#but we'll see if i end up writing this as angst 👀

[chimcess]

Waterlog || pjm (3)

Pairing: Jimin x Reader Other tags: Olympic Swimmer!Jimin, Ex Olympic Swimmer! Reader, Swim Coach!Reader Genre: Strangers to Friends to Lovers!AU, Coach!AU, Swimming!AU, HEAVY Angst, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, fluff, eventual smut, I'm so soft for these two it's crazy. Word Count: 12.2k+ Synopsis: After a car accident ends her athletic career, Y/N has slowly started rebuilding her life again as a high school swim coach. That’s until she gets a request from an old friend and finds herself back in the spotlight as the new coach of Olympic swimmer, Park Jimin. Warnings: toxic relationship (not reader and jimin), arguments, cheating (not reader and jimin), talks about previous child abuse, anxiety attack, strong language, crying, emotional abuse (not reader and jimin), talks of bad parental relationships, abandonment issues, some PTSD, prescription medication use, mentions of depression and mental health, lots of angst in this one, finally making some progress though, age insecurity, mutual pining, lots of side character development in this one, they really are so sweet together, jimin just being the nicest boy in the world, so much PDA, physical touch is his love language 👀👀👀, writing this is so comforting even when its angsty lol, i think that's it, let me know if I missed something A/N: Hello hello. Probably my favorite chapter to date. Bad news is that I think this series might be a little longer than originally intended. My inability to just get to the point has things moving a little slow, but I'm trying my best. We'll have to see, though! Hope you enjoy reading :)

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Time went by quickly. Wednesday and Friday morning, Jimin and I met up to train for a few hours and then got breakfast together. When he asked if I wanted to work out with him in the evenings, I agreed. In the beginning, I had given him pointers, but after the second week came to a close, we had started exercising in silence. We spotted one another, made small talk, and went to dinner on the nights he did not go home to be with his parents. We got along and I was happy my overwhelming attraction to him had slowly calmed down.

I was still aware of his presence, the way he smelled, and how often he smiled and laughed, but I had grown used to seeing him walking around in barely anything at all. Hoseok called me a cougar whenever we had time to chat while Andy kept telling me to talk with Jimin about how I felt, but I had gotten very good at deflecting. Things were better and I was taking my wins whenever I could get them. Even if those wins meant I went home sexually frustrated and aching for someone to make it better.

Jimin was packing up for the night and I was getting ready to head out. He had plans with a large group of his friends, so I would have to figure out dinner by myself this time. He invited me but I politely declined. I could vaguely recall how rude his friends from that restaurant had been, and that one girl's mean glare. I had no interest in repeating that.

Giselle waved at me on her way out which I returned with a smile. She was a very sweet, college girl and getting to know her was fun. Her brother moved out here six years ago and was the only reason she left Memphis. In-State tuition and a rent-free bedroom was all it took to convince her to spend some quality time with her big brother and his dog, Lucky.

She and Sam were the closest, but I would often see her eating lunch with Megan when he was with a client. Everyone was making bets on when they would eventually hook up, but I was convinced that had already happened and they were keeping it a secret from the nosy staff.

"See you tomorrow," Yoongi called out from across the room, seemingly appearing out of thin air.

He was out of eyesight before I could reply.

"Bye Yoon," Giselle sing-songed anyway, shoving her ear buds in and leaving before the door could close behind Yoongi. "Night guys!"

As the young woman said, Yoongi and Megan were the two most important people to befriend. Not just for massages either. The both of them were hilarious and kept the back fridge stocked with our favorite snacks. On the mornings I did not have time to eat breakfast, Megan stopped and got me a muffin and coffee from her favorite cafe. If I needed someone to help me out in the pool, Yoongi was always happy to offer himself for the job. It was challenging for me to focus on my swimming when Jimin was around, and I would often come in early to get a quick work out in before he got here.

“You okay getting home?” Jimin asked.

We had come together tonight, and he had offered to drive us in his truck. I had grown very fond of the green machine, which Jimin affectionately called Fiona, and I jumped at the chance to get in his passenger seat. We were usually riding around in my car since it was better on gas.

“Yeah, I’m riding with Sam.”

Sam and I had grown close as well. He was super funny and always down to hang out with me if I showed up by myself. On the odd Sunday I felt like getting out of the house, I found myself at the gym with Sam. I was currently attempting to teach him how to swim and always filled in for Yoongi on the weekends.

Jimin nodded, “Good. See you this weekend?”

I smiled, “Can’t miss your big party.”

Jimin’s 24th birthday was on the 13th and his family liked to go big. Eloise was clearing out an entire section in their restaurant for all of us, and I had found myself teamed up with Taehyung to help with the planning. Na-Yeon put everything in his hands since she was not feeling up to the task this year. I only agreed to help when I realized just how overboard the snowboarder would go if no one was there to reel him back in. So far, I had placed the responsibility of decorating, music, and organizing the gift table on my shoulders. James had pulled me aside and thanked me when he found out. Apparently, he was also worried about Taehyung’s enthusiasm. 

“It should be fun,” He nodded. “I’m going to head out.”

“See you tomorrow,” We had finally started coming 5 days a week. "We're working on your turns. Butterflies, too. Be prepared.”

He groaned, “You’re torturing me, coach.”

I laughed, “Is the baby upset?”

“Very,” He winked. My mouth went dry. Sometimes I felt silly for getting nervous around him, especially when I knew he flirted with everyone. I was not special. “See you Saturday.”

“Yeah,” I mumbled as I stared at his retreating back. “See you.”

Jimin’s birthday passed quietly. We had a great time and ate well. Taehyung got drunk enough to suggest karaoke once we cleared out the place for the night, and he and Na-yeon had all of us cracking up. I finally met Jungkook’s girlfriend, a pretty girl who did not talk very much, and I could feel the tension between the two of them. Jimin said that was just how they were and to ignore it.

After Jungkook successfully shoved Jimin's face into his cake, we opened presents. The boys got him tons of workout clothes and gear, Eloise bought him a new blender, and his parents both chipped in to get the new video game he had been talking about picking up.

I gifted him a bottle of his favorite cologne after Na-Yeon mentioned he was out. Jo Malone was the most distracting thing in my life right now, its scent clinging to the passenger side of my car most days and driving me insane if Jimin stood too close. Still, it was something I did not think I could part with now. Jimin was happy with the present and hugged me after opening it. I was positive I had this stupid grin on my face for the rest of the night.

By Halloween we were in the gym every day, save Sunday and the occasional Saturday when Jimin needed some time to rest. We both kept our word, our conversation at the restaurant we went to with Jungkook and Taehyung sticking better than I thought it would. Overtime he got more confident when asking for a break and I was a professional at picking up on his body language. We were a good team, and I was confident he would be in great shape for the Olympics.

It was mid-November now and Taehyung had finally gotten around to getting us together for the sushi date in Detroit. I had just gotten out of the shower when Jimin messaged he was going to come along. His mom had a rough Sunday and could not go to their usual dance class, so he had stayed with her instead. He looked worn out when he walked inside the pool room Monday morning so instead of training, I just sent him home. We were meeting back up on Wednesday to get back to work, but it seemed Jungkook’s nagging finally convinced him to come out with the rest of us.

My relationships with his friends had also started to improve. Taehyung had added me to their group chat a few weeks back and I had tried to keep up with them as often as I could remember to. It was not difficult. They text so often I had to silence notifications for the chat, but I had to admit they were really funny. Jungkook especially.

I was happy to spend time with everyone and getting out of the house sounded nice. Violet and Calvin were great, and I did enjoy eating dinner with them sometimes, but I would be lying if I said they would be my first choice to spend time with.

I had grown close enough with Taehyung during the partying planning that his bubbly, over the top personality had become more endearing than overwhelming. We had gone to lunch a few times together, his boldness only increasing with each meet up, and he could hold me hostage for hours if I let him. Milo was typically my saving grace, and Taehyung would leave with a wet kiss to my cheek and promises of the same time next week.

Tae: Y/N should pick you up

Jimin: Why???

Kookie: Your truck is ass

I chuckled and sent off a text of my own before going to my dresser to find something warm to wear. 

Me: I don’t mind driving

Me: Don’t hate on the truck. I like it.

My phone chimed a few times but I ignored it for now. I knew I wanted to wear a pair of dark, navy jeans. It was freezing outside so a long sleeve was a must, but I could get away with just two layers. My hands found a mustard-yellow turtleneck and I smiled. I could wear my brown boots with it. Happy with my outfit, I checked on the chat.

Jimin: U sure?

Tae: The truck is GREEN

Tae: Already a crime

Kookie: It can’t go over 60

Darcy: omg stop blowing my phone up 

Darcy: just ride with her dude

Jimin: Y/N?

I rolled my eyes. I hated when he did that. Jimin had the habit of double and triple checking in with someone. It was sweet but it also drove me insane. There was nothing more I disliked than repeating myself, especially if I already agreed to something. 

Me: I’ll pick you up in 30, k?

Jimin: Thanks

Darcy: Was that so hard?

I frowned. So, Darcy was in a bad mood then. Shouldn't take it out on Jimin, I thought. Even if she was having a bad day, something that seemed to be a reoccurring theme with her, it doesn't mean she can just talk to people like that. Fighting the urge to give into my annoyance and call her out, I tossed my phone on my bed and made myself finish getting ready.

Walking into the living room, I went on a hunt for the jacket I wanted to wear. It was the same color as my leather boots with sherpa trim. It would tie everything together and, I hoped, would keep Taehyung from complaining too much about the “offensive” color of my shirt. He had a hard time accepting anything in the yellow or green family. Finding it on the sofa, I nodded and left it be. I would grab it on my way out. 

It took me more time to get my hair figured out than anything, but once I gave up and did the same thing that I did every day, it worked itself. After that, I put on a little bit of makeup since I figured it would not take me very long. This was a casual outing with friends and the dim lights of the sushi place would give me some grace if things were not perfect. A nice base, simple eye look, and a layer of mascara already had me looking more awake than I had in months. After applying a layer of lip gloss and a misting of setting spray, I was out of the door, jacket keeping me warm, and purse tucked under my arm. 

I drove in silence, like I always did, and pulled onto the curb of Jimin’s house. Sending a text to the chat, I waited for him to come out. I was a few minutes later than I said I would be, but Jimin found a way to be late for everything, so I did not feel that bad about it. Taehyung and Milo were already on leaving Ann Arbor, and Jungkook and Darcy riding with them. They would only beat us there by fifteen minutes or so, but I hoped he would hurry up and come outside. Taehyung worked hard for those reservations.

My phone vibrated and I stared at the little device in my cup holder. It was weird how my anxiety fluctuated on a daily basis. Back home, I could talk on the phone and hold a conversation behind the wheel, but ever since I came to Michigan it felt like I had taken three massive steps back. Taking a few deep breaths, I told myself that I was safe. I was parked, completely stationary, and no one was around. No traffic meant no accidents. Sucking in a harsh breath, I picked it up.

Jimin: Be out in a sec

Jimin: Just making sure mom is okay

He had not left his mother’s house in days. I was worried about Na-Yeon, but I had to believe that Jimin would tell me if something was seriously wrong with her. I had truly started to feel connected with the woman. We joked over dinner and I found myself helping her out more and more each time I came by. It would devastate me if she passed away without me knowing how bad it had gotten. 

Me: Take your time

He came out only two minutes later. Wearing a heavy, black puffy jacket and tight pants, Jimin leisurely walked over and got into the car. His cologne hit me as soon as the door opened, and I bit my lip, trying to hide the deep inhale I took. Jo fucking Malone.

He smiled at me but otherwise kept quiet as I drove. He knew I had a difficult time behind the wheel and tried his best to keep conversation light. While I normally appreciated the sentiment, I did not want to make him sit in silence for 45 minutes. Opening and closing my mouth a few times, I struggled to come up with a good conversation topic.

We often bounced from idea to idea, mostly sticking to swimming and music, and I always found our little talks to be very insightful. Movies and tv shows had been fun to bond over, a small generational gap introducing us to shit we had never heard of before. There were so many things I could bring up, things that Jimin would jump at the idea to talk about. Still, I could not find my voice.

“So,” I started, awkwardly, trying to push past the blockade of anxiety. “Is this place as good as Tae says or is he going off on one of his rants again?”

Jimin chuckled softly. “It’s pretty good, but it’s still just sushi. Taehyung finds a way to make everything sound extravagant.”

We shared a quiet laugh. 

“It was nice of him to invite me,” My hands gripped the wheel tighter. We were starting to approach more populated areas. “He didn’t have to do that.”

Jimin snorted childishly, the sound relaxing me ever so slightly. If there was one thing I hated was driving at night. I was lucky the snow had stopped falling yesterday afternoon and the roads were clear, but a part of me wished I had asked Jimin to drive.

Traffic in Saline was lighter than any town back in Colorado, and driving around was a breeze in comparison. At home, you were lucky if there was only one accident a day, but more times than not I had been stuck on the interstate for hours because of multiple car crashes. Michigan felt less hectic; safer. Not safe enough to let my guard down, but safe enough to listen to Jimin when he spoke.

“Taehyung is just that kind of guy.”

I nodded; eyes glued to the road. I wanted to say something and keep our conversation flowing, but the more cars around us the more I tuned him out. My eyes flickered between my rearview mirror, side mirrors, and windshield rapidly as I drove. Once we were out of Saline and on I-94, I loosened my grip on the wheel. We would not hit much traffic until we were closer to Detroit.

Jimin stayed quiet and looked out the window. I wanted to thank him for being so understanding, but I knew he would not want me to. I kept my thoughts to myself and focused on the road. Jimin began to hum an unfamiliar tune.

My hands were shaking when we pulled up to the restaurant. Traffic had gotten pretty bad coming into the city, but we had picked a good day to come out. Jimin hummed and sang underneath his breath for most of the car ride, and we had a few small sporadic conversations when I felt the knots in my stomach loosen for a few brief moments.

"It's been forever since I've come here," Jimin said to himself, going to unbuckle his seat belt. "It looks pretty filled up."

Bash was a sushi place across from Wayne State University's football field and was one Taehyung’s favorite restaurants. He bragged about how delicious their food was for weeks before finally wearing me down with the promise of picking up the tab. He made reservations for their omakase, or “chef’s choice,” and promised I would get his obsession.

When I talked to Megan about it, she had said it was an expensive meal, so I was going to try and force myself to enjoy it regardless of my own personal feelings. Jimin seemed to like it here, and we usually enjoyed a lot of the same foods, so it made me feel a bit better about things.

I had to park down the street and spotted Taehyung’s Mazda a few cars away. Instead of getting out, I took a few moments to gather my composure. Jimin sat beside me patiently. He had grown used to my traffic anxiety. We had driven together so many times now, and he had gotten a taste of the worst of it a handful of times.

He had only asked about it the first time we rode to the gym together, completely frazzled and unsure of himself as I hyperventilated in the driver's seat. My hands trembled violently as my palms sweat profusely, and I let myself shed a few tears once we were parked. He reached out, placing a hand on my back, and quietly asked me what was bothering me.

“Red light,” I managed to wheeze out. They were doing some construction on the main road and things started piling up. I had gotten stuck in the intersection for just a few seconds, but it was long enough to send me into a blind panic. “Anxiety. Sorry. Need a minute.”

He helped me calm down, calming down to help me through my panic attack. We played a game of I-Spy, Jimin picking out the most obvious shit and saying the most random things to point out in order to make me laugh. When I felt a little better, he got out of the car to help me get out. After that he kept quiet about my obvious driving discomforts, but stuck close just in case I needed the support, and always offered to drive.

“Ready?” He asked when I grabbed my phone out of the cup holder.

“Yeah.”

We walked inside and the hostess made light conversation while she walked us to the back. Taehyung's laugh could be heard from the other side of the room, and his bright blue hair and vibrant eyeshadow stuck out like a sore thumb in this place. Milo was dressed in all black, his arm draped around his fiancé's shoulder, and a smile on his face. Jungkook was beside him scrolling through his phone, but Darcy was nowhere in sight. Glancing at Jimin, he seemed exasperated.

“Trouble in paradise,” He murmured, leaning down so I could hear him. I had to imagine their relationship was very exhausting and took its toll on their friend group. I knew how much it sucked being caught between Tilly and Hobi back in the day. “Here we fucking go.”

Taehyung jumped out of the booth when he caught sight of us, his fluffy, white cropped top riding up, revealing even more of his tanned skin. The snowboarder wrapped his arms around my waist and snuggled my hairline, showering me in compliments. Gold hoop earrings tapped my forehead, and his belly button ring was cold against my ribcage. He was happy to see me “dolled up” for once and forgave how ugly my shirt was since I looked “so cute.”

Milo gave me a slight wave, eyes never leaving Taehyung's bouncing body as he embraced Jimin, and Jungkook put his phone down to greet us. Darcy had gone to the bathroom and from the look on Milo’s face, Jimin’s was right about trouble in paradise. Whatever was going on, we were all about to fall witness. It made my stomach churn just thinking about it.

Our waitress brought a new pot of tea, asking us if we needed anything, before leaving with the promise of the first course coming out soon. Darcy almost slammed into the poor woman on her way back to our booth, her annoyed huff making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. When she sat down beside her boyfriend her entire body was rigged and face pulled together tightly. She did not spare us a glance as she sulked.

Darcy was a very beautiful girl and it made sense why Jungkook liked her so much. Tanned skin, green eyes, and black hair, the girl had one of those bodies most women would pay thousands of dollars for. Like Taehyung had said, she was a pleasant enough person, and we did not along well enough to hold a conversation, but there was no hiding the fact that Darcy was not a nice girl. In fact, I would venture to say she was very, very mean.

I saw it firsthand at Jimin’s birthday party. I had a moment where I felt myself panicking. Overwhelmed with all of the noise and people, I excused myself and called Andy to get my head back on straight. The women's restroom was tucked away in a small hallway and allowed me the space to shed a few tears. I was just starting to calm down, Andy's words of encouragement getting back to some sort of baseline, while I rubbed cold water on my neck. That was when I heard Jungkook on the other side of the door.

He was angry and when I told Andy I needed to go, I had every intention of going out there to talk to him, but another voice beat me to it. Darcy had been in a bad mood since she walked through the front door, her shitty attitude bringing down the party every time she opened her mouth. At first, I just brushed it off as an off night, something I could feel empathy towards, but then she opened her mouth and stopped those thoughts in their tracks.

The two of them were serial cheaters, and Jimin had alluded to that being their main issue when I asked about her attitude problem earlier that night. Eloise was the person who gave me the whole story and was not afraid to voice her dislike for the older girl. This was different from Milo, a guy who she clashed with due to their night and day personalities. Darcy had actively picked on and made fun of her growing up, and bullied her older sister while they were in school together.

