the back of his head in pain.

But Y/N wasn’t done.

“What is wrong with you? How can you be so cruel?”

Her hands still hadn’t stopped shaking.

“What did you just say?” Bakugo screamed, taking a step towards her.

“How can you be such a jerk? That notebook was so important to him and you just destroyed it without a second thought,” Y/N’s eyes were now burning with such resentment for him that Bakugo almost stopped in his tracks.

“What is your goddamn problem? WHY DO YOU HATE US SO MUCH?”

This was the first time any of the boys had heard her yell.

Her question rang throughout the empty classroom and Bakugo couldn’t help but bite back with as much severity as he could.

“Because neither of you extras deserves to go to a place like U.A. U.A is a school for people like me. I want to be the number one hero one day and I don’t want anyone, including you two idiots, stopping me.” Bakugo stopped before turning to face Izuku. “If you want to be a hero that badly, why not try swan diving off the roof to get a Quirk in another life?”

Y/N swore she saw red as she jumped towards Bakugo without a second thought.

She managed to land a punch to his face before Izuku had grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

“YOU BITCH!” Bakugo screamed, launching himself at the girl.

“Bakugo, stop! You can’t get into a fight again!”

His friends grabbed both his arms, dragging him towards the classroom’s door.

“JUST WAIT AND WATCH, YOU FUCKING DICK,” Y/N screamed as Izuku struggled to hold her back. “I WILL GET INTO U.A AND BEAT YOUR ASS. THAT’S A PROMISE.”

As Bakugo’s friends practically threw him out of the classroom, Y/N heard his voice call out her name.

“I’d like to see you try.”

TAG LIST: @sizzlingbarbarianglitter

[lambourngb]

if i woke up next to you

More than six sentences for @arielana who I can’t love on enough - so here’s the beginning of the sequel to Last Year’s Wishes -

“Just so you know if you wake him up, I will kill you.” 

As threats went, Alex knew he had lost some of the seriousness by typing it on his phone and holding up the screen for Isobel to read. He let his flat ‘just try me’ expression to do the heavy lifting though, as he kept his free hand cupped protectively around Michael's shoulder. 

Sometime during the afternoon, Alex had acquired a blanket of wild curls and exhausted alien covering him on their couch, and he knew just how badly Michael needed the rest. Three in person exams were finished for now with two left still to take, but the long nights of balancing the predawn garage shifts with post-dusk college coursework were finally catching up to Michael.

It said something about the level of exhaustion Michael felt, that he hadn't stirred when Alex's phone buzzed an alert from their security system upon Isobel's arrival. And it also said something for Alex's level of concern, that he sent a message to Isobel giving her permission to enter their house without knocking. He had probably set back their efforts in schooling Isobel on proper respect of boundaries for a good six weeks with that allowance. She was the definition of receiving an inch but taking a mile with a ‘but I’m cute and harmless’ smile.

Today though, Isobel was standing in his house, treating his threat with an eye roll before she pulled out her own phone in answer. Her long manicured fingers skillfully dashed out a response before turning her screen toward him. “If you kill me then there's no one to walk Michael down the aisle.”

“Max,” Alex mouthed silently to her, unable to keep from smiling at the mention of their upcoming wedding.

This time it was a much longer, more furiously typed message. “He's performing the ceremony. Plus you'll throw off the seating chart, and if you ruin that then Maria will kill you and marry Michael over your corpse. Don't think she won't.”

“Touché,” he typed, looking down at where Micheal's face was buried against the hollow of his throat. Once upon a time, he would have felt a spike of alarm and insecurity about Isobel's joke regarding Maria, even though she had dated a string of lovers since Michael, the latest being Jenna Cameron.

The gleam of their rings and the soft even breaths in his ear kept even the most stubborn doubts doused. Everywhere he looked, the symmetry of two surrounded him from the pair of work boots that were always left neatly out of the way, to close attention of leaving his spare crutches close at hand, and then there were their guitars, propped in twin cherry wood stands. The necks of each guitar were curved toward each other, closing the quotation mark on their life; on that promise they made to each other every day.

That was the perspective that Alex could take now, the past and the ways they had hurt one another were merely stone markers on a meandering path back to each other. Some steps were overgrown with moss, rarely trodden upon in arguments like Maria, and others were worn smooth with stubborn repetition, the way money and Project Shepherd could still crop up in an agitated moment.

Michael stirred in his sleep, shifting over on the couch to slip his hand under Alex's shirt to rest a warm palm over Alex's chest just above his heart. In another month, Alex had arranged for leave, and he could hardly wait to feel the connection to Michael again while they exchanged their wedding vows before disappearing on their honeymoon road trip in the Airstream. For now, his skin was bare of the mark but the touch still sent his pulse ratcheting up a level in tempo.

A soft tap of Isobel's fingernail on her phone screen recaptured Alex's wandering attention. She looked fondly grossed out, her eyes flickering up and down their entangled embrace. The fondness in her gaze increased as she focused at the foot of the couch where Beckett was safely tucked between the cushion and snoring against the tangle of Michael's legs. She lifted her screen revealing the purpose of her visit, “House is going on the market. So my storage problem is now your storage problem. It's time for Michael to store his own stuff at his own house now.”

The sale of Isobel's house had been a long time coming as she sorted through her memories of her marriage, the life she had built and the touch of Noah's influence on both. For a long time she had been frozen in indecision over what was truly ‘her’ until she had made a sweeping decision to start completely clean in life. The sale of the house was the last in a long line of choices, one of which had been to rent a loft apartment across the street from the Crashdown. The proximity to Kyle's high-end townhouse development was coincidental.

“Need help?” Alex typed, offering out of politeness as he looked down at Michael's heavy limbed sprawl.

An unseen force tugged Alex's phone from his hand, floating it securely into Isobel's hand. She smirked smugly and typed out a response, before pushing it back to his hand through the air. Quietly she turned on her socked feet to pad back out the front door with a sketch of a wave and the near-silent click of the door shutting.

Alex glanced down at his screen reading the parting message from Isobel, “It's all stacked outside. Tell our genius future grad when he wakes up that family dinner with Arturo is next week, no work excuses allowed. Also, he drools in his sleep. XOXO Iz.”

“Is she gone now?” Michael mumbled hoarsely into Alex's throat.

“Did we wake you?”

“Wasn't really asleep. Plus it's hard to ignore Isobel's mind when she's near.”

[tarithenurse]

Nightingale - 38

Fandom: Naruto Pairing: Hatake Kakashi &/x Fem!OC Contents: Some concerns about Team 7, sensei stuff, a hint of angst. A/N: As usual, ASK or REBLOG for tag! HUUUGE thanks to all who are reblogging already <3

Ch. 38

The last stubborn snow is dripping from the branches and joining the sludge on the dirt road. The feet of Kakashi’s students let go of the mud with squelches any jōnin would hear but at least they’re so close to their goal that stealth isn’t an option anyways – already, he’s seen the movement in the shadows and undoubtedly Sasuke is aware of it too.

Sasuke. He’s trained harder than ever over the winter, but despite the obvious improvements, the boy remains sullen and is even beginning to seek out confrontations with Naruto. Not always. Most of the time it’s still the straw-haired kid that doesn’t know when to back down, but the fact that both boys have taken competitiveness to a whole other level does put a strain on the team, though.

“Almost there,” Sakura sighs, “maybe she’s got something else than milk or catnip tea?”

“Or anchovies,” Naruto adds, earning a glare from the black-haired boy.

...

He sends the team out ahead for the pickup after having sorted the trade with Nekobā.

“Hmmm,” she isn’t oblivious to how her cats keep a certain distance to Kakashi even as he sits quietly, “you’re not an Uchiha but there’s something...” she dismisses it with a wave of a hand. “So what do you want?”

I have no right to involve her, the white-haired jonin hesitates before deciding to continue. In few words, he lays out how the broodiness of the second to last of the clan is devolving despite any and all efforts of guiding him towards a brighter future.

“Why ask me?” Nekobā squints over the brim of her tea cup, “I saw him often as a kid, but you’re closer to him now, aren’t you?”

“He doesn’t tell me much...as you said, I’m not an Uchiha -”

There’s a scoff before the jingle of porcelain being put down. “And still I had to hear about you from two of them whenever they came here.”

Obito. He doubts anything the former teammate had said was positive as the two of them only got to an understanding shortly before the boy with the goggles had his fate sealed. As for the other person, Kakashi can only think of one other Uchiha with enough of a connection.

“Yes, Kakashi of the Sharingan,” Nekobā purrs, “your reputation precedes you and I understand why you recognize Sasuke’s troubles considering how a family member’s actions weighs on you too.”

Yes and no. It’s true, the pain and anger Kakashi used to feel is exactly what he sees in his student now.

“Revenge was never an option for me...or a desire. The supposed crime was far from the atrocity Uchiha Itachi has committed. There was even a semblance of sense to my fa- to the actions while the massacre holds no meaning when looking at all we knew of Sasuke’s brother.”

“And that is why no one can reach his heart with ease...I suspect.”

Maybe, Kakashi nods silently, and maybe it’s because Itachi somehow seems to be within reach.

...

Days become weeks. Weeks become months. One day spring has truly returned, softening the evening air as it cools his skin during the sparring session against Uguïsu, and strands of blue hair dancing on the breeze. But for once, Kakashi’s mind is far from her and the present situation and before he knows it, she’s felled him and tangled her limbs around him from behind in a vice grip.

“Where are you, ‘Kashi?” she whispers gently into his ear and then loosens the restraints.

Sitting up, he draws her arms around him. The heat from her chest is soothing, grounding him as the white-haired jōnin attempts to organize his thoughts to be shared with someone else. Are other genins this much trouble? They probably all come with their own list of problems, but he can’t help but suspect this particular team was given to him to spare his comrades.

A soft kiss finds its home on his neck. “Talk to me.”

“I worry about the boys...” Kakashi sighs.

“Knucklehead and Broody?”

Nodding, the sensei tries to explain his concerns and how he’s beginning to realize that he can’t reach one without slacking the attention on the other...and in all of this, he somehow must not forget about the kindhearted, worried Sakura.

“I don’t know how to get Naruto to understand what I’m trying to teach him! That boy is...is...well, his attention span is minimal and while he’s smart in some aspect, he’s also very...y’know?”

He adores the soft chuckle even if it technically doesn’t help him. “I know. And...I don’t think it’s bad to admit, you’re having a hard time levelling with him. You two are very different. Maybe there’s someone else who can help?”

“Someone more like him?”

Kakashi would be lying if he claimed never to have considered this, but he had dismissed the crazy idea as soon as it had manifested itself. Perhaps...but he has improved a lot anyways, though. There’s some to be said in favour of stubbornness.

“There...is someone I could ask for advice, I guess,” the jōnin concedes. And I ought to do it soon.

Like any other captain of a team of genins, Kakashi is all too aware of the nearing deadline for signing his students up for the chunin exams. Even now, he believes they stand a fair chance of making it past the second stage and he’s keen to help them push their limits with the intention of excelling through the entire event.

“Go,” Uguïsu’s voice urges him, “do what you can to make sure they’ll be amazing.”

The jōnin can’t tamper down the burning sting of guilt in the chest. “Meet you later? I actually have some days without missions planned.”

They’ve barely had any time together the last few weeks and he had planned to treat her to her favourite food this evening. Maybe go for a stroll to the outskirts of town where there’s a house that’s looking less derelict than before – not that it (or Kakashi) is ready to be presented to his blue nightingale yet...he simply wants to figure out if she even likes the area.

“I’d like that,” she beams, “I’ll wait for you on the water tower.”

...

It took little time to write a letter, explaining about Naruto to the sannin and proposing (with well-rounded arguments) why the tutelage of the older shinobi is imperative for the kid’s progress. No, the problem was not composing the message but to find out where to send it to. As a precaution, Kakashi had decided to copy it in four, sending each in a different direction.

Now, the white-haired youth sits on the metal roof that still holds a bit of the heat from the day. He’s come to equate this place with the sort of calm he experiences when he’s done his part and all he can do is wait.

And wait.

And wait as the sky’s darkening, Kakashi is still alone on the roof of the water tower, and he can’t ignore the sixth sense screaming at him that something is wrong.

[ionlyspeakinmyheroacademia]

Under the Fluorescent Lights

masterlist

Pairing: Shouto Todoroki x fem!reader 

Word Count: 3k+

Type: Oneshot!

Summary: You and Shouto are both harboring unspeaken feelings for each other, and the school dance may be your last chance to tell each other

Warnings: none, just pure, tooth-rotting fluff :)

Author’s Note: This was really fun to write, I hope you all like it, stay tuned for more lovelies! (story under the cut!)

𐇵𐇵𐇵

You had never been in love before, or at least you didn’t think you had. Up until this point in your life, you had had crushes, and flings, but you had never been in love.

That was, until you met Shouto Todoroki. You befriended the bi-haired boy, his cold, closed-off demeanor drew you in, even if he didn’t necessarily want you there. After a few months of going to UA together, he finally accepted that you weren’t going anywhere, and you became real friends. 

When he finally opened up to you, and showed you who he really was, you were amazed. He wasn’t the cold, arrogant boy most people saw, he was kind, and funny, and sweet. And slowly, without meaning to, you fell for him. Hard.

It was nearing the end of your third year at UA, and you still hadn’t got the chance to tell him how you really felt. You were terrified that he would reject you, like he’d rejected so many others in your time of being friends with him, that he wouldn’t want you the way you wanted him. These fears filled you up, ate at you from the inside, preventing you from voicing your feelings.

But it was fine. Shouto seemed content on staying friends anyway. 

“Y/N!” you heard from behind you, and you turned to see you best friend Mina, bounding down the hall towards you, her eyes lit up with excitement. 

“Hey Mina,” you said as she crashed into you, nearly knocking you both to the ground.

“Gosh, be careful clumsy!” you scolded, but you don’t really mean it, you were grinning the whole time. 

“Anywho, so guess what!” she said, bouncing around excitedly.

“What?” you asked, trying to focus on her face as it bobbed up and down. 

“Soooooo, since this is our last month at UA, they’re having this dance for the third years, and….  I think you should ask Todoroki!”

“Mina!” you protested, looking around quickly, making sure no one was around to hear. “Could you be any louder?!”

She laughed, and leaned over to ruffle your hair affectionately. You pushed her off, and complained about your now messed up hair.

“I think you should finally just tell him, Y/N. It’s been long enough now, even if he doesn’t return your feelings, which he totally will, by the way, wouldn’t it be better if he knew?”

“No, Mina. I’m not jeopardizing my friendship with Shouto just so he can know what I feel.”

“Whatever you say….” Mina said, shrugging, and then she threw her arm around your shoulder, and the two of you walked down the hall towards the dorms. “You will come though, right?” 

“Yeah, probably, we can go together, like the single pringles we are,” you laughed, and bumped your hip against hers, and the two of you headed down the hall, laughing as you went. 

𐇵𐇵𐇵

Shouto didn’t usually let people know how he felt.

But then he met you, and you changed his life for the better. At first, he was wary of you, you were so bright, so full of energy, and you shone brighter than the sun. He was nervous to open up to you, because everyone in his life had betrayed his trust at one time or another. But you were there, you were always there, even if he wanted to be alone, you were there to calm him down, to listen to his anxieties, his insecurities, his feelings. And slowly, over time, he fell in love with you, as much as that scared him.

