#but I finally came out of the slump Sunday night

[scoups4lyfe]

Hey Scoups you doing ok?

:)

So, just for updates sake, I’m doing fine

I went off my anti-psychotics because of irresponsibility, went a little crazy, celebrated my dad then my little sisters bday, went back onto my anti-psychotics, celebrated my niece’s and older sister’s birthdays, had to deal with the downfall of losing that craziness, then we hit Memorial Day and the extended family came to town, and now I’m here 🧍🤡.

I have nothing to say except

I’ll liveblog tonight. I got nothing scheduled, that’ll be my thing for today lmao.

[arliedraws]

Drabble - Sirius escapes Azkaban at the start of SS/PS and swims to the shack where Harry and the Dursleys are staying.

Just a small exercise I used as a writing warm-up :)

—

Harry had never received a letter in his life.

This was, to Uncle Vernon, the natural order of things. The post came each day, except on Sundays, of course, and over the years, they received plenty of bills, birthday cards for Dudley, and letters from Aunt Marge, but never a single envelope addressed to Harry.

To say that Uncle Vernon was upset that one finally did come to Harry at number four might have been putting it rather mildly, for in his compounding fury, Uncle Vernon had gone to extremes to find a place to which letters were undeliverable. The fury that Harry Potter had received one letter drove Uncle Vernon to hasten them out of Little Whinging and into the car where they spent several days hunting for a hiding place that would restore the natural order of the universe.

Perhaps they had finally found it. The shack was perched atop a small island just off the coast. The Dursleys and Harry had come by boat, braving the freezing waves to land upon the rocks. As Aunt Petunia urged Dudley into the dilapidated shack, Harry halted at the edge of the island, staring off into the distance where mist shrouded the horizon line.

“What’s the hold-up?” barked Uncle Vernon. “What are you looking at?”

“I think there’s another island out there,” said Harry.

Uncle Vernon shot him a nasty look. “There’s nothing out there.”

Harry shrugged as Uncle Vernon followed Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the shack. He could have sworn he saw an outline of something huge, like a tower, in the distance, but the fog was too thick now, and whatever it was had been swallowed up.

Eventually, the chill of the sea battered at his jumper until he was shivering, and Harry felt slightly damp as he resigned himself to joining the others in the shack. By the time he closed the door behind him, Aunt Petunia was already serving their rations which consisted of a packet of crisps and a banana for each of them.

The only boon of the filthy little house was that it seemed to thoroughly depress Dudley who slumped on the sofa and ate his crisps miserably, staring at the spot where he must have been pretending sat a television. Uncle Vernon was quite cheerful, however, pleased that he had brought his family to a place so far removed from society that the postman would never find Harry.

When night fell, Aunt Petunia made up the sofa for Dudley. Harry claimed a threadbare blanket before she could give them all to Dudley, and he found a spot on the floor where he thought the dirt was the softest. Awkwardly, Harry rested his head in the crook of his elbow, trying not to breathe in too deeply the blanket’s stench of seaweed.

The storm outside the shack rattled the wooden walls, and sea spray splattered the windows. This did not concern Uncle Vernon who bid Dudley and Harry goodnight with a slightly deranged smile before disappearing into the second room with Aunt Petunia. Harry, however, couldn’t help imagining a huge wave sweeping the house right into the sea and drowning them all.

Harry tried to settle into his nest on the floor, but he was too cold, the ground was too hard, and Dudley was snoring loudly enough to rival the crashing sea beyond the walls. Harry’s birthday was only a few hours away which might have been something to look forward to, but it seemed too sad to consider that he’d be turning eleven in a place like this. Well, he reasoned, was it any worse than his cupboard?

Harry turned over as lightning flashed through the windows. Dangerous thoughts were occurring to him. Life had never been particularly fair to Harry, which was something he’d come to accept, yet when he really stopped to think about it, Harry wished for a completely different one. Apparently he’d had a different one before because his parents died when he was a baby and left him to his mother’s sister. Uncle Vernon insisted that Harry’s parents were drunkards who died in a car crash, and while this wasn’t particularly pleasing to think about, Harry rather thought he’d prefer loving layabouts to the cold and hostile Dursleys.

Dudley’s stomach growled, startling Harry. Uncle Vernon had forced them all to suffer the depressing meal of crisps and bananas, and it was most certainly not enough for Harry; for Dudley, it must have been merely crumbs. It must not agreed with Dudley either because a foul stench filled the room, and Harry balked, rolling away and stuffing the blanket against his nose. The blanket, however, wasn’t any better. Unable to take it, Harry got up towards the window.

He was expecting to see waves breaking against the rocks, rising with the increasingly swelling storm. He expected to see the rain as it slapped the pane of glass, and perhaps even a jagged bolt of lightning splitting across the black sky. But as Harry looked out the window, he locked gazes with a pair of wide eyes.

At first, Harry thought he was dreaming. A ghastly, emaciated face was looking at him. The thing was horrible—it was a ghost with pale, sunken eyes, gaunt cheeks, and black, lank hair. Harry’s cry was stuck in his throat as the thing stared back. It seemed almost as surprised as Harry.

Then it was gone.

Heart pumping painfully against his ribs, Harry stumbled back from the window.

I’m dreaming, he thought. That wasn’t real. I didn’t see anything.

Harry whipped his gaze to the door. It didn’t have a lock—at least, the one that was on it was broken. He rushed towards it, suddenly terrified. If that thing came in, what would it do? Just because the Dursleys refused to believe that there were supernatural forces in the world didn’t mean they weren’t real and that they couldn’t eat them all.

For several minutes as thunder rumbled and the wind whipping the house, Harry pressed his back against the door. He was hours away from being eleven and he was skinny—a quick meal for a monster. He couldn’t let it get him.

Then, as Harry sat there, he began to feel stupid.

There were no such things as ghosts or specters or vampires. In his exhaustion and hunger, he must’ve invented the vision and convinced himself it was real; when he really thought about it, he was certain he knew he had imagined it.

Eventually, Harry slinked back to his spot on the floor and pulled the ragged blanket over his jeans and jumper, curling into the dirt. If he closed his eyes and squeezed them tightly, sleep would come for him and erase the nightmarish specter from his memory. It would be his birthday, and he would spend it in the middle of the sea.

He thought so, at least.

The door creaked. The crashing of the waves grew louder.

Harry’s eyes snapped open, though he stayed very still, his gaze locked on the empty fireplace. He heard the door close. His heart was pounding so hard now that he could hear it, and he tried to keep the harsh huffing of his breath quiet.

He heard nothing—nothing but the sound of the sea, the howling wind, Dudley’s stomach…

Then, a hand touched his shoulder.

Harry tried to shout; hand clapped over his mouth. A rasping voice was hushing him. Harry tried to shove the creature off of him, screaming into the wet palm. Panic overtook him. He scrabbled for a thin wrist and kicked in his silent, grunting struggle.

“Harry, Harry, please—stop—I’m—I won’t hurt you—” the hoarse voice was whispering. “Shh, please—”

Harry looked up at the creature in terror. Wet, matted hair hung over the specter’s brow, darkening his already shadowed eyes. They stared at each other. It wasn’t a ghost at all, but a man.

“What are you doing here?” whispered the intruder. His gaze flickered to Dudley who was still snoring.

The hand eased from Harry’s mouth. Maybe it would’ve been wisest to scream for help—to bring Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia scrambling into the room, but Harry couldn’t think. This thing—this man knew his name. The man was soaking wet and wearing strange clothing that hung in rags from his skeletal body. His hand stayed clenched on Harry’s shoulder.

“Who—who are you?” breathed Harry.

“Sirius,” he murmured. Harry frowned, not understanding. “That’s my name…” Again, the intruder looked back at Dudley to ensure he was still asleep.

Harry leaned away. The man smelled like seawater, perhaps even more so than the ragged blanket, and he was trembling from the chill. If Harry had not been so terrified, he might have offered the man the blanket, but as it was, he was convinced the intruder was going to do something terrible to him.

“Are you going to kill me?” said Harry so quietly, he was surprised the intruder heard him.

Sirius, so he called himself, shook his head. “No…but I…I shouldn’t have come in… It was only…I can’t…I can’t believe you’re here…” He stopped to cough which he smothered with the crook of his elbow, the veins protruding in his forehead as he tried to keep himself quiet. His eyes were red as they turned to the dilapidated shack, taking in the dirt floor and moldy sofa and the cracked window before they returned to Harry. “What are you doing here?” he asked again, his voice so hoarse, it was hardly more than a hiss of breath. “Are you…safe?”

“I’m fine,” lied Harry.

The intruder frowned. “Are you?”

“You—you should probably go, Mr.—er—Mr. Sirius—”

“Where are your aunt and uncle?”

“They’re just in there—” then Harry lowered the finger he was pointing as he realized what the intruder was asking. Another wave of horror paralyzed him. How did this Sirius person know about Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia?

“Shhh, it’s all right…” said Sirius who must have seen the panic on his face. His hand hovered as though readying it to slap it over Harry’s mouth again. “I’ll leave… I shouldn’t have… I only wanted to…” He swallowed. A bead of water dribbled down his nose as he tilted his face at the ragged blanket. “Why are you sleeping on the floor?”

It was the last question Harry expected.

“Er—I—there wasn’t anywhere else to—”

BOOM.

Harry jerked; Sirius’s hand gripped his shoulder painfully. They both stared at the door in bewilderment.

Fear shone in Sirius’s eyes as he turned to Harry, urgently whispering, “Harry, what I’m about to do—don’t tell anyone. Please—I beg you to keep my secret—”

Another boom! shook the shack.

“Secret?” said Harry.

Dudley was stirring behind them. “Where’s the cannon?” he said.

Sirius said nothing more—he couldn’t say more—because when Harry blinked, in his place was no longer a man but an enormous, jet black dog. The dog faced the door, hackles raised, growling softly as the pounding continued. Harry gaped, sputtering at the dog—

“Who’s there?” a voice roared.

Uncle Vernon had rushed into the room clutching a rifle, aiming it at the door. Aunt cowered behind him as he warned the intruder to stay away or he’d shoot, but either the newcomer did not hear or they did not care, because in the next moment, the door flew from its hinges, crashing to the floor as a gigantic man, the largest Harry had ever seen in his life, ducked through the doorway.

The dog shrank away—the dog that was really a man—slinking behind Harry. If he meant to hide, he was far too large to disappear behind Harry…

Uncle Vernon yelled. The giant, however, was unperturbed as he bent and put the door to rights, fitting it back into the frame. He turned to face them, his wild black beard and hair sopping wet and beady black eyes sweeping over the shack.

“Rough seas. Not easy getting’ here in a storm like this. Could yeh make some tea?”

[likedovesinthewindd]

was rewatching itsv, and i love this loser—this is just nonsense i came up with. this takes place just before he's transported to miles' universe.

peter b. parker x reader

You didn't consider yourself the most neighborly person, but you were nice enough to the few people who lived around you in the busy New York apartment complex. In return, they were nice to you as well. The old lady to your left would invite you over every other Sunday for lunch. The guy to your right once fixed a leak in your bathroom and a broken cupboard door, and in return you had helped him fix up the extra room in his apartment so that his daughter could move in with him. Every other week you babysat for the couple who lived down the hallway, three apartments from yours.

You've formed somewhat of a friendship with most of the people you lived around, except for one.

The gentleman that lived in the apartment across from yours was somewhat of a loner. You hardly saw him; you only knew of his existence because you had come home from work one evening at the same moment he had opened his door to accept a pizza delivery.

You had given him a friendly smile, paired with a "Good evening," in a voice sweeter than honey itself, and he only answered with a rise of his brows and small smile.

He was never mean per say, but he also didn't seem like he wanted to be talking to you (or anyone) whenever you'd see him. He looked like he was going through one hell of a slump as well. He was always rocking a scruff, hair wild and unstyled and looking like he wore whatever he could find in his laundry. Sometimes you'd see him wear the same outfit two or three days in a row.

You were a little curious about him, as well as a bit concerned, so you devised a plan to go and start conversation in the hopes of finding out a little more about your mystery neighbor.

✮˚｡⋆

You gave two quick knocks to your neighbor's door before your hand quickly retreated back to the container of fresh baked cookies you had decided to bake him. Maybe this was coming on to strong, you thought, looking down at the bowl, the smell of the freshly baked batch filling your nose. You considered turning around and going back to your apartment, but just as you turned your back to his door, it opened with an unceremonious grunt.

"Can I help you?" you heard from behind you, and you turned back around slowly to face him, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. "Hi," you smiled awkwardly, suddenly forgetting the little conversation starter you had planned out when you were baking the cookies. "I'm Y/N. I uh, I live across from you," you started, pointing to the apartment behind you.

"Yeah, I know," he said. Of course he knew, he's seen me! you thought, wanting to kick yourself. "Of course, well I just wanted to formally introduce myself, so I made you these. Hope you like gingerbread," you said, almost shoving the container at him, which he accepted gladly, albeit with a bit of confusion.

"Thanks," he said, eyes glued to the container's content, "they smell good." You gave him a tight-lipped smile, nervously rocking on the balls of your feet. "Alright well, I'll see you around," you turned around to make your way back to your apartment, but you were stopped by his gruff voice once again.

"I'm Peter, by the way. Don't think I've introduced myself," he said as you turned around once again. You gave him another small smile, finally knowing the identity of the ghost of a man that lived across from you.

"It's nice to meet you, Peter," you said before finally making your way into your apartment.

✮˚｡⋆

Night shift was weirdly one of your favorite times to clock into work. There was something oddly soothing about getting ready for work when most people were asleep, the sound of the otherwise sleepless city serving as white noise as you mutely moved around the apartment.

You were getting the last of your things together, preparing for the long night ahead of you. Just as you unlocked the door, bag messily draped over one arm while the other held onto a half eaten muffin, you were met with Peter as he quietly made his way inside his apartment. You wanted to great him, when his choice of attire caught your eye, causing the words to get caught in your throat. The blue and red attire wasn't hard to identify as a Spider-man suit, and your first thought was to laugh at it. It's not Halloween yet, is it? was what you wanted to say, but the terrified look on his face told you he wouldn't appreciate the joke at the moment. What also stood out to you was how realistic the suit itself looked, paired with the mask gripped tightly in his left hand, as the right was still placed on the doorknob. It definitely didn't look like the ones you could buy at the dollar store.

Noticing the long stretch of silence was what prompted you to finally say something about whatever this situation was. "Long night?" you asked quietly, turning around to lock your door and give him a way out. "Uh, yeah," he answered, obviously not understanding that you were trying to give him a way out. You hummed in understanding, and when you turned around, he was still standing in front of his door. "Listen—" he started.

"You should probably go inside, Peter," you interrupted him, and he finally understood what you were doing. "Right, you're right I, yeah." and he quietly slipped into his apartment without another word. You decided to not dwell on it for now. It wasn't your business anyway, even if the idea of Spider-Man being your neighbor intrigued you a bit. Besides, why on Earth would Spider-Man use the front door?

a/n: this is real stupid but i don't want it in my drafts.

[thirsty4villains]

Cool Heat

Summary: You're an assistant for the Avengers. Loki has been hiding up in his room for the past week. You go to check on him and he's reverted back to his Jotun form, but he's not quite himself. The two of you discover that Jotuns go into cycles of heat, and Loki hasn't been in his Jotun form for over a millennia...

Rating: Explicit (smut in future chapters)

Warnings/Tags: THIS STORY WILL CONTAIN SMUT, and 1 chapter will have some dubcon, Loki lives in Stark Tower with the Avengers (because my brain is perpetually stuck in 2012 Tumblr era), sleep sex, PIV, smut, humor, romance, Jotun!Loki, more tags to be added

Find me on AO3, Wattpad, Patreon

CHAPTER 1

“Has anyone seen Loki lately?” Steve asked one Saturday afternoon. Tony Stark, Natasha, Clint, Bruce, and you were all hanging around the lounge area in the penthouse of Stark Tower when Steve had walked in and posed the question.

You still couldn’t believe that you were The Avengers’ assistant and that you regularly spent time with them in Stark Tower. You started as an intern for S.H.I.E.L.D. back as a senior in high school years ago and now, here you were, filling out reports and helping the Avengers out in any way you can.

“Don’t tell me you’re complaining about it,” Clint responded. “This is the most peaceful it’s been in a while.”

He laid his head back and slumped deeper into the couch.

“You’re not worried, are you, Cap?” Tony said teasingly.

“About the guy who tried to take over Earth a few years back and now has access to highly confidential S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets? Yeah, I could say I’m a little worried.”

“I think he’s just been in his room all this time,” you piped up. You were busy multitasking eating a sandwich and going over some S.H.I.E.L.D. documentation that Coulson decided to drop on you last minute.

“Yeah, he’s just been kind of keeping to himself,” Bruce said. “Well, except for…”

He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Except for what?” Natasha asked, turning her head, finally looking up from the magazine she was reading. However, you were fairly certain she was listening the entire time.

“Well, last night. Or the other night, I can’t remember — it doesn’t matter. Anyway, the other night I got hungry and went for a midnight snack, and when I came to the kitchen, Loki was there too. He had the fridge open, but he wasn’t looking for anything. He just had his eyes closed and just… stood in front of the open freezer. It was only for a second and then he noticed I was there, so he shut the fridge and went back to his room.”

“Maybe he was sleepwalking?” You asked.

Bruce shrugged, then shook his head. “I dunno, but also when he saw me he kind of… snarled. I thought I imagined it because I was half awake, but maybe he did.”

“Okay, that is weird,” Tony said, shoveling some chips into his mouth.

“Should we tell Thor about this?” Steve asked.

“And say what?” Tony asked. “Hey Thor, sorry to bother you while on your vacation with Jane but Loki was standing in the fridge and he kinda growled at Bruce. Is he evil again? Please advise.”

Steve crossed his arms. “I just think someone should check on him at the very least. When is the last time anyone has seen him, aside from Bruce?”

The room fell quiet as the cogs in people’s brains turned.

“Monday,” Natasha said.

“Monday, yeah,” Clint said.

“Sunday, I think,” Tony offered.

“Monday for me too,” you said.

“Ok, Sunday or Monday. Today’s Saturday. That means no one has seen him in almost a week, except for Bruce the other night. Something must not be right.”

“So… Who’s gonna check on him? Not gonna be me,” Tony said. “I’m not gonna piss him off.”

The room was silent again.

“Oh come on, really. No one?” Steve asked.

“Why not you?” Natasha rebutted.

“Because I’m fairly certain he likes me the least. He’ll probably just slam the door in my face.”

“Oh my god, okay, here.” Tony roused from his chair and went to the kitchen, pulling out a box of toothpicks from a drawer.

He proceeded to snap them, throwing tiny bits of toothpick into the garbage can.

“Come on, all of you. We’re drawing straws. Everyone get up and pick one.”

Each person moved to grab a toothpick from Tony. As you took yours, you hoped to God that you wouldn’t get the short stick.

You’d been working alongside the Avengers for 6 months – a little time after Loki joined. In that time, you’d gotten to know each person well. Some you were closer with than others, but overall you got along with everybody. Loki, however, was a different story. Most days you weren’t sure if he tolerated or hated you; other days, on the rare occasion, he treated you very kindly and joked with you. On any given day you couldn’t be certain what kind of attitude he would have. At this point you decided he was just a reformed asshole, and usually kept your distance.

Your last interaction with Loki on Monday was curt. You attempted to make small talk with him about his weekend, but many of his answers were one-worded, so the conversation wasn’t really a dialogue. He seemed agitated, but not more than usual. Maybe he was feeling depressed and that’s why he’s been holing himself up in his room?

It was time to show the toothpicks off. Everyone outstretched their hands and revealed theirs. You all compared sizes and, lo and behold, of course you had the short stick.

“Oh, great,” you said, blowing a puff of air out of your mouth.

“Thank god it wasn’t me,” Natasha said.

“Or me,” Clint responded.

“Phew,” said Bruce, deliberately avoiding eye contact with you.

“Alright, alright, I get it,” you said. “I’ll go figure it out. If he kills me, you’re all to blame and Tony’s paying for my funeral.”

You tossed your tiny toothpick into the trash and went to the elevator, hitting the ‘10’ button, the floor where most bedrooms were. At the end of the hall on the left side was Loki’s. In all the time you worked for the Avengers, you’d never gone to his room, not even knocked on his door. Loki was very private about his space and you respected that.

You brought up a fist, but hesitated, like a force prevented you from knocking on the door. Almost no one ever bothered him while he was in his room, and you were just a lowly human compared to superheroes and literal gods. The last thing you needed was a god’s ire directed at you.

Hopefully you could just knock on the door and find out he snuck out for the afternoon, and avoid an interaction altogether.

Knock knock.

Silence. You waited.

Knock knock knock.

You waited some more.

“Loki?” You asked. “I’m here to —“

“Here to what, mortal? Antagonize me?” Loki said from behind the door. His interruption startled you.

“We haven’t seen you in days, we just want to make sure you’re okay.”

The god swung open the door violently. You took a step back, alarmed by the sudden interaction. Loki’s face was deeply perturbed, and blue.

Blue!

And not just his face: his neck, his ears, his hands. His entire body was a deep blue. What’s more was that his eyes were entirely ruby red, whites and all. If you didn’t know him you would have gone running back down the hall. It was quite a terrifying sight to see, like a demon just opened the door. And yet, there was something about this appearance that beguiled you.