Darcy, according to Eloise, started the back-and-forth cheating when they were in college. Instead of going their separate ways, something I doubt anyone would have blamed Jungkook for doing, he chose to get even. After fucking one of her sorority sisters, Jungkook made his way through the entire house within the span of three months. In retaliation, Darcy slept with a couple of guys from the NHL, something she still did to this day.

On the night of the party, she was still fuming over catching him with another woman a few days prior. Trapped in the bathroom and too afraid to let them know I could hear them; I suffered through five minutes of a couple’s quarrel I had no business being in the middle of. It was an eye opener for sure and made me avoid getting too close to either of them.

Darcy was very mean and spiteful, her words meant to cut him deeply with little care about how it would make him feel in the long run. She even brought up screwing one of his rivals to get back at him, something she had done on numerous occasions, and went as far as to compare the two men in bed. It helped to explain why Jungkook hated Jackson Wang so much.

Jungkook, despite how much I enjoyed him as an individual, was just as awful. He spent most of the argument defending his bad behavior by bringing up her own and took no accountability for his actions. He could have sex with all of Michigan and it would be justified because she cheated on him first. It was all very juvenile, and I tried my best to avoid them for the rest of the night.

“Bet they can’t go ten minutes without fighting,” Jimin mumbled in my ear.

I fought back a smile, leaning into his side. Physical touch was the swimmer’s love language and I had slowly grown accustomed to small touches here and there. So, it did not catch me off guard when his arm came around my shoulders, resting just above my head, hand gently brushing against my neck. The voice in my head often wished he would do it more often.

“She won’t start something before the food gets here,” I reasoned, stealing a look at the couple. Jungkook seemed fine, but from the look on Darcy’s face that might change soon. “I’ll say twenty.”

“What are we bargaining for?”

I laughed awkwardly, “Whatever you want.”

Taking a second to think, Jimin eyed the couple across the table. Taehyung and Milo were obviously extremely aware of the couple's awkward tension and tactfully ignored them, instead giggling about some inside joke. They were a very sweet pair. My weariness about Milo had dissipated over the last few weeks, but I could understand why he and Eloise could not get along.

Lou herself had admitted to being a bit of a stuck-up teenager back in the day, and Milo was the typical small-town stoner. They constantly butt heads when they were in high school, and just drifted apart with age. Taehyung and Jimin's friendship were the only reason they were in the same circle anymore, and the two just never spoke to avoid pressing buttons.

“I want to do something together,” Jimin finally said, I smiled, trying to ignore the snarky comments Darcy was making. The arguing was starting, and I felt my neck growing hot. Did they have to do this in public? “Get dinner or something.”

“We do that all the time,” I countered, half-heartedly paying attention to him.

“Denny’s doesn’t count," He mumbled.

The waitress finally came back with a large tray of sushi in her hand. That seemed to break up the argument momentarily, but Darcy did not seem pleased to be interrupted. Stuffing a large piece of ahi sashimi in my mouth, I sparked up a conversation with Taehyung to keep myself from having another meltdown. Beside him, Milo sent me a grateful look.

The rest of the table was silent, waiting for the fight to resume. Taehyung kept smiling painfully, but I could see the panic bubbling in his eyes, and for once I saw a small crack in his otherwise well-crafted facade. 

“I didn’t mean just getting food,” Jimin finally continued when we hit a lull, and it took me a few seconds to remember what he was talking about. “I meant… going out.”

I looked at him, eyebrow raised. His cheeks were puffed with scallops and I wished we were alone. This was not a conversation I wanted to have in front of the others, especially if he was insinuating what I thought he was. I did not want to jump to conclusions, but I was sure he was asking me out on a date. Even if it made me feel jittery thinking about it, I had a difficult time finding the voice to say yes. Saying no felt just as impossible, though, and I wished he would have picked a better time to bring this up. Whatever the hell this was.

“What are you asking me?” I whispered, taking another piece of fish off my plate, sneaking a look at Taehyung and Milo.

They were too wrapped up in one another to being listening in on us. I did not even bother checking in with the other two. I knew for a fact they did not care about anybody else but themselves.

“You know,” He replied.

Dating was not off the table, and I was more than happy to indulge myself, but I was worried about crossing this invisible line I had drawn. What would people say if they found out? A coach and her trainee, and even worse, the older woman and her much younger man. I could see the headlines now and it made my palms sticky. That would not be a good look for either one of us, and I did not want our personal relationship to affect Jimin’s career.

Putting my chopsticks down, I leaned away from him. “Can we talk about this later?”

He nodded, meeting my eyes, and I was relieved to see he was not upset. I had seen him angry a few times now, and he wore it on his sleeve with pride. Jimin was not afraid of his emotions, something I found extremely attractive, and it was nice that all I could see right now was understanding. Whatever happened he would hear me out, and I had to hope he would be understanding. I just had to be sure I did not fuck anything up.

Across the table the bickering had started again. Our waitress brought out the rest of our meal, sans desert, and seemed happy we were enjoying the food. She eyed Darcy wearily and left our table in a hurry. I felt horrible for the wait staff who had come to our table. They were all getting the nastiest looks from the dark haired beauty.

“Do we really have to do this now?” Jungkook sighed, running a hand through his hair roughly. His face was red and expression tight. “In front of my friends, dude? Are you serious?”

I cleared my throat, grabbed my tea and took a long sip before sinking into the booth and praying no one could see me. Jimin’s arm dropped, and he squeezed my shoulder in comfort. I let myself melt under his touch. It always felt nice when his hands were on me, his warmth burning hot like a furnace even in below freezing temperatures. Taehyung’s eyes were bulging out of his head now, his bottom lip trembling as he tried his best to keep the conversation between the four of us light. He had stopped trying to include the other two.

“You two seem close,” He gritted, fakeness coming from him that I had never encountered before. “Glad you were able to sort that out.”

I looked over at Jimin and saw his cheeks had gone pink. So, Taehyung knew something I didn’t. It would make sense for the childhood best friend to get the scoop before the chick he’s known for two months, I had definitely vented to my friends on more than one occasion, and my curiosity was peaked.

“I'm working on it,” Jimin replied, taking a big gulp of water. “Thanks, Tae," He breathed, rolling his eyes.

I stifled a laugh. He was so cute when he was embarrassed. I made a mental note to ask Tae to explain what he meant when we had a chance to get lunch. I had a feeling the snowboarder would be more than happy to divulge that little piece of information. 

“Talking about me to your friends?” I teased, trying my best to ignore the ever-growing argument across from me. The butterflies in my stomach were a helpful distraction. “Good things, I hope.”

He cracked a smile, face and neck flushed. “The best things.”

Such a flirt.

I bit my lip and looked away. Eating was a nice way to interrupt the electricity that was enveloping us, and I gorged myself on octopus and tuna. Whatever the hell these dishes were, I had to admit the sushi here was the best I had ever had. I would never doubt a recommendation from Taehyung again.

The conversation started flowing easily after that. Jungkook and Darcy were at a stalemate and were relatively quiet on their side of the booth. With the atmosphere lightening, Milo felt good enough to start telling us his latest work stories. He was a firefighter along with all three of his brothers. His father was promoted to chief about five years ago but was coming up to his retirement. The only one of his siblings to avoid the fireman fate was his baby sister, but had still managed to find a job at the station.

"You guys must be close," I laughed in disbelief.

“It’s the family business,” He joked. "Rosie is our new EMT."

Taehyung spoke excitedly about his upcoming competitions and was really hopeful he would win enough to qualify for the Olympics this year. Milo and Jimin both reassured him multiple times while I tried my best to keep up with everything he was talking about. I had very little knowledge of snowboarding, so I was having to constantly interrupt and ask for clarification. No one seemed to mind, and eventually Jungkook joined in to talk about his upcoming hockey games.

The Red Wings were having a good year, and he was proud of his team for working as hard as they did. As a goalie, he did not do a lot of skating, but his job was one of the hardest on the team. From what I knew after watching a few games on tv with Jimin's family, Jungkook was one of the best goalies in the NHL who was highly sought after. He had been offered millions to transfer to the New York Rangers, but out of loyalty he turned them down.

“I’ll take you to a few matches if you want,” Jimin offered. “Kook can get us tickets whenever.”

I smiled, “That sounds like fun.”

“Milo and I go all of the time so we can sit together,” Taehyung interjected, his shoulders relaxed for the first time since we got here.

Darcy was quiet and stayed on her phone. Jungkook was pretending she was not here, and it helped keep the arguing from starting again. I was not sure how long the truce would last, but I hoped they could hold it together long enough for us to finish eating.

“So Y/N,” Milo mused, taking a piece of fish from Taehyung’s plate. “Have you ever thought about competing again?”

I laughed nervously, “For a time, maybe. My injuries make it hard for me to swim the way I used to so I decided to keep it as a hobby.”

It was not a complete lie, but I knew I might be able to get back into competitions if I put in the time and effort. I hated the thought of being back in the spotlight, cameras shoved in my face, only to lose and give them more to talk about. I was still recovering from the trauma they inflicted on me after the accident. My leg injuries just gave me the perfect excuse to keep my distance.

He nodded, eyebrows knitted, “I didn’t know you had medical leave. What happened?”

Jimin tensed up beside me. 

“I was in a car accident,” I replied. Talking about what happened did not bother me as much as it used to, and Milo seemed genuinely interested in the answer. “I had to get a full knee replacement on my left side, and a full hip replacement. I should have lost my leg, but the doctor on staff recognized me and brought up my profession.”

Milo whistled, giving me a sympathetic look. “Leg? You could have died.”

“Well,” I breathed, finishing off my last piece of fish. “I pulled through though, so it wasn’t all bad.” I fiddled with my shirt, pretending to smooth it down as I played it cool. "Anyway, I have nerve damage in my leg that makes me get really horrible cramps and twitching if I overwork my muscles. It sucks but coaching is really fun, so I can't complain."

Blatantly lying wasn't something I did often, but I truly hated reliving the months of physical therapy. Unable to walk or talk, I was stuck in that hospital bed for weeks and then got sent home to watch my closest friends wait on me hand-and-foot. When I wasn’t in physical therapy, I was with my SLP. When I wasn’t with her then I was in bed, crying into my pillow, and wishing I had never woken up. It was an extremely dark time in my life, one filled with chronic pain and overwhelming depression, and talking about it made me emotional. 

“Anyway,” Taehyung sent his fiancé a pointed look. “Kookie’s next home game is in two weeks.”

Happy to be out of the spotlight, I began to talk with Jimin about changing our schedule around so we could attend the game. Taehyung was excited to get me some Red Wing merchandise, and Jungkook quickly began to boast about his prowess on the ice. Darcy scoffed beside him and I felt the group tense up.

“You’re so cocky, Ian,” She taunted, eyes glued to her phone. “I heard Avalanche was doing really well this season.”

I knew from the group chat that the Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche had a long-standing rivalry. It had started all the way back in the mid-90’s and reached its peak in 2002. While the intensity had dissipated over the years, it had recently spiked up again due to Jungkook and Jackson Wang’s ongoing feud. The only reason Darcy would bring that up would be to piss her boyfriend off. 

“Hm,” Jungkook smirked, chuckling darkly. “Who told you that?”

I held my breath, already guessing where this was going. The tension from earlier was thicker than ever as we fell silent. Darcy put her phone on the table, flipped her hair over her shoulder, and looked Jungkook in the face as she replied.

“Jackson.”

It was dead silent for a few seconds. Then, without waiting for a response, Darcy kept digging the knife in and twisting. She called him ugly, said he sucked in bed, brought up all of the ways Jackson was better than he was, and went as far as to bring up his father's affair. Jungkook could not get a word in as her silky voice dropped lower and lower, words cutting deeper and deeper, and eyes growing brighter as she watched his expression fall. I learned something tonight. Darcy enjoyed hurting Jungkook.

"Why are you doing this, dude?" Jungkook's voice was thick with emotion. "You're acting like a fucking child. It's embarrassing."

“Holy shit,” Milo groaned as their voices got louder. “Are they being forreal right now?”

“Babe,” Taehyung scolded, the forced smile still plastered on his face. “Language.”

“You weren’t embarrassed when you fucked that girl” Darcy screamed and I felt my stomach twist uncomfortably. “Why should I feel bad about airing out my dirty laundry? Everyone here knows how much of a whore I am anyway, isn’t that right, Ian?”

“Keep your voice down,” Jungkook hissed, eyes glassy. “You’re causing a scene.”

Taehyung and Milo looked as mortified as I felt, both of them staring at Darcy in horror. The entire restaurant had gone silent. Eyes were glued to our table as they argued. She shouted about him getting his dick sucked in their bed, and Jungkook was just angry she was acting like this in public. It was Jimin’s birthday all over again only this time they knew people were watching and did not care. Taehyung’s smile was finally gone and replaced by trembling lips and fidgeting hands.

“Take that shit outside,” Jimin cut in, voice cold and hard. Darcy glared daggers in our direction. “You’re going to get us kicked out.”

Darcy opened her mouth to argue but was interrupted by the waitress coming back and demanding our party leave. Taehyung began to apologize profusely while Darcy stormed out of the restaurant, bumping into numerous people roughly without looking back. Jungkook was hot on her heels, breathing heavily, and eyes glossed over with unshed tears. She shouted that Jackson was outside and for Jungkook to go fuck himself. Jungkook didn’t reply but I knew he was not expecting the other man to be here. I sure the fuck wasn't.

An arm wrapped around my shoulders, “Hey, calm down. Breathe.”

I had not realized I had been holding my breath. Turning my head, I was taken aback by how close Jimin was. Our noses brushed together, his breath hot against my cheek, and I jerked away, heart racing. The butterflies were swarming now, and a shiver went down my spine. His arm dropped and I immediately missed its warmth. Flustered, I scooted out of the booth and kept my head hung low. I was so embarrassed, and I could hear Taehyung’s voice starting to wobble as he handed over some cash to the waitress for the trouble. No one was going home happy tonight. 

“I’m so fucking pissed off,” Jimin grunted, keeping in step with me. Milo was attempting to get a now hysterical Taehyung calmed as they followed behind us. “I don’t know why Tae invites the two of them anywhere.”

I shook my head, “It’s not his fault. She needs to get some self-control, though. That was so rude and uncalled for, and for what?"

“They both owe him a fucking apology,” He sighed harshly.

The guests of honor were already in a very heated screaming match when we finally made it outside. Whatever had been brewing inside had clearly reached its peak, and neither one of them was willing to back down. Jimin’s arm was back around my shoulders as he tried his best to shelter me from the strong winds that were kicking up. Looking at Darcy and Jungkook all I could see were my parents and it caused me great discomfort. Maybe I should try to call my dad again and make sure he was alright? He rarely answered but at least it would cut some of the edge off of my anxiety.

“Why are you acting like this?” Jungkook shouted, pulling at his hair. “What the fuck is wrong with you, dude?”

“You!” Darcy shrieked. “You! You! YOU! You’re the problem. This is all your fault!”

Jungkook called her a crazy bitch and Darcy slapped him across the face before stomping off. A sleek red convertible was waiting for her on the curb, a well-groomed man behind the steering wheel. He smiled and waved at Jungkook before speeding off, Darcy already attaching her lips to his neck and not sparing any of us a second glance.

“What the fuck!” Taehyung shouted, sobbing and clinging to Milo. 

I was surprised he was able to hold himself back for that long. He seemed hellbent on strangling Jungkook as soon as he was able. I stepped to the side watching a man I had never seen upset shove Jungkook backwards. Any resemblance of a smile was gone now, replaced with a snot-nosed, red eyed man with bared teeth. Jungkook stumbled, barely keeping his footing before shoving the other man back. Milo was quick to defend his fiancé, pushing Jungkook so hard he stumbled, fell on his ass, and cried out in pain. 

Jimin’s arm gripped me tighter as he stared at the scene unfold in silence. His clenched jaw, however, told me how angry he was. I briefly wondered what he would be doing if he was not so focused on keeping me warm.

“That was so fucked up,” Taehyung cried, wiping his face roughly. “I told you both to keep that shit at home or don’t come!”

“She started it! It’s not my fault-”

“Dude,” Milo shook his head, wrapping his arms around Taehyung. “It doesn’t fucking matter. That’s your girl.”

As the three of them argued, I tried to decipher the look on Jimin’s face. He was angry, that was very apparent, and I felt my own anger finally start to rise. He had been dealing with so much shit and on his first night out in ages this happens? It was unfair and ridiculous, my frustration over the entire situation making me want to go over and push Jungkook around, too. However, I knew that was not the way to handle this. Truth was, he was not the only person to blame for how badly the night had ended. Darcy was the main instigator.

“Are you okay?” I asked Jimin, stepping away from his tight embrace. His arm was still around my shoulders with no sign of moving. “I’m sorry everything got so shitty.”

He nodded, face softening when he looked at me. “Just worried about Taehyung. He was really excited about tonight.”

The yelling was finally starting to calm down and I was happy that they were talking things out. I did not think I could handle the screaming for any longer. I had been a bundle of nerves since I left my house, and my fingers trembled at my sides. I could hear my mother’s voice echoing in my head, though I was positive it was distorted after so many years. Sometimes when her and dad fought, she would find me hiding in my closet and pull me out, hands leaving my skin tender from the harsh grip she had on my arms, before telling me to clean up the broken dishes from off the floor.

“Come here you little shit!”

She hated me; hated being a mother. I could remember how much I wished she would hold me like the other kids' moms held them but was too afraid to ask. One time I drew a picture of her at school and she never even looked at it. Instead, she smoked her cigarettes at the dinner table and watched Law and Order. If I really thought about it, she threw the drawing away. It was too dirty. Just like I was too dirty.

Mom had germaphobia and considered me one of the dirtiest things she had ever seen. I was not allowed in their bedroom because of it. Dad went along with it like he did everything else. When he wasn’t drinking, he was sleeping or in the garage. I hoped he was doing okay. Danielle seemed to be just as controlling as mom had been.

“Where’d you go?”

I startled, whipping around to find Jimin staring at me. His expression was gentle and calm, and I was suddenly aware of the harsh chill nipping at my wet cheeks. I had not noticed I was starting to cry. Strange. It had been a long time since those memories had been brought up.

“Are you okay?” He asked, rubbing my arm. “You looked lost.”

I nodded, quickly reaching up to pat the tears away. It was a good thing my mascara was smudge proof or else I might look even more pathetic. I am 31 now and it felt stupid to cry over things so far in the past. Things I had not had to deal with in well over 20 years. Dr.Wolfe would disagree with me, but she wasn't here.

“Yeah,” I nodded, voice thick. “Just zoned out for a second. Eyes must have dried out.”

It was a bad lie, but a lie he accepted. Squeezing my arm one last time, he finally moved away to give me a bit of breathing room. That was another thing that I always appreciated about the guy. He never overstayed his welcome, even if he wanted to. Taking a second to compose myself, I mindlessly fixed my hair and adjusted my clothes. Nervous habit.