In the beginning, he wasn’t sure what the feeling was. It filled him up, a warmth spreading through him, one that wasn’t caused from his quirk. His cheeks would flush slightly whenever he saw you, and he would only have eyes for you whenever you were in the same room as him. If you noticed, you never said anything, and he was too worried to ever really tell you what he felt. 

So naturally, he just bit back his feelings, and kept them inside. It was the only thing he knew. All his life, he’d seen what love did to people, it tore them apart, it made them crazy. Shouto never had a good example of love in his life, considering his parents weren’t in love, and his bastard of a father, who beat Shouto’s mother, siblings, and Shouto himself constantly, definitely wasn’t. And honestly? He was afraid that one day he would turn into his father. It was his greatest fear, and the only person who knew was you. 

Because he trusted you, more than he trusted anyone.

“Todoroki? Are you even listening?” Midoriya asked, waving a hand in front of his face. 

“Huh?” Shouto said, shaking out of his thoughts. Midoriya shook his head and looked back at his textbook. 

“We have finals in a week, Todoroki! You really need to pay attention!” Midoriya scolded, and Shouto grimaced, looking back at his notes.

“I’m sorry, Midoriya, I was lost in thought.”

“Todoroki, forgive me for being so intrusive, but you should just tell her.” 

If Shouto had been drinking, he would have spit it right out. “What?” he exclaimed, and swiveled his head to look at Midoriya, his cheeks flushed. 

“You know, your crush on Y/N?” Midioriya prompted, bumping Shouto’s arm with his shoulder, chuckling at the dumbstruck look on his friend’s face. “What? Did you think I didn’t know? You’re not as subtle as you think you are.”

“Well, you tend to be more observant than most people,” Shouto grumbled, and Midoriya shrugged, smiling. “Do you think…. Does she know?” Shouto asked, avoiding Midoriya’s eyes and doodling on the side of his paper to distract from the pounding in his chest. 

“Eh, I doubt it, she doesn’t really seem like she does, she’s kind of oblivious,” Midoriya laughed, and Shouto opened his mouth to interject before Midoriya cut him off again. “I’m just kidding, Todoroki, calm down. But really, you should let her know how you feel. Do you really want to graduate without telling her? You two have been dancing around each other for the past three years, Todoroki, and I’m sure she’s waiting for you to make the first move.”

“If she even likes me back,” Shouto said, and turned back to his notes, trying to ignore the feelings threatening to spill over. Go away, he thought to himself, I’m not ready yet. 

Midoriya didn’t answer, instead went back to talking about what he figured would be on the finals, and different techniques for their final practical exams. Shouto tried to listen, but his mind kept wandering back to you. How your soft, beautiful hair frames your face, how your eyes shine like a million stars when you look at him, how you make his heart beat faster than Iida’s Recipro Burst whenever you’re in the room. He lets his head fill with thoughts of you, your smile whenever you see him, your hair after you’ve just woken up after falling asleep during a movie night in the common area, sticking up all over the place, and he remembered tufts of it tickling his face as he carried you up to your room that night. 

Shouto smiles down at the paper in front of him, and he wishes he had the courage to tell you what he really felt for you, wishes he could explain what you do to him, and lets his mind go back to thoughts of you, not even hearing Midoriya as he continues to talk about school.

𐇵𐇵𐇵

The lights in Gym Gamma were dimmed, and you stood next to the refreshment table underneath streamers and balloons that looked extremely half-assed. You wondered to yourself if Aizawa had done them, and a smile came to your face as you watched your friends dance. Kirishima was trying (and failing) to pull a reluctant Bakugou onto the dance floor with him. The drink in your hand was cold, the condensation on the side of the cup making your hand slick. You resisted the urge to wipe it on your dress, and took a sip, the cold drink calming you a bit. Smiling, you look out at your friends breaking it down on the dance floor, watching as they twirled and shimmied across the concrete.

Mina, all done up in a beautiful purple dress that hugged her curves perfectly, was dancing wildly in the center of the room, dragging a very stressed Jirou with her. You giggle at their expressions, Mina’s excited and full of life, Jirou’s conveying the silent message that she wanted to die. Mina had tried to get you to dance with her, but you had never been much of a dancer, and your friend knew better than to push. 

So here you sat, a drink in your hand as you watched your classmates having fun while you tried to avoid social interaction. You weren’t quite sure what was wrong with you tonight. Normally you would be in the middle of all the action, a smile on your face. But tonight, it was different. Maybe it was the fact that you were graduating in a week, and you might not see these people who had become your best friends anytime soon. Or maybe it was because Shouto had been talking to Yaomomo for the last five minutes, even though you were over here alone. You knew it was silly to be jealous, he wasn’t yours. But you couldn’t help it, the envy ate at your heart, giving you a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. 

Sighing, you tugged on the hem of your dress, the periwinkle fabric bunching up on your thigh. You had tried to look nice tonight, wearing the dress that you knew was Shouto’s favorite color, pinning your hair up away from your eyes, and you had even let Mina do your makeup. You had told yourself you were dressing up for you, but deep down you knew that wasn’t the case. What you really wanted was a reaction out of Shouto, you wanted his heterochromatic eyes to light up when he saw you, you wanted his cheeks to flush at the sight of you, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen. 

Because he was still talking to Yaomomo, listening as she talked animatedly, her eyes bright under the overhead lights. Your stomach churned as he smiled at her, the same smile he gave you, and you felt the urge to run away, to leave. So you set your cup down on the table, and you did. You felt stupid, weak. He wasn’t your boyfriend, why wouldn’t he talk to Yaomomo? Even if he was your boyfriend, he would be allowed to talk to her, but it wouldn’t bother you as much, because if you were together, you would be standing next to him, holding his hand or smiling as his arm rested around your shoulders. 

You pushed the door to the cool March air, stepping out into the night, the flickering fluorescent light above you mocking you. A tear slipped down your cheek, caressing the side of your face, leaving a warm track. You felt pitiful. Here you were, crying over a boy you were too much of a coward to tell how you felt.

You looked up at the sky, cursing the lights of the city from preventing you from seeing the stars. The stars were one of the things you missed most from back home. When you were a little girl, you would climb up onto the roof, and let yourself get lost in the story the constellations told until you were calm. You wished you were home right now, sitting at the table with your mom and your little Maeko, your sweet baby sister. It wasn’t very often that you really wanted to go home, but when you were nervous or sad, you always missed the open fields that spread out by your mother’s house, the wildflowers blowing everytime the wind blew. 

You tried to calm yourself with memories of your home, trying to push Shouto out of your brain. You had almost successfully pushed the thoughts of him away when you heard the familiar rumble of his deep voice from beside you.

“Y/N?”

𐇵𐇵𐇵

Shouto had been talking to Yaomomo when he realized you were missing. He scanned the room for you, and felt his heart sink when he didn’t see you. 

“Yaoyorozu,” he said, cutting her off as she started another tangent about the agency she was going to. “Would you excuse me for a moment?”

“Oh,” she replied, her face falling a bit, but quickly covered with a smile. “Sure, okay!”

“Thank you,” he said, and smiled at her before walking over to the refreshments table, where your abandoned drink sat, condensation slowly sliding down the side. Shouto saw your shoes sitting next to the table, and he smiled. You always seemed to prefer going around barefoot. 

He looked around, and the backdoor caught his eyes, and he knew that was probably where you went. He knew you liked to feel the breeze on your face, that it always calmed you down. He pushed the door open, and turned, looking back and forth for you, before heading to the side of the building, where he saw you standing under a very old and flickering fluorescent light, your face turned towards the sky as tears leaked down your cheeks. 

“Y/N?” he said lightly, and nearly lost his footing when you looked over at him. You looked breathtaking, and he realizes this is the first time he’s really seen you all night. Your hair is pinned up elegantly, away from your face, so he can see your beautiful tear-filled eyes. The periwinkle dress you’re wearing hugs you in all the right places, and falls just above your knee, and he lets his eyes wash over you. God, she looks so beautiful in periwinkle, he thought. “Are you okay?”

“Not really,” you reply, and you look back to the sky, the cool breeze ruffling your hair.

He takes you in, the way your shoulders are hunched, how your brow is slightly furrowed, and your mouth is set in a small pout. I wish I knew how to tell her what I feel… he thought, and he let his head fill with memories of the two of you sitting in the kitchen after hours, sneaking cookies and drinking tea. He remembers when the two of you sat out in the rain, your quirk keeping them waterproof as you talked, completely uninterrupted, just spilling your thoughts. He thought about your hugs, you know he can’t resist your hugs, they're so warm, and he melts into them every time, wrapping his arms around you. You are his home, his safe place to go when he’s scared, when he needs a friend, when he needs to talk. 

The memories flooding his mind cause the feelings to spill over, and the emotions he’s tried so hard to suppress start to push their way out. The feeling rushes over him in waves, and Shouto finally admits what he’s been trying to hide for so long.

He loves you.

“Y/N, I have something I need to tell you,” he says, his sudden realization giving him a burst of confidence. You turn to look at him, your eyes sad.

“Can I say something first?” you ask, and he nods. “Why didn’t you come over and talk to me?”

He’s taken aback a bit by your question, it’s definitely not what he expected you to say, but he hurries to answer it. “Well, I wanted to, but Yaoyorozu wouldn’t stop talking about her agency, and I couldn’t escape,” he laughs lightly, noting how you perk up when he says this, some of the sadness leaving your eyes. “Can I tell you something now?” 

“Sure,” you reply, a smile tugging at the corner of your lips. 

He takes a deep breath, and looks you directly in your eyes, the fluorescent light casting an odd glow on the two of you. “I think I’m in love with you,” he breathes, just loud enough for you to hear, and he shifts his gaze downward when he hears your sharp intake of breath. He’s afraid to look at you, he’s worried he’ll see the rejection he’s so afraid of in your eyes. Slowly, you make your way over to him, and you tilt his chin up lightly with your finger so his eyes meet yours. He prepares himself for the worst, but then he sees your face. 

You’re smiling, and Shouto feels a stirring in his chest when he sees how bright your eyes are, shining with happiness. “What a coincidence, Sho’. I think I’m in love with you too,” you whisper, and he can’t take it anymore. He crashes his mouth against yours, and you kiss him back with just as much fervor, your fingers bury themselves in his hair, pulling him down against you. His hand finds the small of your back, and he pulls you as close as you possibly could be to him, holding you there, and cherishing this moment. 

The two of you break apart, and smile at each other. Shouto tries to commit this moment to memory, your eyes bright, your lips slightly puffy from kissing him, your fingers still wound in his hair. The flickering of the fluorescent light casts shadows on your face, but they don't hide your breathtaking grin. 

“You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you to do that,” you say softly, your hand moving to brush the hair out of his eyes. 

He turns his face, and kisses the inside of your palm. “I’m sorry I was a coward,” he replies, and you both laugh, and he wraps his arms around your shoulders, pulling you into a hug. When the two of you pull apart, and he takes your hand, silently promising to never let you go again, he vows to never let you slip away from him. 

The two of you walk, hand in hand, big goofy smiles on your faces, into the gym, where your friends await you with a thousand questions. But neither of you mind, because all the both of you really wanted was to be together, and both of you wishes finally came true, under the broken fluorescent light behind Gym Gamma. 

[self-proclaimed-chaotic-good]

True Winchester Fashion | Adam Milligan x Reader (Oneshot?)

Prompt: Meet Cute

Fandom: Supernatural

Warnings: Mentions of gore, minor swearing, only brief fluff because Winchesters can’t catch a break

Words: 1643

A/N: This was supposed to be fluffy, why am I like this? I haven’t caught up with SPN, all I know from S15 is Adam’s brief appearance. This is another idea I had way before S15, revised to fit his current situation, of how they would bring back Adam again in my vain hope of him recurring more often.

-

The bar wasn’t exactly your thing, but your friends wanted to celebrate the end of the grueling final exams and teased you for being boring. All you wanted to do was borrow your neighbor’s netflix account and relax with a tub of ice cream. They weren’t having it and were determined to get you laid. You were determined to make sure they don’t get in trouble and drive them home.

Three shots in and your little group had already attracted unwanted attention. Three guys at the billiards table kept glancing at your group, whispering among each other while smirking and laughing. You only hoped that they’d keep their distance, but that may be wishful thinking.

“Hey, we’re going to the bathroom,” one of your friends said, “Can you watch our drinks?”

“Of course,” you said.

They swung an arm around each other’s neck and made their way towards the heavily graffitied restrooms, dodging other patrons on their way in. You sighed, wondering how many bottles they were going to drink before they called it a night. It was a pain to clean up their vomit from your backseat last time. A price to pay for being the designated driver.

From the corner of your eye, you could see those three guys putting down their pool cue sticks and making their way towards the bar area. You let out a shaky breath, glancing back at the bathroom doors for your friends.

“Hey, is this seat taken?” You turned and saw a man with a pair of familiar hazel eyes standing next to you. He smiled. “I’m Adam, by the way.”

“I know. We had a few classes together,” you said, briefly looking away to hide how flustered you were at his sudden appearance. “You borrowed my notes for Micro lab once.”

“Yeah, (Y/n), right?” You nodded. “Let me return the favor and make sure that the three little piggies over there don’t bother you.”

You sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

Adam hopped onto the stool next to you and ordered a beer. “So, got any plans for the break?”

“Not really. Mostly work. You?”

He sighed. “I was hoping to visit family, but they haven’t answered any of my calls. Must be a busy year for them with the whole… family business thing.”

“Family business? What does your family do?”

“Uh,” he paused, taking a swig of his beer.

He could still say they were hunters, but he didn’t want to go off on a tangent of what they hunt. Once, he had to deal with someone’s rant about the ethics of hunting animals and while he knew you, he didn't know you enough to know whether you’d do that. He looked down at the bottle and found an answer.

“Brewing. My family owns a brewing company. Winchester and Milligan, or W and M. It’s small, but it’s something.” He shook his head and pointed his bottle at you. “What about you?”

“I work at the library,” you said with a shrug, “Boring, I know.”

Adam shook his head. “No, not boring at all. Is it the public library?”

“Museum library, actually.”

“Even cooler!” You looked down bashfully, shaking your head at him. “It’s true!”

You and Adam chatted for almost half an hour when you realized that your friends were taking too long. You frowned, checking your phone for any messages and found none. Adam could sense your distress, but you excused yourself to go and check on them in the bathroom.

Passing two couples in a heavy makeout session, you squeezed your way to the bathroom, calling out the names of your friends. They weren’t at the sinks, so you made your way towards the stalls, looking out for their shoes. Halfway down, you found a sight that made your stomach churn. A scream was stuck in your throat as you shakily opened the stall door.

There was a high pitched noise, then it went dark.

Everyone near the bathrooms heard the scream, but no one dared to move. Adam cursed under his breath rushing over and bursted through the door. He found you collapsed on the sticky floor next to a pool of blood. He checked you for a pulse, which was faint, and if you had any injuries. Seeing that you had only fainted, he gently propped you up against the wall and stood to investigate the blood. It was one of your friends slumped over the toilet seat, neck viciously ripped open, lifeless eyes left wide open.

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered. His brothers better answer their damn phones this time.

-

In true Winchester fashion, when one case is finally closed, another one opens up. They had done a full day of well earned rest when their little brother called them, sending several text messages when they didn’t answer. It wasn’t how they wanted to reunite with him, but that was just how it was going to be.

They rolled up to the bar, red and blue lighting up the parking lot. An ambulance was parked on the side with what looked to be a college student wrapped in a blanket sitting at the back being examined by medics.

