#but it would be nice to have the reassurance that she won’t think i’m bad or gross or misled or trigger happy or whatever

[kairoot]

⌞ 𝐍𝟏𝐋𝐇 ⌝ ★ l. close enough, drop the album.

★. young rockstar Kim Hongjoong is absolutely infatuated with you, a global star and known singer. he seems like a player to the public eye but no one knows him personally. well, he doesn’t stick around for people to get to know him.. he makes multiple attempts at stealing your heart but you just won’t budge. you thought it would be easy to open up again but your past slowly catches up to you with an unloving father and one crazy ex.

— ★

“what do you mean i have to go?” you whined to your manager and best friend, binna. she sighed, not wanting to repeat herself once again.

“y/n, you have to.”

“but i’d rather not. this isn’t fair, binna!” you ran your hands down your face, whining again.

“you’re acting like i’m the one making you go. these are the company’s orders!” binna argued, taking a seat next to you on the practice room’s floor.

as of right now, you were trying your best to get out of having to go to the big soirée you were invited to. it’s not like you weren’t grateful for the invitation. you were just exhausted. and there was too much going on in your head. you hadn’t been to one of these events since your brother, jaehyun, was sent away.

it was hard for you to be social. maybe it was the anxiety. there were rumors that you were one of those rude celebrities because of the way you isolated yourself at parties and such. but of course that wasn’t true. you just didn’t know how to put yourself out there. everyone expects you to be extroverted and outgoing because of the way you display yourself on social media. but that was all of your company’s doing.

no one ever knew the true you, except for jaehyun and binna.

you sighed, giving up on your escape. binna sent you a soft, reassuring smile.

“at least mr. kim hongjoong’ll be there.” she nudged you, wiggling her eyebrows. you groaned, rolling your eyes.

“what is your obsession with him?” you shook your head, standing up and grabbing your things.

“uhm, he’s like the biggest rockstar of our generation! and he loves you.” she emphasized the ‘love’ part, poking your side playfully. you shook your head, smiling a bit.

“i don’t even know the guy, bin.”

“but you could get to know him. tonight!” she said as the both of you walked toward the door.

you ignored binna’s comment as the both of you walked to the company car. she continued to poke and prod at the interaction that could be made, but you continued to show no interest. your mind was already occupied, dreading the night ahead and the socializing that came with it.

the pressure of performing off-stage, having to mingle with strangers who saw you as nothing more than the glamorous image curated by your company, weighed on you. none of those people knew you nor did they care to.

your arrival at the event was swift. the venue was as extravagant as you’d expected, chandeliers casting a soft glow over the guests’ heads. the air buzzed with small talk and laughter, your stomach starting to churn with each step you took.

“see? not so bad, right?” binna whispered as she looped her arm through yours, pulling you toward the bar.

you nod half-heartedly, scanning the crowd for any familiar faces. it only took a moment before your eyes landed on a blonde. the rockstar himself, kim hongjoong. you quickly turned your head back, not wanting binna to think you were interested all of a sudden.

“is that him?” binna gasped, starting to tug you toward him. your eyes widened as you tried pulling your arm out of her grip.

“binna, no,” you said quietly.

“oh, c’mon, y/n. it’ll be fine, he’s soooo nice!”

“oh? and how would you know?” you quirked an eyebrow.

she paused for a moment, “erm.. just a thought?”

you shook your head, smiling. you turned around to go back to the bar, leaving binna and her hongjoong-filled brain alone.

after ordering your drink, you took a deep breath, willing your nerves to settle. you were used to performing on stage, but mingling in these kinds of social events always left you feeling out of place.

binna’s excitement was palpable, and you couldn’t help but smile despite yourself. you turned to the bartender, signaling for another glass of sparkling water. just as you brought it to your lips, the background music suddenly cut off, replaced by the distinct feedback of a microphone being tapped.

“ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention please,” the emcee’s voice boomed across the room, causing everyone to pause their conversations. you turned toward the stage, your brow furrowing in confusion. “we have a special treat for you tonight. our favorite star, y/n, will be performing for us!”

your heart dropped.

the crowd erupted in applause, and you stood there, frozen, the glass slipping from your hand and shattering on the floor. binna’s eyes widened as she grabbed your arm.

“binna,” you whispered, panic setting in. “what is he talking about..?”

“i—i don’t know!” she stammered, equally bewildered. “no one told me anything about this.”

your breath quickened as you felt the weight of everyone’s eyes on you. the emcee continued, clearly expecting you to make your way to the stage.

“y/n?” he glanced around, searching for you in the crowd. “come on up!”

binna squeezed your arm reassuringly. “you’ve got this, okay? you’re a pro.”

“but I’m not prepared,” you hissed, but there was no time to argue. you took a shaky breath, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. before you knew it, you were being gently pushed towards the stage by well-meaning staff members.

the room seemed to blur as you climbed the steps, the lights too bright, the applause too loud. you somehow made it to the center of the stage, heart pounding so fiercely you thought you might faint.

“i—i wasn’t expecting to perform tonight,” you said into the mic, your voice small and uncertain. a few people in the crowd chuckled softly, and you swallowed hard. “but i do have a new song that I’d like to share with you.”

the audience applauded again, and the band began to play a familiar melody. the opening chords of one of your newest single, ‘black mascara’ filled the room, and you forced yourself to relax. this was your element. slowly, you closed your eyes and let the music take over, the initial panic subsiding as you began to sing.

you voice soared, clear and powerful, weaving through the lyrics that had once been your lifeline. as you sang, the room seemed to fall away, leaving just you and the music. you could feel the weight of eyes on you, the intensity of the gaze almost palpable. despite yourself, you risked a glance in hongjoong’s direction.

he was watching you intently, his expression unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—a glimmer of admiration, maybe? or curiosity? you couldn’t be sure. he bobbed his head slightly to the beat, his presence both comforting and unnerving at the same time. the cameras swarmed around him and the other celebrities, capturing their reactions. hongjoong didn’t do much to react except nod along, but his focus was unwavering.

the song drew to a close, the final note hanging in the air before fading into silence. the applause was thunderous, but all you could think about was getting out of there.

“thank you,” you mumbled into the mic before quickly stepping off the stage. you ignored the people reaching out to congratulate you, heading straight for the exit.

“y/n, wait!” binna called after you, but you couldn’t stop, couldn’t breathe until you were outside, the cool night air hitting your flushed skin. you spotted the company car waiting for you and practically ran to it, throwing yourself inside.

“take me home, please,” you instructed the driver, your voice trembling with exhaustion and irritation. As the car pulled away from the venue, you closed your eyes, leaning back against the seat. the performance had gone well, but you couldn’t shake the feeling of being blindsided, of being watched so closely.

it wasn’t until much later, as you lay in bed staring at the ceiling, that you realized: the intensity of hongjoong’s gaze had left an imprint on you, one that you weren’t sure you could forget.

and the thought terrified you.

•

𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 — 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 — 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭

[ 🧾 ] 𝓣𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 : @dioll @minihong99 @dollschan @asherthehimbo @kur0kki @elysianiki — send an ask to be added !

[comradebestie]

oh the temptation to ask my mom “would you still like me if i got top surgery?”

i’m not gonna do it girl, i’m just thinkin bout it

[shadowbriar]

Diego Hargreeves - Patches

Pairing : Diego Hargreeves x (she/her) Reader Word Count : 1.2k Warning : None. Notes : This might be the introduction of a story I'm working on. I cannot guarantee that I'll have the commitment to continue until it's end so don't have too much hope for this. I am open if you have any The Umbrella Academy requests at the moment, so do hit me up! If you like this story and would like to support me, please visit my kofi page and perhaps get me a coffee?☕

He got eight of them.

For the longest time in her life, she’s never understood the silly yet cruel joke life cursed upon her. To be able to heal everyone but herself, no matter the wound or injury one might have, she’ll cure it in no time, so long as it wasn’t inflicted on her.

Once, it wasn’t this pathetic nor lonely. She had her brothers and sisters to weather to storm through. There were Pogo and Mum to share cookies and stories with. It’s been years since she felt such comfort and to have to drag her feet back to the house that had turned itself from a warm home into a prison before the last days of her departure is surely weighing on her heart.

“Welcome home, dear.”

Her heart was filled with warmth once the familiar motherly voice greets her. The corners of her lips curved into a big smile as she dropped her bags, running to the dearly missed figure, “Mum.”

It took the bot a couple seconds to return the embrace. No doubt that she’s been lacking a lot of upgrades ever since she left. When the two broke the hug, she stared at the ageless caregiver with fulfilled eyes as it stared back at her with its bright smile, blank and not blinking. This might have been the most home she could feel while she’s here.

“You’re not supposed to come,” another voice echoes from the stairs.

“Diego, that’s not very nice.” Mum scolded lightly “Your sister has returned to us.”

The boy showed a thin smile to the bot, patting her lightly on the shoulder, “I think Pogo was looking for you, Mum.”

With a slight nod, the android excused herself out of the room.

Now if Grace’s presence lightened her heart, the sight of this black suited man certainly plummets it.

“You look awful,” She greets, noticing the scars that litter his face “Surely couldn’t find a better nurse than me now, can you?”

“Please,” Diego snorted “You’re more of a deadweight than a nurse, if ever.”

Ouch.

She lets out an exasperated exhale, folding her hands in front of her chest in defence, “Well, I’m not here for you and I don’t take joy either on coming back to this circus, so if you could just get yourself off that non-existent high horse—”

Before she could finish her words, Diego had already walked away as if she wasn’t there to begin with. His back becomes the abundant evidence that whatever bad blood they had years ago is still staining his skin.

It wasn’t always like this, him and her. In fact, they were the inseparable two growing up. If Luther had Allison, Diego had her. The many times she healed his wounds had led them to grow closer as the years went by. He was the one with the most injury to heal, after all. The most careless in battle out of the eight, never backing down from a close combat. Though he would always come out triumphant, a little cut here and there would be something he never escaped from.

“Don’t mind him, he’s giving us all the sour comments,” Allison said as she linked her arms to her “I’m glad to see you.”

She smiles at her sister, squeezing her hand slightly in reassurance, “As I am to see you.”

—-

“You should really learn how to dodge a punch, Diego,” She says as she runs her thumb through his bruise “One of these days you’re going to go home and I may not be able to heal you.”

“Is that a loss on your part or my part?”

Her eyebrow rose, purposely pressing on his bruise without healing it that he winces a little, “Or maybe I just won’t heal you, that’s definitely a loss on your part.”

“As if you’ll ever do that.”

“Is that a challenge?”

Diego tries his best to bite the grin but it proved to be an even harder task than to back out of a fight. He stares at her fondly, finding the jitters in his stomach to amplify the longer he stares yet it feels impossible for him to break the contact. Perhaps she casts a little of her magic everytime she heals him.

“Don’t stare at me like that.”

“Like what?” He asks.

“Like Klaus stares at a bottle of gin,” She says, now examining his other cuts “Like I stare at Mum’s cookies.”

Diego smiles.

“Like Luther stares at Allison.”

“Would it be so bad if I stare that way?”

The wake from the unintended nap hurts her head. Her bed is much smaller than she last remembered with her feet slightly dangling on the edge and how the pillows have certainly lost their fluffiness. Everything in her room stays the same yet at the same time, everything has changed.

—-

Diego defeatedly threw himself to the sofa. He sighs, his knuckles cracking as he tries to ball his fists. The tidal wave of emotions were beating him black and blue in silence. It feels as if he was swallowed by a giant blackhole with no light nor guidance to get out of.

There was no need for him to be rude to her, he knew that. He didn’t want to do it, but seeing her back in their house, hugging and talking to Grace, hurts. It took him years to try and ignore the ghost of her. She was the one force that would fuel his mornings and ease him to sleep at night. She was the one soul that he would always go to seek refuge. She was the one that he would lay his life on the line for without a second of doubt.

But he had to lose it all after one stupid night.

A night that he would never be able to grow out of, both from the horror and the guilt. Diego shut himself out for days following that terrifying night, locking his doors and skipping meals as he tries to think of all the what-if scenarios.

What if he stayed home that night?

What if he forced her to stay home that night?

What if he saved her before she saved him?

What if?

Mindlessly, he reaches for a knife on his left chest. It was a stranger to the rest of his knives collection. Compared to the polished lightweight knives he tucked in his suit, this one butter knife was rather dull. It would serve no harm to anyone, yet he kept it closest to his heart as if it was his most prized possession.

Diego stared at the knife. His brows knitted, examining the item as if it held the answer to all of his questions. Or perhaps some guidance. Anything to help him keep his sanity and not lose the plot now that she’s back in his life. Was she staying or was she leaving for the night? He wasn’t sure. But even if she is leaving, the hours he’d have to spend with her would suffocate nonetheless.

His thumb traces the engraving on the knife’s handle. A little trace of an infinite loop that had somehow become his stress outlet: the number eight.

[teddypines]

The talk

------------------------------------------------------------------

Sumary: Tim coming out and taking his boyfriend home for the first time.

Tim Drake x Batmom!reader, Bruce Wayne x Batmom!reader, Tim Drake x Bernard Dowd. Fem!reader (Use of she/her pronounce)

Note: There might be some posecive Dad!Bruce in here, but it's okay. He just needs to get used to his childeren growing up. Art/picture is from Pintrest, credits go to whoever made it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tim has been dating for a while now and he rather liked it. Bernard was amazing and super mega sweet, and handsome. Bruce sort of knew but Y/N didn’t. Tim knew that she would be supportive, but he still felt nervous about telling his mom about it. Bernard told him to maybe take a calm approach, eas the idea or something like that. Though Tim didn’t really know if that would work on Y/N, he was going to try anyway. Because he wanted his mom to know.

Y/N sat on the couch doing some work on her laptop when Tim got down to the living room. He fidgeted a bit with his hands as he approached the couch. “Mom? Could we maybe have a chat?” Tim asked, the nervousness clear in his voice. Y/N looked up from her work and smiled at Tim. “Of course, sweetheart. Come have a seat.” She answered. She saved her work and closed the laptop, before giving all her attention to Tim.

Tim sat down next to Y/N on the couch, tucking his legs underneath him. He looked at his knees not knowing how to start. “It’s okay, Tim, take all the time you need to tell me what you need to tell me” Y/N said trying to reassure Tim. Gently placing a hand on the back of his head. “I won’t be mad if that is what you are worried about.” Tim tilted his head to look at Y/N and took a big deep breath. “Mom… I’m gay.” Tim said. He looked at Y/N to see her reaction, but there was nothing but a gentle smile. 

“W-why aren’t you saying anything?” Tim asked after a while, not understanding why Y/N didn’t say anything. Y/N just carefully pulled Tim into a big hug. “Because I already knew. And you know what, I'm glad you finally told me. I never wanted to make you uncomfortable and force you to tell me or your dad. I just wanted you to know we love you no matter your sexuality. But you have to tell me one thing though.” Y/N tells Tim as she rubbed his back and held him close to her. Tim nodded his head in answer. “Why tell me now? Did you meet someone?” Tim nodded again at the questions. “His name is Bernard, he’s my boyfriend…”

Y/N kissed the top of Tim’s head before speaking again. “That is wonderful, sweetie. I hope he makes you smile and really happy. Just know that I will kick his ass if he hurts you and that he is now required to come over for dinner.” Tim laughed a bit and nodded his head. “I’ll tell him that. I think he’ll like meeting you and dad.” 

“Good, because it will be a small interrogation,” Y/N jokes. “Does dad know?” Time got a bit nervous again when Y/N asked if Bruce knew. He thinks Bruce knows, but not for sure. So he shrugged in answer. “Do you want me to tell him?” Y/N asked, to which Tim nodded. “Alright, I’ll tell the big bad bat”

“Thanks. mom, love you” 

“I love you too, baby bird”

<------------------------------------------------------------------>

A few days go by and Tim invites Bernard over for dinner with the family. Y/N told Bruce like she promised and Bruce was all like ‘of course i know! I am Gotham’s greatest detective, I know when my son is gay. He didn’t know, but he was happy no matter what. Y/N made sure that Damian and Jason would behave in front of Bernard, this made both boy’s pout, but they were bribed with desert so it was okay. Alfred made sure to make the best dinner ever, but not too much, it had to be a nice home meal, not a fancy dinner party meal. 

"Excited?" Y/N asked Tim as they both waited by the door for Bernard. “Yeah, but it kind of feels weird, bringing my boyfriend home to meet my family.” Tim answered, a small smile on his face and a dreamy look in his eyes. Y/N placed her hand on Tim’s head. “It’s always like that the first time. You’re lucky it’s with me and not just Bruce. I heard some stories from Jason and Dick that didn’t go all that well.” 

Tim nodded his head. “Yeah, the few times that it did happen were weird. We also never saw them after that. But Bernard is not scared of the big bat Wayne family.” Just before Y/N could say more the doorbell rang and Tim quickly opened the door for Bernard. Both boy’s smiled and gave each other a hug.

“Bernard, this is my mom, Y/N. Mom, this is Bernard, my boyfriend.” Tim introduced Y/N to Bernard. Y/N smiled at Bernard and held out a hand for him. “It is lovely to meet you, Bernard.” Y/N told Bernard as they shook hands. “It is an honor to meet you, miss Wayne.” 

“You can call me Y/N, no need to be so formal” Y/N answered. Tim smiled and took Bernard’s hand. Leading him towards the living room. “You’ll have to meet the other first before dinner, but don’t worry it won’t be like all the stories I told you.” Tim said with a big smile on his face. It was clear, already, how much Tim loved Bernard. This of course Y/N noticed and it made her feel so proud and happy that her Baby bird was happy too. 

Once in the living room Bernard was met with seven heads, most of them looking a bit stern. Tim gave his hand a light squeeze of reassurance. “Everyone, this is Bernard, Tim’s boyfriend. Bernard these are my husband Bruce, my sons Dick, Jason, Duke and Damian, and my daughters, Stephanie and Cassie. And not to forget our lovely Barbara." Y/N introduced everyone to Bernard. Most of them started to smile, but Bruce looked, well, a bit menacing.

Tim took Bernard to the couch with his siblings and they started to chat while Y/N went over to Bruce. “You don’t have to scare him off, you know.” Y/N said as she wrapped her arms around Bruce’s shoulders and placed her chin on top of his head. “I’m not scaring him, just up serving.” Bruce answered with a bit of a grumpy toon. “Sure, love, just be nice okay? Tim is really looking forward to this and he wants it to go nice. Please don’t scare away Tim’s boyfriend, Bruce.” Y/N requested before placing a kiss on Bruce’s cheek. Bruce grumbled a bit before answering with a sharp. “Fine, darling”

[faithshouseofchaos]

Shut up now you opened a whole new thought process mentioning mafia 🤭 what about mafia!danny? I don’t think anyone’s wrote about him but I feel like it just clicks. OH MAYBE reader doesn’t believe it when he casually mentions it, she thinks it’s a joke because of his happy personality but then maybe she catches him doing some *mafia stuff* iykwim and then she’s shocked at first, not talking to him for a bit. He clearly says that it’s not his fault because well he did technically tell her even though she thought it was a joke. Im a sucker for the injury trope and it fits so well with mafia so like he shows up to her house all bloody and bruised with flowers or smt and he’s like I don’t know how to make it up to you but you made me feel like the mafia never existed or wtv and asks what he can do to make it up 😫 this is pure brainrot so I’m not even sure if this makes sense so work your magic 💜

A/n— this has been In my drafts since mid June 😭

Mafia!daniel ricciardo x fem!reader

Angst fluff hurt comfort you know the works

Word count— 7.3k words

Warnings — I did not edit this 😭 death but no one important slightly dark!Danny

“I don’t think this is a good idea” you groaned to your friend who had set you up on a blind date with her husband's best friends who he had known since childhood. “It’s a great idea you’ve been single for four years now y/n it’s time to get back out there and meet new people. I’m not saying you have to get into bed with him, just give him a chance” She replied. 

“Do I have to?” You asked looking at your friend with a pleading look practically begging her. 

“Come on y/n you’ll like him. Daniel’s nice and he’s funny. He's your type. Trust me, as soon as you see his smile you’ll fall and you’ll fall hard” she says, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Ok fine I’ll go on one date,” you said crossing your arms “As long as you promise to keep an eye on my location I don’t want to end up on the next episode of Dateline” you added.

“Oh relax” your friend scoffed “Daniel’s a good guy and he’s a total gentleman, you won’t have to worry about that” 

“Don’t you worry I’ll be keeping tabs on you the whole time you’ll be fine” she reassured you. “You’ll see you’re going to fall in love with him. I’ll set up a date for you two, you’ll thank me when you’re living happily ever after” she said while putting a hand on your shoulder.

 A few days later your friend had set you up on a date. You were now about to leave your house for the date and before you left your friend had messaged and asked for your location so she could keep track of you. Once you sent her the address of the restaurant you were going to, you made your way there.

You finally got to the restaurant and looked around, a little nervously, until you spotted your date. You saw a tall attractive man, with messy brown hair and a charming smile sitting at one of the tables. He seemed to notice you as he stood up and smiled, waving to you to come over. As you walked towards him he pulled out a chair for you and once you sat down he pushed it back in before he sat back down. “You’re y/n right?” He asked as he gave you a charming smile.

You nodded and smiled back. “Yeah that’s me and I’m assuming you’re Daniel?” You asked as you looked up at him, taking in his handsome features.

He chuckled, “yep that’s me” he replied as he ran a hand through his hair. “You’re even prettier than your friend described you” he added as he looked you up and down shamelessly. You felt your cheeks warm up a little at his compliment but you tried to stay calm. “Well you’re not too bad looking yourself,” you said with a hint of playful sarcasm in your voice.

"Not too bad?" He repeated, feigning a hurt expression as he clutched his heart dramatically. "I'm devastated, absolutely devastated" he added with a smirk. "Much happier, especially coming from a beautiful girl like you," he said with a smirk. A second later the waiter came by and asked what you would like to drink.

You told the waiter what you wanted to drink and Daniel did the same. As the waiter left to put your drink orders in, you turned to Daniel. “So what do you do for a living?” You asked curiously. "I run a business that modifies cars" he replied with a smile. "It's a family business, handed down from generation to generation" he added, his pride obvious in his tone.

You were a little surprised by how casually he worded it. “Oh wow that sounds pretty cool, I’m surprised I haven’t heard of it before. What’s it called?” You asked curiously. “It’s a little Mafia thing,” Daniel says casually. 

Your eyes widened slightly at his casual statement. “A little mafia thing?” You repeated disbelief in your voice. “Are you being serious right now?”

He chuckled, "Yes, I'm being completely serious. It's not what you think though, we're not out committing crimes like the stereotype. We're all about family and respect here, a different type of mafia" he explained, his tone still calm and casual.