“I think everyone’s heading home for the night,” Jimin said, nodding his head toward the other three men. “They seem cool. You ready to leave?”

I shrugged, “If you are.”

He nodded and walked over to the ground. I gave myself another moment to gather my thoughts. The worst of it was over and I doubted those memories would make themselves known again. With the screaming over it would not take long for my head to get itself straightened out. I might ask Jimin to drive us back, though. I was exhausted, and frankly, I did not think we would be safe if I was behind the wheel. Nothing worse than an anxious driver.

Jungkook was ashamed of their behavior tonight, and when I joined the others, he was quick to throw a million apologies in my direction. I accepted them all easily but knew it would take me a few days to fully forgive him. Tonight was a lot. Hopefully I could speak with Taehyung privately and ask him not to invite the couple out with us. If I never had to see Darcy again it would make my stay that much easier.

“I think we’re going to go home,” Milo said once Jungkook walked away. He was planning on calling an Uber so Tae could have a bit of space. “My little flower is burned out for the night.”

I smiled sadly, “Are you sure? We can always try something else.”

Taehyung’s head snapped in my direction and I wanted to scoop him up in my arms. His face was puffy from crying and eyes still misty. He was quick to nod his head and reached out to take hold of my hands.

“You still want to hang out with me?” He whimpered.

I had only said it to cheer him up not thinking that he would actually go for the idea. I had never seen him so distraught before and Milo seemed convinced that he was over having fun. Stealing a look at the blonde, he gave me a grateful smile but otherwise kept a watchful eye on Taehyung.

“Of course I do,” I finally replied, squeezing his large hands. “Tonight wasn’t your fault.”

His lower lip started to wobble again and next thing I knew I was in a very tight, warm hug. Taehyung cried into the crook of my neck. He was worried I would not like him anymore because of the fight. I awkwardly hugged him back, hoping my calm reassurances would soothe him. We really needed to get from outside the front of this restaurant before they called the cops. 

“It’s alright,” I said, trying to gently remove his arms from my waist. “We’re still friends, I promise.”

After another minute of crying, Taehyung was back in Milo’s arms. His face was red, and his nose was running, but the sobs had stopped. Jimin placed a hand on my lower back and started to bounce a few ideas off of Milo. It was late, but from the sound of things, our get together was not over. I could not say for certain if this was a good thing or not, I did need to have that talk with Jimin. If we were out too late there was no way for me to promise I would not pass out in the car.

“Uh,” Jimin thought for a second. “If we’re still hungry there’s Pie Sci and Woodbridge is right down the street. There's also that park a few blocks away."

I shrugged, “Whatever’s the best?” Looking at Taehyung, I made sure that he was feeling well enough to hang out. “I won’t be upset if you want to go home. It was a rough night for all of us.”

He sniffled and nodded. “I’m just really tired.”

Jimin and I said our goodbyes and I promised the blue haired boy I would call him in the morning to set up another meet up. He called it a group date, something neither Jimin nor I disagreed with, but it did make me feel queasy. Depending on how our conversation goes, we may never spend time together outside of training. I felt like I was going to vomit.

“Let me drive?” Jimin murmured as we parted ways with the couple. 

I nodded, digging in my purse to find them. “Mind reader, I swear. Get out of my head, kid.”

He snickered, “Who says you weren’t in mine, granny”

The queasiness dissipated and I felt like I could breathe a little bit easier now. Being alone with Jimin had never felt this nerve wracking before, not even the first time we met, and it was hard to explain all of the thoughts and feelings going through my head. We were finally having the talk, but I had never imagined it going this way. Handing him the keys, I elbowed him in the ribs.

“Whoops,” I mocked. “You know me and my bad eyesight, kiddo.”

“Watch it,” He hissed, rubbing the spot. “Don’t want you breaking anything. You know you have frail bones.”

I laughed, “Don’t make me give you a knuckle sandwich, punk.”

Sliding into the passenger seat felt less daunting after the light hearted exchange. Still, my blood was pumping as Jimin clicked his seatbelt in place. I had no idea when the conversation would shift into murkier waters, but I needed to start thinking about what to say to him. 

Denying my feelings would only make things worse, and I did not think the younger man would believe me. In fact, he would be offended that I thought he was dumb enough to get bamboozled in the first place. Lying did not seem like the right call anyway. My feelings were not something to feel ashamed about, but they were very frightening. 

“When is later?”

I gasped, startled out of my thoughts. We had been driving for over ten minutes already. Time seemed to slip by when I was lost in my own head. Jimin apologized for scaring me but repeated the question once I reassured him that I was fine.

“Now,” I mumbled. “I guess later is now.”

Turning on the blinker, Jimin switched lanes smoothly. He was probably the best driver that I knew and always made sure to keep my little quirks in mind during our rides. He had even gotten used to leaving the radio off when I was around, something that I appreciated more than words could ever say. Recognizing that I was stalling, I cleared my throat and tried my best to get my jumbled thoughts across.

“As much as I would like to go on that date,” I started, voice weak, “I’m just a bit concerned with how that might affect our ability to work together.”

There we go, I thought to myself mentally patting myself on the back. That was not as hard as I thought it would be. Leaving out a few details would not hurt anybody, and it was the main cause of concern for me. My age was definitely up there, but I doubted Jimin would understand my perspective. To him I was just older, but to the rest of the world I was this cougar on the prowl for young men to help me relive my glory days. Even my own friends thought it was funny to make fun of the age gap.

“Is it only because of that?” Jimin pressed, his voice telling me that he was still reacting positively to whatever was coming out of my mouth. I was refusing to look at him, fearful that he would see through me. “Or is there something else bothering you?”

“W-w-well-” I stammered, “There is the media frenzy to think about. Sejin is already dealing with the press and your ‘out of character’ seclusion this season. Then there’s the age gap. I just-” I struggled to find the right words. Having let my insecurity slip out, I lost my flow and scrambled to get back on track. “Look, I haven’t done this whole dating thing in a really long time, and I don’t want that to get in the way of being a good coach. Ozzie put me in charge of you, and my reputation is on the line.”

I could hear my heart beating in my ears. Mouth dry and palms sweaty, I forced myself to look out of the window as I spoke. Anxiety had been something I dealt with for as long as I could remember, and it only got worse the older I got. My hands and fingers trembled in my lap as I tried to steady my breathing. 

In all of the dreams I had about Jimin, and there had been quite a few at this point, this moment had never felt so real and raw. We were always in these picture perfect pieces of heaven, sunshine beaming down on us, and the words I desperately wanted to say fell from my lips with ease. It was simple and sweet, and yet profound and beautiful. I could wax poetics and put myself thoughts together so eloquently he had no choice but to say yes to me. 

Reality was different. Here I was stumbling over my sentences and stuttering my way through words. Instead of taking his hand with mine, I was fidgeting with shaking fingers and desperately hoping he could not see just how uncomfortable I was. I knew he did. He always noticed. My heart was racing so fast I was afraid it would burst. Had he turned the heart up? It was boiling.

“I just want to know how you feel about me.”

“Hm?” I squeaked, unable to form any real words. My mouth was too dry. 

“I’ve thought about all of the same shit,” Jimin continued, voice as smooth and calming as ever. “I don’t care about any of that. All I want to know is how you feel about me.”

“You know,” I replied, wheezing. Talking felt impossible. “You know.”

“I want to hear you say it.”

Taking in a deep breath, I squeezed my eyes shut and began the mental countdown. My therapist taught me the technique years ago and I always found it to be helpful. I did this a few times until I felt calm enough to open my eyes. 

“Are you alright?” Jimin asked.

“Yeah,” I nodded, finally feeling my heart rate slowing. “A little anxious.”

“Don’t be,” He placed a hand on my knee. “It’s just me.”

And he was right. It was just Jimin and I in my car, but that was also the reason I felt so suffocated. There was nowhere to run or hide in here, and if things went south I was stuck with him for half an hour. Trying not to let those pessimistic thoughts send me back into a panic, I began to mentally point out things in my car.

Air freshener. It's green. It smells like pine and lemons. I want a new scent. Jimin likes to buy this coconut and mango one that smells like candy. I will buy one like his. I love the smell.

I let out a heavy breath. Everything was fine. He was not upset. He just wanted to know how I felt about him. Nothing more nothing less. My heart was settling, and my fingers were no longer shaking.

“I like you,” I choked out, placing my hand over his. “But you already knew that.”

He gently laughed, flipping his hand up to intertwine our fingers. 

“Yeah, you’re a terrible actress.”

I groaned, leaning my head against the window. As much as I tried kidding myself, there was absolutely no way he did not see the way I looked at him. I always knew when his flirting took on a more serious edge, like when he called me beautiful after seeing the scar on my leg for the first time, so it should not have been surprising that he picked up on a thing or two. Still, it did not make it any less embarrassing.

“How long have you known?” I asked, peeking at him through my lashes.

“I mean, I had a feeling when you first got to town, but I wasn’t completely sure until that first training day.”

He laughed at my embarrassed groan, holding my hand tighter. I knew I wasn't subtle enough. Poker face champion, my ass.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” He cooed. “You’ve been my dream girl since I was, like, 15.”

“That's not helping the age gap thing,” I tittered as I played with his fingers. Then, because I could not help myself. “Dream girl, huh?”

Picking up on the teasing tone in my voice, Jimin chortled. 

“Okay, big head. Calm down.”

“Big head?” I guffawed, pulling my hand out of his grasp. “Who are you calling big head, shortstop?”

“You, big head,” Taking back my hand, Jimin pinned it down and kept a tight grip. “No take backs.”

I always loved it when Jimin was in a good mood. He was so playful and full of energy, and all signs of those dark days were in the deepest parts of his mind. It was impossible to keep myself from playing along which only served to egg him on.

“You never said yes or no.”

“Yes or no to what?” I questioned. 

Jimin started rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb.

“To that date.”

Saying yes felt wrong, but saying no felt impossible. No matter what I said someone would be upset, and I had to decide who that would be: Jimin or America? I turned my own hand around this time and put my fingers through his. They fit together awkwardly, his hands just a bit too large, but I still found it perfect all the same.

“Do you have any ideas?”

His shiteating grin was contagious and a burst of butterflies began to flutter in my stomach. Hands clasped, Jimin started to list off all of the places we could go, but I was not fully listening. I had a date with this guy. I was going on a date with my trainee. 

“What do you think?”

I blinked rapidly, hoping he could not tell that I had zoned out. 

“You pick,” I breathed. “Surprise me.”

The rest of the drive back home was spent making small talk and discussing food preferences. Jimin was a dinner and a movie kind of guy, while I would rather do some sort of activity. What type of conversation could we have in a theater? Jimin seemed excited to plan out a fun night and I was just happy he was this into me. The feeling was most definitely mutual.

“Do you mind if I go to my house tonight? Mom needs some space and I know my dad is tired of having me breathing down their necks.”

I had yet to go over to his house. The days that we drove together were when he spent the evening with his parents. When Na-yeon and I talked about it, she was more upfront about her health situation than the men of the house. James spent most of his time taking care of his wife and their son enjoyed giving him a break every now and then. James would go on a fishing trip with his friends while Jimin stayed back to keep an eye on his mother. 

“Is it closer to town?” I asked, nibbling on my lower lip. 

I had yet to drive through downtown Ann Arbor. The Park house, and by proxy the Anderson’s, was a thirty minute drive from the bustling city. Nestled in the smaller town of Saline going towards Manchester, I had rarely had to leave the small town. This trip to Detroit was the farthest I had gone since arriving in Michigan, but I had a feeling the traffic in downtown Ann Arbor would be a bit much for me to drive through alone.

“Yeah,” I felt even more nervous by his nonchalant tone. “I used to live downtown, but I got tired of the noise. I bought my house in Eberwhite last summer, so there’s a little less foot traffic.”

“How’s the drive back to Saline?” Even I could hear the hesitation in my voice.

“Less than twenty,” Rubbing the back of my hand, his voice took on a sweeter tone. “We don’t have to. My truck’s at my parent’s place anyway.”

“Maybe some other time?” I forced myself to laugh, hoping to make the awkward tension leave. “Preferably when it’s not dark outside.”

I relaxed into my seat once I started seeing familiar landmarks. Saline was a very small town with a little over 2,000 residents, but downtown still had a way of attracting a relatively large crowd. Stoney Creek Brewery was packed and Jimin pointed out Sam’s car as we pass by. 

“Looks like he came out with Otis and Skye,” He murmured.

Otis was another personal trainer at the gym, and Skye was responsible for marketing. They had been going out for a while now and made plan to move to Ann Arbor once Otis graduated from school. He was getting his masters in movement science at the University of Michigan. They had planned on moving out there when he graduated last year, but neither of them could find a job that could pay their bills. Otis was hoping the master’s would give him a competitive edge while Skye saved up enough money to start her own advertising firm.

“Think Gigi is with them?” I wondered.

“Probably not. She’s busy studying for an exam. I saw that she requested time off tomorrow and the day after, so I don’t think she has the time to go out for drinks.”

Giselle was getting her bachelor’s in dental hygiene at UM, and everytime I spoke to her she was swamped with work. I had no idea she needed to request time off, though. Must be an intense program.

“Did you ever go to college?” I asked Jimin. 

He nodded, “I got my bachelor’s in psychology.”

Well, I had not been expecting that. 

“Really?”

“Yeah, but I never went back to get my master’s,” We turned onto the long road that led to his parent’s house. “I might after the Olympics.”

It was interesting to hear about his goals post-swimming. I never had those. My entire life was going to be swimming, and then, once I could no longer compete, I was opening my own swim school. After a couple of years of coaching under my belt, the plan was to start training professional athletes until I could join the Olympic coaching team. The accident was a very traumatic and eye-opening experience for me, so most of those plans ended up getting changed and modified over the years.

“What about you?” Jimin asked, pulling up to the curb.

“I went through an accelerated program at UCCS. Just graduated with my Masters in Athletic Training back in April.”

Neither one of us seemed to be ready to break the bubble we created. Even if we were just talking about school, it felt too intimate to leave. Holding hands in my car was new and I was worried if I opened the car door all of this would turn out to be a dream. The date, the confession; all of it. 

“I should get going,” Jimin sighed, still not moving his hand from mine. “It’s late and I have to drive home.”

I was the first one to move away. He was right. It was almost midnight and I had a really difficult time tonight. All of that yelling really took a toll on me. Jimin did not move until he heard the click of my seatbelt unfastening. 

“See you tomorrow?” He asked when I rounded the car. Getting out of the car, he held the door open as I slid inside. “I know we were out later than we thought we’d be.”

I nodded, “We can have a late morning. 8:30 instead of 6.”

“Sounds good. See you then.”

He closed my car door and jogged to his truck. It was parked in the driveway today. I pressed the button to roll my window down. 

“Drive safe!” I called out.

Looking over his shoulder, Jimin grinned and threw a hand up. I watched him climb into Fiona and tried to keep myself from worrying too much. It was so dark outside and he could be exhausted behind the wheel. Who knows what could happen to him.

He caught me staring and waved at me again. I returned it with a small smile. The truck stopped for a second and his phone was his hand. My cell phone vibrated in the cupholder.

Jimin: I’ll be okay

Jimin: Text you when I get home, k?

Looking back at the truck, I found him already looking at me. I nodded my response. He smiled at me again, waved, before finally backing out of the driveway. I did not move until I could no longer see his truck in my rearview. My phone buzzed one more time.

Jimin: At the stop sign on Woodland and Ann Arbor-Saline

Jimin: Go home. I’m here. I’m fine.

I hesitated texting him back when I knew he was driving, but decided that I would just have to trust he would not open it until it was safe.

Me: Get out of my head, kid

Finally putting my car in drive, I threw my phone back in its spot and made the ten minute drive down the road to the Anderson house. All of the lights were off when I pulled up and I was as quiet as a mouse walking to the backyard. 

I was beyond tired but still needed to get my nighttime routine done. Stripping out of my clothes, I turned on the shower and took off my makeup. Tonight wasn’t a wash night, so I was not in the shower for long. I heard my phone vibrating as I put on lotion and I quickly threw on a night shirt and went to my bedroom.

Jimin: Who says you aren’t in mine, meemaw

Jimin: I’m home now so you can get some sleep

Jimin: Night, geezer

I snorted. That was a new one. Crawling into bed, I got comfortable under my blankets and thought about a good comeback.

Me: Thank you

Me: Geezer? That’s such an geriatric thing to say, you whippersnapper

Jimin: LOL night 🫰🏼

Me: Night 🌜

I quick sent Taehyung a text to make sure he and Milo go home safely before putting my phone on the charger. Jungkook sent a text to our group chat an hour ago to let us know he was in his apartment back in Detroit. He was in Ann Arbor so often since Darcy lived out here, but he had bought a multi-million dollar home in Corktown when was first signed to the Red Wings in 2019. Milo was the one to reply to my text, signing his name at the bottom, since Taehyung passed out in the car on their way back home.

I took my medications and started up a game of solitaire while I waited for them to kick in. My psychologist had sent me to Michigan with a three month supply. I was planning my first trip back next week so I could see the boys in time for their first big competition of the season. While I was in town, I would pick up another three month supply. We were making the arrangements work as best as we could, and I was lucky I had a large group of people willing to support me during this transition.

Finally I felt the sleeping pills kicking in and I went to my white noise app. I hated falling asleep in silence and Emery had suggested the app while we were in a session. I paid for a yearly subscription and never regretted the fifty bucks. It had been a huge help in lulling me to bed.

Lights out and blankets wrapped snugly around my body, I closed my eyes and thought about everything that had happened. Jimin liked me back, asked me on a date, and told all of his friends about his infatuation with me before I even realized something else was going on. I was his dream girl. That put a lazy smile on my face. Then, I could no longer think about anything and was plunged into a dreamless sleep.

Taglist: @ownthesunshine @screamertannie @lovelytaes-blog @pernesianparapio @tae-with-some-suga @sumzysworld @chimmisbae @adventures-in-bookland

© chimcess, 2024. Do not copy or repost without permission.

[skyeslittlecorner]

Guys, we're doing it!

Do you remember this survey? I didn't expect such a great response. If that many of you really want to participate, I guess I'll have to do more than one batch of the draw to choose as much of your MC's as I can.

More info under the cut!

Time for some rules, so we won't get lost

The concept is simple. You give me your precious OCs/MCs, I adopt them for a while, write fanfic (related to WHB, of course) and hand them over to your loving hands.

For now, I plan to choose 3-5 people to write for. This may change if more people apply. If one applies, I will write for one. If 96 apply, I will choose more. We'll figure it out.

You can apply in two ways. One is to reblog this post and describe everything in reply, the second is to create your own post with the hashtag #whbmcshuffle Preferably both at once. I don't want to accidentally lose any application. I also recommend following this tag for the time being because I will post further information under it.