Sam and Dean flashed their badges and were allowed to pass the police tape. Tucking their badges away, they spotted Adam next to the ambulance talking to one of the medics. They nodded at him, making their way towards the sheriff to get the formalities out of the way.

“According to those two kids there,” the sheriff said, gesturing to Adam and the college student before leading Sam and Dean into the bar, “Their friends had gone to the bathroom and didn’t come out for almost half an hour. One went to check on them and fainted and I don’t blame them. You might want to brace yourselves for this one, agents.”

“Trust me, in our line of work, nothing surprises us,” Dean said with a smirk.

Adam watched his brothers go before turning back to you. The medics had cleared you, saying that you were still in shock but you were okay to leave. He led you away from the ambulance, replacing the blanket with his jacket.

“Don’t worry, (Y/n), they’ve got this covered,” he assured you.

You remained silent, still trying to come to terms with what had happened to your friend and wondering what kind of monster would have done this. There was also the fact that your other friend was missing from the scene and could not be contacted. It all happened so fast, how could this have happened in less than an hour with no one noticing?

You didn’t realize how long you were just standing there, spacing out, until Adam started speaking again. “I’m going to talk to the feds over there, okay? You’ll be okay, right?”

You nodded. He gave you a once over filled with concern, fixing his jacket over your shoulders before walking towards the towering federal agents that came to investigate. You blinked, a strange thought that they would pass as brothers. The agents looked over at you and gave you a polite smile and a nod of acknowledgement, then turned their attention back to Adam.

“They’re cute. Nice touch with the jacket,” Dean teased, “Look at our little bro carrying down the family legacy of being a casanova.”

Sam huffed out a laugh. “We’ll talk about his love life later,” he said, “What do you guys think?”

“Vampire?” Adam guessed, “Is messy toilet murder their M.O.?”

Sam shook his head. “Well, they usually try to be more discreet. It’s also possible that they’ve taken the friend back to their den. Did you notice anyone going in and out of the bathroom?”

“No, I-”

“He was probably busy chatting up his cute friend over there,” Dean said. Adam glared at him, earning a playful smirk in return and a slap on the shoulder. “I’ll go ask around for any more witnesses.”

“Hey,” Sam said, snapping Adam’s attention away from their older brother, “Let’s get this over with and we’ll catch up later, okay?”

Adam nodded, running a hand through his hair. “Okay, and, uh… (Y/n) is still in shock, so be careful with them.”

Sam suppressed a chuckle. “Dude, you realize how long we’ve been doing this gig? I know. We’ll see you later.”

You were holding Adam’s jacket tighter around you, the image of your friend in the bathroom engraved into your brain. They were just slumped over like a life size doll, the smell of iron and piss in the air, the loud rock music mixed with moans from the couples making out, it was all like a scene in a movie that you couldn’t believe you were in. There was no scream or ruckus or anything and suddenly they’re gone just like that.

One of the federal agents walked up to you, going through the usual greetings and then the questionings. You told him what you told the sheriff, doubting that it was going to be much help. Then, he started to ask questions that caught you off guard. If there were any disappearances in the last month, anyone you knew that started acting differently and particularly avoiding going outside. You answered with the best of your abilities before you were dismissed.

A coworker had heard what happened and came to pick you up, reassuring you that your car could be picked up the next morning. Before you climbed into her car, you looked around for Adam who seemed to have left already. Frowning, you put on his jacket properly before ducking in.

A shadow stood at the back of the bar, watching the car leave. The shadow remained where they were, watching the two federal agents until they left in their ‘67 Chevy Impala. They needed to report to the Alpha.

[strawberrywritings]

Hey m’dear! Could I please request #134: “My love for you is like a disease. And it’s probably terminal.” With Coco? Like maybe he feels like he’s gonna ruin the reader but then she shows him just how much he deserves to be loved and cherished?? A little angsty, fluffy and possibly smutty?? I’m so sorry if this is overly complicated!!! Love your work and thank you for tagging me in it!!! Have a great day, love ya!!

A/N: Don’t worry, it’s fine. I had to make the smut part a bit shorter because exams are calling and I gotta study. Have a great day, too! x

/ Masterlist

Warnings: unprotected sexual intercourse

Summary: Coco breaks up with you over text, you decide to go and find out why

When you woke up, Coco was gone. His job at the taller and the club kept him pretty busy, you always understood that, but lately he had been even busier. You got to the kitchen, eating breakfast while switching on your phone; some missed calls, some text, and a text from your boyfriend: “We’re done, pack my things and leave them outside in a box, or throw them away. I don’t care”. You frowned and tried to call him, once, twice, always having the call go to voicemail. What was he talking about? He came home to you yesterday and everything was fine. Had something happened? You decided to find out by going to clubhouse unannounced.

When you got there, Angel, Ez and Gilly were working on the bikes, you could see Chucky in the office, but Coco was nowhere in sight. You huffed and your first step were the boys. “Hey guys, I’m very sorry to bother, have you seen Coco?”, they all shook their head. “Nah, not this morning, hasn’t showed up yet”, Gilly answered. “Thanks, have good day!”, you waved, making your way to the next step, Chucky. Knocking on the door of the office, you opened it once he called to come in, smiling as you asked if he’d seen your boyfriend. “Not today, Miss Y/N”, you smiled at him, thanking him and going into the clubhouse. Bishop was sat at a table having a smoke and Coco was nowhere to be found, again. “Hey, Obispo, sorry to bother, but I can’t find Coco… and I’m worried that something happened”. He looked at you with his eyebrows furrowed and you recounted what happened, and by the end of your little monologue, you were crying. Coco really had left you with a fucking text. Bishop told you he hadn’t seen him yet, but when he did, he would let you know. “No, no, it’s fine, really, doesn’t matter. He made his choice”, you wiped your tears and Bishop made a mental note to have Coco fix this shit and apologize to you.

You got up, ready to go home and get rid of his stuff just like he asked you. When you turned around, though, your eyes met: he was standing near the entrance of the clubhouse, your eyes locked on his, he noticed your eyes were red and you must’ve cried. He felt like shit, but he had a reputation to keep up, so he simply made his way to the counter and opened a pack of cigarettes, ignoring you completely. “Can you at least tell me why? Do you have someone else?”, your voice made him turn back around but he didn’t answer. He turned bac towards the counter and you humourlessly chuckled, “You’re giving me the silent treatment. Really? I should be the one not talking to you! I deserve to know why you left me all of sudden, don’t you think?”. You were angry, now. “It’s not you, it’s me” his words were quick, and he had really hoped you’d buy his stupid excuse. Of course, that didn’t happen. “Bullshit! I know that’s not true”, your voice cracked at the end and he heard it, but still didn’t say anything else. All eyes in the clubhouse were on you and him, some of the guys got back inside after hearing the commotion and now Coco couldn’t escape the consequences of his actions. Ez grabbed your hand and pulled you away from where you stood, now full on crying, and offered you a glass of water, along with a hug. You cried into him, “I just want to know what if I did something wrong, why I wasn’t enough”, you sobbed and Ez looked at Coco with a scowl on his face. Angel doing the same once he saw the situation inside.

Coco got up from the stool, grabbed you by the arm and pulled you into an empty room, closed the door. “Why the fuck would you come here, hm? Didn’t you get the message?”, he was almost screaming, his eyes wide and fists balled at his sides. “Yeah, I did, and that’s why I’m here! I wanna understand what the fuck is going on, you can’t just leave me with a fucking text for nothing!”, you were really trying to keep your cool, but it was difficult when he was giving you such a hard time understanding him. “There I nothing to say. We. Are. Done. You can’t be around me anymore”, he had lighted another cigarette in between all the screaming and he took a long drag from it. “But why!” “Because I love you too much!”. So it was really the ‘it’s not you it’s me’ excuse. And that made you even angrier. “Please explain to me how that’s a bad thing”. “My love for you is like a disease. And it’s probably terminal!”, he finally shouted, and you couldn’t say anything. You were suddenly froze in place. “I am afraid I’m going to fucking ruin your life just like how I ruin everyone else’s. I don’t want anything to happen to you, especially because of me. I’m sorry, fuck, but I really can’t let you destroy your life. You gotta stay away from me”, he turned around, probably headed to the door of the room, but you stopped him but grabbing his hand. “It is my decision whether I want to be away from you or not. And I don’t want to. Don’t you see how much I love you?”, your eyes were sincere as they looked at him, and he felt like they could see his soul. “I don’t care if you fuck up, I’m always going to be here for you, no questions asked. I love you; I know what you do, and I don’t care. As long as you love me, I’m fine with everything else that may happen”, by the end of your ramble, you were standing directly in front of him and he felt like he could cry. You were really in for the long ride. And that also made him horny, nothing aroused him more than loyalty and being wanted.

He grabbed your face and smashed his lips on your, the kiss deep and needy. It took Coco a total of three minutes to have you naked and moaning his name, your legs around his waist as he fucked you, your back leaning on some random furniture. “Tell me you need me”, he was panting and he bit down on your neck, leaving a mark. “I need you, Coco, please”. Your eyes were squeezed shut, your mouth open and you were sure the people in the other room didn’t have to guess what was happening in here. “Fuck, you’re so good to me, querida”, he took one of your nipples in his mouth, sucking on it, and that was your cue. Your orgasm was strong and it triggered his own, milking him as he kept thrusting into your pulsing cunt. He inevitably slowed to a stop, staying still with you in his arms, both of you regaining you breath.

Later that day, he told you about his family, his mom, his daughter that had just showed up, and you listened to him. “I don’t care about these things, the only thing I care about is your love. I’m fine with everything else, really”. The day after, you met his daughter and it took a while for her to get used to you, but you started to get along, eventually moving in all together. Coco happier than ever to see his two favourite girls interact and being a family.

[etherealwaifgoddess]

Run To You, Chpt.4

Summary: Bucky mends things with Steve and together they move forward to the next step in the relationship. Master list is HERE :)

Content Warnings: Some lovely smut towards the end of the chapter

Word Count: 5.3k

Author’s Note: Hello lovelies! I originally had this broken out into two smaller chapters but then I decided the hell with it and am giving you one giant monster of a chapter instead. So please enjoy this 5.3k word beast which contains lots of sweet fluff and some steamy smut towards the end. XOXO - Ash

Chapter Four

The communication black out lasts three days. It’s the longest they’ve gone without talking or texting since they met over a month ago. Bucky is surlier than usual and eventually Natasha calls him out on it. He wants to pick a fight with her when she does but he’s running late for his shift and he has to hurry out the door, settling for just flipping her off as he leaves. Natasha, however, is undeterred and proceeds to text him, letting him know exactly what she thinks of the situation. 

It’s a slow night in the ER and Bucky can’t stand the down time. All he can think about is the fight with Steve. Well, not even a fight really. Steve pissed him off and he did what he does best: he ran. The more Bucky thinks about it, the more he feels like an ass. He knows how socially awkward Steve is, how he’s not always sure of societal norms. It’s not all that surprising that Steve would make a faux paux, but Bucky’s reaction to it wasn’t okay. The longer he dwells on it the more he realizes how very not okay it was. 

Bucky is forced to take his mid-shift break when Darcy comes on rotation, the tiny woman physically shoving him towards the break room and telling him to catch a nap if he can. She’s been a good friend since he started there three years ago, and she knows how much the overnight shift wears on him. Bucky stares at his phone, wondering if a text would wake Steve. He hopes not, it’s just past two in the morning and no one deserves to be woken up by an apology text at that hour. Bucky types, and retypes, and retypes again, the best apology he can muster. After staring at his phone for another five minutes, willing the message to send itself, he deletes it, settling for a simple: I’m sorry for what happened. Can we talk when you have time?

Sighing in relief that the dreaded text is sent, Bucky lays back on one of the break room cots and starts scrolling through his Instagram feed. He barely gets through Clint’s latest story when his phone rings, Steve’s goofy contact photo lighting up the screen. Shocked, Bucky flails and drops the phone, the damned device sliding under the cot where Bucky has to crawl down to get it, frantically trying to answer the call in time. “Hello!” he shouts breathlessly as he swipes to accept the call. 

“Bucky?” Steve asks, confused and concerned by Bucky’s breathless tone.

“Sorry, dropped my phone. I’m here.” 

“Oh, is it okay? I’ve broken four iPhones dropping them. I’m pretty sure Tony is ready to kill me, but they’re just so fragile.” 

Bucky smirks, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice. “It’s fine, thanks. How on earth did you manage to destroy an iPhone just by dropping it though? They’re fragile but my buddy Clint drops his daily and it’s fine.” 

Steve chuckles, a self depreciating rumble, “Well, when you drop them while exiting a Quinjet in mid air they don’t typically make it to the ground in one piece. And one time it was off a building but really, that time it just slipped right out of my hand. Even super soldier reflexes couldn’t catch it.” 

The laugh Bucky was suppressing bursts free. “Oh god, no wonder Stark wants to kill you.” 

There’s a beat of silence after Bucky’s laughter dies down. It’s heavy, the reason for the call hanging in the air. “It’s real good to hear your voice.” Steve admits quietly. 

Bucky’s heart clenches, “Yeah, it’s good to hear yours too. I didn’t mean to bolt like that. I’m sorry I didn’t give us a chance to talk it out.” 

“You weren’t wrong. I don’t know her, and it was thoughtless of me to trivialize your problems by trying to solve them for you.” 

“You were just being a good person. I get why you wanted to help. In the moment though, I felt like you thought I couldn’t take care of my own kid. And I’m sorry, but that’s probably always going to be a sore point for me. I fight like hell everyday to give that little girl a better life than I had and I’m damned proud of that. But… I still shouldn’t have run out on you like that.” 

“Buck… I… I would never think for a minute that you can’t take care of her. She’s so lucky she has you raising her, you’re an amazing parent. I’m sorry if I made you feel otherwise.” 

Bucky sniffed roughly, ignoring the burning of unshed tears, “Thanks, Steve. It means a lot. And I promise the next time we disagree with something, I won’t go running off without us talking things through. I really like you, Steve. I want to give us a real chance.” 

“I really like you too, a lot. Can I see you later this week? Maybe we can have a do over at the cafe and you can actually eat your chocolate chip pancakes this time. They were really good, you missed out.” 

“Yeah, we can do that. I was really looking forward to… wait, what? Did you eat my pancakes?” 

“Um, well, I took them home thinking I’d be able to give them to you later. But then you didn’t reach out and I didn’t want them going to waste. I’m sorry?” 

“Nah, it’s good someone ate them. I really was looking forward to them, though. I have off all day tomorrow for Becca’s appointment if you’re free. And you know who else really likes chocolate chip pancakes?” He waits a beat for Steve to guess but the other man is silent on the other end of the line, “Becca.” 

Steve is quite another moment before finally responding. “I don’t want you to feel like I’m rushing you. If you’re not ready for me to meet her, that’s okay. I’ll wait as long as it takes until you’re comfortable.” 

“We’re not rushing, it’s time. Tomorrow will be good because if she does get glasses, which is likely, we’ll be able to celebrate with dinner out for her. Honestly, she’s going to take one look at those giant pancakes and you will be an afterthought. She loves my friends who help watch her but I’ve never introduced her to a boyfriend before so I’m not sure how she’ll take that. Hopefully this will make it a good experience for her.” 

“Ah yes, bribing small children with baked goods and sugar. I’m all in favor of that.” 

Bucky chuckles, “Whatever works. So, we’ll see you tomorrow? Maybe around five thirty?” 

“Yeah, I can do that. I’ll see you two then.” 