“I don’t believe that,” you said.

Daniel feigns a hurt expression again. “You wound me. I’m offended that you don’t believe me” he said with a fake pout. “But seriously, I’m not lying to you. I do run a mafia business that’s all about family” he added with a shrug. You couldn’t help but feel skeptical. “I’m sorry, I’m just having a hard time believing what you’re saying. It’s not every day you meet someone in the mafia” you said, still sounding doubtful.

Daniel chuckled, clearly amused by your skepticism. “I understand your disbelief, it’s not something you hear about every day. But I assure you, I’m not lying to you. I’ve been part of this family business for years” he said calmly, trying to reassure you. You were grateful for the subject change, and you quickly gave him an answer. “I work at a local animal shelter, nothing too exciting” you replied with a small shrug.

"That's pretty cool, I love animals," he said with a small smile. "Have any pets of your own?" He added curiously. You shook your head. "No, I wish I could have one but my apartment doesn't allow pets" you explained. "But I get to see and play with so many different animals every day at work, so I can't complain," you added with a smile.

He nodded. "Yeah, I get that. It sucks when you can't have a pet, but at least you get your animal fix at work" he replied with a grin. The conversation continued on and on, you found yourself lost in conversation with Daniel. He was charming and funny, the time flew by while talking with him. Before you knew it, hours had passed and it was starting to get late. Just as you were about to say something, your phone buzzed in your pocket. You pulled it out to check your notification and saw a text from your friend asking if you were still on your date and if you were still okay.

You quickly typed out a response telling her that you were still on the date that everything was fine and you'd check in with her later. As soon as you hit send, you looked back up at Daniel, who was watching you curiously. “Everything alright?” He asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at you.

"Oh yeah, it was just my friend checking in on me. She's a bit overprotective" you explained with a chuckle. He chuckled as well. "Ah, the overprotective friend. Gotta love 'em" he replied with a grin.

“Yeah she’s my best friend and I love her” you replied smiling.

There was a brief moment of comfortable silence between the two of you before Daniel spoke up again. "It's getting pretty late. Can I walk you home?" He asked, looking at you with a warm expression. You smiled at his offer. "That's very sweet of you, but didn't you drive here? I don't want you to have to go back to get your car" you replied, feeling a sense of guilt at the thought of him having to walk back to his car just to drive you home.

He chuckled and shook his head. "It's fine, I don't mind. Plus, I'd feel better knowing you got home safely" he said with a small smile.

You couldn't help but feel a warm feeling at his words, touched by his concern for your safety. "Thank you, that's very sweet of you" you said, feeling a hint of a blush on your cheeks.

He smiled at your reaction, seeming pleased that he was able to make you blush. After paying for the bill, he stood up from his seat and gestured for you to do the same. He walked beside you, holding the door open for you as you exited the restaurant. The cool night air hit your face as you stepped outside, and you shivered slightly. Noticing your shiver, Daniel took off his coat and wrapped it around your shoulders. "Here, you look cold," he said as he placed his coat around your shoulders. The coat was warm and smelled like him, a woodsy and earthy scent that you found surprisingly pleasant.

"Thanks," you said as you pulled the coat closer around you. The two of you started walking down the street, the city around you becoming quieter as the night got later.

The two of you walked in comfortable silence for a couple of minutes, the only sound being the occasional car passing by. You glanced over at Daniel, who was walking beside you, his hands casually stuffed in the pockets of his pants.

"Can I ask you something?" He suddenly asked, breaking the silence between you two. "Yeah, of course. What is it?" You replied, curious about what he was going to ask. He hesitated for a moment before asking his question. "Why are you still single?" He blurted out, his tone casual but his words weighted. His question caught you off guard, and you weren't quite sure how to respond. "Uh, I don't know, just haven't found the right person I guess," you said with a shrug, feeling slightly embarrassed at his direct question.

He hummed pensively, seeming to consider your answer. "I find it hard to believe that a beautiful girl like you doesn't have men throwing themselves at you," he said, his eyes scanning your face intently. You blushed at his compliment, feeling embarrassed and flattered at the same time. "Yeah right, I'm not that much of a catch," you said with a self-deprecating chuckle, trying to downplay his words. He stopped in his tracks, causing you to stop too, and turned to face you. "Don't say that about yourself" he said sternly, his gaze never wavering. "You're gorgeous, and any man would be lucky to have you" he added firmly.

You stared at him for a moment, taken aback by his intensity. No one had ever spoken to you like that before, and it stirred up a feeling inside of you that you couldn't quite explain. "Thanks, I guess" you mumbled, feeling a bit overwhelmed by his compliment. He chuckled softly at your reaction, his expression softening. "No need to thank me, just stating the truth," he said with a shrug. "But seriously, I don't understand why you're single. You have everything a man looks for in a woman" he added, his eyes locking with yours.

You felt your heart skip a beat at his words, his intense gaze making you feel a bit flustered. "I don't know, maybe I'm just picky," you said, trying to sound nonchalant, but you knew that wasn't the real reason. The truth was, you were just too scared to put yourself out there again after your last relationship ended badly. He seemed to pick up on the underlying hint in your words, and his expression softened further. "Ah, I see. Previous relationship baggage, am I right?" He said with a knowing look. You were surprised that he had noticed, but you nodded in response. "Yeah, something like that," you said, feeling a mix of vulnerability and resignation.

He nodded in understanding. "I can understand that. Bad relationships can leave a mark on us, make us hesitant to trust again" he said thoughtfully. "But just because one relationship ended badly, it doesn't mean the next one will" he added, his gaze steady on you. You had to admit that he was right. You knew you couldn’t hold onto your past trauma forever, but it was easier said than done. "It's not just that, though," you said, feeling a bit guilty for unloading everything on him. "I'm also just scared of getting hurt again. Relationships are risky, and I don't know if I'm ready to take that risk again" you added with a sigh.

He listened attentively as you spoke, his expression still soft and understanding. "I get that. Falling in love is a risk, and there's always a chance of getting hurt. But the thing is, you can't live your life being afraid of getting hurt" he said, his voice gentle but firm. "If you don't take a risk and open yourself up to new relationships, you'll never experience the joy and fulfillment of finding someone who truly loves and cares about you" he added, his eyes never leaving yours.

His words hit you like a ton of bricks, making you realize that you were letting your past experiences dictate your future. "I know what you're saying is true, but it doesn't make it any easier," you said, feeling a mix of defensiveness and vulnerability. He nodded, seeming to understand your conflicting feelings. "I know it's not easy, and I'm not saying you should rush into anything. It's important to give yourself time to heal and process your emotions. But at the same time, don't shut yourself off to the possibility of finding happiness again" he said, his voice still soothing.

You felt a lump in your throat as you absorbed his words. You knew he was right, you couldn't keep living in the past and avoiding future relationships because of your fear of getting hurt. "You're very wise, you know that?" You said with a small smile, attempting to lighten the mood. He chuckled at your comment, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I have my moments," he said playfully. "But seriously, I just want you to consider what I'm saying. Don't let your past define your future, and don't sell yourself short. You're an amazing woman, don't forget that" he said, his gaze still fixed on you. 

You felt a pang in your chest at his words, his praise making you feel a flutter in your stomach. You had never felt this seen and understood by someone before, and it was both comforting and overwhelming at the same time. "Thank you," you said, your voice tinged with vulnerability. "I appreciate you saying that. It means a lot" you added, feeling a bit emotional.

He smiled at your response, looking pleased that he was able to make you feel better. "It's just the truth," he said matter-of-factly. "You deserve to be loved and taken care of, and I'm sure there are plenty of men out there who would be lucky to have you" he added, his tone casual yet affectionate. “I hope that you’ll do the honor and go out with me again?” Daniel added.

Your eyes widened in surprise at his unexpected question. "Wait, what?" You asked, caught off guard by his directness. He chuckled at your stunned expression. "Did I surprise you?" He asked, his tone teasing. "I thought I made it obvious that I'm interested in you," he said, his gaze still locked on yours. You felt your heart rate increase at his words, his gaze making you feel both flattered and a bit flustered. "You're interested in me?" You asked, hoping you didn't sound as dumbfounded as you felt.

He nodded, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Of course I am. You're gorgeous and intelligent, and you have a great sense of humor. Why wouldn't I be interested in you?" He said, his voice dripping with charm.

You couldn't help but smile at his compliments, feeling a swarm of butterflies in your stomach. "You're flattering me too much," you said, trying to play it cool. “But yes Daniel I would love to go on another date with you” His smile widened at your response, clearly pleased that you had agreed to go on another date with him. "Great, I'm glad to hear it. I promise not to disappoint" he said, a hint of excitement in his voice.

The two of you resumed walking, the conversation becoming lighter and carefree again. Even though you had only been on one date with him, you felt a certain ease and comfort with Daniel that you hadn't felt with anyone else before.

As you walked, you couldn't help but sneak glances at Daniel from time to time, noticing small details about him that you hadn't noticed before. The way his hair fell slightly over his forehead, the crinkles by his eyes when he smiled, the way his hands moved effortlessly in his pockets.

You were so lost in admiring him that you almost didn't notice when he spoke up again. "You're staring," he said, his tone playful. You felt a heat rise to your cheeks as you realized he had caught you staring. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," you said, feeling embarrassed at being caught.

“Thank you for walking me home, you didn’t have to do that,” you said, thanking Daniel. He smiled at your thank you, appreciating your gratitude. "It was no problem at all. I wanted to make sure you got home safely" he said, his tone still warm and genuine.

You arrived at your apartment building, the outside light casting a soft glow over the both of you. You turned to face Daniel, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervous energy. "Well, this is me," you said, gesturing towards the building behind you. "Thanks again for walking me home, it was really sweet of you" you added, looking up at him with a small smile.

He smiled back at you, his eyes roaming over your face as if trying to memorize every detail. "It was my pleasure. I'm glad I was able to spend more time with you" he said, his tone soft and sincere.

There was a brief moment of silence between the two of you, the air thick with unspoken tension. You knew that this was the part where you were supposed to say goodbye and go inside, but somehow neither of you seemed to want the night to end just yet.

——

Weeks had passed since your first date with Daniel, and much had changed since then. You had seen each other many times since then, going on numerous dates and spending countless hours talking and getting to know each other better.

Even though you had only been official for a few months, you felt as though you had known each other for years. Daniel had become a constant presence in your life, his presence both comforting and exhilarating at the same time.

As you sat on your couch, mindlessly flipping through channels on the TV, you heard a knock on your door. You looked up, surprised that anyone would be visiting you unannounced at this hour. You got up from the couch and walked over to the door, wondering who could be on the other side. As soon as you opened the door, your heart skipped a beat as you saw who was standing in front of you.

Daniel stood there, looking unfairly attractive as usual, wearing a fitted shirt and jeans that hugged his muscular frame. He had a small smile playing on his lips, his eyes scanning your face intently.

“Hey,” he said, his voice low and smooth. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he added, leaning one arm against the doorframe. You shook your head, feeling a flutter in your chest at the sight of him. “No, not at all. Come in” you said, stepping aside to let him enter your apartment.

He walked inside, his tall frame making your small apartment seem even smaller. He looked around the room, seemingly taking in every detail. 

“Cute place.” he finally said, turning to face you.

“Thanks,” you said with a small smile, feeling a bit nervous under his gaze. “So, what brings you here? Not that I mind, of course” you added quickly, not wanting him to think you didn’t want him there.

He smiled at your nervousness, clearly amused. “Can’t I just come over and see my girlfriend?” he asked, the word girlfriend rolling off his tongue effortlessly. He chuckled, clearly seeing through your act. 

“Girlfriend I didn’t know I was your girlfriend already” you replied coolly with a smile. 

“You’re such a bad liar,” he said, stepping closer to you. He was now standing so close to you that you could feel the heat radiating off his body.

He gently reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, his fingers lingering on your skin for a few seconds longer than necessary. His touch sent a shiver down your spine, and you felt your breath catch in your throat. “You know I can read you like an open book, right?” he said in a low voice.

Daniel took another step forward, and now his body was almost touching yours. You could feel the heat he was radiating, and you found yourself leaning into him involuntarily.

“I know you like it when I call you, girlfriend” he whispered, his lips brushing gently against the shell of your ear. You could feel your heart racing in your chest, and you knew he was well aware of the effect he had on you.

Without another word, Daniel lowered his head and pressed a kiss to your neck, his lips soft and warm against your skin. You tried to keep your breathing steady, but it hitched as his lips moved to your jawline, trailing small kisses down to your collarbone.

He continued to press kisses to your skin, his teeth nipping gently at your collarbone. His hands came up to rest on your hips, his fingers digging into your flesh as he pulled you closer to him. You could feel his body pressed up against yours, every inch of him solid and warm.

“You know, I’ve missed you” he murmured against your skin, his lips moving back up to your neck. He nipped at the sensitive spot behind your ear, causing your legs to almost buckle at the action.

“I missed you too, if I’m being honest I hate when you leave for long periods” you responded.

“I know, I hate it too,” he said, his hands tracing small circles on your hips. “I wish I could stay here with you all the time but, well, sometimes work calls” he added, his lips tracing a path down your neck again. 

He pressed another kiss to your collarbone before lifting his head to look at you. His eyes met yours, and you could see the mixture of affection and hunger in his gaze. “But I’m here now,” he said, his hands sliding around to your lower back. He pulled you closer to him, his body now pressed tightly against yours, leaving no space between the two of you.

You could feel the heat and hardness of his chest through his shirt, and you could hear the steady thrum of his heartbeat. His scent surrounded you, a mix of musk and aftershave, and you couldn’t help but inhale deeply, craving more.

He pressed his forehead against yours, his fingers playing with the hem of your shirt as he spoke again. “And I plan on making the most of it.”

The intensity in his words sent a shiver down your spine, and you could feel the heat pooling in your belly. “You always do” you managed to say, struggling to keep your voice steady under the weight of his gaze.

He chuckled at your response, seemingly pleased by your admission. “Damn right, I do,” he said, his voice dropping to a sultry whisper. 

———

Months later 

You hadn’t seen Daniel in a few weeks due to him going out of town for work. You knew he was going to be home later in the evening so you wanted to surprise him. Walking up the pathway to the front door you took out the key to Daniel’s house that he gave you and unlocked the door. As you stepped inside, the house was quiet and dimly lit. It was clear that Daniel wasn't home yet, but you knew he would be back soon. You set down your bag by the door and made your way further into the house.

The familiar scent of his cologne lingered in the air, and you took a deep breath, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over you. You missed him a lot more than you’d expected. You walked through the living room and into the kitchen, debating whether to make something to eat or just wait for Daniel to arrive. As you stood by the counter, lost in thought, you heard a faint sound in the other room. It sounded like a soft thump, followed by a muffled curse.

Concerned, you left the kitchen and headed towards the source of the noise. As you reached the door to the study, you heard another sound, followed by a low groan. 

You quietly opened the door and stepped inside your heart racing. When your eyes focused on the figure in the room, your heart skipped a beat.

 standing in the middle of the room there Daniel was surrounded by other men who stood around a man who was tied to a chair in front of Daniel. The man tied to the chair was beaten badly. Daniel's eyes were dark and intense, and his expression was colder than usual. He was wearing a black suit, the top buttons of his shirt undone, revealing a hint of his chest.

The other men in the room were all dressed similarly, and they stood off to the side, watching intently. It was clear that they were either bodyguards or associates of some sort. One of them stepped forward and handed Daniel a knife, which he took without hesitation. 

Daniel took a step closer to the man tied to the chair, his eyes scanning over him with a mixture of anger and disdain. You watched in shock as he placed the tip of the knife under the man's chin, lifting his head to meet his gaze.

“What did I tell you?” Daniel asked, his voice laced with barely contained fury. The man in the chair, who was terrified, trembled visibly at the sound of Daniel's voice. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, he just looked up at Daniel with wide, fearful eyes. 

“Cat got your tongue?” Daniel said, his tone almost mocking. He pressed the knife a little harder against the man's skin, just enough to draw a thin trickle of blood. The other man winced and let out a small whimper.

The other men behind Daniel let out small chuckles, clearly enjoying the sight of the man in distress. You stood there, frozen in shock and disbelief, not sure what to do or say.

Daniel leaned closer to the man, his eyes never leaving his face. “You know what I do to people who talk too much?” he asked, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper.

The man in the chair frantically shook his head, tears streaming down his face. He looked terrified.

“No? Well, that's a shame.” Daniel said, his tone still cool and mocking. “I thought I made it clear to you that I don't like it when people talk too much.” he continued, his eyes narrowing. “And yet here we are, with you bleeding and tied to a chair. Did you think I was joking?” he added, his voice growing colder with each word. The other men in the room shifted their weight, clearly enjoying the show. They knew not to interfere, Daniel was the boss and this man had wronged him in some way.

Daniel ran the tip of the knife lightly over the man's cheek, leaving a thin trail of red in its wake. “I guess I need to teach you some manners, huh?” he said, his voice a low growl. “Maybe then you'll learn to shut your damn mouth.”

The man in the chair began to sob loudly, pleading for mercy. “Please, I'll do anything! I'm sorry! I'll never do it again, I swear!” he cried out, his voice breaking with fear and desperation.

Daniel seemed unmoved by the man's pleading. He let out a humorless chuckle and looked over at the other men in the room. “You hear that?” he said, motioning to the man. “He says he's sorry. Do you think I care?”

The men in the room all shook their heads, some of them letting out more chuckles at the sight of the man's desperation. One of them spoke up, "He's worthless boss. Just get rid of him."

Daniel thought about it for a moment, his eyes still locked on the man in the chair. “You know what? You're right. Let's end this.” he said, his tone cold and detached. He turned to one of the men, handing him the knife. “Finish it,” he said simply, before stepping away from the man and walking over to the other side of the room.

The man who had been given the knife stepped forward, a cruel smile playing on his face. The man with the knife just laughed at his pleading. “Too late for that, buddy,” he said, his tone smug. “You should have thought of that before you crossed him.” He brought the knife up to the man's throat, the blade glinted in the light. The man in the chair let out a shrill scream just as one of Daniel’s men stabbed him in the chest. 

“No!!” You screamed making yourself known to the others. Daniel whipped around to face you. Daniel's eyes widened in surprise as he saw you standing there, horror etched on your face. He seemed caught off guard by your appearance, and for a moment he just stared at you. Then, he took a step towards you, his expression unreadable.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice cold and guarded. The other men in the room all turned to look at you, their eyes appraising you with curiosity and suspicion. You stood there, frozen in shock and fear. You hadn't expected to walk in on a scene like this, and the sight of the man being beaten and stabbed right in front of you was almost too much to handle.

“I-uh-I gotta go,” you said running down the hallway and out the front door to your car.

Daniel watched you leave, a mixture of shock and anger etched on his face. He was about to go after you when one of his men spoke up.

“You gonna go after her?” he asked a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Baby wait!” Daniel called out after you his heart sank in his chest and he felt like he was going to be sick. You heard Daniel's voice behind you, but you didn't stop. You kept walking, your heart racing and your mind reeling from what you just witnessed.

Daniel called out again, his voice pleading now. "Please, wait! I can explain!"

Despite your anger and fear, you reluctantly stopped in your tracks. You turned to face him, your eyes swimming with tears.

"Explain? Explain what, exactly?" you said, your voice shaking with emotion.

Daniel took a few steps towards you, his expression earnest and remorseful. "Please, just give me a minute to explain," he said, his voice softer now.

You stood there, your arms wrapped tightly around your middle, trying to keep calm. "Fine," you said, taking a deep breath. "Explain."

He ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated and anxious. "That guy, he's...he's a rival gang member. He crossed a line, and I had to deal with it," he said, his voice low and serious.

"And dealing with it involves beating him up and having him killed? In one of your spare rooms m?" you asked, your voice rising in disbelief.

Daniel let out a sigh, his hand running through his hair again. "It's not that simple," he said, his tone still gentle. "This is how things work in my world. You knew that when we started dating."

"But I didn't expect to walk in on a scene like that!" you exclaimed, your voice cracking slightly. "Watching you torture someone...it was terrifying. I've never seen anything like that before."

Daniel's expression softened, and he took another step towards you. "I know it was shocking," he said, his voice quiet and sincere. "But you have to understand, this is my life. This is what I do. And I can't change that, no matter how much I might want to."

"But what about me?" you asked, your voice shaking. "How am I supposed to feel safe and secure in a relationship with you, knowing what you're capable of?"

Daniel took another step closer, reaching out to touch your arm. "I would never hurt you," he said, his voice low and firm. "Please, you have to believe me. You're the most important thing in my life, and I would never do anything to put you in danger."

You wanted to believe him, you did. But the image of the man who was beaten and stabbed was still fresh in your mind, and it was hard to reconcile that image with the man standing in front of you.

"It's just...I don't know if I can handle this. What I just saw, it's not something I can just ignore," you said, your voice shaking with emotion.

Daniel's expression hardened slightly, and he withdrew his hand from your arm. "So you're saying you can't accept my life?" he asked, his voice laced with disappointment.

"I..." you started, struggling to find the right words. "I don't know," you admitted, your voice small and uncertain. "I just...I need time to process all of this."

Daniel's expression softened again, and he let out a deep sigh. "I understand," he said, his voice sounding resigned. "You need space. I get it."

He took a step back, giving you some space. "Just...promise me you'll come back when you're ready to talk," he said, his eyes searching your face.

You nodded, still feeling a mixture of emotions swirling inside you. "I promise," you said quietly, your voice barely above a whisper.

"Okay," he said, his voice quiet and resigned. "I'll give you space. Just please, be careful and stay safe." With that, he turned and walked back towards the house, leaving you standing there alone in the dark. You stood there for a few moments, watching him go, your mind racing with thoughts and emotions. You knew you needed time to sort out your feelings and figure out what to do next. But deep down, you also knew that you could never forget what you had just witnessed.

With a lump in your throat, you turned back towards your car and climbed inside, feeling more confused and scared than ever before. As you drove away, leaving Daniel and his world behind, you couldn't help feeling like your life had been irrevocably changed.

———-

Days turned into weeks, and you hadn't contacted Daniel since that fateful night. You had been avoiding any kind of communication, needing time to sort out your thoughts and feelings. But as the days went on, you felt a nagging sense of guilt and longing whenever you thought about him, wondering if he was okay.

Daniel's world was one of danger and violence, and he was so used to being surrounded by it that he didn't realize its effect on others. But for you, the sight of him tormenting and killing that man had been a shocking wake-up call. You had never been exposed to that kind of life before, and it terrified you. The thought of being involved with someone capable of such violence and cruelty was daunting.