The people I will write for will be drawn randomly. I want it to be fair, and I guess this is the only way I won't be biased when I see mutuals I like or Andrea my favorite demons.

You can apply for one week. Since we may all be in different time zones, submissions will close when this survey ends.

Feed me information. Since I want to write something good, I would like to ask you for some information. Here's the list:

Name and pronouns: Quite obvious. Short bio: Who are they? Any difficult past or traumas? What were they doing on earth? Did they get to hell like in canon? How do they feel in hell? Where they live? Character: What are their main character traits? How do they usually behave? How do they behave in crisis situations? Voice: (Not mandatory, although, very helpful.) What would the narrative look like? More calm or energetic? Confident or not at all? Funny or serious? Calm or nervous? Laid back or distrustful? You can even paste here a song or a link to some story that you think reflect your oc's voice well. Important facts: Free space, you can put whatever you want here and whatever you think is important. Demons to include in the fic: (from 1 to 3) Brief description of relationship with chosen demons: I guess that's obvious. The tone in which it should be written: (i.e. spicy, angst, fluff, funny or other) Narrative type: Second person (addressing as 'you') or third person (addressing with selected pronouns) The script you would like to see: (Not mandatory, although, very helpful) For example, a date on Earth, cooking together, whatever you come up with.

I know it's a lot to ask. This is a minimal list, but the more information you give me, the better I will be able to empathize with your MCs and hopefully imitate their character. If you have already written about them, for example in your other posts, feel free to include links, so I can take a better look at them. Of course, you can add photos, or a song, or memes, anything you want!

I didn't mention the length of the fic, but it depends on how I will feel writing it. But I'll want it to be at least 800 words.

Most important. Have fun! It's mainly about getting to know each other's OCs/MCs. Who knows, if there's a lot of interest, maybe we'll do more draws. 👀

I tried to include everything, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

[fictionalsownme]

More Than A Woman | wilford warfstache x gn!viewer / reader |

chapter one - "I've known you very well"

A/N: hi everyone!! I'm so excited to post this! Usually I spend a long time on the stuff I write but I wrote a good chunk of this in a feverish burst haha, I've been wanting to write for Wil and had such a clear idea of how I see him in my head for so long :)) This fic will probably be around 10 chapters~ish and progress will probably be a little slow but I'm also trying to get faster at my writing so I guess we'll see! Getting it down is always the hardest, then you spend a bit of time hating it, then the fixing can start! Anyway, I hope you guys like this, I love this dorky weirdo a lot for whatever reason, and I'd love to write for other egos too :) ((there might be a guest appearance or two in here in the last few chapters if plans don't change 👀)) hope you guys enjoy the first chapter at least! lmk 🥰! word count: 2.9k notes: reader is gender-neutral, similar to all of mark's stuff :) -- the title is just after the song! no pronouns or descriptors are used other than the occasional they/them. reader is the viewer (& district attorney) from wkm, adwm, ahwm, iswm, etc, but that won't come up until later. wmlw wilford. story will be mostly fluff, some hurt/comfort & angst, lots of romance and flirting! story is adapted from an idea I had for my self insert. we will get into some lore stuff (or at least my understanding of the lore 👀) and filling in gaps with headcannons, but it's mostly about wilford & reader and I'll try to explain as we go so don't worry about it too much if you don't know all of it. especially since I don't know if my understanding is always 100% accurate 👉👈 let's have fun yall! 💞

masterlist | AO3

The music playing softly over the convenience store speakers was pleasant, if slightly boring. Like elevator music— there only to help ease the passing of time. Your night shift would end soon, and the sky could be seen as it lightened more every minute through the windowed front of the building.

Other than that, the old store was quiet. Dusty. Pink and orange neon strips lined the walls near the ceiling. They overpowered the dated fluorescent lights, casting everything in a slightly peach haze. Like a dream. 

Different sections of the store were marked with neon too, the letters glowed against the wall denoting the drinks, the snacks, the hot food… You liked your little store. Even if the unyielding isolation of your work made you a bit… complacent. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d truly talked with someone.

The ice creams chilled your fingers through the wrappers as you pulled them from their box and slotted them into place. Even with the cold air of the freezer wafting over you, you could smell the cool summer air coming in the sliding front doors.

You liked to prop them open on dawns like these. The convenience store lights did draw in the occasional pestering bug, but they usually found their way out again before long. You did get a bat once. Albeit a little crazed and frantic, you were surprised to find it harmless. Maybe a little lost. Now that thing seemed like it would never leave. 

Refocusing on your task, you brushed your condensation-soaked fingers on your work apron, tied tight behind your neck and around your back, and shut the freezer door. 

The motion alert chimed a pleasant tune through the staticky old speakers as a customer entered the open doors from the street.

You called an automatic, “Welcome in~,” and went about straightening a shelf of snack bars and chocolate. You didn’t bother to look in their direction as you heard them make their way through the aisles.

“Pardon me,” said their strange, nearly British accent from beside you now. You turned to the source of the voice, the man who’d just walked in, and your eyes went to his outfit first. 

A silky-- almost sparkly in how it caught the light-- lavender shirt with mismatched buttons revealed expanses of his bare chest. It was paired with white bell-bottoms and a fake pink afro hanging half-off his head, about to fall off. He had olive skin and dark hair-- nearly black--, fluffy and sticking up every which way like hands had been running through it. Scruffy facial hair framed a thick mustache that tinted slightly pink where it turned up at the ends.

He looked… honestly, he looked ridiculous. But the 70s getup was fun, you supposed. And his eyes-- dark brown and monolid-- were handsome. Underneath all the… extra mess. You blinked, slowly, in a way that felt like waking up.

“Uh, hi. Are you coming from a costume party or something?” It was August, but you supposed it was never too early to start the spooky season. 

“Oh! Do you know of one? I do love a good costume. But no. Just the regular-sort. Just woke up from one.” He scanned the products near his head, grabbed a protein bar, sniffed the wrapper, guffawed, and put it back.

“You just woke up? Are you alright?”

“Oh, worry not, friend, this is normal for my level of reverie! I’m not even hungover!” He laughed, his hands going to his hips.

You stared at him.

“I was just looking for something to gnaw on! To nourish myself before I’m on my way.” His eyes were still traveling all over, not really seeing you.

Now in theory, a strange man coming in at this hour, acting even stranger, with his clothes disheveled? You knew you should be on your way to your safe space behind the counter to get him checked out and exiting the store as fast as possible. But there was something about him… 

Something you couldn’t place…

Instead you raised your eyebrows and relaxed against the cooler door. “Uh, I guess that depends on what kind of food you like,” You offered. After a moment, his gaze landed on you and he seemed to finally take you in. Your uniform, your crossed arms, your patient expression, your features. His face scrunched into confusion.

A moment passed, staring at each other like that. “Your shirt’s looking a little rough, you know.”

“Have we met, friend?” He asked as he began to fix his buttons. 

You watched passively as more of his chest came into view. He either didn’t notice or didn’t mind your blatant staring. You weren’t sure why you were staring, or what you were feeling as you did so. 

You weren’t gawking at his abs or anything-- well,-- not that he didn’t have abs. He did, sort of. The expanse of his chest and abdomen were tight with toned muscle. He definitely wasn’t lacking abs, anyway. Either way… this was about something different. 

You wondered for a moment if a vague familiarity was what you were picking up on, but quickly dismissed it.

“I feel like I’d remember meeting you.” 

You realized with a start that your comment could be seen as flirtatious, and added quickly, “Just, you know-- generally.”

But he just hummed and spun on his heels, turning away. You sighed and found yourself in-step behind him, hands in your uniform pockets. Like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

“Well, either way!” He started, his energy returning tenfold. “Let's see what this cute little shop has to eat!” 

For some reason, you asked, “Do you have money?” 

He froze. “Er, no~. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Mind what?”

“Well, spotting me of course! Let’s just say I owe you one, eh friend?”

You rolled your eyes, smiling. “Thought so.” 

Thought so? Maybe you did know him… 

It was your turn to squint in displaced confusion. “What’s your name?”

His voice came from behind you and you spun around, your shoes squeaking on the tile floor. When did he sneak around you? 

He bent over and twirled his hand, a flamboyant bow finally knocking the afro off his head. “Wilford Warfstache, at your service.”

“That’s your name?” 

He righted himself. “For now.” It suited him well enough, but for some reason it sounded misplaced.

… But no, either way, you definitely hadn’t met him before. You didn’t know many people in the first place, let alone someone so eccentric.

Still, you were curious about him. Curious about his personality and who he was. He felt sort of like a puzzle waiting to be solved. And so far, despite his quirks, despite how admittedly weird you’d also been acting, he’d been friendly. You couldn’t say the staring and prodding questions were too in-character for you. At least not when it came to customers. 

His hair looked softer without the wig to weigh it down-- parted at his brow and long enough to fluff over the tips of his ears and end where his neck met his spine. You reached down to scoop the curly mop of synthetic hair up off the floor.

“Where did you get this thing?”

He hummed something like ‘I don’t know’, his eyes sort of wide like a clueless puppy’s. 

“What, you just kind of have it?”

“Yea’p.”

You squinted at him, a smirk forming on your lips. “How about I do you a favor and throw this away?”

He shrugged, hummed an ‘alright’ sound, and turned away. 

“Oh no, I was kidding! God, here--!” You had to grab his wrist to stop him from wandering off further and placed the pink afro in his hand.

You had just been trying to tease him, but now you just felt bad. “Look, Wilford, you want something to eat? We have to throw the hot food out every night. You can have a taquito or a slice of pizza or something if you want.”

Then he was frozen again-- staring down at where your fingers wrapped around his wrist. Your eyes followed his gaze down and then you were staring too.

A moment passed. Then two. Finally, you let go and crossed your arms again, tucking your hands away where they couldn’t embarrass you again.

“... Fuck, I’m sorry. I-I don’t know why I did that.” You did your best to clear your throat.

But he was still stuck there. He blinked a few times and his gaze met your eyes, his brows gathering together. 

“Wh-What did you say your name was, friend?” He seemed so… serious all of sudden. So dire.

You hadn’t mentioned it yet, but told him with a hesitant voice. 

His expression blanked, eyes widening. He brought his arm, the offending afro in tow, to his chest, touching his wrist where you’d held it.

“Oh…” 

You raised your brows and asked softly, “Sorry, do you know me, then?”

“Hm?” And he blinked like his mind was clearing, like he’d forgotten you were there. 

He cleared his throat, smiled-- ear to ear-- his mustache lopsided like a cartoon. “Oh-- nevermind about that! Some food would be lovely, if you don’t mind.”

His eyes were sparkling. 

“Sure. I mean, it’s nothing fancy. Here,” And you walked over towards the front counter. Wilford trailed close behind you-- holding onto the wig in his hands like a school kid holding a lunch box-- his gaze wandering over the store again like he hadn’t seen it the first time.

You arrived at the hot foods section, a glassed-off section of day-old food over heated rods. You shrugged. “If you have a sensitive stomach, maybe don’t,” you started, “but it’s mostly fine to be honest. I eat it if I’m in a pinch, you know.”

You hopped up to sit on the counter, your legs facing Wilford, and leaned back to reach around and grab the tongs waiting there. You straightened and clapped them together twice. You offered him a smile. “What’ll it be, Mr. Warfstache?” Then a quieter, “--that was your last name right?”

“Do you gravitate towards anything yourself?”

“Can’t go wrong with a slice of pizza, I guess. Even here.”

His smile grew sort of soft. “Then that. If you please.”

“You got it.”

You leaned over again and served up the slice of moderately warm and slightly greasy pizza on a brown napkin and passed it off to him. 

“Much obliged.”

You got one for yourself too, and when you righted and your eyes found Wilford again, he was sitting in a retro-style diner chair you’d never seen before-- his feet against the edge of the counter beside you.

You couldn’t help the surprised laughter that choked out of you. “Wha-- where did you even find that?”

The chair teetered on its two legs as he leaned precariously back, tilting his head at your question. The pink wig sat in his lap and you couldn’t help thinking it looked like some weird dog.

“Well, there’s no need to worry! I’m only borrowing it, I’m not a barbarian.”

And you just knew you weren’t getting more of an answer than that.

“So who even are you?” You asked as he took a bite of the pizza, somehow pulling all the cheese right off the top in one piece. He pouted down at the offending mozzarella, slurping it into his mouth and swallowing it. “Do you live around here?”

“Mm. I don’t really live anywhere. Much more the exploring-- ever on the move-- type.”

He was so expressive. It really felt like talking to an old cartoon come-to-life or something. You turned to lean against the side of the glass cover, swinging your legs so your feet rested on the counter, not far from his still against the edge. You weren’t touching at all, but you were surprised at how quickly the two of you fell into a casual-- albeit timidly curious-- rhythm. 

“So what do you do?” And you began to eat too.

He beamed, his smile reaching all the way to his eyes. “I’m an interviewer! Warfstache Tonight, that’s what my show is called! It’s quite a professional endeavor!”

You smiled and hummed around your bite of pizza, impressed. That actually explained a lot. And it suited him nicely enough. “Sounds pretty glamorous.”

“And what about you? You can’t just be a convenience store clerk!” He seemed so affronted by the idea. Crinkling his nose, dropping his voice an octave. “How dreadfully boring.”

You winced. “‘Just a convenience store clerk?’ Ouch, Wilford…” You couldn’t help frowning down at your slice. 

 “Oh! No no, pardon me!” He let the chair fall back to four legs, waving the idea way with a panicked hand. “I only meant that… this isn't what truly stirs your passions, is it? Do you do anything at your leisure? For work or just… something you enjoy?”

You squinted at him. But you didn’t really think he was trying to insult you. And he wasn’t wrong. It just… wasn’t always the most fun when someone pointed it out. Especially like that. 

You sighed, fidgeting as you considered his question. “Not right now… This job keeps me pretty occupied. But you know, it’s not too bad. It keeps me, I don’t know, grounded I guess.”

He thought for a moment, then nodded, taking another bite. “I do hope you get more opportunities soon, then.” He said, surprisingly grounded.

You looked at him. “... Thanks.” And you meant it.

“And… my apologies for the earlier, uh, miswording.”

 “That’s fine… I’d be curious to hear more about your show, though! Have you interviewed anyone interesting or anything?”

A beat. A sort of tiredness settled into his shoulders and he peered up at you. “The odd gold-star guest did wander in from time to time. I’m not sure if my skills were quite deserving of them at the time.”

Was that… shame?

“The truth is, I couldn’t quite live up to the role. I--” He laughed, pained. He cleared his throat. “I’m taking a bit of a break from show business for the moment.”

Ah. So that’s what happened. You offered him a sympathetic smile. “To party? That’s probably why you don’t have any money, Wilford. And why you have to rely on shitty convenience store food?” You held up your greasy napkin like it was evidence.

“Now don’t underestimate the power of a good party! And this food is fine, I’m grateful for it,” He crumpled the now empty napkin and gestured wildly with it. “The truth is I get by just fine. I’m just not sure what else I should be doing.”

You looked out the front windows. The sky was getting lighter. The timer marking the end of your shift would go off any minute.

So maybe that’s why he’d been asking you about your passions. You felt bad for him. He was strange, to be sure. And a little hard to follow. But he was also… sweet. He had a softness about him.

And still… there was that feeling that hadn’t disappeared since meeting him. Like… like your soul recognized him. Maybe not deeply. But distantly. Like you’d met him in a dream. It was a ridiculous notion. Ridiculous didn’t seem beyond his territory.

You turned, legs coming down from the counter once again. You leaned forward, your hand landing at the junction of his shoulder and neck. His silk shirt was soft under your fingers. His eyes jumped up to yours and you looked down at him with a smile. 

“You liked doing your show right? You want to be an interviewer?”

He nodded slowly. His lashes fluttered. 

“Then that’s what you should be doing! You just have to try again!” You shrugged with one shoulder. “It might suck a lot. And you might fail again. But pick yourself back up. Keep going. I’m sure you can do it if you keep at it and think outside the box, you know. Failing only means failing if you stop.”

You leaned back, your hand sliding away. He stared at you.

“That’s what the rest of us do, anyway. Honestly, maybe you should do your show online! You know, livestream it or something. I’m sure you’d find your own way to it.”

Slowly, a smile crept back in, the corners of his eyes creasing. 

“What a wonderful idea…” 

God, his eyes… 

You looked down at your own napkin, laughing a little at yourself. “Wilford, I promise, the advice I just gave you was nothing crazy.”

“Well, perhaps it’s just a little too rare that I get a pick-me-up.”

You hopped down from the counter. “Swing by whenever, I’ll hand them out for free. Though, if you’re always on the move, I guess you’re probably not in town for long, huh?”

He quickly followed your lead and stood, his chair nearly falling in his haste. “Uh— w-well I, I don’t know, I could always… linger for a day or two. Hard to say really.” 

“Uh huh.” You smirked at him, raising your brows. “Well, if that constant partying you have going on brings you back here, feel free stop in, okay? … It’d be nice to have someone in here every once in a while. Well, someone friendly, anyway.” 

“Right. Will do. Of course.”

You gave him two solid pats on the chest and turned to throw the napkins away behind the counter. When you turned to face him again, he was gone.  Only slightly confused, you quickly recovered and yelled a quick, “bye~!” to the now empty store.

[holdmytesseract]

The Price of Love

☆ The Baby Fever AU ☆

Loki x Y/N

Summary: You convince Loki to take you with him on a charity event, together with some other Avengers. What starts as a nice and exciting little trip to Canada, ends in a nightmare...

Warnings: pregnancy things/symptomps, overprotective Loki, almost nudity? thirst, suggestive smut?, swear words, Loki being the best hubby and dad possible, angst - quite a lot of angst, guns, bad people, violence, fighting, injury, blood, Loki going FERAL and being a bit... brutal, death, fluff

Word Count: 7,9k

a/n: Here it is, guys! The (almost) 8k words Baby Fever rollercoaster ride. 🫡 Yep... I went absolute bananas with this one. 😂 I love every bit, though. 😁 The story behind this fic? Well... @iamlokisgloriouspurpose made a post about a story she was looking for (some of you might remember) a few weeks ago. It was something about Loki x pregnant!reader, where she accidentally gets hit or something and Loki is overprotective, etc. She couldn't find the fic and I was like: Hey, would you want me to write something along that? And @iamlokisgloriouspurpose was like: Heck yeah! Well, here we are. You know how much of a sucker I am for such things... I couldn't resist. 🤷🏼‍♀️👀 Anyways... I hope y'all like it! 😁

Baby Fever Crew: Tagging y'all again in the comments! 😊💚

Baby Fever Masterlist °☆• Masterlist

"No, love, absolutely not," Loki stated; shaking his head and crossing his arms over his chest. "I won't allow that. Not in your condition. You rather stay here with Ella."