“See you then.” Bucky disconnects the call, a wide smile plastered on his face. He really likes Steve and feels like this relationship could be different from his past ones. 

Bucky’s good mood is noticeable and gets him teased by both Darcy and Carol at work, followed by Clint when he arrives home later that morning. He can’t be bothered by their affectionate jabs though, he knows he has it bad. He hasn’t mentioned to his friends who Steve is, as in Captain America, only saying he’s a cute guy he met in the bodega near his house. Only Natasha knows the whole truth but she eats secrets like M&Ms so he has no fears of her saying anything to anyone. 

xxXxx

Becca is surprisingly cooperative getting ready for preschool, even after Bucky reminds her she has a doctor’s appointment afterwards. She’s so used to seeing her various doctors that it doesn’t even phase her outside the concern if this new doctor will have a good prize box like her breathing specialist does or if they’ll just have stickers like her normal pediatrician. Bucky reminds her that not all doctors have prize boxes and she should be nice to them no matter what. Becca nods but tells him that he should really ask these sort of questions when he calls for an appointment. It’s through ironclad self control that he manages not to laugh until she’s through the doors of Applegate Academy. His little girl is a spitfire and he loves it. 

Bucky manages to snag a few hours of sleep while Becca’s at school. He can’t wait for Monday when he’s off again and can sleep for a full night like a normal person. Cat naps on his breaks at the ER and a few hours here and there at home never seem to be enough when his rotation schedule has too many days in a row. Bucky dresses quickly, not wanting to show up in his sweats despite knowing the cafe is definitely a casual meet up. He’s still unsure how Becca is going to handle meeting Steve. Sometimes she’s all bravado and personality, others she tucks herself behind Bucky’s legs to shy away. There’s never a rhyme or reason to it and the pediatrician said it’s normal preschooler behavior. Bucky can only hope it goes well for all of them. He has enough to worry about with the eye doctor’s appointment. 

Becca decides she loves her optometrist the second she sits down in the exam chair. Dr. Gibbons is a soft spoken older man with greying hair and a deeply lined face. He makes Becca giggle throughout the appointment with his antics which keep the visit stress free for the little girl. After running through a series of tests he confirms what the school suspected, Becca does need glasses. The doctor explains that Becca’s prescription is only a -1.75 so it’s not surprising she hadn’t shown more noticeable symptoms. Bucky fights back the tears that prickle along the corners of his eyes at the news; relief washing over him that this wasn’t something he’d blatantly missed. 

Shopping for glasses is a bit of a challenge considering Becca thinks she’s a princess and Bucky’s wallet begs to differ. He lucks out that they have a sale going and he steers Becca to the shelf of glasses that he can get for a reasonable price. She does finally pick a pair from the sale shelf that she says make her look like a librarian, which is her current career aspiration since she met the school librarian a month ago. Bucky chuckles and assures her she looks very nice. The doctor offers to have them ready to pick up in an hour which leaves them with enough time to walk down the block to the community park they passed on their way. Becca throws herself around the jungle gym like a wild animal and it makes Bucky thankful he spent the extra money on a protection plan on her new glasses. She’s an active little girl and he’d rather pay a extra few dollars now than buy a whole new pair of glasses when something happens. 

The glasses come out perfect and barely need adjusting to fit Becca’s face. The tortoise shell frames stand out against her pale face making her grey-blue eyes even more pronounced. Bucky is full of emotion watching her tilt her head from side to side examining how she looks until finally announcing they’re marvelous and taking off to see how far away she can see now. Bucky hands over his debit card, cringing at the total but thankful he had enough to cover them without completely wiping out his savings. Becca is oblivious to his stress, thankfully, and spends the whole walk to the cafe pointing out things she can see now like little symbols on store signs and smaller items on display in store windows. It’s like the whole world has opened up for her and Bucky couldn’t be happier for his little girl. The awning of the cafe comes into view and Bucky braces himself for the impending meeting. The first half of their day went well, now he just has to hope the second part does too. 

xxXxx

Becca shrieks when she sees the tiny honey bees on the sign of the cafe. Her love affair with bugs of all sorts has her grilling the waitress about bees while they’re led to a table. The poor waitress at least knows enough about bees to keep the conversation going, although the cafe itself is more wildflower themed than bee themed. The tiny honey bees on the sign were more of an afterthought than the main artwork. Becca is still on her bee tangent when Steve walks in, looking around and spotting them easily. 

“Becs,” Bucky gets her attention, “Remember that I said we’re meeting my friend Steve here too? And that you have to be on your very best behavior?”

Becca nods, “I know. I’ll be good. And then I’ll get pancakes as big as my head.” 

“You got it. Steve is here and he’s coming over so remember your manners please.” Bucky waves Steve over, the blonde was actually waiting for Bucky to give him permission before approaching. It’s sweet and considerate and makes Bucky think he was right in entrusting Steve to meet his little girl. 

Becca hops up as Steve approaches and stands ramrod straight, her little hand extended towards him. “Hello.” she says in her most polite tone, “I’m Rebecca Grace Barnes, but you can call me Becca.” 

Steve looks like he would melt into a puddle on the floor if he physically could. Instead, he crouches down to her level and shakes her hand gently. “Nice to meet you, Becca. I’m Steven Grant Rogers, but you can call me Steve.” 

Becca giggles, “That’s silly. You have Captain America’s name.” 

“Oh god.” Bucky mutters under his breath while Steve blushes brightly. 

Steve pulls his SHIELD ID card out of his wallet and flashes it to Becca. Her eyes widen and Steve presses a finger to his lips making a shhh sound.  

Becca spins around to Bucky glaring, “Why didn’t you bring Captain America home before?!” she demands. “He’s way cooler than Chrissy’s stupid uncle who was on TV.” 

“Rebecca Grace!” Bucky hisses. “This is my friend, not someone for you to brag to your classmates about.” 

Becca cringes, she hates being scolded. “Sorry Bucky. Sorry Steve.” she pouts, reclaiming her seat. 

“It’s okay,” Steve assures her as he takes his seat across the table from her. “I know you were just excited.” he turns to look at Bucky, drinking in the sight of him after the long days of radio silence. “It’s good to see you.” Steve reaches out across the table for Bucky’s hand and the brunette extends his to meet Steve halfway. 

“You too. I missed you.” Bucky tells him, giving Steve’s hand a squeeze. The moment is soft and full of unspoken words, words unsuitable for the tiny ears that aren’t missing a beat. 

Becca watches them with narrowed eyes. “Is Steve a friend you kiss?” she asks, breaking their tender moment.

Steve blushes again, hard, and Bucky can’t help but grin. Steve is painfully adorable when he blushes. “Yeah, Becs. Steve is my boyfriend.” 

“Tommy’s mom has a boyfriend. Tommy says he takes him to Coney Island and lets him have funnel cake for dinner. Can we go to Coney Island?” 

Steve helplessly looks to Bucky who just nods subtly. “Sure, Becca. We can do that sometime.” Steve assures her once Bucky has made his assent clear. “I like spending time with your brother and I’d like to spend time with you too, if that’s okay.” 

“I guess that’s okay.” 

Bucky shoots Steve a thumbs up and tries not to laugh. “Why don’t you pick out your dinner, Becs? It’s your celebration dinner, you can have whatever you want.” 

“What are we celebrating?” Steve asks, wanting to give Becca a chance to tell him even though he already knows.

“My glasses!” she announces excitedly. “They’re new. Do you like them?”

“They’re very nice.” 

Becca launches into her spiel on how she wants to be a librarian and the librarian at her school has glasses like these and so does the librarian at the public library so now she looks like them and she can be a librarian when she grows up. Steve nods and smiles at the appropriate times, completely enamored by her. Becca’s expressions are identical to Bucky’s, the Barnes family genes running strong between the pair of siblings. She’s lively despite her small size and Steve finds himself thinking back to when he was just a feisty little thing himself. 

When the waitress comes back around, Becca orders chocolate chip pancakes and hot cocoa. Bucky and Steve follow suit ordering breakfast for dinner; Bucky looking forward to finally getting to enjoy his own order of chocolate chip pancakes. Becca attacks her food the second it’s in front of her, letting Steve and Bucky chat while she eats. They catch up with how Steve’s been doing since his last mission and how much Bucky’s looking forward to a day off and going back on daytime rotations soon. Steve is surprised by how easily the meal goes with Becca. She’s such a sweetheart and he worries he’ll be wrapped around her little finger in no time at all. 

The validity of concern comes to fruition as soon as they leave the cafe. Steve gives Bucky a chaste kiss, promising to text him later when Becca tugs on the hem of his shirt. She’s tired, leaning heavily on Bucky’s leg and waiting for Steve to stoop down to her level. 

“What’s up, Becca?” Steve asks once he’s down face to face with her.

“Can you tuck me in tonight? I bet you have better bedtime stories than Bucky.” 

Bucky tries to look offended but fails, barely suppressing a laugh while he shrugs at Steve.

“If you’re sure.” Steve says carefully. “But I’m probably just as boring as your brother.” 

“Nah, you’re super cool. Please come home and tuck me in?” 

“Okay, lead the way.” 

Becca takes Steve’s hand but is dragging behind him after a few blocks. “Steeeve.” she whines, “Carry me?” 

Steve doesn’t even hesitate, he just scoops the little girl up in his arms and pops her on top of his shoulders. 

“It’s so tall up here.” she mumbles, leaning her head on the top of his like it’s a pillow.

Bucky gives Steve an apologetic look but Steve just smiles. He really doesn’t mind in the least. Steve always wanted kids but never expected it to be in the cards for him. He was so sickly growing up he felt that he couldn’t in good conscious pass along his genes and risk a child having all the health issues he did. And that was even if he found a woman who would have had his 90 pound asthmatic self for a husband. Steve had always known he was bisexual and had leaned towards a preference for men, but that would have posed a whole other set of issues for him back in the 1940s and would have ruled out any possible chance of children for sure. Now though, he’s able to openly date a wonderful man who just happens to come with a kid in tow. It’s everything he’s ever dared to hope for and Steve tries to slow his racing thoughts to no avail. He hopes and wishes and prays that the rush of affection he feels for this man lasts and grows. Steve has never felt so in sync with someone before and it’s hard to slow down his emotions because of it. 

Becca is practically asleep when they get back to their apartment. Bucky’s been keeping an eye on her as the moments between her blinks slow, until her eyes stay closed and she’s draped over Steve’s head and shoulders like an obnoxious hat. “She’s almost out.” Bucky whispers to Steve as they climb the stairs to his apartment.

“Do you think she’ll still want a story?” Steve asks quietly. He’s been trying to remember stories his ma told him along the way. He knows bits and pieces of a few and hopes she isn’t going to be too picky. 

“Depends. If she wakes up a bit when you put her down, you’re not getting away without a story. If the eyes stay mostly closed, you can escape with just a hug.”

“You have it down to a science.” Steve jokes.

“It happens.” Bucky shrugs. The truth is, Becca is a pretty easy to read kid. She’s expressive and open which makes anticipating her needs extremely easy. Bucky had gotten so lucky with Becca; she had been an easy baby, a happy toddler, and was now an easy going preschooler. Natasha likes to tease that she’s lulling him into complacency and the real struggle will hit during her teenage years, but Bucky has a feeling she’s just a genuinely good kid. Admittedly though, he’s probably a little biased.

“It’s not much, but it’s ours.” Bucky tells Steve as they enter their tiny apartment. He leads Steve down to Becca’s room so he can pull her off the blonde's shoulders and lay her down in her bed. 

Becca stirs and blinks blearily, not fully waking up. “Steve?” she mumbled.

“Yep, I’m here.” Steve pulls up her lady bug print sheets, making sure she’s well tucked in. “You sleep tight, okay?” 

Becca mumbles something unintelligible and then flings her arms out for a hug. Steve leans in and carefully returns her embrace. 

“Night Steve. Night Bucky. Love you.” she says with a yawn before sprawling out to get comfortable. 

The men quietly exit Becca’s room, Bucky closing the door behind them so they can head down the hall to the living room. 

“Thanks for doing that.” Bucky says once they’re standing by the sofa. “She seems to really like you.” 

“The feeling’s mutual.” Steve admits. “She’s a great kid, Bucky.” 

“Yeah, she is. So, do you have to hurry off or would you like to stay for a bit?” 

Steve doesn’t even have to consider it. “I’ll stay.”

Bucky chuckles at Steve’s eager reply. “Come on, let’s settle in and we can watch something on Netflix.” 

Steve joins Bucky on the threadbare sofa, careful to set his weight down gently since he’s a bit larger of a man than the sofa was designed for. Bucky slumps in like he’s done a million times before, letting Steve adjust to dictate how close he wants to be. Much to his surprise and delight, Steve scoots over almost instantly to wrap an arm around Bucky’s shoulders. “This okay?” he checks in as he moves. Bucky nods and the smile on Steve’s face could light up the sun. 

They watch an old episode of Parks and Recreation, Steve recognizing the show in Bucky’s Netflix queue. He’d watched a few episodes and found he really liked it but hadn’t gotten past the third season yet. Steve doesn’t get much downtime to sit around watching TV and he cherishes the time with Bucky to just relax and bask in the affectionate warmth of each other’s company. 

“This is nice.” Steve says with a yawn as the second episode comes to an end. 

As if on cue, Bucky’s yawn echos Steve’s as he nods. “It is.” he agrees, sliding himself up a little so he’s hovering closer to Steve’s face. “It really is.”

Steve takes the hint and meets Bucky half way for a lingering, unhurried, kiss. One kiss leads to two, leads to three, and then they’re making out with Bucky practically lying on top of Steve on the small sofa. It’s less than comfortable but Steve is too wrapped up in having Bucky on top of him to mind. His mind swims, overwhelmed and unable to focus on anything other than Bucky, Bucky, Bucky. There’s a pressing hardness against Steve’s thigh and he groans when he takes notice. It feels fast but they’ve been talking for months and he hasn’t felt this close to anyone since before the ice. He slides his thigh back and forth, giving Bucky just the slightest friction until the brunette is shuddering and gasping his name. 

“Steve, wait.” Bucky rasps, pushing lightly on the other man’s shoulders. 

“You okay?” Steve checks in.

“Yeah, yeah. Just… Becca’s right down the hall.” 

Steve blushes brightly, “Sorry, I didn’t even think.” 

“It’s okay, you’re not used to having a kid around.” 

“I can go, just gimme a minute.” he laughs lightly looking down at the bulge in his slacks. “Last thing I need is someone snapping a pic of Captain America walking around with a boner.” 

Bucky barks out a laugh, “Wow, yeah. That would be bad. You don’t have to go though, I have my very own room down the hall with a door that locks. As long as you can keep quiet, we’ll be just fine.” 

“I think that can be arranged.”

Bucky grins, taking Steve’s hand in his and leading him down the hall to his bedroom. It’s nothing fancy, just a bed and dresser with a small window and closet. The navy blue bedspread has white constellations on it and Steve smiles at this new tidbit of insight into Bucky’s life. Bucky takes a moment to lock the door before pushing Steve gently back towards the bed until the back of his knees are colliding with the edge and he’s forced to sit down. It’s subtle, the way Bucky is herding Steve right where he wants him. Bucky brackets Steve’s knees with his own, forcing Steve to scoot back a little to give him space. Leaning down, Bucky captures Steve’s lips and picks up right where they left off on the sofa. 

