#cat paw cheesecake!! it was really good

[weirdroute]

[sungbeam]

𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

jung wooyoung x gn!reader

1.2k words, est. relationship au, low-key slice of life, kissing/making out, fluff, cheese :l

a/n: requests now closed! owjdkdjd i couldn't really make it suggestive cuz that wasn't the direction the fic was going, many apologies, chip !! >< hope u enjoy a slice of ur life w ur bf tho 😚

You could always pick Jung Wooyoung out of a line up. How could you not? The curtains of dual-dyed hair, the nose sculpted like marble, the smile—oh, his smile. His smile always had you tripping over your feet, faster than a crater in the sidewalk. And that smile was yours.

The bell above the door to the convenience store you worked at jingled a tinny sound and allowed the cool, night breeze to waft inside. You were stationed right beside it at the front counter, half a pair of earbuds in with a calculus textbook before you and a tub of ice cream for moral support. Your idea of a Wednesday night hadn't always been the midnight shift at the corner store, but it provided you with time needed to complete your homework since you barely experienced a rush hour.

The man in question waltzed through the door in a dark colored hoodie and a pair of old headphones draped around his neck. He sought you out immediately, beelining for the counter. "Now what's a sweet thing like you working in a dump like this?" He drawled as he leaned his side against the counter. There was a teasing glint in his eyes, something that came trademark to Wooyoung.

You offered him a spoonful of your strawberry cheesecake ice cream. "Some fella gon' done me wrong," you sighed to play along. "Just me and the ice cream." Your eyes skirted to the Lucky Cat figurine by the window, swinging around its tiny, white paw. "And the cat."

Wooyoung licked his lips as he savored the flavor of the ice cream. "Mm, that's good. Strawberry cheesecake?"

"Yup," you said, nodding. You scooped another bite for yourself. The carton was nearly as empty as the ice cream aisle was now. It always ran dry by this time of night. "That almost completes our world tour of the seventy-five flavors we sell, Woo. What's your favorite?"

Without hesitation, "You."

You choked up a laugh, your cheeks heating up beneath the fizzling fluorescent lights. Wooyoung's smile lit up the room and made the greenish tint of the store just a little warmer. He allowed you time to recover. "What? There's nothing sweeter than my baby."

He said it so easily. Your heart slammed against your ribcage and you wanted him to see it palpitate. Almost bashfully, you tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and ducked your head to fidget with your calculus textbook. "You're so—why're you so cheesy!"

"Me? Cheesy?" He scoffed and placed a hand against his chest in mock offense. "How'd you know?"

You grinned; he grinned back. "You're so silly," you said, softer this time, closing your book and tearing the earbud out of your ear. According to the digital clock to your right, it was about time for you to close up.

"At least I make you laugh," he replied. As if it was the simplest thing in the world. As if his only purpose was to make you laugh, see you smile.

You were left biting your tongue, unable to string together the words to make him just as speechless. He watched you with a fond look in his eyes, the mole beneath his eye tempting you in wanting to kiss it. You began to clean everything up—dumping your trash in the bin, packing your school materials away, sweeping around the aisles. Wooyoung struck up a conversation about something San had been up to earlier today, his voice somehow carrying through the store as he emptied the trash into the alleyway dumpster for you. You both worked like two cogs in a machine, in no hurry, just desiring to be in the other's space.

When the store was cleaned up, Wooyoung grabbed your backpack for you and slung it over his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around you then, tucking you to his side as you locked the store up behind you.

The city was barren at this time of night, the streets dark and littered with circles of amber light from the streetlights. The walk to the nearby metro station was not necessarily just around the corner, so you always appreciated when Wooyoung dropped by to hang out and walk you home.

"What are you up to tonight?" You asked him, leaning your head against him slightly as you walked. You knew for sure he would probably walk you home, then head out to somewhere else with his friends. He never had short nights.

He hummed. "Mmh… think I'm meeting Joong hyung and everyone at the ring. Mingi's on tonight."

You raised a brow. "Oh, really? I thought he was taking a break to train some more."

"Nah, I think he just got impatient," Wooyoung mused. "You can still come with, baby. I could keep you safe; they're all afraid of me."

"Always the joker, aren't you?"

"Hey!" He squawked, peering over at you with his eyes alight and smile wide. "I take offense to that."

You laughed, patting his chest. "Want me to kiss it better?"

Wooyoung simpered down. "Yeah, always."

With a playful roll of your eyes, you stopped him in the middle of the sidewalk and cupped his cheeks. You met his lips with a firm, but affectionate peck. When you pulled away, he had attempted to press onwards and coax you back to him.

"I think I'm a little more offended than you think," he said, voice breathy. His arms were around your waist and anchored you to him, but left you room to still back away if you didn't want this.

You grazed your thumb over his lips and felt the bite of his teeth for a split second. "Your ego bruises like a peach, Wooyoung."

"And this peach would love for you to kiss him better."

Your heart did a somersault or two before you obliged him. He lowered his mouth over yours again, and you claimed that smile of his for yourself, as you had always done. Your fingers grasped the sides of his face to pull him impossibly close to you. Everything was so quiet; the world became yours and his. It was like he had nowhere to be and you had nowhere to go, but this moment was good, and you could have him as much as you could.

Wooyoung's tongue swiped over your bottom lip in a plea for entry, to which you granted. His fingers dug into your sides and held on for dear life. There was a crease between his brows as he kissed you, bruising both of your lips like the peach you claimed his ego to be.

And when you broke for air, his lips moved around your face to fill every crevice with him.

Your voice was hoarse, but chest light at the smattering of kisses over your face. "Is that amendment enough?" You laughed.

He smiled down at you, tongue licking his lips. "For now," he said with a wink.

Wooyoung curled his arm around your waist and the two of you started back in the direction of the metro station. Your voices echoed contently in the barren street that you had made your own:

"What do you mean 'for now?'"

"Well, you can't expect me to not pick up where we left off once we get home?"

atz m.list

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[artisticflutter]

AU August - Day One: Coffee Shop

*KICK DOWN THE DOOR*

... Did you miss me? It’s AU time... also, I’m going to be following the same list from last year (this one) because I didn’t come across another that really caught my eye. Also, I can actually do FFXIV fills this year haha!

But we start with ML as usual cheers!

Series: Miraculous Ladybug Rating: G+ Genre: Angst, Fluff Pairing(s): Cheesecake, Adrinette Summary: Cat-spresso Yourself is an adorable little cat café that serves up cute food with cute cat companions. However, it has closed for the day, but there seems to be one last visitor Warning: A part three to the previous two which can be found here and here! Also, implied abuse.

“Thank you! Have a good night!”

The doorbell to Cat-spresso Yourself chimed as Marinette’s last guests departed for the evening, and she let out a long breath. Yet another successful day - busier than usual given the overcast and later rain that had come. It drew in a crowd that wanted both to get out of the cold winds and icy sheets, and enter a realm warm and inviting; and her cats and sweets provided. Door locked, she began once more the arduous task of once again cleaning up for tonight and making preparations for tomorrow morning.

“Well, Tikki, think you can get Plagg into his bed again?” Marinette asked as she passed the calico sitting at the end of the counter. The calico - whom Marinette had finally decided to formally adopt as her own - gave a revving ‘mrr!’ in affirmation and hopped down from her powder pink cushion, red-and-black bell collar tinkling as she did so.

It was strange; Plagg seemed to be in a funk all day, but thinking back, it had been a while since his favorite customer had come in. Yes, Marinette had taken keynote in Adrien’s absence since he tried to make a habit of coming in at least once every two weeks, but they were going on to three. Biting her lip, she wondered if maybe there had been something in the news, but then thought again why would there be? He was a model and she did recall there was a show occurring in Germany; but she thought it would be over by now.

“I hope everything’s alright…”

Last she recalled seeing him, he was smiling, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

What was going on?

A bang on her front door nearly made her drop the teacup in her hand, fumbling it instead until she caught the handle. She let out a long, relieved exhale and raised her head with narrowed eyes. Catching sight of a hooded figure at her door, there was a brief chill down her spine, but with a swallow, she managed to steel herself.

“Sorry! We’re closed for the night! Please come back at nine tomorrow!”

She didn’t know if they heard her, but she assumed that maybe they had? They at least weren’t hitting her door again, but they weren’t leaving either. Instead, they remained there, standing underneath the awning which was slowly freaking Marinette out. This was how so many creepy internet stories started; she wondered if she should call the police.

“MIAOW!”

Plagg’s booming meow caused her to blink and look down. The reason she’d sent Tikki to herd Plagg was because she’d had no idea where the black furred void had gone, but he was apparently at the door, standing on his hind paws and… reaching? At the hooded figure? Did he recognize them? There was only one other person that Plagg liked though and they had been–

… Oh… Oh!

“Adrien!?”

And she did drop the teacup to rush over to the door, unlocking it to allow the figure - closer now, she could see the blonde hair hidden beneath his hood and his green eyes - inside. He was dripping water everywhere by the door, but Marinette just locked it again and told him to wait while she fetched a towel from the back. All the way and as she returned, she could hear Plagg’s startlingly deep and loud meow. Adrien had pulled his hood down by the time she came back which made his hair the perfect place to set the towel so he could start drying from top to bottom.

He flinched; why did he flinch?

“I’m sorry for… coming here so suddenly. I know it’s past your hours…” His voice was low, it could almost be deafened by the rain, and the towel further dampened his volume. With his head bowed too; and he wasn’t facing Marinette. Her brows furrowed as she tried to see him, but he seemed to be purposefully hiding himself. “I-I didn’t know where else to go.”

“... But… what about that girl, Kagami? Or Juleka?”

Adrien shook his head.

“She’s out of the country… and Juleka’s home isn’t one to stay in the same place.”

(If Marinette hadn’t met Juleka and her brother Luka again by this point, she might’ve been confused, but she knew the two lived on a houseboat.)

“Even if it was, I… didn’t think I could bother them,” he continued. “I… I honestly don’t know why I thought I could bother you either.”

“Hey… it’s not ‘bothering’ if we know each other…” Marinette tried to reassure, but he was right in a way. For the most part, he was a customer to her, but she did know quite a bit more about him than some others. She could call them well acquainted, maybe almost friends; but then her heart stopped when she finally got a peek at his face and her blood chilled.

Where… Who would…? 

She almost raised a hand to touch the red bruise on his face, but balled her hands to stop herself instead.

“... I have some spare space above the café if you’re wondering about staying. But wait here; I’m getting you something warm to drink first.”

“I… if it’s not imposing…”

“Not at all! Sit down and keep drying yourself off; I’ll be right back.”

And maybe in that time, she would be able to calm herself down while Tikki and Plagg took Adrien into their care.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Leona~ Me and Grim made you a lemon cheesecake. I figured that you might need something sour to add to your sourness.. HAHAHA I'm joking~~ For real though, I figured you wouldn't like something sweet so I went with sour instead. Grim was complaining the whole time but I think we really enjoyed the process (✧ω✧)! I hope.. you like it. Happy birthday, you big lion!! ♡(｡- ω -)

***Mild main story spoilers!***

“Fnnnngnyah?! Speak for yourself, minion!” Grim grumbled, batting an argumentative paw against your cheek. He hung off one of your shoulders like an accessory, but he was very much animated. “I got cake stuck to my fur and spent forever mixing the batter, and then I didn’t even get to taste my of my hard work when it was done baking!!”

You rolled your eyes. Typical Grim.

“Lemon cheesecake?” Leona wrinkled his nose. “That’s an... interesting choice.”

He seemed to be staring intensely at the sugared lemon slices lining a third of the cake. The filling was smooth and pale yellow, held up by a wall of graham cracker crumble--but he focused only on the lemon topping.

“... Well, it’s not a vegetable, so I’ll tolerate it,” he declared, seizing a fork. “Still, to call me sour to my face... You must have a death wish or something. Or maybe no sense of self preservation. You’re lucky that I’m in a good mood today.”