You raised an eyebrow, and put your hands on your hips. "In my condition? Babe, I'm pregnant! That's not a condition. I thought you knew that?" Loki snorted. "Well, to me it is." You sighed. "Okay, look, I understand your worry - but geez... Ease up a bit. I didn't even pass the first trimester. And besides, this is just a charity event. Not in the slightest dangerous." Your husband's jaw clenched, as his brain searched for the right words.

"I know, Y/N. I am more than aware of that, but..." He paused; unlocking his arms to tenderly cup your tiny, almost still invisible baby bump. "We fought so long for this, darling. Against heartbreak, sadness - Norns, even depression, and now that we are finally blessed with this little wonder growing in there, I'm not letting it go again. It was so hard for us to get pregnant. I'm not going to risk it."

You swallowed; raised your hands to cup both his cheeks. "I know, babe, I know..." You whispered; on the verge of giving in - but then you remembered a very important thing. "But you'll be there, too. You can always have an eye on me and protect us. I promise, that I'll never leave your side. And that I'll be careful. Plus, you wouldn't need to worry about our princess as well, 'cause she's more than safe with her grandparents on Asgard. She's already so excited to go there."

You could practically see the gears turning in his head. "How does that sound? What do you say?" A low grumble of disliking rumbled through Loki's chest, but in the end, he gave in with a sigh. A decision he was going to regret later. "Alright, fine."

Only a few days later, you and Loki were on your way to Canada - Calgary, to be precisely; together with Bruce, Peter and Tony. It wasn't a very big charity event, but an important one nevertheless.

Once the Quinjet landed, Tony immediately made sure to get everyone to the hotel you were staying in. After checking everyone in, the billionaire was quick to get to his room. "Alright, team... We'll meet at exactly eight p.m. tonight. No minute later. We have to be on time." He pointed at everyone - the longest at you and Loki. "Especially you two lovebirds. Understood?" Everybody nodded well-behaved. "Sure thing, Mr. Stark." Except Loki. The god just rolled his eyes. Tony ignored him and instead turned on his heels to leave the lobby. "Now if you'd excuse me... I've got a terrible headache, caused by all the sweet talk coming from Laufeyson's mouth. Ta-ta." From the corner of your eyes, you could see Bruce shaking his head. "He's such a diva sometimes." "Sometimes?" Asked Loki in return, causing you - and even Peter to giggle.

Loki stopped mid-sentence, to ask you this question in an almost offended voice, once he had turned to face you. You put the t-shirt in your hands down and looked at him confused; blinking. "Umm... Unpacking our stuff?" He immediately shook his head and walked over to you. "No, you're not." Loki said in a firm tone, taking the suitcase away. "You are going to lay down and rest. We can unpack later or even tomorrow. The flight was very stressful and exhausting - and the next few days are going to be packed and eventful as well. I don't want you to overdo it." "But, babe, I-" "No." He shushed you, placing both hands on your hips. "No excuses. You promised me, remember?" You sighed, knowing that he was right. You did promise him. "Alright, alright, fine. I'll go, lay down."

Loki took your hand and guided you to the hotel room you shared - and it was absolutely beautiful. Modern, luxurious, cosy - perfect for a few days. Tony had planned to take everyone to a few fan events and Comic Con's around Calgary after the charity event. Something you were definitely looking forward to.

"Tony definitely has a nice taste in hotels... Can't deny that. Don't you think, babe?" You looked over at Loki, who had just pulled the t-shirt he wore over his head. "It's more than likely the only thing Stark has a good taste in." You couldn't help yourself but to laugh. That laugh quickly died in your throat, though, when Loki slipped the jeans – which covered his lower body, over his hips and down his thighs; leaving him only in his black underwear - and socks. You bit your lip; tried not to stare or give into your raging pregnancy hormones. It was difficult. So, you decided to stop watching your husband strip and rather start unpacking your luggage. "I'm going to take a shower now, love. It was way too hot in the Quinjet. Stark always pretends he doesn't know that I am half a Frost Giant… And after that, I'm taking you out for dinner. You have to- What are you doing?"

Loki smiled and placed a tender kiss on your forehead. "Thank you." You wrapped both your arms around his torso, in order to hug him. But then another idea crossed your mind, and you let your hands wander down to the waistband of his briefs. "I could join you in the shower, you know..." A dark chuckle rumbled through his chest. You really thought you had him for a minute, "As tempting as this sounds, my queen..." but then he stepped out of your embrace. "But no. Not now. Not today. Please rest. It'll be good for you and the baby." Once again you sighed. It couldn't be helped. Loki stood his ground. "Okay, okay, I give up." Loki smiled and pressed a quick kiss on your lips, "Good girl." before he left for the bathroom.

Later that day, after having eaten dinner, you and Loki got ready for the charity event. While your husband got dressed, you decided to pay the shower a visit as well - for which you took your time. Getting ready for such a big event wasn't just done in a few minutes. Funnily, you had absolutely no idea what Loki was going to wear, so you chose to wear a black, elegant dress, which wasn't too sexy and overdressed, but also not completely innocent. It reached to your ankles and had a slit on the left side of your leg; stopping at your thighs. It was also tight around your waist, but not too tight - since you decided to not show the world (and teammates) yet that you were pregnant again. Okay, admittedly it could be easily mistaken by weight gaining, but you didn't want to risk the rumours to spread. After fixing your hair and applying some decent makeup, you were ready to go. You hoped Loki was ready as well, because a look on your phone told you, that it was almost time - and you didn't want to face Tony's diva wrath.

"Babe, are you rea-" Your words died in your throat, when you closed the bathroom door behind yourself; eyes landing on the god. He sat on the big, king-sized hotel bed; legs spread wide and phone in hands - which wasn't an unusual thing. It was the outfit he chose to wear, that took your breath away...

A black shirt, which hugged his arms and torso snugly; causing his biceps to bulge. The sleeves were rolled up, leaving his forearms deliciously bare. He had left the first few buttons of the shirt undone, exposing his chest in an almost sluttish way. With that not enough... Black, tight suit trousers covered his muscular thighs and legs; held together by an equally black leather belt. All this was paired with shiny, black dress shoes.

"Sweet Lord have mercy... Have you planned to get me pregnant all over again, looking like that, or... Perhaps to kill me?" Loki just chuckled, shaking his head, "Absolutely not, my queen." and stood up, "As much as I'd love to do that, though..."  straightening his shirt. "I can't, because I already did." He practically growled; winking at you. "I just wanted to give you something to look at. Besides, it's for charity - and you should look adequate on such a big event, right?" You were speechless. Entranced by his look and the words leaving his mouth.

And if this wouldn't have been erotic enough, he overcame it...

Those wild raven locks of his, were bound together, styled into a high manbun, with only a few loose curls being loose; neatly tucked behind his ears. On his fingers twinkled beside his wedding band a few other rings in black and emerald green; completing his outfit. Loki looked drop dead sexy. You could've jumped him. Right then and there - and he knew. Oh, he knew. The mischievous smile and cheeky look he was giving you said it all.

"You are a naughty, cheeky little shit sometimes, do you know that?" Your husband just chuckled once again and stepped over to you, in order to place his big hands on your waist. "I am aware of that, yes - and I know how much you love it." You smiled; trailing your fingertips over his exposed chest. "Hell yes, I do." He smirked mischievously and leaned down to kiss you passionately.

His oceanic blue eyes roamed over your body then; wetting his lips. "You look absolutely stunning as well, my love. Beautiful as ever. I especially appreciate..." His hand found the slit in your dress; cool palm gliding over the hot skin of your thigh. "...this little feature." You giggled like a schoolgirl - high on love and pregnancy hormones. "Thanks, Lokes - but I don't look quite as sexy as you do. You are going to break so many hearts tonight, babe." Loki shook his head. "That may be true, love, but I'd never break yours. Never." "I know."

About twenty minutes later, the whole team - including Pepper, who joined the party a bit later, 'cause she had a meeting this morning - arrived at the charity event, where already a lot of fans and paparazzi waited... At the red carpet. "Are you ready, my love?" Loki asked; taking your hand into his and helping you out of the limousine Tony had rented. "More than ready."

Together, with the other Avengers you set foot on the red carpet; cameras flashing around you like lightning. Loki kept on holding your hand tightly, not letting you go. He still wasn't convinced of your idea in joining all this - him. You noticed it; felt it. Recognized it in the way he acted around you. "Loki! Loki! Loki!" From everywhere around you, fans (mostly girls, of course) and paparazzi screamed his name; literally praising him like the god he was. But Loki only had eyes for you. He didn't give the people that much attention; his number one priority being you - his pregnant wife and mother of his little princess.

Nevertheless, he couldn't help himself but to throw one of his smouldering looks at the crowd, causing several women to faint - you were sure of it. After that, he redirected his attention back to you. "Everything alright, my love?" You nodded, squeezing his hand. "Of course. We're good." Loki gave you a smile, then turned to lean closer to your ear. "Stay close to me, please. I know this is just a charity event. And I am also very aware that you can defend yourself, but I told you once and I'm telling you again... I don't want to risk anything. I hope you understand." There was so much love, adoration and worry in his eyes; it almost caused your legs to give in.

Once more you nodded. "I promise. I promised you already." He smiled the softest of smiles and lifted your hand to his lips, earning a lot of coos and 'Aww's' from the hundreds of people at the display of affection. "Thank you. Somehow, I have a very bad feeling about all this. I don't know why, but... It's present." And Loki was proven right with his gut feeling. He watched you like a hawk during the whole evening, but he couldn't prevent it from happening...

The god was talking together with Bruce to a few of the important people who organized this event, when you were approaching the group of men, after getting yourself something to drink with Pepper. "Apologies to interrupt, but… Babe, do you have a second?" Loki immediately turned to face you, "Sure, darling." and placed a hand on the small of your back. "Please excuse me for a moment, gentlemen, but my lady is in need of me." He gave the men one of his charming gentlemen-like smiles and guided you a bit off sides from all the people.

"What's the matter, my love? Are you alright?" "Actually, I feel a bit woozy and..." You grimaced and placed both your hands on your lower abdomen; Loki's hands following suit. "Uh... Nauseous." Your husband frowned. Sure, this wasn't uncommon and it happened when you were pregnant with Ella as well, but that didn't stop him from being worried and protective. "Do you wish to leave?" "No. It's not that bad. I think I'm just going to pay the bathroom a visit; freshen up a bit and take a breath." Loki nodded, "Alright. I'll accompany you." and was more than ready to walk ahead, when you stopped him. "I think I can do that alone. It's just a visit to the bathroom. I won't be gone for long." The god bit his lip; clearly not convinced by your suggestion. "I don't know, I-" "Hey..." You gently grabbed both his hands squeezing them. "I'll be just fine. I don't want to drag you all across the building just for this. Besides, it's the ladies bathroom and you're a man, so..." Loki sighed, but once again, gave in. "Fine. Be careful, yes? And if it gets worse, we'll leave immediately." "Yes, Sir," you promised and pressed a quick kiss on his lips, before you let go of his hands and left for the bathroom.

Both, Loki's and Bruce's eyes widened immediately. They exchanged one look - and started to run, into the direction from where the woman came from. It led both men into the big, fancy stairwell of the building. Scanning the area, they searched for the said men - and found them quickly. They had barged through the doors on the bottom floor and were now standing in the entrance area, looking up. The Hydra logo shone bright on their black battle suits. "Hydra," stated Bruce, recognising the danger as well. "Stark, get your billionaire ass over here. We have a problem." Loki spoke through his little communication device. Not a second later, Tony flew over their heads, dressed in his suit, of course. "Already on it, Reindeer Games." "We have to get all the people out of here." The god nodded; green seidr washing over his body and changing his suit into his armour. "You do that, Banner. I'll go find Y/N." "No. She'll be alright, Loki. She can look after herself. I firstly need your help. I can't get all those innocent people out of here alone. Tony can distract those guys, but not for long."

That was the last time he had seen you for quite a while. At first, Loki was all cool with it, giving you the time to freshen up and calm your pregnancy symptoms - but after fifteen minutes, he got suspicious and an uneasy feeling started to grow within his stomach. So, he started to look around for you; asking his colleagues on the way, if they had seen you. Unfortunately, they didn't...

"Banner... Have you seen Y/N?" The doctor shook his head. "No, sorry. I haven't seen her in a while to be hon-" Bruce's words got interrupted by a loud noise - causing everyone inside the big hall to freeze. "What was that?" Loki's question didn't need to be answered by Bruce. A woman in black high heels and a sparkling pink dress literally ran inside the hall, screaming. "Guns! Gun! There are men with guns!"

Loki didn't like this. Not at all, but he knew that Bruce was right. If he wouldn't help him, a lot of innocent people would get more than likely hurt or killed. "Fine. Let's go." Bruce nodded and started to run off; Loki following him. "There's an emergency stairway, right down that hall. We'll get them out there."

That's what the two Avengers did then. Evacuating all the people. Loki was unable to stay focused, though. His thoughts were constantly travelling to you. He had a bad feeling about this from the beginning - and he had been right. He just hoped that you were alright...

After emptying your stomach one last time, you walked on slightly wobbly feet out of the cabin and to the sink. Looking in the mirror, you noticed that you were quite a bit pale. Well, no wonder. After throwing up that much... Once more you sighed and turned on the tap to splash yourself with some cold water and to rinse out your mouth to get rid of the foul taste. Then you took some more deep breaths and when you felt slightly better, you decided to find your husband and leave. So, you stepped over to the door and opened it - only to walk into an absolute chaos. It was loud. Gunshots sounded from everywhere. Rubble was laying around; the insides of the building was quite a bit damaged. Then you saw Tony in his suit flying around and shooting at something. You blinked. Whatever it was what happened and what was going on... How could you not notice?! Still in some kind of shock, you walked to the still intact railing of the open hallway, in order to find out what the fuck was happening. A mistake. A wrong decision. A decision your still woozy and foggy brain didn't think through. With horror in your eyes, you witnessed the literal army of what seemed to be Hydra men fighting against Tony and Pepper. Help..., you thought. They needed help. You were about to switch into your fighting mode, when you suddenly heard Loki's voice from far away. "Y/N! Watch out!" The warning came too late. Before you could even make out the sniper from across you, the bullet had hit you already. The force of it threw you to the ground. The last thing you heard before everything got dark, was the heart wrenching scream, which left your husband's lips.

While Loki, Bruce, Tony and even Pepper fought the army of Hydra supporter, you were still in the ladies bathroom; not having a clue what was going on. Yes, you had heard a loud noise, but were too occupied with not missing the toilet bowl while throwing up. On the way to the bathroom, your condition had suddenly switched very fast from 'not that bad' to 'I'm going to throw up any minute now'.

Well, that's where you were now... Hanging over the toilet; literally puking your guts out - all the while trying to not ruin your dress and hair. "Oh gods..." You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. You felt awful. Perhaps it was for the best to accept Loki's offer and return to the hotel. But... What to tell the others? The only people who knew of your second pregnancy were Loki, Ella and Natasha. Nobody else. After all, you told your best friend to not tell it a single soul - and you knew you could trust her, so... Bruce wouldn't know. Just like Tony and Pepper. And you had no intention in telling them. At least not now. You wanted to wait until you passed the 'critical' first trimester. Although, the little Frost Giant inside you was growing fast and soon you wouldn't be able to hide it for much longer anyway. Ugh, you thought. Decisions, decisions...

Loki was powerless. He couldn't do anything about it; was too far away from the sniper to stop him. With wide, teary eyes, he saw your body hitting the ground. For a moment, time seemed to stand still for him. He didn't even notice how he screamed. But then the harsh realisation hit him, and he started to run, getting as fast as somehow possible to you.

His heart was beating fast against his ribcage when he saw your limp, seemingly lifeless body - and the tears started to fall rapidly. "No, no, no, no, no!" Loki didn't care that there was a battle going on. All he had on his mind now was you - and his unborn child. He ran over to you and fell to his knees beside you, gently turning your body around. There was blood and a big, gushing wound on your shoulder. Luckily your shoulder. Loki's shaking hand quickly went to check your pulse. It was there. You were alive. Utter relief flooded his body. "Oh thank the Norns, thank the Norns." He praised; voice breaking. But then he noticed how much blood you were losing and that your bullet wound needed medical attention - unless you were going to die. So, he switched on his communication device. "Banner, get over here. Quick. Third floor. Ladies bathroom." The answer came prompt. "On my way." "Bring every medical supply you can find on your way. And hurry up! It's urgent!"

While Bruce was on his way, Loki sat down beside you. He took one hand of yours into his and placed his other hand on the wound. He wouldn't be able to heal you, but he could slow the blood loss. He closed his eyes for a moment; green seidr starting to flow from his palm. "Hold on, my love. Norns, please hold on. I'm here." Loki squeezed your hand, before he gently let go again to cup your lower stomach. Seidr started to pour out of his other hand as well. He tried to feel the baby; knowing well that it was too early for him to feel him or her. And he was right. He couldn't feel them. He couldn't tell if they were alright or not. With a frustrated groan, he stopped his attempt - just as worried as before. Anyways, he had to try, didn't he?

Only a few minutes later, Bruce came running down the hall. The doctor's eyes widened, when he came to witness the scene in front of him. "What happened?!" It was, of course, as clear as a day what had happened, but the question bubbled out of him nevertheless. "Sniper," Loki answered dryly; then quickly removed his hand, so Bruce could take a look. He nodded; examining your shoulder. "There's an exit wound. That's good. Means the bullet went through. Nevertheless, we have to patch this up. Unless she's going to bleed out. We have to get her out of here." Loki clenched his jaw. "I am very aware of that, Dr. Banner," he hissed. "Just do something. I can't lose her." His teary, frightful and worried eyes met Bruce's brown ones. "Please," Loki added, desperately. The doctor nodded and reached for the medical supplies he found on his way... Plasters, bandages, disinfection, gloves and other things. "I'll try my best to stop the bleeding as good as possible, but- Loki, what are you doing?" Bruce witnessed how the god stood up; eyes focused on something across the grand stairwell. "You got her, Banner?" The doctor frowned, "I-I think so, y-yes, what-" and followed Loki's eyes - and realised. There was a Hydra agent - and Bruce had a guess. He could count one and one together. "Loki, no. Leave him be; I-" The god turned around; the fury and anger in his eyes causing Bruce to clap his mouth immediately shut. "You got her, Banner?" He repeated his question, more firmly this time. Bruce nodded; swallowing hard. "Good." His eyes wandered shortly to the man with bright pink hair again - the one who shot you. Loki recognised him, of course. And when he saw him standing there, he lost it. Completely. Rage was taking over his system like venom. "Guard her with your life," he said and started to walk away; adding in a threatening, dark and intimidating voice: "Or you'll be the next."