Steve hasn’t felt small since before the serum, but this, being surrounded by Bucky under his loving touches and kisses, Steve is transported back to his pre-war self. His whole being is consumed by Bucky and he loves the overwhelmingness of it. Little gasps slip from his lips when Bucky trails kisses and little nips down the column of his throat, he can barely keep up with the sensations. Before he knows what’s happening, Steve realizes Bucky is kneeling between his legs, looking up at him in silent request. Steve nods and Bucky gets to work divesting Steve of his pants and underwear. 

Bucky groans slightly at the sight of Steve’s cock bobbing proudly upwards towards his navel. He’s long and deliciously thick, and while Bucky’s no size queen, he’s fully appreciating what Steve’s got going on. He gives Steve’s shaft a few tentative strokes, making Steve cant his head back and squeeze his eyes tightly shut. Rubbing away a bead of pre come at the tip with his thumb, Bucky lowers his head and swallows Steve down with ease. It’s been a while, a very long while, but deep throating was a skill Bucky mastered long ago. He’s always loved giving head, the intimacy of the act and the trust it requires on both parts. There’s something impossibly erotic about bringing his partner to the peaks of pleasure that can only be reached  by just the right suction and swirling of his tongue.

Steve thinks he’s died and gone to heaven as Bucky starts sucking him off in earnest. He’s had blow jobs before, hurried, rushed things back in the 30s and 40s done in secret with the fear of being discovered, and a few since waking up from the ice that were more relaxed and quite nice, but nothing could have prepared him for Bucky’s mouth. It’s like white hot electricity is flowing through his veins and he’s trembling uncontrollably as the energy coils low and tight in his belly. He can’t stop himself as he stammers, “Buck… Buck wait… I can’t…. I’m gonna…” 

It’s all the warning Bucky gets before Steve is spilling down his throat and he’s swallowing quickly trying not to lose a single drop. Steve is still shaking, the muscles in his ridiculously toned stomach dancing from the tremors. Bucky leans back on his heels, unable to hide his smirk even as he wipes the saliva from his puffy lips. 

“That was…” Steve attempts but ends up just flailing a hand in place of words. His higher brain functioning isn’t back online yet. 

Bucky bites his lip to suppress his grin, he’s pleased with himself damnit. It’s not every day he gets to reduce a national icon to a stammering mess. 

“God, Bucky.” Steve huffs, “Seriously. Fucking hell. Get up here.” Steve pulls at Bucky’s shoulders until the brunette is straddling his thighs again and Steve can start tugging at the button on Bucky’s jeans. 

Bucky lets Steve tug his jeans and boxer briefs down around his thighs, too impatient to completely take them off. “Jesus, Bucky.” Steve murmurs, still undone and reeling from what was easily the best orgasm he’s had in this century. He thankfully has the sense to spit in his palm before wrapping it around Bucky’s throbbing cock. Watching Steve come had Bucky right on a razor edge of pleasure himself and he knows he isn’t going to last much longer than Steve did. There will be time later for going slower, drawing it out, he assures himself. Right now the heated frenzy is exactly what they both need. Steve is absorbed watching the head of Bucky’s cock appear and disappear in his grasp, barely recognizing how very close Bucky already is. He twists his wrist slightly on the upward stroke, making Bucky gasp little choked off moans against his chest where the brunette has slumped forward, practically boneless. Steve grips him a little tighter, reveling in the pulsing of Bucky’s hot, fat cock in his hand and the noise it causes. He might not be as long as Steve, but his girth has Steve squirming thinking of how it would feel inside him. Despite what Tony thinks, Steve is no blushing virgin. He knows exactly what he likes in bed and his mind supplies all sorts of wonderful fantasies of Bucky giving it to him until he barely remember his own name. 

Steve is startled from his pornographic imagination when Bucky goes rigid against him, jets of come splashing all the way up his stomach to his chest. He lets up his grip and works Bucky gently through the last of his orgasm. Steve wipes his hand on Bucky’s jeans so he can wrap his arms around Bucky, letting him stay nestled against Steve’s broad chest while he comes down from his own high. 

“Why did we wait so long to do that?” Bucky asks a few minutes later, breaking the gentle silence. 

Steve chuckles, “Beats me. Don’t know how I’m gonna keep my hands off of you now though.” 

“Hmm. Guess we’ll just have to control ourselves somehow. Or maybe we can get a babysitter sometime and really make a night of it.” 

“Yes, please, yes. Becca is great but god I want you in my bed for a whole night.” 

“I’ll talk to Nat, we’ll figure something out.” Bucky offers, heart pounding at the idea. 

Steve stifles a yawn, the late hour catching up with him. “I should head off.” he admits unhappily. 

“Let’s get you cleaned off first.” Bucky pulls his jeans and boxer briefs off, wiping Steve down where sticky come is cooling on his golden skin. Tossing them into the laundry basket, Bucky grabs a pair of soft pajama bottoms so he can walk Steve to the door. 

Steve is reluctant to leave and they swap sweet, sleepy, kisses in the doorway until finally he finds the resolve to pull back and wish Bucky sweet dreams. Bucky watches as Steve heads off, wondering how he got so lucky when all he did was mouth off in a bodega after a bad day. Whatever it was, he decides he’s not going to question it. It’s nice to have something actually go right in his life for once.

[corgi-yeonjun]

Intertwining Soulmates

Pairing: Choi Soobin X Reader

Genre: Soulmate!au

Word Count: 1583

Summary: Everyone has a tattoo of two intertwining symbols. One symbol represents you and the other represents your soulmate. The placement of the tattoo is random, but it will be in the same spot and position as you soulmate.

[Masterlist]

I was staring at my wrist, more specifically, at the ink that was embedded into my skin. It was a rabbit and (your symbol). It made me ponder as to who was my soulmate.

“Y/N? Are you even listening to me?” a voice breaks me from my thoughts. I quickly pull my sleeve down and look at up.

“Sorry Beomgyu” I apologize.

“Hmmm.... You were staring at your tattoo again, weren’t you?” he questions. I silently nod my head.

“Yeah, I wish I could find them. I mean, you already found yours. So I feel left out.”

“You’ll get the meet them one day,” Beomgyu smiles, “Anyways, lets head over to the library café. I’m hungry and you, missy, need to study for your upcoming exam.”

“Ughhh, I know, you’re not my dad” I groan while swinging my bag on my shoulder and reluctantly follow after him.

Once we arrived and seated ourselves near a window, Beomgyu asks for a waiter. I hear footsteps come closer and open my mouth to order a drink. I glance up and my eyes open wide.

“Y/N, close your mouth, you’re going to catch flies” Beomgyu exclaims.

“Huh? Wha-?” I fade back into reality as I hear someone clear their throat.

“What would you like to have today?” a smooth voice coming from the man standing next to our table asks.

“I’ll have a Chestnut Praline Latte” Beomgyu says without hesitation. I watch the man, whom was called Soobin from his name tag on his chest, write down Beomgyu’s order on his notepad.

“And for you Miss?”

“Huh?” I blink, “Oh! I’ll just have a Caramel Iced Coffee with cream and sugar please.”

“Is that all?” he asks and we both nod, “Your drinks will be out in a few.”

I watch him walk away from our table and over to the drink machines. I sense eyes on me and turn my head to see Beomgyu grinning at me.

“What?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Does someone have a crush?”

“W-What? Pfft, No! And besides, I doubt that he just so happens to have the same tattoo as me, he probably has a soulmate already.” I let out a huff and pull out my textbooks.

“Who knows, maybe he is” Beomgyu remarks.

It wasn’t but about 10 minutes later when our drinks were ready. Soobin returns to our table and hands me my drink first and I thank him. It was when he handed over Beomgyu’s drink that I noticed something black on his wrist. I took a sip of my drink and squinted my eyes. Realizing what it was, I start to choke on my drink.

“Y/N! Are you okay?” Beomgyu asks.

“Yeah, it just went down the wrong pipe is all” I cough. Soobin nods his head and excuses himself.

“Alright, spill it Y/N” Beomgyu retorts.

“I swear I shouldn’t have said that earlier,” I grumble, “stupid me.”

Beomgyu tilts his head in confusion before catching onto what I was saying. He lets out a laugh and I send him a glare.

“It’s not funny!” I groan.

“This is perfect Y/N! You’ve found him! Now you just gotta ask him out” he wipes an imaginary tear from his eye.

“What? No! I can’t do that!” I exclaim, “that’s too embarrassing.”

“Y/N, you’re soulmates, it isn’t going to be embarrassing,” he states seriously, “when he comes back with the check, you can say something then.”

“Fine” I sigh.

It was roughly an hour later and it was starting to grow dark out. I began packing my books away when Soobin walks over with the check. Beomgyu reminds me of what I have to do and I silently groan.

“Here’s the check,” Soobin places the paper on the table, “I hope you guys have a nice day.”

He turns to leave when I open my mouth, “Wait!”

Oops, I said that way too loud cause now everyone was looking at me. Soobin turns around and comes back to the table, “Yes?”

“Oh... Um... You see...” I stumble on my words.

“Y/N is your soulmate, enough said. I’ll take my leave. Oh and Soobin, was it? Can you walk Y/N home? It’s getting dark out” Beomgyu states and exits out the front door. My face has got to be bright red right now as I glare at Beomgyu on his way out.

“Is it true?” I jump at the question and turn my head back to Soobin. I shyly nod my head and pull up my sleeve. He glances down and lets out a gasp when he sees the tattoo. I watch as he pushes up his own sleeve and place his wrist next to mine. They were identical, not a single detail out of place.

He stops staring at our wrists and looks at me. We lock eyes and it felt like the world had stopped. I could hear the sound of my heart pounding in my chest. It wasn’t until the sound of cheering that broke our trance. I blink and look around to see everyone clapping. They shouting things like, “D’awww that’s so beautiful” and “I remind when I found my soulmate.”

“Soobin,” a lady announces, causing him to turn around, “you can leave early. I hope you too have a wonderful night!”

“Thank you” Soobin bows to her and turns back towards me, “I just have to grab my things and I’ll be right out, okay?”

I only nod my head because I knew that if I said something it would come out as a squeak. Soobin disappears into the employee room and I return to collecting my own things. I zip my bag and swing it onto my shoulder. Collecting my empty cup, I notice that Beomgyu had already thrown his away and the check was gone. I felt my bag vibrate and open it to pull out my phone.

Taehyun

I paid for our drinks before I left.

If that dude does anything let me know and I’ll have my way with him. Even though he looks older than me...

Still, I’ll make him pay.

Anyways, have fun and be safe!

I let out a chuckle and reply to him with a “Okay dad”. I place my phone back into my bag and feel it vibrate again. Though I don’t take it out again because I see Soobin make his way over to me.

“Are you ready?” he asks. He seemed almost nervous and was twiddling with the zipper of his jacket.

“Yup!” I smile and readjust my bag. We walk towards the front and he opens the door for me.

We get about half to my house and we had yet to talk to one another. It wasn’t a bad thing, it was a comfortable silence. But someone had to break it and I guess that was me.

“So a rabbit huh?” I look at the tattoo again. He gets slightly startled by my voice before smiling.

“Yeah, I knew mine was the rabbit because I could just feel it, ya know? And besides my friends kinda call me a rabbit sometimes. Though yours is beautiful as well.”

“Mhm,” I hum, “I felt the same thing with (your symbol). They’re kinda cute together.”

“You’re kinda cute,” Soobin blurts out, “Wait, shoot... I’m-“

Before he could say anything, I burst out laughing. His face gets red and he rubs the back of his neck. I stop laughing and smile. I turn my head and see that we had made it to my house. My smile slightly fades away when I realize this has come to an end.

“You okay?” Soobin questions. I shake my head and look up at him.

“This is my stop,” I point to the house, “thank you for walking me home.”

“No problem!” he smiles, “Do you think I can get your number?”

I nod and dig in my bag for my phone. I find it and unlock it. I let out a brief chuckle when I read Taehyun’s message from earlier. I open a new message and hand Soobin my phone. I patiently wait as he types away before handing it back to me. I hear a ding from his pocket and he pulls it out.

I look down at my phone and see that he set his name as “🐰Soulmate🐰” and he messaged himself, “My beautiful soulmate”. My face gets warm reading what he sent. I glance back up at him and he was looking at me while having his hands in his pockets.

“I’m guessing good night then?” Soobin says and I nod. I stand on my tiptoes to give him a peck on the cheek and rush over to my front door. I spin around to laugh had his blushing face.

“Good night my bunny!” I wave at him. He stops blushing and waves back to me. I unlock my door and walk in when I feel my phone vibrate. I glance down and see that I had a new text message.

🐰Soulmate🐰

Good night!

We should hang out sometime tomorrow.

Unless you’re busy...

Then, maybe another day?

Just let me know.

Umm...

I’ll let you sleep now.

A big smile grows on my face and I reply with a yes. I hit send and hold my phone to my face. I let out a happy sigh and make my way to my room.

[rhinozilla]

Whumptober Day 9: Shackled

Summary:  If Person could do nothing else, then she refused to let Connor die scared.

Warning: death themes, android body horror.

--

Gavin had been the first on the scene, and he’d radioed in that the old house was an “android chop shop.” The deeper Person stepped into the house, gun drawn and Chris at her six, the more horrifyingly accurate that name became. Every room was littered with biocomponents, limbs, and thirium stains in varying stages of evaporation. It was a house of horror, and she hoped that Connor had gotten the message not to come to this one, since he hadn’t picked up the phone when Person called him. He didn’t need to see this.

The house was being treated as an active scene, but although Person knew that more cops were in other areas of the house, something about the room they had just stepped into felt particularly…apart. This room was much cleaner than the rest of the house: a surgical level of sterile. Tools and incomplete biocomponents littered the tables against the walls, and there were two exam tables bolted to the floor in the middle of the room. This must have been where the ‘work’ was done. So far, they had identified three bodies as those of androids reported missing over the past two weeks. Whoever had been running this chop shop, however, was long gone, and they had left dozens of corpses in their wake.

A weak, gurgling sound snapped both Person and Chris’s attention to the far wall, where four dead androids were slumped on the floor, propped against the wall, held in place by thick shackles. Well, three of them were dead, their LEDs dark and their white plastic showing. The fourth was shifting slightly, the sluggish red of an LED visible in the shadows.

“Oh my god.” Person crossed over quickly. “We’ve got a live one. Chris, get android emergency services down here.”

Chris grabbed his radio at his shoulder, calling into it as he followed her. “Gavin, hey, are the techs here yet? We found a—“

“Connor?!” Person suddenly screamed, sprinting the last several steps to the bodies on the floor.

The android didn’t react, probably couldn’t, going by how much thirium was staining the floor around him. Person dropped to her knees, holstering her gun and reaching out for him.

“Connor? Oh my god…How—what’re you doing here—Chris, help me!” she cried out in a panic.

At her frantic tone, the android lifted his head, brown eyes sliding around her face with the barest ability to focus. His shirt had been removed, and the skin program over his torso had been deactivated, though it remained everywhere else. His plastic chest panel was gone, and so were…Person gagged against a swell of nausea, as she realized that there were three gaping holes burrowed through the machinery in his torso, where vital biocomponents should have been.

Thirium pump regulator…one ventilation biocomponent…one filtration unit…

They had been removed viciously, and those organs that remained glowed the same dull red of his LED as they were failing.