“I am alive,” he said. “Happy? Now leave me in peace.”

“Loki… what happened to you?”

He groaned. “It is the business of no one here. You will tell no one. Not Iron Man, not the Captain, none of them. You hear me? Make up a lie if they must know.”

“Loki, if you’re sick I want to help. Or did some magic you cast go wrong? I’ll tell them a lie, just tell me if there’s anything I can do.”

For a brief moment, his look of irritation and anger softened.

“I don’t think you can. But it was no magic, and I do not believe that I am sick.”

“Then why are you blue?”

He was quiet, then gave a long, drawn out sigh.

You expected to come here and get a door slammed in your face. Instead, Loki began explaining to you a part of him you never knew. Loki wasn’t Asgardian, he was something called Jotun, and he didn’t know about this for a millennia. He explained the Jotuns to you, then went on to say Odin kept his parentage a secret from him as a way to protect a peace treaty between the Asgardians and the Jotun. But what’s worse is that Odin also brought Thor and Loki up believing that Jotuns are barbaric murderers.

It was quite the info dump you weren’t prepared to hear.

Loki continued: “Despite my… monstrous heritage, there is still much I don’t know about that aspect of myself. A few days ago I began to feel ill; faint and light-headed, so I laid down on my bed. When I woke up, I no longer had my Asgardian appearance but my Jotun one, and I have been unable to change back since.”

“Are you weaker in this form? And are you positive this isn’t some kind of disease?” you asked.

“I am fairly certain, and all of my capabilities are at their fullest. However, I have been feeling agitated, angry, and frankly just on edge. It’s becoming worse by the day. I’ve confined myself to my room for the safety of myself and others, but I’m afraid that this… affliction is not going to cure itself on its own.”

“Maybe Tony can help? Or Bruce?”

Loki chuckled sardonically. “How would they? I have little knowledge of Jotun biology, what help could they possibly offer?

“Maybe…”

“Enough chatter, woman!” he exclaimed, making you jump. “I will find a solution on my own. Your concern has been noted. Leave me now, would you kindly?”

He shut the door in your face. You retreated back to the lounge in the penthouse. When you arrived, everyone stopped what they were doing to look at you.

“Well?” asked Steve.

“He’s alive,” you said. “And very grumpy, I would advise not to bother him. He told me he has some sort of Asgardian illness and it should go away soon.”

“That settles that. Great work,” said Tony. “I’m going to my lab now if anyone needs me.”

“I have some stuff to look over, so I’ll be going home for the day,” you said. “Ring me if you need me.”

When you got home to your apartment, you did do some work poring over your S.H.I.E.L.D. files like you said, but more of your time was spent wondering about Loki. You couldn’t stop thinking about how his true heritage was kept from him for a thousand years. It didn’t excuse what he did in New York but it sure did explain a lot. You were aware of his jealousy toward Thor, but the pieces connected a little more firmly now regarding his angry and irritable nature.

The other thing that you couldn’t expel from your mind were those ruby red eyes surrounded by sapphire skin. They were piercing, and sometimes when you blinked you could swear that you saw them flash in your retinas. They were frightening yet alluring. It was a shame he seemed to hate his true form so much – not that his usual one was ugly by any means.

Although Loki said to leave him be, you felt dreadfully sorry for him, on both accounts of his history and his current predicament. If he didn’t speak up soon, you would check on him again.

[hannahlikeso741]

HL Boys smelling female MC's perfume Part 2

Y'all really like the perfume posts, so I grace you with Part 2, a continuation of the little blurbs previously written with MC as their lover now. Perfumes listed for each character and credits to @cranberryletters and @hogwartslegacyreactions.

Boys Edition : Part 1

Girl's edition : Part 1, Part 2

Sebastian Sallow : (Penhaligon's Lavandula)

The Undercroft was cold and dim. Sebastian needed time to get away from people, overwhelmed by it all. He was so tired, stressed and... defeated. The events that happened from his 5th year is now weighing on him, leaving him haunted as he slumped into the wall, his legs giving out as Sebastian stared at the ceiling. He didn't expect MC coming into the Undercroft, a worried look written on her face. MC asked him if he was all right. Does he even look all right? He snorted sarcastically at this question, looking back at her with indifference. MC sighed, going to his side as she sat next to him, giving Sebastian a big hug. At first Sebastian didn't feel indifferent to MC's hug, but his arms found itself wrapped around her waist tight, catching that smell again. Oh he missed that scent, that lavender scent she wears so well, blended with a slight hint of vanilla and spicy notes. It came in like a comforting voice, a lover's embrace to calm Sebastian's pain. Unashamedly so that he buried his nose onto the crook of MC's neck, taking in deep breaths to smell her scent again. So much so Sebastian didn't notice MC's gasp, her eyelids fluttering at the intensity of his hold on her. In the sheer hunger of needing comfort, Sebastian kissed MC on the lips passionately. Neither of them broke from the kiss, finding themselves wrapped in a passionate embrace. After needing some air, Sebastian asked if MC would come and stay with him in Feldcroft for the summer. He smirked when she said yes.

Ominis Gaunt: (Chanel's No 5)

He couldn't get enough of that scent and it frustrated him so. MC decided to play coy when Ominis finally asked about her perfume, saying that she will tell him if he willingly would go to the upcoming school ball with her. Reluctantly, Ominis agreed. Ominis found himself wearing his dress robes as he waits for MC in the Great Hall during that night, nervous as it all could be a trick and he was stood up. Ominis heard the gasps and murmurs, wondering who that could be. But upon catching that scent, he smiled as MC held his hand, leading him to the dancefloor when the music started to play. Sighing, he held MC in a waltz position, praying that he didn't step on her toes. Suprisingly she caught up to him in speed and steps, the two moving in sync. Upon smelling her close up, Ominis could finally note the iris, musk, vanilla and other things... but it was incomplete as it was missing one more note. As MC got tired of dancing and wanted to take a breather, Ominis followed suit, sitting down in the moonlit garden. Ominis now didn't find the scent annoying or bothersome, rather it greets him like an elegant work of art that was put on display. He and MC admitted their feelings towards on another, leading to a chaste kiss and a warm embrace. Ominis found the missing note on that perfume. Her.

Garreth Weasley: (Replica's Lazy Sunday Morning)

He watches MC sleeping peacefully next to him after they made love yesterday night. Garreth let his fingers dance around MC's hair, slowly moving towards the skin on her back. The Sunday morning peeked through the window, giving MC a sort of halo. Garreth felt blessed to witness a rare beautiful sight. MC woke up, stretching slightly with the white linen bedsheets. She turned to her side, greeting him with a sleepy smile as she snuggled up to him. Garreth gave MC a kiss on her lips, taking in that scent he smelt from her handkerchief from that potions incident. Oh, how that scent charmed him so, with it's musky yet clean notes blending together with that light touch of pear and florals. Garreth sighed as he held MC tight, continuously giving her small kisses and whispering sweet nothings while she held him tight, giving him small moans that was music to his ears. They spent the whole morning in that bed, the conversation going from pillow talk to dreams of the future. Garreth chuckled and supported her ambitions, while she can't wait to see him become a master potioneer. They both smiled at each other, looking forward to what came next. The impression from that scent that first hit Garreth did came true in the end. It was better than Garreth could ever dream of. Maybe now it is a good time to pull out that ring he kept hidden in the bedside table.

Amit Thakkar: (Diptyque's Tam Dao)

MC wanted to explore the rest of the magical world after graduation. Amit willingly obliged, wanting to go with her to see the spots where it is just perfect to set up a telescope to view the stars above. Upon landing in his homeland of India during their travels, Amit asked if she was willing to visit his homestate of Bombay, or as he calls it, Gujarat. MC said yes, and Amit felt his heart over soared with joy. He also actually bought the train tickets ahead of time so he felt relief when she said yes otherwise those tickets would have gone to waste. The tropical heat and hearing the familiar Gujarati language cured Amit's homesickness once the train stopped at his hometown. He had to admit, he had been away for too long. He showed MC the temples and their gods and goddesses, explaining their roles in Hinduism. MC listened with a curious mind, a keen pupil as she always was when Amit studies with her about Astronomy. Amit gulped when they arrived at his childhood home, awaiting the flurry of questions from his parents regarding MC. MC knew how to charm her way through, answering each and every question while sprinkling some good things about their son. As MC played the charming guest, Amit couldn't help but to catch her scent again. Oh that sandal and cedar wood that reminded him of his childhood worn by her gave him such a yearning for his home that he fell for her since, wondering how he landed MC. Now that she is here, it just felt right. He stared at MC as she politely excuses herself to freshen up, giving Amit a kiss on the forehead as she goes to another room. And that is when Amit wanted to bury himself in shame as his parents nag him on when he is going to marry her.

Leander Prewett: (Goutal's Petite Cherie)

She can't be beat. He has tried everything but somehow MC always got better. On the last Summoner Court's match he lost by 70 points, leading Leander to admit defeat and walk away in shame. he didn't even care that MC was calling out to him until he felt a jolt, her hand grasping on his robes. MC asked why he was always challenging her in everything. Sighing, Leander admitted for once he just wanted to be good in something, perhaps something that can prove he was worthy of the house of Gryffindor. MC gave him a pat on the back, offering to teach him. In fact, she even offered to be his dueling partner so he can learn a thing or two. Slowly, Leander had to admit he wanted to be in MC's company. He began to join her in exploring caves or some quiet study time, relishing in what she had to share with him. She always had that pull about her, down to her scent. Oh how that grassy notes of pear and peach settle down to a bouquet of roses and lilac on her skin and clothes. She doesn't know about how magnetic she was, was she? It was one of those days that MC asked him to meet her at the black lake, something about buried treasure. Leander took a deep breath as he held to those roses tight, waiting for her. He was going to prove his bravery to her by asking her out right now.

Everett Clopton: (Loewe's 001)

Whoa! Those new broom upgrades was worth every galleon spent. Everett swished around the Southern course, with MC just right behind him. The two merely only wanted to test it out, leading to them doing a broom race. Honestly, Imelda might be foaming at the mouth seeing those two beating her score halfway. Everett looked back, ensuring MC wasn't too far behind. Unfortunately, he went too fast that for a split second, he found himself going flat on a tree. MC screamed in shock , then yelling Arresto Momentum to prevent him from falling down faster. That was some good timing, he thought as he landed on the ground gently with MC landing on her broom, looking frantic. He is okay, he faced worse broom accidents. MC isn't having it and shoves him a bottle of Wiggenweld. Fine, fine, he will drink one. As he drank, he caught a wiff of himself. Thank Merlin that he actually wore some cologne this time with MC so close to him. He gave her a kiss of reassurance on her forehead, seeing that she really was worried. Leaning his head on the crook of her neck, he gave a little laugh as he basked into that familiar scent of tangerine and bergamot that gave way to the jasmine, amber and linen. MC's body heat was the finishing touch to that scent as Everett looked up at her, giving a child like smirk. Upon seeing MC rolled her eyes and giving him a kiss in return, Everett knew he won, more ways than one.

[imagrindylow]

Would you pretty please write a leander fic with female MC that takes place after hogwarts. He is dating her roommate, but the roommate is awful and is not nice. He and MC end up falling for each other?

Yesssss! I love this idea and I loved working on this! SO SORRY that it took me such an embarrassing amount of time to finish your request, but thank you for sending it to me!

Worth the Wait

Leander Prewett / Samantha Dale; Leander Prewett / f!MC 14.8k Words Content Warnings: 18+ Explicit content; cheating, alcohol use, fluff, angst, oral sex, fingering, sex Summary: You were used to your flatmate's frequent complaints about her boyfriend, but as you got to know him better for yourself, none of those complaints made sense to you.

~~~~~~

It was over a game of Summoner’s Court with Samantha Dale during the final weeks of seventh year, when then two of you came to the decision to become flat mates upon graduating. You had mentioned how you wanted to move to London, because you had a goal of working at St. Mungo’s as a healer, but that you were worried about moving to the city on your own, and all of your close friends had plans to reside elsewhere. Samantha’s eyes had lit up, her mouth curling into a grin as she explained that she had plans on taking a Ministry position within the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, and as it happened, she was in the market for a flat mate as well. You and Samantha were little more than casual friends, on the outskirts of each other's main social groups, but you got on well enough with each other that you felt fine taking the opportunity as it appeared, and that was that.

The two bedroom unit was tiny, but it worked, and had been home for the past almost two years. Despite being flat mates, you saw relatively little of each other, with both of you working full time to save for something better, the goal having been to keep the living arrangement as temporary as possible. Especially over the last several months, Samantha was absent. You knew she was seeing someone, as she would return from nights spent away with stories and complaints. This Sunday evening was no different.

Stumbling out of the fireplace in a blaze of green flames at eleven at night after a weekend spent with her boyfriend, you could smell the fire whiskey wafting from Samantha’s breath as she slumped down on the other end of the sofa with a sigh. Her bag dropped to the floor at her feet as she relaxed.

Lifting your gaze from your book, you turn to Samantha with furrowed brows. “Don’t you work tomorrow?”

She nodded and groaned before listing her head towards you, her eyes drunkenly rolling in exasperation. “He’s so dull sometimes. The alcohol helps.” She muttered lazily, slumping further into the cushions.

You shook your head. “If he’s that bad, why keep seeing him?” It was a question you’d asked her at least a dozen times over the last five months. Sometimes he was dull, other times he was clingy, sometimes he was too sensitive. You rarely heard a good word from Samantha in regard to the man she spent so much of her free time with, and it was a conundrum to you.

It was a question she usually managed to dodge, but in her inebriation she opened up. “He’s nice and all...” She slurred. “And… it’s not like I have a better option at the moment.” She replied with a shrug, nonchalantly.

“So, you’re with this man because you’re bored?” You asked, trying not to sound too judgy, though Samantha’s dismissiveness made it difficult.

Samantha chuckled, a grin on her face. “Don’t act as though you wouldn’t if you could.” She said, her speech mumbled, then back peddled. “Not saying you couldn’t, if you tried… Oh, you know what I mean. I’m not doing anything wrong.”

“I suppose it’s not my business.” You said with a shrug. You knew it really wasn’t your place to lecture her. She was going to do what she wanted regardless.

“Sure isn’t.” She grinned. “Going to bed. See you.” Samantha said and pulled herself up from the sofa with a groan, and headed to her room with staggered steps.

~~~

It was untypical for Samantha to have her boyfriend over to your shared flat, she usually opted to spend time at his place, as he lived alone. It was even less typical for her to bring him round while you were home – the small space you shared not giving much opportunity for privacy. You hadn’t even met the man the entire time Samantha had been seeing him – didn’t even know his name – as though he wasn’t an important enough part of Samantha’s life for her to bring up that detail in conversation with you.

It hadn’t crossed your mind at all that the knocking on your door Wednesday evening could possibly have been your flat mate’s mystery boyfriend.

“Are you expecting someone?” You called from the sitting room to Samantha, who was in her room, getting changed out of her work robes – the knocking coming within minutes of her arriving home that evening.

“No!” She called back from behind her closed door.

You hadn’t been expecting anyone either, so with her answer, you expected the knock to be from a sales person. You lifted yourself from the sofa and made your way from the sitting room down the narrow hallway to your front door. Looking through the peephole in your door, you were shocked to see someone you hadn’t seen since leaving Hogwarts. Leander Prewett?

“One minute!” You called from the other side of the door, through the peephole you saw him nod in response. You would have had no problem just letting him in right away, but as a courtesy you wanted to give Samantha a heads up that someone was coming in. You made your way back through your flat and towards Samantha’s room, where she was just stepping into the hall, now changed from her work robes.

“Leander Prewett is at our front door. What in the world?” You asked her with a chuckle, making your way back towards the door to answer it, curious what he wanted after so long. You stopped in your tracks when Samantha’s hand found your shoulder, her jaw dropping in surprise before her lips turned up into a seemingly embarrassed grin.

“Ohh. It’s for me, then.” She began, and squeezed past you in the narrow hall. “That’s who I’ve been seeing.” She admitted, a look of what you could only describe as embarrassment crept over her face.

You looked at her with wide eyes, as you took in this information and pieced it together with everything she had said of the man she’d been seeing. All of her previous complaints had been about Leander? You weren’t very close with him, most of your interactions having been from fifth year when various students had been assigned to show you the ropes. You remembered him as being brash at times, yet reserved and fumbling at others, never really knowing which persona was closest to accurate. Sixth and seventh year you were friendly acquaintances, chatting in mutual classes but nothing much further.

When Samantha opened the door to allow him inside you were still in the hallway, trying to make sense of it all. You had been fairly sure that the pair didn’t even like each other, at least not back in fifth year, recalling that Samantha had badly beaten Leaner in numerous rounds of Summoners Court… back then, it was him who’d complained to you about her. You shrugged the thought off, knowing that time changes things. They obviously had gotten closer at some point in the later years of school.

Snapping out of it and trying not to be so overt in your eavesdropping, you headed off the hall and into the kitchen, starting the tea kettle while keeping your ears alert. From what you gathered, Leander had dropped by to surprise her with dinner, and despite her kind words, Samantha’s tone sounded less than thrilled with his unannounced appearance. The pair chatted in the threshold for a few minutes before the sounds of their voices drew closer as Samantha allowed Leander inside, their footsteps approaching the kitchen as you readied the tea.

Stepping into your kitchen together, Samantha spoke first, an informal re-introduction. “You two know each other, if I recall. Leander’s brought us dinner.” She said casually.

You and Leander each nodded at Samantha’s presumption, exchanging friendly smiles. Leander looked both surprised and happy to see you. “I knew Samantha had a flat mate, I didn’t know it was you.” He said with a chuckle. “How’ve you been, MC?” He asked.

“I’ve been quite well, thank you, and yourself?”

“Couldn’t be better.” He grinned, wrapping an arm around Samantha’s waist affectionately. His other hand held a fairly large brown paper bag. “I hope it’s not an imposition that I stopped by. As Samantha said, I’ve brought dinner, for all of us.”

“Of course it’s no imposition.” You said and invited him to sit at the table. “Tea?” You offered, and he nodded politely after taking a seat.

Samantha, having taken the bag from him, set it on the kitchen counter and pulled a large ceramic container from it. Clearly the bag had been enchanted to accommodate the large and heavy looking contents. She gathered dishes to eat with, while you served tea for the three of you. You shot Samantha a look, a grin that went to your eyes along with a subtle approving nod at his gesture, communicating silently to her, and perhaps trying to convince her – this is a good man. The half-hearted grin she gave you in return left a bad taste in your mouth.

The meal appeared to be a beef stew, still steaming hot as Samantha served it into bowls. “I didn’t know you cooked.” She complimented, smiling at Leander as she brought the bowls to the table, the three of you sitting down to eat, now. “It smells wonderful.”

“Actually, it’s my mum’s cooking. She turned up at my flat not thirty minutes ago with this massive pot. I told her I could never finish it all before it would go bad but she wouldn’t hear it, you know how mums can be. So, I thought who better to share it with.” He said, smiling adoringly at Samantha as he spoke. “I wanted to come by while it was still hot. I do apologize for showing up unannounced.”

“Of course.” Samantha nodded, tasting the stew. She gave the dish an approving nod, though learning that he didn’t prepare the meal himself seemed to have dulled her previous enthusiasm. “Well your mum is a lovely cook. This is delicious.” You said, thoroughly enjoying having the night off from cooking, something you and Samantha took turns doing. Tonight would have been your night. “I’ll let her know you both enjoy it. If there’s one thing she’ll never tire of, it’s people complimenting her cooking.” Leander said with a chuckle, dipping his spoon into the stew and eating.

For not being how you had anticipated spending your evening, it went well. Leander only spent about an hour or so visiting following dinner, worried about overstaying an unannounced appearance, though neither you nor Samantha had other plans that evening. Regardless of the short duration of his stay, you enjoyed catching up with him. You’d learned that he, like Samantha, also worked for the Ministry, though in separate departments. He currently held a position in the Improper Use of Magic Office. The longer the three of you talked, the more confused you were of Samantha’s frequent complaints of this man. He’d clearly come into his confidence, not coming across as overcompensating or nervous as he had in school. He held a good job, and clearly cared a lot for Samantha.

You silently reminded yourself that Samantha’s reasoning for dating Leander was not your business, after he left for the evening, when Samantha let out an audible sigh as she made her way back to the sitting room after walking him out.

“Sorry.” She said, looking apologetic as she sat back down on the sofa, idly fidgeting with the throw pillow beside her

“For?” You asked her, utterly confused on what she could be apologizing for.

“Unexpected company, having to entertain on no notice.” Samantha explained, her voice sounded drained, as though she’d just dealt with something arduous and unpleasant. As though the surprise of her own boyfriend coming by with a home cooked meal was anything other than kind and thoughtful.

“It hardly felt as though we were entertaining him.” You waved her off, assuring her. “Though, I am curious why you didn’t mention it was Leander that you were seeing.”

Samantha shrugged. “I didn’t think it was important, it’s not serious.” She said simply, her tone indifferent.

“He seems serious.” You retorted with a smirk. You didn’t want to argue with her, it was her relationship after all, but it was obvious, at least to you, that he seemed to be on a very different wavelength than Samantha was.

She sounded exasperated, “It’s only been a few months.”