Led by his untamed wrath, Loki made his way quickly to that one Hydra soldier; killing every other on his way - without even blinking. He was like in a trance; blinded by his anger. That man had almost taken one of his most precious things in his life away from him - and he couldn't just let that pass. That man was going to pay - right now.

The man with pink hair was about to escape through one of the ventilation shafts, when green seidr hit him; causing him to get thrown to the ground. He tried to reach for his rifle, but the god was quick to kick it away and out of reach for him. Before the man could even stand up and defend himself, Loki had picked him up off the hard ground and literally slammed him against the nearest wall; big hand wrapped around his neck. The man's eyes met the god's furious ones - and he just laughed. "What are you waiting for, huh? Kill me." Loki practically growled, squeezing his neck tighter. "Do you even know with whom exactly you are dealing with and what monster you just unleashed by doing what you did?" Again, the man just laughed - not even trying to fight Loki. "For such a smartass god, you are incredibly stupid, Laufeyson." The god's jaw clenched. He was losing his nerves. "What I did was the only reason I came for. Killing Agent Y/L/N was my job; knowing very well that I'd die here tonight doing it - because of you. So, what are you waiting for. Do it." Those words caused Loki to laugh dangerously - almost hysterically. This man really thought he had killed you. "Possibly. But you are the fool - not me. Being so stupid and trying to take my wife away from me… You have no idea what you have gotten yourself into, little mortal," Loki whispered in a threatening voice and started to shapeshift into his Jotun form.

The man's eyes widened in shock. He didn't know. He didn't know. Loki was towering over him now; ruby eyes glowing dangerously red. "Not so brave and impudent now, are we?" The man just swallowed; still gazing at Loki shocked. "I told you. You have no idea what monster you unleashed..." He stated once more, tightened his grip a bit. "Tell me, mortal... You've got a family?" The man nodded, unable to form any words, due to Loki's strong grip. "A wife? Children?" Another nod. "So you are a father, just like me and nevertheless you agree to take the life of an innocent child's mother? That is pathetic. Weak. Cowardly. You disgust me." Loki spat. "And with that not enough... You almost took two lifes." The man's eyes widened to the size of plates; connecting the dots. "That's right. She's with child. I don't know yet if your headless, rash assassination hurt them, but… You better pray it didn't." And again, Loki tightened his grip, before conjuring a dagger - made out of ice, "But... Actually, if I think this through, you don't have to pray, because you won't get to know. It's time to pay." and rammed the dagger into his stomach, causing the man's jaw to drop and a breathless scream to leave his lips. Loki twisted the dagger and let go of him. The man fell to the ground, gasping and gurgling. The god rounded the man – like a predator its prey, before he squatted down beside him, shifting back into his Æsir form. "Next time you try to take my family away from me, do it right - or better... Don't even try it. Although, I highly doubt there will be a next time." With a clasp on the dying man's shoulder, Loki sauntered away. He had to do it. He just had to.

After Bruce had turned the Quinjet on autopilot; giving it the coordinations of the next hospital, which was fifteen minutes away, he returned to you and Loki. He checked on your wound - which was oozing a bit of blood again, but not as much. Loki's seidr and Bruce's pressure bandage had helped, but so slowly the fabric of the bandage turned from white to red as well... "I already informed the hospital. They'll be ready when we arrive," he informed the god, who stared at your unconscious body. "Good." His eyes were focused on your stomach. Loki was utterly afraid and worried, that the blood loss this bullet wound caused, could've harmed the baby. He just couldn't shake off that thought. It drove him crazy not to know - up to the point where he couldn't take it anymore. So, he had no other option but to tell Bruce...

As soon as he had quenched his thirst for revenge, his mind wandered - of course, back to you. So, without further ado, he made his way back to you.

Bruce was luckily still sitting by your side; two lifeless Hydra men laying a few meters away from them. "How is she?" Loki asked immediately. The doctor turned at the god's voice; facing him. "For the moment, stable. I stopped the bleeding, but the point still stands... She needs medical attention." Then Banner looked Loki up and down, swallowing. "Did you...?" He knew what Bruce meant, and nodded. "I had to." Loki stepped closer to you and knelt down, "Let's get her out of here and to the Quinjet." and gently took you in his arms; carrying you bridal style. "Back me up?" Bruce nodded, and turned quickly to Hulk; watching out for any enemies to come your way.

The three of you made it out of the building and to the Quinjet without any further incident. While Bruce started the engines, Loki laid you slowly down on the stretcher. "Stark. Banner and I are on the Quinjet now, bringing Y/N into a hospital and-" "Yes, yes, I know. Bruce told me. Make sure she's alright." "Are you able to make this without us?" "What kind of question is that, Reindeer Games? Pepper and I are almost done here. The civilians are safe and sound and the Hydra men reduced to a group of ten." Loki rolled his eyes at Tony's comment. "Fine."

"Banner, would you check her stomach and lower abdomen, please?" The doctor frowned. "Why? She's been shot in the shoulder, not in the stomach and-" "Just do it!" Loki cut him off; almost screaming at the man. "Alright, alright, I'll do it. Calm down, man." He went to grab a little device and held it over your stomach. Looking down at the miniature display, and not expecting to find something, Bruce's eyes suddenly widened. He lifted his head, gazing with surprise and a little shocked at the god. "Loki, that... There's... Y/N, she... She's-" "Pregnant, yes." Loki finished his sentence. "That's why I asked you to check. Is the baby alright?" Bruce blinked, and nodded. "Y-Yes, I... As far as I can tell, y-yes." "Oh thank the Norns," the god breathed out relieved. He took your hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, all the while he leaned down to pepper your stomach with little kisses. "Our baby is okay, my love... They are alright - and you'll be too, I promise," Loki sobbed into the fabric of your dress; holding on to you.

As for Bruce, he clearly needed a moment to grasp this. "How far along is she? How... How long do you know?" Loki turned his head to Bruce and smiled through his tears. "About ten weeks. She told me a month ago, right after she found out. Well, Ella told me, but yes..." Bruce couldn't help but smile as well. He was, of course, happy for you and Loki. "Well, in that case... Congratulations." "Thank you. I'm honestly a bit surprised that Romanoff didn't tell you anything." The doctor's eyes widened. "Natasha knew?!" Loki nodded. "She was the only one who knew. She was with Y/N when she found out." Banner nodded, "Makes sense." before he went to land the Quinjet. "Let's get her help - as fast as possible."

"Mr. Laufeyson, Sir." A doctor ripped him out of his thoughts. Loki literally jumped to his feet, looking at the young man with anticipation and hope. "How is she?" "She's alright according to the circumstances." The god let out a deep, relieved breath he didn't know he was holding. "Oh Norns… Thank you." "She was lucky that the bullet went through and we didn't have to operate." "Is the baby alright?" Not that Loki didn't trust Bruce, but he'd rather have it checked twice - and besides, Loki had to tell the doctors that you were pregnant anyways. "Yes. The baby is safe and sound." He took a deep breath, nodding. "Can I go to her?" "Of course."

While the doctors looked after you and patched the wound up, Loki sat on a chair in front of the wooden door in the white, empty hallway, waiting. Bruce had returned to Tony and Pepper.

Fear and worry were still very present in the god's head, but also guilt. He felt utterly guilty. Guilty of taking you with him on this damn event. Guilty of not accompanying you to the toilets - as stupid as it might sound. Guilty of not having been able to protect you - and his baby. It weighed him down. And nevertheless... He couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't change the past. It happened; and the most important thing now was that you were going to be alright.

No ten minutes later, Loki was sitting by your bedside; your hand in his and patiently waiting for you to wake up. To his sheer relief, he didn't have to wait long. Your eyes fluttered open; blinking; needing to adjust to the bright light. "L-" Loki was it you wanted to say, but your throat felt dry, causing you to not even get his name out. Your husband reacted immediately, of course and reached for the glass of water on your bedside table; gently helping you to drink. "T-Thank you." "Of course, my love." Then you looked around. "Loki, where... Where am I?" "In the hospital." You blinked, before you started to smile. "I survived this?" Loki couldn't help but chuckle softly. "For sure! Do you think I'd let the most important being in my life die?" You smiled even wider, shaking your head. "See?" Loki smiled as well, squeezing your hand. "How are you feeling? Are you in pain?" You shook your head. "No, but... I feel utterly tired." Apparently were the pain killers working just fine yet. "Good, that's good. But you should rest then. Give yourself and our child time to overcome this accident." Your eyes widened on an instant at Loki's words; free hand flying to clutch your stomach (It was luckily not your hurt arm). "Oh my g-gosh, the baby! Are they alright?!" You panicked for a moment, but Loki was quick to reassure you. He placed his free hand on yours. "Don't worry, darling. They are completely fine." "T-Thank god."

Loki's expression changed suddenly; the guilty feeling returning. "My love, I am so sorry. This all is my fault. I promised to protect you... And I failed. I-I wasn't there when you needed me and-" You shook your head, interrupting him. "Let me stop you right there, babe." Intertwining your hand with his, you looked him deeply in his stunning blue eyes. "This is absolutely not your fault. I am the one to blame for this. Not you. I chose to accompany you. I chose to go alone to the bathroom. It was me, not you. You did your absolute best and protected me the best you could." Loki blinked. "But-" "Ah.Ah. No but's. Please... Don't blame yourself."

Your husband took a deep breath; running a hand through his luscious curls. "I... I could've lost you, Y/N. And our child. Ella could've lost her mother." "I know... But you didn't. Ella didn't. I'm here. I'm alive. The baby is alive. We are both okay - and we will make this. My shoulder's going to heal." Despite your words, there was still hesitation in his eyes. So, you tugged gently at his hand, "C'mere." encouraging him to lean down. He did what you asked him to, and leaned down. You didn't hesitate; pulled him instantly in a kiss. It was so loving and intense; almost taking Loki's breath away. "Stop. Blaming. Yourself," you mumbled in between kisses. Loki couldn't help but smirk; brushing your nose with his. "Only if you keep on kissing me." "Pfft," you laughed and shook your head, but kept on kissing him.

Once Loki assured himself, that you were, indeed alright - according to the circumstances, he decided to take a trip home and tell Ella and his parents what had happened. He had to. So, he stayed with you the whole day, night and even the next day, before he left on the following morning; travelling to Asgard.

"My, my, what do we have here? Is this a tea party? And I am not invited?" Loki asked; approaching them. Ella's head snapped, of course, immediately into his direction after hearing her father's voice. "Daddy!" She squeaked out excitedly and scrambled to stand up. Loki knew what was about to come, so he squatted down and opened his arms. Ella came running and threw herself into Loki's awaiting embrace. He swiped her off her feet and lifted the girl up; hugging her tightly. Ella giggled; both her little arms tangling around his neck. "Ah, my little princess... I missed you." "I missed you too, daddy." Loki kissed her cheek, before letting her down again.

"Welcome back, prince Loki." Heimdall greeted him with a bow of his head. Loki gave him a nod. "Heimdall." "Bear my best recovery wishes for her - and congratulations." The prince smiled. "Thank you. I shall do that."

On a horse, the god made his way to the palace. "Greetings, my prince." The guards welcomed him and let him inside, of course, where he asked for his daughter and parents. Loki got told, that Ella was with his mother in the royal gardens and the Allfather caught up in a court meeting with the royal advisors of the king from Svartalfheim. So, Loki went to the gardens. He could already see his princess and mother from afar. They were sitting on a soft blanket, which laid underneath a cherry tree, in order to shield them from the sun. Both of them had tea cups in their hands and he could swear that he also saw two big slices of cake. Loki couldn't help the smile, which spread over his lips at the scene in front of him - and when he heard Ella's sweet laughter, it only widened.

Frigga just watched with a smile on her face. She loved seeing her son being a father. "Mother," Loki greeted her; kissing her cheek as well. "Hello, son. You're back early." At her words, the god got taken back in time; remembering what had happened. "I know. I'll explain. But first..." He turned back to Ella, tickling her. Again, she bursted into fits of giggles. "I'd like to have a biiiig slice of cake. It looks so very delicious. Princess, would you go to the kitchen and ask Bjørn, if he would be so nice and give me a slice?" "O-Okay, daddy," Ella panted; still giggling and trying to recover from her dad's tickle attack. "You're a treasure, thank you." Ella smiled, then hopped away. The skirts of her pink summer dress billowing in the wind; raven curls, which just reached her shoulders, bobbing.

"I have the feeling you want to tell me something without my grandchild listening..." Frigga noted. She wasn't stupid. Loki nodded, "I do, mother." and swallowed. "I... Have good news and bad news." Loki pondered about with which news to start, but then decided on the good news. His parents didn't know yet that they were going to be grandparents - again. Perhaps this was the time to tell them. Well, at least Frigga. He'd come around the next few days to tell his father as well. Actually, Loki wanted to do this with you, but... The current circumstances didn't allow it. Hopefully you wouldn't be mad at him...

"The good news is; Y/N is... Well, she's pregnant again."

For the second time, Frigga's eyes widened - but this time out of shock. "Oh by the Norns! How is she?! Did it affect your child?" "She's alright - according to the circumstances. The bullet went through, so they didn't need to operate. She lost a lot of blood, but we made it in time to the hospital. Luckily, it didn't affect the child. They are safe and sound, steadily growing in their mother's womb." A relieved breath left the Allmother's lips. "Indeed... That's why I am back earlier. I'll take Ella with me now and tell her. Y/N's dying to see her baby again," he stated with a small chuckle. Frigga nodded. "Of course, my son." Just in that moment, they noticed Ella returning - carrying a plate with a big slice of cake on top. "Please greet her and wish her all the best. And tell us if she's getting better!" Loki took his mother's hand and squeezed it. "I will do that, for sure."

Frigga's eyes widened. "Pregnant?" The god nodded with a smile; almost unable to hold back the tears. "Yes, mother. We're having another baby." The queen gasped; hand flying to cover her mouth. She tried to hold back the tears again. "Oh Loki..." She more or less sobbed, before lunching forwards to hug him. "That's wonderful, son. I'm so delighted and happy for you and Y/N." Loki hugged her even tighter. "Me too. I'm honestly a little surprised that Ella didn't tell you. Well, we told her to not do it, but... You know how excited, small children are... We wouldn't have been mad at her if it had slipped past her lips, but well..." Frigga just giggled. "It would've been a great way to find out as well." "Oh definitely!" Loki chuckled; pausing. "I, uh, wish to tell father as well. I'm coming back in the next few days as soon as he has got more time." His mother smiled, "My lips shall be sealed then." but it dropped quite quickly again. "I'm a little afraid of the bad news now..."

"Well..." Loki started; thoughts returning to the accident once more. "We, um, we were on that charity event and... And there was an attack." He fumbled with his fingers. "I swore to protect Y/N and couldn't in that very moment. She's... She's been shot in the shoulder and is in the hospital now."

After Loki had eaten the delicious cake and spent a bit of quality time with his mother and daughter; he decided to return to you, taking Ella with him. They both bid their goodbyes and off they went through the Bifrost; only to land in a hospital - much to Ella's confusion...

"Uhh, daddy? Why are we in a hospital?" The little girl looked around; seemed quite a bit frightened. "Where's... Where's mommy?" Loki's heart felt already heavy; having to tell his child what had happened. He took a deep breath and squatted down in front of Ella, to be on eye-level with her, and took her smaller hands in his. "You know we were away to attend an Avengers thingy?" She nodded; getting visibly more nervous and angsty. "Unfortunately, we've got attacked by some really bad guys and... Mommy got hurt - but she's okay, sweetheart! She has a wound that needs to heal, but she will be perfectly fine!" Loki immediately went to calm her down, since her eyes started to get watery; tears running down her cheeks promptly. "M-Mommy's hurt? What happened?" The god swallowed. "A man tried to shoot mommy and hit her shoulder," Loki explained; gently wiping the little girl's tears away with his thumbs.

"Can… Can I see mommy?" "Of course, princess. That's why we're here." He smiled softly; looking down at his daughter, who resembled him so much. "Come here." Loki then just scooped her up in his arms; hugging her and carrying her to the room you were in. He didn't care that Ella got heavier so slowly; being not a toddler anymore. She held onto her dad, burying her face in his neck and hair. It had been clearly a shook for the little girl to learn that her mother was hurt in a hospital...

Loki gently knocked on your door and waited patiently for an answer. "Come in!" You were awake. Loki freed one hand and opened the door; stepping inside. Your eyes immediately lit up, when you saw your husband and daughter. You were so happy to see Ella. You had missed her - a lot. When you saw that Loki was carrying her, you knew exactly what was going on...

"Princess, hey," you greeted Ella softly, after your husband had carried her over to your bed. She was still clinging to her dad, but when she felt your touch on her back and especially heard your voice, her head snapped to face you. Her cheeks were reddened - just like her eyes, in which were still tears glistening. It definitely teared at your heartstrings. "Oh no, sweetie... Come here." You opened your arm (the one which wasn't hurt) for her. Loki immediately let her down and she didn't hesitate even a second; ran into your arm as quickly as possible. Sure, Ella had to overcome the obstacle which was the hospital bed; but that didn't stop her.

"Mommy," she sobbed; clinging now to you. She may have been already a big girl, but in moments like this, she was still just a child - which was more than alright. "Don't cry, baby. I'm ok." You stroked her hair in a reassuring manner and pressed soft, little kisses to the crown of her head. Exchanging a look with your husband, you could tell that it hurt him as well; seeing his daughter sad and crying. It always did.

Once you managed to calm her down, you were in for a long round of cuddles. Ella laid in your arm, cuddled against your side. At some point she had just slept in. Perhaps from the exciting vacation she's been on. Perhaps from the shock. Anyways, you were just glad she had calmed down - and so was Loki, who sat beside your bed on a chair. His oceanic blue eyes watching over you and his princess. He still had to tell you that his mother knew now about the little wonder growing within you, but that was a story for another time.

[daisymae-12]

weekend WIP game

thanks @welcometololaland for this fun game (the perfect way to spend my saturday night 😂) and @kiwiana-writes for the tag ❤️ I only have one art WIP right now so I opted to do the writers questions !!

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more). (questions for artists/gifmakers here).

1. WIP List: ok this question made me actually label my WIP's because they're all just titled "Fic #1", "Fic #2" etc in my google drive 😅

Roommates/College AU

5+1 bestfriends to lovers [Alex accidentally keeps friendzoning Henry lmao]

Supermarket meet-cute (but not cute because Henry manages to piss off Alex)

Fake Dating/College AU [inspired by how my husband and I met]

Vampire Henry

Artist Alex [Bea commissions a gift for Henry]

Canon Divergence from Kensington

Roommates AU ft. stardew valley

Coffee Shop AU

Canon Divergence from Lakehouse

Neighbours AU

Fake Dating/High School AU [also inspired by how my husband and I met lol]

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

Fake Dating/College AU !!