You had been struggling to reconcile the Daniel you knew – the gentle, caring boyfriend who had shown you only tenderness and kindness – with the Daniel you had witnessed that night, someone who was cold and dangerous. Despite your fears and uncertainties, you couldn't shake off the feeling that you cared deeply for him. You missed the moments of laughter, the stolen kisses, and the comfort of his presence. You missed his easy smile and the way he could make you feel wanted and adored.

One night, as you were tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep, you heard a faint knock at your door. You sat up, your heart skipping a beat. Could it be Daniel? You got up and walked towards the door, your mind racing with mixed emotions. Part of you was terrified at the thought of seeing him, but another part of you was itching to see his face and hear his voice.

You hesitantly opened the door, revealing Daniel standing there on the other side. He looked tired, worried, bruised, battered, and beaten but his expression softened as soon as he saw you.

"Can I come in?" he asked, his voice quiet and weary. You felt a lurch in your chest at the sight of him, the emotions coursing through you in a confusing jumble. You hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say or do. But then, without thinking, you nodded and stepped aside, allowing him to enter. Daniel stepped inside, his eyes fixed on you. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, with dark circles under his eyes and a haggard expression on his face. The sight of him like this made your heart hurt.

The two of you stood there in silence, neither of you quite knowing what to say or do. The air was thick with tension, and the silence was deafening.

Finally, Daniel spoke up, his voice cracking slightly. "I've missed you," he said, his expression full of vulnerability. Hearing his voice, you felt a wave of emotions wash over you. You wanted to stay mad at him, to keep your walls up and protect yourself, but it was as if the very sight of him had broken down all your defenses.

You didn't say anything, but you didn't need to. The look in your eyes spoke volumes. You missed him too, more than you wanted to admit. Daniel took a step closer to you, his eyes searching your face. "I know you're scared," he said, his voice low and earnest. "I know what I do is not something you can easily accept. But please, let me make it up to you."

Without thinking, you reached out and traced your fingers over the bruises and cuts on his face, feeling a pang of sympathy and concern. "You look like you've been through hell," you said, your voice soft and gentle.

Daniel let out a weary sigh, tilting his head slightly into your touch. "It's been a rough week," he admitted, his eyes closing briefly at the feel of your fingers on his skin. 

The two of you stood there like that for a few moments, not speaking, just drinking each other in. Despite your earlier resolve to keep your distance, you found yourself unable to resist the magnetic pull of his presence.

The silence stretched on, the only sound the faint hum of the city outside and your breaths mingling together. Finally, you spoke up, breaking the heavy silence between you. "I don't know what to do, Daniel," you said softly, your voice shaky.

Daniel opened his eyes and looked at you, his gaze intense and unwavering. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked, his voice taut with anticipation.

Your breath caught in your throat as you met his eyes. You wanted to say yes, to push him away and keep yourself safe. But something held you back, something deep inside that refused to let him go.

"No," you whispered, your voice barely audible. "I don't want you to go." A relieved exhale escaped from Daniel's lips, and he took another step closer to you. His hands twitched at his sides as if he wanted to reach out and touch you but wasn't sure if it was welcome.

“Let’s get you cleaned up” you whispered looking at him. Daniel gave you a weak smile, relief, and gratitude in his eyes. "Okay," he said quietly, following you into the bathroom.

You sat him down on the edge of the bathtub and began rummaging through your medical supplies, grabbing some antiseptic and bandages. As you tended to his wounds, you were acutely aware of his presence, the heat of his body, and the steady rise and fall of his chest.

The silence was heavy as you worked, the only sound was the occasional hiss from Daniel as you cleaned his cuts. His eyes were fixed on you, watching your every move with a mixture of pain and something deeper, something more intense.

When you finished cleaning his wounds, you gently placed a small bandage over a particularly deep gash on his forehead. "There," you said quietly, your hands lingering on his skin for a moment longer than necessary.

Daniel lifted his hand, covering yours with his own. His skin was warm and rough, the contrast between your soft fingers and his calloused palms sending a shiver down your spine. He looked up at you then, his eyes meeting yours, and for a brief moment, the world seemed to stop. There was so much unspoken emotion in his gaze, so much longing and desire.

“Please forgive me I’ll do anything baby and I mean anything,” Daniel says his voice was raw and pleading, and the sight of him like this tugged at something deep within you. The way he was looking at you, the desperation in his eyes, made it hard to hold onto your anger and fear.

"Anything?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper, not entirely sure what you were asking for.

"Anything," Daniel repeated, his voice almost a growl, his gaze intense as he looked into your eyes. "Name it, and I'll do it. Just...don't leave me."

His words sent a thrill through you, the intensity of his plea setting your heart racing. You knew you should push him away, maintain your distance, and protect yourself, but the way he was looking at you, the desperation in his voice...it was undoing all your defenses.

You took a small step closer to him, your hands still resting on his face. "I'm trying to forgive you, Daniel," you said quietly, your voice hoarse with emotion. "But it's not easy, not after what I saw. I can't forget it, no matter how much I want to."

Daniel let out a ragged sigh, his eyes closing briefly as he leaned into your touch. "I know," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "And I don't expect you to just forget about it. But please, give me a chance to make it up to you. I can't lose you."

The pleading tone of his voice sent a wave of sympathy through you, and you couldn't help but soften a little. "How can I trust you?" you asked quietly, your fingers tracing the edge of his jaw. "How can I know that you won't drag me into something dangerous again?"

Daniel sighed, his eyes falling closed again as he basked in the feeling of your touch. "I promise you, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. You'll never have to see that side of me again, I swear it."

He lifted his hand, grasping your wrist and pressing your palm against his cheek, holding your hand in place. "Please," he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. "Please give me another chance. I love you."

Those three words, spoken with such raw emotion, shook you to your core. The realization that he truly loved you, despite everything that had happened, was both exhilarating and terrifying.

"I love you too," you heard yourself saying, the words slipping out before you could stop them. And as soon as they were out, you knew they were true. Despite all your fears and reservations, you loved him too, wholeheartedly and completely.

—————-

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[candy-rat]

🌷○•･{Change Of Pace}

♡Luke Castellan x fem!Demeter reader

♥︎Summary: you and Luke are good friends but that’s it, right? || Luke Castellan Blurb!

☆Warning: none!

★A/N: I’ve only read the first book and a bit of the second + the two movies so I’ll be basing Luke off of the series(Charlie Bushnell)

♪ credits: i forgot where I found the divider but it isn’t mine so if someone knows who it belongs to please let me know!<3

+ Barely proof-read🤧

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“I mean he’s cute and all I won’t deny that but I don’t like him like that.” You told your friend in Aphrodite cabin.

“Love, are you sure?” She asked “I mean you two just have this weird connection, not in a bad way of course it’s kinda cute if you ask me.” Your friend huffed.

“Oh I’m sure, he’s just a real good friend you know.” You reassured.

“Sure.” She stated “speak of the devil!” The girl spoke up at the sight of Luke from behind your figure.

You turned around still tense from his sudden arrival.

Sure he made you nervous at times but that’s just cause you really look up to him as a friend, right?

“Oh, hey Luke!” You smiled shifting your position on the bench to face him.

“Hey.” He replied.

“Mind if I steal her for a bit?” He asked your friend.

“Sure, she’s all yours.” The girl said with a smirk.

You felt your face heat up.

You didn’t have a crush on Luke, did you?

You’re just overthinking it.

He looked back at you looking for approval.

You simply nodded with a smile and got up, what else were you going to do?

“So? Where are you taking me Mr. Castellan?” You asked.

“You’ll see, just be patient.” He reassured.

“Okay.” You sighed.

He continued to guide you to this ‘mystery location’, you hope you’ll be able to find your way back but who are you kidding you’d be happy get lost with Luke.

Maybe you had to accept that you may have a little tiny crush on the boy but there no harm in having a crush.

“We’re here.” The boy turned back to you interrupting your thoughts.

“Where exactly is here?” You comment.

“Here, just close your eyes.” He instructed.

“Why?” You questioned.

“Just close ‘em, trust me.” He reassured.

“Okay, okay.” You chuckled.

“Here.” He began to guide you to your location, his hand was placed softly on your waist.

His hand placement and close proximity was driving you crazy, and more so what this so seemed surprise was and when you were going to see it.

“You can open your eyes now.” Luke spoke.

You opened your eyes and you were met with a beautiful array of different kinds of flowers and plants.

“Luke, this is-“ you didn’t have words.

“I know you could easily grow something like this yourself, but when I found this I couldn’t help but think of you.” The boy blushed.

You didn’t know what to say, you were speechless, it felt you were being over dramatic but how else would one of Demeter’s daughters react when faced with a secret garden that’s been here for years maybe.

“It’s beautiful!” You said heading into the small garden.

“Yeah, it is…” All the boy could do was stare at you as he mindlessly agreed.

“Oh god Luke, you’re too sweet!.” You turned to the boy.

“Thanks, I’m glad you like it.” He sighed in relief.

“I more than like it Luke, I absolutely love it thank you so much.” You told the boy as you brought him in for a hug.

He froze for a moment.

It wasn’t often he got flustered.

Especially around his friends.

But you two were different.

“Anytime (Name).”

He wrapped his arms around you, savoring the hug.

It wasn’t often either you had moments like this.

It was nice.

He was nice.

Maybe you had a little more than a crush on Luke Castellan.

And maybe he was head over heels for you too.

But for Luke, you wouldn’t mind.

Neither of you would.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

A/N: I originally wrote this with Apollo reader in mind but I suddenly changed it to Demeter to fit with the story.     Also this is my first time writing for Luke so I hope it wasn’t the worse🤧.<3

[panandinpain0]

Miss Granger x female Slytherin I beg you 🙏🙏 but a nice one

Summer Lovin'

Sorry this took so long! I've got a schedule out now so I'll be doing these requests more regularly <3

Enjoy!

@@@

Requested by: Anon

Hermione Granger x Fem!Slytherin!Reader

--

The fresh smell of new books would always cheer Hermione up. Not that she was in a bad mood, but it cheered her up nonetheless. Hearing the bell ring above the door was something Hermione had been longing to hear all year, the smell of a citrus scented candle wafting around the sunlit shop.

The walls had chipped brown paint on them, a warm timber color that seemed to be fading, showing the true age of the building. The wood floors had colorful rugs placed here and there, the children’s section a burst of color against the serene atmosphere. Waving to the man at the front desk, someone she’d seen there often over the years, Hermione was on her way to find a new book.

She walked slowly down the fiction aisle, her finger skimming the spines of each book. When she found one that caught her eye she pulled it off the shelf, reading the synopsis on the back.

“Looking for something exciting?” a voice asked, making Hermione flinch in surprise. She looked up at the person next to her, eyes wide. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” she laughed and held her hands up to show that she meant no harm.

“You’re fine, it’s just very quiet in here,” Hermione reassured, smiling gently at the girl in front of her. “And yes, something exciting. I’ve been reading non-fiction these last couple of months and decided to switch it up.” She waved the book in her hand around slightly.

“Hence the fiction section,” the girl commented, smiling with amusement when Hermione agreed. “That one is one of my favorites.” She gestured to the book Hermione was holding.

Hermione looked back down at the book, reexamining it. “Is it any good?”

“I’d like to think I have pretty good taste,” she replied, skimming the titles of the books on the shelf in front of her.

“Are you looking for something to read?” Hermione questioned, holding on to her book with more certainty than before.

“No, I just come here to find pretty girls to talk to,” she replied, her face completely serious.

Hermione was slightly taken aback, hesitating before asking, “Really?”

The girl’s serious face morphed into a smirk, shaking her head calmly. “No, I was being sarcastic. But that does tend to be one of the perks of this shop.”

Hermione laughed nervously in response, nodding her head before tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

“Yes, I’m here to find a new book to read. Any suggestions?” She motioned to the shelf they were standing in front of.

Hermione turned serious as she inspected the spines, her eyes catching a specific one. As she pulled it off the shelf she asked, “How do you feel about a mystery with a romantic subplot?”

“Sounds right up my alley, if I’m being honest.”

Hermione handed her the book and they both made their way up to the counter to pay.

“You’ll have to let me know how you like the book,” the girl insisted, scribbling something down on a nearby paper. Ripping it off she handed it to Hermione. “This is my house phone, don't be surprised if my parents answer.”

“I won’t…” Hermione trailed off as she realized she didn’t know the girl’s name.

Catching the hint, the girl stuck out her hand for Hermione to shake. “(Y/N) (L/N), at your service.”

“Hermione Granger,” she returned.

“Hermione?” a voice called from outside the shop, catching both girl’s attention. Hermione’s father waved to her through the window, motioning that it was time for them to leave.

“Ah, I’ve got to go. It was a pleasure meeting you! I hope to hear how you enjoy my book as well.” Hermione smiled, cheeks pink as she said goodbye. She scolded herself as she walked away, reminding herself that she had a new friend and she shouldn’t expect anything more. Well, she had a new and very attractive friend. There’s a difference…

A Week Later…

Sniffling, Hermione gently closed the book and placed it on her lap, wiping at her tears. It had been a wonderful yet heart wrenching book, in which the main character lost the person which they loved most. She took a deep breath as she looked out of her cracked window, reflecting on what she’d read. Taking a sip of the tea that had gone cold, long forgotten after the climax of the book started, she stood up.

Hermione had been using the slip of paper (Y/N) had handed her at the bookshop as a bookmark, so as not to lose it. Now, she’d use it for its actual purpose. Gliding down the stairs, Hermione found the landline in their kitchen, dialing in the number and holding it to her ear.

As it started to ring she felt pangs of nervousness with each ring that sounded. Should she actually call her? It wasn’t a prank, was it? She didn’t think it was- they both were interested in reading and it’d be nice to have someone to talk to about it… What if she’d been making fun of Hermione the whole time and-?

“Hello?”

Clearing her throat quickly, Hermione recovered from her surprise at the voice. “Yes, hello. This is Hermione Granger, I was wondering if I could speak to (Y/N)?”

“Just a minute,” what seemed to be (Y/N)’s mother responded. Hermione heard a distant shout for her, with a “your friend’s on the phone!” after.

After another moment a different voice echoed through the phone.

“Hey, bookshop girl! Hermione, right?” (Y/N) teased through the phone, and her ease comforted Hermione from her anxieties.

“Yes, it’s Hermione. I finished the book you recommended, just now actually.”

An excited gasp could be heard, followed by a, “Did you cry? How much did you cry?”

Hermione let out a somewhat offended scoff and shook her head, even though (Y/N) couldn’t see it.

“For your information I did cry, it was a sad ending! How come you didn’t warn me?”

“What would be the fun in reading it if I’d told you how it ends?” Hermione could hear the smile in her voice.

“I suppose you’re right,” Hermione sighed back, sitting down on a stool near the counter. “Have you finished the one I gave you yet?”

“Yes, I did! You know, I always do the same thing with mystery books. I think I’ve figured out who the culprit is within three chapters and am always completely wrong by the end of the book.”

Hermione chuckled, “I also thought it was Mr. Barnabee until chapter sixteen.”

“It so should’ve been him, right? And that crazy reveal in sixteen where Gracie the mistress pulled out the handkerchief- it was exhilarating.”

“I take it you liked it?” Hermione twisted the phone cord around her finger, giving her hands something to do while they talked.

“Oh yes, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Any more recommendations? I was going to go back to the bookshop this weekend to feed my addiction.”

“Addiction?”

“Of literature.”

Hermione snorted, laughing at the response. “That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?” The smile in her voice was evident.

“Not at all. I can’t seem to stop and it’s draining my bank account.”

Hermione giggled again. “How about this, we can meet up and shop together?”

“Even better. I’ll be there Saturday at noon.”

“I will too.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

As the line clicked to signal (Y/N) had hung up, Hermione bit her lip and sighed. She stopped mid-giggling and shook her head, scolding herself again. She’d found another friend who enjoys reading just as much as she does, that doesn’t mean she can’t still scare them off. She needed to tone it down.

…

The summer had ended as soon as it began as the girl’s read together. They started going to each other’s houses to read, and Hermione had gotten into the habit of laying her head on (Y/N)’s lap, listening to her tell the most wondrous stories from the books.

They laughed together, cried together, damn near did everything together. None of which helped Hermione get rid of her feelings in the slightest. Little did she know, (Y/N) had started to harbor feelings for her as well, what with so much time spent with each other.

Today they were reading separately, Hermione sitting against the headboard of her bed while (Y/N) laid at the end, legs hanging off as she fingered the corner of the page. It didn’t seem like she was actually reading, but lost in thought.

Hermione’s gaze kept darting from her book to the girl in front of her, blushing every time she was almost caught.

Truth was, both the girl’s were trying to figure out how to tell the other they wouldn’t be at home for the school year. They couldn’t very well tell the other that she was a witch! Well, they could, but they didn’t know that yet.

(Y/N) shifted her position to sit up, facing Hermione and abandoning her book.

“‘Mione?”

“Hm?” Hermione set down her book, giving (Y/N) her full attention.

“I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?” She began to worry, her own problems shoved to the back of her mind.

“Summer’s almost over… I just wanted to tell you that I won’t be here when school starts back up.” (Y/N) bit her lip, picking at the skin of her nails. “I’m attending this boarding school, it’s a live-in…”

Hermione let out a somewhat relieved sigh at the admission, setting her book aside and scooting towards (Y/N) on the bed. Taking her hands in her own, Hermione smiled at her.

“I won’t either for the same reasons.” Her worry drained away as she saw (Y/N) shoulders relax and a smile appear on her face. They still wouldn’t be seeing each other until winter break or summer, but at least she wouldn’t be leaving Hermione behind. They both had reasons for not being home.

“Can I send you letters?” (Y/N) asked, playing with Hermione’s hand that rested between them. She knew it probably wouldn’t be the best idea to have a muggle sending letters to a wizarding village, or castle, without knowing, but what she didn’t know couldn’t hurt her- right?

Hermione seemed to be going through the same possibilities in her head, but ever since she’d met (Y/N), her priorities had been a bit skewed.

“Yes, you can. I’ll write down the address,” Hermione got up and scribbled on a piece of paper, handing it to (Y/N). She put it between the pages of her book immediately without looking at it, knowing she wouldn’t remember a lick of it anyways. When she sends her first letter Hermione can just look at the address she wrote from to write back.

Hermione sat back down on the bed and the two girls shared a look of understanding. They wouldn’t see each other in person for a while but that doesn’t mean this friendship had to only be for the summer.

(Y/N) reached across the bed and wrapped her arms around Hermione’s neck, pulling her into a hug. Hermione returned the gesture, arms around (Y/N)’s waist as she tucked her head into her neck. She just knew (Y/N) and the boys would get along so well if they’d ever get the chance to meet.

“I’ll miss you,” (Y/N) whispered into Hermione’s hair.

“I’ll miss you more.”

“I doubt it.”

“Don’t fight me on this, you won’t win.”

Hermione pulled (Y/N) back and they both laid on the bed, laughing together.

A Week Later…

They’d said their official goodbyes the night before hugging and holding hands until it got late enough that Hermione knew she wouldn’t want to wake up the next morning. When they parted, (Y/N) had kissed her cheek, handing Hermione a book she’d bought her as a farewell gift.

Sitting in her parents car, Hermione read the synopsis on the back of the book, smiling and flipping through the pages.

There’s no doubt Harry and Ron would hear more about (Y/N) than they’d care to, but that’s just what comes with being friends, you hear about each other’s crushes whether you like it or not. Not that Hermione would ever admit to it being a crush. Or that she’d touched the place (Y/N) had kissed on her cheek every time she thought of her…

Arriving at platform nine and three quarters, Hermione bid her parents goodbye with a hug and ran straight into the brick pillar. Coming out on the other side, Hermione took in the air, already feeling the magic thrumming through it, as if she could taste it.

Taking her bags off of the cart she had pushed them in with, she left it near the entrance and searched for her friends, specifically for the family of redheads, knowing Harry would most likely be with the Weasley’s.

Eventually she found Ron and Harry with them, and they boarded the train. Now they walked down the aisle, searching for an empty compartment, Hermione leading. Suddenly, as she was looking through the windows of one of the doors, someone ran into her. She was pushed back into Ron, who helped her stand back on two feet.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going- ‘Mione?” the extremely familiar voice gasped in shock.

Looking up, Hermione met (Y/N)’s gaze. “(Y/N)?!” Hermione asked back with just as much surprise.

“I didn’t know you were a witch,” they both said at the same time, laughing with each other after.

“Well, this makes things much easier,” (Y/N) admitted, pulling Hermione into a hug after handing her the bag that she’d dropped back.

“You two know each other?” Harry asked, gaze darting down to (Y/N)’s green and silver tie.

“We met over the summer,” Hermione filled in, also taking in (Y/N)’s uniform (but not for the same reasons). “I had no idea you went to Hogwarts,” Hermione repeated, moving out of the way as a few people passed by.

“I didn’t know you went here either! There’s an empty compartment just up here.” (Y/N) led them just two doors up and opened it, letting them all enter and following after.

“So how did you two meet?” Harry asked, looking slyly between the two as they sat across from Ron and himself.

“At this muggle bookshop, we were both looking for something to read and started spending time together,” (Y/N) explained after putting Hermione’s bag above them next to her own.

They spent the rest of the time getting to know each other, Ron still holding a bit of distaste for her house, but pushing that aside as they talked about the Chudley Cannons together. Harry had liked her from the start, well- as soon as she said she disliked Malfoy about as much as the rest of them.

Once they arrived at Hogwarts they got off the train, knowing they’d have to separate soon. (Y/N)’s Slytherin friends waved in the distance, calling out her name.

“Well, I’d better go now. It was a pleasure meeting you two, and it was a welcomed surprise to see you, Hermione.” (Y/N) smiled and took Hermione’s hand, kissing the back of her knuckles. Hermione’s face heated at the action, Ron and Harry deciding they should just start walking to avoid making things awkward.

“Don’t be a stranger. Now that I know you go here I want to spend time with you,” Hermione admitted, not letting go of (Y/N)’s hand until she did it herself.

“I promise, I’ll see you as much as possible. And hey, now we recommend wizarding books to each other.” (Y/N) winked and hugged Hermione goodbye, walking away to see her friends.

Hermione bit her lip before turning to where Ron and Harry had waited for her. She jogged to catch up to them, and they started walking to the carriages.

“So, a Slytherin?” Harry teased and Hermione elbowed him in the side, Ron throwing his head back as he laughed.

This was going to be an interesting year.

End

--

Hope that was okay! Thanks again for requesting <3

-Author Max <3

[wordsrequired]

• when elain needed reassurance and ease into this new situation she wasn’t familiar with, azriel was there:

Elain said “It’s all very disorienting.” “I can imagine,”Azriel said. Cassian flashed him a glare. But Azriel’s attention was on my sister, a polite, bland smile on his face. Her shoulders loosened a bit.