“Right.” You disagreed with her definition of ‘a few’ but that was neither here nor there. You nodded, acknowledging her reasoning, leaning forward to the coffee table to grab the book you’d been reading lately.

Only a beat had passed before she groaned and started venting to you, sounding as though she was looking for your validation of her opinions. “Am I alone in thinking it’s… immature for him to have his mummy cooking him food and delivering it to him? And coming by unannounced...”

You laughed out loud. “Surely you’re joking? I’m sure he didn’t ask her to cook for him. You’re the one spending weekends at his flat, is he immature?” You asked her, looking at her inquisitively. When she didn’t reply after several seconds, you spoke up again. “It sounds like you’re actively looking for flaws to take issue with... Dropping in unannounced is one thing, but you’ve been seeing him for months, and I’m sure he thought you’d enjoy the surprise.”

“You’re right.” She said. You were unsure for a moment of which point she was agreeing with, but then she added, “Maybe I am just looking for flaws in him.”

Well, her admitting it was a start. You’d hoped that her realizing this point would lead her to either be more appreciative of this man who is clearly putting in effort, or, stop leading him along like a puppy and cut him loose.

~~~

It was just two weeks later when you found Leander at your doorstep again, though this time, you’d expected him. Samantha had let you know before she left for work this morning that he’d be over after work to pick her up, as they’d be heading out to dinner together. He’d arrived nicely dressed, and with a bouquet for her, and was visibly confused when you answered the door rather than his girlfriend.

Between now and your last conversation with Samantha about her love life, she’d stopped complaining about Leander, and the only assumption that you could draw was that her opinions of him were improving. You were very surprised that she wasn’t home from work yet when he came by to meet her.

“Hello, MC,” he smiled and nodded to greet you. “Is Samantha ready yet?” He asked after you opened the door for him.

“She’s actually not home from work yet.” You told him, your brow furrowing in commiseration for his evening not beginning as expected.

“Really?” He asked, his voice that of disbelief.

“Sorry… I’m not sure exactly when she’ll be back. She hadn’t mentioned needing to stay late, so something must have come up.” Your voice was soft and you had a look of sympathy on your face for him, as he was clearly put off by the whole turn of events.

He didn’t respond for a beat, looking at you with confusion, unsure of what the best move would be. “Umm… Well…” He began before trailing off again.

“You’re welcome to come in and wait for her, if you want to. And we can get those into a vase.” You offered, and gestured at the flowers.

“If that’s really alright, I’ll take you up on that. But I wouldn’t want to impose. Are you sure?” He said, sounding a little hesitant.

“I promise, it’s no bother.” You said and stood aside, gesturing for him to come in. He gave you an appreciative nod and stepped inside. “Alright let’s find a vase.” You said and led him into the kitchen. After a quick search through the back of one of the cabinets, you pulled out an old glass, which you transfigured into a suitable vase with a flick of your wand. You added water and he added the flowers, and you set the vase on the counter.

“I appreciate that.” He said.

“Mhm. She’ll love to see those after a long day at work.” You told him as you leaned back against the counter whilst you chatted.

“Is it often that Samantha works late?” He wondered, standing in the doorway to the small kitchen, resting his shoulder against the frame, his arms crossed casually.

“It happens from time to time, especially lately it seems.” You said, thinking back on the last few weeks. “But anyway, can I get you some tea while you wait?”

“No, no. I really don’t want to trouble you.” He said, waving the suggestion off, shaking his head. “You just… carry on with whatever you were doing and don’t let me bother you.”

“It’s not trouble. Are you sure you don’t want anything? I think tea sounds good right now. I think I’ll make some either way.” You said.

“Well… If you were going to make some tea for yourself anyway, I suppose I could take a cup.” He said with a grin. “Thank you, MC, again, I appreciate you letting me come in and wait.” He added. “Hopefully she wont be long.”

“Hopefully, but you’re welcome to wait as long as you’d like. I was just reading. You aren’t interrupting anything.” You said as you filled the tea kettle with water with a flick of your wand and sent it gliding through the air to the stove top, another point of you wand lighting the flame beneath the pot.

Several minutes later, after some idle chit chat about how your respective day had gone and about the weather, the two of you retired to the sitting room with your teacups. Leander took a seat on the arm chair beside the sofa you sat down on, and sipped the drink.

“When Samantha does end up working late, does she typically send an owl?” Leander asked you as he crossed his legs and got comfortable in his seat.

“No, I don’t think she’s ever sent notice, honestly.”

“My apologies for quizzing you – but, on her late evenings – when does she typically arrive back home?”

“Oh, it’s quite alright, Leander.” You assured him. You completely understood his line of questioning. “It varies. Sometimes an hour late, but occasionally more. Always with rather entertaining stories of whatever outstanding catastrophe kept her busy.”

Leander hummed and nodded his head, a faint look of disappointment on his face to hear that he may be waiting awhile. “May I?” He asked and gestured towards a copy of the Daily Prophet that was sitting on the coffee table in front of you.

“By all means. Like I’d said, I was just reading a book when you arrived, anyway. I can get back to that, then.”

Leander got up to grab the paper before settling back down in the armchair, and you reached for your book once again, picking up where you had left off before. The silence in the room while the two of you read was only mildly uncomfortable to start. Leander had the paper folded open for only a few minutes before he laid it on his lap to sip once again on his tea, and you noticed his gaze lingering in your direction while he drank… Though he wasn’t exactly looking at you.

“Hm?” You hummed, drawing his attention to your face.

“Oh, your book.” He said, gesturing to the hard bound copy of a large muggle book entitled Moby-Dick on your lap. “I didn’t know the Hero of Hogwarts was such an intellectual.” He teased.

“I’ve always enjoyed reading… I couldn’t very well duel and fight all the time.” She said with a smirk. “And don’t call me that.” She added, rolling her eyes, though her tone was light.

“Oh? Tired of that title? Fair enough.” He smirked.

“Have you read it?” She asked, nodding down at her book and ignoring the reminder of the title she’d earned in fifth year that seemed to continue following her around despite her best attempts at normalcy.

“I have. We can discuss it once you’re finished.”

“I’d like that.”

He nodded and gave you a smirk before turning his attention back to the Daily Prophet. You resumed your reading, slowly sipping your tea, hyper-aware of the quiet ticking of the antique clock mounted on the wall above the fireplace, as you turned page after page after page… Samantha was very late.

You were sure more than an hour had passed since you let Leander in to wait for his girlfriend, and with every passing minute you felt increasingly bad for him, as you racked your brain for the right things to say to him. It was well past dinner time, and Samantha had still not arrived or sent an owl.

Leander sat tapping his foot, you looked up from your book to notice him checking the time with his pocket watch against that of your clock, as though he was unbelieving of his current situation. The man looked anxious, not dissimilar to the teenager you knew in school.

You had to say something at this point, to try to ease the tension for him, to break the silence thick in the room. You’d thought back to your own dinner plans. You hadn’t counted on cooking for just yourself since you were anticipating being on your own for supper. You were going to treat yourself to a meal out at a local pub.

You cleared your throat before you finally spoke up. “You know, I was going to get something to eat at this pub around the corner.”

“Oh, gods MC, I am so sorry, I’m impeding on your dinner now. I can go, just… just tell Samantha I came by and to send an owl when she gets back home.” He said, speaking quickly, his tone apologetic. He shut the paper and tossed it gently back to the coffee table as he stood up, as though preparing to leave.

“Actually I was going to ask if maybe you’d like to join me?” You asked as you stood as well, closing your book and laying it on the arm of the sofa.

You noticed Leander’s face go immediately red at the invitation. A dinner alone with his girlfriend’s flatmate certainly did not sound appropriate to him at that moment, and his facial expression gave away his thought process to you. You regretted the proposal almost instantly, but you were already committed to the invitation so you stuck to it. Was it really so wrong to ask?

“We could just catch up some more and grab a quick bite. I didn’t stop for groceries, I hadn’t planned on cooking tonight thinking that Samantha would be out with you for dinner. And well.. I need to eat but it doesn’t feel right just telling you to leave when you’ve been waiting for Samantha for so long.”

Leander looked at you quizzically, but was weighing your offer. “What about Samantha?” He wondered, folding his arms as he debated.

That was the dilemma wasn’t it?

“I’m not sure.” You said and shrugged your shoulders. You had a lot of things you wanted to say about the situation itself and about Samantha in general. But that wouldn’t be appropriate. “You’re free to keep waiting while I go, if you don’t want to come.”

“You know what, I’ll come.” He decided. “I’m hungry… I’m… annoyed. And having dinner myself at home certainly won’t make me feel any better.”

“Well then. I’ll lead the way. The place is just around the corner.” You say as you head towards the front door of the flat.

Leander followed behind you as you headed out into the streets of London, but stopped before rounding the corner, looking behind him over his shoulder, clearly hoping to catch sight of Samantha, but there was no one. Waiting a few steps in front of him, you watched him shake his head, clearly disappointed, before catching up with you.

“I’m sorry.” You said as he walked beside you the final block to the pub.

Leander let out a half-hearted “mhm” as the two of you approached the pub, he pulled the door and held it open for you. Taking seats at the bar counter, the two of you ordered butterbeers while he looked over the chalk scrawled food menu on the wall behind the counter.

Raising his pint glass, Leander’s tone shifted towards something of amusement. He chuckled and shook his head before saying, “Well this is odd isn’t it? I don’t think we’ve ever shared a drink together.”

You thought on it for a moment before smirking and nodding in agreement. “You’re right, we haven’t. Cheers, then.”

“Cheers.” Leander grinned. Clinking your glass to his, you sipped your drinks, and made some small talk until the bartender interrupted to take your food orders.

It didn’t take long for you to forget your intentions of making this a quick outing. Your meals had arrived when you were each on your second drink, conversation flowing easily as you reminisced on your not so long since passed Hogwarts years. The more you spoke the more you wondered why you weren’t closer friends with Leander back in school. Hearing his stories from his time at Hogwarts, there was definitely more to him than had met your eye back then… Furthermore, you wondered what the bloody hell Samantha was talking about all of the times she had spoken poorly of him. He was funny, engaging, witty, and confident enough to poke fun at his previously awkward teenage self. Not to mention charming… and handsome. 

Not ready to head back immediately following your meal, you each ordered a third butterbeer just for good measure, and carried on conversing about school, quidditch, work, life. It was Leander doing a double take on his pocket watch, a laugh falling from his lips at the shock of more than two hours having passed since you arrived that finally prompted the two of you to call for the cheque.

“What are you doing?” You ask as Leander snatches the cheque before you could even get a look at it. “What do I owe?”

“You don’t.” He said. “You’ve been too kind to me, letting me wait in your flat for Samantha for so long, making me tea, letting me impose on your dinner plans. I’ve got it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, I can pay for myself.”

“So stubborn, MC. I absolutely insist.” He said as he pulled a few galleons from his pocket and laid them on the counter. “Now, will you let me walk you back to your flat? It’s getting late.”

Charming, handsome and a gentleman.

You nodded. “I’ll allow it.” You chuckled. “You can pop back in, surely Samantha will be home by now.”

“I‘d appreciate that.” He said.

The two of you left the pub, and took the short walk back to your flat. It was dark outside now, dim light filling the streets from the lamp posts lighting the way. You were surprised when you unlocked the door to your flat and saw that the lights were off, as though no one was home. Not wanting to jump immediately to conclusions as you walked through your silent flat, you knocked on Samantha’s bedroom door while Leander waited in the kitchen. You assumed that maybe she had come home and laid right down. When after a few moments she didn’t call out or answer the door, you cracked it open just slightly, peering inside. She wasn’t home. 

You closed her door and headed back down the hall and to the kitchen where Leander was leaning back against one of the counters with his arms crossed in front of his chest. “She’s not in there.” You told him. “I’m sorry, Leander.”

He shook his head, the disappointment and confusion apparent on his face. “You think she’s alright?” He wondered. He began to pace, fidgeting with his hands. Something about his stance and actions transported you right back to fifth year. This anxiousness of his was familiar to you. “Something serious must have happened in her department, then, right? I mean why else would she not be here yet? To just not show up when we had plans. Do you think-”

“I’m sure she’s alright. Probably just a staffing issue.” You suggested, cutting off his uneasy rambling. Honestly had no idea of what could have possibly been going on. You just wanted to reassure the man standing in your kitchen. “I’ll tell her to send you an owl as soon as she gets home.”

“Right, thank you again MC, for your hospitality. I'll just be going then. It’s getting late after all.” He said, talking quickly now, and heading back down the hall and to your front door. You followed behind him, seeing him out.

Standing in the door frame as he headed down the front stairs of your small porch, you found yourself speaking without having considered the words before they left your mouth. “I had a nice time with you this evening.”

You felt the warmth of embarrassment in your cheeks the moment the words left your mouth. You wondered why you had said that. He hadn’t been in your home to spend time with you. He was merely waiting on his girlfriend. Your flatmate. No matter their truth, if you could have sucked your words back out of the air, you would have. Leander stopped and turned around on the stairs, looking up at you, you saw his lips curve into a subtle grin. 

“Me too.” He said. “All things considered, it was a rather pleasant evening.” 

Him returning your sentiment while not sounding like he’d spoken out of pity or to ease your clear embarrassment, was a bit of a surprise to you. He was too kind. Much too kind to be wrapped around Samantha’s fingers, you thought.

The eye contact held between the two of you, remaining even after he’d spoken, was too much for you to keep up with for another second. “Goodnight, Leander.” You said, putting an end to the exchange you shouldn’t have started to begin with. 

“Goodnight, MC.” He said, showing off that damn grin of his again before he nodded and turned, heading down the final stair onto the sidewalk, and away from your flat. You shut and locked your front door, leaning back against it with a sigh when he was gone. You shook your head, willing yourself to snap out of whatever delusion had you believing that it was appropriate to think of your flatmate's boyfriend in the ways you’d begun to as of late. 

~~~

Samanatha was still not home by the time you’d readied yourself for bed that night, but the following morning, you awoke to the sound of the tea kettle whistling on the stove top, and you knew she was back. Pulling yourself from your bed, you headed to the kitchen, curious what had ended up keeping her so late last night. You knew it wasn’t really your place to question Samantha, but you couldn't help but let your curiosity get the best of you this morning.

Walking into the kitchen, you leaned against the wall, facing her, watching as she pulled the lid off the tin of chamomile tea on the counter. She looked as though she’d been up all night. 

“Rough night at work last night?” You asked her.

“It was very busy.” Samantha replied, not even looking up at you when you spoke, but keeping her attention on her tea as she prepped it. Her short tone immediately gave you the impression that she was not interested in having this conversation at all.

You let out a short hum in acknowledgement at her statement, then cut right to the chase. “I told Leander I’d tell you to send him an owl when I saw you.”

“I already sent him one.” She said, glancing at you  letting out a small huff as though annoyed. “In fact, he sent me an owl before you were even up.”  

Samantha leaned against the counter opposite you, waiting on her tea to steep. “His brute of an owl was pecking at my window before 7AM. I’d still be asleep if it weren’t for that damned bird.” She added and shook her head in displeasure.

“He was worried.” You said, justifying Leander’s actions on his behalf, unable to blame him for reaching out to her this morning, even if it was quite early for an owl on a Saturday. “You stood him up. He thought something bad had happened to you.”

“I was busy. At work.” Samantha said, emphasizing her excuse but offering no further explanation as to what specifically held her up. 

You couldn’t help but feel Samantha was being disingenuous with both her short response and her dismissive  body language, casually drinking her tea as she spoke. She didn’t seem to have a care in the world over the fact that she’d upset her boyfriend with her unexpected absence from their date night

“Still, you could have sent him an owl and let him know you wouldn’t be home to meet him, couldn’t you have? It wouldn’t have taken more than a few moments.”

“But I didn’t, and it’s a new day. I replied to his owl. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to bed.” She said shortly, leaving no room for further discussion. She took her tea and headed past you and down the hall towards her room.

“Are you going to be home this weekend, then?” You asked her before she disappeared behind her door, your nosiness getting the better of you, you could tell from her facial expression when you’d asked.

“Yep.” She replied, increasing annoyance at your questioning in her voice. She shut the door behind her as she retreated into her room, leaving you in the kitchen with more questions than you had answers for. You sighed, your mind wandering. 

Did they argue in their letters this morning? Are they even still together? Why do I care so damn much? The last thought weighing heavy this morning.

Not two minutes later, while you were still  in thought in the kitchen, Samantha reemerged from her room, this time with a question for you. Her arms were crossed as she stood in the doorway between the hall and kitchen. 

“You said he was worried. So worried he’d thought something bad had happened to me?” She began, her tone incredulous.

You nodded, recalling how anxious Leander had gotten by the end of the night, when she’d left him wondering and questioning for hours after she was supposed to have met with him. 

“Hard to believe that would have been his immediate conclusion, even with how terribly anxious he can get. His letter said he waited awhile, hoping to see me. So, just how long was he here with you last night?” She asked, her question sounding almost like an accusation of wrongdoing on your part. You’d never heard Samantha sound this way over him before. As though she might have actually cared that you’d been alone with him.

“It was a few hours. I’m not even sure what time he left.” You answered honestly, curious the reaction this would get from her.

She looked shocked, though not angry with this information. If you hadn’t known better given  the situation, you could have almost sworn you’d seen some  faint amusement behind her eyes. “Sounds like he wasn’t as lonely as he’d let on in his letter, then.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? He was waiting for you.” 

“Nothing.” She said, and smirked. So… she had been amused… It struck you as odd and unfitting. “It’s fine. I hope the two of you had a pleasant time catching up.”

“We did.” You confirmed, trying to keep your face from looking absolutely smug, but your tone conveyed that she should, in fact, be jealous that you got the time she missed out on with her boyfriend.