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

Fake Dating/College AU - it's the only one so far that I've made an outline for because I think it'll be long-ish 😂

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

Right now it's my Vampire Henry fic ❤️ enjoying it because I'm not struggling too much to write it - and the ideas have been coming easily 😌

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

ooo probably the two canon divergence ones? mostly because they'll probably be the fics with the most angst - yikes

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

gosh - all of them? I haven't published new fanfic in over 6 years so it's definitely been nerve wracking even sharing snippets over here for wip wednesday 😅

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

Maybe for the longer fics? I'm not sure if I will! We'll see if I ever get to writing anything long enough 😬 I am sort of warming up to the idea of google doc cheerleaders? I dno, I'm such a slow writer though so it might stress me out 😂

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

yess the Roommates/College AU - this was the first rwrb fic I started all the way back in June LAST YEAR 😭 I wrote bits and pieces of the first two chapters and still haven't picked it back up since 😩 I've also hit writer's block with the 5+1 - I thought this would be the first fic I'd publish for rwrb AND the first fic I'd ever finish but I got triggered when writing one of the scenes which shocked me because I didn't expect it to? I'd even say this fic is light-hearted but yeah I had to stop. Hoping to finish writing that one after Vampire Henry though !!!

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

ooo so far the only fic with an OC is Fake Dating/College AU but I can't say more without spoiling 👀

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

Everything is such bare bones atm, so I truly don't know 😂

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

Probably Canon Divergence from Kensington 😅😅😅

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

Hoping the characterisation is ok on all of them but right now they're all so short still that I can't pick one out 🙃

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

Gosh I am BAD at this - will probably end up being the Coffee Shop AU because cafes are my second home but we'll see 😅

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

As of right now - been working the hardest on Vampire Henry fic but I anticipate it'll be outdone by Fake Dating/College AU - that one will take me a long time to write based on the outline I've done 💀

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

ahh I'm not sure! Maybe Fake Dating/College AU? I can already tell that fic is going to be my baby and I hope everyone will like it too

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

Not really but I do daydream about them in the shower 😂

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

hmm not sure since everything is still quite bare bones so I'll answer this next time !

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

Right now - Vampire Henry 😅 but not really ??? but yes the most in comparison to everything else so far LOL

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

Nope but I do want to write a fic with an outside POV one day!

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

Vampire Henry fic will probably be the first fic in a series 😬 I have ideas for a sequel OR extra scenes that will be ficlets 🥰

Yay that was so much fun! Love reading about everyones wip's but no pressure ❤️ @myheartalivewrites @heybuddy-drabbles @read-and-write- @suseagull04 @gwiazdziarka @adreamareads @sprigsofviolets @cultofsappho @anincompletelist @lizzie-bennetdarcy @notspecialbabe @littlemisskittentoes @happiness-of-the-pursuit @affectionatelyrs @heartitinthesilence @inexplicablymine @raysletters @tintagel-or-cockleshells @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @sherryvalli

[hummingbird-games]

Dev Diaries

April 4th, 2024

😃When did writing updates become such a chore to me??? I remember when I was excited to share what I was doing, grrrrrrrrrr...

Well. Here's what's happening in Gemini World:

The Knight Dance HOPEFULLY will go live this month because the team and I are entering it in the Amare Festival. I really want y'all to play this game but I also have been working on it for so long that I want to check it off my list lol.

Please check Ko-fi for free posts (and if I'm not posting enough HSD on Tumblr, which, I'M SO SORRY!!!) The most recent thing I threw in the queue was a certain student's I.D. card 👀 but I have plans to put everyone's on there!

HSD: JY #2 is getting its updated, non-snapshot demo this summer! Also, I'd like to clear up some confusion. As awesome as it would be, the full game is not coming out this year. The focus is to put out this last demo and then hunker down and finish writing. As of this post, I decided to write Ryan's full route from top to bottom. His common route content and Billie's are the only finished ones (and may or may not make an appearance in the upcoming demo. lol idk yet). However, Ryan's route has been crystalized in my mind for MONTHS so I figure we'll get my boy out the way so I can focus on the rest of the children 🥲Remember, Florence still doesn't have an outline and das not good....

One of the things I want to be better about with this sequel is embracing the spectrum that is asexuality and aromanticism. I did...something with the first game ☠️ but I feel like the rep could have been better in a lot of places (and I identify as ace, not aro, so I KNOW rep could have been better 🤧)

Having a friendship route was a solid decision, and even if most players didn't fool with it, a few let me know that they played HSD #1 for that feature. Which is cool because I'm tired of playing games that make ending up with a friend character a consolation. FRIENDSHIP IS NOT A CONSOLATION!!!

That said, there are STILL so many things that I won't be able touch on in HSD #2, but I don't claim to be the authority on any sexuality. The above screen is only seen in the friendship route and gives flavor dialogue that can help players define their MC. As someone who came into her asexuality waaaay past her HS and college days, I didn't have the representation to better explain and understand myself, so. Yup.

Alsoooo while we're going on about this sequel, no spoilers but even if you pick a romance route, you're not safe from friend angst 🤷🏽‍♀️Now, if your MC is directly affected or just a poor bystander...?👀🔍

And that's it! April is gonna be SO MUCH FUN because so many game updates are dropping

Our Wonderland finale *sob*

TCT DLC bonus stories

Date With Death DLC Kickstarter

chapter 7 release date announcement for College Craze

Breathless Winds release

And other stuff I probably forgot! So yeah. Heading to work now, but I hope all of y'all have a great day/night, and I'll see you in the next update! 💛

- Gemini

[no-where-new-hero]

Thank you @batrachised for tagging me in a 20 questions fanfic author game!

1-How many works do you have on AO3?

Currently 2, will soon be 3 :)

2-What's your total AO3 word count?

Currently 10,518.

3-What fandoms do you write for?

LM Montgomery novels and Tale of the Nine-Tailed at the moment.

4-What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

"A Dream of the Woodland," my Barney Snaith pov fic, has the most kudos simply because the Blue Castle Book Club are lovely and generous people!

5-Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do because I'm still new enough to this that every comment has me giggling and kicking my feet, and I want the commenter to feel like their time was spent well on typing out a reaction! It also feels like a mini-conversation about my favorite thing (my work hehe).

6-What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I mean, "The One who Takes" will automatically be the angstiest because it's canon compliant, basically a canon novelization, and I spent the previous 4800 words leading up to the finale shaping the characters to deliver the maximum possible pain out of an already painful situation. I have to admit I enjoy writing angst; I enjoy happy endings but until now the main feedback I've gotten on my works and pairings is that they're "sweet" and that feels like a vital misrepresentation of my core self lol.

7-What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

"A Dream of the Woodland" probably, again canon compliancy. The two drafts I have growing won't be happy to the same extent.

8-Do you get hate on fics?

Not yet 👀

9-Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I've become a very fade to black writer after several years of struggling to walk a fine line between graphic, which I guess is the point but not always, and merely allusive, which ends up kind of...unnecessarily poetic (me staring at the sex scene in Divine Rivals, which had me convinced the writer was Christian). This is me standing on my bandbox, but unless it's explicit, I find including smut incredibly awkward. And sometimes being explicit simply doesn't fit the story, and pwp is not my thing. So I've decided to start steering clear of it until I've found a way to toe that line (Starling House comes closest to achieving this for me, but it's almost not a smut scene? Like you know they're having sex but it's so barely there? OT).

10-Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Not yet, but I'm still percolating elements for the Dean Priest x Barney Snaith x Walter Blythe fic. After that discussion about Dean being bisexual or at least closetedly in love with Douglas, that idea surged back into my consciousness again.

11-Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No, luckily. I'm not famous enough for that to happen lol.

12-Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, but that sounds like a huge honor.

13-Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No, but I'm open to the idea!

14-What's your all-time favourite ship?

Oh lord what a question. It's hard because I have a few but so often I want to keep them sacrosanct from fanfiction because I have the only correct interpretation of the ship and won't accept others lol. The one exception is that "euchronology" story about Dean x Emily, but otherwise yeah I tend to avoid reading about ships that are special to me.

15-What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I mean, that LMM sad guy crossover feels a bit ambitious for my time right now, even though I have the elements in place. We'll see.

16-What are your writing strengths?

The prose. I've been doing this for so long that getting pretty words out onto the screen stops feeling like effort.

17-What are your writing weaknesses?

I think I get stuck in my prose and forget that a story needs momentum. And also a shape. Learning how to outline would be great haha.

18-Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

This is actually interesting considering I'm writing for a media created in another language that I partially know, so while writing the new dialogue in "The One who Takes," I was very conscious of not just "would he say that" but also "what would the sentence structure feel like" and "I am also aware that I am filtering this awareness of speech pattern through translation." I don't think I did very well, but it was a thought process.

19-First fandom you wrote for?

I mean, the first "real" OG writing I ever did was very very thinly veiled The Hero and the Crown fanfic (by Robin McKinley, another of my formative books), so I guess that one? Though I feel like I only entered fandom properly this year with The Blue Castle.

20-Favorite fic you've ever written?

"The One who Takes." I don't see that getting dethroned by any of my other ideas any time soon. I love my murder children, I achieved what I wanted with it, I feel like I was writing at the top of my form. It has every element I ever loved in a fic (star-crossed love, hurt/comfort, charged mentor/mentee relationship, unhappy ending) and the form satisfied me (unlinear, lyrical, close 3rd person POV, thematically circular). ANYWAY I'm gassing this one up so you can all check it out here if you haven't already :)))

Tagging (if you haven't done this already): @mollywog @kehlana-wolhamonao3 @thesweetnessofspring

[imagineitdearies-old]

Would you consider writing a modern au after d&s? Maybe with switch Lucemond 👀 lol or do you have other things lined up

'Things lined up' is waaaay too organized for me, anon 😂

Do I have a doc just filled with HOTD plot bunnies, though?? Yes, yes I do. Weirdly the only modern au on there right now is a rhaenicent religious trauma/'summer before college' slowburn, but I'm happy to get inspired at any point toward a modern lucemond story, just haven't yet. (prompts welcome!)

Switch lucemond though?? Anything that's not a one-shot would involve switching at some point, ngl. And though I've loved being stuck in Aemond's unreliable narrator head for D&S, I think I'd want to switch POVs in most of them too, lol. So yeah, here's a couple of my current long-form lucemond plot bunnies:

Luke gets poisoned: a bit of a whump!Luke fic at the start. Rhaenyra stays in KL and is Regent. When Corlys recovers from the wounds they thought might kill him, she holds a feast to celebrate. At the feast, Luke gets weirdly sick really fast, thinks it was the seafood he ate, and tries to go to his chambers but collapses in some small corner of the castle in pain. Enter Aemond, who followed thinking Luke was crazy drunk and that this is a perfect opportunity to remove his eye--right up until he realizes Luke is coughing up blood. Suddenly he is Not CoolTM with someone else hurting his nephew (he's the only one allowed), and gets him to a maester fast. He stays at Luke's bedside the whole time he's nearly dying, no one can make him leave, does a lot of the caring/nursing him back to health stuff. And then, after the two talk it out of course, they embark on a vengeful murder-spree together killing everyone who was involved in poisoning Luke. It gets a bit kinky.

Storm’s End Time Loop: When Lucerys dies, he’s brought back with a clang of a knife falling between him and Aemond, back to that moment he demanded his eye. Thinking the gods gave him a do-over, this time Luke does not wait for his uncle’s words, just runs. He and Arrax hide amidst the rock pillars until the storm passes, safely making it home…but the moment he falls asleep, Lucerys returns to that moment at Storm’s End. 

He tries different things as time continues to loop—once convincing Lord Borros to let him stay the night, another throwing the knife at Aemond’s face, even attempting to put his sword through him from the start—but the moment he dies or falls asleep, it starts again. Lucerys begins to wonder if the gods have a sick sense of humor and won’t let him rest until he fulfills Aemond’s request.

So the next time, he does put out his eye...and it still reloops. But this time Aemond remembers too. (Cue the two of them doing the day over again and again till they get it right, aka fall in love lol.)

Diplomatic mission to Essos: Rhaenyra is queen but Corlys did die of his injuries, so Luke became Lord of the Tides quite young. Years later the queen asks him to go on his first diplomatic mission to Essos. Since he has little experience, however, she sends Aemond to accompany him, as her brother has had great diplomatic success in Dorne for the last few years. Cue the two of them begrudgingly trying to get along in the tight quarters of a ship and work together on their approach with the trade deal (a lot of Aemond impatiently coaching Luke, lol). But they're both mature men--mostly--now, and actually find a lot in common, becoming friends. Eventually they share quarters because Aemond's keeps flooding, UST builds...until Aemond comes onto him one night, justifying that it's a common thing for sailors to do when they go a long time between ports. (Cue family-with-benefits situationship angst)

What will I work on next?? Maybe none of these, who knows 😂 the muse is a fickle thing. After I finish D&S I'll probably want a break with some one-shots, we'll see. Thanks for the ask!

[sidekick-hero]

“coming home for christmas” sounds like a very angst with happy ending/exes to lovers 👀 tell me more

You are definitely right about that! Although we'll see how much angst I can squeeze in with the short deadline 😅

Thank you so much for asking my friend! 💜

Still, now that he's back, it's hard not to remember the good times as well as the bad. Granted, the latter were in the majority, but there were happy moments in the midst of all the misery.

Henderson insisting that Eddie have dinner with him and his mom every week. Red waking up and asking for him. Lucas' face when Eddie apologized to him for shutting him out just because he wanted to play basketball as well as DnD. Him and Buckley coming out to each other because they could feel they had that in common. Long nights at the kitchen table in their new trailer, studying with Wheeler so he could get his diploma after all.

His first kiss, given to him at the edge of the quarry, the way Steve had held his face in his palms as if Eddie could break or run at any moment.

A loud honk brings him back to the present, reminding him that the light has turned green and that he should move before the car behind him makes him.

He curses himself for getting lost in his memories only hours after crossing the town line. If he keeps this up, he'll lose his mind before Christmas Eve.

Make me write

[fixfoxnox]

Wait we’re reaching the end???? Omg, is there gonna be a sequel or spin off? Your work is so good!!!!

We are reaching the end! It is very bittersweet in many ways, but I am definitely not abandoning the SiTO universe yet!

So far ther is no sequel planned, however we'll kinda see what happens and if I get some ideas. Who knows, we may take that Philip Graves idea I had and move it into a sequel 👀

That being said, I currently have two spin offs/connected works that I have planned for the universe. One is a non-canon addition to the universe in which the 09 group somehow get sent to the 22 verse and meet the SiTO universe characters! Essentially its Past! Versions meeting Present! Versions. Roach is going to have to mediate because he's the one who knows both groups. Gonna be kinda angst, kinda funny, kinda cute lol.

The other one is sort of an exploration of a path that I'd considered for earlier into SiTO. This fic likely won't be nearly as long as SiTO, but should be a bit of fun. Essentially the idea is that reborn Roach and Jackson ended up being forced to work with Shadow Company and Shepherd before meeting the 141. This mission that they do with them takes the place of the mission where Jackson loses his leg. The two are betrayed and presumed dead, but in reality Roach is able to pull himself and Jackson out of the fire (literally).

Jackson loses his leg again, Roach has a bunch of burn scars on his body, both are pissed and done waiting for bad people to do bad things. So Roach becomes an assassin and Jackson becomes his guy in the chair and they go about taking out threats from their first life. This ends up with the 141 chasing after them after Roach kills Graves during the events of MW2

Another badass Roach centric fic but with some very good deep dive into these characters using their memories to their advantage and how their choices would impact things!

Those are currently the only two planned multi-chaptered wprks, however I'll probably still be writing some drabbles/one-shots in universe! :)

[gimblegamble]

Gonna do another write up about a project I planned that never really went anywhere.

Welcome, friends, to the BTM band AU post

What is it?

Band AUs are definitely considered classics when it comes to fandom alternate universes and this one's... definitely a band AU i guess.

BTM is a band consisting of Grian (or Griande) on vocals, Impulse on drums, Pearlo on the keyboard, and Scar on guitar. There are a couple more stragglers sometimes but we'll get to that. As for their style it... varies?

Well, it depends. if its 'Grian' on the mic, they can range from the usual pop-punk or emo, maybe even rock if the mood calls for it-- but if its 'Griande' they usually go for ska or funk. This is when they get a couple more peeps to fill in the sound.

They get a brass section! Tango and Zedaph from Impulse's old college marching band "The Moonlighters" and they round it out with Gem, one of Pearl's old housemates when they tried living in one of those content houses with the Empires collective (they still collab tho). They play the trombone, the trumpet, and the saxophone (small stature, big lungs).

The band meets Mumbo after a gig. They were winding down in their favourite bar/cafe "The Hermit" when Scar very loudly and unabashedly asked who the "eye candy" was to the owner, Xisuma. Turns out, dude was just fired from his job and Xisuma took him in as a part-time bartender/barista, he wasn't the best at it but at least he stopped breaking Xisuma's fancy martini glasses a couple days in.

They asked if he was looking for a full-time job and he said yes. He asked if he knew anything about management and he said 'eeeeeeeeh' which they took as a kind of yes and hired him on the spot. With BTM's popularity growing, they needed a proper manager and not just rely on Grian (whose biggest problem would be his impulsiveness) and Impulse (who'd probably work himself to death if the mood was right).

So whats the plot?

It was supposed to be an ask blog first and foremost. Half of the information up there (and more) was supposed to be slowly drawn out by ask box questions. The format was supposed to look like members of the band being interviewed by the person asking, kind of like the latter half on that one mumriande gif I made (which is one of the stuff I made with this AU in mind lol)

There was supposed to be a mystery to uncover, then solve. There was supposed to be some drama and angst. Some moving pictures and animation memes, animatics even. I even have a playlist sorted!

So what happened?

Nothing really. It was nice thinking about making it but at the end of the day I am but a tired, easily distracted human being. I just made this post because there's a lot of nice details in this that I wanted to share, like the Hermitland post ages ago.

And not like I'm not gonna make things in the AU anymore but the ask blog's probably never going to see the light of day.

Some Fun Stuff

The fans never know what genre of songs they're going to walk in on, at least until they see if it's Grian or Griande holding the mic, but even then they sometimes do a double whammy and have Grian sing funk songs and Griande pop it up.

They're rivals with this experimental metal/electronic/acoustic fusion duo called Octagon. They play it up a lot on stage, but this one time someone from BTM really misunderstood something that made a good angsty bit.

There's this couple who met at a concert. One of em was really hoping for a night of funk while the other wanted some throwback alt rock. They talked before BTM's set started and really hit it off! They didn't even mind whoever came out to sing that night.

There was a group of fans who made a banner that said "We love you _____" and just had velcro patches with 'Grian' and 'Griande' embroidered on them.

There was supposed to be another, more secret ask blog for other more secret (👀) asks.

Conclusion

So yeah, band AU, that is all.