“What, you’re saying you aren’t a sourpuss? What about the time you almost killed us for stepping on your tail while you were napping?” Grim retorted with a shit-eating grin. “And the time you also almost killed us for making noise all night so you couldn’t sleep? And--”

Leona glowered as he dug his fork into the center of the cheesecake and retrieved a huge mound of filling from it. Without hesitation, he crammed the forkful into Grim’s blabbering mouth. The smaller cat spasmed, nearly choking on the sudden sweetness, and stared up at Leona with fearful eyes.

“It takes a sourpuss to know a sourpuss,” the birthday boy smirked.

[imagine-docx]

sneaky.

Summary: Being neighbours with a cute boy has some perks. Also, Sam is being the best wingman (no pun intended) he possibly could. [neighbour!chubby!buckyau]

Warnings: Swearing, and some insecurity mentions and some body shaming.

A/N: Hello, quarantine has me writing again as I am officially done uni for the year. So please enjoy this jumble of different AU’s thrown into one. - Amanda 

➽───────────────❥

You have lived next to James Barnes for the last two and a half years and you guys never really talked, just smiles and nods whenever you see him, and occasionally swapping mail that accidentally went to your respective houses, this was mostly because your schedules conflict but also Bucky didn’t know how to talk to a cute girl but he won't mention that part.

You’ve heard rumours about how he was a serial abuser and other nonsense from the neighbourhood, because honestly Anita from five houses down creates random fantasies she might as well be an author.

He was so used to getting stares and glares for his left prosthetic and round stomach, due to the rumours that were spread around the neighbourhood and he always shied away from contact with anyone in the area. You on the other hand? God literally sent you, so warm and loving. 

He was working on his car one day, while his cat was outside with him. Looks back to see Alpine and doesn’t see his cat, slight panic until he sees that Alpine wasn’t there, but that cat is everywhere so it doesn’t bother him that much.

He heard soft lo-fi music coming from across the fence, indicating that you were outside. He looks over and sees you sitting there, on your computer between papers and notebooks and his cat sitting with you.

To you, Alpine wasn’t much chaos, in fact, a designer, he would randomly paw at something and it clicked with you that the two outfits look good.

“I’m so sorry, my cat is bothering you.” Bucky called out.

“Not at all, he constantly is spending time over here, love him like he’s my own,” you smiled at him.

“Thank you for looking out for him,” he said, looking down at his feet.

“Not a problem. You look exhausted, come get some coffee!” You exclaimed, with the brightest smile he’s ever seen, plastered onto your face.

“Are you sure?” He didn’t want your reputation to be tainted by having him over for some coffee.

“Come! How do you take your coffee?” you said, trekking back to close all your notebooks because honestly, it's not everyday that your cute neighbour talks to you and work can always wait.

You went inside to make both of you a cup of coffee, his black, and yours with some cream and sugar. You also plated two lemon bars for the two of you, and grabbed a little yogurt from your fridge for Alpine to enjoy. 

“I’m surprised you wanted to be seen with me. Especially with all the rumours, I found everyone believing them.”

“Honestly, half of them came from Anita and she is a whackjob. I’m surprised people listen to her.” You said taking a sip of your coffee.

He laughed, “You would be surprised, people look at me like I killed someone.”

“When I first moved in she told the entire neighbourhood that I got a divorce and needed massive space from my ex husband because I found him cheating with one of his juniors. People actually believed it which makes it worse. For like a year I was getting sympathetic looks for a divorce and relationship that didn’t even happen.” You cut a piece of your lemon bar with your fork.

He laughed, and felt so much more comfortable with you, like he has known you for so long. “My old place caught on fire, and I got trapped, lost m’arm. Girl left me because I had no arm, no place to stay, hit rock bottom, gained a few pounds, and Stark helped me by getting me this arm, even though I work for him and he paid for this place for me.” He said looking down, he felt comfortable enough for you to know what happened, but avoided your look, scared of judgement. 

You reached out for his flesh hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, “You’re doing amazing James, don’t listen to what the neighbourhood chatties have to say. That’s why half of their men turn off their hearing aids when they talk.” 

He smiled and you removed your hand, “Bucky.”

“Pardon?”

“Call me Bucky.”

“Alright, Bucky. So how did Bucky derive from James, because there is no correlation” you said, shoving the piece of lemon bar into your mouth.

“From my middle name, Buchanan, and I guess it stuck with me since.”

“Wait, you work for Stark Industries?” You said realization dawning on you.

“Yeah…” He said unsurely as if you would kick him off your backyard patio set and never talk to him again. 

“I provide the latest and never seen before suits to Tony Stark!” You laughed.

“Insurrexon?” He asked.

“Yes sir, the one and only fashion director for Insurrexon.” You said.

He laughed, “So you guys are the reason he prances around his office saying his suit is worth more than everyone’s rent.”

“Sounds like a very Tony thing to do, but yes. I am the cause of that.” 

You laughed and spent the remainder of your day talking with Bucky in your backyard while Alpine takes occasional nips at the yogurt left for him.

➽───────────────❥

Since that day, you and Bucky practically became best friends. With your schedule practically all over the place you two were constantly texting to help compensate for the fact you probably saw him for a total of 10 minutes or less a day.

He noticed some days you were coming home super late and noticed the lights in your washroom and bedroom are the only lights that were on when you came home and after that he assumed you fell asleep. He felt bad knowing you didn’t eat and were constantly on the go and eating probably the most unhealthy things possible just to stay alive. So he would drop you off extra portions of whatever he made. 

Or that's what he likes to tell himself. One day on his break he saw the cutest reusable container, it was glass and had little black dresses on it with a hot pink lid, and knew it matched you perfectly. That night he had an extra portion of stir fry and rice leftover in your mailbox with a note saying, ‘make sure you eat something doll’, knowing you would check it before going inside and you would hopefully eat it. 

The next day after the longest shift he possibly could have had, he checked his mailbox and saw the container was back in his mailbox, he frowned thinking that you didn’t eat it. He saw a yellow post-it note attached to the top ‘thanks for looking out for me, btw the stir fry was delicious’ and he smiled, picking up the container he noticed it was quite weighty. He opened it and saw a slice of red velvet cake, keeping the grin on his face, he closed the container, gathered his mail and went inside. 

And that started the entire back and forth exchange of goods.

He would cook dinner for you to enjoy at night when you come home and leave it for you, the next day he got his container back with a form of a baked good.

Everyday on his way home, he was thinking of things to make you to impress you, there were lasagnas, soups with garlic bread, steaks with mashed potatoes, and he always went above and beyond to make it with love for you.

You on the other hand found it so sweet and kept giving him cute little desserts you would bake such as cupcakes, cheesecakes, and cookies, and when you couldn’t bake anything, you would make sure to pick something up on your way home from work.

This clockwork happened almost all the time.

➽───────────────❥

Bucky was in the break room at work with Sam and Steve, and Bucky couldn’t help but gush about how cute he found you.

“Aw Baby Bucky has a crushy wushy on his cute neighbour,” Sam said, reaching for his cheeks to pinch them.

“Knock it off Wilson,” Bucky said, rolling his eyes.

“Buck, I haven’t seen you this happy since Dot,” Bucky winced at the mention of his ex.

“She seems to like you, and enjoys your company, make a move,” Steve said, nudging his ribs.

“She doesn’t look at me that way,” Bucky muttered.

“Buck, she literally ignores what everyone said and openly hangs out with you, I think she likes you.” Bucky felt a little string of hope when Steve said that, but couldn’t help but feel insecure.

He was 34 years old, slightly overweight and had a prosthetic and was IT director for Stark Industries. You on the other hand were slightly younger than him at 30 years old, but, god took his time creating you, you were beautiful inside and out, had a killer personality and worked as a fashion director for one of the biggest fashion chains in North America. You two were on two different levels and you were nowhere in his league.

“So Buck, when are you gonna cook me dinner?” Sam said, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Not in your lifetime.” Bucky retaliated, feeling a buzz in his pocket, he pulled out his phone and saw it was you and instantly smiled.

“His girlfriend messaged him, that's why he’s all smiley” Sam nudged him once again.

The three of them continued talking until Brock Rumlow, the resident dick and lead prosthetic designer walked in. 

Brock pushed passed Bucky to get something from the cabinets. Brock had an attitude problem with everyone and it was still surprising that he worked at Stark Industries. “James Barnes has a girlfriend? Does she close her eyes when she fucks you? Because you are hideous.”

“Rumlow,” Steve warned.

And that’s when Bucky felt coffee trickle down his skin and the scent of coffee engulfed his nose. “Hope your girlfriend cleans you up, she might as well throw you out.” Rumlow said pushing past him.

“Buck-” Sam started before making a beeline to the mens washroom.

Bucky stood in the mirror and looked at himself, his hair was drenched with coffee, his cream coloured cardigan and white shirt were covered in brown coffee splotches, his pants and shoes got minimal damage. He dunked his head over the sink and tried washing out his hair.

As his head was over the sink, there were tears in his eyes. Of course his neighbour wouldn’t like him, he was weak. He looked in the mirror knowing he would have to sit in his coffee stained outfit for the rest of the day.

“Buck? Stark wants to see you whenever you come out.” Steve said from the other side of the door, giving him some space. 

He managed to murmur out an “okay” knowing Steve’s quality hearing would have heard him. It took him a solid 30 minutes before he made his way to Stark’s office. “You wanted to see me?” Bucky said walking in.

“Ah yes, I heard about the coffee incident in the break room.” Tony said. 

“Sorry about that.”

“Not your fault, it’s Rumlow’s. Also how do you deal with Sam? I heard him screeching from here about how he was gonna, and I quote ‘Brock Rumlow’s shit so hard he wouldn’t have seen it coming.’” 

“A lot of alcohol and tuning him out.” 

“Makes sense.” Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet and handed him a card, “Take this, go buy something to wear. Can’t have my top IT director brewing in coffee like he’s a piece of tiramisu.”

“No Stark I can’t take this, you’ve done a lot already.”

“Nonsense. Take Sam and Steve with you, I can’t hear Sam screeching about fighting someone for the rest of the day, that’s gonna be one hell of an HR complaint I’m gonna have to deal with.”

“You got it.”

➽───────────────❥

And that is how Bucky, Sam and Steve spent two hours walking around Brooklyn attempting to find clothes for Bucky. Bucky couldn’t find anything that made him feel right, it was emphasizing his stomach which he didn’t want to show off.

This kept making Bucky smaller, and he didn’t want to be out anymore. Sam kept trying to hype him and Steve was reassuring that he looked fine. But after that altercation in the break room, they understood that he wasn’t in the best mood and just wanted to go back to the office and have this Friday be over. 

➽───────────────❥

You were sitting in a tiny coffee shop called Dream Bean with Wanda and Natalia planning for the next collection that was supposed to drop for Valentine’s Day, the ‘Love Bomb’ collection.

“I’m thinking colours like pastels, reds, pinks, whites.” Wanda said.

“So take Valentine’s Day and throw it into a collection?” Natalia said.

“Pretty much.” You stated.

“Makes sense.” Natalia stated, taking a sip of her iced latte.

“Is this more date night and sexy lingerie?” Wanda asked, working out a sketch in her notebook.

“I mean a lot of people are single on Valentine’s Day, so why not make it a feel good collection.” You stated nonchalantly, sitting back into your chair and taking a sip of your iced coffee.

“Oh, I love having a creative genius,” Wanda exclaimed, brushing her pencil gently across the sketchbook.

“I mean it's a part of my job description,” you laughed, taking a sip out of your iced coffee and looked out the window. You noticed a familiar face. Bucky. Your heart skipped a beat, until you saw that he was drenched in coffee. Your heart hurt for him.

“Hey? Hello? Anyone home?” Natalia waved in front of your face. 

“Oh sorry.”

“You okay?” Wanda asked.