“Right, well, I’m glad.” She said, sounding too sincere for the scenario. “I’m exhausted, work was busy, as I said. I’m going to lay down.” 

~~~

The next week brought more late nights at work for Samantha, and aggravation for you, as you were left with more responsibilities around the flat in her absence. During your twelve hour shift at St. Mungos on Saturday that week you found yourself hoping that your flatmate spent at least part of her day off back at home cleaning up the place a bit. You were feeling poorly and the last thing you wanted was to come home from such a long shift to a flat that needed cleaning.

However, as your morning went on your prevailing thought shifted to simply surviving your shift, as you started feeling worse after your lunch break. You must have looked ill, because the matron healer on your shift noticed your condition as soon as you’d met with her to discuss afternoon rounds. The older woman took one look at you, noting your pale and clammy state, and ordered you to go home and rest, sending you out the door with a bottle of Pepperup potion in hand.

When you apparated to your doorstep, you were no longer concerned with the state in which you’d find the flat, but rather just getting into your bed, drinking your potion, and sleeping whatever this is, off. 

You strode through your front door with a groan, immediately starting to complain about how you felt, knowing Samantha was somewhere in the flat to hear you. You heard her muttering something or other from the living room as you headed down the hall and towards her voice. 

Rounding the corner into the room, you dropped your vial of Pepperup potion in surprise when you saw Samantha. The glass shattering on the floor was what drew her attention to you, and you realized the muttering you’d heard hadn’t been directed to you at all, but to the man whose lap she was sat atop on the couch. A man who was not Leander. 

“MC! I- I didn’t expect you home so soon. You- I thought you had a twelve hour shift today.” She sputtered, looking as though she’d seen a ghost, likely as pale as you were with your ailment. 

“I was feeling poorly, and got sent home early.” You said flatly, your mouth hanging open, staring at her as she scooted off the man's lap and stood up from the couch. You didn't recognise her company, but the emblem on his shirt when he stood up beside Samantha had shown that he was a coworker of hers in the ministry. “You and Leander-”

“We broke up. Last week.” She said quickly, cutting you off from finishing your question, though her response had covered the answer you were looking for. 

You nodded at her explanation, relieved to hear you hadn’t just caught her cheating, though you wondered why she hadn’t talked to you when it happened. You weren’t that close but you’d have thought a break up would have come up in conversation at some point. You also couldn't help but find it a bit odd that she already had another man in your shared home only a week out from her breakup, but this was neither here nor there. You shifted a bit awkwardly with the scene you’d stumbled in on, wondering what the final straw was for Samantha, or if she’d simply found, in her words, ‘a better option.’ Regardless, you were glad Leander was free of her. You’d thought for a while now that he deserved better than your overly critical flatmate.

“We’ll just head to my room and let you rest, then, you look poorly.” Samantha said, and pulled her wand from her pocket, vanishing the mess of shattered potion at your feet before leading this new man across the living room and towards her bedroom.

“I need to go replace that, actually. I won’t be long.” You tell her, and she nodded in goodbye before disappearing behind her bedroom door, while you head back down the hallway, and apparate with a crack from your door to Diagon Alley.  

The shop lined streets were loud and crowded, especially with it being a Saturday. Diagon Alley was typically a place you loved the atmosphere of, but with your head pounding and your body feeling clammy and tired, you wanted to get what you needed and leave as quickly as possible. You dodged people left and right as you made your way down the street to the Apothecary, your head down in an attempt to keep the sun out of your eyes, the bright rays making your headache that much worse.

Finally making your way into the Apothecary, you navigate your way through the narrow aisles of ingredients to the back of the shop where ready prepared potions were kept for sale. 

“Excuse me.” You say politely to the tall gentleman standing directly in front of the section containing the Pepperup potions you were looking for, blocking them from your reach. 

“Oh, my apologies.” He said and shifted a step to the side and out of your way. It was then that you realized his voice was one you recognized. Stepping up from behind him to stand at his side, you look up and grin softly at Leander, a bottle of Pepperup potion in his hands, reading the back of the bottle.

“Are you coming down with something as well?” You ask him, picking up a bottle for yourself.

With your question, he finally shifts his eyes away from the label on the bottle and to you, his eyes widening slightly as he nodded. “I blame you, actually. You must have gotten me sick after dinner last week.” He teased, his face pale and clammy looking like yours, his cheeks lacking their usually rosy glow. 

You rolled your eyes. “I don’t feel well enough to argue so I suppose I’ll take the blame. I’m always catching these little bugs from my patients in the hospital.” You say, pausing for a moment in thought, wondering if it would be too much to bring up his recent break up. Having the information on your mind made you want to offer condolences.

“Well I hope you’re feeling better soon.” He says, before you had come to a decision on whether or not to say more.

You nodded, shifting to face him and deciding to just go with it, your face softening as you spoke. “You too. And, I'm sorry about you and Samantha. She told me this afternoon.” 

Leander’s eyes narrowed, his brows pulling together in confusion as he tried to make sense of your words. He tilted his head slightly to one side as he pondered. “What do you mean?”

“What do you mean, what do I mean?” You asked him, wondering how he could possibly not realize what you were talking about. 

“MC, what exactly did Samantha tell you?” He asked, his voice sounding impatient for the information.

You swallowed hard, your palms starting to sweat as they gripped the potion bottle a little bit tighter. From his reaction, you were beginning to realize Samantha may not have been being honest with you earlier. “She said that the two of you broke up last week.” 

Leander scoffed, looking absolutely taken aback. “She told you that we broke up? She told you that today? In person?” He asked, shifting his weight and shaking his head, his hand at the back of his neck in agitation.

“Did you not break up?” You ask him first, needing to know the truth before answering his other questions.

“No! We didn’t break up, we’ve never broken up!” He emphasized. “She told me she couldn’t see me this weekend because she was going to be out of town visiting her family.” 

“Oh gods, I’m sorry Leander.” You say and groan, looking even more remorsefully at him than you had initially when you’d thought he’d just been through a breakup. “Yes, she told me today, in person” You said and shook your head. You were furious with Samantha for doing this to him, for lying to you, and that you were now in this position, feeling morally obligated to give him the truth.

 “Let's pay for our potions and go outside, there is something else I should tell you.” You suggest, wanting to get the two of you out of the cramped shop before breaking the rest of the news to him, not wanting to bother the shopkeeper or other patrons.

“Bloody hell. Fine, let's go.” He said with a sigh and led the two of you to the counter where each of you checked out in silence before heading outside. 

“What is going on MC? You’ve got my stomach in knots here. Just tell me.” He urged you as the two of you walked the cobbled street together, turning down a quieter alley off the main row of shops. He leaned his back against the brick side of one of the buildings, antsy, fidgeting with his bag after stuffing his bottle of Pepperup potion into it.

You took a deep breath, gathering your words and preparing to tell him everything he deserved to know. “She was in the flat with another man when I came home from work earlier.” You tell him, and he swore under his breath. Your own stomach was twisting, you hated being the one to break this to him. But he needed to know. He deserved better. “She was sitting in his lap when I came in. She was startled to see me, and when I left to get my potion, they went into her bedroom. I’m so sorry Leander.”

“She’s cheating.” He said softly, his head leaning back against the rough wall behind him as he let out a groan. “I appreciate you telling me. I’m glad I ran into you today.” He added, tilting his head to look down at you as you stood off to his side, leaning against the wall beside him.

You nodded. Though you didn’t see anything explicit happening, the fact that Samantha had been in the man’s lap and had lied and told you her and Leander had ended things was confirmation enough. She was doing something wrong and she knew it, and you had caught her.

“It’s a coworker of hers.” You told him. “I saw her department’s emblem on his shirt.” 

He let out a huff of a chuckle at this information, staring ahead as he tried to piece this news together with thing’s Samantha had told him in the past. “She was never working late, was she? The night she stood me up. I was so worried, and she was with someone else.” 

This was something you hadn’t considered, but now that he’d asked, it made all too much sense. “I don’t know, honestly. Her and I aren’t actually that close. She would never have talked to me about it, if she was seeing someone else. I’d have told you sooner if I knew.” 

“Would you have?” He wondered, glancing back down at you, one of his brows raising.

You nodded. “You deserve better. That much I’ve thought for a while now.”

“Alright.” He said with finality and leveraged his body forward, stepping away from the wall. You got the feeling you’d said a bit too much for him at the current moment. You didn’t regret it though. In your opinion, he needed to hear it. “Well. I need to head home and drink this potion, and so do you.”

“Right… Sorry, again.” You offered. 

“Don’t worry yourself about it MC. I’ll be fine.” He said bidding you goodbye, and apparating away before you had the chance to say anything else decidedly awkward.

You followed suit, apparating back to your flat and heading directly into your bedroom. You unlaced your boots and climbed back into bed with your bottle of Pepperup potion, uncorking the vial and downing it before laying back against your pillow. You hoped to sleep through the unpleasant side effect of steam pouring out of your ears.

~~~

The remainder of your weekend, and the next several days in your flat were tense. You’d confronted Samantha once your Pepperup potion had you feeling well again and it had gone about as well as was expected. 

Samantha was unjustifiably bitter in finding out you’d told Leander everything you’d seen the day you ran into him in Diagon Alley, and you were completely unapologetic with her as she chastised you not keeping her indiscretions to yourself when you were supposed to be her friend. 

She attempted to justify her own cheating with the fact you’d spent such a late evening with Leander awhile back, while she had in fact, been with another man as she missed her date night with her own boyfriend. Hearing that you’d enjoyed that evening with Leander after the fact made her feel less guilty for her actions, even though you reiterated to her that nothing had happened between the two of you. She had decided what she wanted to believe and there was no arguing with her.

Their actual break up came in the form of several letters exchanged via owl. The morning it happened, Samantha stomped angrily through the flat, grumbling to you about how she was going to be exhausted at work all day thanks to Leander sending his owl at an ungodly early hour. She blamed the bird for costing her sleep when it incessantly rapped at her window until she’d wake and take his letter. You couldn’t help but think Leander was being slightly vindictive in the timing of his owl, but you also couldn’t blame him. There was no doubt in your mind that she’d cost him sleep as well, with what she’d done to him.

Despite your relationship with Samantha being quite strained presently, you did agree to go gather her belongings from Leander’s flat for her. You could appreciate that neither of them wanted to see the other, and over the course of roughly six months, he’d apparently accumulated a good amount of her belongings. Exchanging your own letters with him, the two of you worked out an evening for you to come over.  With a long list of things to collect tucked into the pocket of your coat, you spoke his address while standing in the hearth of the fireplace in your living room before dropping a handful of floo powder at your feet and disappearing in a rush of flames.

This was your first time in Leander Prewett’s flat, and you’d wished you were visiting under better circumstances. He was waiting in his living room to greet you when you stepped through his fireplace, a large cardboard box on the coffee table in the middle of the room with some of Samantha’s things already inside. The box was sitting besides a mostly empty lowball glass, still solid ice cubes being the only indicator that it had recently been full. Fire whiskey. You could smell it on his breath as he stepped towards you as you passed him the list of items Samantha expected back.

“I think I’ve gathered most of this stuff already.” He said as he read the list over, scoffing heartily as he worked his way through it. “Some of these on this list are mine! My cologne? Ridiculous, she gifted me that.” 

“Really? That is awfully petty of her.”

“Isn’t it?” He agreed and shrugged his shoulders. “What’s she even want with it? Gift it to the other bloke?” 

You couldn’t answer, simply shrugged as he headed out of the room and returned a moment later with the small glass bottle. 

“She can have it.” He said and tossed the bottle haphazardly into the box amongst Samantha’s things. “Can I offer you a drink while you wait for me to find this stuff?”

“Oh, erm, sure. Thank you.” You said. Leander gestured for you to take a seat on his couch, which you did, while he headed into his kitchen to grab you something.

“Firewhiskey alright?” He called from the other room. “It’s what I was having, but I have-”

“Firewhiskey is fine.” You reply, cutting him off. No need for him to list all of the options when the first of them had always been a favorite if yours.

He set a fresh glass with ice down on the coffee table in front of you, and filled your glass before refilling his own.

“Cheers.” He said, picking up his glass and extending it to yours. You clinked his glass and sipped your drink, the strong cinnamon flavor warming your face immediately. He took a long swig from his own glass before setting it back down on the table with a satisfied ‘ahhh’ feeling the alcohol warming his bones.

“Let’s see, what else?” He mumbled, picking up the parchment and looking over it again. He disappeared back down the hall and into the other room, this time leaving you standing in his living room for several minutes before returning once again with what appeared to be a few shirts and some makeup. He tossed them into the box and cleared his throat. “That should be all of it.”

“Great. Thanks for taking the time to find everything.” You tell him as he folds up the top of the box, sealing it shut.

Leander took a seat on the couch beside you, picking up his glass once again and polishing it off. “I don’t usually drink like this, but this hurts, you know?” He said, gesturing to the box of his ex’s belongings on his table and picking up his bottle of firewhiskey, refilling his glass once again. The ice that had been there when you’d arrived was still present in the glass. 

“I’m not judging…” You tell him, sipping again from your glass. “But maybe slow down a bit, yeah?”

“I don’t work tomorrow, I’m not worried about it.” He said, turning to flash a wide grin at you. “Maybe you should catch up.”

It didn’t take you much convincing beyond that, you had off work tomorrow as well. You shrugged your shoulders, returning his grin with a mischievous one of your own. “Ah, what the hell.” You concede, sipping more heavily from your drink, a smirk on your lips.

“That’s the spirit, MC. Live a little.” He encouraged with a chuckle, peering at you through his lashes while he tipped his drink back for another sip. “Can’t believe I’m telling you that.” He muttered.

But you did. You let yourself indulge in both the firewhiskey and in Leander’s good company. Spending time with him recently as Samantha’s boyfriend had been pleasant, but tonight was different, they weren’t together anymore. And though the evening had started as you just doing Samantha a favor by collecting her things, it was ending as the two of you spending time together because you both wanted to. You caught up to him in number of drinks over a game of wizard’s chess, sitting on the floor of his flat beside him, with the board set up on the coffee table.

You were terrible at the game, never having played it much in Hogwarts and not at all since graduating. Both of you were in stitches watching your chessmen falling to pieces on the board as Leander’s moved forward, taking control of the board. But the game didn't matter. The only thing that mattered to you right now was the way he teased you and questioned your moves before you made them; the way he leaned in towards you slightly when he spoke, looking at you with wide glassy eyes and a lazy, comfortable smile; the way nudged you playfully, teasing you for sending your chessmen to their doom or when you mistakenly tried to make illegal moves. 

The game met an untimely end when you reached for the now more than half empty bottle of firewhiskey, knocking it against the board and scattering the pieces accidentally in your clumsily drunken state. This only made you laugh even harder, needing to set the bottle back down for fear of spilling it as you rolled back on the floor with tears in your eyes.

“Oh that’s rich! I think you did that intentionally because you were losing so badly.” He sarcastically scolded you. “Couldn’t handle losing to me, hm?” He teased as he picked back up the chessmen and resetting the board. 

“Noo!” You denied, still laying on the floor and giggling. “In fact I demand a do over.” 

“Do you, now? Do you think you can handle it? How are you going to play chess if you’re laying on the floor?” He teased, leaning back on one of his hands and looking down at you. 

You shrugged your shoulders and sat back up, your cheeks red from your laughter and the alcohol alike. Leander took the liberty of refilling your glass for you. “Thank you. And yes, I can handle it. Can you handle it?” 

“Oh I'm sure that I can.” He said with a wry grin. “Alright then, you’ll get your do over.” 

Unsurprisingly to both of you, your second game was worse, but you were having fun. Leander couldn’t help himself from ribbing you on your moves. Any other more sober circumstance, he’d have taught you all about strategy, but neither of you were in quite the right mind for that tonight.

Paying more attention to the way Leander’s brows came together as he concentrated and how handsome his face was than the actual game itself, it was no shock to you when he’d won fairly quickly. 

“Well, well, well! I’ve finally defeated the Hero of Hogwarts at something! Who’d have thought?” He teased, reveling in his win, a playful gloating tone in his voice.

“I’m certain I’ve asked you not to call me that.” You say, rolling your eyes, your cheeks sore from their grin. 

“Oh, have you? I don’t recall.” He dismissed, smirking at you, resetting the board once again. “Besides, my win sounds more impressive when I use your proper title.” 

“You’re insufferable.” You jest, sipping your drink, unable to wipe the grin from your face, bracing yourself for more of his teasing. Your buzzed state had you giggling preemptively. 

But his mood had swung, and more teasing didn’t come. Leander’s gaze settled on the box of Samantha’s belongings on the floor beside the coffee table with a sigh. “Apparently so.”

“No, nonono. If there’s one thing we aren't doing, it’s being self depreciating.” You say firmly. “I was teasing. You aren’t insufferable at all. You’re actually quite pleasant to spend time with.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.” He said finishing off the last of the firewhiskey from his glass and setting it heavily back down on the table. He let out a long exhale and stared into your eyes as though searching for the truth.

“No, I mean it.” You protest, giving him a pout. “I wouldn't have stayed if I wasn’t enjoying myself.”

“I suppose I’ll have to take your word for it.” He said with a sigh.

“I think I could prove it.” You tell him, sounding quite sure of yourself, your lips pulling upwards into a confident little grin.

“Oh? And how exactly would you do that?” He wondered, unable to resist a little smirk at the confidence in your claim. 

You didn’t reply, just leaned in towards him slowly, unsteadily. The tip of your nose brushed upwards against his, and you could feel him sharply inhale at your sudden proximity. Your eyes locked to his, looking up at him through your lashes. When he didn’t pull away, you leaned in closer, pressing your lips to his and holding the kiss for several seconds before he pulled back from you slowly, resting his forehead against yours. Leander let out a slow and shuddered breath, grounding himself and taking a moment to process what had happened. 

He had a bit of a woozy looking crooked smile, and the look of it made your heart flutter. You moved a hand to the side of his face, your fingers grazing lightly along his jaw and back towards the nape of his neck, pulling him closer, your lips seeking out his again. 

But he pulled away. His eyes were shut tightly, his brows knitted together, as though every inch of space he put between the two of you was more painful than the last. With the distance in the way, your hand slid away from his face, settling back on your lap, your eyes searching his as he opened them slowly. 

“You’ve had too much to drink, MC.” He whispered.

You sat there in silence for what seemed like much too long, wanting with every fiber of your being to deny his statement, but in the end and with much reluctance, you nodded. It had crept up on you, but you were quite drunk. Unable to peel them away, your eyes remained on his lips after he’d spoken. You hadn’t thought about them much in the past, but after feeling how right they felt pressed to yours, the little taste you’d gotten had left you aching for more. 

“MC?” He asked softly, your eyes fixed on his lips making his already rosy cheeks burn an even brighter red. You finally brought your eyes back up to meet his, letting him know you were listening. “It’s getting really late.” He said.

You let out a defeated sigh, not wanting to take the hint he was giving you. You didn’t want to leave. In the back of your mind you damned floo travel for being such a safe and easy way to travel, even while intoxicated, because you’d have grasped at any chance to stay with him in his flat right now. But no such excuse existed. “Right. You’re right. I should get going.” You said trying to bury any shred of disappointment in your voice. Deep down you knew heading back home was probably for the best. 

Leander got to his feet first, steadying himself with the coffee table as he stood. He extended you his hands and you took them, easily getting hoisted up from the floor with his help.

You gathered the box of Samantha’s belongings, tucking it under your arm and against your hip, you stood in the hearth of Leander’s fireplace and he held out his bowl of floo powder for you to use to travel back home. 

“Have a good night, MC.” He said as you took a handful of the black powder. 

“I did.” You reply, a grin on your face, your glassy eyes giving him a final once over for the evening. “Goodnight, Leander.”

“Sleep well” He said, returning your grin with one of his own, a breath of a smirk leaving him, taking amusement in the way your hazy eyes traveled his form.

You cleared your throat, taking a moment in your mind to ensure you’d speak clearly before speaking aloud your address. You vanished from Leander’s flat in a flash of green flames, and appeared moments later back in your own, a bit more unsteady on your feet than you’d have hoped to be, you braced yourself on the sooty brick of the hearth before stepping out into your living room, where Samantha sat with a book curled up with a blanket on your sofa. 

Looking far too annoyed for someone who didn’t have to go gather their own belongings, she sighed when you stumbled into the room, marking her place in her book and setting it down to relieve you of the box you were carrying.

“Is it all here?” She wondered, setting the box down on the armchair beside the fireplace  and pulling the flaps open to dig through the contents. 

“Leander said he got everything.” You tell her, kicking your shoes off where you stood, far too drunk to care to set them at the front door. 

While Samantha went through her box, making sure all of her possessions had come home to her, you strode heavily into the kitchen, grabbing yourself a glass of water and gulping it down quickly before returning to the living room and sprawling yourself across the sofa with a groan, completely taking over the space Samantha had previously been occupying. 

She shot you a look, dumbfounded at your behavior, and you wondered whether or not she’d ever actually seen you in such a state of inebriation before. 

“I was going to continue sitting there after making sure my stuff is all here.” She said, scoffing at you as she picked up the box, preparing to take it to her room. You only shrugged as she walked away, setting the box just inside her door and returning to the living room, her hands on her hips as she stared expectantly down at you. 

It took her a moment of more closely watching your mannerisms, slow and unbothered, before she finally asked, “are you drunk?”

“Very.” You whine. You’d been feeling pretty good for most of the evening but now that you were laid out, your head was pounding, your several drinks had caught up with you and were making you nauseous. 

“I knew there was something going on between the two of you. Ever since the other week when you let him in to wait for me, something has been up between the two of you.” Samantha said matter of factly.

You shook your head, rolling your eyes a bit too dramatically thanks to the firewhiskey in your veins. “That’s just your guilty conscience. Nothing happened when I let him in to wait on you.” You said cooly, grabbing the blanket that Samantha had been using and pulling it over your body, tucking it under your chin.

“And what about tonight?” She asked incredulously. 

“Not your business.” You say with a shrug, trying to maintain a straight face, though your mind went instantly to the feeling of his lips against yours. 

Samantha was so smug, shaking her head and crossing her arms across her chest. “Something happened, you are so obvious. You might not have touched him the other week but something was building. Tonight wouldn’t have happened out of nowhere. Not with him.” 

“What do you care, Samantha? You were fucking your coworker while Leander was pacing our flat thinking something serious had happened to you. And nothing will ever change that fact.” You turned over on the couch with a groan, facing away from Samantha’s leering gaze. “Let me lie here. My head hurts.”

Samantha let out an exasperated huff, grabbing her book from the side table and taking it into her bedroom and slamming the door behind her, the clap of the door against the frame making your ears ring.

~~~

You didn’t know exactly when it would be coming, but you had anticipated seeing Leander’s owl at your window at some point after your time together in his flat over the weekend. So on Tuesday evening, when you were in your room changing out of your work robes after a long shift, you were not at all surprised with the rapping of talons against the glass of your window.

You’d been waiting for his letter, knowing him well enough to know that he wouldn’t leave what had happened between the two of you up in the air for long. Opening the window, you gently pulled the rolled parchment from the bird’s claws, and gave him a treat from a container you kept on your window sill for this very purpose, and the owl stayed comfortably perched at your window, seemingly waiting on your reply to carry back to Leander.

You sat on your bed to read his letter, grinning widely, your heartrate picking up at his words as you took them in. You’d been on his mind, in the same way he’d been on yours more and more frequently lately. He wanted you to meet with him, wanted to talk about the kiss you had shared. Shifting to your desk, you pulled a piece of parchment from your drawer and promptly started writing him back, agreeing to meet with him the following evening after work, as he’d requested. You sent your response back with Leander’s owl, already looking forward to seeing him tomorrow.

Leander had asked you to meet him at a park near your house at six in the evening, and you arrived promptly to find him already waiting for you on a bench near a pond. It was a pleasant evening, the early springtime giving the air a slight chill especially as the sun was setting, but your body felt warm with anticipation, your stomach turning over as you made your way to sit beside him. 

He turned towards you as you slid onto the bench beside him, a grin on his face and his honey brown eyes bright in the sunset. “Hey there. How was your day?” He asked.

“Good.” You said, trying to keep buried the feeling of eagerness you were feeling in his presence. “Uneventful, which is the best kind of day working at the hospital. How was yours?”

“Also uneventful, which is also good news in my office. It went by slowly. I was looking forward to this.” He said, nodding in your direction. “To seeing you.”

This made your cheeks warm, hearing him express feelings even remotely similar to the ones you’d been letting bubble inside. “I was looking forward to seeing you, too.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was merely the firewhiskey that had you so keen before.” He said with a smirk, but you could tell in his tone, and in the way his eyes hung on yours, he wanted the reassurance that what he said wasn’t the case.

You shook your head. “It wasn’t the firewhiskey.” 

Leander let out a breath, his smirk turning into a genuine smile as he nodded, looking satisfied with your confirmation. “Seeing you last month when I brought over dinner was… well it- it brought up a lot of feelings I'd let myself forget about from back at Hogwarts…”

The more he spoke the redder your cheeks got. Though you weren’t very close back in school you still had enough fond memories with him that made you smile to think back on. You were silent, a dorky grin on your face as you listened to what he had to say.

“I had the biggest crush on you in school, did you know that?” He asked, tilting his head in wait for you to respond. 

You shook your head, your cheeks still flushed. You weren’t happy to admit it, but you didn’t pay him the attention that he likely deserved in that way, back in school. 

“Well I did, I thought it was obvious.” He continued. “But I didn’t think you’d ever look at me the same way. So I never dwelled on it. I let those thoughts go.” He said and took a deep breath, looking out over the pond in front of you. His hand rubbed the back of his neck and he spoke again with some hesitancy. “And then the other day you just… kissed me. Out of nowhere. I didn’t know how to respond. I don’t know why you did it or how to process it… Why’d you do it?”

“I just… I wanted to.” You admitted, your eyes flicking up to meet his, your shoulder raising in the faintest shrug. “I was having a good time with you and I wanted to.”

“But were you just trying to make me feel better about Samantha?” He wondered, fidgeting with the cuffs of his jacket. “Was it out of pity?”

You shook your head. “No.” You tell him definitively and pause to further gather your thoughts. You knew you had to tell him more to satisfy his questions. And he deserved your honesty. “I can’t say that I felt the same back in school, but spending time with you lately, like when we went out to the pub the other evening… I feel it now. I like you a lot, Leander.”

Leander let out a contented little huff with your words, the confirmation that he hadn’t been alone in his feelings recently seeming to brighten him from the inside out. He didn’t seem nervous now, “I like you too. And I’d like to keep spending time with you, and to see where this can go. I just… need a little time.”

You look equally pleased with his confession, your face softening with a gentle smile. “I understand. We don’t have to rush anything. But I’d like to keep spending time with you too.” You said. Taking a few moments to sit in a comfortable silence together, you take one of Leander’s hands in your own, lacing your fingers between his and holding it on your lap, your other hand tracing his knuckles gently.