“Jesus…” Chris knelt beside her. “Oh shit…”

The battered android had managed to get his arms free from the wrist shackles, as the metal had become slick enough with blood to slide his hands through. By then, if she had to guess, blood loss had started to shut down his mobility…and without those missing biocomponents…

“Shut down…” he coughed weakly, blood dribbling over his lips, “…forty-seven seconds—“

“Chris, look for his regulator,” Person demanded, gently turning her friend away from the concrete wall and easing him down across her legs. “Maybe that’ll help delay the timer. You know what it looks like?!”

“Yeah! Yeah…” Chris jumped back, scrambling toward the metal lab table near the other wall, littered with circuitry and pieces of androids.

“Connor?” Person balanced his upper body over her arm, holding him to her. “Hey, hey, hey, hey, can you look at me? Right here, come on…”

Across her lap, he felt heavy, and his head tipped back over her arm. He looked up at her more because gravity wouldn’t let him do otherwise. He didn’t appear to recognize her, too far gone from blood loss and shock. He coughed once, and pain crawled across his face.

“Thirty-eight…” Static laced his voice.

“CHRIS!” Person yelled.

“I can’t find it!” Chris screamed back.

“Thirty-sev…seven…”

“It’s…not here.” Chris’s motions slowed, reaching the conclusion before Person did.

RK800 parts were rare, and rare meant valuable. The chopper wouldn’t have left them behind…but without them…the shutdown timer…

They were too late. There was nothing they could do. Without that thirium pump…Connor was going to…Even if they had found it, the damage in his chest was so severe…there was no way…in thirty seven seconds…that they could save him…

“No.” Person held him closer, looking wildly back at Chris. “Keep looking! Chris, PLEASE!”

“P-Police…” her dying friend whispered, lifting a shaky hand to touch the fabric of her jacket sleeve.

Person turned wet eyes to him from Chris. She grabbed his trembling hand in hers. His eyes were staring at the DPD patch on her jacket. His gaze was lost…confused…afraid. She drew a deep breath as she situated her hold on him and found resolve. If Person could do nothing else, then she refused to let Connor die scared.

“Yeah, we’re here, Connor,” she assured, forcing her voice to steady. “D-don’t you worry about anything, okay? We’re going to take care of you. It’ll be okay…”

She cupped her hand to the side of his face, hoping to help him find some focus as the seconds ticked down.

“Twennntyyy….” Panic laced his expression as he blinked desperately up at her.

“You’re doing great…Connor…I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere, I promise. I’m with you,” she promised, rubbing her thumb over his cheek lightly. “I love you, you know that? You’re…You’re my best friend. Connor, you’re my best—I love you so much…”

She started to crack, and she tried to force a smile on her face to cover it. Chris appeared at her side, kneeling down as well.

“We’re right here with you, man,” he said softly, grasping his hand. “Take it easy. The pain’ll stop soon.”

His blinks were slowing as he looked from Person to Chris. He tried to smile but couldn’t quite manage it. He looked back to Person.

“Th-thank…you…” he whispered, then tensed slightly in her hold. “N-nine…eight…”

“Connor…” Chris leaned closer.

“No. No, no, please…” Person’s vision swam, and she blinked rapidly to clear it. “Connor…”

“Four…” his voice failed, mouthing the rest as a silent countdown.

“I love you,” Person repeated, needing him to know. If it was the last thing he heard, it needed to be this. “Hank loves you. Tina loves you. Ben loves you. Wilson loves—We love you. We love you. We love—“

The LED went dark.

Her breath stalled with his, and her throat closed around the words. His body in her arms slackened, and his eyes mercifully slid closed. Everything in her body went numb as she continued to hold him, staring down at him, unable to move…unable to process…

“Person,” Chris said softly.

Footsteps were coming down the hallway…Gavin and the techs…Too late.

“Chris.” Gavin burst in first, and footsteps skidded to a halt. “Holy…Shit…”

Chris stood up, touching Person’s shoulder and going to intercept the newcomers.

Person blocked it out, ghosting her fingertips across his hair, wondering how long the residual battery power would last until the skin program turned off. She used her sleeve to wipe away the blood from his chin, closing his mouth for him. She kept one arm around his back, using her other to shrug her shoulder out of her jacket. She gently shifted her hold on her friend’s body, removing her jacket entirely. She situated the clothing over his open chest cavity, trying to save him some dignity in this awful place. She could do that much.

“—to get her away from this,” Gavin was saying. “And keep Hank and Connor out of here too. They don’t need to…see all this…”

The skin program flickered over his face, and Person flinched with it.

Footsteps resumed toward her. A single set. Sounded like Gavin.

Sure enough, the detective stepped around her, paused briefly, and then slowly squatted down.

“Person.”

“Go away.” She closed her eyes. “Please.”

Gavin sighed and rubbed his chin. “Person, I know what this looks like…but…this isn’t Connor.” He gestured to the body in her arms.

Person didn’t move, but her eyes lifted, glaring at him. “Fuck you, Gavin.”

Gavin didn’t react to that. “I’m not being a dick here…” He pointed his thumb toward the door. “Him and Hank literally just rolled up the driveway. I saw him with my own eyes.”

Person stared at him, feeling nothing.

Gavin shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “This,” he held a hand over the body, “is an RK800 model, but it isn’t Connor, not the one we know.” He shifted again. “Here, I can show you—“

He reached in, and Person viscerally leaned away with the android in her arms.

“Do NOT touch him,” she snarled.

Gavin turned his palms up, moving out of her space. “Okay, fine, heard you loud and clear, but just…look, okay? Serial number on the jawline.”

Slowly, agonizingly, Person lowered her eyes to the aforementioned jawline, where the skin was thinning enough to see the seams in the plastic casing of his head. She could make out dark grey numbers, recognizable as Connor’s serial number.

313-248-317-39.

…39? But…Connor’s number ended in 51…

This was…another…Connor? How was that—

She looked up sharply, and Gavin stared at her as comprehension dawned painfully.

“See?” he stated. “I can even get him on the radio if you need to hear his voice…Or, let me take you outside, and you can see him yourself.”

Person choked on her own throat, and a tremor passed through her entire body as relief saturated her blood. Simultaneously, everything in her chilled as she looked down at the RK800 lying in her lap. Surrounded by horror, his expression looked…peaceful. The pained lines had smoothed, and if it wasn’t for the LED, he could have looked like he was just in rest mode…

“C’mon,” Gavin suggested, holding out a hand but wisely not touching either of them. “You don’t need to be down here.”

“Yes, I do…”

Gavin groaned quietly and stood up off his knees. His knees audibly cracked as he straightened up, and he kept his voice low. “Why? You know that isn’t—Our Connor’s just upstairs—“

“This was still somebody,” Person said distantly, getting more comfortable on the floor, making it clear that she wasn’t leaving. “And I promised him that I’d stay with him…So I’m gonna stay with him until they…until they come to take him…Okay?”

Gavin outranked her. He could order her out of this room. She couldn’t offer any stronger argument to make him let her stay down here…Only that she knew she would pull her gun and threaten him if he tried to make her leave 39 alone down here. He had been alone down here long enough. Not a second more, not if she could help it.

“All right,” he conceded, eying the distressed officer for only a second longer before looking over to Chris. “I can get somebody else down here to hold the scene until the, uh, coroner? Android coroner? Until he gets here.”

“That’s okay,” Chris stated. “I can…stay down here with her. I can handle it.”

Whatever they said after that, Person let it fade to white noise. Instead, she tucked the jacket a little closer around 39. His head tilted toward her, his forehead brushing her bicep. She gulped against the thick ball of sorrow that wedged itself in her chest at the warm weight of him. She closed her eyes, letting the tears gathered there break down her cheeks. She dipped her head, pressing her lips to his temple at his hairline.

“I’m sorry we were so late, but we’re here now,” she whispered. “You can rest.”

( The subject of Connors 1-50 was addressed in my fic "The Breathing Graveyard" on AO3)

[blue---rose]

White Widow - Chapter Five

White Widow - Chapter Five

Fanfiction.net | AO3

Title: White Widow Chapter: Five Author: Blue Rose Rating: M (Hard R) Pairing: Sasuke/Sakura Summary: “Running away was easy; not knowing what to do next was the hard part.” - Sakura needed to stop fantasizing about running away to some other life, and start figuring out the one she had. [Sasu/Saku, Modern AU]

Warnings: Adult Content Disclaimer: I own nothing, and I damn sure don’t make a single red cent for this either. So please, don’t sue the Blue

Author Notes: (8/11/20 UPDATE): Chapter has been beta'd and a few edits/changes. Huge shout out to my new beta - CherryBerry12. Thank you so much for your assistance :)

Even if it's just a word or two, I really appreciate any feedback. I welcome emoji's and Lenny Faces too 💙💙💙 (づ ͡° ³ ͡°)づ . Thank you so for reading :)

Chapter Five 

Sakura's heels clicked loudly towards the elevator bank, the sound echoing against the marble flooring. As nice as they looked, she was trying her best to ignore the slight pinch the black shoes caused near her smallest toe.  

Pushing a button to recall one of the elevators, she felt a teeny bit of regret with her footwear choice today. Having spent the last few months in sneakers and hiking boots her feet didn’t appreciate being thrust constantly in heels that had been previously collecting dust in closets. But fashion was pain, as they'd like to say. And she couldn't allow the small pang to stop her strut. Most of her shoes needed to be broken into anyway. They had sat on shelves looking pretty long enough, and if she wasn’t going to wear them, then what’s the point?

When a loud ding signaled the arrival of an available lift, her mind drifted to another choice she had made today. One that she didn’t regret, she thought slyly.

Discreetly texting Sasuke during her meeting with her mentor.

She thought she'd done a good job of being sneaky. Tsunade not verbally calling her out for being distracted made for a successful mission, in her book. At least, that was until the device went off twice; back-to-back. There wouldn't be a chance for a third.

 "Do you need to get that?"

 Ok... so, maybe she hadn’t been as covert as she’d thought she’d been. It only took a few seconds to see what was written while the apology was flying out of her mouth. Maybe a few more to type out a reply before she finally switched the phone to silent mode out of respect. She tucked the plastic under her thigh and sat up straight. The last thing she wanted to be was rude.

 Another opportunity presented itself when Tsunade received a call from her desk phone. Excusing herself to answer it, her office chair spun away from the pinkette. Sakura didn't mind at all, using the time to bring her phone closer, eyes glinting as she responded to the last message she received from him.

 He was going to bring her coffee.

 She felt a flare of anticipation blossom inside at the thought of seeing him again, in the flesh. Her tongue peeked out to wet her lips before they simpered into a smile.

She had briefly mentioned yearning for the hot beverage during their exchanged texts. Usually tea would be her preferred choice, but not today. Even the Keurig machine she passed in the hall was ignored. No, she was craving something hot and fresh. A roasted brew of delight that was sure to perk her up nice and good.

 His response to the passing comment?

 Message:

"How do you take it?"

 She didn't put much thought into it at the time. It was easy to write it off as small talk or just plain curiosity. It never occurred to her where typing out a simple order could lead. And when he replied with an ETA, it became all too real that yes...

 He was in fact, on his way to see her.

 It was hard not to feel excited, but even that didn't stop her from trying to refuse him. She was more than capable of scoring her own liquid gold and tried to politely decline. Making sure to emphasize that, really... she was fine. There was no need for him to go out of his way for such a trivial thing.

 Not to mention, the last thing she wanted to be was a burden.

 What if he wasn't in the area? Was he really going to brave mid-day traffic just to bring her some coffee? Granted, the city wasn't too vast. But depending on the time of day and where you wanted to go... you could find yourself stuck behind the wheel much longer than anticipated. Sasuke’s curt reply a moment later stated that it wasn't a big deal... and that he would call when he was a few minutes away. She had no choice but to let him have it his way. If he really was this insisting, who was she to turn him down? It was such a small gesture. Really, it was only coffee...

 But…

 Contentment warmed her from within and she took a defiant joy in it all. So maybe she was crushing hard. Probably a lot harder than she originally thought.

 Tsunade chose that time to place her call on hold, warning Sakura that she was going to be tied up longer than planned. It didn't come as a surprise to either of them. A woman of her stature had a very demanding schedule, and being pregnant was not going to slow her down anytime soon. It was something she had loudly vocalized during the weeks after announcing that she and Dr. Dan were expecting.

 They would need to catch up another time it seemed.

 Completely understanding, Sakura excused herself from the office, making plans to connect later as she waved goodbye.

 Now, as she found herself inside the descending lift it was damn near impossible to suppress the giddiness she felt. Her silly little grin only broadened when she caught her reflection against the gold plated doors.

 But as she stepped outside the building and into a blooming courtyard, her mind cautioned against such distractions. Because… really, her attention should be elsewhere.

 Like concentrating on her impending schedule. Many things to worry about there. All the forms and paperwork, exams... just to name a few things. All of which would be added to her calendar, very soon.

 The pinkette sighed, bringing a hand up after wincing. It was easy to recognize the signs of an incoming stressed-related headache. Making an attempt to rub away the tingle she felt behind her eye, she willed herself to calm down.

 Sure, there was much to be done between now and the start of classes. There was plenty of studying to catch up on... not to mention moving into a new place. She could easily become overwhelmed, if she wasn’t careful.

 Luckily, Sakura considered herself to be a fairly organized person. All she needed to do was use her time wisely from there on out. And there was no time like the present to start planning, she supposed. At least, that was a phrase her mother used often.

 Part of a good work ethic is planning ahead, she would say. Don't wait until the last minute to do something, if it can be taken care of now.

 She just needed to have a little more faith in herself, she thought, feeling her confidence return as quickly as it left. Maybe start trusting that everything would work out? There was no need to start fussing so soon.

 Besides, what was a little coffee and meetup going to hurt? Surely she could handle academics and boys at the same time just fine. It's not like she hadn't before...

 Sakura brushed away the stray thought.  There really wasn't a need to go traveling down memory lane. It was probably best to stay concentrated on the task at hand. Her steps quickened on the pathway, finally making it through the garden maze and out to the main street. It was definitely noisier than the courtyard she'd just come from. Pausing to look around Sakura hoped to catch sight of the tall, dark, and handsome distraction. A distraction who should be arriving soon, actually. She almost jumped when her phone buzzed loudly in her pocket. A new message had come through.

 He was here.

 She raised her chin, watching a large SUV pull to the curb further down the block. Weaving forward when the lights flashed briefly, she forgot about the small pain on her foot. Trying her best to plaster on her best poker face, the pinch in her feet had all but disappeared when she strolled towards the waiting vehicle. She would do herself no favors if she appeared as giddy as she felt at that moment.

 The phone was raised to her ear, and cracks of a small smile kept slipping through with each step she took.

 "Is that you?"

 "No... it's a serial killer with duct tape and rope." Sasuke's rich voice answered her smoothly, dripping with sarcasm. 

Ok, so maybe that was not the best choice of words to say to her… but it did spark an amusement in him like nothing else. The look on her face changed in the span of a heartbeat, and he chuckled when she got closer. Was she always this easy to rile up?

 Sasuke ended the call while pressing the unlock button, his eyes following her through the window. She reached up to open the door, and he couldn’t help but take her in.

 Idling on the curb, their eyes met while she still grasped the door handle. Hesitant, she leaned in... eyes darting between him and the seat, calculating the distance.

 Holding his tongue, he pointed to a handlebar with a nod.

 Sakura rolled her eyes, yet her slender hand reached for it anyways. Balancing one heel on the step bar below the door, she swung the other inside.

 His eyes caught the way her curves finally settled, her opaque tights matching the black leather of the cars' seats. Sasuke adjusted the temperature on the console dash, catching a glimpse of pink on her rounded cheeks.