.. and Elain, noticing Azriel’s ease as proof that things weren’t indeed about to go badly, offered one of her own as well.”

• when elain was about to be introduced to her new home as a new being, azriel was there:

Azriel arrived first, no shadows to be seen, my sister a pale, golden mass in his arms.

He set her down gently on the foyer carpet, having carried her in through the front door.

Elain peered up at his patient, solemn face.
Azriel smiled faintly. “Would you like me to show you the garden?”

• when elain was lost and they were trying to find a way to make her feel better, azriel was there:

“Can I set you up in the garden? The herbs you planted are coming in nicely.” “I can help her” said Azriel, stepping to the table as Elain silently rose. No shadows at his ear, no darkness ringing from his fingers as he extended a hand.

• when no one could understand her behavior and her powers, azriel was the one who did:

“She doesn’t need anything,” Azriel answered without so much as looking at Lucien. Elain was staring at the spymaster now—unblinkingly.

”We’re the ones who need …’ Azriel trailed off. “A seer” he said, more to himself than us. “The Cauldron made you a seer.”

• when elain was taken, azriel was the first person who noticed her missing:

But Azriel asked softly, “What about Elain?” Something cold went through me.

• when elain needed saving, azriel was the one ready to die to save her:

From the shadows near the entrance to the tent, Azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, “I’m getting her back.”

Nesta slid her gaze to the shadowsinger. Azriel’s hazel eyes glowed golden in the shadows.

Nesta said, “Then you will die.”

Azriel only repeated, rage glazing that stare, “I’m getting her back.”

• when elain was in chains, azriel was bleeding and really wounded but the first thing he thought was freeing her, thinking about what she needed first:

Azriel rasped, swaying on his feet, “We need Helion to get these chains off her.” Yet Elain didn’t seem to notice them as she rose up on her toes and kissed the shadowsinger’s cheek.

• when elain needed a weapon to defend herself and azriel gave her his most prized possession, the dagger that never failed him and he never let anyone touch:

“This is Truth-Teller” he told her softly. “I won’t be using it today—so I want you to.”

“It has never failed me once” the shadowsinger said, the midday sun devoured by the dark blade. “Some people say it is magic and will always strike true.” He gently took her hand and pressed the hilt of the legendary blade into it. “It will serve you well.”

Cassian gawked at Azriel, and I wondered how often Azriel had lent out that blade. Never, Rhys said from where he finished buckling on his own weapons against the side of the wagon. I have never once seen Azriel let another person touch that knife.

• even in the smallest, irrelevant things, anytime elain needed help azriel was there:

But Azriel only took Elain’s heavy dish of potatoes from her hands, his voice soft as night as he said, “Sit. I’ll take care of it.”

• when elain was upset cause she understood that there was no way of going back to how it was, azriel was there to lighten her up:

“I’d feel bad for the mice” Azriel muttered. Mor and Cassian howled, earning a blush from Azriel and a grateful smile from Elain—and no shortage of scowling from Amren. But something in me eased at that laughter, at the light that returned to Elain’s eyes.

• when elain needed someone to talk, azriel was there even for things he may be not interested in but that make her happy:

Azriel and Elain remained in the sitting room, my sister showing him the plans she’d sketched to expand the garden in the back of the town house, using the seeds and tools my family had given her tonight. Whether he cared about such things, I had no idea.

• when elain was insulted and hurt, azriel’s shadows were ready to strike in her defense:

“Maybe you’ll become interesting at last, Elain.” Nesta saw the blow land, like a physical impact, in Elain’s face, her posture. No one spoke, though shadows gathered in the corners of the room, like snakes preparing to strike. Elain’s eyes brightened with pain.

• even when he just hears elain laugh, azriel is there to wonder what caused it:

Azriel stood in the doorway, monitoring them. As if he’d heard Elain’s sharp laugh and wondered what had caused it.

azriel has literally been with elain in every step and moment of her journey since the beginning. from the most important and key moments to the smallest details. he was the one who had every answer, he was the answer, he was the one who understood, he was the only one who saw her. *ugh*

[rrenzwrld]

sound of my heart III

third part! read second part here

i do kinda liked how it turned out but the ending is free to kinda let you think about how you’d wanna go forward. would you let ony prove his words to you? or would you go ahead and let him go to move onto someone more appreciative? but anyways…enjoy!

[ ony!❤️ ]: hey

once you got a chance to look at your phone, you instantly regretted it when you saw a text from ony. deja and taylor could see your shift in energy and leaned over to see what was causing it.

deja rolled her eyes. “girl, ignore it.” that was easier said that done. you knew you were supposed to ignore his message just like he ignored you, but you also wanted to respond in hopes that he’d explain himself.

“you know she’s not gonna do that…” taylor said.

“maybe i should just see what he has to say.” you opened the message but just began staring at it. deja smiled slyly at you.

“can i do i—“

“no.” you snapped. you sat there and thought about what to say until you realized that you’d rather get an explanation from him vocally instead of through text. “should i facetime or call him?” you turned to deja and taylor.

“call him. so he won’t know we’re here.” you nodded before texting him and telling him to call you. deja turned down the music playing in the car as the phone rang throughout.

“yo.” deja rolled her eyes and fake gagged.

“yeah. why you text me?” you weren’t gonna waste anymore time.

“i missed you.”

“i couldn’t tell. you haven’t texted me in weeks, ony.”

“i know, i’m sorry. i just…i don’t know.”

“you still never told me who she was.” deja and taylor were silently exciting themselves in the background, proud of you for standing your ground.

“i thought you forgot about that—“

“oh so there was another bitch?”

“just somebody who bought from connie but he told me to give the shit to her because he had something to do so i did.”

“so why did you smell like her that day? and why couldn’t you be honest back then?”

“she was hugging all up on me but i had to push her off cause she was doin too much. and i never told you that because i knew you’d be on some shit.”

“on some shit because i don’t want my man to smell like other girls? i loved you ony and the last thing i would’ve wanted was to think you’d cheat on me! why’d you let me go on thinking that—“

“i’m sorry, y/n.”

“and then you go weeks without talking to me, having me think i did something wrong and making excuses for you.”

“y/n—“

“you’ve never listened to me before so i don’t even know why i wasted my time that day. i should’ve just let you think you can go and do whatever like you used to doing.” you were getting mad now if you weren’t already and could feel your throat knotting up.

“i love you, y/n. y’know that?”

“do i? because i thought love was reassuring and you haven’t given that to me.”

“i can’t read your fuckin mind. if you don’t tell me—“

“i shouldn’t have to tell you anything! i don’t ask you for shit, ony. nothing but to know and be shown that you love me and what do i get? ignored for weeks? got me overthinking and shit.”

“i’m sorry.”

“is that all you have to say?”

“i never meant to hurt you, truthfully.”

“so why did you?”

“i should’ve paid attention to you and what you needed from me more, and i’m sorry for that. i was negligent and i really wanna promise you that it’ll never happen again.” ony’s words were luring you in but you weren’t sure if you should’ve surrendered.

“thank you.”

“we good?” you didn’t know that yet.

“i don’t know…”

“i understand completely…i do wanna see you though.”

“too bad, bye ony.” and with that, you hung up. not even anticipating what he was gonna say next. you were no longer gonna let him think he can say what he should do without actually taking initiative to carry out those actions. hearing him say it was nice but you had to see it to believe it.

“sooo you not gonna ask him about him being on that bitch’s phone in chipotle?” deja questioned.

you shrugged. “nope.”

[aidemint]

To Break A Habit | Routine Doesn’t Get You Kisses Like These

Summary: You kinda-actually find out he wasn’t joking about the spider stuff. Okay. But you’re totally cool about it. Totally.

Word Count: 5.1k

Pairing: Hobie Brown/GN!Reader

Notes: 5 minutes of screentime and i’ve already wrote more about this guy in a week than i usually write about anything in three months jesus christ

Masterpost | AO3 |  Part 1 | Part 3

“40081’s got this hoodoo shit goin’ on.” Hobie sighs as he makes his way down the main hall of Spider-HQ, recounting his mission discoveries from days prior. “Some sort of bad luck spell that’s making the world lose its plot.”

Gwen paces beside him, listening intently. “Sinister Six behind it?” she asks with a frown. “Or do you think it’s something else?”

“Not certain,” Hobie responds with a shrug. “But I’m close to catching the anomaly. Things should reset once it’s out of the fabric.”

“Hope it gets resolved soon.” Gwen sucks in a breath from between her teeth. “Miguel’s not looking too happy these days.”

Oddly enough, the mission so far had been almost deceptively easy—three days into the operation Hobie had already located and shut down a multitude of energy pockets emanating from certain parts of the city. A variant of Mysterio or Osborn was bound to show up soon, as the sites were likely siphoning vitality from the dimension. Now he just needed to gather intel about the effects of the magic while playing the waiting game. Luckily for him, he has a direct source.

“Relax Gwendy, it’ll be fine. I even got in touch with one of the locals for—” Hobie starts assuredly, turning to address his drummer, but pauses and swivels around when she’s noticeably no longer keeping up with his stride.

“You what?” Gwen stands frozen in the middle of the walkway, eyes blown as large as dinner plates with her mouth slightly ajar. She readjusts herself with a shake of her head, though her hands and shoulders remain raised and stiff. “Hobie, please tell me you’re not getting to know a civilian. ”

“Then I won’t tell you that I’m ‘getting to know’ a civilian.” A roll of his shoulder and he’s back walking, half-lidded eyes peering at Gwen when she inevitably joins again, bobbing and weaving through a downcurrent flow of Peter Parkers. “And I won’t tell you that it’s strictly for information about the mission.” A coy smile tugs the edges of Hobie’s lips upward. “Probably.”

Gwen looks just about ready to explode at the last quip. “You just told me— Oh my God, you know that, out of everything, is against protocol. Very against protocol,” she hisses, her voice lowering as her lip curls and she leans further into the privacy of only each others’ company. “What will you do when Miguel finds out?”

“You gotta live freely past the propaganda, Gwendy,” Hobie replies nonchalantly, patting a palm on her shoulder as a point of reassurance. “Just think about it.”

The best Gwen can offer him is a wary glance and a moment of hesitation, but he takes it with a grin anyhow. He’s certain she’ll eventually come around—the extent of their friendship isn’t something so miniscule that a few words of indoctrination would ever be enough to turn her.

It’s a nice notion to have, but he unfortunately doesn’t get much time to dwell on it—suddenly, his watch buzzes with an alert.

Hobie checks the device. “Someone’s ringing me, gotta bounce.” A few taps of an orange screen and a twist of a dial, then a portal opens up just shy of his left arm. “Been fun, Gwendy. Don’t blame me if I come back late.”

No matter how hard she rolls her eyes, Gwen can’t help but give into the smile that creeps onto her lips. “Stay safe, loser,” she responds, bumping her fist against his.

“Safe is practically my middle name.” With that, Hobie ducks into the gateway, and disappears.

How the fuck do you accuse someone of having spider powers without sounding like you’ve gone insane? Since morning you’ve been stuck in a cycle of decision-making for a seemingly hopeless situation. You thought the hard part was over after seeing the guy in the costume swing away on white silly string, but the mostly sleepless night and brainstorming the resolution to be had was another beast altogether. What doesn’t help much either is the fact your favorite pair of jeans are now stained to shit because an idiot thought it would be a good idea to trickshot a half-full Starbucks drink into a trashcan you were standing right next to.

Oh, New York, how it surprises you each day. You swear you’ve never had bad luck like this in your life—and now you’re twenty minutes late, punching in your timecard and hurrying to tie on an apron.

Even through your shift the anxiety doesn’t go away, despite how you try to ignore it. Nervous energy bleeds into your work, shaking hands spilling and dropping drinks; your preoccupied mind is nowhere near as focused as you need to be for the rush—you remake a drink three times in a row before being on the receiving end of a tired lecture from an angry customer.

“Something on your mind?” one of your coworkers ends up asking after most of the crowd has dissipated. “Or just tired?”

You’re on the verge of bursting into tears actually, but you manage to stifle it with a deep breath in. “A lot of both,” you mumble in response. You can’t tell her about Hobie, and it’d be too winding to describe the entirety of everything. She’s pretty good at giving looks of pity and she’s already shot you one following the complaining customer. Honestly another one is the last thing you want to deal with right now. “Maybe I should’ve just skipped work today.”

“Don’t worry, we all have bad days,” she offers with a consoling pat on the arm. “How about you just calm down for a bit and take your break? I’ll make you your favorite drink and get a bowl started for you.”

The gesture does ease your nerves, even if only by a little. You sigh, shoulders slumping, and give your coworker a grateful smile. Parting ways then, she returns to her station to honor her word and you make your way to the back to punch in the start of your break.

Exhaustion starts to seep in when you catch yourself staring blankly at the time card machine, watching the hands of the clock tick away second by second. There hasn’t been significant progress in terms of settling the whole “Hobie Brown is a superhero” dilemma, you realize, just a lot of pain and aching on your part. Maybe it’s time to put the matter to rest just for a brief half an hour—you’ll pick it up later. There isn’t even a guarantee Hobie will show up to the shop anyhow.

Yeah, you have time.

The chunk sound of the punch machine brings you back to your senses and you put away your slip before making your way back to the front of the house.

“Drink’s ready and bowl’s on the way. You can enjoy that while you wait,” your coworker chirps, sliding a cup to you when you emerge from the back. You’re just about to voice your thanks before she cuts in again, gesturing to a spot just beyond the counter. “Oh, and someone asked for you. He’s right over there.”

Your eye is already twitching before you even look. But you suppose you hate yourself and the world at this point, because you slowly turn to where her hand points regardless and find the one man you just made a pact with yourself to not think about.

Hobie greets you by name and gives you a friendly wave. Out of courtesy, you force yourself to return in, lips pressed together in a tight smile with the short extension of your hand.

“Heard it was your break,” he says, approaching the glass panel between the two of you. “Mind if I intrude?”

Yes! you scream internally. Yes I do mind very much!

“No, it’s alright,” you end up saying to him, staving off a growing impulse to whack yourself upside the head.

“Sick,” is all Hobie replies with before he retreats to a nearby table. “I’ll be waiting here—don’t rush yourself.”

It’s right about now that you’re wishing he wasn’t so nice and you didn’t like him so much so that this process of confrontation would go about smoother. Your gaze lingers on him and you bite in the inside of your cheek as you think about the validity of what you witnessed yesterday.

The option to not tell him and maintain your chances of still potentially becoming friends like normal exists. Dodging the awry reputation that comes with the manic conspiracy theorist persona is always good. You’ll get over it one day, right? Leave the suspicions behind and assume that the image was just a hallucination brought about by stress; convince yourself that Hobie Brown is just your average British punk-rocker.

But you can’t fight the feeling in your gut, how it burns, and suddenly you’re leaning over the counter, over the glass.

This is a bad idea. “Hobie,” you call in his direction.

He looks up. “Yeah?”

Shit, this is a bad idea. “I have something to tell you.”

“Wah’gawn?”

“It’s… I think it’s a matter best told in just our own company.” You look around apprehensively, a slight crease in your brow. “Mind going somewhere more private?”

Trying your best to ignore the suggestive look your coworker shoots at you from your peripheral, you beckon Hobie to come into the back. Walking through the kitchen, you usher him into the storage pantry and shut the door behind you when you join him.

“I’m guessing we’re not just here to kotch?” Hobie teases with the sideways tilt of his head.

“Unfortunately.” Your gaze lowers to the ground at the admission, fingers finding one another and squeezing. “Been thinking about something for a while.”

Hobie lets the change in the air stew until it thickens before responding. “Ready when you are.” His voice is softer, malleable, lost of all its previous playfulness and replaced with a certain kind of sincerity.

The slightest incline of your chin brings your stare back to him. You wish it served the simple purpose of just admiring the slopes and angles of his face, but your lips part and your curled hand trembles, and it all reminds you of the gnawing insecurity.

“I need you to tell me the truth.” You say it slowly, sincerely, keeping your voice as steady as you can despite the way your heart rate thunders. “Please.”

In your supplication, you aren’t certain how to appraise the extent of your desperation, but Hobie’s gaze does not leave yours. He nods wordlessly, a glint of something in his eye and it looks a lot like deference.

You take it as permission to continue. “When you brought up Parker”—you swallow thickly—“you were talking about something real, weren’t you?”

A beat of silence. There isn’t any external reaction from Hobie, standing as still as he had the moment he stopped in front of you, face lax and hands tucked away in his pockets.

“Ain’t got a Scooby-Doo what you’re talking about,” he says plainly, unfaltering in every word. Even then he doesn’t move, fortress-like in his disposition.

Perhaps he truly doesn’t know what you mean, you think. The chance is present, albeit slim, though present nonetheless—and how tightly you clutch this sliver of hope. But for a moment, in your hesitancy and under Hobie’s untelling stare, doubt creeps in—your palms grow clammy against the material of your pants, sweat assisting the glide of your fingers against one another. Your eyes search those of the man in front of you, wishing his look could change so you could find the courage to ground yourself.

What if you’re wrong? What if it’s all a fallacy, some trick of the light? New York is no stranger to oddities but even this seems too extreme. Coincidental talk of Spider-People leading to an impossible accusation. Fucking Spider-People don’t—shouldn’t—exist. The idea grows more absurd the longer you question it. Peter Parker got the short end of the stick, if there was even a long end in the first place, so what the hell are you doing?

But what if you’re right?

A breath rattles through you. “Hobie.” With a new waver in your voice and a tremble to your hands, you stand unsure of how your conviction bleeds through what you say but you try anyhow. “I know you’re gonna think I’m crazy, but I saw a masked man walking on the side of a building yesterday.” The admission comes quickly, riddled with cracks, but you’re entirely too focused on the followup to care. “After the conversation we had about Spider-People, after the whole thing about superheroes, tell me that it wasn’t you up there. Because I saw your— your fucking pins and I’ve never— God, I don’t even know! I’ve never seen something like this.”

Your fists clench, fingers digging crescent-shaped craters into the flesh of your palms. The marks bite, angry red and stinging—perhaps aching even more the absence of Hobie’s response, the seconds you give him to reply.

“Who are you?” Dry—your throat is so dry. Your voice can’t be anything above a whisper with how hoarse the question comes, flaking away with every shallow breath you take.

Silence blankets the both of you then, soundless space a limbo between comfort and unease. Unsure of what to do with it, what to make of the situation you stand in now, you let it hang listlessly, drawing upon an empty room and an even emptier conversation.

It takes a handful of moments for Hobie to even look like he’s processed all that you’ve said. Under your scrutiny, the smallest movement of his eye is the only discernible change to the testament. Whatever goes on inside his head is a complete mystery to you for the few minutes that elapse before he speaks.

Finally, he shifts in his stance. “You want me to just come out with it, yeah?” he asks, not sounding terribly happy, but not as nonplussed as you expected. He sighs when you nod slowly. “Alright. I’ll start from the top, then.”

He tells you his name is still in fact Hobie Brown, and he was bitten by a radioactive spider three years ago. Formerly a runway model, though not a role model, he’s been protecting the streets of his hometown against the PM. When he’s not playing shows, antagonizing fascists, or staging unpermitted political “action-slash-performance art pieces,” he’s out partying with his friends.

“And don’t call me a hero,” he ends with a frown. “Hate the label. Calling yourself a hero makes you a self-mythologizing, narcissistic autocrat.”

When he stops, you have both hands to your temples, pressing down hard. You can deal with his anti-authority spiel just fine—some part of you even agrees with the sentiment—but there is so much to unpack prior to the statement.

“So you— you have actual spider powers? Oh my God?” you sputter, eyes blown wide in an expression of surprise you’re sure looks exaggeratedly dreadful. “What even— that’s— what even are spider powers?”

“Dunno really.” Hobie gives a shrug. “Enhanced hearing, speed, vision, and sticking to walls are the main perks. Also links up to my—”

“Can you shoot webs out of your butt?” you blurt in a sudden horrible realization.

There’s a few seconds of tense silence before Hobie bursts into laughter, arms crossed around his torso to hold himself, shoulders bunched to his ears. The ring of his joy through the air lifts a weight from it and suddenly the atmosphere doesn’t feel as crushing as before.

Witnessing his state, it doesn’t take long for unease to fade away and for you to start softly chuckling with him.

“You’re so jokes,” Hobie cackles, a hand over his eyes as he leans back. A long, shuddering breath tears through him in his attempt to calm down. “But to answer your question, no I can’t shoot webs out of my arse.”

“Thank God,” you breathe, clutching your heart. “Wouldn’t have looked at you the same if you said you could.”

“I don’t think I can look at you the same after you just asked that.”

“Hey, in my defense it was just to get to know you better.”

“I’m sure that’s all it was.” Hobie gives you a pointed look, but is quick to smile after. “Speaking of which, I came in to ask you something as well.”

“Oh?” You blink. The sudden shift in conversation is unprecedented, taking you slightly by surprise, but suspicion is quick to replace your wonderment when you notice a change in Hobie’s features. A squint narrows your eyes. “What are you plotting?”

“Nothing, it’s just I have an excuse now that you know me better.” He pauses briefly, staring at you for a moment. “I wanted to ask if I could know you a little better.”

Your lips purse in confusion at the phrase, forehead pinching. “But you already know me?” you ask, brow raised. “Don’t tell me you forgot everything already.”

“I didn’t,” Hobie reassures gently. “I was just thinking instead of talking over a counter we could do it over dinner? Maybe a movie, if you have the time?”

A beat passes and suddenly realization sets in, drawing all the air out of you. The smallest groan escapes you as you bury your face in your palms, the skin of your neck and cheeks burning hot. Every inch of you seems more sensitive in your mortification—were you always this close to Hobie, and was his cologne always that strong?

“I’m an idiot,” you whisper from between the gap in your hands. “God, I’m such an idiot.”

Hobie supplies a soft chuckle to ease your embarrassment. “You’re not. It came out pretty corny anyways.”

“I can’t believe I’m getting asked out by a guy with spider powers.”

“Is that a yes or a no?”

You groan again, a tight breath pressed against your fingers. “You are so lucky you’re cute, Hobie Brown.”

It is as endearing as it is exasperating that you can practically hear how big his smile is. “You free tomorrow?”

“Anytime past five,” you reply softly, slowly inching your hands away from your face to peer at him. “Where should I meet you?”

Hobie’s grin tilts sideways at the query, a new sparkle of mischief brightening his eye. “I’ll come pick you up.”

Dates aren’t exactly a new concept to you—you’ve been on a handful, and they all go about the same. The first time, someone shows up with flowers or a small gift to start the evening right, then you’re whisked away for three hours to some place to hang around and have fun. It’s conventional, it’s safe—sometimes you enjoy the company more than the actual activity, leading to a second or third outing, but there’s nothing too special about the dance you do with routine.