~~~

Spending time together on your mutual days off from work became a priority to both you and Leander rather quickly. Neither of you were looking to rush into things, with him both wanting and needing time to process and heal from his breakup with Samantha, but it became more and more apparent to each of you while spending time together that you truly enjoyed each other's company and meshed well together. Your weekends were spent with him in his flat, becoming more proficient at wizards chess, discussing books you’d both read, and just talking. Getting to truly know him was slow going, and you found yourself silently cursing Samantha for reinforcing those walls of his as you came to realize how deeply her cheating had affected him. But you’d decided from the start that you were in this with him. He was just too sweet, too kind, too much of a gentleman not to deserve your effort and a real chance. You gave him your all and it paid off.

All of the stolen moments between the pair of you towards the end of, and immediately following Leander’s relationship with Samantha, led into a friendship that was affectionate and tender, both of you relishing in the knowledge that each of you cared deeply for the other. It was hard taking it slow with him. The urge to claim his lips with yours, to dishevil his neatly styled hair in the most passionate of kisses, nearly overwhelmed you every time you saw him. But you gave him the time he needed, and he would love you for that.

It took nearly two months before you were able to say that Leander Prewett was officially yours, but when those words were finally able to leave your lips, the time it took getting to that point was more than worth it. 

You weren't home often anymore, and knowing what you were up to, what little relationship you had left with Samantha deteriorated rapidly. With every passing day, you watched the end of your rental agreement creep closer, and you took pleasure in telling Samantha you’d be finding your own flat and moving out in just a month, when the lease would be up.

You were able to find a new flat with relative ease, something smaller, since it would be solely yours, and close to St. Mungos so that you could walk to work on days when the weather would allow for it. 

Leander was at your side that month later when it came time for you to move, helping you pack your belongings into the enchanted trunk you’d kept from your time in Hogwarts, and in your new flat alongside you helping you as you put things in their new places. 

Magic undoubtedly made the moving process easier, but your day was still draining, both physically and emotionally. Leaving your flatmate of two years on bitter terms wasn’t something you’d anticipated at all when the two of you made the decision to move in together in the first place, but leaving felt like the right thing to do after all that had happened. 

Despite being full of your own belongings, a mix of items that moved with you from your old flat and things you’d conjured with old spellcrafts you’d saved from school, you felt most at home in your new flat while laying in Leander’s arms. Sprawled out on your bed that evening as the warm light from the lampposts outside of your window spilt in through your blinds, Leander laid with his head on your chest, his weight against you making you feel comfortable and secure.

“Thank you for all of your help today.” You tell him, your fingers running through his hair gently as you held each other.

“Of course love. I wouldn’t have let you do it all on your own.” He said, nuzzling into your touch, his breath warm on your skin as he exhaled with contentment.

“Stay here with me tonight?” You suggest, kissing the top of his head. 

He hummed happily and you felt him nodding against your chest. “I’ve no intention of leaving you alone on your first night in your new flat.”

“Good.” You murmur, your hands dragging softly up and down the span of his back, pulling at the hem of his top and raising it so your nails could tease along his skin, and he held you tighter. 

“When you touch me like this, you make it very difficult for me not to just take you already.” Leander said quietly, the faintest groan in his throat as he cuddled against you. His fingers gripped your waist and you could almost feel his wavering restraint in the way his fingers dipped just below the waistband of your pants.

“Oh? Do I now?” You ask him, the flirtation in your voice making him even more excited. “If you’re ready, then I’m ready.” 

This piqued Leander’s interest and he shifted his head up from your chest to look at you properly. “Do you mean that?” He wondered. “You want to?”

Having his eye contact made your breath catch. Your body absolutely ached for him. The longer you laid beside him, every single minute you spent in his presence, the harder it was to keep taking things slowly, the more you wished he’d make his move and tell you he was ready to take that step with you. Not that you wouldn’t continue waiting… But it was hard. “I mean it. I want you.” 

Leander knew perfectly well that you had been the one waiting on him to be ready to take this step, and hearing you express out loud your desire for him made the last shreds of restraint in him vanish. His last relationship had hurt him and those wounds were only just starting to heal, but in this moment keeping himself guarded from you was a pain in and of itself, something that became more difficult to do with each passing day. He didn’t want to wait anymore. He didn’t want his past relationship to set the pace of this one anymore. 

“I want you, too.” He said, leaning in towards you, his hand coming behind your head as he pulled you into a heated kiss which you eagerly returned and deepened, your tongue trailing his bottom lip before slipping into his mouth and pressing against his. 

When your kiss broke Leander shifted himself up, sitting at your side as he pulled his top off over his head and tossed it onto your otherwise spotless floor. He took your hands and pulled you up beside him as well, his large hands sliding up your ribs and around your back, his nimble fingers at the buttons of your blouse before he pulled it up and off of you. His grip settled firmly on your hips, pulling you to him, you shifted onto his lap, straddling his thighs. Lips meeting passionately, your arms rest around his shoulders, fingers through his soft auburn hair as he deftly unlaced and removed your camisole. His hands palmed your chest, kneading your breasts gently, his back hunching down so that his lips could graze your neck.

Your body buzzed with anticipation that had been building in you ever since your drunken evening in his flat months ago now. You rocked your hips against his lap needily, making him groan into the crook of your neck. You felt his teeth against your skin, nipping and sucking sensually, marking you as his. “You’re driving me crazy right now, you know that?” He breathed, his lips never parting from your skin.

“Mhm,” You hum, your fingers gripping the hair at the nape of his neck and guiding his face back to yours, you lean in, languidly pressing your lips to his as his arms wrap around the small of your back, his fingertips pressing against your curves and pulling your body down against his as he sought the friction you’d given him when you’d rocked your hips. 

Leaning forward against you, Leander guided you off of his lap and onto your back against your mattress. He slid from the edge of your bed, his eyes wide and longing as they took in the sight of you while his hands were at his belt, unclasping it and sliding his trousers and undergarments off. You bit your lip as you watched thoroughly enticed by the heat of his gaze and his body. You giggled when he took you by your legs, just below your knees, and pulled you to the edge of the bed towards him, where he unlaced your pants with a smirk and tugged at your pant legs, pulling them and your knickers off of you with help from a wiggle of your hips. 

His broad, muscular shoulders looked so good flexing as he dipped his head down, kneeling on the bedroom floor between your parted  legs as they rest against his shoulders over the side of the bed. He kissed up one of your legs, then slowly down the other, seemingly mercilessly skipping over spots in which you wanted his lips most of all. It would have been teasing if it was anyone else, but Leander Prewett wasn’t a tease. He savored and loved on you with a genuine appreciation for you and your body and for the opportunity he had to touch you so intimately. 

Working you up and making you needy beyond comprehension for him was just a side effect of his attention to your every detail. 

Hearing you whine and feeling goosebumps rise beneath his lips as they traced your inner thighs only reinforce his feeling that he was doing his job properly. Slowly, he kissed his way to your center, his tongue so soft and warm between your thighs. Your breath quickened as his tongue flitted against your clit, your fists gripping your bedding as he sucked at you. You felt heat radiating from your center as he worked you, lapping at you fervently, soft moans and hums coming from his lips as though he was savoring his favorite dessert.

Your breath only got sharper when you felt his long fingers rubbing against you below his tongue, grazing against you gently as he slickened them up with your arousal before slipping them carefully into your body. You moaned out his name and you could feel him grinning against your body at the sound of hearing your voice, so sweet and delicious as you called out for him.

Leander beckoned his fingers inside of you, his long digits rubbing that sensitive spot so expertly and making your back arch up off the bed and your legs tense against his shoulders. 

Not wanting to part his lips from your body to speak for even a moment, Leander’s free hand found one of yours and laid over it, squeezing your palm affectionately. You gripped at his fingers tightly as you had been to your bedding, clutching onto him while your body writhed through the radiating ecstasy of the climax he brought about you. 

Your breath was a shaky exhale of expletives and moans as you released against his fingers and tongue, panting still as he withdrew his fingers and leaned up over you, kissing his way up your body to your neck.

“You sound so lovely like that.” He whispered, his lips against your ear taking your lobe between his teeth playfully, nipping at it gently before pressing a kiss to your neck. 

You were lost for words, wanting him desperately, your core still throbbing from the faintest touches of his body against yours as he leaned over you. Leander nudged you gently and nodded, gesturing for you to move back from the edge of the bed, and so you did, shifting to lay against your pillow, Leander crawled onto the bed overtop you, parting your legs with his knees and settling himself between them.

Your heart was still hammering away in your chest, but you felt a sense of calm as Leander laid over you, something you always felt in his presence. The tender way in which he loved you was comforting, no matter the intense feelings he’d brought upon your body. 

Supporting himself on his elbows, Leander’s hands cradled your face as he kissed you breathless, his hips grinding against yours, you could feel the twitch of his arousal so eagerly nudging between your thighs. “Are you ready, love? Can I?” He asked, peppering your neck in kisses as you nodded eagerly.

“Please.” You murmur, your hands moving to his face and guiding his forehead to rest against yours. 

Leander let out a deep breath, kissing your lips softly as one of his hands slipped between your bodies,  adjusting himself to align with your slick and still very sensitive core, before finally pressing into you gently with a moan. Your breath hitched as you stared up into his eyes, the soft way he looked back at you as your body enveloped him had you completely transfixed. You adored him, and the look on his face, the way he held you so tenderly as he rolled his hips against yours, told you everything you wanted to know about how he felt in return. 

You wrapped your legs around him, wanting to feel his body with every inch of your skin, wanting to hold him as closely to you as possible. Your arms clung around his shoulders, fingers trailing his back, you pulled him closer still, feeling his nose and lips drag along your cheek before settling against your neck, his breath hot on your skin as he panted with his efforts, rutting into you. 

Your head lolled back, neck outstretched on your pillow for his lips to travel along. You let out a breathy moan, your grip tightening around his back, the way he hit that spot just right as with every hungry thrust of his hips had heat building deep within you, pressure building as his movements became more frantic and desperate, the sounds of his shuddered breathing telling you that he was right there with you.

Your back arched and your legs around his back gripped him as your muscles tightened. Your insides pulsing and clenching around him as he brought you to another climax made him whine your name against your neck. He chased his own release, body trembling overtop yours as he thrust again and again. Feeling his release approaching, he pressed into you with everything he had, his forehead resting against yours once again, gazing intently into your eyes he spilt inside of you with a low groan. 

Sweating now and totally spent, Leander let his body relax overtop of yours, the weight of him over you a comforting and secure feeling you could get very used to. Catching your breath together, your fingers worked back into his hair, running through the strands affectionately, you turned your head to kiss his face.

Leander hummed in satisfaction at your affection for him, and shifted himself slightly ro return your kiss. “Was it worth the wait?” He asked you, his voice low relaxed now, he nuzzled his face close to yours.

“Worth every single moment.” You assured him, closing your eyes in your own total satisfaction.

You couldn’t have imagined a more perfect evening in your new flat, and knowing that you wouldn’t be waking up alone in the morning made it even sweeter. You were his and he was yours, and it was worth the wait. Worth the road it took to get here. If this was how perfectly content you were with him already, you couldn’t wait to see what your futures together held.

[carlos-in-glasses]

Thank you for the tag @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad @thisbuildinghasfeelings @lemonlyman-dotcom @fallout-mars @strandnreyes @redshirt2 @sznofthesticks @heartstringsduet 🧡💛🧡💛

This is from Where All This Love Comes From Chapter 11: Lonely as a Sparrow In the Rain, which will be posted on Sunday. A little moment between TK 'Soothing' Strand and Carlos 'Blobfish Reyes:

“Hey, baby, how are you feeling?” TK yawns from the couch when Carlos enters. He’s still in his pajamas – still trying to reset his body clock after his final night shift for a while – and he appears to be eating red jello from a glass dish. “I made jello. Don’t know if you saw my note on the refrigerator. Cap had a clear out and asked if we’d want a jello mold shaped like a hippo, so obviously I said yes. It doesn’t really look like a hippo – it’s more like a blobfish. But it’s delicious and will be easy on your stomach. How’d your morning go? Baby?”

Carlos can’t speak. He swallows. His throat hurts. He wanders over and slumps down next to TK on the cushions.

“You’re puffy,” TK says, “Tell me why you’re puffy?” He places his jello dish onto a coaster on the coffee table so he can freely stroke Carlos’ hair. 

Usually, Carlos would sigh or hum with pleasure at the sensation of TK’s fingers working over him, but today he whimpers.

Staring mournfully at the jello, he thinks it wobbles like a struggling, living thing, but shines like cut rubies where the sun catches its nebulous edges. Grossly beautiful. TK made a hippo jello. Life goes on in this way.  

“Tell me why you look even worse now than you did earlier?" TK prompts softly. "Tell me why you look like a blobfish?”

“Gutiérrez texted.” Carlos’ voice hits the words and cracks. He hears himself, squeaky and weak. He hates it. “That lead we thought was sound…It was no good.”

“Baby.” TK snuggles up to him a little closer. "I'm so sorry." 

Carlos sleepily drops his arm over TK’s legs, tugging at the soft brushed cotton of the pajama pants patterned with blue diamonds. A surprise replacement gift for TK after the fire. He’d never bought TK pajamas before, and it felt so intimate in a new way.

TK hadn’t said anything about Gutiérrez’ lead when it first came through, but he’d thought it was one hell of a longshot even though Carlos became excited and determined. Now his husband is a crumpled heap on the couch. “Do you want me to rub your back?” TK asks.

“Head,” Carlos says.

“In bed?”

“Okay.”

Open tag and tags below!

@reyesstrand @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @louis-ii-reyes-strand @ladytessa74 @alrightbuckaroo @liminalmemories21 @carlos-tk @noxsoulmate @chaotictarlos @taralaurel @lightningboltreader @orchidscript @jesuisici33 @herefortarlos @eclectic-sassycoweyes @wandering-night19 @never-blooms @my-little-tilly @whatsintheboxmh @fitzherbertssmolder @inkweedandlizards @three-drink-amy @ambiguouspenny @chicgeekgirl89 @sugdenlovesdingle @theghostofashton @spaghett-onaplate @welcometololaland @rmd-writes @freneticfloetry @paperstorm @sanjuwrites @goodways - if you want to share/ haven't already! No pressure ever! ❤️🩷🧡💛💚💙🩵💜

[liminalpebble]

Eddie's Education, Chapter 23

Masterlist link

Minors DNI

Chapter 23

Leia awoke to the crisp autumn morning shining through her bedroom window, red and gold leaves made shadow puppets over the walls and sheets. The warm weight of Eddie's lanky body was curled up next to her.

She ran her hand through his curls lazily, enjoying their maple hue in the sunshine. The dulcet strumming of I'll Be Your Mirror drifted out from her CD player like tendrils of incense. For a blessed moment, it just felt like a lazy Sunday morning with her beloved scoundrel beside her.

Then she remembered choking as Vecna's hand clasped around her throat and the icy water enveloped her, and she shot up to sitting, a hot panic rising in her stomach.

“Hey...hey hey!! It's okay. I'm right here,” Eddie soothed, hugging her then holding her face in his hands. “There she is,” he said smiling broadly as her eyes met his, “Good morning, beautiful.”

“Eddie...did anything?”

He held her hands, “No...no, reports of anything overnight. Sherlock Shrimp over there is patched into the police scanner so we would have heard by now.” Eddie gestured over to where Dustin was snoring and drooling on the futon pillows, cherubic face scrunched against it, limbs splayed.

Leia couldn't help but laugh, and then sigh with relief. “Okay...uh let me make us all breakfast. What time is it anyway? Have you been up on watch this whole time?”

“Nah, Dustin and I took shifts. I got plenty of sleep. He stayed up a lot longer...insisted on the matter, in fact, but the little dude is pooped now.”

Leia smiled to the younger guy, saying softly, “I owe him so much...and you. Let him rest for now.”

Dustin snoozed away as late morning settled in, roused only by the smell and sizzle of Leia's cooking as she plated pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Eddie came up behind her, holding her as she worked and nuzzling into her neck. It was so comforting, the buttery smell of food, the soft cotton of his pajamas, the tickle of his hair against her cheek, and the warmth of his skin.

As if reading her mind, Eddie kissed her cheek and whispered. “I wish it could always be like this...with no threats, or fears, or monsters. But I guess we gotta get our happiness where we can.”

“Yeah,” she said dreamily, distantly, but she was roused out of her reverie as Dustin bounded up to the table like a Labrador.

“Holy shit! Leia, that smells amazing!”

She grinned sweetly. Eddie smiled then grimaced, willing the bulge in his sweatpants to settle back down, and his cock to get the memo that now was not the time.

“Thanks. Have a seat. Dig in. I have a theory I want to run by you.”

“Of course! I knew you'd have something!” he said with a gleeful expression, spearing into the fluffy stack of pancakes with gusto.

----

The clock chimed noon, at Sam's parents' house, Molly and his family were setting the Thanksgiving table and toasting the final layer of marshmallows on the sweet potato casserole. All the while, Sam slumped with a book in the recliner. Molly grimaced as she watched him mope. He was even moodier than usual. After his nightmare in the car, he hadn't been able to sleep again, and his pale skin easily displayed the purple-tinted half moons under his eyes and the red flush of his corneas.

It unsettled her. Sam was never the type to have trouble sleeping, for moral or physical reasons. He was unbothered. Nothing “kept him up at night”, although Molly had the creeping suspicion over that last few months that he'd done a few things that really ought to. As she had a thousand times before, she tucked her sensible intuition away and busied herself. Leaving the heat and bustle of the kitchen, she carried their bags to the guest room, wondering bitterly to herself why Sam couldn't put his book down for 5 minutes to do it while she was cooking.

As she turned around to leave, she flinched a little then laughed as she saw Sam in the threshold. With a hand to her chest she said, “Jesus, Sam! You scared me. Did you get some rest, baby?” She swung her arms loosely over his shoulders but he only stared her down with hard silent disapproval. “What is it?” she asked. Preparing herself for another of his knit-picking sessions, but not ready for the unprecedented harshness that would follow.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“I...I just figured I'd take the bags in.”

He stepped closer, and as he did, she could see his skin looked damp, sweaty. When she touched his head though, it felt cold, almost icy. “Are you...are you feeling okay? I think you're getting something.”

The overhead light flickered. “The only thing I'm 'getting', Molly, is sick of you embarrassing me in front of my family,” he spat out.

“Sam...what?” she said, eyes wide.

“Embarrassing me, Molly. Surely that's not a word too big for you to understand. You made me look lazy in front of my family.”

“Sam...I'm sorry,” she said meekly as he moved closer, but his cruel green eyes didn't blink, didn't waver from boring into her until...

“Sam! Molly! Food's ready. Come sit down,” his mom called for them, above the noise of pots and pans, cutlery and conversation, and the radio.

Molly watched as he finally blinked a few times, and his eyes softened just slightly, not with kindness, but in confusion. He huffed in resignation and yelled “Be right there!” down the hall. His girlfriend followed him out, feeling about five years old and five inches tall, hiding her mortification behind a gracious smile as Thanksgiving dinner began.

----

Eddie and Dustin listened carefully to Leia as her big eyes flicked around and hands gestured wildly while she explained what she'd learned overnight. Eddie tried his best not to be distracted by how cute it was when his brilliant girl was having her “eureka!” moments.