“I just saw my neighbour-”

“Oh the cute one you’re so smitten by?” Nat wiggled her brows. 

“The dinner one! Aw he’s so cute and treats her well.” Wanda said.

“He was covered in coffee and he seemed upset.” You started, wishing you could do something for him. That’s when it clicked with you, “Do we have any samples from the ‘No Guidance’ collection?”

“I think there are copies in my office.”

➽───────────────❥

Bucky got back to work and sat in his chair, and ran his hands over his face. He felt horrible and nothing could make this day better. Rumlow’s words managed to hit deeper than he wanted it too. Usually, Bucky was very dismissive about what Rumlow said, but now that you were a part of his life, it hit deeper.

The elevator dinged, signalling someone was coming up. Secretly he was hoping it was the grim reaper ready to come collect him. “Package for-” He read the package, “James Barnes?” 

“That’s me.” He said not even looking up. When he did, he was greeted by a massive navy blue box with a yellow ribbon tied around it, and saw some white text but couldn’t make out what it said due to the distance. “Thank you.”

He noticed that the box said ‘Insurrexon’ and was confused. That was the company that you worked for. He untied it and was greeted by a white paper with black pen ink staining the paper on top of the red wrapping paper protecting whatever was in the box. 

‘Was in a meeting when I saw you drenched in coffee and wanted to help you out. Hope you like it. Also, can’t have my chef soaking wet, it could get him sick’ and it was signed off with your name. 

His heart burst with awe at the fact she went out of her way to get him clothes so he wasn’t wet. Part of him was embarrassed that she saw him in that state, but the joy overtook that feeling. He took the clothes to the washroom and was going to change.

He worried that he wouldn’t fit in it, but as he slid the items on, it fit. Maybe you did have a good knowledge at measurements and knew what would fit.

He looked himself in the mirror and grinned at the fact she picked an all black outfit with a light washed denim jacket and some black combat boots, he was upset at the fact that she knew how big he was, but was overtaken by happiness as his neighbour, someone he took such an interest in, picked this out, out of the goodness of her own heart.

Once he walked out of the washroom he was whistled at by Sam, “Looking good girl.”

“I thought you didn’t like anything.” Steve stated.

“His lovely girl at Insurrexon sent him stuff,” Sam said, holding up the note with his hands.

“Hey!” Bucky grabbed it. “None of your business.”

“Alright ‘chef’.” Sam mocked.

Bucky reached out to slap Sam’s head. “Hey, hey, hey, no workplace violence!” Steve said, breaking it up. 

➽───────────────❥

It was the end of the day and Bucky had to drop reports back off to Tony. He walked in and gave him all the files that Tony needed. “Is that Insurrexon?”

“Yeah,” he responded.

“Look at you go, getting into the big leagues, huh?” Tony punched his shoulder, “Wait, was it on my credit card?” Tony nearly cried out.

“No-”

“Wait, this collection didn’t even come out yet. How did you get this and how much did you spend?” Tony cried out.

“One of my friends work for Insurrexon and sent it to me for free.”

“Was it a lady friend?” Tony wiggled his eyebrows. Bucky blushed, “IT WAS! But honestly Tinman, you had a long day. Go home, get some rest, spend some time with your girl. I’ll see you Monday.” Tony said shooing Bucky out of his office. 

➽───────────────❥

Upon reaching home, Bucky realized how expensive the brand truly was, and the amount of hype behind it. He also realized that Tony wasn’t lying and this was a collection that didn’t even come out yet, yet you still gave him a copy of it. He paced around his living room, even though his paycheque said he made quite the amount of money, the worth of this collection laughed at that amount. He couldn’t possibly pay it back. He was running through scenarios on how to bring it up and pay her back. He finally looked back at the clothing that he folded and put into a bag to return, and saw Alpine looking up at him, “What should I do, bud?” Alpine just meowed back at him before leaving and returning to wherever he was.

It was close to eight pm when he noticed that you came back home. Your car was in your driveway, and your living room light was on. He had to pump himself up before walking over to your door, he knocked on it three times before you opened it.

You looked even more beautiful, and he didn’t even know it was possible. There you were, makeup free, hair dampened signalling you showered, a pair of black shorts, and an oversized grey NASA shirt. He noticed you were on the phone and mouthed, “I’ll come back later.” He turned around and was about to walk off. 

That’s when you grabbed his flesh wrist and pulled him inside. Closing the door behind him, he kicked off his shoes and admired your living room. He was unsure if he should sit, he looked at you as you were talking to whoever it was. You looked back at him, and signalled for him to sit down. He cautiously sat on your couch. Pen in your hand, you wrote on the post-it note.

“That’s just gonna delay ‘FIVE’ and we’re going to have to push back ‘Love Bomb’ which will have to be scrapped until next year,” you said running your hand through your hair.

Whoever was on the other line said something, you sighed, “It’s a Friday night, I can’t worry about this. Send out an email scheduling an interview on Tuesday for all the directors of different divisions.”

He admired you, even in comfortable clothes, you were a business woman strategizing ways to not prevent any delays. “Yeah, so me, Nat, Wanda, Okoye, Nebula, Val, Carole and Erik.” You wrote it down on your little post-it note, “Alright, thanks Gamora. Have a good weekend.” You said before hanging up. 

You turned around being greeted by Bucky sitting there, “Hi,” he said letting out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding.

“Hi there. Sorry about that, work has my ass on a platter right now,” you said, chuckling, pushing a strand of hair behind your ear.

“It’s okay,” he looked down and remembered why he came, “You didn’t have to do what you did.”

“And what was it I did?” You asked ridding your dining room table of the computer and a few sheets of paper that were littered across the table.

“Give me clothes.” He responded watching your movements.

“Bucky, it’s not a problem. You looked upset and I wanted to help you,” and after those words left your mouth, his heart nearly exploded into tiny pieces.

“I can’t possibly pay you back for this. Even Tony said it was too expensive.” Bucky said rambling. 

“Bucky, do not worry about it. You don’t have to pay me back,” you said gently.

“Are you sure?” He asked.

“If you want to do something, hang out with me,” you said.

“Pardon?”

“We could order dinner? Dessert? Mario Kart? I am open to criticism.” You said jokingly.

“I’d like that,” Bucky said grinning from ear to ear.

“Alright soldier, what are you craving?”

“Pizza?” He said.

“Alright.” 

➽───────────────❥

Of course it was a Friday night and your favourite pizza joint had an hour wait time before they could make your order, and don’t forget the 30 minute delivery window. And honestly, you both didn’t mind and enjoyed each other’s company. Yet here you were sitting on your couch playing Mario Kart together. “I fell off again,” he grumbled at rainbow road.

“Hah- oh no,” you said, getting blue-shelled.

“I just fell off, how can I possibly fall off again?” He exclaimed.

“No no no, don’t red shell me.” You said, rushing to the finish line. The moment you crossed it, ‘FINISH’ flashed across the screen. 

Bucky got up at the sound of the knock on the door, “Pizza’s here.”

“Oh, use my card to pay!” You said going to get your wallet from your bag.

“No Doll, I owe you,” he went to the door.

You stood hovered over your bag due to your cheeks burning from him calling you ‘Doll’. You went to the kitchen and grabbed two plates, and two cups getting ready to set the table. Bucky joined you in the dining room with the extra large pepperoni pizza, wings and soda. 

For some reason, to the both of you, this felt right. Like this is something that you two should be constantly doing. You two were laughing at childhood stories, work stories and other funny things that have happened to you two. He helped you clean up the table and wrap up the extras. 

You took out two pieces of plum cobbler and warmed it up, “Ice cream?” you asked.

“Do you have?” Bucky asked.

“What kind of girl would I be if I didn’t have any?” You joked.

“You have a point,” he laughed.

You two were back at the dining room table. Bucky let out a heavenly groan as he took a bite of the plum cobbler, “I love plum so much, and this tastes amazing.”

“Plum is that fruit that you can always enjoy,” you said, taking a bite of your own.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, where do you get these desserts? They’re amazing,” he said, taking another bite.

You sheepishly said, “I bake the majority of them.”

“They’re amazing, doll. Maybe you should get out of the fashion industry and get into baking.” He joked.

“I don’t know about that part,” you chuckled, “Wanda and Nat might have my head on a stick if I leave.”

“You guys are that close?” Bucky asked.

“Practically attached by the hip. We met in freshman year of college because of this stupid textile course. Here we are ten years later, in the same company. What about you? Any close friends that are work friends but would also commit manslaughter if you left the company?”

He laughed at the comment, “I have Steve, him and I have been friends since childhood and he kept getting beat up in alleys and I had to save him. Then there’s Sam, the drama queen. Him and I met through Steve.”

You nodded your head, signalling you understood. “I don’t want to intrude, but what happened today? Why was there coffee all over you?”

He shifted in his seat, “Oh, uh.”

“You don’t have to answer. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m feeling much better now, sugar,” he said, grabbing your hand and giving a gentle squeeze with his flesh hand. 

“That’s all that matters,” You said squeezing back

The two of you continued eating your dessert in harmony, occasionally making jokes.

➽───────────────❥

Bucky didn’t want to go, but it was nearly 1:30 am and he should probably let you sleep. He was strategically trying to leave the clothes on your couch without you noticing, which obviously failed.

You leaned against your door with one bag containing the clothes you gave him and the other containing leftovers and a good portion of the plum cobbler he seemed to enjoy. “Goodnight,” he said, prior to trying to walk off your porch. 

“Wait, Bucky?” You asked.

He turned around, “Yes sugar?” 

You hugged him, at first he couldn’t believe it, but knew this possibly wouldn’t happen again and hugged back. “Thank you for tonight.”

“Anytime doll,” he was so ecstatic, he didn’t notice that you slipped the two bags into his hands. 

“See you around?” You asked, sheepishly.

“Of course.”

You let out a smile, “Night Bucky,” before the door closed.

He smiled, before realizing she slipped him food and the clothes. He shook his head and trekked his way home.

➽───────────────❥

Over the next 2 weeks, you and Bucky got so much more closer. He came to Insurrexon when she was in and could take breaks. Other than that you tried to meet up at random diners, restaurants, bakeries, wherever was convenient to the both of you.

➽───────────────❥

It was a Friday afternoon and Bucky was irritated, Brock was making sly comments about him knowing that Bucky heard it. And on several occasions, Steve had to hold back Sam from swinging and Sam stating that, “Rumlow isn’t ready for this smoke.”

Bucky sat at his desk looking over the file Tony gave him this morning and making notes in the margin for him and Bruce to look over once Monday hit. He felt someone’s presence next to him, “Brock I don’t wanna deal with this right now,” he mumbled out, not even looking up.

“Brock? From Pokémon? I always thought I was more of a Rosa from Black and White two,” you joked.

Once he heard the familiar voice, his head snapped up and grinned, leaning back into his chair, “Thought you were more of a May from Sapphire.”

You laughed, “Is that my favourite fashion director from Insurrexon?” Tony called out.

“Of course it is,” you turned to Tony, smiled and pushed back your hair.

“Are you bringing me some new designs? Or are you terrorizing my IT director?” He said, wiggling his eyebrows.

“I prefer the second one.”

Bucky enjoyed the banter between you and Tony, “Then you are banished from my company.”

“Before you banish me, can you at least let me steal your IT director for an hour for coffee? I will bring him back in perfect condition.” You pleaded.

Tony pretended to think, “Fine, I’ll give you an hour and fifteen, but I want him back in mint condition.”

You said, “Scouts honour.”

Bucky got up and stretched his knees, “If anything comes up, let Sam deal with it until I get back.”

“I would rather not, I’ll pass it off to Banner and hopefully he doesn’t rage out.” Tony joked.

“See you at the Rocket fashion show in a few weeks?” You asked Tony.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’ll bring Tinman with me,” he joked.

“Doll, meet me at the elevator? I want to pass my file to Banner before I leave.” Bucky asked.

“Of course. Bye Tony,” you said before walking back to the elevator you just rode up.