Along this line of reasoning, Hobie crash-landing on your balcony with one of the most ridiculous offers of transportation isn’t exactly the way you imagined your date would start.

“You are not web-swinging me to Manhattan,” you tell him, still inside your apartment, arms crossed and shaking your head vigorously. “I don’t care what you have set up, I’m not gonna risk going splat on the damn concrete.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Hobie pushes playfully. “Promise I won’t drop you.”

You frown, brows furrowing and lips pursing as you glare at him. He returns the look as calm as ever, a slight smile edging the corners of his mouth and stance open in invitation. The way he holds himself has uncertainty creeping to you, forcing out your fervent disagreement in favor of consideration in a rather slick way of persuasion.

Perhaps you should’ve known you wouldn’t win, with the sheer difference in your demeanors. Your staredown continues for a couple of minutes before you sigh, breaking eye contact with a reluctant drop of your chin and a gentle moan of diffidence.

“Can I at least close my eyes?” you mumble, walking out and shutting the balcony door behind you.

“You can do whatever you want,” Hobie replies, sliding on his mask and gloves. “Just hold on tight.”

Stifling a breath when his arm wraps around the small of your back and under your thighs, you cling to his shoulders as he lifts you up and climbs on the railing.

“You ready?” His chest rumbles under your touch when he speaks, and you can only give a small nod in your position, heart pounding against your ribs and face buried deep in the nape of his neck.

Hobie laughs—a deep, warm sound—and then launches off your balcony.

There are no words to truly describe the feeling that swallows you while in freefall. Wind blasts past your ears in violent howls, gravity pulls your figure down but your insides up, and the only thing you have to ground yourself is the feel of Hobie as you clutch him with every bit of strength you possess. Adrenaline thrums through every vein, lighting your nerves on fire and prickling your skin with gooseflesh; even your energy to scream depletes into fueling the rush that floods your senses.

Upon the first pull up, Hobie’s web catching a surface to swing from, your gut lurches and a serrated gasp shudders through you. Your arms pull you impossibly closer to him, fingers clawing to dig deeper into the back of his vest.

“Easy now,” he chuckles, sounding miles away with how loud your heart beats in your ears. “I promised I wasn’t gonna drop you, didn’t I?”

“D-Doesn’t make it better,” you gasp, shivering now that the breeze whips against your back.

“Try to relax—we’ll be there soon.” Though he says it like it’s the easiest thing in the world, it proves contrary to the way his grip tightens around you with the next swing.

Despite how comforting the gesture is, you find that you can’t relax much while still flying through New York a hundred feet in the air.

After what seems like days of travel, Hobie finally lands on solid ground, giving you a moment to catch your breath before setting you down gently. His arms are threaded underneath yours as you try to balance on shaky legs, knees bent and feeling all too much like jelly for your own comfort.

“I feel like a newborn deer,” you sigh, voice trembling from the withdrawal of adrenaline. Jitters quiver your fingers, lightly chatter your teeth, and shake the thin chamber of your chest. “My God, how do you even get used to this?”

“Gotta learn to trust yourself,” Hobie hums smoothly. “First time’s always a tad tricky.”

You only nod, gaze now pinned to the ground as he gradually guides you forward, step by step, until you’re stable enough to slowly walk on your own. From there, the slightest incline of your head brings your attention to a small spread of food and flowers laid out nicely on a patterned blanket. A warmth comes to settle in your core at the sight, softening your eyes and easing the tenseness in your limbs—contentment reaches you and the stress gained from the ride here begins to fade, if only by a little.

“Hobie, this is so sweet,” you coo, pleasure lightening the tone of your voice.

His rings just as sweetly through the evening air. “Good to hear—would’ve been gutted if you didn’t like it.”

You laugh at the response, casting an affectionate glance at him that just grows fonder upon meeting his charming reciprocation. The bend of his brow, the part and curve of his lips, the crinkle of his eye—all of it has you transfixed for a generous moment, barely able to notice the way your navel aches with longing in your stupor.

The feeling persists throughout the evening, present in every winding conversation and instance of quiet shared between the two of you. It’s rather freeing to be unconstrained by the formalities usually held by the label of a first date and to sense such endearment for the whole of it. There is no talking to only talk—every sentiment has meaning, every word punctuated by some semblance of tenderness; there is no awkward atmosphere brought about by nervous tension—you rest comfortably, leaning back on your hands, as does Hobie, elbows on crossed legs, positioned towards you.

Hours pass by easily in the space, kissing the sky with hues of orange and gold and violet as they bid a teary farewell, trails of light following in the wake of their departure. Yawning clouds push to the east, unlined shapes dissipating with the fleeting luster. Soon, the New York city skyline is only a bleak, black horizon that cradles a half-yolked sun just shy of its surface.

Golden rays grace your skin, full and temperate and real. You’re just about to gush to Hobie about how this is your favorite time of the day when you’re stopped by the shallow movement of his arm.

He shifts to pick the carnation laid closest to your hand, snaps off the longer part of its stem, then tucks it delicately behind your ear. Wordlessly, he adjusts the petals, and grins when they seem to his liking.

You’re practically bursting at the seams when he retracts his hand, fingers ghosting the curve of your cheek on their path back. Heat rushes to your neck, white-hot on a quick shot up to heat every inch of your face. The sensation catches your breath, widens your eye, tucks the tip of your bottom lip between your teeth, and all you can do is sit and watch Hobie as he admires you.

There’s a look in his eye that you hope is reflected in yours, how beautiful he is. The warm vermillion hue of the sun hits his complexion and it’s like there’s nothing else in the world to behold but him.

Suddenly you find yourself reaching for the flowers on the blanket, clasping multiple in one hand and halving the stems with the other.

Leaning forward, palms stained with sap, you place the carnations in each of Hobie’s wicks, uncaring of the smell of chlorophyll or the tremble of your fingers. You only return to your seat and wipe your hands when you finish, the expanse of his head dotted in small blooms, all that’s left of the original bouquet messily cut stems and loose leaves.

A breathy laugh escapes you at the sight, light and happy and bright. “You are so pretty, Hobie,” you whisper, your heart swelling with adoration. “And I wanna kiss you so bad right now.”

He smiles. “I’m not going to stop you,” he says, then wraps his arms around you when you crush your lips to his.

You feel you must be drunk on something, but are entirely too far gone to care the slightest bit. Hobie is every bit as soft and warm as you imagined, his hold homely, his scent familiar. Breathing him in, bergamot, plum, and sandalwood filling your lungs, a dreamy sigh stutters out of your nose before you start to move.

The kiss takes on a steady rhythm then, perhaps the easiest thing you’ve had to follow. Each press of your lips against his finds just the right amount of resistance, the feel of his piercing snug as it nudges you in every shift. Your hands find purchase in cupping his face, fingertips smoothing the silver studs that line his ears and thumbs stroking his cheeks.

Hobie’s touch rests just shy of your waist, the bend of his elbows against your ribs, palms flat against your scapula. His chest rises and falls with every breath, a slight hitch in the motion when you crawl to his lap, sitting in the space between his legs.

The two of you share your own pocket of heaven for a minute longer, then with one last kiss, you part. As your eyes flutter open, Hobie slides a hand off your back to thumb your lip, swiping a finger across your bottom one.

You make a questioning noise but remain unmoving as he works, sliding his digit across sensitive skin.

“My lipstick got on you,” he explains when he finishes, showing you black makeup smeared on his thumb. “I liked the look of it, but didn’t know if you did.”

A gentle laugh spouts from you at his kindness. “I’m all for you giving me a makeover next time,” you say with a grin.

Hobie gives a small chuckle back, delight sparkling in his eye. “Good.”

The afterbuzz of the date still tingles the back of Hobie’s neck even hours later. It’s ten o’clock, the moon at highrise and not a single star in sight in the muddy violet pool that overhangs New York. He’s in the middle of a stakeout, monitoring an energy station reopened as bait for whatever, whoever, might come out in response. The task of fully focusing proves rather hard in the wake of remembering the warmth of you as you held him, the brush of your lips against his, and your small gasps of breath, but he tries anyhow.

Hobie’s just finished shaking off the image of your face in the light of dusk when his watch buzzes. He looks down with a frown, noting the peculiarity of receiving a call this late.

“Gwendy,” he greets, an orange hologram of Stacy appearing with the twist of a dial. “What are you ringing me for?”

“Hey Hobie,” she returns flatly, not providing much else before quickly casting her gaze askance.

From her projection, Hobie can gather that something seems off—Gwen’s stance is completely closed, arms crossed and feet together. What looks like nervousness twists her features, pinches her forehead, pulls her lips tight together. She’s never been good at hiding her emotions, but even this seems exaggerated.

Sobriety seeps into Hobie then, the high of hours ago eroding. “Something wrong?” he asks, voice dropping low.

Gwen pauses, hesitating. “Miguel wants you back at HQ,” is what comes from her after a few seconds. “Now.”

“What about the mission?”

“He just says to leave. There’s been some new intel. That’s all I know.” Gwen swallows thickly, her eyes flickering back to Hobie. “See you soon.”

“Alright, see ya.” The hologram blinks twice, then disappears. Hobie taps on his watch to open a portal back to Earth-928, dubiety sinking its teeth into his thoughts. Miguel was ever the autocrat, so he was never quite fond of the guy, but the way Gwen had come to him—with a fresh feeling that extended beyond terror etched in her expression—that doesn’t sit well. He doesn’t need a spider-sense to recognize that something is amiss.

Somehow, he can’t elude the feeling of dread that creeps to him when he’s swallowed by the vortex.

[nanawritesit]

Twice Enemies to Lovers Imagines/ AUs

TW: making out (momo and tzuyu) corruption themes (momo) mentions of killing (sana) revolutionary themes (sana) mentions of daggers and knives (sana and dahyun) reader is kidnapped and tied up (dahyun) sharing a bed (tzuyu) partial nudity (tzuyu) neck kissing (tzuyu) light swearing

Nayeon: Former Best Friends

Your jaw hit the floor as your next applicant walked into your office for an interview. It was Im Nayeon, your high school best friend who ditched you freshman year to become a cheerleader with all the popular girls. To make matters worse, you had always secretly been in love with her. Not that you would ever admit that to yourself.

“Nice to see you again, Im.” you said flatly, flipping through her resume as she sat down in front of your desk.

She looked confused. “I’m sorry sir/ma’am, but I’m not sure what you…” You glared up at her with ice cold eyes, and suddenly she remembered. “Oh, Y/N… I’m so sorry. I didn’t recognize you…” she stammered meekly.

“Doesn’t surprise me. You hardly acknowledged me after you became the ‘it girl’ of our high school.” you resigned, folding your hands together on your desk. “So, what have you been up to since high school?”

She chuckled uncomfortably, eyes shifting to the ground. “Well, I was at university, but… things didn’t work out this semester.”

“So you’re looking for a job just until the end of the semester?” you asked, trying to sound as professional as possible.

“I’m not sure… But I’ll at least need a job until the end of the year. I’m living back home now.” she explained. “I need a job in the worst way, and to be honest I’m really relieved that you’re the owner of this place.”

You cleared your throat, closing up her resume and looking at her sternly. “So you think that just because you were super popular in school and I wasn’t that I’ll immediately hire you at my restaurant?”

“No, no! Not at all!” she insisted, eyes widening. “It’s just… you’re a very kind person. And you’ve always had a way of making me feel calm. I always remembered that, even if I didn’t recognize you at first.”

You winced. There she went again, making you feel special. It scared you how easily her praise still got to you.

“Oh… sorry for jumping to conclusions.” you mumbled.

“No, it’s alright…” she reassured you, seemingly okay with taking all the blame. “I’m really sorry we drifted apart. I never meant to hurt you. You were actually the person I cared about more than anything. I just thought you wouldn’t want to be friends with a cheerleader given how much we used to make fun of them.”

You glanced at the ground nervously. You were kind of a pick-me in high school. Not that it was your fault, you were just conditioned to be that way. In high school, you were either popular, or you hated everything related to being popular.

“I understand.” you told her. “It was quite a long time ago.”

“See… I’m not doing well in my classes, and my parents said I can’t move back home unless I find a job first.” she explained, eyes locking in on yours. “Please, consider me.”

Her pretty eyes were sparkling with need the way they always did, and your last reserve finally cracked at the sight of them.

“Okay, okay, the job is yours.” you told her, a reluctant smile appearing on your face.

“Really?” she asked, a huge grin breaking out on her face. “Oh, thank you so much!” She stood up to shake your hand making you laugh.

“No problem. Can you start tomorrow?” you asked, still sitting at your desk.

“Yes, I’ll be here!” she chirped, grabbing her bag. “You won’t regret this, I promise!”

Once she shut the door behind her, you plopped your head down on your desk, releasing a huge sigh. “Oh, I most likely will.”

Jeongyeon: Bad First Impression

You were running horribly late for your first day on the job. You had gotten an internship at a high end company, and were expected to bring everyone coffee in the morning. So now, you were carrying a carrier full of four huge iced coffees while sprinting down the sidewalk. You could see your building in the distance, all you had to do was turn one corner and you would make it to work on time!

That was, until you actually turnt the corner and slammed straight into a girl who was walking while on her phone. All four of the iced coffees splashed between the two of you, ruining both of your outfits.

“Oh my gosh, watch where you’re going!” she screeched, wiping coffee off her face.

“Me?” you questioned, fixing your hair. “You’re the one who wasn’t looking where you were going! Maybe if you weren’t glued to your phone, we wouldn’t be covered in coffee right now!”

She scoffed. “Well maybe if you weren’t running with a carrier full of coffees…”

You both stopped what you were doing as your eyes locked in on each other. She was absolutely gorgeous, the kind that makes your heart stop beating. She seemed to be caught off guard by you as well, the two of you just staring at each other blankly for a moment.

“I’m sorry, this was totally my fault.” you chuckled, adjusting your bag. “I shouldn’t have been running down the sidewalk.”

“No, you’re right, it was stupid to be on my phone while I was walking. I’m sorry for not paying attention.” she refuted, laughing along with you. “I’m Jeongyeon, by the way.”

“Y/N.” you told her, shaking her hand. “I’m sorry I covered you in coffee. I’m just running horribly late for my first day on the job…” you sighed, shaking your head in disbelief. “Although I’m sure I can kiss it goodbye now, as I’m either going to show up soaked in coffee or an hour late.”

“I’m really sorry about that…” she said sympathetically. “Where’s the job?”

“Right behind us, actually.” you laughed, gesturing behind you.

“Oh my gosh, I work here!” she told you exasperatedly. “In the administrative department!”

“That’s where I’m interning!” you gasped, a hopeful smile making its way onto your face.

“This is perfect. I’ll just call the office and say that someone ran into the two of us while we were walking in, and that we had to go change clothes.” she suggested.

“Thank you so much, you’re a lifesaver!” you sighed in relief, placing a hand affectionately on her arm. “Are you sure they’ll accept that as an excuse though?”

“Oh please, everyone here loves me. My word is law.” she giggled, putting an arm around your shoulder. “Now, let’s go get you some fresh clothes and new coffees, okay? I’ll even buy my own, since I’m pretty sure one of them was.”

You laughed along with her, letting her lead you down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. Somehow, you had made an enemy, ally, and crush all in the same day. Lord help you in navigating this relationship.

Momo: Angel/ Demon AU

You bit your tongue in anger. Things were not going well with your latest assignment. You were trying to be a guardian angel to a certain human to improve their life. However, this human also happened to be under the influence of a demon. Not only a demon, but one of the most powerful demonesses in your department. Momo Hirai.

“Something wrong, angel?” a sultry voice asked. You whipped around to see her standing at the entryway of your human’s living room. You could see them, but they couldn’t see you. She was absolutely captivating, with her dark hair, ruby red lips, and tight black dress.

Remembering yourself, you looked away. “As a matter of fact, yes. You are.” you spat, crossing your arms across your chest.

“Oh, I didn’t know you thought about me so much.” she grinned, stepping closer to you. “I wonder what twisted little fantasies are running through that pretty little head.”

“You wish.” you groaned, rolling your eyes. “I happen to be a being of purity.

“How boring…” Momo sighed, stopping in front of you, who was leaned against the wall. “I figured someone like you would feel really repressed. Nothing causes the mind to wander more than being cooped up with a bunch of puritans.”

You swallowed hard. How had she known that you’d been having sinful thoughts lately? You wondered if she also knew that she was the subject of some of them.

Deciding you had to stand your ground, you held your head up high. “It’d be none of your business if I did.”

“Oh, I know…” she glanced down at your lips momentarily, then met your eyes once more. “I just can’t help myself. Seeing you, who’s so bright and clean… it makes me think about how much I’d like to corrupt you.”

Your heart stopped. Every part of your brain was screaming at you to resist her.

“L-like how?” You could barely control the words coming out of your mouth.

She grinned a sinister smile, brushing some of your hair behind your shoulder and playing with it. “Well, for starters, I could run my fingers through this pretty hair…”

Your eyes squinted shut at the feeling of her doing so, hating how good it felt.

“I could gaze into these sparkling doe eyes…” she purred, tilting your chin up to look her in the eye. Her own dark eyes were locked in on yours, pupils dilated but squinted slightly like a siren’s.

You allowed her to push you further against the wall, showing absolutely no sign of displeasure at her actions. “Then what?” you whispered.

“Then… I could kiss these beautiful, delicious lips…” Momo finally leaned down and connected her lips with yours, pressing her body up against yours with a fiery passion.

You moved your arms up around her waist, hands gripping onto her for dear life. The pleasure was so great, you almost forgot why you vowed to resist temptation in the first place.

Her hands snaked up into your hair, tugging slightly and making you whimper into her mouth. You could feel her smirk at this, and with the knowledge that you were enjoying yourself, she slipped her tongue into your mouth, letting it explore slightly before pulling away.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” you muttered breathlessly, forehead still pressed against hers. “Both of us could get fired if anyone found out about this.” Demons and angels were not allowed to have relationships. “Besides, how do I know you’re not just using me to win over my human?”

“You can have the human.” she told you without hesitation. “I don’t need them. Right now, I only want you.”

You looked at her closely, studying her expression for any sign of dishonesty. If this was a trick, or one of her lustful schemes, she wouldn’t have been so upfront about it. She would’ve been sneakier.

“I want you too, Momo…” you sighed, crashing your lips into hers once again.

Maybe you would lose your angel status for this, but you knew that no amount of purity would ever feel as good as Momo on your lips would.

Sana: Royal/ Assassin AU

You grunted as you scaled the wall of the castle with a dagger in each hand. One of them would momentarily be used to kill the princess in her sleep. You winced as you thought about what you had to do, feeling your stomach turn.

You were a member of a rebel legion who was planning on overthrowing the palace during a coup. While you weren’t too thrilled about having to kill anyone, you believed the king and queen deserved it. They were incessantly cruel to their subjects, denying them any assistance and punishing them when they took matters into their own hands. Your people were dying of starvation while they were having extravagant parties, and something had to be done about it.

There really was no reason to kill the princess other than your leader feared it would be unwise to leave the only rightful heir to the throne alive. You didn’t think it was right, but the suffering you and your people endured overcame that.

As you reached Princess Sana’s bedroom window, you carefully crept inside and over to her canopy bed. As the moonlight graced her features, your breath hitched in your throat. She looked so peaceful, so content… not to mention, she was positively breathtaking.

You sighed defeatedly, realizing you couldn’t possibly harm this innocent girl. You stepped back and dropped your daggers on the floor, startling her awake.

“Hm? What’s going on? Who are you?” she asked, clutching her blankets to her chest in fear.

“Sh, it’s okay. I’m here to help.” you tried to reassure her. “There’s a rebel legion that’s going to assassinate the king and queen momentarily, and they want to kill you too. If you want to live, you’ll have to escape with me right now.”

She gasped, throwing her blankets off of her. She looked so adorable in her long white nightgown and pink hair bow. “Oh my, let’s go then!”

You grabbed her hand and led her down the hallway and out through the back of the palace. You knew your legion would only be using the front entrance.

The two of you ran off into the night, ducking into a nearby forest for protection. Luckily it was a warm summer night, and the weather was mild.

“I’m sorry about your parents.” you finally spoke as you both caught your breath. It hadn’t dawned on you that Sana might not take the news of her parents assassination very well until just now.

“It’s alright. To be honest, I’ve always hated them. I was hoping to become a better leader than them one day, but they were only interested in marrying me off to a nearby kingdom. I’m just glad the kingdom will be heading in a better direction.” She sat down by the riverbed, taking her hair out of its bow and letting it fall over her shoulders in loose waves. “Thank you for rescuing me.”

“I don’t deserve any thanks.” you sighed, sitting down next to her. “I was the one who was supposed to kill you.”

She gave you an unfazed expression. “Well, you didn’t. And I never really liked being a princess anyway. I’ve always craved a life of adventure.”

“Well, you’re certainly going to get it.” you chuckled, stretching out to lay down in the grass. “We’re going to have to flee the kingdom, or at least go to the countryside. They’re going to wonder where the lost princess is, and why she wasn’t executed.”

She laid down next to you, curling into your side. “But… you’ll protect me right?” Her eyes were so big and twinkling with innocence. She looked as if she would shatter into a million pieces without you.

“Why do you trust me so easily?” you asked her genuinely. Any other princess wouldn’t have even believed you, let alone followed you into the woods.

She smiled cutely, brushing some of your hair back. “I had a dream once that someone came into my room and saved me from being a princess.” She traced your features with your finger. “They looked just like you.”

Your mouth fell slightly agape. You were never one to believe in fate or destiny, but this girl was making you second guess yourself.

“Now, are you going to take care of me?” she asked again.

“Of course I will.” you told her, running a hand through her long hair. “Now, let’s get some sleep. I’ll find us some breakfast in the morning.”

Jihyo: Idol Rivalry

Park Jihyo was the bane of your existence. The two of you had hated each other for years, and for good reason. For one, you were both under different companies that constantly compared artists with each other. Two, both of your groups debuted around the same time, and since then it felt like every time your group got a moment in the spotlight, Twice would come along and upstage you. And three, you were both leaders, so everyone expected you to get along due to your similar roles. However, all that meant was that you were both extra protective of your groups, and even more hostile when someone threatened their success.

Today, however, your rivalry was coming to an eruption as both of your groups were performing at the MAMA awards. Luckily, they were spaced apart enough to where it wouldn’t look like one of you was the opening act for the other. Both of your groups put their absolute all into the performances, and everyone agreed that you both owned the award show.

Your members somehow all got along. It was just you and Jihyo that couldn’t seem to find a common ground.