“...and so most times when I've been visited by him, there's water involved. I'm wondering if it's so lodged in his subconscious because it's what his physical body is actual experiencing. I'm thinking, maybe he found some way to make a kind of...amniotic sack...in the upside-down to fuel himself. Somewhere he can submerge himself in the matter of the upside-down to keep himself healing, or at least in stasis. You said last time one of the portals was at the bottom of the lake? Maybe that's where he's built a nest on the other side.”

Eddie shook his head, “Yeah, the gate was there...”

“Watergate,” Dustin added, still pleased with his joke from 15 years ago.

Leia giggled. “Good one.”

Eddie huffed. “Watergate...wasn't a lake on the other side though. It was dry. He would have to fill up an area the size of a lake with whatever goo he might be hanging out in. He's powerful but probably not that powerful.”

Leia sighed and rubbed her temples, while Eddie rubbed her back. “Fuck. I thought I was on to something.”

“Don't despair, Lady Leia!” Dustin shouted, a little too loudly, “It's still good work. I think you're on to something. We just have to look somewhere else. We'll confer at the hall and let the others know what we found out. Let's pack up. I'm starving.”

“You just ate like an hour ago! And where the fuck are we going?” Eddie yelled after him, as both men threw their items haphazardly into backpacks.

Dustin looked at him, dumbstruck. “Did you forget? Thanksgiving dinner.”

Eddie looked, wide-eyed at Dustin. “Shit, is that today? Wayne's gonna kill me for not helping.

“Wait...wait...what the hell?” Leia said as Eddie put an arm around her.

“Every year all of us...uh...found friends and family, and actual family, rent out the community center hall and have a big Thanksgiving dinner together. And this year I will be in deep shit for not remembering to pick up the wine.”

“Well to be fair, we've had slightly more important things on our minds,” she said, tapping the Walkman headphones hanging around all of their necks. “or...well...potentially in our minds.”

Despite her attempt at a lightly sarcastic tone, both guys could see the deep worry in her dark eyes.

Dustin put an arm around her from the other side, “Come on, let's go. Everyone will be there. We can share what we have so far. Mike just arrived in town with El, which means we'll have reinforcements.”

----

The dark wood panels of the community center hall were festooned with decorations (both ragged and from the early 70's). Fragrant, steamy air hit their faces as the trio tumbled in from the rain. Folding tables were decked out in orange and brown cloths and laden with appetizers and paper place settings. Leia smirked, realizing the boombox in the corner was, of course, playing Alice's Restaurant. She realized everyone she'd come to consider a friend was in this room and smiling their way; Wayne, Dale, Steve, Robin, Gareth, and Jeff. They were swarmed the minute they entered, by both familiar and unfamiliar faces. Everyone was hugging and greeting Eddie and Dustin enthusiastically.

Leia was feeling overwhelmed, rusty when it came to joining or belonging socially, worried that she was in the way. She was about to back into a corner, when Eddie's ringed fingers curled gently around her elbow and he flashed her a proud, dimpled grin. “Hey, sweetheart, where you going? I can't wait to introduce you to everyone. Eddie the Freak wants to show off this goddess on his arm,” he said kissing her shamelessly in front of everyone, turning her cheeks a bright red. She waved shyly as Eddie introduced her to a group of slightly younger adults he called the “squirts” and the “Hellfire Alums” despite their actual ages. To her relief they were all smiles and seemed genuinely glad to meet her.

A tall skinny guy with a mop of black hair shook her hand and said, “Nice to finally meet you, Leia. I'm Mike. Dustin...uh...appraised us of the situation. We've all...well...been through this before. We'll eat we'll make a strategy.”

There was a young woman holding his hand, silent with thought up to this point. Her hair and eyes were the pretty color of brown sugar, and though she had something warm, pixie-like and innocent about her, there was a deep wisdom and understanding in her expression, like a Greek oracle. She stepped forward and held Leia's hands.

“We won't let you go through this alone,” she said, meeting her eyes, full of sincerity and empathy. “I've been where you are. I know who you're fighting.”

Dustin said proudly, “Leia, this is El. She's our...superhero.”

@sweetsigyn @leelei1980 @little-wormwood @veemoon

[satashiiwrites]

Snippet Sunday part 2

Two bits that may or may not end up not getting used but the first still makes me cackle so I’m throwing it up for snippet sunday.

I tagged everyone in part one. Banner by the ever-talented @radio-chatter

Title: Family, Familia, ‘Ohana, uncertain chapter(s)

Fandom: 911, Hawaii 5-0, SWAT

Pairings: Buddie, McDanno, platonic Hondo/Deacon (not in these snippets)

Fic Summary:

When one family seems lost another comes back from the past. But does Buck want to return to the past or live in the present? And does his present lead to a future he wants? Only he can answer these questions but Steve at least will be there to support him.

Warnings/tags: first draft. Navyseal!Buck, longfic that gets updated quarterly (or sometimes more frequently depending on the muse and my writing schedule). Angst. Buck and Steve are a hazard when together and Danno is long suffering.

It was then that Danny realized his mistake.  

He now had two super seals to contend with.  Evan was Steve’s not-so-mini me given he was actually a few inches taller but he had the exact same fearless disregard for his own safety and threw himself wholly into danger in order to save people. 

God save Oahu from them.

Steve’s smile had too much teeth in it when he called over his shoulder, “Danno we’ve got this!”

“I’ve got his six Danno!” Buck whooped as he ran after Steve leaving Danny to curse into his radio trying to coordinate support for their harebrained plan. 

Xxx

Steve had been a bit off all morning and when they were finally alone, Danny began poking at him. “How was your night?  Sleep well?” 

Steve hadn’t slept well.  He had those bags under his eyes that were rivaling Buck’s. 

Eyes flicking to the office door, Steve inclined his head silently. Taking the hint, Danny closed the door and leaned against it.  “Well?”

Steve slumped over his desk, the heel of his hands rubbing his eyes as he let out a loud breath. “Buck talked.”

“About?”

Steve looked up, eyebrows raised. “What do you think?” He asked sarcastically. 

Defensive yet it was obvious that Steve wanted to talk—he practically radiated it to Danny.  Interesting. “What did he say?”

Giving another rub to his face, Steve’s face crumpled. “It’s.. it’s been a tough year. I wish I’d known.”

“Known what exactly?”

“Everything.  Buck’s,” Steve bit his lip, eyes shining. “Him getting injured, how alone he felt… i just wish I’d known.  Maybe I could have done something.”

“You’re doing something now—but I assume you’re meaning something else?”

“Eddie—he’s in love with him. I’m not sure if he knows it or not. Or if Eddie loves him back.”

Danny took his own deep breath before replying—he didn’t really want to have this conversation with Steve. “I think it’s very easy to be in love with your best friend and not know it.”

Steve thought on his answer, looking through the open blinds out into the rest of the office. “Is it?”

“Believe me it is,” Danny tried and mostly kept the sarcasm out of his tone but it still came off a bit dry. 

Steve’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You’ve?”

“We’re not talking about me.  What did Buck say?”

Opening and shutting his mouth, aneurysm face making his forehead wrinkle and upper lip flatten, Steve stared at Danny before looking back down at his desk and the pen lying in the center like it held answers. “He’s… communicating with Eddie via text and they talked this morning. He wants… he wants to fix things between them.”

“Obviously. Did he tell you what happened?”

Steve’s throat bobbed as he dry swallowed, Danny tried not to let his eyes follow the line of throat down to the collarbones that peaked out between the vee of the t-shirt. “He told you about the tsunami?”

[willing-but-not-able]

I can't believe I didn't think to post this on my blog where I mention stuff about Obey Me! 🤦

Anyways, this is a fanfic I'm writing about my OCs and the Obey Me Boys, the title is shitty so it'll be left in the tags 😷 but fair warning, this isn't a xreader, it's an xOC.

I'm also posting this on Wattpad so head over there if you wanna read everything I've posted instead of waiting for my slow ass to post it here.

Alright, with that out the way, enjoy reading~

Chapter 1: Unwanted Meeting

It was an unusually dark Sunday night. Outside was deathly quiet and most everyone was at home sleeping the night away. One person was awake in the early hours of three in the morning. Cassie sat in her bedroom letting a video play in the back. She lay on her bed staring at the ceiling, the only light came from her laptop and even that was starting to bother her. Her head limply rolled to one side and that only made the headache she had throb worse than it already was.

She just wanted a fleeting moment of relief where she could fall asleep and end the day of her sorrows, but that didn't seem as if it were coming. She remained awake with videos behind her playing on autoplay. She opened and shut her eyes over and over hoping one time she'd finally fall asleep.

She sighed. "If only things weren't this way..." Her mind raced with all her intrusive thoughts she tried to suppress, not just during the day, but all the time.

Loneliness always crept on her during the night the most. That creeping feeling forced her to cling onto any comfort she could give herself. Her arms wrapped around her body and she tightly closed her eyes curling in a ball hoping sleep would finally come.

Behind her, the light from her laptop started to glow brighter, so bright that she opened her eyes wondering why the light was getting brighter. She shielded her eyes and tried to push down the laptop screen at its brightness, however, it was stuck and she couldn't even close it.

"What the hell?"

Then something emerged from the screen and she felt a weight push her back on her bed. The light finally faded and her eyes landed on the object that pushed her back-well, the person. Resting with their body half on her bed and half off, this person had seemingly come from her laptop, her window was still closed and there was nowhere else they could have come from.

Carefully, she inched her hands toward them wanting to see if they were real. Touching their back, she flinched when feeling their body.

"What's going on?"

She got off her bed and tried to see the person's face. They were slumped over her bed and in an act of curiosity, she pushed their shoulders and got them to slide off the bed onto their back. She still flinched, but now seeing their faces they looked pretty normal-as normal as purple hair could.

That's when their eyes started to flutter open and Cassie let out a small gasp not knowing what to do. She pressed herself against the wall and let them get up.

"That was harder than I thought." The purple haired individual soon noticed Cassie and they both stared at each other. "Woah! Who are you?" He said in a panic.

"Me? Who are you? This is my room and you just... appeared inside here."

He looked around and then looked back at Cassie. "This is where I ended up? Some normie's bedroom?"

Cassie's eyes narrowed. "The hell is a normie?"

He snickered. "That's something a normie would say."

Knowing he wasn't going to answer her question, she moved on. "Okay, so you just appear in my room, insult it, then don't even tell me who you are or even where you came from?"

"Okay, fine. My name's Leviathan-you can call me Levi-and I came here because I was summoned."

"Summon? Like a ritual or something?"

"Yeah." He gave a confused look. "You did summon me didn't you?"

Her head shook. "No, I don't know anything about demons or summoning." Her eyes narrowed. "Are you... a demon?"

"Yeah I am, but if you didn't summon me, then why did I appear here?"

While Levi thought about the situation, neither one of them said anything. It was a shock for them both on different levels, this made Cassie speak up after a moment.

"So what, since you were summoned, are you stuck here now?"

Levi looked off. "Pretty much, until I fulfill whatever request you asked of me, I can't leave."

"Are you serious? I-I don't know what I could have asked of you."

Levi grinned and took out his phone. "Well, this is good for me. There's a new game out right now and it's so popular, even my pre-order got canceled. I was gonna go in-store to get it and being in the human realm is my best chance to get it!"

In his excitement, Cassie put two-and-two together. Her eyes narrowed and she turned around to pick up something from a side table behind her.

"You mean this game?" While she held up the game package Levi's eyes went wide and he got close to her barely trying to touch it.

"You actually have it? What's a normie like you doing with a game like this? It was delayed for a while and you mean to tell me you have it, but I don't? No, it must be because it's a sequel. It was hyped up so you probably just got it and quit playing after an hour."

Cassie sighed. "Dude, I have all the games in this series, and I was one of the people waiting to get this game five years ago."

He seemed shocked. "You actually know how long it was delayed for?"

"Yeah, I did pre-order this and mines was almost canceled too."

Levi's gaze went from annoyed to slightly interested. "Then why don't you have more memorabilia? How can you be a fan of something and not buy everything they come out with."

"Maybe because I'm a broke college student?"

"Huh? Oh, you're in school."

"Yeah, that's why I need you to leave. I have school in the morning and if I'm lucky I can get at least three hours of sleep."

"I told you I can't leave, but I can promise to get out of your way if you let me play the game."

"Do you at least have a console to play it on?"

"You think I'd risk losing that?"

"Then you're not playing it. You'll have to create a new profile and I don't want that, plus who knows what stupid settings you'll change."

"I promise I won't do anything, just let me play!"

His voice was whining at this point and it didn't seem as if he was going to give up. The time ticked on and Cassie was well aware she wasn't getting any sleep, but it occurred to her she could at least get her mind off the night with his playing.

She crossed her arms. "Fine, whatever."

Levi was overjoyed and grabbed her hands, showing his appreciation by lowering his head. "Thank you!"

She took her hands back. "Anyways, but there's a condition... let me watch you."

"That's all? Then I don't mind, besides I'm sure you're not that good at the game anyways, so I'd be more than glad to teach-"

Cassie walked out her bedroom door and slammed it shut.

"Hey!"

Levi was quick to follow her and found the living room where she was standing in front of her TV changing the input.

"Did you hear me human?"

She glared at him. "You sure talk a lot."

"What's with you, aren't you scared in the slightest that I'm a demon? Who talks to a demon like that?"

"A person who's more scared of their own species. Besides, you don't exactly come off as a 'demon' no bright red horns or deformed figure you know?"

Levi pursed his lips and started fuming. "I'm just not in my demon form."

"Really? Still, unless you look like some of the monsters in this game, you're probably not that scary." Before Levi could say anything else, she held the controller out to him. "Here, I made the profile and started the game. Be careful not to screw up my save."

With a slight pout, he took the controller and sat down on her couch. Cassie sighed and sat on the other end, she pulled her feet up and listened to the soft sounds of his excitement.

While Cassie couldn't believe he was a demon, he had to have been something. How else did he pop out of her laptop? So while she was curled up on the corner of the couch, she watched Levi and found him fully invested in the opening cinematic of the game.

Just as quickly as he started playing, Cassie felt herself grow drowsy. No matter her efforts, she eventually fell asleep faster than she ever could have on her own...

[scribblesforthemad]

There and Back Again - Part 9

Many, many thanks to @skyfall8600 whose excellent Sucked In series not only inspired this one, but brought me out of a years-long writing slump! The first few parts of this series are heavily inspired by her work, while diverging more significantly later on. Regardless, I wholeheartedly recommend her work, and thank her for allowing me to use a few of her excellent ideas!

series warnings: swearing, misogyny, canon-typical violence, fluff, insecurity; sfw but gets a little ~steamy~ in a couple places

part nine warnings: swearing, insecurity, canon-typical violence

The next few weeks passed in a flurry of anxious preparation. Steve and Robin managed to get you a job at Family Video, though Keith wasn’t exactly thrilled at your lack of a documentable work history. You spent your days re-learning how to use a VCR, and planning with Steve and Robin whenever the store was empty.

The Sunday morning meeting at the Thorpe Street diner had been the first of many; several times a week, you all met there to discuss plans and update each other on your progress. While Steve and Lucas’s trip to the library had largely been a bust, Nancy and Robin had created an impressive logbook of names and favorite songs, which you surreptitiously made sure included Chrissy, Fred, and Patrick. But while it was good progress, it also meant that every penny of your, Steve’s, and Robin’s paychecks—as well as a decent chunk of Nancy’s college savings—went toward buying cassette tapes of every conceivable genre and style.

A lot of progress toward defeating Vecna had been made at that meeting, but one event from it still tugged disquietingly at your heartstrings. You hadn’t been able to just turn Eddie out of the diner after he had driven you all the way there, but you could tell the delay in being able to discuss the Upside Down irked the others. Conversation was stilted, to say the least.

Still, it had been a bearable and even pleasant breakfast—until the question of where you were to stay was raised.

“Wayne won’t mind if you stay with us, Y/N, and I certainly don’t,” Eddie had said with a gentle smile. “We’ve been through our share of hard times—you’re welcome for as long as you need.”

You had blushed until your face nearly matched the red plastic of the booth around you, before looking around wildly for a rescue. You couldn’t stay with Eddie; only one night and you had come within a hair’s breadth of kissing him—staying would only draw him further into the death trap that was waiting for him in the Upside Down.

“Robin!” you had said, a bit too loudly. “I can stay with you now that your overtime shift’s done, right? Not that I don’t appreciate it, Eddie,” you had added hurriedly, hating to insult the generosity and kindness he had shown you by turning him down so bluntly. “I’ve just, um—I’ve asked you for enough,” you had said in a rush, avoiding his gaze. When you had finally looked up at him a few moments later, his jaw was set in a tight, guarded expression you recognized from the show.

Abruptly, he had stood, and with a curt, “Of course. Goodbye, Y/N, all,” he had walked out of the diner and to his van, before speeding off in the direction of the trailer park. Your heart had nearly broken in two, but you reminded yourself that it was for his own good, and shoved any feelings of hurt or disappointment firmly down.

You had stayed with Robin for a few days, and then begun to bounce around between houses—Steve’s, Hopper’s old cabin, and even the Wheelers’ once you had gotten some more eighties-appropriate clothes. Though it came close a few times, there had never been another night where you lacked a place to stay—something you were very grateful for, as you didn’t think you could face the prospect of going back to Eddie’s. The few times you had seen him since the diner, he had been distant, only exchanging a few pleasantries before leaving with a hastily-concocted excuse. You simultaneously longed for and dreaded these exchanges; they were the only times you got to see Eddie, but every stiff conversation left your heart feeling like a tired, mangled thing. The only thought that kept you going was reminding yourself that it was all for Eddie’s own good—so he could live, and have a life with some other girl that didn’t end on a bloody field full of ash and bat corpses.

By the time the Friday before Spring Break finally arrived, your plan was fully in place. You had decided that, as much as you needed to keep Eddie out of the whole business, you couldn’t give up the advantage of knowing the exact time and location of Chrissy’s final vision of Vecna. Therefore, you had come up with a plan.

After finishing the campaign, Eddie would take Chrissy back to his trailer to buy cocaine; unbeknownst to them, Steve would follow them in his car with you, Dustin, and Mike. Whenever Max saw the lights start to flicker, she would signal Dustin on the walkie-talkie, at which point he and Mike would burst into the trailer on the pretext of a post-campaign celebration. The two had managed to swipe the boombox from the drama storage room at the last week’s Hellfire meeting, and would have Chrissy’s favorite song—“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” apparently—blasting from its speakers just as her vision began. Then, they could whisk Chrissy away from the trailer, instructing her to keep listening to the tape until it was safe, and Eddie would never have to know about the Upside Down, or the demobats, or the death he would have died. He could live the rest of his life getting high and playing guitar, collecting lost sheep as he went—safe and whole.

It was a solid plan, even a good one—sure, Mike and Dustin’s behavior would appear slightly odd, but that was nothing out of the ordinary for them; Eddie would tease them about it for a while, then forget it. At least, that’s what you hoped.

You chewed your lip nervously as you sat in Steve’s car, waiting for the final meeting of Hellfire to get out. You smiled as you pictured what was going on inside—Eddie’s incredible theatrics, the Party’s camaraderie, Erica’s epic final roll. Noticing the change in your expression, Steve glanced over at you.

“What is it?” he asked, fingers tapping the steering wheel with nervous energy. “Something wrong?”

“No, everything’s fine,” you said, rearranging your features into a more neutral expression with considerable effort. “You?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Steve said with a sigh, folding his hands behind his head and leaning back in his seat. “Just…” he gave you a pensive look. “Are you, you know, sure things wouldn’t have worked out with Brenda?” He paused for a moment, looking unsure. “I mean, I know that’s the farthest thing from important right now, but I had just been thinking that maybe, you know, she could be…the one.”

You looked at Steve with real sympathy, and gave his arm a gentle squeeze.

“I’m sorry, Steve, but yes, I’m sure,” you said, trying to think of what to say next. He sighed again, covering his face with his hands for a moment before tugging at the ends of his hair in frustration. Abruptly, you made a decision: to hell with universal paradoxes; over the last month Steve had grown from a beloved character into a real friend, and now he needed your help.

“You wanna know something, Steve?” you asked, and the change in your tone made him look up at you with a questioning gaze. “In my world, there are thousands and thousands of girls in love with Steve Harrington.” His eyes widened; it wasn’t often that you discussed your world beyond planning for Vecna’s attack, and you never talked about fan responses. You continued, wanting to forestall the interruption you knew was imminent. “My cousin is one of them,” you said, your heart aching as you thought of all the people you missed back home. “But do you know why they’re in love with you, Steve? It’s not the popularity, it’s not the sports, it’s not even the hair, though I will admit this one time that it is an added bonus—those things are remnants of a person that people weren’t in love with.” Steve was looking at you with confusion and sadness, his emotions clearly scattered.

“If this is a pep talk, I’m not sure how much I like it,” he joked weakly. You gave him a small smile.

“Steve, I honestly don’t know how things will end up between you and Nancy. It was unresolved at the end of season four, and I have no idea what direction it was going in. But all those other girls, like my cousin? They’re in love with you for one very specific reason: you care.” Complete shock registered on Steve’s face. You rushed to continue before you thought better of it. “Do you have any idea how fucking hot it is when a guy cares? When he cares so much for a bunch of dweebs that he becomes their personal babysitter? Now, Robin’s already made my attractions pretty clear, damn her, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind.” Yor voice softened as you looked at your friend. “I promise you, Steve Harrington, there is a girl out there—Nancy Wheeler or someone else, I don’t know—who will love you for the dorky, wonderful guy that you are, and notbecause of your car, or your hair, or some stupid high school nickname. For you, Steve.”