Bucky grabbed the file off the desk, “So this is the girl who has my Bucky Barnes smitten?” Tony said, examining his movement. 

He blushed and stuttered, “N-no, where did you get that from?”

“Buck, you literally called her doll, and the way you look at her says otherwise,” Tony said, “Don’t let her slip out of her fingers, she is a wonderful person and I can tell that she genuinely likes you back,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet and handed him a card, “It’s on me, now go get your girl.”

“Thanks Tony,” Bucky murmured out.

“Don’t worry Buck, now I will pass this on to the big guy,” Tony spoke, taking the file out of his hand.

Bucky met you at the elevator, you were leaning against the wall on your phone waiting for him. He finally took in how gorgeous you looked today. A quarter sleeve baby blue button up that was fashionably tucked into the high waisted dark blue skinny jeans, some black heels and rose gold jewelry to accent it all. “You ready Doll?”

“Been ready, let’s get some coffee. You look like you need it.” You said.

He smiled and pressed the button for down, you two were laughing and Bucky’s face dropped when the elevator doors opened. Rumlow. He got in, and you could feel the tension. You grabbed his hand and reassuringly squeezed it and kept your fingers interlocked.

Earlier when you were walking in the building, you ran into Steve and Sam by accident who were coming in from their ‘afternoon stroll’ and Sam went off and told you everything about Rumlow. “You know you don’t deserve someone like Chubs over there, why don’t you get with me instead, I’ll show you a good time.” Rumlow said.

“And you don’t deserve a job here, I can’t wait to go to Tony and let him know there’s a harassment claim against one of his employees. He wouldn’t like to hear that his favourite company can’t be providing him fashion anymore because of a harassment claim, would he now?” You gritted.

“Bitch,” Rumlow muttered before getting off.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Bucky said, trying to let go of your hand.

You kept a grip on his hand, “I don’t have to, but I do. You don’t deserve any of that.” “So where do we wanna go?” Bucky said. 

“Up to you,” you smiled at him.

“Well, we are going somewhere expensive because Tony gave me his card,” he chuckled.

You laughed, “Can’t wait.”

➽───────────────❥

You stuck out your tongue, turned back around and walked in the direction of your home.

You and Bucky enjoyed your time at the cafe. He ordered a large black coffee and a plum tart, you ordered a large iced coffee and a rainbow bit cake. His hour was up and you were walking him back to Stark Industries. Your left hand in his right hand, everything about this seems normal.

You two laughed in harmony. You turned towards him, “I’m done for the rest of the day. Movie tonight?” You asked.

“Of course.”

Bucky was about to walk off, before you called out, “Hey Bucky?”

He turned back, “Yeah doll?”

You reached out and grabbed his hand, and pulled him closer to you. You planted a soft kiss on his lips. His eyes widened, upon realization, he kissed you back.

You pulled away, “I promised Tony his IT director back, I’ll be waiting for you to come back.”

He kissed your knuckles, “I can’t wait.”

You were walking away, but turned back. “Also, don’t kill Sam. He told me everything.”

He blushed then realization hit him as to what you just said and let out a loud groan, “You two are the sneakiest.”

[shelivesbetweenthepages]

Christmas Day, 2021, Antipolo City, Rizal

I ended the call and threw the remains of my cigarette in the bin.

I shouldn't be smoking. But I'll let this one time slide. My headache is getting worst and people were busy rushing to get home before 12 am.

It was a good call though. I was catching up on some of my friends and it was nice to hear such old voices that reminds me of good, simpler times.

I received a message from my friend at work and she told me to give her an update once I get home. I replied and thank her for her courtesy.

I watched people ran after jeepneys, bus and taxis just to get a ride home. I stood there from afar and let time pass by. I should be getting home now but honestly, I don't see it as home anymore.

My boyfriend insisted for me to come over to his family's house instead and spend the night. I declined and said I'll just go see him tomorrow afternoon.

After a short while, I took a jeepney and told the driver to drop me off at SM Cherry. I felt weird when I got down and did nothing there but think.

I remember my friend at work's home where I was before. They looked comfortable and happy while they wait for the stroke of 12. Maybe they had their issues but families always resolve it at the end of the day, right?

But in my case, I feel tired. Very tired. Not from my family. But it's explaining myself to my family.

I took a taxi and finally decided to head home.

I watched my phone's clock turned 12. The driver had someone greeting him Merry Christmas over a video call. I was quiet the whole ride home. I went inside and locked myself up in my grandmother's room. She doesn't spend the holidays here so I get to have her room all by myself.

I took my cats from my sister's room and placed them in bed with me. My eldest one was sick and I might bring him to the Vet very soon. The other one was being his usual, playful self.

William tried his best to find a restaurant with delivery partners available to get me food but since it's Christmas, mostly all drivers are back home with their families. I told him that it's okay, I'll just sleep it off and meet him in the afternoon.

I still feel that headache and it was so bad I even imagined it beating with so much pain. I had to go to sleep. I wasn't even thinking about what happened anymore.

But instead, I can't stop thinking about how much it hurts.

I guess no family expert really explained a solution when the people you're protecting doesn't really see you as an individual anymore.

Tears fell down on my cheeks as I tried my best to go to sleep. I was surprised when my younger cat, Nugget, snuggled himself to me and rub his forehead on my arms. He eventually got himself a perfect spot beside me and when I was about to close my eyes, I felt his little paws on my cheek like he was trying to wipe my tears. I heard him purr and then he closed his eyes too.

The next afternoon, I went to Pasig and took my brother back home. Then I went straight to William's. I was overwhelmed when his older sister gave me a hug while his other sisters were singing along. They greeted me as well as their mom. They were obviously drunk and playfully challenged my boyfriend to sing first before they hand me to him.

He looked at me and I was relieved when he understand quickly that I wasn't in my best condition to interact with anyone. I almost cancelled coming there but I don't want to turn him down when he's trying his best to cheer me up.

After a moment of his sisters' joking around, I finally got inside the house while he gave me a slice of the blueberry cheesecake he bought for Christmas. He told me that it was the perfect dessert to lift up my mood and be surrounded with cheerful people. I thanked him and went upstairs to bed to go to sleep.

Once we woke up, we cooked fried rice and had instant Korean noodles for dinner. It was good and I was delighted when I had Korean noodles since Korean dishes are one of my comfort food. William settled himself to log in for work while I sat beside him to accompany him like I usually do.

I went back to bed alone when I got sleepy again. Few hours later, I felt his presence beside mine and embraced me as he went to sleep also. I hugged him back and thank the universe for giving me this moment after having the saddest Christmas of my life.

It was our first Christmas together. And he was there when I can't reach out to anyone. I am beyond grateful.

Merry Christmas everyone. Please always be kind to yourself. Stay safe.

[nuttytani]

The flying cat & the baker

summary: you are a sorcerer who owns a bakery in new york. one day, steve discovers your abilities when he walks in on your cat flying inside the shop on a broom.

fandom: marvel

pairing: steve rogers x gn!reader

warnings: lots of mentions of baked goods and the word "horny" just once (it's not nsfw, trust me)

a/n- heya! another fic~ this was inspired by girl in red's "fell in love in october". i know it's extremely off season but yeet i dont care + my dear friend @lorei-writes / @mllorei beta read this! *gives hug to lorey* thank you so much ;-; lorey. ps: this is a non-avengers!au

It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for Steve to get lost in the sea of New York streets, walking along the cobblestone paths, breathing in the scent of baked goods, spice and fresh flowers. After all, it was his most favourite part of his daily routine, discovering a new place or two. He took his time looking around the nearly empty street, for it was too early for anyone to be awake except for the store owners. They were all busy preparing their shops for opening to notice his presence.

Steve looked up for a moment, noticing the light of dawn setting upon the sky, sending small beams of yellow light like blessings cast by angels. His low breathing felt warm against his chapped and cold lips. With a silent sigh, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his pea coat as he resumed strolling without a set direction in mind, eyeing the buildings- the chipped off parget, showing the reds and browns of the brick underneath while moss and vines covered most of the bottom half.

They all turned into a blur once he stood by a jade coloured bakery, the sign reading “magicae et pistoria”, a silhouette of a black cat on a broom just underneath it. He stared curiously at the displayed varieties of pastries and bread, wondering if he should buy a few- would Sam and Nat like to eat them?

With hesitant fingers, he grasped the door handle and entered, instantly greeted by the bell. Barely a few seconds passed, and Steve felt immensely at ease. His body appreciated the warm cocoon provided by the bakery- in contrast to the weather outside. The interior was rustic, with brick walls and wooden fixtures. His feet lead him magnetically towards the delicacies contained in the arched display, varieties of cakes, pastries and bread placed temptingly- he didn’t know which one to pick.

“Hello! Good morning, how may I help you, sir?” A voice pulled Steve out of his reverie.

Steve looked up to see you, your hair a mess, dust covering the black apron and your forehead, a cute smile adorning your face. You looked like an ethereal being- an angel perhaps, standing before him. Somehow, a breath got stuck in his throat, and his heart started to beat rapidly. He could hear it getting louder and louder. His clothes felt too tight, and he suddenly felt suffocated.

“Sir? How may I help you?” you said again.

Steve cleared his throat, embarrassed with himself for staring at you for much longer than necessary. He muttered an apology under his breath, but it was loud enough for you to hear.

“It’s alright, sir, happens all the time. I’ve experienced many people just gawking at the pastries and not knowing what to pick, it’s understandable! I’d be confused too,” you confessed to him.

“Right, of course, glad I’m not the only one or that would’ve been embarrassing,” Steve laughed, trying to bury his awkwardness.

Only if you knew the truth, he’d personally dig his own grave and jump into it.

Steve accepted your help instead of going down the rabbit hole of confusion. You helped him to pick out a few baked goodies- which were a rage amongst your regular customers; a chocolate mousse, Japanese cheesecake and a few vanilla custard doughnuts.

“Thank you! Have a good day,” you said, as the blonde man left the store with a wave.

“Damn, I hope I didn’t look too nervous,” wiping your sweaty palms on your apron, you heaved a sigh of relief.

You usually didn't open the bakery on the weekends, but some things needed to be done, which required your presence. You were sure that no one would come along so early in the morning but were proven wrong. Although it was your fault to leave the open sign hanging, you didn't mind the blonde-haired man and maybe thought he was kinda cute.

You flipped the sign to “closed” while locking the door from inside, as to make sure no one could come in. You moved back to the counter and caught a hand wrapping around a glass jar.

You cleared your throat and glared at the man in question.

“What do you think you’re doing mister.” You folded your arms and glared at the brunette.

“What does it look like? I’m trying to eat some cookies, obviously. You should get your eyes checked if you can’t see things clearly boss,” Rajeev replied and swiftly turned to look at you.

The brunette shrunk and transformed into a black cat, looking at you with bright doe hazel eyes while purring deeply. You groaned and picked him up, placing him on your shoulder.

“There’ll be consequences if you transform like that out of nowhere, and your sister is going to kill me because you haven't been careful. So, if you don’t want me to be skinned alive and thrown into a cauldron to be boiled, stop doing that here.” Truly, nothing scared you more than Rajeev’s elder sister- she was overprotective and intimidating, you wished to never be on her blacklist.

Rajeev only meowed back at you, which frustrated you further. You hoped that he at least understood where your concerns were coming from.

“Come on, we’ve got a lot of organising to do! New stock arrived today, we don’t want cranky sorcerers waiting for us,” you said while muttering a spell and opening a red portal to an apothecary.

By the time Steve returned home, his friends were all awake and wandering about the kitchen like zombies. They all knew about Steve’s early morning walks and didn't question him but were curious as to why he came back so late.

Sam immediately rummaged through the bakery boxes when Steve placed them on the island counter.

“So...what took you so much time, hmm?” asked Sam. “Thought you just went to get some bread, dude.” He rummaged through the bag and pulled out a box, ooh-ing delightedly once he got hold of a doughnut.