 "Are you sure you should be in the front seat? I could pop the trunk open… that's usually where victims are kept, right?" he continued as she shut the heavy door.

 She huffed, eyes challenging as she met his.

 "As if… I could gut you in four different ways before you ever got the chance," Sakura confidently fired back, but she did greet him with a smile. So innocent and sweet despite the threats of bodily harm just a few moments ago.

 Damn did she have a pretty smile.

 And, he had no doubt she could make good on her promise.

 Akamaru decided that now was a good time to make his presence known. Nothing but fur and wet snout as his head popped up between them. Sasuke watch her turn, instantly greeting him with a larger smile than the one she had gifted him.

 So now the mutt was going to receive more attention than him?

 'Wonderful.' Sasuke thought mockingly, observing them over the soft sounds of her coo'ing.

 Sakura busied herself by petting Akumaru's head a bit more, only her thoughts were elsewhere. The puppy sensed it was time to settle down and retreated, and Sasuke’s voice trailed behind him. The threat lingered in the air; if he pissed on anything back there, there would be hell to pay.

 Scoping him from the corner of her eyes, Sakura wanted to know what else pissed him off. Sure, it might sound a little weird, but her fascination got the best of her.

 What were his other ticks and dislikes? What made him smile? Things that he did for fun....or what was his favorite show?

 These weren't bad questions, right? Just... random, completely harmless inquiries about his favorite color or the meaning of those intricately placed tattoos.

 Maybe, a little audaciously, how he liked his eggs cooked in the morning?

 It was partially his fault, she concluded, just as Akumaru barked. She turned slightly towards Sasuke, but his focus was on eyeing the puppy through the rear-view mirror.

 That dark appeal he exuded just begged to be peeled back. Her analytical mind wondering about all the layers that made him who he was as she traced his sharp jawline. Unfocused and lost in her thoughts, her eyes lowered.

There was this urge to analyze the feelings that seemed to linger between them, and it grew the longer she found herself in his presence.

 Maybe she could shed some light on their magnetic chemistry. And why the attraction was more intense now than it had ever been before. To Sakura, it didn't make sense because it should have already peaked, especially after their rumble between the sheets. Honestly, how could either of them forget the passion from that fateful night...?

 But even now, here in the present, there was this... yearning.

 It manifested physically when her hands became itchy and needy. Her fingers tingled with the urge to reach out and touch him and she couldn't help but notice their proximity. How he was sitting close... but yet, much too far away.

 Sakura made a silent promise to not be greedy... a few touches would placate her for the time being. Hell, even holding his hand; as simple that was, would do just fine. Hands that were so much larger than her own, she noticed. And not for the first time, either. Strong fingers stemming from a large palm that was hotter than most.

 Sasuke's blood burned through his skin and seeped into your own pores when you were pressed against him. Not too blistering to be uncomfortable, but definitely noticeable. A thermogenic effect she had ignored when their bodies were cooling on the sheets months ago. She wondered briefly if it would be awkward sleeping next to him in the warmer summer months. When the nights could get humid and sticky.

 Would she try to move away?

 Or seize the opportunity to bask in the balmy heat no matter how torrid it was, because-

 Sakura mentally hit the breaks… swallowing thickly as her eyes fluttered up to catch his gaze before turning away.

 Eyes that dark, should not shine that bright.

 "Hi."

 His deep salutation sounded closer than she was prepared for and her averted eyes widened a fraction. Bonus points to her for not jumping out of her skin. Biting back nerves, she responded in turn.

 "Hi."

 And both of their delayed greetings sounded soft, even to her own ears. Damnit... she was too grown to be daydreaming about a guy, specifically if said guy was sitting right there next to her.

 Sakura could still feel his eyes on her and shifted in the seat. Her toes curled slightly as she became nervous at her own inability to keep her more... deviant thoughts in check. Trying to taper them down was becoming harder and harder these days. And that was a very dangerous thing for someone like herself who was too expressive for their own good. Besides, she still had to solidify exactly what she was looking for with wanting to spend time with him.

 Was she even looking for anything at all?

 And what about him and his intentions? She could think of one or two things he might be interested in, but...

 In the end, it left her with more questions than answers. It really drove home how careful she should be around him. At least until she figured some things out. Undoubtedly, it  did not stop her heart from picking up a beat or two in her chest. Focusing, the cadency continued with strong beats but continued on for a different reason...

 He was still looking at her.

 Sakura could feel his dark eyes lingering on her form as she kept her own averted, gazing out the windshield before looking down. She was running out of time to compose herself and a small hand came up to brush against her industrial piercing, hoping her hair was covering her ears. The cartilage must be painted with color by now with how hot she was feeling.

 'Dah fuck? Pull yourself together and at least try to act normal. And stop fidgeting!'

 Her eyes finally rose from her lap as Sasuke reached down and grabbed something from the cup holder, raising it between them.

 'Oh.'

 She was so preoccupied that she completely spaced as to why he was here in the first place. Sakura's eyes brightened in pure excitement as her own hand extended.

 It was at that moment, she realized just how quiet it was around them, in their little bubble. There currently was no music playing, and Akumaru had settled down in the back for a quick nap. So in the silence, as she reached for the coffee that was much appreciated...

 Her stomach took the opportunity to let out an angry growl.

 She winced.

 And he gave her a dirty look.

 "Have you eaten?"

 She winced again, shying from eye contact for the second time. Avoiding it, of course. The decoration on the cup looked really, really interesting all of a sudden.

 "...What?"

 "Food. Have you had anything to eat today?"

 It was supposed to be a question, but she easily picked up the accusation in his tone. Her eyes narrowed, not wanting a fight, but sure as hell ready to give one. There wasn’t a need to be so defensive, she’d think later. For now, she was not one to easily back down. Even if he was hot as fuck.

 "Yes-"

 She extended an arm to reach for the hot brew but really, she should have known better. Nothing regarding Sasuke Uchiha would ever be that easy.

 "When?"

 The beautiful dark grey iris she was always charmed by, trapped her for a second. However, she was quick to move again on principle alone...

 "This morning..." She bit out, ignoring how she managed to sway to his will and answer. It didn't matter, she thought, moving to try again.

 "......"

 He held it just out of reach without a word, and if she wasn't afraid he'd accidentally spill it everywhere, she'd deck him good.

 Or... at least nudge him in the arm for being so cruel. She could smell the sweet scent drifting towards her and he was being a big, fat jerk right now.

 "I had a smoothie for breakfast earlier, ok? Now can I please have my coffee?"

 "You mean your crack?" A smirk had spread across his face, mistaking the deep craving she had today for a caffeine addiction.

 Sakura's fist clenched, a knuckle popping.

 He brought the drink in front of her, and she would never know if it was because of mercy... or self-preservation. Taking a deep breath, she allowed the vanilla to seep into her pores as her fingers gripped the warm cup. She didn't bother to turn and sit properly before she took her first sip, still facing him when her eyes closed, and letting out a soft moan of contentment.

 Sasuke's eyes followed one swallow, then another… before finally cutting his eyes away. He grabbed his own drink from the cup holder, grateful to have something for his suddenly parched mouth. She smiled and ultimately settled back, giddy, and happy now that she'd gotten her prize.

 "So... what are you in the mood for?"

 Sakura opened her eyes and tilted her head in his direction.

 "Hmmm?"

 While he did not enjoy repeating himself, there was a lack of annoyance in his tone.

 "Where do you want to go for lunch? Pick something, or I will. And make sure it's something good too because you will eat every bite... especially if I'm paying." The smirk had returned on his face... softer this time. Hiding it behind his own cup, he took another sip.

The corner of Sakura's mouth quirked and she mirrored his expression... before reaching for her seatbelt.

 ✧･ﾟ* : * ﾟ･✧

"-and if they were going to change their minds, surely you would have shared that information by now."

 The wallpaper that stretched across the back western panel never failed to catch his attention whenever he visited. Arriving at the door to the spacious office, the man couldn't help but glance to the left at the piece he'd considered more art than décor. It was a replica of the world map with a solid black background. Slate grey lines outlined every continent and body of ocean.

 "Well, maybe you should speak with Mr. Andrew Williamson at the downtown branch. The little shit would sell his elderly mother to gutter stock if it meant getting-"

 Leaning against the door frame, he tuned out the call. Instead, his eyes followed along the surface... tracing the names of the continents and countries etched along the surface. The calligraphy was uniquely outlined in silver glittery ink, causing the reflection to sparkle like faded diamonds. Numbers lined the borders, mapping coordinates to places he'd never been…

 Places he'd probably never see.

 "-how the hell should I know? That's YOUR job. A career that should be reconsidered, if things progress the way they have-"

 Every moment spent admiring the craftsmanship reminded him that he really should take a vacation, while simultaneously mocking him for even bringing up such a thought.

 "-don't call me until it's done, understood?"

 The phone slamming down into the plastic cradle dispersed any musings or pipe dreams.

 Seems like that unfortunate phone call had wrapped up.

 The figure leaning just inside the doorway straightened slowly. He adjusted his pose, folding his arms as his booted feet shifted. Opening his mouth, he was stopped by a cutting gesture from across the room.

 Seated behind the large oak desk, the other man present raised an eccentric hand in the air, halting any dialogue. The other hand was directed towards his face to pinch the bridge of his nose. Sunlight beaming from the window glinted against the gold band of his watch when his pressed cuff pulled higher on his wrist. Grunting, he voiced the displeasure that his deep frown lines could not hide.

 "If this is more bad news, I'm afraid I have very little patience for it, at the moment."

 "Hmph. Quite the opposite, in fact."

 The dark-haired man behind the desk lowered his hands to peer at the doorway. Standing, he removed his reading glasses when the figure at the door flicked his wrist in a come hither motion.

Moving to stand at the entrance they both looked down the hall to another figure waiting at the far end. The dark-haired man turned back to his business partner with raised brows.

 "Karashi-… something or another." He answered easily, inclining his head. "But he goes by the name 'Chef'."

 "And why would I care about some kid named Chef?"

 The youth in question was unaware of the pair of eyes on him as he stood waiting at the end of the hall. His phone kept changing color as the screen flashed while loud music could be heard humming from his earpods.

 "Because he's the answer to that little problem we had. Remember the group that hacked the app? Well, Karashi here was a part of that group. Wasn't hard to find… little shits these days can't help bragging. Will tell anyone who wants to listen. So, I thought… what better person to track down exactly what happened than someone responsible for the mess in the first place?"

 The dark-haired man squared his shoulders, nostrils flaring with his disgruntlement. Pondering over the statement, hard onyx eyes looked away to regard the unsuspecting topic of conversation.

 "If what you say is true… then why shouldn't I put a bullet through his meddling skull now, and be done with it? Since he's the reason my money is missing." Their voices were kept low, but the teen was none the wiser.

 "Weren't you the one who just cautioned against more killing?" The visitor contended.

 "Yes, I did. And if I remember correctly, I'm sure that was mentioned before you… took care of Hidan." The dark-haired man deadpanned.

 "And what exactly would you have me do? Seal him in some deep hole, in the middle of a magical hidden forest? Imprisoned?"

 Sometimes the best option was to give someone a... permanent, good night’s sleep. Sometimes it was the only option. And he would swear by that, as long as it rang true. Albeit, he was willing to take into consideration the other's wisdom and refrained from rolling his eyes.

 "I would warn for more caution, regarding our future moves. That includes taking care of problems, that took care of other problems. The last thing we need is to leave any trails behind. One mess is enough to deal with."

 An eerie pause floated as a shadow cast, turning the steel gaze into something more ominous. Eyes focusing on the teen, he continued.

 "After this one... of course. But only if needed."

 Both men nodded, their gazes meeting briefly in understanding.

 The tall, dark-haired figure glanced down the hall a final time, before returning to his office.

 He needed a fucking Advil... and a shot of something strong.

 ✧･ﾟ* : * ﾟ･✧

 She could not remember the last time she'd eaten ramen.

 Funny thing was, she had not had a craving for it in ages... but something about today made her palate crave something steamy…

 Salty…

 Familiar.

 Maybe it was in the way Sasuke had fussed over her eating… or lack thereof. The concern, quickly followed by trying to shove something edible down her hatch, well... it was something that reminded her of another person...

 Of a different place and another time…

 And before she knew it, a shadowy figure came to mind, in the midst of it all. That beaming smile… so full of concern and care. Bright enough to ease the sting as he'd often berated her wacky eating habits.

 "You need to eat… Sakura-chan-"

 Sakura mentally shook herself from thoughts that made her want to cry and laugh at the same time.

 She tried clearing away the memories along with the accompanying voices as fast as they manifested. Trying to save herself from the impending heartache that line of thinking would surely bring. Now was not the time to be getting sentimental and teary-eyed.

 Especially in the presence of her current company.

 It was easy to pivot, matching the grin Sasuke threw her way. He continued on with the conversation without interruption, and she perked up to tune in and listen once again. There wasn't a valid reason she should be distracted, not when he was here. The corner of her eyes crinkled as her smile widened and she found herself lost in his eyes.

 So piercing...

 Mesmerizing... stealing away her attention and she actively gave in, wanting to lean forward just a bit, if only to get closer.

 This was nice.

 Just being here at that moment with him. So carefree and chill... it was everything she needed right now. Like a balm on a wound she wasn't aware of.

 So...

 Soothing... and peaceful.

 Like a warm blanket you wanted to snuggle under during a chilly night. A feeling she had not felt in a very long time, and she wished this moment would last just a bit longer. But she needed to come back down to earth at some point.

 "Thank you for the food, I haven't had ramen in forever."

 She drew a palm across her full tummy, her fingers running across her wool houndstooth mini skirt.

 Sasuke's chest rose and fell with a snicker, recounting that this was the cheapest date he'd ever been on. Admittedly, the ramen food truck was the most delicious either had in a while, though.

 Wait… this was a date?

 The question slipped out and he turned towards her… his mouth twitching in amusement.

 "I don't know, is it?"

 Sakura released an unladylike snort, folding her arms.

 "You never asked me out… so no." She could be very stubborn when she wanted to be. A certified brat, if left unchecked.

 The hand resting on the steering wheel moved so he could rest his forearm on the midrest between them. Several glossy strands of ink fell into one eye as he turned towards her. “… ’s that so…?” He trailed off.

 Sakura felt compelled to lick her lips and his greedy eyes followed the movement. Her forearm brushed closer to his when she slackened her folded arms, tilting her head. Meeting his gaze she felt an amorous heat underneath her that had nothing to do with the heated seats.

 Dark lashes broke eye contact as he moved forward, but her own eyes stayed stubbornly open in surprise as his nose bumped against hers, her pupils dilating with the soft brush.

 He inhaled her sharp gasp when their lips finally touched. A small sweep of sweltering heat that was barely anything crept between their lips. Shallow but still so real. Lascivious need prompted her to deepen it, but he leaned away to open his eyes. Sending her a teasing glance, draped in want… he licked his lips. Tasting the 'hardly-a-kiss' around an imp of a smile.

 It made her feel daring, knowing her earlier thoughts were not so crazy after all. Daring enough to lock gazes with him before she took his bottom lip between her teeth, taking advantage of the reduced distance to scrape the soft flesh between ivory. A hint of tongue was meant to dampen the sting after the fact… but, oh... it just made things worse.

 It was her turn to swallow his gasp as her onslaught brought them closer together. The intimate press was everything she'd been craving since at least this morning…

 And she wasn't talking about the coffee.