The two of you sat in silence for a long moment, Steve’s expression unreadable. Suddenly, he reached over the center console and wrapped you in a bone-crushing hug. You felt tears on your neck as Steve embraced you, and you hugged him back with the fierceness of true friendship, stroking his back with reassuring motions. When he finally released you, he wiped his eyes on his sleeve before speaking.

“Thanks, Y/N.” His voice was quiet, but steady, a little less pressured than before. “I think I really needed to hear that.” He fell silent, and for a long while after, the only sounds you could hear were the distant whoops and cheers of the crowd in the gym as the Tigers battled for the championship title.

By the time the Party came out, cheering and clapping Erica on the back, you were practically vibrating with nervous energy. For the past month, you had been planning for this night—and this night was only the beginning. You looked down at your fingernails, which were bitten to the quick due to your anxiety at the events to come. This wasn’t a game or a television show anymore; it was stark, terrifying reality.

You took a deep breath and looked at Steve, squaring your shoulders.

“You ready to do this?” you asked, unlocking the BMW’s doors for Mike and Dustin. Steve chuckled.

“Oh, not remotely,” he said, beeping his horn to let the kids know where he was parked. “But let’s do it anyway.”

*             *             *

The drive to Eddie’s trailer was uneventful, but tense. Dustin checked and re-checked that they had all the necessary equipment for the plan to work—Cyndi Lauper cassette, boombox, extra batteries, flashlights, and even a first aid kit in the event Chrissy fell too far and hurt herself. Mike stared out the window, watching every car that passed with grim suspicion. Steve ran a hand through his hair and cursed, trying to maintain a close but not noticeable following distance on Eddie’s van—not an easy task in the post-championship traffic. You had to get there right away in order for the plan to work, but if Eddie noticed a strange car following him to a drug deal…

You squashed the thought. We will get there in time. We will stop this.

After what seemed like an eternity, Steve turned into the Forrest Hills trailer park, killing the headlights just to be safe. As agreed, he parked in Max’s driveway; moments later, her porch light flashed three times in acknowledgement. Operation Save Chrissy was officially a go.

As quietly as possible, you exited the car, making your way to Eddie’s trailer through the shadowy corners where the streetlights failed to reach. Breathing heavily from anxiety and exertion, Dustin loaded the cassette into the player and queued up the second track. Making sure the volume dial was turned up as high as it would go, Dustin shot a thumbs-up at Steve. Preparation complete. Now, to wait for Max’s signal.

Minutes passed, and you tapped your toes anxiously against the cold winter ground. Had it taken this long in the show? You cursed under your breath. How long would it take Eddie to remember that the cocaine was in his nightstand?

You were so absorbed in waiting and listening that when the call finally came, you nearly jumped out of your skin.

“Max to Dustin,” a voice hissed over the walkie-talkie, sounding even more garbled than usual. The streetlights around you began to flicker, slowly at first, and then going completely haywire. “Lights are—ing. Pro—ith—e plan,” Max said, her signal cutting in and out with the flickering of the lights. Suddenly you heard a panicked voice rising from the trailer.

“Chrissy? Chrissy, wake up!” Your stomach dropped. It’s happening faster than I thought.

“Go, go, go!” you hissed at Dustin, nearly shoving him and Mike up the steps to the trailer door. You hung back as the boys burst into Eddie’s living room; mercy of mercies, the door had been unlocked. Your heart thudded in your chest as you waited to hear the piercing voice of Cyndi Lauper cut through the night. Glancing at Steve, you waited one beat. Two.

Still nothing.

Suddenly, a very different voice reached your ears, nearly splitting them with its volume.

“Y/N! STEVE! IT’S NOT WORKING!” Dustin screamed, sounding desperate. Not hesitating a moment, the two of you sprinted into the trailer, where you were met with an all-too-familiar sight.

Chrissy Cunningham hung suspended in the air, her eyes rolling back in her head. Eddie stood to the side, eyes wide, fright and confusion rendering him immobile. To your left, Dustin stood with the boombox resting on the counter, frantically pushing the “play” button over and over again, while Mike scrambled to open the package of extra batteries.

Time slowed down as you realized what had happened. The boombox, you thought, remembering the very first evening you had spent in Hawkins, Indiana—a Hellfire club meeting, a siren, and a faulty Enya tape, or so it had seemed at the time. Now, your stomach dropped as you realized the terrible truth. It was the player that was broken, you thought with dawning horror. Not the tape, but the player. And somehow, when lives depended on it, you hadn’t even thought to test it.

“Y/N!”

Mike’s shout snapped you out of your horrified spiral, and your head whipped around to look at him. “What do we do now?!?” Thoughts racing, you considered what you needed: a way to play the tape for Chrissy.

Eddie! You’re in Eddie’s trailer! The thought hit you like a freight train and knocked you into action.

You ran to Eddie, who was still staring at Chrissy in utter horror as she was lifted higher and higher into the air—you had only seconds.

“Eddie!” You shouted, shaking his shoulders frantically. “Where is your cassette player?”

“My…my what?” he asked, dazed, unable to take his eyes off the floating girl.

“Your tape player! We need it to—”

Crack.

The first snap of Chrissy’s bones interrupted your words, and the volume of Eddie’s scream made any further questioning impossible. You averted your eyes from the ceiling, knowing what you would see. As desperation consumed you, you remembered Vecna’s words from your nightmare.

You think you can prevent this? You think your foreknowledge will save them?

As poor Chrissy Cunningham died on the ceiling above you, the voice of her killer echoed in your mind.

I will enjoy watching you realize just how powerless you are.

[hail-gail]

It's excerpt Sunday again, and this one is from the same series as 'Ell Sadem'. It is also much longer than the other one and not as 'sparkly' I guess. Let me know your thoughts and enjoy.

Trinn walked the crumbling street alone, as per usual, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes pointed toward the ground ahead, off of the occasional passerby. Jailen and Father both would be upset with her when they inevitably learned what she had done on that particular morning. She never meant to cause trouble, but somehow it managed to come around as a result of whatever foolishness she had said or done. Oh, and how foolish it had been too. She stopped a second, her shoulders slumping and her gut sinking; they didn't want her back. How would she tell Father that she was no longer welcome to apprentice with the healers? 

She spoke out of turn. She knew the moment the words had left her mouth, but by then, it was too late.  Too late. Her sense always came too late. Tears threatened to spill out, but she blinked them away, putting one foot before the other. If she cried, she wouldn't make it home, and she had to prepare dinner before they returned. 

The three of them, father and siblings, lived in a little ruin hobbled back to some semblance of a proper house. The Battle of the Powers some three years before had fairly destroyed the city, and now most who survived the bloodbath stayed in whatever place sheltered them from the elements. Mother was no longer with them, so it was left to Trinn to prepare breakfast and supper for the three of them while the men were out breadwinning. It had been hard at first, in all reality it still was, for her to try and make a meal out of the meager supplies, but as time faded by she somehow found a way. Still, many were the nights where they lay awake, stomachs unsatisfied and bodies tired. Thankfully Father and Jailen never complained. They knew too well it was because the cupboards were near empty and breakfast would not exist otherwise.

Trinn brushed past someone, careful not to let her skirts tangle in the prickle-weeds, and quietly muttering ‘excuse me’. 

Though she barely knocked the man, he still lightly caught her by the shoulders, nearly falling. He was gone before Trinn could glimpse his face. 

She stood there, frozen in place, breath caught in her throat, and the distant sounds of the city’s alarm bells ringing deftly in her ears. She had seen blood, she knew, or at least she thought she had, but there had been something wrong. Of that she was sure. Not just blood, no, the man had an air about him, one that had been extinguished from the face of the realm three years prior. 

Someone caught hold of her, shaking her gently, calling her name.

She looked up from the emblem blasen chest plate into the frantic face of her brother, her lungs finally accepting the air she so desperately needed.

“Trinn, Trinn are you hurt?!” he took a step back, his desperate eyes sweeping over her, panic building in his gaze.

“No-no I’m not hurt, I just-.” her eyes followed his to the bloody smear over the side she had knocked into the man. “It isn’t mine. It’s the man’s.”

“What man? Trinn, a dragon got into the city, it went through this way.”

“Oh.” Trinn swayed, her brows furrowing as his words sunk in at the paise of snails crawl, slowly but ever so progressive. A dragon. That man was a form shifter. “I uh, I would like it if  you walked me home, Jailen.”

Jailen turned to someone behind him, Trinn only then noticing the captain of Jailen’s barracks standing there, the others scouring the shells of what had once been shops and houses.

He gave a curt nod in wordless permission and next Trinn knew she was halfway to their home.

Neither of them spoke. Trinn could not. Her mind stayed blank, numb with a gravelike chill that clung to the knowledge that she had run into a form shifter and lived. He could have easily killed her within the blink of an eye, but yet there she was, both alive and unharmed. 

The form shifters had all fallen into a madness, trapped in their second forms, her own mother being one of them. They had turned into monsters, slaughtering any living being within their reach. But that man, that man was in his birth form, and not only that but he hardly laid a hand against her, if staying his balance could even be held against him when she had run into him.

[nbmsports]

Mets and Yankees Get Only Three All-Star Selections

The Mets and the Yankees have the two largest payrolls in Major League Baseball, with more than $600 million in combined player salaries, according to Spotrac. Luxury tax bills, which will be finalized later this year, will push the combined number well over $700 million.For all of that money, the teams had a total of three players selected to the rosters of this year’s All-Star Game, which were announced on Sunday night. Pitcher Gerrit Cole and the injured outfielder Aaron Judge will represent the Yankees at the game in Seattle on July 11. First baseman Pete Alonso will represent the Mets.Last year, with both teams thriving, they combined for 10 All-Star selections.The Yankees, who are 46-38 and currently in position for the American League’s third wild-card spot in the playoffs, have had at least one player appear in 90 of the 92 All-Star Games, which have been held since 1933. But because of injuries and rest, it remains an open question if they will have anyone participate in this year’s game.Judge, who was elected as a starter for the A.L., has 19 home runs but has been limited to 49 games because of a toe injury that will keep him out indefinitely. Cole, who is having a stellar season with a 2.79 E.R.A., pitched Sunday, and would normally pitch next on Friday, leaving him a day short of his normal rest. But with Carlos Rodón expected to come off the injured list to start Friday’s game, Cole could move to Saturday, giving him even less time to recover before the All-Star Game.Despite the rest issue, Cole talked as if he intended to play in the game.“One of these days, I would really like to start it,” Cole told reporters over the weekend. “I’ve got to check that one off. I’m not sure how that shakes out over the next week. I know there’s a lot of deserving guys out there.”His competition to start would include the former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi, who is thriving for the Texas Rangers, and Shohei Ohtani, the two-way superstar of the Los Angeles Angels who started for the A.L. last year.For the Mets, who have been a colossal disappointment at 38-46 despite their record payroll, Alonso is a reasonable choice as their lone representative. His .221 batting average is the worst of his career, and he trails outfielder Brandon Nimmo and shortstop Francisco Lindor for the team’s lead in wins above replacement, but his 25 home runs are second in the National League to Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves.Additionally, Alonso announced that he would participate next Monday in the Home Run Derby, an event he has dominated in the past. He won the derby in 2019 and 2021 and was a quarterfinalist last year. While the formats change from year to year, making comparisons difficult, his 174 home runs in three contests are the most combined homers in the event’s history.Manager Buck Showalter told reporters over the weekend that he thought the All-Star selection and participation in the Home Run Derby could help bring Alonso out of his recent slump.“I hate to see good people beat themselves up,” Showalter said. “But I think it is good timing for him to be reminded how good of a player he is. I think he is one of the league leaders in unluckiness, so to speak. Pete is as real as it gets.”The Mets came into the season with World Series aspirations only to have the team’s owner, Steven A. Cohen, acknowledge last week that they could be sellers at the trading deadline. Putting some salt in that wound: Atlanta, which leads the Mets by 18.5 games in the N.L. East despite spending more than $100 million less in payroll than their division rival, will send an M.L.B.-high eight players to the All-Star Game. Source link Read the full article

[sdr2lovemail]

Yo!! That ask where the animatronics stays in readers house was so cute!!! I lived it so much can I request a part 2 of it if it's okay, one in where the animatronics have to leave now (I just like having to imagine some of them being dramatic even though , they would still be able to see each other) I love your writing :D!!!! I hope you have a good day/night!!!!!

Hello Anon! Glad you liked it and I hope you're having a nice day as well!

I feel Sun would take leaving the hardest, so this fic is a bi~it more centered around him and Moon. Though, I made sure to give everyone some screen time.

Off topic but my metal playlist really gets the words flowing. Hearing someone scream into a microphone really gets the inspo going.

I hope you enjoy!

A guide on how to get 8 foot tall robots out of your house.

It was six in the morning and you were tired. You were told the truck coming to get the animatronics was coming at 12 pm. But suddenly you got a call and turns out the truck was coming at 8 am! Now here you were trying to scramble to get them packed and ready to leave without waking Gregory. After brewing a cup of coffee, you try to round them up by the door.

“Sun? Where’s your bag?” The animatronics came with their own luggage. It contained their bulky portable chargers, small spare parts, and whatever they deemed essential. Though that stuff was usually just junk.

Seeing that his bag was not next to them, Sun gives the most dramatic gasp.

“Huh??? Wow! My bag is suddenly MISSING! Oh no! Oh no! What a shame! Guess we have to stay here till we find it!” He slumps his shoulders in an exaggerated fashion and covers his face with his hands. “This is just TERRIBLE! I was hoping to get back to the daycare as soon as possible.” Sun peaks his optics through his fingers to look at you, tensing up once seeing your straight face.

“Sun, we work in the same building. I could drop your bag off for you. You’re leaving and getting on that truck with or without it.”

He begins grumbling and then opens the hall closet. They pull out a sky themed duffle bag. “Why do we have to leave?…Oh, I know! What if you just kept us and opened your very own Pizza Plex!”

“Because I’m not made of money, Sun. I can’t even imagine all the legal trouble I’d get into.” You explain and take a long sip of your caffeinated drink.

With a final huff, the daycare attendant goes to sit by the door. You were about to wonder where the others were when the sound of glass shattering answered your question.

Quickly stepping into the kitchen, there stands Chica with her duffle stuffed to the brim. Next to her is what used to be a jar of cookies. She’s staring at you like a deer in headlights.

“Hmmm. How did all this food get into my bag? I think you have a ghost, might wanna get that checked out. Ehehe…” She nervously laughs.

“You know what I’m going to say, don’t you?”

“Yeah…”

“Pick one thing to bring back.” At your words, Chica quickly begins to decide.

Returning back to your living room, Monty is playing on your console. He seems to be in an intense fighting match online. After a few minutes, Monty is able to K.O them off the stage. The gator triumphantly sets his controller down and kicks his feet up.

“I just can’t lose! No one has beaten me yet!”

“Yeah that’s nice, Monty. Go sit by the door now. The truck will be here soon.” Grabbing the remote, you shut the TV off causing Monty to groan.

“Why can’t you just take us on Sunday. The Pizza Plex doesn’t open until Tuesday.” He groans while leaning back on the couch.

“Don’t act like you’re brand new to this. You know you have to be checked and ready to go on stage. Plus there’s no way you guys would fit in my car. Come on, stop being lazy.”

“Ugh! Fine but you owe me something.” Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Monty walks over to the door.

“Why would I owe him…Whatever, where's Roxy?”

You walk down the halls. Quietly calling for the wolf to not wake Gregory. Speaking of the young boy, you gently open his door to check on him. He’s still asleep, that’s good. You close his door and continue your search for Roxy.

“...-o perfect. They still love you. It’s just business. They would invite you back anytime. Who wouldn’t? Everyone loves to be in your presence.” A very familiar voice comes from your bathroom. You knock on the door and call out to Roxy.

There’s a moment of scrambling before the door is swung open. Roxanne towers over you with a stiff expression. She knew that you heard her talking. That’s so embarrassing! But if you weren’t going to bring it up, she won’t either.

“Hey Hotshot. Just making sure I look my best for when we go back to the Pizza Plex. I mean, I do all the time but it doesn’t hurt to check my hair. Your bathroom has great lighting. We need to go by the door? Great, see you there!” Roxy said all in one breath. She rushes past you to get to the door.

Following her, you see that Freddy was already sitting next to his bag. At least one of them listens to you. Though, for some reason he looks a little sad. His eyes were casted down and his ears were drooped.

“What’s wrong, Freddy? Why are you sad?” You kneel down and set your hand on his shoulder.

“I am so sorry…You told us to be by the door at 6:45, but I got here at 6:50. I did not follow your instructions.”

“Freddy, it’s fine. You didn’t have to be here at exactly 6:45, I just needed you here before 8.”

“What!? How come Fazloser gets a pass when he doesn’t listen! You were so mad at me the one time I didn’t listen!”

“Because Monty, you tried to fight someone’s dad. I’m the one that got demoted for it. And could you please lower your voice, Gregory is sleeping.”

The gator lets out a growl before swinging at your wall. Stopping his fist right before it makes contact. Rolling your eyes at his tantrum, you stand up and look over the animatronics. Let’s see; Freddy, Chica, Roxy, Monty…Where’s Sun?

“Have you guys seen Sun anywhere? They were supposed to be here.”

“The bucket of screws talked about hiding or something stupid like that.” Monty grumbles out.

A scream rings out from Gregory’s room, followed by a thud and a deep grunt. You run over to his room with Freddy close behind. Opening the door, there’s Gregory angrily sitting on his bed and Moon curled up on the ground. The night animatronic is clutching his left eye and there’s a flashlight next to them. Freddy makes his way around Moon to check on Gregory.

“Are you okay, Gregory. Did anything happen Rockstar?” Freddy begins to check over the boy for any injuries.

Moon groans from the floor. “Gee thanks for the concern Fazbear…” You help them up as Gregory begins to explain what happened.

“I just woke up and he was by the foot of my bed. Obviously I had to defend myself so I threw something at them. It was self defense!”

“Uggghhh, Sunnn…I’m gonna choke him out…somehow!” Moon growls. From the inside of their shared coding, Sun is freaking out.

“Gregory, you know not to throw things in the house. Imagine if that was me. I could’ve gotten hurt.” You gently scold while attempting to look at Moon’s eye.

“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. I just got scared.”

“It’s okay, Greg. Now, I gotta bring Moon down to my workshop to look at their eyes. Freddy, I'll see you back at the door. C’mon Moon.”

Stepping out into the lit hallway, Moon takes a minute to shift into Sun. He grips his eye in pain, letting out a whine. “OWWwwww! My eye! I thought if I hid somewhere we could stay longer…I didn’t wanna go…”

Bringing Sun to your workshop, you sigh as he takes a seat. “How about I ask management to let you guys come back sometime. You guys seem to like it here a lot. Maybe when the Pizza Plex is closed again.”

Sun shoots up and brings you into a hug. “REALLY?! You’d do that?! It’s gonna be so much fun! I could bring my good supplies! What flavor of Fizzy Faz do you like? Does Gregory have a favorite crayon? Why not just invite me and Moon and not the others? Ignore that last thing I said!” Like magic, Sun forgets about the throbbing pain in his optic.

“Hold on, I’ll only ask if Moon and I can have a smooth maintenance and you go back to the Pizza Plex without any more complaints.”

Sun instantly sits down practically shaking with excitement. “Yes! Yes! I can do that! Ready when you are!”

You walk to shut off the light and whip out your flashlight. When the lights go out, the mechanical clicking of them switching fills the air. Turning on your flashlight, you see a grumpy Moon. Though their faceplate doesn’t change, their body language says it all.

You shine the light against his eye causing him to jerk back. “Watch where you’re flashing that!” They push the flashlight away from their face.

“I need to see if there’s any damage to your eye. Just turn your sight module off.” Huffing, Moon shuts off his ability to see, the red glow of his eyes go out.

There’s a crack going down the middle of their eye. No one thought to bring eye replacements. This was so coming out of your paycheck.

You pull the light away from their face and the lights of their eyes come back on. “You have a crack going down your left eye. Along with some scratches in your paint. Gregory seemed to have done a number on you. Well, there’s nothing I can do about it here. You’re gonna have to wait until Monday when I come into work.”

With a low groan, Moon gets up from the chair. “I’m gonna get them back. Sun won’t know when. I’m turning off our shared thoughts.” Before you could tell him not to, Moon is up and out of the room. Reaching the hallway, he turns back into Sun.

“Why do I feel like Moon said something bad?”

A knock on your front door is heard throughout the house. Roxy calls out that the truck is here to get them. You walk Sun back to the door and they pick up their bag. Now fully awake, Gregory is there to say his goodbyes as well.

As they leave, the animatronics either give you both a hug, a firm smack on the back, or a grumpy wave.

“I will see you at work, [Name]! Hope to see you as well, Gregory!”

“Seeya Hotshots! You better come and visit us Gregory. Or you’ll be a loser!”

“...Bye…My highscores better be there when I get back! Not like you can beat ‘em, ehehe!”