“I bet it was some grandma asking for directions,” Bucky yawned, still half-asleep as he took a seat on the chair.

Natasha stole the doughnut from Sam and promptly turned to face Steve, who lay on the couch.

“Maybe, he has a secret lover! Oh Stevie, how could you hide this from us?” she said teasingly while licking away at her sugary fingertips.

Sam was distressed by her stealing and guarded the boxes with his arms, grumbling something about him not having enough coffee for this.

“Can you guys just stop- I just went to a bakery and got stuff, nothing more, nothing less!” Steve raised his voice.

All of them just shrugged.

Nat broke the silence, “Okay...But did you see any cuties?”

“NO- I mean... yes, kinda… I mean- Stop asking me these questions!” groaning with embarrassment, Steve covered his face with his palms.

Steve started frequenting “magicae et pistoria” since then to the point he became a regular customer. Not because he wanted to see your dazzling smile or anything, but because the service and baked goods were really good and his friends wanted more of that deliciousness. He became quite close to you as a result, somedays he just dropped by to say hi and spend some time with you.

Occasionally, Sam or Bucky would tag along to his trips. Even though Steve would deny it, they could clearly see he had a crush on the baker- it was obvious by their playful banter and flushed faces. They’d often tease him about it, but Steve being Steve, would just grump away and aggressively change the subject.

Another weekend rolled in, Steve was headed to the bakery as usual. It became a part of his routine to visit it during his morning walks. You, on the other hand, arrived late to the bakery and were rushing to get the place running in no time. It was just you and Rajeev today since your other employees didn't work on the weekends- it was tough but both of you managed.

While you were busy running around the place, Rajeev was playing around in his cat form, saying you didn’t really need him until later. He levitated the spare broom in the air and jumped on it, trying to balance his paws on the handle. Like a child with no care, he flew the broom back and forth across the room with an evil cat smile.

The two of you were unaware of Steve’s presence until he spoke in a startled voice.

“Why is the cat flying on a broom- what is this!”

Everything happened in a flash, Rajeev fell off the broom with a pathetic meow and you dropped your utensils on the floor. Flour and batter splattering on your shoes and creating a mess. Your scream resonating from the kitchen.

Steve’s jaw was slack with shock, his body frozen where he stood. Should he run away? Should he go and check if you’re alright? He wasn’t sure what to do, he didn't even know if what he saw was even real.

The cat was definitely real, as it stood up and rubbed its bum with its paws. How was that possible- Did he even want to know? Was he dreaming? Maybe he is still half asleep and is seeing things.

Steve grabbed a nearby stool and flopped on it, his knees were weak from shock and needed rest. His mind was still processing the situation

You came rushing from the kitchen to the scene, the mess you created all trivial compared to what had just happened right now. You didn't know what to do at this moment, should you tell the truth? Or deny everything-

“What is that thing,” Steve finally asked, breaking the heavy silence.

“A cat,” you replied as a matter of factly.

“You keep a flying cat?”

You just stared at Steve with a straight face and said, “Well...firstly he’s not mine and secondly he’s not an actual cat.”

As if showing a demonstration, Rajeev transformed back into his human form, which baffled Steve further.

“What are you?” the blonde asked in confusion.

“We’re sorcerers...I’m sorry, you weren’t supposed to know about it, at least not in this way,” you sighed, gently placing a hand over Steve’s knee.

“But boss- we’re busted, now that he knows we gotta turn him into a toad!” Rajeev exclaimed.

“A WHAT NOW?!” Steve looked back at you with raised brows.

“We’re not turning you into anything! He’s just joking- Rajeev! Apologise to him”

The brunette sulkily grumbled an apology. He excused himself to the kitchen to clean up the mess you had made while you took a seat next to Steve.

“Are you alright? Want some water?”

“No thanks, I’m fine. Just...really really shocked- I can’t believe this is real.”

With a flick of your hand, you made two barstools twirl in the air.

“Okay- definitely real,” Steve chuckled.

Extra (few months have passed)

Steve sat on the armchair with you sprawled on his lap, tapping away at your phone while Sam, Nat and Bucky sat on the floor watching another episode of “the Bridgerton” on T.V.

“Damn kids these days be really horny huh?”

“Shh just watch the show!”

+ "-if you enjoyed reading this fic, don't forget to give a like and reblog! feedback is always appreciated

a/n-if you enjoyed reading this fic, don't forget to give a like and reblog! feedback is always appreciated + join my taglist here

[juvian]

natsu, lucy, happy, gray, erza, wendy, juvia, gajeel, panther lily, gildarts, elfman, makarov, evergreen, bixlow, macao, alzack, asuka, mest, max, porlyusica, lyon, toby, bob, eve, ren, rogue, kagura, milianna, araña, risley, jellal, meredy, cobra, racer, hoteye? (btw awesome ask!! really good questions, interesting and fitting for the characters)

Thank you so much, I worked so hard on it 🥺

Natsu: What is one thing you’re the most passionate about ?

Writing !!! I love writting so much 🥺 which also include my ocs, They are an important part of my life 💖

Lucy: Have you ever tried to write your own stories ? If yes, have you ever published them ?

Yes ! I have A turn of events published here and on wattpad ! And a original story on wattpad too !

Happy: What makes you happy ?

Family, friends, pets, hobbies, Anime, Pokemon and kpop

Gray: Is there someone you admire ?

My cousin ! We look a lot alike so I look up to her 🥺

Erza: Favorite kind of cake(s) ?

Cheesecakes !!!!

Wendy: What’s the nicest thing you did for someone?

Yesterday I gave 10$ tips instead of 6$ (15%) and the delivery man was so happy 🥺

Juvia: Tell us about your crush or S/O !

I’m gonna skip that one sorry it makes me too sad to talk about her kchdjxbsjxb

Gajeel: What’s your favorite kind of music ?

Rock, pop rock & kpop!

Panther Lily: Have you ever lived in a different country?

I didn’t even live in another city during my life fkhdjxjdk

Gildarts : What’s the worst thing you accidentally broke ?

The imprint of my cat paws the vet did when we had to put him down (he was really sick) it fell and broke in three 😭 my dad put glue but it’s ugly now 🥺

Elfman: Do you have siblings ?

I have older Half - brother ! He’s 5 years older than me and we have the same dad !

Makarov: Are any of your friends like family to you ?

@omgineedausername2222 is my platonic soulmate and bestie 💖

Evergreen: Favorite fairy tale ?

Alice in wonderland !!!! 🐇

Bixlow: Do you believe humans or any living being have souls?

Ummm I never really ask myself this question, even if I put it in the game hahaha it fitted Bixlow, but yeah why not !

Macao: Are you close to your family ?

I am ! Mostly my mom side, but like half of it ! I am really close to one of my aunt and her kids (and their kids) and my parents !

Alzack: Have you ever fallen in love with your best friend ?

Next question 🤪 (yes still is)(also it’s not the one mention above fkdhjxbsks)

Asuka: What’s the nicest thing you’ve done for your parents ?

I buy them a new washing and drying mashing the other day cause ours were getting old but they didn’t have the money for new ones !

Mest: If you could teleport to any place you want, where would you go ?

I would usually say a country I wanna visit, but with quarantine I just wanna see my best friend I miss her :(

Max: If you were the owner of a store, what kind of store would it be ?

Probably anime, manga and kpop stores !

Porlyusica: What was the worst injury you had ?

Tw blood

One time little I was running with my plastic broom, with the plastic at the end of the handle off so it was litterally cutting plastic and I fell and it went « down my throat » and cut my palate and it was pissing blood (I was really young I was gonna say I never injured myself badly but remembered this it was pretty bad kcjdjxjd) I had to rinse my mouth with water until the blood stopped and I was crying like crazy but it must of stop fast cause I don’t remember going to the hospital fjdifjsj

Lyon: What’s your dream goal in life ?

Doing my dream jobs (scenarist and writter) and just be happy at least 🥺

Toby: Are you a dog person or a cat person?

Both !!! Both if I have to choose 40% dogs and 60% cats jfkdjdkdjd

Bob: What are your pronouns ?

She / her !

Eve: Do you like snow ?

I like it if I can actually walk in it ! (Canadian struggle) 🤪 It’s pretty !!!

Ren: How do you show your feelings for someone ?

I’ve never done it jxhdjxhdj so I don’t know I always hide it

Rogue: Are you a very protective person ?

I’m not sure I never been in the position to be protective but I would probably be if someone say shit about my friend.

Kagura: Is there something you hate ?

Assholes kcjdicjdkd

Millianna: What non-human physical attributes you would like to have ?

I kinda already vampire fangs but this 😌

Araña: Are you afraid of spiders ?

Yes 😰

Risley: Are you chubby or slim ?

Chubby 🙃

Jellal: What’s your biggest regret ?

Being overly jealous and controlling with my other best friend, It wasn’t my intention at all, but she probably fell like it and she had enough of my way of acting, I didn’t know why I acted like that probably cause I liked her and I was scared I would lost her, mostly cause we had an amazing friendship that I miss a lot (that’s the crush I wanted to skip cjdhjxhd)

Meredy: What’s the deepest link you had with someone?

Same best friend as above, we were litterally sharing everything together, talking 24/7 almost and I fell in love how tragic

Cobra: Is there someone you miss ?

Other than above, my family and my best friend 🥺

Racer: If you could stop time, what would you like to do with it ?

Write hfkdjdjd finding out what the fuck to do in my futur chapters

Hoteye: Is there someone you lost contact with that you would like to see again ?

See the precious crush best friend questions 🤪

Get to know me : Ft editions

[galavanting-pastries]

Amour, and other adventures

Pairing: Adventurer Cookie x Cotton Candy Cookie

Genre: Fake dating au, fluff, pining

Word count: 4.0k

Request: “Oooh Can I ask for an Adventurer x Cotton Candy story them dating or fake dating that they eventually ended up with together” -anonymous

A/n: this pairing lowkey stole my heart. Thank you for the ask! Fake dating always takes me longer to set up fully ergo this is kinda longer than I expected sooooo y’all are eating good today! 

Cotton Candy could always find her favorite place to write in impeccable condition and, most importantly, shrouded in solitude. The fluffy, low hanging sugar clouds near her house were practically unreachable to anyone but her, and fewer still knew that they could even be walked on. Climbing up from her room, onto the roof and from then upwards, she carried her slightly tattered pink notebook and her absolute favorite pen, content to lose herself in beautiful, love drawn words and daydreams for an hour or so. Just as she did the day before, and the day before that. A blissful monotony.

The sun shone brightly in the sky as Cotton Candy penned word after word in a letter.  She didn’t know who it was for quite yet, but that hardly mattered. It was more of a poem than anything and she hoped-

Crash.

...and she hoped that whoever-

CRASH.

What on earth? Heart thumping slightly, she slowly set down her things and, with the hesitation of a mouse, peeked down from her cloud.

A blur of sudden color flashed up in front of her eyes, and she shot back with a scream. The... thing now in the air did a few triumphant spins before landing with a resounding PUFF on her cloud. Cotton Candy gulped down breaths as her heart beat against her hand.

The cookie- she could see clearly now that it was indeed a cookie- huffed and panted from their exertion. 

“Great jelly,” They gasped, “Fences are a lot less sturdy than I remember.”

Cotton Candy sat dumbly, too shocked to move, and her pen fell from her stock still hand.

Finally, the cookie seemed to have noticed her.

“Ah! Hello there!” He greeted brightly, despite his visible exhaustion, and tipped his brown hat in greeting.

She knew that hat. She knew that lasso. She certainly knew that sun tanned, bright eyed, determined, and sweat-covered face. 

It was Adventurer Cookie.

Fighting past her flustered state, she moved her jaw, trying to make words come out.

“I’ve been looking all over for you Cotton Candy!”

She faltered in confusion.

“I-“

“Would you go on a date with me?”