You were thinking this over as you walked up to her dressing room after the show. You decided it was time to be a grown up and hash things out with her. You took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

“Come in.” she chirped from behind the door. You walked in, seeing her at her vanity, still in her stage outfit. You lost the plot for a bit as you took in her features. Her beautiful skin, her pretty eyes, her perfect smile… wait, when did she get so gorgeous?

“Oh… hi Y/N.” she interrupted your thoughts with genuine surprise. “What are you doing here?”

You shut the door behind you and walked up to her. “I’ve come with an olive branch.” you began in a serious tone.

She glanced behind you, furrowing her brows. “Really? I don’t see one.”

You bit your tongue to keep from laughing. Damn, she was funny, but you were trying to have a serious moment!

“A metaphorical olive branch.” you sighed, pretending to be annoyed to save face. “We’ve been fighting for years because of stupid reasons. I think it’s time we sort out our differences.”

She smiled warmly, inviting you to sit down on her sofa. “So, what exactly are our differences?” she asked, starting to remove her makeup.

“Well for starters, you guys have always overshadowed us.” you told her. “Every time we’d start getting attention, you guys would immediately do something even better, and then it was all anyone could talk about. I guess I was sick of the company always telling us how much better you guys are.”

She paused, making eye contact with you in her mirror. “Are you serious?”

You nodded. What did she mean ‘are you serious,’ of course you were serious! It wasn’t that hard to comprehend.

“Oh my god, that’s so funny…” she laughed out loud, shaking her head. She spun around in her chair to face you. “Y/N, ever since we debuted, all our company does is compare us to you.”

“You’re kidding…” you marveled, eyes widening in shock.

“No, I’m serious! I especially get compared to you a lot. You’re super mature and have killer visuals, not to mention you’re one of the best dancers in the industry.” she praised, leaning back in her chair slightly.

“Oh please, I would commit arson to have your vocal skills! You light up a whole stadium with them!” you told her enthusiastically. “You’re so bright and energetic, and you’re absolutely stunning. I mean, who wouldn’t hate you?” you joked, slapping her on the knee playfully.

The two of you laughed for a moment, then sat in a comfortable silence. It was probably the most pleasant interaction you’d ever had.

“Did we just compliment each other?” she asked suddenly, cocking her head to the side.

You shrugged. “I guess so. Maybe we’re not so different after all.”

She smiled affectionately, moving to sit next to you on the sofa. “I actually think I quite like you now.”

The way she was looking at you made you feel butterflies. You didn’t know if you were seeing things or what, but she looked as if she was absolutely captivated by you.

You shrugged cheekily, a sly smirk making its way onto your face. “I kind of like you too. See you around?”

She nodded enthusiastically, a hopeful glint in her eyes. With that, you turned and exited her dressing room, pressing your hands to your warm cheeks.

How did that just happen?

Mina: Fake Dating

“I can’t believe they actually fell for it!” Mina marveled as you both exited the party into the cool night air.

“I know right! Like, are they really that stupid?” you laughed, leading her back to your car.

You wondered how everyone had set aside all their memories of you two absolutely hating each other when you walked into the party holding onto her waist. Anyone with eyes could see that you and Mina despised each other before. You guessed that the two of you were just really good at acting.

What led to your truce was that both of your crushes weren’t paying any attention to either of you. You were trying to win back your ex, whereas Mina’s crush had totally friend-zoned her. So, you came to an agreement that you would pretend to date each other in order to hopefully make your crushes jealous.

You were worried that it was going to be hard to sell your affections for Mina, but it turned out to be surprisingly easy. From spending time with her, you were able to see that she was actually really funny, incredibly bright, and sensitive. Not to mention, she was a perfect ten. That was part of the reason you hated her so much.

As you drove off to drop Mina off at her house, you kept glancing over at her with an amused smile.

“What?” she asked, giggling slightly.

“Nothing, it’s just… you’re so different from what I thought you were.” you answered, eyes focusing back on the road.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she interrogated you, crossing her arms with a smirk.

“Well, to be honest, I thought you were incredibly stuck-up. I mean, you hardly paid any attention to me, and whenever you did, it was to disagree with something I said.” you chuckled.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that…” she apologized, shifting her body to face you more. “I have a tendency to close myself off when I find someone intimidating.”

You scoffed in disbelief. “Intimidating? How could you find me intimidating?”

“Oh come on, Y/N!” she rolled her eyes, hitting your arm lightly. “You’re like the coolest person ever! When you talk, everyone pays attention to you. It makes me so jealous the way you command a room.”

You shook your head in amazement. “I had no idea you felt that way…”

“Yeah well, I do.” she laughed. She ran a hand through her hair as if to calm herself down.

The two of you enjoyed a comfortable silence for a moment until you spoke again. “You did a really good job today.”

“Thanks, so did you.” she complimented you, nudging you slightly.

“I’m sure your crush is still thinking about how good we looked together.” you pointed out.

“Oh yeah, them…” she resigned, looking out the window absentmindedly. “Well, I’m sure your ex felt the same way.”

You glanced over at her. Why did she seem to shut down when you brought up your love interests? Isn’t that what she had wanted out of this?

“Well, there you are ma’am.” you announced as you pulled into her driveway.

She snapped out of her daze and grabbed her purse, turning to you with a smile. “Thanks again, Y/N. You make a wonderful fake partner.” Suddenly, she leaned forward and planted a brisk kiss on your cheek. You looked at her in disbelief, feeling your cheeks heat up. “Just practicing. You know, for the next time we see them.”

“Oh, r-right…” you stammered, shifting anxiously in your seat. “Well, see you later!”

“Bye bye!” she waved, cutely scampering away into her house.

You sighed, slamming your head against the steering wheel. Suddenly, a relationship with Mina was sounding a lot better than getting back with your ex. Why did you think this was a good idea again?

Dahyun: Hero/ Villain AU

You struggled against your restraints, rocking the chair you were tied to back and forth. You were previously on a mission from the hero agency to retrieve a stolen artifact from a well-known villain, but something had went wrong, and they ended up capturing you. Now, you were tied up and didn’t know what awaited you.

You screeched into the cloth around your mouth in frustration, feeling hot tears prick at your eyes as you realized there was no way to get out of these ropes. Damn it all. Was this going to be how you were going to be taken down?

Suddenly, you heard a rustling coming from the window in the corner of the room. You furrowed your brow in confusion, until it opened and in tumbled Kim Dahyun, your arch-nemesis.

“Dahyun? What are you doing here?” you asked, although it just sounded like a bunch of muffled syllables to her.

“Sh, I’m here to get you out of here.” she instructed you. She then came over to undo the cloth around your mouth and slice through your ropes with her knife.

“Why are you helping me?” you asked, massaging your wrists from their rope burn.

“Because, you’re my enemy.” she smirked, crawling back through the window she had previously entered in. “If anyone’s going to take you down, it’s going to be me.”

You scoffed with a smile, getting up to follow her. “I won’t go down so easily.”

“Oh I know. I’m looking forward to it.” she cockily winked. “Now, are you coming or not?” She extended her hand to you, face illuminated by the soft candlelight of the room. God, she was devastatingly beautiful. Perhaps in another universe, the two of you would’ve made a great couple.

You brushed the thoughts away, knowing they could only lead to heartache, and instead just took her hand and fled with her by your side. Maybe you didn’t need a relationship with her. This game of cat and mouse was too damn fun anyway.

Chaeyoung: Forced to Hang Out by Mutual Friends

You walked into the restaurant, face twisting into a scowl as you realized only one person was at your table: Son Chaeyoung, whom you could not stand. However, you had to get along with her because she was a part of your friend group. You knew she didn’t really care for you either, but also agreed to keep the peace for the sake of your mutual friends.

You took a deep breath to calm yourself down, then walked over to the table to sit across from her. “Hi Chaeyoung.” you said, flatly but still politely.

She looked up from her phone and cracked a forced smile. “Hey there, Y/N.”

“I wonder why everyone’s so late.” you commented, trying to make small talk.

“I’m not sure.” she replied. The two of you shared an awkward silence, save for your repetitive tapping on the table. After a while she coughed uncomfortably.

“Hi there! Are you two here for the couple’s special?” the waitress suddenly asked as she arrived at your table.

You both looked at each other horrified. “No, we’re definitely not a couple…” you insisted.

“Yeah we’re just waiting for some of our friends.” Chaeyoung explained to her, chuckling nervously.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” the waitress apologized. “I’ll come back in a few minutes, okay?” You both nodded, and she scurried off to the other end of the restaurant. Wow… you thought, the two of you were so uncomfortable it was spreading to other people.

“I’ll text them and see what’s keeping them.” Chaeyoung announced, picking her phone back up. However, her eyes widened as soon as she looked at the screen. “Apparently Rosè is sick.”

“Really? That’s odd. She seemed fine yesterday…” you replied, grabbing your own phone. You too already received a text, but from Yeoreum.

yeoreum 🌻: “hey, sorry to cancel last minute, but i forgot i have a doctors’ appointment :( say hi to the girls for me!”

You sighed, setting your phone back down. “Well, Yeoreum bailed too.”

“Are you serious?” Chaeyoung asked. “Well, at least there’s…” However she never got to finish her sentence, because both of your phones rang at the same exact time. You were getting a call from Somi, and she was getting a call from Jinsol. You both snatched up your phones again and slammed the answer button.

“Hey Y/N!” Somi chirped on the other end of the line. “I gotta cancel today. Forgot I already made plans with my sister!”

“No, Somi please-“

“Have fun! Give my love to the girls!” she responded, hanging up.

You squinted your eyes shut and sighed, setting your phone down to see Chaeyoung doing the exact same. “Jinsol too?”

“Yep.” she nodded. “Something about a family reunion.”

It was obvious that all your friends had planned this in an effort to get you and Chaeyoung to spend time with each other and hopefully sort out your differences. However, right now that seemed like a lost cause, as both of you were consumed with irritation and discomfort at the situation.

“Great…” you grumbled, putting your head in your hands. “Guess we’re stuck with each other.”

“I don’t get what your problem is with me.” she snapped, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Me? You’re the one with the problem!” you responded defensively. “You’ve always hated me for no reason. I can see it in the way you talk to me.”

“That’s not true!” she replied angrily, furrowing her brow in frustration. “I was just upset with you because you threw that huge party a year ago and invited everybody but me! I had to hear about it from Bangchan of all people!”

Your jaw unhinged in disbelief. You had totally forgotten about that event, and how you never invited Chaeyoung. To tell the truth, you couldn’t even remember why you didn’t invite her in the first place.

“I didn’t know it bothered you so much…” you marveled, leaning back in your chair as if backing down from your anger. “I guess… maybe I assumed you wouldn’t want to go? You don’t really seem like the type to enjoy a huge party.”

“That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have want to be invited.” she retorted, glancing down at the table nervously.

You blinked, straightening yourself up. “You’re right. That was really rude of me. I’m sorry I didn’t invite you.”

She smiled genuinely for the first time since you had known her. “I appreciate that.”

“If I have another party and invite you, will you stop hating me?” you chuckled.

“I wouldn’t say I hated you…” she replied, softening even more. “There were still things I really liked about you.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?” you asked, trying not to be too enthusiastic with your curiosity.

“You have a really pretty smile, you’re super passionate about what you do, you’re really sharp and witty…” she listed out with a bright grin. “You’re really cool. I guess that’s why I was so mad you didn’t invite me.”

“I understand why you were mad, and I’m sorry again.” you replied, looking at her sympathetically. “But it didn’t come from a place of malice. I actually think you’re really cool.”

“You do?” she inquired perplexedly.

“Of course I do! You always make everyone laugh, you’re super nice to everybody… and you’ve got a really cute face.”

She grinned, and you swore you saw her cheeks turn a light shade of pink. “You think I’m cute?”

Now it was your turn to blush. You cleared your throat, then glanced away with shifty eyes. “I mean, like objectively. You have bright eyes or whatever.”

She giggled quietly to herself, then as soon as your eyes were focused back on her, she spoke again. “I think you’re pretty cute too.”

You couldn’t help the smile that crept it’s way up your expression, looking away again bashfully.

“Do we still need a few more minutes?” the waitress asked, suddenly appearing again.

“Nope, I think we’re ready.” you replied, glad to be changing the subject. “I guess we will take that couple’s special since it’ll just be the two of us.”

“Oh, well it’s actually only for real couples…” the waitress told you sympathetically.

“What if this was our first date?” Chaeyoung asked her. Your eyes widened as you whipped your head around to look at her. She was just looking at the waitress with a confident grin. You had never seen her so bold, and you had to admit, it was really attractive. You were starting to kick yourself for messing things up with her in the past. You could’ve been around her best self this whole time… well, at least you were seeing it now. And you couldn’t get enough of it. You loved the excitement about where things were going with her.

Tzuyu: Only One Bed

You frowned as you realized who had just walked into your hotel room. “What are you doing here Tzuyu?”

“Believe me, this wasn’t my choice.” she groaned, shoving the door shut behind her. “Apparently the hotel booked up their last room by accident. And since you’re the only one who doesn’t have a roommate yet, I’m going to have to room with you.”

“Are you serious?” you asked, sitting up in your bed. “Aren’t there any other hotels in the area?”

“I went all around the neighborhood looking for one. Why do you think I’m soaked? It’s pouring down rain right now.” she complained. “They’re all booked up too.”

You took in her appearance. “Where’s your suitcase?”

“Airport lost it.” she replied, an angry sarcastic smile on her face. “This is a really great vacation so far. None of my things, and I’m stuck with you.”

“Yeah, well I’m not exactly thrilled about this either.” you sneered, shuffling your way out of bed. “Here, you can have one of my big shirts.”

She looked amazed. “Wait, are you actually being nice to me?”

You glared at her. “I may not like you very much, but I’m not heartless. Now go change.” You threw the shirt at her and got back into bed. You thought you caught a glimpse of a smirk on her face, but she turned the corner to the bathroom so fast you couldn’t be sure.

You got settled in bed again, then stared up at the ceiling. You were currently on a group vacation with all of your friends. Well, Tzuyu wasn’t your friend, but she had come along because she was close with some of your friends. You did kind of feel sorry for her… it had to suck losing all of your things. You shook your head. There was no need to feel sympathy for her when she had never made any effort to be nice to you. However, your thoughts were interrupted as she re-emerged from the bathroom, wearing nothing but your shirt. Your heart stopped. She looked really cute, with her wet hair and bare legs.

She chuckled cockily. “Like what you see?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” you scoffed, rolling over in resignation.

She laughed at you again, walking over to the other side of the bed and crawling in. “Try to control yourself Y/N, we’ll both need some sleep for all the stuff they have planned tomorrow.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” you laughed, curling up in displeasure. “Rosè and Chaeyoung were way too excited about going downtown.”

“I know right? Like, how many shops can you go to before you get bored?” Tzuyu joked, making you laugh even harder. “And Elkie and Shuhua want to go to that museum…”

“Oh my god, what a snooze-fest.” you rolled your eyes, making her cackle even louder. You started chuckling again too, and soon you were both consumed with laughter.

“Do you realize this is the first time we’ve had a conversation without arguing?” you asked, leaning over to face her with an amused smile.

“Yeah… it was pretty nice.” she responded, looking at you and resting her head against the pillow. You both just stared at each other affectionately for a moment, taking in each others’ features. “Well, I guess we should go to sleep.”

“Yeah…” you agreed, moving to turn off the lamp. “Goodnight Tzuyu.”

“Goodnight Y/N.”

You lied awake for a moment, glancing over at her every so often. You couldn’t help the giddy, flustered feeling that crept up in your chest. You never knew Tzuyu could be so pleasant, and you were excited you got to share a room with her for the rest of the vacation. And you were even more excited to share a bed with her. Your mind started to wander about holding her, touching her, kissing her…

You shook your head, shuffling a bit. You couldn’t think these things while she was asleep next to you. Unless… maybe she was thinking them too?”

“Y/N?” she suddenly asked, rolling over to face you.

Your heart stopped. Holy shit, was she reading my mind?

“Yeah?” you asked, mirroring her actions.

You both stared at each other in desperation for a while, until she dove forward and kissed you passionately. You were taken aback for a second, but soon brought your hands up around her neck. She shifted to straddle you, kissing you more intensely. She pulled away for a breather just as your hands were going up into her hair.

“I hate you.” she smirked evilly, gasping for air.

“I despise you.” you retaliated, yanking her hair slightly and making her whimper a bit. You used her moment of weakness as an opportunity and pushed her over to straddle her. You began kissing her again, then moved down to nip at her neck and chest. “Let me show you just how much I do.”

[hedgehog-moss]

Bird update: Unfortunately I’ve had to say goodbye to my rooster. I quite liked him but if you’ll remember, he was here on probation and after a few weeks of good behaviour he started pestering my hen a lot. She started looking a bit unhappy (huddling under the outdoor table instead of trotting about), then she stopped laying and I thought perhaps she was moulting and it could explain her moodiness and missing feathers, but the pattern of missing feathers seemed to point to the rooster as a culprit. Then he hurt her wing, allegedly (I have no proof so I’m protecting myself from a libel claim.)

On nice days Dru likes to sit and soak up the sun, stretching her wings one at a time, and on a couple of occasions I saw her stretch only her left wing, never opening her right one. I poked her wing gently and she didn’t bite my hand off which was a good sign, but then I picked her up and placed her on a chair, expecting her to jump off straight away like “I never asked you to put me here, mind your own business”—and indeed she jumped but she only flapped her left wing to slow her fall.

I called the vet to ask if it meant the other wing was broken and what I could do, and she was pretty reassuring, saying if the wing was held closed in the right position it would heal on its own—if it were dangling on the other hand I would need to find a little toddler’s t-shirt for my hen to wear, to keep her wing against her body. The vet also said what vets always say—“as long as the animal is eating normally it’s probably going to be fine!” (and that’s the case)

But I couldn’t keep the rooster any longer—even if he weren’t the one who hurt Dru (innocent until proven guilty) it wouldn’t help the healing process if he kept trying to mount her, so I put him in a box and took him back to his natal farm. They weren’t terribly happy to see him again, but well. I wanted to give him a chance but the circumstances (with only one hen) weren’t auspicious and I sort of expected this experiment to fail. Best of luck, rooster...

A couple of days after his departure, Dru lay an egg again for the first time since mid-February, so I think the message was pretty clear!

Also, that’s a tall bale of hay (from a chicken’s perspective) so I’m not sure how she managed to climb on top of it without boosting herself with her wings. Did she fake a wing injury to get the rooster ousted? Pampe would fake a wing injury without hesitation but chickens strike me as honest. I mean they're unrepentant food thieves but they’re upfront about it.

Final bird update: on Friday I managed to get a new hen! I hope having a new coopmate won’t put Dru in a bad mood again and cause another egg strike. The new hen is very young and still looks like a gangly teenager, and she seems quite vivacious and curious, here she is determinedly strolling into her new home:

One notable fact about her is that she doesn’t speak chicken. She doesn’t kot kot like an adult hen, and she doesn’t make the incoherent gurgling sound that baby hens make, either. It’s more like a dissonant quack. I’m not sure what to attribute it to—maybe she was raised near ducks and picked up a foreign language? I might have to call her Daisy if she keeps this up. I tried to record her but she’s pretty scared of me for the time being so she’s all shy and quiet when I’m nearby...

Dru isn’t amused by any of this. New hen tries to follow her and chat with her and gets snubbed a lot. Well, I did hear Dru cluck amicably the first evening when I brought the new hen in the coop, but she didn’t get an answer, there’s a real language barrier here. I hope the new hen learns French soon because right now Dru just keeps running away from her! 

Poor Dru, she lost her good friend and then had to deal with a dude who woke her up every day at dawn crowing as loudly as possible, and now a new roommate who speaks duck. It’s only been two days though; I’m sure they’ll get along eventually!

[skellymom]

Hey Skelly

You're taking requests? Oh I'd love to ask for one.

Could you please do a one-shot involving a reader and Hunter after Omega gets seriously injured on a mission (Bad enough to wind up in a Bacta Pod) and the reader has to comfort and reassure Hunter that Omega will be OK?

tysm, GenericFicer Hugs

@genericficerblog NICE! Another ASK!!! Thank you!

"THE INCIDENT"

The Bad Batch Hunter x Reader One Shot

Per more information (not included on this particular message):

So the reader is a male battle medic. It's all platonic The reader was a medic on Kamino. He had taken care of Omega after particularly bad tests (She has the scars to prove it) and he's protective of Omega because of her past with the Kaminoans

Word Count: 2.1K

Warning: Star Wars canon violence, angst, swearing, explosion, physical injuries, coma, mention of human experimentation by the Kaminoans.

I was tasked to hang back with Omega and Tech on board the Marauder. Hunter EXPRESSLY ordered us to stay put. His thinking was to only bring the members necessary for the job: Hunter at the head of the group, Echo next to him and to share logistics on comm with Tech, Wrecker as the “heavy”, and Crosshair as lookout/cover fire. 

The job was technically low risk...but Hunter started having those “feelings” of his just before landing at our target.  

Omega protested when he told her to stay on the ship. She had been looking forward to going on a mission for awhile. Many a time she stayed behind on Pabu with Shep and Lyana. Since her rescue from Tantiss, Hunter was dead set against her going on any dangerous missions. 

Hunter’s words were “You’ll have plenty of time to fight with the Rebellion in the future. Won’t stay young forever.” 

She bristled at those words. Then forgave him immediately after. 

They LOVE each other so much! 

But ever the doting dad, Hunter relented this time. She had eventually wore him down. 

Oh...getting ahead of myself...who am I? 

Hello. I’m Y/N. The Squad Formerly Known as Clone Force 99’s Medic/Backup Heavy/Or Whatever They Need Me For. I can patch up just about ANYTHING with the bare minimum of supplies. Sometimes my methods are unorthodox, per Tech’s opinion, but effective.  It’s saved our butts a few times. So, they let me come along on every mission. 

Plus, having known and taken care of Omega while on Kamino helped. 

And the fact that Crosshair took a liking to me immediately sealed the deal. We both speak fluent sarcasm. 

But...back to the mission... 

“What’s taking SO LONG?” Omega fidgeted in her seat. 

“My guess it is due to Hunter detecting an anomaly, they are taking their time.”  

Tech and I were attempting to play a few rounds of Sebacc. I’m HORRIBLE at it. He thinks he can help me improve my game. I’m struggling currently. 

“Safety first. No need to rush into trouble...especially since we seem to find it easily enough.” I threw down my cards. 

Tech glanced at them and frowned.  

“I totally messed up that hand too, huh?” 

“Well, it’s not a strategy I would have used...” Tech trailed off. 

“You’re being too nice.” 

“Shall I explain in detail the best plan of action for this hand?” 