“Goodbye! Thanks for having us. I’ll make sure to pay you back for all that yummy food!”

“Bye bye friends! I’ll think of even more fun activities to do next time!”

They continue to wave as the back of the truck closes. Soon they begin to make their departure back to the Pizza Plex. With a smile you turn to Gregory.

“I’m going back to bed.”

[gretavansteph]

settle | s.f.k

ngl, this one was inspired by personal experiences and when I tell y'all my heart was in my throat as I wrote this. something that's always good to remember is that as long as you know your worth, fuck everything else. don't let anyone try and change your mind or make you feel any sort of ill way for simply wanting what you know you deserve. never settle for less. I'm still struggling with these types of thoughts and emotions, but I'm hoping one day it'll be different

as always, I hope everyone had a lovely day, enjoy 🤍

---------

Growing up you had never thought of getting married. Ever. You never imagined what your wedding day would be like, never wondered what your future husband's reaction would be as he watched you walk down the aisle ready to begin a new chapter together. You never day dreamed about dresses and flowers and cake flavors much like other girls around you had. You had been to weddings in the past of course, and you always had a good time but you never found yourself thinking "I wish that was me" as the bride and groom stood at the altar, hand in hand promising an eternity of love to one another. That was never you and somewhere deep down within you you always knew it never would be, until you met him.

Everything changed the day you met Sam Kiszka. Your views on weddings and babies and Sunday dinners surrounded by family were completely flipped over as you grew from friends to crushes to girlfriend and boyfriend to lovers, all leading to where you were now, partners.

These new thoughts scared you, as you had never been one to be giddy over these sorts of things. But you couldn't help it. The things he made you feel when he touched you, when he kissed you, when he texted you goodnight before bed as he wished you sweet dreams with the promise of talking to you the next morning. No matter how scared you were you found yourself swimming in these new fuzzy feelings, and they only grew more and more over time. Everyone saw it coming, they knew you'd move in together eventually, everyone seemed to know except the two of you. But when you did it just became another one of your favorite things to do with him. You got to share a bed every night, not just on the weekends. You got to make him breakfast and dinner and sometimes even some lunch if he was home from work. You got the chance to do what had only been reserved for the weekends, every day of the week now. It was perfect. You were content, he was content, and your heart was content.

You developed your own routine together, and it was your favorite thing. Due to your work you left earlier than him and came home earlier than him, so he would leave after you did and come home after you did. At first it wasn't too bad, at least you got the spend the nights together catching up on each others days before going to bed. But the both of you were tired, so the conversations didn't last long before you were both sinking into sleep. His strong arms wrapped around you as you slept made up for it a little, however. But in the back of your mind you always wished for more.

The weekends would come and go, and you were so excited every time as you would both finally get to spend some sort of time together, but it rarely ever happened if not due to so much of your constant begging. You were allowed one thing, if you were lucky. But you would take what you could get, it made you happy to spend time together outside of the house, making memories.

"Let's go to a movie," you suggested one day, to which Sam shook his head, stating he was busy. "Alright well, you wanna go bowling tomorrow night?"

He sighed, giving you a look you were much too familiar with. "I'm busy, Y/N. I don't have time, you know this."

You let out a sigh of your own, slumping your shoulders as you accepted defeat. So you left it at that, and went about doing your own thing to keep yourself occupied until your boyfriend decided he wanted to spend time with you.

You knew he was busy, he worked over 60 hours a week and on the weekends he was busy at home, but you couldn't help but wish he would put as much time and dedication into you and your relationship as he did to his projects here at home. There were times he would finish all of the work that needed to be done, so you would go and ask him if he wanted to go do something, but by the time you got to him he had already come up with something else to do.

Despite all of these things, you loved him. You loved him so much, and you couldn't wait till the day he asked you to marry him. You wanted to take his last name, you wanted to wear a ring on your finger and display it proudly every chance you'd get. You wanted to build a family together, nothing crazy maybe a baby or two. You wanted pets more than anything, but the itch for a baby always remained. Especially with Sam. That was, until you found out his thoughts on the matter.

You were sat on a barstool at the kitchen island, watching Sam move around the kitchen as he cooked lunch for the two of you. You were in disbelief, somehow having ended up on the conversation of babies and marriage and he was sharing his views on the topic with you.

"So you just, never ever want to get married." you repeated his words back to him, to which he shook his head no.

"And kids?" same response.

You were shocked at the confession, as once upon a time at the beginning of your relationship he would talk about making you his wife and having kids together. So what changed?

"It's just a piece of paper," he shrugged. "And it's more taxes. I don't need a government certification to tell me I love you, we're practically already married I mean we live together, we sleep in the same bed and we share clothes. How much more domestic could you possibly get?"

You frowned, your lips pouting slightly to which made him sigh as he took in your expression.

"You're looking at me like I just kicked a puppy, Y/N."

This only deepened your frown.

"None of this is mine, Sam." you said quietly, motioning around you with your hand. "All of this is yours. This house is yours, the property, the furniture, the damn carpet is yours. None of it is mine."

And it was true. You paid bills of course, and bought groceries and supplied everything you needed for yourself, but everything else was his. Your car and your own personal bills were yours, but that compared to the things he took care of was barely a mere 5%. When you moved in together he had already bought the property, the house came with and he bought everything needed for it, so really you had moved in with him, you didn't really move in together together.

You dismissed the conversation before it could go on any further, but in times where you found yourself alone, your mind wandered. What was the point of staying with someone for so long if nothing was ever going to come of it? Were you just always expected to be the girlfriend? You had been together for 4 years, and nothing had really happened. You had barely any memories together, as Sam more often than not refused to go anywhere with you. You wanted to travel, see the world, and you wanted do it with him. Even if it was only one state over at a time, but he always refused. He had gotten a chance to see the world, what with the band and all, but now that they had settled comfortably after being on the road for so long he had no desires of ever going anywhere ever again, stating it took up too much of the time he didn't have. You shared with him how neglected by him you felt, and it would always end in a fight with him victimizing himself and topping it off with some sort of mean comment towards you that would lead you to sleep on the couch.

It was a routine at this point, one that you didn't enjoy. You weren't sure of anything anymore, and over time you had slowly conformed back into the mentality from before. Marriage didn't seem like such a good idea anymore, not with him. And a baby? If he didn't make time for you, how was he ever going to make time for the baby? Thinking this way hurt you, but the sooner you accepted it the better.

But you loved him, and you could never leave him. No matter how mean he was to you, no matter how little attention he paid to you, you loved him. So you lied to yourself and said it was okay.

You settled.

--------

[illegal-spiegel]

Firsts w/ Kaoru

Pairing: Kaoru Hitachiin x gn!reader Genre: fluff Warnings: none

first meeting:

y’all met through, you guessed it, The Host Club

it wasn’t your idea to go

but Haruhi, poor, sweet, innocent Haruhi, was about to lose her marbles

she practically got onto her knees to beg you to keep her company

and what kind of friend would you be if you declined?

(you mainly just went because she bribed you with free tea and desserts)

when you showed up to Music Room #3, it was all that you were expecting and not at all what you were expecting at the same time

you eventually spotted Haruhi through all the people and eventually made your way over to her

the look on her face was almost comical

she bid her guests she was entertaining farewell and they left with watery eyes

you covered your mouth to hide your giggles as you took a seat on the soft couch across from her

“Thank god you showed up,” she groaned as she slumped back into her seat

you let your giggles out freely, studying her tired form

“Awe, is Haruhi tired of flirting?” you teased

she only grunted in response, closing her eyes and letting out a content sigh

you hummed in return, picking up a cookie that was on the table and started to munch on it

you two had a few minutes of silent peace before it was rudely interrupted

“Oh, Haruhi!” you hear two voices shout from behind you in unison

you swear you saw an irk mark appear on her forehead

you raise your brow and go to turn around to see who was causing her so much trouble just by saying two words when two people were suddenly leaning over the back of the couch you were sitting on

you looked to your left and saw a boy your and Haruhi’s age

you turned to the right and had to do a double-take when you saw the same face

‘these must be the infamous twins,’ you thought as you studied them

“What?” Haruhi groaned with dead eyes

you could see the smirks come onto the two boys’ faces

“What are you doing slacking off-” the one on the right started off

“-when you have a guest?” the left one finished you raised a brow at them as you pursed your lips

“She could ask you two the same thing? Why aren’t you tending to your guests?” you defended

the twins’ eyes widened as they turned to look at you, both silently studying you for a moment

“We got bored-”

“-so we came to see what Haruhi was doing.”

your brows furrowed as you look to the one on your left

“You just left your guests?”

Haruhi was the one to respond

“Kaoru probably ran out of fake tears,” she said with a smirk

the twins’ attention went back to her, the one on the right’s eyes widening

“Fake tears? My tears are real!” he defended

you took a mental note that the one on your right was Kaoru. Haruhi may have told you about them before but you were terrible with names

Haruhi only grunted in response before closing her eyes again

you saw their mouths open, ready to bother her some more

so, being the good friend you are, you quickly said something before they could

“Just leave her alone, okay? How about you entertain me?” you offered

from what Haruhi has told you, the twins liked to mess around with people. Whether it is playing pranks and tricks or just annoying them

so, you figured they’d happily take you up on the offer to ‘entertain’ you

as soon as you finished your sentence, a smirk was curling up on their lips

“Entertain you?”

“Why, we’d be honored!”

they ended up trying to actually do so at first, using their little brotherly love act

you quickly shut that down

once they realized you knew all their secrets, including Haruhi being a girl, there was a sudden shift in the way they acted towards you

they were more open suddenly

hanging out:

after meeting, he instantly took a liking to you

he and his brother wanted to become friends with you, mainly to annoy Haruhi 

they hung out with you as much as you allowed them to, which was often so you could give Haruhi a break

it took a couple weeks for Kaoru to work up the nerve to ask you to hangout with him without his brother there as well

you were surprised when he asked you, to say the least 

“Hey, would you wanna go to this museum with me? I somehow won free tickets in class and Hikaru doesn’t want to go. I, uh, know it sounds boring but—”

“I’d love to go with you, Kaoru,” you reassure with a big, warm smile

it was the first time he felt his heart do something weird in his chest 

that weekend, you two went to the museum and honestly had a really good time

you two pretty much just wandered around and talked the entire time, which was several hours 

he found it surprising and like a fresh breath of air at how easy it was to talk to you

he liked studying you when you would stare at something before you, your figure glowing under the big lights 

he knew by the time you two left that he had feelings for you

first hug:

you two hugged for the first when he took you home from the museum, actually 

his palms were sweating just from thinking of doing it 

he tried to tell himself that it wasn’t a big deal but he was just so nervous 

he opened the car door for you when you reached your house and even walked you to the door 

“Thanks for today, Kaoru,” you say softly, giving him that radiant smile that he loves so much 

“It was nothing. I’m just glad you agreed to go,” he admits with a small chuckle

you giggle in return and then you both go into silence 

“Well, I’ll see you at school on Monday,” you say to break the silence

without another word, he quickly pulls you into the hug then

he hears and feels you gasp, your arms staying by your side for a moment before slowly wrapping back around him 

“Yeah, see you on Monday,” he whispers, still holding onto you

you two hug each other a little longer than necessary but neither of you cared 

when you finally did let go of each other, both of your faces were warm

“Goodnight, Kaoru,” you whisper a little breathlessly 

“Goodnight, (Y/n),” he whispers back, finally stepping back to let you go inside

he walks back to his car and watches you unlock your door to make sure you get inside okay 

he then finally leaves with a racing heart and a red face

first time holding hands:

after going to the museum together, you two slowly started to get closer

you texted more often, always called, hung out without Hikaru more, and so on 

it didn’t take long for you to fall for him but you were unsure if he liked you back 

well, that is until October came around

the boys decided they wanted to do a haunted house type thing for their monthly event

after Kyoya talked it over with the principal, the club got permission to do it and to have it held inside the entire school

Kyoya went all out too. He hired professional actors and businesses to scare in the school

the club held it during Halloween weekend, that way they could clean up all the props before Monday

the club made a killer with the amount of people that wanted to participate and walk through the ‘haunted’ school

on Sunday, after the ‘maze’ closed, the host club decided that they should be able to walk through it as well

that’s how you ended up partnered up with Kaoru to walk through together

you two went last out of all of the groups, both of your hearts racing as you two walked into your dark school 

after the first jump scare, you two clung together before relaxing until the next scare

after a few scares, you two just ended up holding hands the whole way through 

you honestly didn’t even really notice since you were too focused on what’s around the corner, what’s in that room, or what that sound was

but Kaoru’s entire focused was on your hand in his, the way your skin looked, the way it felt

when you came out the back main exit of the school though, you instantly noticed

you both shyly smiled as you let go, trying to ignore everyone’s teasing as you all started cleaning up 

first date:

it wasn’t until mid-November that Kaoru asked you out on a date

you both were blushing like crazy as he stuttered out his date proposal and it was the most enduring thing you’ve ever seen 

he asked you out, to which you instantly said yes to, but when you asked where you two would be going, he refused to tell you 

he ended up taking you to a festival that was in town after you said that you didn’t want him wasting a lot of money on you 

plus, he’s really competitive, so it’s fun to play games with him 

you two tease each other back and forth the whole night, both of you winning a lot of games

he even won you a stuffed animal to which you playfully named it Hikaru

he ended up getting too much cotton candy and begged you to help him finish it 

you two spent the entire day there and when the sun started to set, he dragged you onto the ferris wheel 

it was very cliché but he kisses you at the top and you loved every second of it 

when he drove you home, neither of you were ready for the night to end 

so, you just ended up sitting in the car for hours just talking up a storm

when your first yawn is released, he does his best to ignore it but after the second time, he sighs and gives you a soft smile 

“You should head inside. I’ll text you when I get home, okay?” he says quietly, secretly wishing he didn’t say anything when you start to pout 

you rub at your eye though as you yawn again, slowly nodding your head

“Okay. Goodnight, Kaoru,” you whisper sweetly before hugging him

just before you get out of the car, you quickly peck his cheek before practically flying out of the vehicle

he chuckles at how flustered you are as you walk to the door of your home

he makes sure you get inside okay before driving back home

he sticks to his word and texts you when he arrives at home to which you both stayed up late texting each other because you didn’t want the mystical night to come to an end

first time giving a gift:

(we ain’t counting the stuffed animal (Hikaru) he gave you on your first date)

you two had been together for 3 months when Kaoru decided to get you something to celebrate

he asked all your friends along with all the people in the Host Club what they think you’d like 

he got many ideas ranging from clothes to food

he wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to get you but he’d figure it should be something nice but ‘simple’ 

on the day of your 3 months together, he picks you up from your house and takes you on a date

you tried telling him that you two didn’t have to celebrate the 3 month mark, but he wasn’t having it 

“You’re special to me and being together this long means a lot to me,” he said softly to you before kissing the back of your hand

he ends up taking you to a hill that looks over most of the town, a smile coming to your face when you see the view 

“It’s beautiful,” you reply when he asks what you think

“Not as beautiful as you,” he teases, shooting you a wink before hauling the picnic basket over to the blanket he set down for you both 

after setting everything up and getting comfy, you two dig into the food that he made

once you two have had your fill, you curl up together and watch the sunset

just before the sun completely sinks below the horizon, he pulls away from you a bit to reach into the basket

“Here,” is all he says as he offers you a rectangular box covered in velvet

you raise your brow up at him but gently take it from him and open it up 

you jaw drops open a bit when you see what rests inside, your heart skipping a beat as your tummy fills with butterflies

“Oh, Kaoru...” you whisper breathlessly, staring down at the intricate necklace

“Do you like it?” he whispers, worriedly staring at your shocked face 

“I, um, got it to represent our first date at the festival...” he continues when you don’t reply. “Sorry, I know it’s ugl—”

“No! No, I love it, Kaoru,” you quickly interrupt when he starts to backpedal. “Sorry, I just was thinking that it looks kind of expensive...”

“Well, ha, you see—”

“Kaoru, how much did you spend on this?”

he stays quiet for a moment, knowing how you’d react when he tells you 

he finally pipes up when you give him the look™️

“It was, um, ¥43,687...”

“Kaoru Hitachiin!” you screech, fully turning to face him with a horrified expression

“What? It’s not that bad!” he shouts, his cheeks starting to warm for some reason 

“Not that bad? Not that bad? You’re right. ¥43,687 is way worse than bad!” 

he groans and rolls his eyes, taking the box from you and taking the necklace out 

“Turn around.”

“No way! What if I break it? What if I lose it? What if—”

“What if zombies raised from the ground right now and killed me? Bam! Dead! Wouldn’t you want something to remember me by?” he teases with a smirk

it’s your turn to huff and roll your eyes now 

“That would never happen.”

“Well, yours would never happen either,” he argues

“Yes it could!”

“We can go back and forth all day, sweetheart. We can never know the future and it’s best to just live in the present.”

When you don’t reply, he smiles at you and holds up the necklace 

“You like it, right?”

“Well yes, but—“

“And you like me, right?”

“Kaoru—”

“Do you?”

“Yes! But, Kaoru—”

“Then put it on!” 

you two have a stare off before you give in, letting out a hefty sigh and turning to put your back to him

he slips the necklace onto you and your hand instantly goes to the ferris wheel pendant resting between your collar bones

“There. Ya see? That wasn’t so bad and you look even more beautiful than usual.”

your cheeks warm with the compliment as you spin around to face him again

“Shut up and kiss me,” you snap with a pout

he chuckles and leans forward to do just that 

first “I love you”:

you both actually wanted to say this on your picnic date but both ended up chickening out since you both thought it was too soon

ever since then, you both have tried and failed to say it 

when is the right time to say it? How long do you have to be dating for it to be okay? What if the other person wasn’t ready to say it back yet?

yeah, a lot of unnecessary worries and insecurities

it isn’t until it’s almost your sixth month anniversary that Kaoru finally works up the nerve to say it 

he was planning a little get away vacation for you two during the summer

when you came over to his house one day to hangout, he first plays it cool

you two do the normal stuff whenever you two hangout, watch your show, makeout a little, make food, the works

after you two are done eating and go to continue watching your show, he stops you

“Hey, there’s something I want to show you.” 

you raise your brow at this, wondering what he could want to show you

maybe a new show he wants to watch? 

“Yeah?” you ask, watching him pull something out from between the couch cushions 

he hands over an envelope to you with a smirk, making your brows furrow 

a letter?

“Go on. Open it,” he says with a chuckle 

you let out a short hum in reply and begin to open it up

you pull out two tickets to something, turning them around to look at the front 

“Are these first class tickets to Italy?” you ask, your voice trembling a bit 

“Yeah! I figured it was about time we went somewhere together!”

you shake your head and offer the tickets back to him, feeling as if you’re going to be sick 

“Kaoru, no. This is too much. I don’t need to go somewhere far or fancy or expensive to have fun with you,” you force out with wide eyes

he frowns at your words, refusing to take the tickets out of your shaky hands

“What? (Y/n), this is an amazing opportunity! Besides, these tickets were for me and Hikaru to go with our mom to one of her fashion shows in Italy. Hikaru is grounded now though for that stunt he pulled in class and she asked if I’d like to take you instead,” he explains with a soft smile, bringing his hand to your free one to give it a squeeze

you relax a bit at this news, now knowing he didn’t waste thousands of yen on you 

“Your mom offered?” He nods his head. “You’re sure she doesn’t mind me coming?” 

“Of course not, baby. You haven’t been around her much since she works so often, but she really does like you. She wouldn’t have asked you to come if she didn’t want you there. Plus, she has to punish Hikaru somehow.” 

you chuckle at that last part with a nod of your head

“Okay, fine. I’ll ask my parents about it and see if they’ll be okay with me going,” you agree

he lets out an excited squeal and surges towards you for a hug

“Yes! You’re the best! I love you!” 

at the three words, you both freeze and stare at each other, both of your faces heating up to a dangerous degree

“Sorry, I, um, I d—”

“I love you too, Kaoru,” you rush out before he can take it back

his grin comes right back to his face before he kisses you passionately 

first trip together:

turns out your parents were okay with you going since Kaoru’s mom will be there 

when you three were on the plane, you and Kaoru leaned against each other the entire time

to keep you busy, you two watched your show and movies, played card games, played games with each other on your phones, and so on

when you all finally reach your destination, you’re exhausted but you instantly perk up when you reach your ride to your hotel

you climb into the limo and both you and your boyfriend ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ at the beautiful scenery 

when you get to the hotel, his mother announces that Hikaru will share a bed with her while you get the other one. You don’t really mind since she’s paying for all this and you’re in Italy for crying out loud, but Kaoru whines and pouts for at least fifteen minutes

once you’re all in your jammies, you all practically pass out as soon as your heads hit the pillows 

you three were there for two weeks and you and Kaoru had so many cute dates

you went hiking, rode on gondolas, went on tours, took cooking classes, saw a musical, visited ancient buildings, went to the beach and did lots of swimming (where Kaoru got burned), and lots more!

his mom even let you participate in her fashion show

she dressed you up in expensive clothing and pushed you to walk on the runway

you were nervous at first but eventually got into it the more claps and cheers (from Kaoru) you got 

it was honestly some of the best days of your entire life

when it was the last day of being in Italy, Kaoru took you on your last date in the beautiful country

you both shared lots of ‘I love you’s followed by several kisses

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MASTERLIST

More with Kaoru 

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