...what. Date? Adventurer Cookie? Her? With?! 

Thoughts like clouds began to float through her head, expanding every passing second and making her heart beat in overdrive like a… like a… something! Such a bold proposition! Oblivious to her mental overload, the cookie continued on talking. In her daze, she could only process a few phrases near the tail end of his grand explanation.

“...some thingy...myself but...Cheesecake Cookie...only let me… needed a fake date...help me, won't you?”

Gaping, she suddenly shook her head clear as the words finally registered.

“A...fake date?”

“Yes!” He responded brightly. “I need that key, but a date to get that key. She won’t lend it to me otherwise. I’m not sure what that cookie’s end game is, but she was insistent. So, what do you say? Wanna run?”

The clouds deflated. Slumped at the lost hope, Cotton Candy chanced a look up at the other. Adventurer’s eyes were full and bright, and concentrated fully on her. She looks away, breathing heavily.

She sucked in a preparing breath. Disappointment and overwhelming confusion aside, she was always ready to help a friend, no matter what, and besides that:

No cookie ever turned down a chance to run.

“Ok!”

Adventurer lit up, his smile for a brief second rivaling the sun, and her skin heated up, as if in response to the warmth he was emitting.

“Great! Let’s go then!”

He suddenly reached for something at his waist, and flicked his wrist out.

There was a tightening around her middle, and Cotton Candy only belated realized that she was being lassoed before Adventurer Cookie jumped off the cloud down below, taking her with him.

---

As it turns out, the “thingy” Adventurer needed a date for was a mid-day soirée, hosted by their very own extravagant Cheesecake Cookie. 

While lassoing through forest and town on the way to her mansion with her in tow (and after she could stop screaming in fright), Adventurer Cookie explained that the extravagant cookie had been gifted a magical key from a traveling treasure collector from Yogurca, a key that Adventurer had need of for a certain hidden treasure. She had, however, only agreed to give it to him on one condition:

“Attend her party...”

“...W-with a date” she finished.

“Exactly right.” His face was set forward, determined as ever, but...

“Y-You don’t look too thrilled,” Cotton voiced, noticeably subdued.

He sighed. “Not particularly, no.” He turned to her suddenly. “Ah! Not because of you, of course. Social events like these have never really been my thing.”

Despite herself, she giggled softly. “Not mine, either.”

He chuckles with her, and she feels more at ease than before. She could see him daydreaming about being on some grand quest for a secret artifact rather than interacting with people at a party. After setting them both on solid ground, they walked toward the lavish front door and golden welcome mat.

Cheesecake Cookie greeted them enthusiastically enough at the door, but she visibly brightens when she notices how close the two of them are standing.

“Oh wow!” She exclaims. “Look at that! You followed my request after all.”

“Yes, of course I did.” Charming smile in place, Adventurer Cookie secures an arm around Cotton’s waist and pulls her into his side. “My date for the day.”

The reminder that she was there to help out a friend was the only thing that kept her from passing out then and there.

They’re then ushered inside, following her trailing gold feather-boa to the party room. Cotton’s own little delivery bird, who had flown alongside them for their journey, took to playing with Fluffy Cheese cat, dodging harmless swipes from cheesy, clawless paws with a happy twitter.

So distracted by the adorable sight, she almost  doesn’t notice when her companion stops and causes her to fumble a bit. When she looked up, his eyes had gone wide and full of a bright, farplaced wonder, as he stopped and stared, almost in a trance, across the room.

She slowly followed his gaze until there it was before her eyes: the key he sought. Set with a bright gem and a metal frame that was once gold, dirtied over by years of being hidden by time. The key he had searched her out for, that he braved a party to obtain.

The swing of a lasso and the heart-dropping anticipation that comes before finding what you’d been hunting for. Was the pull of a potential hidden secret so strong that he was so captivated by a single artifact? He must see a hundred keys just like this one, but each must hold a valuable promise in his eyes, a potential for journey, for excitement, for triumph and adventure. 

The party passes by in a bit of a blur for Cotton Candy Cookie. 

She vaguely registers compliments toward her dress (“thank you” she would shyly reply) and the smell of food, but her main attention was on her “date”.

At some point, he had shifted from having an arm around her to looping theirs together, and would proceed like that for the rest of the afternoon. The benefit of this was that being so close to him meant that others generally noticed Adventurer Cookie first and would greet him, instead of questioning her presence, doing absolute wonders for her chronic timidness. The downside was: she was just so close to him.

She never would have noticed how, in that rugged way, he was devastatingly handsome. How his sandy blonde hair went every which way, as though he had just climbed out of some dark and dangerous jungle. In this case he practically had, but seeing it from afar and writing couplets in a journal was different, Cotton Candy found, than being pressed up against its side for an extended period of time. How when he told stories (for the others would always ask him about his latest grand exploits, crowding around with bated breath), he liked to use his hands and reenact, mimicking the fierce roars of a beast or a particularly daring jump for a stray gem or jelly. It was the only time he would step away from her. It was no wonder that she was in a daze.

She was firmly aware, however, of Cheesecake Cookie smiling slyly (or as slyly as someone so giggly could be) from across the room. 

So when Adventurer’s face breaks through her daze and appears before her own, grin impossibly wide and treasure key in hand, it’s no wonder that her own smile is just as wide.

“Couldn’t have done this without you, Cotton Candy. Thank you!”

A shy smile breaks through and she murmurs a “You’re welcome”

He blinks, as though caught off guard, but before she even gather the courage to ask:

“Right! Well, let’s get you back home then!”

She doesn’t have the chance to protest before the lasso is around her once more, and they’re off.

—

Cotton Candy collapsed onto her bed.

Her beloved heart pen was flowing across the page in her notebook before she could even think, word after word as they came into her mind and translated onto the paper.

She wrote lines and lines of a strong arm secured around her, of a rugged earthy scent that covered his natural cookie sweetness. A charming ruggedness and a spark of adventure in his eyes that would never go out. Of the fearful thrill that went through her as they lassoed through the trees, and the realization that she longed for the rush now that it was over.

Replaying the events of the day in her mind only made them seem more dream-like. Like one of popcorn cookie’s dashing romance movies. She kicks herself for not engraving every single detail to memory. It full well might be the only date she’ll ever be on! 

But it wasn’t real! Just a favor for a friend. Another lovesick fantasy far removed from reality. Her head was in the clouds again. She clamped down on the pen, biting at her lip, as though she could be jolted out of this convoluted daydream. But this time, it wasn’t a dream. Cotton Candy dropped her pen suddenly and snatched a nearby fluffy pink pillow, shoved her face into it and wailed.

-

Any hope Cotton Candy had of sulking the day away was dashed to pieces (almost literally) by a series of familiar crashes approaching the floating clouds above her home. 

She had been ready to spend at least the morning there before someone like Pink Chocolate Cookie or Cherry Blossom dragged her away for a friendly outing or tea time, but the appearance of a familiar orange bandana and hat effectively ruined any chances of that.

“Are you ready to go?” He asked casually as he climbed up onto her floating sanctuary.

“Go...where?” She asked, thoroughly confused.

“To get the treasure. You helped me get the key, it only makes sense that you get to come along!”

“Oh,” she nodded. “Wait, what?! I can’t do that! 

“Oh come on, where’s your sense of adventure?” Finally getting his footing, he pulled himself up and dusted the sugar crystals off of his front. “Well done for finding such an amazing discovery! I didn’t even know you could walk on these clouds.” He smiled down at her.

Her words died in her throat and she could only nod, a small lovestruck smile on her face instead.

“I’ve only a little while before Blackberry comes looking for me, so we must be off!” He turned to her, expectant.

Even when she could get a hold of herself. She was finding it harder and harder to say no. After all, a sudden spur of the moment adventure had such a romantic element to it, and so much potential for a love poem. Besides, there was apparently much to be said about the call for adventure, if that look on his face from the other day was anything to go by.

Her waning hesitation must show in her eyes, because Adventurer cookie flashed an excited grin. He puts his hand up to his hip, and she fearfully thrusts her arms out in front of her.

“I-I can walk! I can walk!” 

“Oh. Alright then” Lowing his hand (thank goodness) he suddenly leapt off the cloud, spun twice and landed, solidly, onto the ground. He called up to her.

“Come then, Candy!”

She sputtered. “C-c-Candy?!”

He turned back, tilting his head. “Just a little nickname. Is that alright?”

Remembering herself, she quickly nodded. Satisfied, he continued up the path. 

Gathering her courage up, she called after him. “Only if I get to call you Addie!”

Adventurer Cookie stopped, then laughed and gave a resounding thumbs up, moving forward once again. She smiled and made her way down.

—

“You’re telling me this isn’t your first forest temple?” 

The journey had been fine, but the insane stories Addie told her along the way were more than enough to have her moving promptly and keeping up well enough. He seemed more than happy to regale her. Even the darkness of the crumbling brick could do little to dampen Adventurer Cookie when he was in his element.

“Oh, this is nothing. I once found an ancient lamp that was being guarded by a yeti.”

“A yeti?” She gasped.

“A yeti.” 

To think, she still had so much to find out about those far off journeys to far off lands.

He suddenly put a hand out in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. Blinking, she turned, only to find him grinning and pointing up, up toward…

Oh wow.

The dark room they were in held but a single point of light that drifted almost lazily between colors, stationary on top of a large pedestal in its center. A mysticality surrounded it, and the ivy choked stone that rose around it.

Wordlessly, eyes fixed, they moved forward slowly toward the object. As if it were an animal that might frighten away. They were upon it, right within reach. Breath quickening, Cotton Candy turned to her friend in an unasked question. He gives a small  encouraging smile and nods toward her.

She took a deep breath. And stepped forward. Before she could second guess, let her nervousness decide for her, she held the gem in her hands. It pulsed, almost warm, with magic. What magic did it hold? How many eras had this one object seen? The glow from the gem illuminated her face as she could only hold it in wonder. The magic within continued to swirl different colors in her hands, before suddenly settling with a pop on a vibrant pink. A small gasp came from her.

“Did you see that?! Oh, Addie, did you see it? It changed color!” She turned to him in flushed elation, pure excitement, and wonder.

She found, upon meeting them suddenly, his eyes to be wide and full of that enchanted spark, and yet not fixed on the glowing gemstone. The magical treasure. An unfailing gaze was laid upon her face.

Adventurer Cookie, unthinking, murmured, “Beautiful…”

Her words dried up on her tongue. Frozen, utterly frozen by his intense gaze. Their eyes met across the pedestal, the shine from the gem the only thing illuminating their faces. Unabashed and slack faced wonder.

It passed. Addie coughed, and averted his eyes.

“Let’s go on then.”

—-

The fire was bright in the forest.

Cotton Candy wondered absently if Fig Cookie was out and about, or if the little forest denizen were already asleep. If they possibly knew of the gem or it’s story in the forest. If anyone knew about such a beautiful ancient treasure, besides her and Adventurer Cookie.

Turning to her side, she met with the companion on her journey so far. The dim glow reflected onto his face, illuminating him by half.

Her fingers itched for her pen.

The glow reminded her of the gem, the indescribable feeling of holding it, how he had looked in its pale pink light and...

That look they shared had been...she was just seeing what she wanted to see. Cotton Candy knew she was a hopeless romantic. This was just another daydream. Just another fantasy.

“Um, Addie? About that day at Cheesecake Cookie’s…”

He hummed.

“I was wondering. Wh-why did you ask...me?” 

Startled by the question, Addie coughed, dropping the firewood he’d been using. He played absently with the brim of his hat.

“Well,” he attempted, “Everyone knows...um..”

“Everyone knows what?” Cotton hesitantly asked.

“That...well, that you’re one of the kindest, and sweetest cookies and things like that. I’d be remiss not to ask you, right?”

“O-oh.” Cotton Candy’s face was beet red. Compliments were her one true weakness and to hear them from someone like him was simply overwhelming. Her fingers found the curls in her fluffy hair and fiddled with them, nervously.