Thank you for reading!

[justagalwhowrites]

Bestieeeeee! These two are too much! I'm so in love with them!😍 How they know each other so well and manage to anticipate their needs, and their banter is like a wave of fresh air that makes me laugh and brightens my day!

How you picture Joel's relationship with Sarah is so good. The image of him reading to her before bed had my heart bursting with love! Why do I feel like Sarah will team up with one of them to get the other on board with the day scheme? LOL

I love the vibe I keep feeling that while it's sweet and fluffy, light and fun, at least for now, there's this angsty aftertaste I cannot get rid of, with the mention of Goldie's troubled relationship with Anna, and those words she remembered.

 ''It’s Goldie, he’d said then. It’s the worst thing that could happen, I wish it was anybody else… '' They can have so many interpretations!😳 

And the awkwardness due to physical closeness and attraction has started! But can we fault Goldie? It's Joel we're talking about, lol! And it's not only how he looks, it's how he is and how he treats her. She's doomed. And while getting laid might be quite the idea after her divorce, I'm not so sure how it will end. How she got while she pictured him during her solo time was pretty self-explanatory. If only they would properly talk!

Thanks for the chapter!♥️♥️♥️

EEEEEE HI BESTIE!

I'm so happy you're loving these two! They're so easy to write, I feel like I would hang out with either of them and they just make me so happy. I can't wait to write them as their relationship evolves and changes through the fic!

Joel is SUCH A DAD. He just took to it like a fish to water and writing him and Sarah is such a joy. They're so sweet together and he just adores his daughter so, so much. And Sarah is definitely a schemer!! She's so smart and funny and yeah, it's going to be very fun lol I can't wait.

There's definitely some angst to be had in this fic but it's not the main focus. But the tension that's there between Joel and Goldie as they try to navigate their friendship and their feelings, the ✨intrigue✨ about what happened just after prom that sent Goldie running across the country, everything surrounding Anna. There's a lot of life to contend with as they try to get their collective shit together! And yeah, that line can have a LOT of implications but Goldie very clearly took it one way, especially in the context in which she heard it. Which will be revealed eventually lol but you know me, I gotta draw that out at least a BIT otherwise where's the fun??

And yeah. I definitely don't blame Goldie. Honestly, woman's got insane self control, I'd have been trying to kiss that man in SECONDS, he's so hot, he's such a good friend like how can she NOT be in love with him?? Guess we'll just have to see what happens 👀

Thanks for reading, Bestie, and for your lovely ask!! Love you!!!!

[muzanswaifu]

Fanfic Writer Emoji Ask (Answered)

I"m not even gonna wait for anyone to ask bcuz this bitch is gonna answer them NOW

I wait for no one 😤

Keep reading if you wanna see my answers!

I nominate @xxsabitoxx, @magoliaomega, @yurmomsawh0r, and all my other writer moots to answer all these as well, CUZ I WANNA KNOW WAT YALL HAVE TO SAY

😅 What's a story or scene you've created that you're a smidge embarrassed exists?

All of my old Doushino fics lmao, I like the base storyline I did for all of them, but my writing was so shitty back then and I cringe looking back at them now. Ireally really wish I could just rewrite them but Ik some people would literally shit their pants if i deleted them so im stuck

🥺 Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

I have a kink for apology/angst scenes haha, if couldn't already tell from my past works. It's just something that I feel everyone thrives for, especially myself, where the love interest apologizes for all their wrong doings and admits that they long for yn's forgiveness and love. Mama is a heart throb

🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

Any scene with shinobu in my Gamer Giyu fic "The Perfect Date". I tried to make her as funny as possible in that one, and believe me, there were plenty more funny moments of her in my draft for that fic that I ended up having to cut out bcuz I felt it drew away from the plot too much. Oh how I wish to make a fic just for her lol

😈 Has there been a point in a story where you did something just to be playfully mean to your readers?

I like to make the love interests assholes sometimes, just to piss you guys off hehe, everytime they do something shitty that makes you hella sad, just know that it was me 😈

✍ Do you have a beta reader?

I don't unfortunately, I kinda just go read over it myself a couple times to check for mistakes but thats pretty much it. Ngl lie though, I am kinda interested in having someone else proofread for spelling mistakes and plot holes, any takers 👀 preferrably someone who's talented with that sort of thing haha

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

I always enjoy a good simile and metaphor here and there, not really sure about themes... love at first sight maybe? enemies to lovers? tsundere? I like sad fics as well that have happy endings, I will never, ever do a completely sad ending, i just don't like them and they leave a bad taste in my mouth

🎢 Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

Dog, I dont even knooooooooooow, i think all of my fics are pretty straight forward and tame. Maybe Regrettable? All of my super crazy fics are still in production so we'll just wait and see, but for drafts rn, my "No Escape" (Sanemi x Reader) series is gonna be hella crazy, so just you wait

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

My fav thing about my writing is probably my dialogue, i think I write pretty appropriate dialogue. I try my damn hardest not to make the characters cringe and to make them relatable so I hope I've done a good job with that

💋 First kiss fics. Love em or hate em?

Ngl, I kinda hate them. Kissing is nice and all but i write smut yall, i got bigger things to worry about than smooching. Now virginity loss fics are a whole nother story, bcuz i can actually make it enjoyable unlike real life 😭 Shitty first time gang arise ✊

🎶 Do you listen to music while you write? What song have you been playing on loop lately?

Nope, I bask in silence, maybe some white noise in the background sometimes? Music distracts me too much

🛠What tools/programs/apps do you use to write?

I use my notes app on my phone to make my outlines, google for thesaurus, and an online word counter for the final word count

⛔ Do you have a fic you started, but scrapped?

Yup, for those who remember, I was working on a fic called Night and Day about Kyo x stepsister reader who was living with him. Originally I had him as a yandere, obsessive person with reader being uninterested in him and the fic being non-con, but I ended up scrapping the whole thing and changing it to be a fluff fic with reader living with kyo, reader having a crush on him, and slowly the two grow closer, with tons and tons of angst and sadness. The original outline for the non-con fic is on my patreon if anyone would like to see the poor thing, it had 8 chapters outlined too haha. what a waste.

🙋‍♀️ Do any irl people know you write fanfic?

Only 1 ☝️ I'm pretty sure i've mention her before, my friend sam? We used to read a ton of fanfics and watch anime growing up so she's the only person i've ever told since she understands the field, and i am never gonna tell anyone else 😭I would literally die, my group at college doesn't even watch anime

🍦 What's the sweetest fic you've created so far?

Either Perfect Date or Regrettable

🍷 Do you drink and write?

Hehe no, I do smoke and write sometimes though

🍆 Do you write the spicy stuffs? If so, what's your most popular nsfw fic?

My Little One if I remember correctly

🌞 Do you have a preferred time of day to write?

I usually like to write at night after I've finished all of my hw, right before bedtime :)

💖 What made you start writing?

I had a ton of idea for fics but didn't want to spend my days requesting all of them so I just wrote them myself, I write so much shit already for school, so I just said fuck it, lets ball

💌 How do you feel about comments and feedback?

I thrive off of them ❤️‍🔥 I frame every single comment on my wall ngl

❌ What's a trope you will never write?

Cheating. Not sure if thats a trope but i kinda feel it is in some fics where reader or love interest cheats, the one who got cheated on gets revenge sex with another party, and then they get back together. I just hate it and it hurts my feeling and turns me off

💲 Would you ever open commissions?

Of course! After I finish all of my requests I'm gonna get that started hopefully and use the money to buy hot figurines 🥵

🧐 Do you spend much time researching for your stories?

Sometimes, it depends on the fic. I usually just look up time period stuff so that things are close to accurate

🏆 What's your most popular fic?

My Little One

🎃 Do you write fics for certain holidays? Which is your favorite holiday inspired fic?

I love halloween fics, they are scarily hot

🎯 Have any of your readers accurately guessed major plot points? Care to share which?

YUP, @magoliaomega has perfectly written part 2 for two of my fics, reading her gifts is so eerie bcuz they were exactly wat i would've wanted for the sequel and I love her for for it, she is literally god

🎨 How do you feel about fan art of your stories?

I've never gotten any but I would love to, fan art is awesome

📈 How many fics do you have?

Uhhhh like 20 I think?

🦅 Do you outline fics or fly by the seat of your pants?

I usually outline but I'm kinda thinking ab stopping bcuz my best fics were written without any preparations so well see.

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

Girl Imma talk about I'm Yours, my upcoming series ab alpha kyo and omega fem reader. I am sosososoosososossosos excited for this one yall have no idea. I've already mapped out the chapters and plot and everything. Im currently working on chapter two and just cant wait to get this shit done so i can post everything. I'm just excited to add to the very small pile of kny omegaverse fics and hopefully the series will inspire more abo creations for demon slayer. Another work I'm excited ab is a collab im doing with a fellow bestie 😏 I wont name any names or say wat the fic is ab but hopefully well get the fic done sometime next year, really excited to work with her on this!

🤗 What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

I would start off with headcannons, then short scenes, then one-shots, then multi-chapter. I went backwords from this list and i wish i didnt haha. theres nothing wrong with doing it out of that order of course, I just think its the best way to build up skill and get a hang of things. Also dont be afraid to take breaks! burning urself out will lead to depression babes

💞 Who's your comfort character?

Shinobu ❤️ she was the first girl I wrote for in demon slayer and she's always held a special place in my heart

🧠 Pick a character, and I'll tell you my favorite headcanon for them.

Can't really answer this one lmaoooooo, so ill choose a random headcannon I have, Shizu taught Sanemi how to cook and he always helped her make meals for the family

🤩 Who is your favorite character to write?

Kyojuro, my love. He is so pure, I wanna suck the soul outta him

🤲 Would you please share a snippet of a wip?

Mitsuri was obviously upset.

One day was fine. Two was pushing it. Three was a little concerning. Four was a lite search. Five was thorough detective work. And six was a breakdown. By day seven, today, she was still bawling in her pillow, wondering where-oh-where you’d gone. 

Meanwhile, you hardly had time to worry about your concerning absence with a dragon on you at all times of the day. During the rare moments you weren’t getting knotted or eaten out, you were getting bathed, fed, or hushed to sleep. Similar to Kanroji, you too were sobbing into your bedding - but your reason being your cunt getting ravaged hourly. The pleasure was still incredibly mind-blowing, but your pussy was so fucked raw and puffy that you were sore beyond belief from the mating session. You had misunderstood that section in the book. You’d thought a week-long initial rut meant only occasional couplings, like a sort of honeymoon phase.Nope. Every waking moment was spent hanging off his knot and getting filled to the brim with his seed. Hereallywanted babies. And he was likely going to get them, even if it wasn’t your fertile week. You doubted his sperm would take no for an answer, honestly...

“Are you tired, my love?”

You moaned as he pulled on the lock and replied in a cracked voice. “Ye-eess.”

With one more tug, his knot was pulled free. You came painfully one final time before a flood of spunk gushed down your legs. Kyojuro flipped you over to your back and set you down onto the part of the nest that wasn’t caked in sin.

He kissed your forehead as you panted. “Our rut is done, little one. You did wonderfully, I’m so proud - you may rest now,” he whispered and laid next to you. You sighed and groaned, “Finaallyyyy.” He chuckled.

“Tomorrow we will bring your things here and anything else you may need. Your friends and family will understand, I’m sure.” You eyes shot open and you remembered them.

“Oh my god!”

Lil snippet from My Sweet Kitten (Mitsuri x Dragon Iguro) My Little One Part 2 hehe

😬 Which of your fics would you be most horrified for friends, family, or coworkers to stumble upon?

Any of my non-con lmao, I think they would kill me tbh, but I heard that kinks were hereditary so this is their fault

🎉 What leads you to consider a fic a success?

If people ask for a part 2, even though I wont write one hehe

✅ What's something that appears in your fics over and over and over again, even if you don't mean to?

Breeding kink, I have needs. Also pet names (baby, sweetheart, my love, darling, princess, ect)

📚 Would you ever want to turn writing into a career?

Maybe as a side career, I'm not getting a degree in my field of study just to write smut all day lmaooo, i enjoy having writing as my hobby and dont want to have it bare the burden of being my main source of income, it would stress me too much

⌛ How long does it take you to write a fic, or a chapter?

It depends honestly, if I'm really inspired and horny, it takes less time. My Little One took me only 3 days to write cuz i was so pent up haha, requests take longer tho bc i have a specific plot and terms to stick to, along with anxieties about whether or not the requester will approve wat i've produced, so those usually take me a couple weeks to a month

🤯 What's a genre you struggle with as a writer (ex. romance, action, etc.)?

Action. That shit is hard. I don't think i could ever write a fight scene ever

💔 Is there a fic of yours that broke your heart?

Not the ones i have currently but the ones i have in the works are extremely heartbreaking, i cried a little writing some of them

💥 How do you feel about criticism?

It depends on the type of criticism. I appreciate it if its about errors in my writing since i still have some growing to do in that department. But there has been some drama ab the things I write ab that people find...distasteful. If you don't like what I write ab, leave, dont waste my time pretending to be a mutual, I write for me not you. Some of yall have some real mean girl mentalities and need to grow tf up, this isn't fucking highschool. Im glad for thei experience tho bcuz it's taught me how to deal with negative people better. On the more constructive side of things tho, if you see errors like plotholes, devices, or grammar in my fics, please tell me! I miss shit sometimes and appreciate the help to better my work

🤭 Do you have a favorite tag to use when posting your works?

#Smut. LMFAOOO

🥰 How do you feel about reader interaction? Are you open to receiving questions about your fics?

I looooove reader interactions! I wanna know what people think and what they would like to see next. I also love requests but I've learned that they are harder than they look lmao. I just worry ab disappointing readers sometimes. I want you guys to enjoy it too!

[natasha-in-space]

Hello hello! I'm here with some fanfic writer asks! 🤡, 🛠, 💋 and 👀 please!

Ohhh these are all very interesting indeed! Thanks for giving me a chance to ramble about my writing Faye <33

🤡 - What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

Oh, I love writing silly or playful banter in my works. It happens naturally most of the time, as I imagine characters interacting with one another. I think that's reflective of my own personality. I often use playfulness as a form of expressing affection! I'm kind of similar to Saeyoung on that front, hehe.

I think one of my favorites with this in mind is the favorite character/first date fic I did for last year's Mystictober with Unknown and Natasha. I don't know how my writing holds up there now, as it was a year ago, and I always see a huge improvement in my style as I look back on my old works, but I remember having a blast with that one! I was giggling away the whole time writing it. Natasha is someone who usually gets teased, and not the other way around, but with the Mint Eye version of her, I can put her into situations where she gets noticeably bolder. Fractured Heart is an angst story, though, so we don't get much of that side of her there.

A playful afternoon with Vanderwood and reader is also one of my favorites. Who knew being called old-fashioned meant calling someone old!?

Looking back, I think there's a pattern here of teasing grumpy characters... 😶😶😶

🛠 - What tools/programs/apps do you use to write?

Depends on where I am! Believe or not, I usually don't have access to my laptop, so I end up writing on my phone more often than not. For that, I just use an old fashioned phone notes app! I figured out that I easily get distracted if I'm trying to write in an app that looks too janky, so I need there to be only my writing for me to see. If I do have my laptop at hand, I use google docs! But, I usually end up using it for writing out helpful notes and reminders that I'll use in the bigger fics. Now, with editing, things go a little bit more in depth. English is not my native language, and while I did get tremendously better at it (in part thanks to this lovely blog of mine!), I can still make a silly mistake or two. I use Grammarly to check for those, but only sparingly, as it can get confused with dialogue scenes specifically. The other two things I use fairly regularly are OneLook (kind of a reverse dictionary: you put in a vague description and get a word for it. Very helpful when English is not your first language) and many different cheat lists I have saved up in case I get lost on what I'm trying to convey.

💋 - First kiss fics. Love em or hate em?

Oh, I adore first kiss fics. What I find so damn fun about them is how many varieties there are. There are so many ways to make your characters smooch for the first time! Is it planned? Or not? Is it slow? Fast? Do they get to talk about it afterwards? So many possibilities. I must admit, I mostly make my characters kiss for the first time in a spur of a moment. It's usually very emotional, and more often than not, in the middle of conflict. What can I say, I love myself some drama :)

👀 - Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

I'm working on chapter 2 for Wilted Daffodil currently! I won't spoil much, but it is focused on Chaewon and Yoosung specifically. It sure is an odd experience to write for Chaewon while she's in a sound state of mind (more or less). Makes me laugh, because most of the content you see of her on my blog is how she is at the time Natasha meets her. We'll get there! Here's a rough wip from the first draft!

[siriuslysatorusimping]

the way that i didn’t even notice that i was at the latest update already???! i started from right before the angst (well.. mostly bc i don’t think i can handle it w/o knowing when it would end lol) and it felt like i just blinked and i was already at the latest chapter 😭😭😭

tho can I just say THE WRITINGGG *chef’s kiss* the way that u assure us that it DOES have a happy ending but still made us feel all sorts of ways??? 🥹💖💘💗💞 ESP the angsty chappies 😭 I ABSOLUTELY ADORE YOU AND YOUR WRITING. (and now we need an in depth description of what’s inside the box 👀🫣 — perhaps… 💍💎(lmao not me typing “diamond” in the emoji keyboard and a random thought pops up that what if satoru gives rinko a diamond instead 😂 like not a full ring. i would die, pls no 🤣)

now i have to re-read the whole series just bc 🤭

have a great day ahead, luv!! xx

Thank you!!

I'll give you a lil hint: it isn't a diamond 👀👀👀

What is it? Guess we'll have to wait and see 😊

edit: I AM ADHD AS FUCK AND JUST REALIZED I DIDN'T ADDRESS THE REST OF YOUR MESSAGE

Thank you so much for your kind words 💕💕 the compliments to my writing bring me new life and joy and happiness 🥹🥹

[stevesbipanic]

🤡 🍆 🎶 👀 for the writer game please!

Hello 🥰🥰

🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

"Does this mean I get to see your cockpit?" - From the Rockstar!Eddie Pilot!Steve fic, but really any of my pins or cheesy pick up lines I've slipped into my fics.

🍆 Do you write the spicy stuffs? If so, what's your most popular nsfw fic?

I don't, yet. I certainly have read plenty and might branch out on ao3 over the summer we'll see.

🎶 Do you listen to music while you write? What song have you been playing on loop lately?

Occasionally but not usually, most of my fics are actually written while watching tv in the background. A song I've been playing on a loop lately though has been "You're on your own, Kid" by Taylor Swift I just relate hard to that one.

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

I've got one called "Home by Christmas" which is an angst with a very fluffy ending Christmas fic based on this ficlet of mine where Steve receives a certain message from the Upside Down when everyone else is away for the holidays which I'm hoping to work on over the next couple of weeks to post in December.