“Can’t stop you. Just infodump me anyways. Maybe I’ll retain SOMETHING this time.” I LOVE to tease Tech. It was difficult in the beginning. Most of it just went over his head. 

This time, he just grinned at my cheekiness and launched into it. 

Omega continued to fidget in her seat behind us. 

“...and THAT is why you should have held onto those cards until the end.” Tech finally finished his tutorial. 

“I... THINK I got all that? My brain hurts now. How ‘bout I switch with Omega.” 

“That will be sufficient.” Tech looks up and glances behind me. 

Then his face froze. 

I quickly swung around to see Omega missing from her seat. 

“OMEGA???” I called through the ship.  

Nothing. 

“Oh SHIT!” 

“INDEED!” Tech immediately radioed Hunter that Omega slipped out of the Marauder and is probably enroute to them. 

I grabbed my med pack and ran out of the Marauder before he could stop me. 

Omega used to sneak away A LOT on our previous missions. Probably one of many reasons why he wanted to keep her back on Pabu until she matured a bit more. Of course, he feels guilty...the Kaminoan’s keeping her locked up in their home world. He didn’t want to clip her wings.  

“TOLD YOU to stay on the ship!” Hunter’s voice fills my ear comm. 

“I can’t just assume that Omega finds you somehow and is safe.” 

“Don’t need ANOTHER person in danger. Go back to the ship.” 

“Well...is Omega with you?” 

“...no.” 

“She SHOULD have been by now...AND I’m NOT going back.” 

Hunter’s tired sigh. “Well, then... 

He never finished his sentence. 

A flash of intense light... 

I awoke thirty feet away from where I was standing. On my back. 

My head hurts...all I can hear is high pitched whine in both ears. 

Sit up dazed and look around at EVERYTHING obliterated and on fire. 

Torn remains of whatever was left of the trees and outbuilding I was near... 

...two small legs sticking out from under smoldering wreckage. 

I lurch up to my feet and limp over. Grab the unidentifiable thing crushing Omega and try to pull it off her. 

It’s not budging. I frantically keep trying. There's NOTHING else in this world except me and this huge THING on top of her that I cannot seem to move. 

Sweating, my hands are raw, my eyes are wet, there is blood dripping down my face... 

Is it lacerated? Could it be my eardrums are ruptured? I don’t know.  

I just know I HAVE TO GET THIS THING OFF OF HER! 

Push, pull, kick... 

Then the wreckage flew off her like it weighed nothing at all. 

Wrecker is next to me. He freed Omega and put a hand on my shoulder. Hunter grabs her up. Echo is trying to speak to me. 

But I can’t hear anything at all. Just that damned whining in my ears.  

I can lip read though... 

He’s telling me to get back to the ship. 

Echo runs ahead with Hunter.  

Crosshair grabs my arm, dragging me along. He looks extremely worried. 

Whatever happened or if we even achieved our objective, I don’t know. 

Hunter sets Omega down on a bunk. He’s beside himself emotionally.  

I can feel the Marauder take off world.  

My hearing is still impaired, but the whining is less pronounced. 

I gently nudge Hunter aside and open my med kit. Pull out the bacta...but it won’t be enough... 

...she needs a tank. Her burns and lacerations are too numerous and severe. Still breathing and regular heartbeat, but unconscious.  

I am doing the best I can with what supplies are on hand. Putting her prognosis out of my head for the time being. 

We make a pit stop at a Rebel Base on a hidden moon. One with an extensive medical facility.  

Echo radioed ahead. As soon as Tech lands, the staff enters the ship and whisks Omega away. Hunter and Wrecker run after them. Echo runs in another direction...I’m assuming to report his intel to the Rebels. 

I stand at the bottom of the gangplank and watch them leave.  

Tech stares at me strangely.  

I shrug...and a horrible twinge of pain erupts from my upper back. My face feels sore too. 

Crosshair mumbles something. 

“WHAT???” I must be screaming but can’t hear anything. 

He mouths “your back” and points.  

I try to reach behind me to feel it.  

Tech grabs my hand and nods “no”. 

They both immediately took me to medbay. 

I’m treated for multiple facial lacerations, on top of first-degree burns. Missing some of my eyebrows. And, like I guessed bilaterial ruptured eardrums. 

Oh...and the kicker: A 12-inch piece of metal sticking out of my back. Had NO idea it was there.  

Adrenaline is a HELL of a hormone. 

Tech left to confer with Echo over intel and our next move. 

Crosshair stayed with me during the surgical removal of the metal. I demanded to be awake and requested a mirror to watch the whole procedure. 

The doctors were horrified but complied with my request. 

Crosshair held the mirror. He also asked to keep the metal once removed...to frame and hang up back on Pabu. 

“You're NOT like the other kids.” I quip. 

“Neither are you.” he winks. 

They won’t let me walk out of medbay. It’s the sedatives and painkillers, of course. I wouldn’t let me walk, either.  

Crosshair pushes me in a hover chair. We head over to the bacta tanks to check on Omega. 

She’s stripped down to a medical binder and med panties. Tubes to feed, breath, and eliminate. Floating in the tank, the extent of her injuries is very apparent: Second degree burns, multiple lacerations, a broken arm, a few broken ribs, and a head injury. Her hair had been clippered off entirely for cleanliness and most of it was charred.  

Omega was also put in a medically induced coma to aide her recovery. 

Hunter, sitting in a chair, has his arms around the bacta tank. He’s basically hugging it with his forehead resting snugly against the glass. 

“I shouldn’t have let her go. Blame myself.” He mumbles. 

Wrecker puts a hand on his back for comfort. “She’ll be ok Hunter. They said we got her here in time.”   

Then he looks shocked when he sees my face. 

“OH MY MAKER! Where are your EYEBROWS?” 

Still can’t hear very well, but I can DEFINITELY lip-read Wrecker. 

“Look what medical pulled out of him!” Crosshair proudly dangles a clear plastic bag containing the metal shard. 

Wrecker is transfixed. 

Hunter is devastated. “I MISSED that??? Didn’t even register you were injured...looked right at you...” 

Like a man lost and questioning EVERYTHING. His focus had been solely on Omega. 

“Aw...they couldn’t kill me. Don’t think I’ll be attracting any ladies with my perpetually surprised look though.” Trying to lighten the mood. 

“You can’t hear ANYTHING, can you?” Crosshair looks me in the eye. 

“Barely...why?” 

“You’re so LOUD.”  

“You should talk, Wrecker.” Crosshair sneered. 

“That’s how I know!” Wrecker rolled his eyes at his brother. 

Hunter looked even more guilty, hanging his head. 

“Hey guys...” 

Wrecker and Crosshair stopped whinging at each other. 

“Can I have some time alone with Hunter?” 

They both nodded and wandered off to find Echo and Tech. 

I nudge the chair over closer to Hunter and look at Omega through the glass. 

She’s so tiny in that big tank. So beat up and bruised. The lighting in the tank leaves NOTHING hidden. Even the old scars from her time on Kamino. The “experiments” according to the Kaminoans. Things they did to her before her brothers took her away.  

Things she never really spoke about with even Hunter. 

Things I only know about since working so closely at the facility on Kamino. A little girl who needed someone to comfort her. This was before her brothers were ever aware of her presence. 

“Her prognosis is very good, yes?” I broke the ice. 

“The docs say she’ll have to spend close to the next month in this tank.” Hunter’s voice cracked. 

“It wasn’t your fault.” 

“I knew better! Why is it SO HARD for me to say no to her???” 

“Because you love her. You know she’s strong. You also know she’s still a child. If it makes you feel better, she snuck out ALL the time on Kamino. The Kaminoan’s would ask me to go look for her constantly.” 

“More of an argument to have left her on Pabu.” 

“You REALLY want to be at fault, huh?” 

“I’m responsible for...” 

I cut him off. 

“YOU CAN’T CONTROL EVERYTHING, HUNTER!” I winced. Moving too much with my exasperation. The sutures on my back were straining...and wet. 

Hunter stood up, glancing at my back. He could smell it. 

“Strike through?” I asked. 

“Yeah...just a little blood. You need to lie down and rest.” 

“That’s gonna be hard. Not supposed to lay on my back...and my face isn’t going to feel great against the pillow. How about I just stay sitting in this chair with you?” 

“You sure?” 

“Yeah. I know you don’t want to leave her alone while she’s in this tube.” 

"Thank you. Honestly...I should say that more often. Y/N...you've really saved our butts a lot of times...I'm grateful to have you in our squad...family." Hunter cracked a small smile.

"Of course! Man...you are MY PEOPLE!" I beamed back. They really are. I'd go to the ends of the universe for every one of them!!!

Hunter's smile was so warm and genuine. But it lasted very briefly. His face became pensive again.

He was silent for a while...thinking. 

“Technically she’s asleep? Is that what a coma is like?” Hunter asked. 

“Kind of. The doctors are monitoring ALL her vitals constantly. And if anything is off, they can immediately see to her needs. Besides, the coma is just for the next 24-48 hours due to her head injury.”  

“I see.” 

“She’ll come through this. You clones were made to withstand a LOT of physical trauma. Stuff that would kill a regular human.” I added. 

“It’s not necessarily the physical stuff I’m worried about.” Hunter motions to the faint old scars on Omega’s body. “When she does wake up...she told me she has fears about being in a tube like an experiment.” 

“Tell her she has nothing to fear.” 

Hunter looks at me strangely. 

“People in a coma can still hear. Talk to her, Hunter.” 

He nods. Then directs his voice to the speaker on the bacta tube. 

I sit back and relax in the chair, watching this man...a brother, a parental figure speak to his child. 

He’s doing the best he can with what he has. 

We are all doing the best we can... 

...hanging on with HOPE. 

It’s the only thing holding the galaxy together right now... 

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[yurinaa-world]

Could I request the octatrio with a fem Bennett (genshin impact) like she's really unlucky and always gets herself hurt because I think it would be really cute (specifically with floyd) but yeah so bye ♡

Characters: Azul, Jade, and Floyd x Female Reader

Synopsis: With Bennett reader

Warnings: Fluff and spelling mistakes,

𝒜𝓏𝓊𝓁 𝒜𝓈𝒽𝑒𝓃𝑔𝓇𝑜𝓉𝓉𝑜

Don’t come near the Mostro Lounge, like don’t even come within a 50-meter radius of it, because he ain’t risking his business and those expensive drinks to shatter all over the ground because someone threw a toothpick on the floor. You slipped on it, the drink your hand didn’t spill, but the straw fell, poked another person in the eye, and their hot drink fell on another person. Who knows what happened next, and now the spilled drinks are on the floor.

Don’t bother to pay it off either. He once came to regret making you work in the lounge; it ended up in you binding the steel tray in half! the ice-cold drinks all over you, with sharp pieces of glass all over the ground.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

“You seem to come here a lot and break things." Azul gives you a fake smile, but you can tell that he doesn’t want you anywhere close to his beloved Mostro lounge; not that you don’t feel bad, of course you do; you feel terrible about: you always end up breaking something without even wanting to! But since your curse, what can you do? But not this time!

“I’m sorry about everything that happened.” You apologize. Bring out the thing you kept behind your back, a bouquet of flowers that messed up. “I know these flowers don’t look good. I tried to get pretty ones, but somebody already has them." “I’ll take them,” he sighs, taking the flowers from your hand.

"I'll put them in my office.” Hearing those words made me smile brightly. “You don’t have to, but I’m grateful,” he said, smiling a real one this time.

𝒥𝒶𝒹𝑒 𝐿𝑒𝑒𝒸𝒽

He dealt with floyd making problems and messes wherever you went, but you, on the other hand, just break anything you touch or when slipped backwards with glasses in your hands and they break right beside your head and cut your face a little.

He’s your personal first aid kit, always there to patch you up whenever you get hurt, big or small.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

“I’m sorry for making a mess,” you apologize while Jade puts another bandage on one of the cuts on your face. "There's nothing to worry about, but you should be more careful.” He gives his signature smile. “I know, I know but what about the glasses? Azul will be really mad.” You worry before Jade puts another bandage on.

“He won’t be too mad. I’ll try to talk to him." Jade reassures you before putting on the final band aid on your forehead (where most of the cuts were) and before giving you a pat on the head. “Is there anywhere you can be taken care of?" "No, but thank you for helping me!” You smile, with a little pink colour on your cheeks.

𝐹𝓁𝑜𝓎𝒹 𝐿𝑒𝑒𝒸𝒽

Just picks you up and walks you out of the mostro lounge. Why? Well, because you're always making a mess wherever you go, it’s fun to watch and all, but Azul is going to get mad, and he does want to hear feet stomp like he’s in a tantrum again, so out you go, but in a nice way.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

“Hi Floy-“ you stop midway for Floyd to grab you and put you over his shoulder. "Sorry, shrimpy, you can’t be here. You make too many messes." Floyd sighs as if he’s sad. "Um, Floyd, if I’m not allowed anymore, I could just leave myself without you carrying me.” You smile awkwardly, trying to get him to let go of you.

"No, I'm going to take my own life." "Why" and “just because” you just let go on with the act, since pushing him more will just make him throw you into the water fountain. Not that he hasn’t done that already, though.

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[severalforraelee]

The Girls Part 13: Charles Leclerc x Reader

Photo credit to formula1.com

Word count: 4,548

Written by raelee / Posted Sep 15

Masterlist

Formula 1 Masterlist

The Girls Masterlist

“Goodnight,” I bend down, kissing the top of Lucy’s head. She peaks at me from behind her unicorn covered duvet with wide eyes. I hold back the eye roll, knowing what she really wants. “Dad is just saying goodnight to Ada, he’ll be here in a couple of minutes.”

“I’m right here, baby,” Charles suddenly appears behind me, leaning around me to gently caress Lucy’s jaw.  My heart flutters at the feeling of his chest pressed against my back. “Goodnight, we’ll see you in the morning.”

I whisper a hushed goodnight to Lucy, looking over at Ada’s bed to see her already asleep. Charles and I make our way out of their bedroom. I close the door behind me as Charles heads towards the kitchen, grabbing the pans from dinner to wash.

I linger in the short hallway, my fingers playing with each other nervously. I know Charles won’t be upset by what I have to say- in fact, I’m sure he’s going to be ecstatic about it. But I also know that he’s going to get that smug look that he always gets and I really don’t want to be told ‘I told you so’ right now.

“What’s up?” Charles asks, glancing over his shoulder at me.

It’s also nice to just stand here and watch the muscles in his back move as he washes the pan.

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you just staring at me?”

I shift my weight from one foot to the other, staring down at my painted toenails. It’s only when I look up to see that Charles has now turned around and is watching me in concern that I realize my actions might be giving off the wrong impression.

“Can we talk?”

“Yeah, of course,” he motions towards the table.

I pull out a chair, sitting on one side of the table while Charles sits on the other. He rests his forearms on the surface, leaning forward to show me that he’s fully engaged in whatever conversation we’re about to have.

“What do you want to talk about?” He asks.

I sigh, staring off to the side. I really want to put this off as long as I can. He reaches across the table, pulling my hands into his own. My heart stops as I shift my gaze forward, making eye contact with his gorgeous hazel eyes.

“Mon amour, you’re scaring me,” he whispers.

I’m suddenly aware of the way that I’ve been acting. I must look suspicious by avoiding eye contact and utilizing my nervous ticks.

“Oh, no, it’s not anything bad,” I reassure him, moving one of my hands up his arm to grab at his forearm. “I um, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately… that flat that you bought on the West End. Do you still have it?”

His eyebrows furrow in confusion. “Yeah, why?”

“Maybe I was too rash and harsh with my decision,” I say sheepishly, “This flat does get very crowded with all of the girls' toys and clothes and it would be nice to not have to call the landlord because something is broken every week.”

A knowing, yet smug, smile begins to make its way across his face. “So what are you saying?”

I give him an annoyed look. “Don’t make me say it.”

“Oh, I’m going to make you say it.”

“Fine, I’ll just never say it,” I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest. We stare at each other, waiting for the other one to break first.

We sit in silence.

Finally, he breaks, releasing a loud groan. “Fine, Y/N, will you, Ada, and Lucy move into a flat with me on the West End?”

“If it’ll make you feel better, we will move into a flat with you.” Now I’m the one giving him the smug smile.

He rolls his eyes, standing from the chair and pushing it back in. “How do you always have the upper hand?”

My mind flashes me back to those nights that Charles and I spent with each other between the sheets, bodies pressed against each other. When I make eye contact with Charles, he gives me a look that says that he knows what I was thinking about and that he was thinking of the same thing.

I didn’t have the upper hand then.

I stand from my chair, breaking both of us out of our lust-filled gazes and thoughts.

“That’s just the way that it is, baby.”

~

Y/N: I have off tomorrow so I’m going to take some of the things that we don’t use every day over to the new apartment

Charles: Sounds good, thanks. I can’t wait to see you and the girls more often.

Y/N: We can’t wait to see you more often too

“Oh, I know that grin,” Franny says in a sing-song tone.

My hand instantly locks my phone and I hold it close to my chest, looking up at her with wide eyes.

“Now that wasn’t suspicious at all.”

“What do you mean?” I question.

“The smile and blush while texting and then acting incredibly secretive about it. You don’t have to worry about our judgment, Y/N, we’re relaxed,” my manager encourages.

“I know who it is,” Kylie gives me a sly grin.

“Kylie,” I whine.

“What? Franny’s chill,” she shrugs.

I sigh, considering her words. It’s true, Franny is easy-going. And there’s nothing personal about not wanting to tell her who I’m blushing and smiling about, I know that she would be happy for me and encourage me to go after what my heart wants.

But… telling her makes it so much more real. I know from the way that my stomach flutters whenever I get a text or the way that my cheeks instantly redden when my phone rings with an incoming FaceTime call that my feelings for Charles have quickly turned into romantic ones. Saying it out loud and informing people means that other people will know. Which means they’ll ask me if I’ve asked him out yet, or kissed him, or done anything to turn our relationship romantic.

And with this public revelation- which admittedly has made us closer, causing a shift in our relationship and brought me and our daughters into the spotlight once again, I don’t want to do anything else to rock the boat.

“Franny…” I take a deep breath, “I think I like Charles.”

“Oh, I don’t think, I know,” Kylie adds, grabbing her tray and leaving the kitchen with a cheeky grin.

“Why don’t you look happy about it?” She asks cautiously.

“Because I’m not,” I cry out. “Charles is a great guy, and he’s awesome with Ada and Lucy and super cute but, I just can’t explore that with him right now, Franny. It just changes everything and I think everything has changed so much already lately.”

“I understand,” she agrees softly.

My gaze snaps to her in surprise, not expecting those words to exit her mouth. Kylie, the only other person I’ve talked about my feelings with, told me to go for it, which I expected. There’s so much encouragement to always chase your heart and do what you want because you only live once, but I don’t think people realize how much courage one must have to do those things.

“If you feel like not making a move is the best thing for everyone involved at this moment in time, don’t do it. But don’t push those emotions away entirely. One day the right time and place is going to come and you might want to confess them then,” she suggests.

I nod my head slowly. “That’s exactly how I feel, Franny. Thank you.”

~

As I carry the wad of bubble wrap from what’s going to be my bedroom into the main room, I’m distracted by the sound of my phone vibrating on the counter. I set the bubble wrap down, replacing its place in my hand with my phone. Lando’s contact photo shows up.

I hesitate, deciding whether to answer it or not. I’ve still been ignoring my siblings attempts to reach out, not on purpose anymore, though. I’ve just been busy with work, university, and being a full-time single mom again since Charles has had back-to-back race weekends lately, and moving with two toddlers definitely hasn’t been easy.

Heck, I’m sure Charles is growing concerned with how little I’ve been responding to him, and I talk to him the most.

Something inside tells me to answer the phone, though, so I do.

“Hey Lando.”

“Hey,” there’s an awkward pause, “How have you been?”

“Busy,” I confess, not wanting to expand much on that in fear of how Lando will react to me and Charles moving in together. That’s an argument that I don’t want to start when we have a million other things to fight about.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” he laughs. “Me too. Um, I just wanted to give you a heads up.”

I bite my lip in anxiety. That’s never a good thing to hear. I slide into one of the new barstools. “Okay, I’m sitting, lay it on me.”

“I saw that post about Ada and Lucy on that gossip page and then Charles’ post confirming it. And I was talking to mum about it last night and she kind of let it slip that our cousin Sarah, Aunt Beth’s daughter, was the one who was sharing the photos through an anonymous account on social media.”

It’s quiet as I digest the information.

“And she didn’t even tell me?” I whisper out.

“She didn’t know how,” he explains, and maybe it’s just my perception because of my relationship with my mother, but it sounds defensive. “You guys already don’t have the best relationship and she was afraid that adding this to the mix would make it even worse.”

“She still could’ve told me, this is my daughters lives and privacy, not just something like the grocery store being out of fucking popsicles,” I angrily wipe at the tears building in my eyes. “And Sarah- ugh, I’ve always known that she’s a bitch.”

“She gets it from Aunt Beth,” Lando agrees.

“Well, thanks for telling me, Lan.”

“Yeah, of course. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

I hang up the phone, setting it down to wipe at the remaining tears on my face. As soon as I do, my phone rings with another phone call.

If it’s that bitch Sarah I’m ripping her to shreds.

Instead, it’s just Charles. That’s sad, I was kind of looking forward to laying into Sarah.

She also stole my favorite Barbie doll when we were six.

“Hello?” I answer the phone.

“Hey,” he pauses, “Are you okay? You sound a little different.”

“Yeah, Lando just told me that our cousin was the one who shared the photos of the girls to the press.” I sniffle back the tears at the thought of the betrayal. 

I can't believe my own family would do something like that. Stabbing a family member in the back is the ultimate form of betrayal, and it’s something that we can never recover from, not that Sarah would care. It’s just embarrassing that it was someone so close to me- knowing that my family would sell out the privacy that I so desperately value and crave for my daughters is humiliating when you compare it to how loyal Charles’ family has been throughout this whole process. And he didn’t even know that he was a dad- that’d be some juicy gossip to leak to the press but they didn’t.

And my own mother not telling me? No matter what her excuse is, that’s a stab in the back.

“I’m sorry, Charles,” I add, letting out a bitter chuckle. “It’s so embarrassing to have a family that’s willing to go against our wishes like this.”

He’s quiet for a minute, which makes my heart race. Is he about to chew me out on how disloyal my family is? Tell me to delete all of my family off of my social media and never to speak to them again?

Instead, the words that leave his mouth surprise me.

“How would you feel about coming to visit Monaco?”

“What?” I stutter out.

“We have a week break between Mexico and Brazil. I can get a couple more days off, go back to England to help you pack and take care of the girls on the plane, and we can spend a week or so in Monaco. They can meet my brothers and mom, you can see my family again,” he suggests.