Adventurer coo-Addie, she corrects herself gently, shifts on his feet, one hand on his hip and the other tugging at his bandana.

“You mentioned a yeti? Earlier?” She tries.

Perhaps grateful for the distraction, Addie lit up and delved into a thrilling tale of adventure into a cold underground cavern, after braving the harsh sands of a desert. 

It’s long into the night before they remembered to go home.

—-

She’d written a letter, so many more letters than she has written before. They were longer than any she had ever written. Her feelings had poured forth 

She would give one to him.

A single letter to tell him how she felt. 

For as shy as she usually was about her feelings, Cotton Candy has always needed to express them in some way. It’s why she had taken to writing love letters, putting her heart out in words and giving her love a physical presence. So she could cherish that beautiful feeling of being lighter than air, of a rainbow blooming from her very soul.

Clutching the unsealed envelopes to her chest, she tried to calm her breathing, the tenseness of her shoulders, and the shaking in her hands. Sending the letter, making her feelings known-

She’s not sure if she can pick just o-

CRASH.

An alarmed kick of her leg sends the small pile of letters careening off of the edge of the cloud.

“AH!” She yelps, diving to catch them. She misses them by an inch, and startles when a familiar cry sounds from below. 

...

One of these days, Cotton Candy thinks numbly, that’s not going to catch me off guard. But the damage was already done. From below, she heard him make a noise of confusion at the sudden pile of letters that had fallen from the sky.

But! She thought, She could still fix this! She could say that they were private and to ignore them, just close the envelopes-

The envelopes. The envelopes that had a small doodle of a lasso and a hat on them! Crumbling back into her cloud, she wills the fluff to swallow her up so that she can disappear forever. 

“Candy?” He called again. “I had something to tell you but… what is all this?”

This isn't how she wanted it to go! But she could not will herself to move from her sugary scented coffin, and thus, resigned herself to an embarrassing fate.

She did, however, peek over the edge unable to stand the suspense.

Addie picked up an envelope, clearly seeing the detail on the front, for he blinked in surprise. Sparing a glance upward toward her hiding place, he opened the letter and read it. 

It felt like a lifetime that his eyes scanned the floral scented page.

She didn’t like how he was looking at the words as though they were one of his temple puzzles to solve. When he looked like that, he was certain to figure just about anything out. Snatching herself back from the ledge, she hid in a bunching of soft cloud, heart jackhammering and breath coming much too slowly.

Finally, he looked up, expression unreadable.

“Are these...for me?” He asked, uncertainly, a strange quality to his voice.

She gave a meek ”yes” sounding squeak from her pillow.

For a short while, there is nothing. Then she hears a familiar grunt from below before a whoosh and a thud upon her cloud. Reluctantly, she lifted her face, but as soon as she caught sight on him, she shoved her face back into its hiding place.

The figure hesitates.

“Oh jelly, I’m not sure I know how to do this properly but-“

Without warning, a strong hand took hers and lifted it from off of her pillow.

The softest touch from a pair of lips on her fingers jolts her up, whipping around to stare at her hand in shock and the cookie holding it. He held her hand like a dashing prince to a fair maiden. He swallowed, visibly nervous.

“Maybe that’s wrong? Then, let me see…”

He leans in before she could speak and presses his lips to her forehead, tenderly as though she were a precious artifact. A beautiful gemstone.

“H-huh?” She stuttered.

“Oh dear,” he flushed, “h-how about-“

He quickly presses a light kiss on her cheek, and it’s the final straw that sends her careening back into her cloud pillow with a high pitched squeak.

Addie flinched. “I’ve made a mess, haven’t I?” He sighed.

“I don’t have your wonderful way with words. You see, I’m... quite fond of you, Candy.” 

For once words fail her. Every scrawling line of poetry is suddenly too much, and not enough. She looks in his face, in his expression and finds an uncertainty. New territory, unexplored jungles and the excitement and exhilaration fear that came with it. She was starting to understand it. 

Cotton Candy closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath. Gathering her courage once more.

Perhaps daunting journeys were his field of expertise but this, this was hers. She closes her eyes and lets herself feel. Let’s her feelings, as they flowed from her heart, wash over her in waves. She had her words, but the inexplicable lightness inside of her heart was unmatched and unmistakable. 

She leans forward and gently presses their lips together.

She feels Addie freeze at her touch, but feels even more keenly the way the tension melts out of his body as he leans into her lips. Moving ever so slowly, his hand coming up to meet her face, softly in a way she didn't know he possessed.

And then it's over. He looks her up and down in amazement, before a smile buds across his face.

“Good jelly, that was...better than any treasure I’ve ever known.”

Flustered, she turns away from him, thoroughly embarrassed but smiling still.

“May I... sit next to you?”

She nods frantically while still not facing in his direction, so she feels rather than sees him finally sit down next to her. Then, slide in closer. Cotton Candy takes a deep breath, before pushing herself into his side, face hot and eyes screwed shut.

He freezes at the movement. Then, bit by bit, relaxes.

“I’ve been on so many adventures, seen so much danger, and yet, my heart has never beat so fast before.”

She laughs. “Now you know how I feel. This stuff is much scarier than an old temple or a yeti.”

He doesn’t reply just then, but after a moment, “When Cheesecake Cookie said I needed a date, you were the first cookie I thought of.”

She stills, heart taking a grand leap.

“It was all quite the adventure…”

She knows he’s not talking about the temple. Overtaken by a sudden bout of sunny happiness, she snuggles in closer. His arms tighten around her. His voice, uncharacteristically soft.

“I wonder what the next adventure will be.”

She doesn’t reply, but hums in contentment. The sun was setting over the land, pink and orange. There would be time to figure it out later. For now though, Cotton Candy Cookie was more than content to lose herself in her daydreams for a while.

[elisaphoenix13]

Just Another Day

It was calm in the tower. Well, as calm as it could get when Peter was home. The teen was currently sitting on the ceiling, flicking cat treats down to the floor, and confusing the hell out of Tibbs. The cat ate them as fast as they appeared, but he would always look around trying to figure out where they were coming from. He came up short when he pawwed at both Tony and Stephen in the kitchen, Cassie (who was watching tv in the living room) was a dead end too. He just wasn't used to humans being on the ceiling so he never looked up.

While all of this was taking place, amusing Peter's parents to no end, Carol had entered the penthouse, and Tony had never moved so fast in his life when he saw what she brought. He practically jumped across the island to use Stephen as a body shield when he saw Goose tucked under one of her arms, and Carol laughed as she set the Flerken down.

"Danvers! What is that thing doing here?!" Tony says as he points around Stephen at Goose.

"He wanted to come with me." Carol says simply, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

It was not.

Peter, in his precious ignorance, flicked a cat treat at Goose and literally scurried away when he opens his mouth and tentacles come out to snatch up the treats. "OH MY GOD! WHAT IS THAT THING?!" The teen shouts as he unconsciously flips down to the floor to step in front of Cassie.

Goose scared the crap out of him (and interested him at the same time) but he wasn't about to leave the other teen vulnerable. He vaguely catches an unreadable look on Tony's face when he glances toward his father but thinks nothing of it as he turns his attention back to the alien cat. The alien cat that Tibbs seemed to suddenly be completely fascinated with. Peter shouldn't really be surprised. Tibbs was the chillest cat he had ever met, so him not being bothered by some very uncatlike behavior from Goose was pretty normal for him.

Carol just grins as Cassie looks around Peter to look at Goose with some interest if her own. "He's a Flerken."

"A rather tame one at that." Stephen says as he approaches Goose and crouches down to scratch behind the cat's ears.

"Carol, if that thing eats my wife or my kid, I'm holding you responsible!" Tony says.

"Relax Stark. Just treat him like you treat your cat." The woman says as she waves a flippant hand in his direction.

Peter laughs half-heartedly. "Probably not a good idea. Tibbs is kind of special in his own way." As if to prove his point, Tibbs walks right up to Goose and sniffs his mouth curiously.

"Anyway, I was told this is where to go when I want a place to hang out for a bit." Carol says. "Clint was very specific about the 'family floor'."

Tony puffs out an affronted, but defeated sigh. "Stephanie, remind me to put Barton at the top of the cleaning list."

"Noted." Stephen replies dryly as he stands and takes a seat on one of the couches.

To everyone's relief, Goose seemed content to keep Tibbs company, and Tony joined Stephen on his couch after giving the two cats a wide berth. Although he wouldn't admit it out loud, Goose was one thing Tony was afraid of, but his earlier actions probably gave that away. Peter was taking it all in stride after his initial shock and relaxed out of his defensive position to take the empty spot next to Cassie, and Carol walks over to sit on his other side.

She asked to be caught up on what had happened while she was gone, and also what she had missed,  and they all delivered. Tony told her most of the Avenger history such as Thanos's first invasion of Earth, SHIELD's fall, or anything related to the Avengers. Stephen caught her up on the more magical side of things, and the teens? Movies. Cassie recommended a few chick flicks and offered to have a movie night with Carol, who accepted whole-heartedly, but everyone groaned when Peter opened his mouth and starting making Star Wars references.

Of course it all went over Carol's head, so when she asked what he was talking about, Peter stopped nerding out and gave the woman a surprised look.

"What?"

"You keep talking about Star Wars. What is that?" Carol asks, not knowing about the nuke that was currently exploding in Peter's mind.

Cue the most offended gasp the teen had ever made. Even more offended when Bruce had asked all that time ago if Peter ever got tired of watching Disney movies and Star Wars. As if.

"You haven't seen Star Wars?!"

Tony sighs as he stands. "You've done it now Danvers. Don't expect to leave that couch anytime soon."

"Cassie, would you help me make dinner?" Stephen asks as he follows Tony's example.

"Sure." She replies and follows the couple into the kitchen, leaving behind Peter asking FRIDAY to start the first Star Wars movie. To her credit, Carol didn't look like she was regretting anything. That would probably change soon.

"To think you like him." Tony teases Cassie and she blushes bright red. "Okay, I had some doubts, but that right there?" He motions toward her face. "That just confirms my theory."

Stephen stops grabbing things out of the fridge and stares at Cassie. "Wait. You like--"

Cassie shushes them loudly and grabs the food from Stephen. "Shut up! He has enhanced hearing!"

Tony snorts. "Not when he's nerding out over Star Wars."

He reaches around Stephen and grabs the container of blueberries, ignoring the sorcerer's quip of 'You're going to turn into one of those one of these days', as he pops a handful into his mouth. The engineer was close to teasing her some more by asking Cassie when her crush started, but decided to leave it alone when Stephen distracted her with a few cooking tasks.

Her mom and step-father decided to travel after the events of the Snap, and Cassie moved into the tower permanently with Scott. She was usually only up in the penthouse with them whenever her father was at work or just because (meaning to ogle Peter, even if the boy was completely oblivious to it), or if everyone got together for some thing or another like movie night. This was definitely not a movie night though. If any of the Avengers stepped off the elevator from now on, they would immediately turn around and leave once they saw that Peter took over the living room with Star Wars movies. Again.

Of course there had been times when Cassie had been sick and didn't want to be alone when Scott had to go to work, so she would come up for Mama Bear cuddles. Stephen spoiled all of the kids and they all adored him because of his attentiveness as a parent figure and as a doctor. Clint once had to bring Lila up so Stephen could tell her that, yes, you do need to sleep when you're sick so you can get better faster, because she thought her father was trying to scam her into sleeping. Once Stephen had confirmed Clint's words, Lila went back to Barton's floor without a fuss and slept like she was supposed to.

Peter would always be the favorite though.