 He appeased her, tilting his head in just the right angle to take over. Her hand came to touch his angular jaw as he pressed his tongue to her lips, sighing when she let him in.

 His kisses were as sweet as she remembered them, with just the right amount of recklessness to make her fingers curl up into his hair, moaning into every savory caress. Receiving another taste she wondered what his reaction would be if she slid into the seat with him to remove all distance and smiled. Her inner self was always more daring than she'd ever cared to be in reality. It didn’t often make an appearance but seemed to be completely on board with the impromptu makeout session. And dammit... she knew she promised not to be greedy but he was the one pushing closer to her now, completely dominating the heated lip lock. She followed his lead, softening against him at every point of contact.

 A small whine curled up between them and Sasuke broke away first, eyes peeking open to study her. Their sharp breaths sounded around them as they gasped for air, heat slowly clearing. It took awhile for her to gather her wits, breathing harshly along with him. She shook her head as her voice spoke up, scratchy and low but-

 "That wasn't me."

 Another second went by long enough for their minds to clear from the sensual fog and to mutually place the sound as they drifted further apart, eyes darting to the back seat of the warm interior.

 "DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!"

 The driver's door was opened and closed faster then she could fully process just what the hell was going on.

 Sasuke circled around the back, before coming beside the rear passenger door. The heavy metal was whipped open so rapidly her hair stirred around her head, even though she was sitting in the front seat. A jingle of chains and another curse before the door was closed firmly.

 Sakura turned in her seat to look out the dark tinted window as Sasuke stood a short distance away, Akamaru squatting next to a tree to do his business.

 A tinkering laugh sprung free before her hand could cover her mouth. She hoped he was too far away to hear anything... the windows were up after all.

 But the sharp glare Sasuke threw over his shoulder let her know that she'd failed.

End Chapter ✧･ﾟ* : * ﾟ･✧

 PREVIOUS CHAPTERS

- ﾟ･*･ﾟ-  Chap 1 - ﾟ･*･ﾟ-  Chap 2 - ﾟ･*･ﾟ- Chap 3 - ﾟ･*･ﾟ- Chap 4 - ﾟ･*･ﾟ-

[okitodorokidoki]

a44+67 | takigawa chris yuu + yuuki tetsuya

ao3 | 1,599 words | gender-neutral reader

44 - “You’ve always felt like home.” 67 - “I’m right where I belong.”

If you thought making it through your final year at Seidou without your boys was rough, you definitely weren’t prepared for four years of college. None of you ended up at the same school, and it seemed nearly impossible to see each other in person. There were times where you thought you were in rough waters, but then you’d get a blurry selfie of Tetsu mid-fall, or a concerned message from Chris asking if he looked old, and realized that distance alone wasn’t going to tear you apart. The amount of times you’d let your insecurities pull you under during high school gave Chris enough time to drill proper communication into all of your heads, so you were much less likely to wallow in your fears before talking to them. By the time you entered college, they only had three years left. You’d never realized how far from them you felt until they were finishing their last years and leaving you behind.

Tetsu graduated from Meijin and returned home to take over as Seidou’s coach, and Chris was unsurprisingly signed out of university to a professional team. You were the only one left in school, while your boys got a head start on their adult lives. There were times when stress from exams had you fearing they’d decide to carve you out of their lives, but Chris would quickly respond to your late-night texts with a video call from his bed, loose hair and tired eyes making you feel a little guilty.

In short, this past year was probably the most tense for your relationship. So, when they joined you at your parents’ house for your graduation dinner, it was hard to let go of them.

“We should get home soon,” Tetsuya mumbled against your neck. “It’s going to get dark.”

“We’re adults, Tetsu. We don’t have curfew.” You tried to ignore how whiny your complaint came out.

Chris pulled back from the embrace first, petting your head gently. “Tetsu’s right. We all have things to do tomorrow.”

The pressure of your teeth biting your lower lip pulled your attention from the faint stinging in your eyes.

“Which is why we should go home. We’ll have all night together.” Tetsu’s clarification did nothing but make you more confused, especially as he pulled you towards your door.

“Tetsu, what’re you doing?” You glanced back towards the kitchen as Chris pulled your jacket over your shoulders.

“We’ll see you tomorrow, Honey!” Your mom called from the table. “Love you!”

“Love you too?”

Tetsuya managed to get you down to the sidewalk, Chris herding you from behind, before you could think of anything more to say.

“Guys, where are we going?” you asked, voice a little shaky.

Chris wrapped his arms around you as Tetsuya looked down the road at an incoming taxi.

“Trust us?” He asked, kissing your cheek gently with slightly shaky breath.

He guided you forward as the cab stopped a few feet away, ushering you to sit between him and Tetsuya.

The ride was silent from your confusion, your mind focusing on the feeling of their hands holding yours in their laps. Tetsuya’s grip was as firm as always, but there was something almost hesitant about Chris’. After about ten or fifteen minutes, the cab pulled over and Tetsuya paid the fare while Chris got you out.

“We’ll take you back if you want.” He promised, tugging you into his side. “But humor us for a moment, please?”

You buried your face in his coat, just grateful that the three of you were going to be together for a little while longer. Tetsu stepped up behind both of you and pushed you towards the entrance of the building in front of you.

“It’s a little small,” he began as you came up to some stairs. “And it’s more convenient for me than Chris right now, but when we all get settled in, we can keep looking. Together.”

Your hands were undeniably shaking as he stopped you in front of a numbered door, Chris pressing a kiss to your temple and something small and cold to your palm.

“We haven’t done much more than clean up and get some basic furniture. We just finished up all the paperwork, and we wanted to wait for you.” You couldn’t tell if your hands were the reason his were shaking as he guided you closer to the door.

Tetsu crowded your other side for his hand to join yours, pulling the key up to your fingers to put it in the lock. You could feel Chris letting out a breath as the door opened, his free hand tightening in the shirt at your back. None of you seemed to want to speak at this point, like things would suddenly feel too good, just to get torn away. You had to enter single-file, but you could still feel fists in your clothes, like they were scared they messed up and you were about to bolt.

Three pairs of slippers were already lined up by the door, a sticker still peeking from the side of one.

Chris voice cracked as he tried to force himself to speak, but he cleared his throat and tried again. “I came here alone a few times before I even told Tetsu. I thought we could deal with small, but I hadn’t realized how… big small could feel when something was missing.”

“He bought so many houseplants that his father tried to call an intervention.” Tetsu said, leaning down to tug his laces off.

The three of you put the slippers on and ventured a bit further into the apartment.

“It was difficult to bring anyone here at first.” Chris fiddled with his jacket as you made it to the living room. “I didn’t know if I was moving too fast, or expecting too much. I didn’t even know if I was really ready to leave my father’s house. It didn’t really feel like a home, but I wanted it to. For all three of us. I thought I was trying to force something to happen, but then I thought about us actually living here… breakfast on the weekends, dinner together as often as we could… just coming home to you two. After I started thinking about that, this place felt warmer.”

Tetsu stood behind you, a hand on your lower back as you listened to Chris practically pour his heart out, hands still shaking in his pockets as he avoided your gaze. Seeing how he was looking a little overwhelmed and stranded, you slowly moved closer to lean against the wall beside him.

“I thought I was starting to think of this as home, but when I was alone it just felt cold again. Then I brought Tetsu here almost a month ago. And I realized, it was never the apartment. But you two?” Chris’ hands leave his pockets to reach for your sleeves, beckoning you both to his side. “You’ve always felt like home.”

Chris’ expression looked painfully raw- face red and eyes wet, his cheek pulled far enough into his teeth to be visible to you.

“Chris…” you leaned in closer to him, Tetsuya following in suit.

“I don’t want to guilt you into staying here. That’s not what I’m trying to do, I just…” his next breath shook audibly, and his hands recoiled to cover his face as he curled in on himself.

You pulled him into your arms as Tetsuya rubbed his back in comfort.

“He wanted to tell you sooner,” Tetsuya told you. “But he thought you’d be more likely to agree if you saw the place first, if we went with you. So you’d feel like it could be a home, too.”

You slid a hand up Chris’ arm to coax a hand away from his face. “Chris, baby…”

Chris wasn’t necessarily sobbing, but his torso definitely shook as he cried. After growing up telling himself he had to be independent, then coming into this relationship thinking he had to be the strong one, there were very few times you’d seen him anywhere near this visibly upset.

“I’m not upset at all, baby. I’m sorry you were so scared to tell me. I’d been unloading everything I’ve worried about for the past three years on you, I want to be able to let you do the same.” You tried to speak as gently as possible, but seeing him cry was triggering a reflex in you that had your throat tightening almost painfully.

Chris leaned forward enough to bury his face in your shoulder, hands loose at your sides. You subconsciously swayed him gently, Tetsuya rubbing inconsistent circles in his back. You ran a hand through his hair as you pressed a firm kiss to his temple before leaning to speak softly into his ear.

“I’d love to live with you, Chris,” you tried not to let the shudder than ran through him shake you too. “I’ve been so worried about how often we’d be able to see one another that I couldn’t enjoy what little time we had together. Now, I can make the two of you as sick of me as possible.”

Chris let out a choked laugh as he wrapped his arms around you tightly.

“It’s gonna be odd just moving out of the house suddenly, but I had the past four years to get used to a dorm; this is just that, but better. All I know is that if I’m with you two-” you reached out your free hand to grab Tetsu, “-then I’m right where I belong.”

[juliettegellcr]

honey, there is no right way // @petermurrayy

It wasn’t always like this. There was a time where everyone in West Ham was happy, at least decently so. They worried about exams and relationships, nothing��like this. Here, wherever they were, it’s different. Things had changed that fateful night of the field trip. It was a treat from the school board to the juniors and seniors of West Ham High, an overnight camping trip near the coast. It turned out to be less of a treat, and more of a nightmare. Juliette can recall the irritation she felt upon being woken up by the bus driver, claiming that the road was blocked, and how it grew once they were dropped off with no parents in sight, including her own. Everyone had chalked it up to their parents being asleep or busy, but once their texts and calls went unsent the panic set in. It lasted for ten minutes before the jocks and the popular students, like Harry Bingham, began hooping and hollering about how it was a chance to party. In the moment, there were only two options - walk home and sit at your house in hopes of a text or phone call from your parents, or to join in on the festivities. Juliette chose the latter, and the worried thoughts disappeared. For that moment, at least.

A week passed with no word from their parents or anyone at all, no messages finished sending and calls went to voicemail. Another week passed, and then another. Soon, it had been a month since they had returned from their cancelled field trip, and there was still no sign of their parents or life outside of West Ham. Cassandra had been the one to step up in the midst of the chaos that had taken over their town, her words were soothing and her voice calm. Back home, she was always the voice of reason, the one that everyone would look to for guidance; she was Juliette’s best friend. And she was gone. Shot outside of their makeshift prom. Gone. Wrapped up in a white bed sheet, and six feet in the ground. Gone. Juliette sat on the ceramic tile of her shower, heels of her palms pressing into her eyes with her lips pinched together in an attempt to stay silent, pain bubbling up within her chest. The image of Cassandra’s body in that sheet, laid upon a table in the church was burned into her mind. A sob fell from her lips, the lukewarm water cascading over her running over her hair and skin, droplets slipping into her open mouth, as another sob came and then another. The once scalding water was cooling on her skin, soothing the welts that developed on various parts of her body. It was painful, but punishments were supposed to be that way. She should have stayed behind to help Cassandra, not left her alone like she did, but she left for home and now her best friend would never get to see her own again. Gone. Minutes had passed, and the water was now chilling, every drop on her skin being replaced with another goose bump. Juliette pushed herself up onto shaky legs and turned the shower handle, the water cutting off, and she stepped out. Flannel pajama shorts, a mixture of reds and grays, a gift from her parents on her sixteenth birthday, and a gray sweater with the word, ‘Juilliard,’ printed across the chest in bold, navy lettering, hem sweeping down to rest at mid thigh. No one was here, they never were at night, and it was the only time Juliette could find peace if only for a few minutes.

Juliette walked out of the bathroom and into the hallway, footsteps light as her feet moved across the wood. Gaze averted to the floor before her, an attempt to keep herself from looking at the frames that adorned the walls surrounding her. Photos of her family from over the years; birthdays, holidays, and graduations. Memories that would only serve as a painful reminder of the fact that her parents, Mike, and Holly were gone. The only remaining signs that they had ever existed besides the pictures and her own memories were their rooms, and they were no longer theirs. They belonged to Emma from history class, Jacob who used to work as a cashier at the grocery store in town, and others that she was unfamiliar with. They occupied the beds that once held her little brother and sister. Juliette pushed her bedroom door open and jerked backwards, heart fluttering in her chest at the sight that greets her; Peter Murray laid in his makeshift bed on the floor, book in his hands, surprise written across his features. “I-I.. I didn’t think you’d be here tonight, or right now at least,” Juliette murmured, arms coming up to cross over her chest, knees knocking together as she stood there, gaze locked on him. Everyone knew everyone in West Ham, and Peter Murray was not exempt from that. Every teenager who was stuck in this world, this place, grew up together. At one point, though they were young at the time, they were all friends and played together. Juliette can remember the first time she truly noticed Peter. It was the summer before their junior year, and she, Cassandra, Allie, and Sam had made an impromptu visit to the river, plans to lay about on the shore and soak up what little sun they could before the usual clouds took over the sky once again. She can’t remember who Peter showed up with, or even when they did. All she can remember is the way he looked. Chubby cheeks thinned out, skin stretched over his high cheek bones, dark, coarse hairs blossomed along his jaw, his chin, and above his full, red lips. He had grown taller too. His laugh was still the same. Juliette had looked at him in awe back then, the distant crush she held returning quickly the longer she stared at him, and when her eyes strayed to Cassandra, she noticed how the blonde was looking at him with the same eyes. After that day, it was no longer Cassandra or Peter, but Cassandra and Peter. 

“Um, did you not have guard duties tonight?” She asked in a soft voice, and she moved further into the room, stepping over the items that were scattered over the floor, before falling down to sit on the edge of her bed. Her arms uncrossed and her hands dropped to her lap, fingers clenching around the hem of her sweater. Juliette had planned to go about her usual routine, as she always did when she had the house to herself. Fix food, shower, and then lay in bed until she could will her body to shut down. On hard nights, where she found herself missing her family or Cassandra, she’d lay there with headphones over her ears, and cry until her throat grew raw and sore. Eyes rimmed red and itchy from the tears that fell. Tonight was one of those nights, but she wasn’t alone. Juliette looked to Peter, head tilted to the side as she studied him. “If.. If you want to sit up on the bed with me, you can. Your little mat probably isn’t the most comfortable thing to lay on.. I know that Allie said she was going to try and find you something that could fit in my room,” Juliette offered quietly, fingers trembling where they sat in her lap. “I, um, I have a few.. dvds if you want to watch a movie or something. There just in the bottom drawer of my desk if you’d like to pick one,” Her eyes glanced down to the book in his hands then back up, “Unless you’d rather read. It’s.. Sorry,” Juliette let out a breathless laugh, fingers trembling where they sat in her lap, “I just.. need a distraction. Today was really.. long,” And that was the truth. Juliette was lucky enough to be given the task of searching through the library for any books that could help; books about farming, medical journals, anything. Harry had stopped by during her shift, bitching and complaining more so than usual, his annoyance only growing and directed towards her as she shot him down. His idea of a distraction was different than her own. “Um, how was your day? It must be.. difficult being part of the guard. It seems tough,”