I know what he’s trying to do. Since I have a troubled relationship with my immediate family and now a strained relationship with my extended family, he’s extending his family to me. He wants the girls to meet his family because in a way, them being loved by his family is a way of me being loved by his family. And at least then the girls can have a healthy relationship with one side of their family.

“I don’t know, Charles,” I confess hesitantly. “Don’t you think it’s too much right now? With moving and your recent post, don’t you think it’s too busy and the spotlight is on you right now?”

“Mon amour, I don’t think there’s a better time to do it.”

I take a deep breath, nodding before I realize that he can’t see me. “Okay. Yeah, we’ll go to Monaco.”

~

“Do you want me to grab anything, Charles?” I ask, watching as he stumbles and drops another bag.

“No, just take care of them,” he nods at Ada and Lucy. I nod silently, watching him struggle as he leads us down the hallway, Ada gripping one of my hands and Lucy gripping the other.

“Where are we going?” My eyes dart around nervously. 

I let Charles handle all of the details around this trip. Despite my need to be in control and in the know, with everything on my plate right now I just thought it would be best for Charles to figure out flight details and where we’re staying.

“To the private jet landing.” He glances back at me before I can question him about it, dropping Ada’s backpack. She lets out a shriek at the action and he gives her a quiet apology, picking it up. “I told Max about how nervous you are flying with the girls for the first time and he offered for us to use AirMax.”

I smile at the act of consideration, my chest fluttering at the thought of him talking about me to his rival. “Thank you, Charles.”

~

Despite it being a little over an hour’s long plane ride to Nice, Ada passes out in the first five minutes of the flight. Charles is seated in the window seat while I’m sitting next to him, Ada nestled in the crook of his arm between the plane wall and his body with her eyes closed and her stuffed dolphin gifted from Lando gripped tightly in her hands.

Lucy sits on my lap, trying her best to play with her stuffed moose but finding it difficult with her eyes constantly opening and closing. Finally, she succumbs to sleep, her entire little body splayed out on top of mine. I do my best to shift into a more comfortable position without waking her, freezing when she begins to move.

“Hey,” the Ferrari driver catches my attention, motioning for me to put my arm on the aisle armrest.

I do so, watching as he slowly rests his free arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his side.

It’s like my breathing stops because I’m so close to him. I haven’t been this close to him in a long time.

I can smell his cologne.

“Is this okay?” He murmurs into my ear.

“Yeah,” I whisper, looking down at Lucy to hide my blush. I adjust her body so that her head is resting on my arm on the armrest, the rest of her body laying across my lap and into Charles’ lap.

It’s still not the most comfortable position- but I’m not going to tell Charles that.

For now I’m going to be grateful that I’m able to be so close to him again.

~

Spending time with Charles in Monaco is special. From the way that his eyes light up while showing the girls his old school, or the way that he lifts them into his yacht, everything is used as an opportunity for him to show our toddlers his home and safe space.

“Gentle, Lucy,” I wince as she runs her hand along the side of the black convertible, painted nails that need to be trimmed making a quiet noise along the paint.

Charles chuckles at the action and I look over at him with a playful glare.

“It’s an expensive car, Charles, it costs like trillions of dollars,” I point out like he doesn’t already know.

“I know it’s expensive, it’s my car. And it didn’t cost trillions of dollars.” He moves around the car, rubbing his thumb against a mark that Lucy left. It doesn't come off. “And I can always just buy new cars.”

I roll my eyes at his nonchalant attitude, watching as Ada and Lucy run around the room filled with all of Charles’ expensive and exotic cars. One of the first places he wanted to take us in Monaco was to see his car collection in the museum, and he even got the place shut down so that we didn’t have to worry about any wandering eyes or sly photographs.

“So tonight my mom is going to make pasta and chicken. Do you want alfredo sauce or marinara sauce?” Charles asks, looking down at his phone.

“Either works.”

He glances up at me but I watch as Ada falls onto the ground, instantly picking herself back up. He finishes his text before shoving his phone into his pocket, looking back over at me.

“What’s up with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“The whole purpose of this trip was for my family to meet the girls and for you to see them again but you act weird whenever I mention them,” he comments.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He gives me an unimpressed look at the response.

“Fine, I’m nervous that your family doesn’t like me,” I confess.

“What do you mean? When you worked for Lando and spent all of your time in the paddock my family loved talking to you.”

“Yeah but that was years ago. And since then I’ve had your babies and kind of, you know, kept them a secret from you,” I say sheepishly, still embarrassed by my behavior.

“My family is a lot more empathetic than you think, Y/N.”

A lot more empathetic than your family, are the hidden words.

“Yeah, maybe I’m overthinking it,” I sigh, watching as the girls poke a tire and giggle.

A familiar arm winds its way around my waist and we stand together, watching our daughters play.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right beside you the whole time.”

~

“Mama, we’re home,” Charles cheers as he enters through the front door, holding it open for me.

My heart beats fast in my chest with anxiety as I follow behind him, Lucy clenched tightly in my arms as a comfort blanket while Ada’s in Charles’ arms.

There’s shrieking and then footsteps running on the hardwood floor, Pascale suddenly appearing before us.

“Oh,” she coos, reaching out to hold Ada’s face in her hands. Ada stares shyly back at her nana, unsure of how to act. Pascale makes the same noise, caressing Lucy’s face now. In true Lucy fashion, she flashes a charming smile, leaning into her nana’s hold.

“Hi Y/N,” Pascale grins at me.

I give a soft smile back, surprised by the warm welcome. Of course I didn’t expect a toxic environment, Charles’ family is and has always been very kind and welcoming. And we do have a good history with each other. Just not a good recent history…

“I’m going to go check on the pasta, everyone else is in the living room,” Pascale informs us before heading off towards the kitchen.

Charles leads the way into the living room where his two brothers and two women, presumably their girlfriends, are chatting. Arthur and Lorenzo stand once they see us, pulling Charles into bro hugs.

To my surprise, Arthur turns to me.

“Hey, Y/N,” he leans forward, giving me a one-armed hug as to not disturb Lucy’s position.

“Hi, Arthur.”

“How’s it going?” Lorenzo questions, pulling me into another one-armed hug.

“Good, how are you?”

“Good. So this is Lucy?” He reaches forward, lightly brushing his pinky along her knuckles.

She stares at him inquisitively, but doesn’t back down. Ada, on the other hand, shies back into Charles’ arms as Arthur grins at her. Hurt flashes over Arthur’s face and my chest pangs at the action. I should’ve thought about the girls’ reactions to eventually meeting Charles’ family when I decided to never introduce them to him. I just never thought about these things.

“Looks like you should’ve trained her better,” one of the women comments.

“She’s a toddler, not a dog, Charlotte,” Charles tries to appear like he’s joking but his tone is tense.

“Dinner’s ready,” Pascale calls out before an argument begins.

The other girl introduces herself to me on the way to the dining room as Carla, Arthur’s girlfriend, while Charlotte is Lorenzo’s girlfriend.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know if the girls used a special kind of booster seat so I just got whatever they had at the store,” Pascale apologizes to me.

“Oh no, these work perfectly fine. You didn’t have to buy these for us,” I tell her.

“Nonsense, now we have them for the next time they come,” she smiles at me.

I smile back, turning to face Charles as he places a hand on my back. “I can get our plates if you want to get the girls situated.”

I nod, helping the girls settle into their seats. Charles gets the plates ready for Ada, Lucy, me, and himself, and we settle around the table with the rest of his family.

“So Y/N, Charles says that you’re studying journalism,” Arthur makes conversation as we eat.

“Yeah, I am.”

“When are you done studying?”

“I actually fast-tracked my program so I’m graduating next year,” I inform them.

“Do you know what you’re doing after you graduate?” Carla questions.

“I’d like to work in true crime journalism.”

I know it’s just small talk, but this kind of feels like an interrogation. Maybe it’s because I’m not used to being asked about my life, or having adult conversations at all, but it feels like they’re trying to figure me out. Which I understand, because I’ve become a crucial figure in Charles’ life, but it doesn’t make me any less nervous.

“Do you know where?”

Arthur asks the question that makes me understand. They’re not trying to catch me saying something that they don’t like, they’re trying to bring me further into Charles’ life. Part of it is probably for Charles’ benefit, and the other part is probably because they want to see Ada and Lucy more as well.

My heart soars at that thought.

“I haven’t thought about that yet,” I admit.

“Well, you should. As a mother you should plan,” Charlotte comments snottily.

“Being a mother makes it harder to plan,” I joke.

Everyone laughs except Charlotte, who gives me a glare.

We make small talk throughout the rest of dinner and I feel myself calming down and becoming more comfortable. Ada and Lucy become more comfortable as well, leaving with Charlotte, Carla, Charles, Lorenzo, and Arthur to go out on the balcony and watch the sunset.

“I can help you cleanup, Pascale,” I offer, bringing dirty dishes into the kitchen.

“You’re such a dear,” she sighs in relief.

She begins to wash the dishes in the sink as I stand by with a dishcloth to dry.

“I know Charlotte was rude towards you tonight but just ignore it. Charles was very upset when he first found out about the girls and she never got over that reaction, no matter how many times he told us that your relationship is better now,” she reassures me.

I nod weakly, not sure how to respond to that. I feel bad thinking it, but I don’t know how it’s any of Charlotte’s business. From what I gathered during dinner, Charlotte and Lorenzo’s relationship is fairly new, so it’s not like she’s known Charles for such a long time that his emotions greatly affect hers. But even then… if Charles could find a way to get over it, why couldn’t she? And why would she constantly feel the need to comment her negative feelings about it, especially in front of our daughters?

“Look at that,” Pascale laughs, staring out the window towards the balcony where Lorenzo holds Ada in his arms, playing got-your-nose with her while she watches in wonder.

It’s a sweet moment between an uncle and his niece. But it reminds me of all of the moments that I’ve robbed from them. And it’s not like they were feeling love and affection from my side of the family either- so for almost two years they’ve been neglected from feeling grandparent and aunt or uncle love. They could be running into Lorenzo or Arthur’s arms instead of just meeting them for the first time.

Tears prick in my eyes at the thought.

“I’m sorry, Pascale,” my voice cracks.

She turns to face me with concern, face breaking once she sees mine. “Oh, darling.”

The facet turns off and she dries her hands, pulling me into a hug. My arms wind around her tightly and I hug her, appreciating the feeling of a motherly hug for as long as I can.

“I know you are,” she reassures me, rubbing my back. “I also know how much you’ve changed and grown. Charles tells these stories about you and his face just lights up. You’ve made mistakes, yes, but his admiration for has never and will never fade. In fact, seeing you as a mother has made it grow.”

I stare at her with wide eyes. Charles admires me? I guess I kind of knew that already from him not bringing up the custody conversation anymore, but I’ve never actually had any confirmation about it. But hearing it from his mom… it must be true.

“I’ll never hurt him again, Pascale, I swear,” I whisper to her.

“I believe you.”

She pulls away from me, going back to washing the dishes. I dry them and we talk about everything and anything. We talk about Lando’s successful season, I sway her away from asking about the rest of my family, then I ask her about the latest haircut trends.

By the end of the night, I’m carrying a sleeping Ada in my arms as Charles carries a sleeping Lucy, shoes and sweatshirts on so we can head back over to Charles’ flat for the night.

“Do you want to do a family beach day tomorrow?” Arthur suggests.

I smile at him. “That sounds fun.”

[https-harlow]

Fight The Feeling Part 16- Becoming Parents

Summary - You give birth to you and Jack's daughter.

Warnings - Labor, and C-sections

“I’m telling you I shouldn’t go, what if you go into labor while I’m gone?” Jack asked. It had been a few weeks since your Bahama’s trip, and you were about a week away from your due date. Jack had booked two club shows in Las Vegas before either of you knew you were pregnant. With everything else, the club shows had slipped Jack’s mind until he was reminded by his team.

“You’ll be gone less than 12 hours, our families are here, Clay can come stay with me, it will be okay. You’re going to have a private jet, and you can fly in right before your show and out right after.” You reassured him.

“I just, I don’t even like going home for two hours and leaving you alone. I don’t want to be in a completely different state. I’m just going to cancel.”

“Jack, I’m telling you it will be fine. The doctor said I’ll probably go into labor late, ”

“Okay, I won’t cancel, but if you show even one sign of going into labor I’m canceling,” Jack said. 

Over the next few days, Jack practically had Neelam on speed dial and prepared to cancel the show at a moment's notice. He had been staying at your apartment, not wanting you to be alone when you went into labor. If Jack had to go to his apartment, he tried to be gone for an hour or less. He had brought a lot of his stuff that he needed over, but he was far from moved in.

The night before Jack was supposed to leave for Las Vegas, you barely got any sleep, you were uncomfortable, which wasn’t uncommon. What was uncommon was the amount of contractions you had overnight, nothing consistent, you just assumed they were Braxton hicks as you had been getting more and more of them recently. Though Braxton hicks usually went away, and by the time Jack woke up, you were on hour three of them.

You were in the kitchen, eating a toasted frozen waffle, your most recent craving when Jack walked.

“Good morning, what are you doing up already?” Jack asked, due to your trouble sleeping, Jack was used to waking up before you.

“I couldn’t sleep, then I decided I wanted waffles,” You said, and Jack pretended to shake his head disapprovingly.

“How are you feeling?” 

“I feel okay, I feel like I could be having contractions, but I can’t tell if they are just Braxton hicks or not,” You said, Jack immediately pulled out his phone.

“Have you been timing them?” He asked and you shook your head.

“Not officially, but I think they’ve been every like 15 minutes.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Jack asked, stealing a bite of your waffle. You glared at him.

“Stealing your pregnant girlfriend's waffle while she’s in labor isn’t nice, you know.”

“Oh, I’ll make you another one, plus, if I asked you before I stole a bite of your waffle would you have said you were in labor?” Jack asked teasingly, walking around the counter.

“No, I wouldn’t have. But I didn’t wake you up because the contractions don’t hurt that bad, they are just uncomfortable, and honestly, I didn’t even think they were contractions until an hour ago.”

“Fine, but you should have woken me up anyway,” Jack said, putting another waffle into the toaster. “I’m also making a decision to cancel my show.”

“Jack,”

“Nope, don’t want to hear it, you’re having contractions, I’m texting Neelam, and I’m not going to Vegas tonight. It will be okay, you and the baby come first,” Jack said, texting Neelam quickly before he pulled your waffle out of the toaster. “Wait, aren’t you supposed to not be eating if you're in labor?” Jack asked.

“Well, it’s really early, so I think I’m fine, plus I think that only applies once we get to the hospital. I’m not really sure.” You said, Jack brought you your waffle on a plate. “Thank you.” 

“Should I call your doctor and let her know you went into labor?” Jack asked. “Oh, should I call our parents? Wait, I need to put our bags in the car.” Now that Jack was a little more awake, the reality of the situation was hitting him, and he was starting to panic. He didn’t know what to do first.

“We should probably time my contractions before we do anything.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re right,” Jack calmed down, but you could tell by his fidgeting that he was still nervous.

“But if it makes you feel better, you can put the bags in the car.” Jack nodded immediately and got up, rushing to put the bags in his car.

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Jackharlowfan37 Jack via his ig story

Jackharlowfan 492 WHAT

JackandYNfan3 OMG OMG what if the baby is born

YNfan19 I don’t think they’ve said the due date right? JackandYNfan302 Why did he cancel the day of? If it’s the baby, he shouldn’t have scheduled a show so close to her due date.

About two hours of timing your contractions, you and Jack realized that your contractions were regular, but after calling your doctor, you all decided that your contractions were still too far apart to go to the hospital.

You were in the middle of a contraction, when there was a knock on your door. 

“Oh shit, it’s probably Urban, I didn’t tell him we aren’t going to Vegas.”

“You can go answer it,” You said.

“You sure?” Jack asked, and you nodded.

“Yeah, it’s Urban, I don’t care. Plus he was supposed to be bringing me cookies from that place by his apartment, so you better let him in,” You joked and Jack laughed, getting up and answering the door. Jack came back a minute later, Urban following behind him.

“My best friends are going to be parents!” Urban cheered as he stepped into your living room.

“What did you think was happening the last 9 months? Don’t tell me you thought I ate a watermelon seed this whole time,” You joked, both Urban and Jack looking at you confused. “What? Did your parents never tell you if you swallowed a watermelon seed, you’d grow a watermelon in your stomach?”

“No?” Urban said, and Jack shook his head. “But, here are your cookies, let me know when you guys go to the hospital, I can’t wait to meet my niece, and I’m still down to take some newborn photos of her whenever you guys are ready.” Urban reminded you both before leaving.

Over the next 3 hours, your contractions picked up quite a bit. Since they were about five minutes apart, your doctor suggested you go to the hospital. Your doctor made sure there was a room ready for you, and when you arrived, you were led through a side entrance.

Once you were in the room, you were checked by a nurse. You were 4cm dilated, and due to the fact that the baby was low, and your water hadn’t broken yet, they decided to break your water. Even though you were 4cm dilated, your contractions weren’t very strong yet, so they thought breaking your water would induce your labor.

And they were right. You had the goal of giving birth without an epidural, but after 3 hours of your contractions being stronger, and you weren’t sure you were going to.

“You’re so fucking lucky I forgave you before I went into labor, because I’m not so sure that I would have after this,” You said, half joking. 

“I wish there was something more I could do. You know you can get the epidural, you don’t have to prove to yourself that you can give birth without it. I know that you can, and if you want to, that’s completely fine. But epidural or not, the result is going to be the same. We’re getting a baby either way.” Jack knew you were stubborn, and while he wanted the decision to get an epidural or not to be yours, he also hated seeing you in pain.

“I know, I want to try though,” You said and Jack nodded.

Jack didn’t leave your side. Literally. Even when your nurse suggested bouncing on a yoga ball, Jack pulled up a chair and sat in front of you. Jack placed his hands on your hips to help steady you as you leaned into him, resting your forehead on his shoulder.

Several hours later, after being checked several times by nurses, they came to the conclusion that despite your contractions getting stronger since they broke your water, you weren’t progressing naturally. 

The doctor started you on pitocin to try to get your labor to progress, which is also when you decided to get the epidural. You needed relief from your contractions. You even took a nap, Jack still not leaving your side.

“J?” You asked, Jack immediately looked up from his phone.

“Oh shit, didn’t realize you woke up.”

“It’s okay, I just woke up. Can you hand me my ice?” You asked and Jack nodded.

“Of course,” Jack got up, grabbing your cup and bringing it to you.

“Thank you.”

“How are you feeling?” Jack asked, pushing your hair out of your face.

“Tired, but the epidural helped a lot with the pain.”

“I’m sorry.” Jack kissed the top of your head. “I really wish I could help.”

“Jack, it’s okay. You’re literally doing everything that you can. You have been more than supportive, I promise,” You said, and Jack nodded.

Soon after you woke up, a nurse came in to check you again, but you still weren’t progressing.

“So, since you aren’t progressing, we have some options,” She said. “We can continue the pitocin, the baby is handling contractions well, her heart rate occasionally drops just below the normal amount, but nothing concerning since it comes right back up. Or we can start considering a C-Section. I don’t feel comfortable upping the pitocin because of how the baby's heart rate is,” The doctor explained.

“How much longer do you think we should wait?” You asked. 

“I’d say an hour, we’ll keep a close eye on babies heart rate, if we feel like we should stop the pitocin sooner, we will. If you progress, then we will decide if we want to keep trying, but if not, I would recommend going the route of a c-section.” 

You were able to hold it together until the doctor walked out, but as soon as she did, you burst into tears. Jack sat on the edge of the hospital bed, wrapping his arms around you, kissing the top of your head.

“I’m sorry, I know this isn’t what you wanted,” Jack apologized.

“I feel so stupid for being upset. I want her to be healthy, and I can’t wait for her to be here. I just didn’t imagine my labor going like this. I didn’t want this epidural, and I didn’t want a c-section.”

“It’s okay to be upset,” Jack said.

“I’m just scared.”

“It’s okay to be scared too, but nothing’s going to happen to you, I’ll be right by your side,” Jack promised. Secretly he was terrified too. All he wanted was for you and the baby to be safe and healthy.

Jack spent the next hour sitting on the edge of your bed, whispering comforting words to you. By the time the doctor came back to check you, you had time to process everything, so you felt better. It wasn’t what you wanted, but you knew no matter what you were going to be able to hold your daughter, so that’s all that mattered. You hadn’t progressed since the doctor last checked you, so she stopped the pitocin, and after explaining the process of a c-section, everyone was on the same page and agreed it was the best thing to do.

After that, everything moved quickly, and you were being wheeled into the operating room. You were prepped before Jack was allowed into the room. Jack stood up by your head as a sheet was placed to block your view of your stomach. Jack rubbed his hand on your shoulder, giving you something else to focus on other than the surgery that was about to happen.

The c-section went quickly and within minutes you and Jack heard your daughter crying. You looked up at Jack, who was tearing up as he looked towards your daughter. Nurses quickly checked her over before she was laid on your chest, you wrapped your arms around her and Jack gently rested his hand on top of her head.

“She’s beautiful,” Jack whispered, looking down at you, kissing you as you looked up at him. “I’m so proud of you.”

You both kept your full attention on the baby as you were stitched up. Once the doctors were done, you were wheeled into a recovery room. 

“Can I hold her?” Jack asked.

“She’s your daughter too, of course you can,” You said, you and Jack carefully exchanging her.

“She’s so small,” Jack said, brushing the tips of his finger against her cheek. He studied every detail of her face as he looked at her, holding her close to his chest. “It doesn’t feel real that we are parents to someone as special as her.”

“She really is so special already. We’re lucky to be her parents.” Jack held her for a little while until you were wheeled out of recovery and back to your room. Now that you were feeling a little better, you held her again.

“She looks like you,” You said, looking over at Jack before looking down at her again.

“You think so? I think she looks like you,” Jack said, gently pushing her blanket away from her face.

“She has your eyes, that’s for sure,” You said, “I can’t wait for everyone to meet her. She is going to be so loved.”

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Yourusername A little sneak peak into my camera roll recently, featuring Madelyn Willow Harlow.

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Jackharlow I've never been in awe of someone more than I am of my daughter, Madelyn Willow Harlow, and Y/Ninsta for giving birth to our daughter. I don't think I can put into words how special it has been for me to watch Y/N bring our daughter into the world. Pregnancy isn't easy, and I know that labor certainly wasn't any easier. It certainly didn't go the way we expected, but you handled it amazingly. I'm so lucky that I get to go through the journey of parenting with you. Even though it's only been a few days, and we're both sleep deprived, I think we're handling it well so far.

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