Tony pours himself a glass of water and looks toward Goose and Tibbs, and finds the cat's lying next to each other, purring contentedly. The engineer didn't even bat an eye at the scene. In fact, he expected Tibbs to befriend the alien cat. It was just a feline version of Peter and the Hulk, and that had been interesting. Of course, it gave both Tony and Stephen temporary heart attacks when Peter approached the Hulk after a battle, but then the teen just fist bumped the big guy and told him he did a good job. The Hulk gave Bruce control willingly after Peter did that, and after a couple more tests, they discovered that Hulk liked Peter because the boy treated him like a friend. He was even able to ask the big guy if they could have Bruce back so he could help Sam when he had gotten hurt, and again, the Hulk gave Banner control.

"Just when I think that this group can't get any weirder, someone has to go and prove me wrong." Tony says and looks over at the sorcerer as the man hands some vegetables over to Cassie to chop. 

Stephen smirks. "Someone has to."

"Why do you think I married you?"

Cassie raises an eyebrow. "I swear your reasons for marrying each other changes all the time."

"It doesn't change. It's just a growing list. You'll understand when you and Underoos tie the knot." Tony moves away with a laugh when the teen points her knife at him, and then throws another handful of blueberries into his mouth with a wink. "Then again that will never happen at this rate because our kid is incredibly stupid when it comes to picking up signals from girls."

Cassie sighs heavily as she throws her chopped vegetables into the boiling water on the stove. "I noticed."

"When is your father supposed to get back?" Stephen asks her.

"Late."

"You might as well stay for dinner." Tony says and looks toward the living room when Peter and Carol start arguing about something that happened in the movie.

Today was just full of surprises. Carol actually looked to be enjoying the movie with Peter and the billionaire half-expected them to binge watch the entire collection. That meant Cassie would either have to endure the torture or they could direct her to the guest room where there was another tv. Peter's room was available but that was a can if worms he didn't want to open if Scott saw her in there. Knowing Peter, if he actually went to sleep tonight, he would change in his bathroom and just get into bed and go to sleep if Cassie was in there watching movies. He was used to friends taking over his tv and one half of his bed. Cassie was a whole new situation for obvious reasons though. Scott didn't seem to know about her crush on Peter but it wouldn't matter, she was a teenager now. It also didn't matter that Peter would never take advantage of her whether he knew about her feelings or not, and Tony couldn't fault Scott for worrying. If he and Stephen had a daughter, he would worry too.

"Can I make something for dessert?" Cassie asks, interrupting the engineer's thoughts.

"Depends on what you're thinking." Tony replies, ignoring Stephen's eye roll.

"Cheesecake?"

Tony blinks and motions at the counter in front of him with exaggeration. "Explain why it isn't in front of me at this very moment."

Cassie laughs and both Tony and Stephen share a look when it briefly pulls Peter's attention from the movie.This mutual pining thing was starting to amuse Tony. Especially the fact that Peter wasn't even aware he was pining.

[averbaldumpingground]

Word prompt: Danger

“Damnit, Ygritte, you can do so, SO much better!” Brienne’s Hot Neighbor yelled at the TV, dislodging the perpetually annoyed lump of striped orange fur that had been curled on his thigh.

Honor gave an accusatory hiss before taking refuge under an overstuffed armchair, far away from the shouting and the ever-present danger of popcorn being thrown. Which, surprisingly, the cats weren’t too keen on, despite their yowling and their pathetic expressions whenever there was human food. Brienne had had to swat away Glory’s paw from her noodles at least three times just that evening. He was still curled in her lap, purring and eyeing her chopsticks–

“Oh, for fuck’s sake! There’s something wrong with you, woman!”

There went more popcorn. Brienne rolled her eyes at him and scratched the temporarily docile beast’s belly, earning herself a loud purr. The episode had devolved into some nonsense with R’hllor cultists and Jon coming back from the dead. She’d always hated this season. It only got worse from here on.

“That’s not what Castle Black looks like!” Insanely Hot Neighbor pouted, petulantly shoving another handful of popcorn into his mouth after he caught her unimpressed expression just as he’d wound up to throw it. He’d already launched at least a quarter of the bowl at the screen. Brienne stared at him, trying to look unamused, until he put the bowl down.

It wasn’t that she disagreed with him, exactly. Ygritte could do so much better. Jon was admittedly a whiny, pretentious Tarly Stu who was frankly awful with a quarterstaff, and his endless moral dilemmas and convoluted relationship with the Night’s Watch didn’t even make any sense. Brienne would have liked him a lot more as a character if he had just been good and righteous without it being tortured and contrived and always putting other people’s lives in danger. But she wasn’t going to admit that out loud. At least not again. The last time she had, just that Thursday, Stupidly Hot Neighbor looked at her like she had turned on the sun, and spent the rest of the evening ranting about how “Ygritte: Spear Maiden” would have been a much better show without her annoying sidekick and all the dumb soulmate nonsense the later seasons turned into. Because pathological codependency was completely unhealthy (and here, he’d looked a bit haunted), and obviously, Mance Rayder was the more interesting character and–

Brienne cut off that train of thought, deciding to focus instead on entertaining the cat that was now half-heartedly trying to lick dandan sauce off her fingers. Distracting him with a hair tie was safer than thinking about how endearingly outraged Hot Neighbor got when…she really should ask him his name, she reminded herself yet again.

But it just hadn’t come up yet, even though it’d been a month. Not on the first day she’d met him, drowning in furniture parts and exhausted well past the point of delirium. And certainly not when they woke up together, curled on her far too small bed, and he’d rushed out, mumbling something about laundry.

It also hadn’t come up at that first dinner that he’d invited himself to (and brought her really nice flowers. And, strangely, complimented the way that she’d dressed up a plain, store-bought cheesecake). And it continued to not come up every time he showed up at her door, claiming he got too much takeout, and talked her into watching campy fantasy shows and documentaries on pre-Targaryen warfare.

Their tastes were shockingly similar, which Brienne hadn’t expected, but probably should have, given his encyclopedic knowledge of random Kingsguard trivia and the way the he knew all the dialogue to Starfall by heart, just like she did. She wasn’t sure why he seemed to enjoy her company, but, if she was being honest with herself, which she was trying very hard not to be, at least where he was concerned, she was halfway to in love with him already. She tried not to think about that. Absurdly good looking and surprisingly helpful neighbors didn’t fall for women like her. Unfortunately for her burgeoning crush, if it wasn’t for the fact that he seemed physically incapable of ever shutting up for longer than approximately thirty-two seconds, he may well have been the perfect ma–

“Giantsbane, the mighty…” went the TV.

“Oh Seven Hells!”

There went the rest of their popcorn.

[chocoluckchipz]

Dance with Me, Chaton - 26

Read it on A03, WattPad, FF.net

Written for @ladynoirjuly2019

< Previous

26. Sacrifice

Something scratched at his door. Adrien cracked open one eye and shuffled out of the bed on autopilot. He slightly opened the door and almost jumped in his place when a black kitten slipped in, immediately jumping on his bed and curling in its middle.

“Where did you come from?” Adrien asked, glancing at the clock. Five in the morning.

“Whatever,” he murmured and crawled back under the blankets. The kitten curled against his side and started to purr. Adrien didn’t mind. He’d always wanted a cat but was never allowed. Turning to the side, he wrapped his arm around it, falling back asleep in seconds.

***

Something rubbed against his foot, a cold dot pressing into his sole. Adrien shivered and pulled his leg away. That something jumped on him, tiny feet scampering up his chest, proceeding to knead its paws at Adrien’s pecs all while purring like a steam engine.

Adrien opened his eyes. Oh! So, the kitten wasn’t a dream? A small, black kitten with green eyes.

“Good morning, little fellow.” With a smile, Adrien picked it up, cradling it in one hand. The kitten rubbed its head against Adrien’s other palm. In return, he obliged and petted it, scratching behind its ears, its chin, and eventually getting to its belly.

A knock on his door nearly sent him leaping from his skin.“Get up, sleeping beauty!” Plagg shouted from behind the door. “Breakfast is on the table.”

“Be right there,” Adrien answered and, putting the kitten aside, got out of the bed. “Where did you even come from?” he asked. “I don’t remember seeing you yesterday.”

The kitten meowed in response and followed Adrien to the bathroom, constantly rubbing at his feet. Ten minutes later, the two of them appeared in the kitchen.

“Oh, there you are.” Plagg glanced at the kitten. “I was wondering where she’d gone to.”

“Is it yours?”

“It’s a she and her name is Cheesecake,” Plagg said, putting two plates on a table. “Tikki dropped by and brought her along. She’s staying at Marinette’s tonight, and her place isn’t equipped for a kitten. This one is, so Cheesecake is camping with us until tomorrow.”

“Tikki’s been here?”

“She left ten minutes ago,” Plagg said, motioning Adrien to the table. “Just checked in on me and brought us some food.”

“So, she knows I’m here, then?”

“She figured that much.”

“And is she okay with that? I mean she’s probably on Marinette’s side and—”

“And she understands. Not thrilled, but I told her your side of the story, and she agreed to turn a blind eye on what I do behind her back for now. But you’d better sort this out, kid, or I’ll be living here permanently. With Cheesecake, since she’s my kitten.”

Adrien sighed, sitting down. “Sorry. I didn’t want to get you in trouble.”

Plagg shrugged, joining him the table. “If I were in trouble, we wouldn’t be eating my Queen’s cooking right now, but we are. You’re in trouble; I am not. Tikki has her own charge with her own issues, so she understands. Now, shut up and eat while it’s hot.”

Adrien couldn’t help but let a smile tug at his lips. “Yes, Sir.”

They spent the breakfast making small talk. Nothing serious, nothing grave. However, once the last of the food was done, Plagg asked. "So, what're your plans for today?"

“A visit with my father,” Adrien said.

Plagg rested his chin on his arm, propped up on a table. “Oh? What for?”

"I cost Marinette her job. I need to fix that."

“I don’t think she’d want that job back,” Plagg hummed. “Not while that jerk is heading that company, anyway.”

“I know,” Adrien echoed. “I had something else in mind.”

“Like?”

“Father could write an excellent recommendation letter and send it out to other fashion houses. They’re always on the lookout for new talents, and I’m sure with Marinette’s portfolio and a recommendation from M Gabriel Agreste himself, she’d have multiple offers in no time.”

Plagg quirked an eyebrow. “How are you going to do that? Not that I’m doubting your abilities, but—”

“Plagg.” Adrien looked him straight into the eyes. “I think it’s time I put to practice everything you’ve taught me these past few weeks. You’ve pushed me way beyond my comfort zone, and in doing that, showed me that I'm capable of things I've never thought possible. You've also shown me that standing up for myself isn't that bad or hard and would only benefit me. So, thank you, Plagg. Thanks to you, I can handle him now. I know I can.”

Plagg’s lips stretched into a grin. “There you go, kid. A little self-esteem and courage that you needed. You’re improving.”

“Thank you.” Adrien bowed his head with a chuckle. “Oh, great and powerful master of destruction… By the way, why do you put ‘Master of Destruction’ on your business cards? I haven’t noticed you destroying anything.”

Plagg laughed. “The chains, Adrien. The chains. I destroy the shackles my students have around them, or rather I enable them to do it for themselves.”

Adrien chuckled. “Well, in that case, I’d say you’ve succeeded.”

“Did you doubt me, kid? I am a Master.”

Adrien wondered. “Do all instructors in Kwami Kave have titles like that?”

“Yup. Tikki, for example, is a Master of creation. She helps her students to create a new future for themselves, a future they want, not the one they’ve been dealt with. Don’t ask me about the rest. Can’t tell you now. You haven’t met them yet.”

“I haven’t met Tikki.”

“You know about her. That’s close enough. But—" Plagg leaned back into his chair. “—better tell me, what are you going to do regarding yourself and your father? You aren’t staying with them, are you?”

“Nope. I’m walking away and keeping my head high while at it. Just like you said,” Adrien responded.

“Good plan. I like it.”

“Should’ve done it years ago,” Adrien said, his eyes focused on Cheesecake on his lap. “But he always managed to calm me down and convince me to stay.”

"He's gone too far this time if you ask me."

“He has.” Adrien nodded. “He’s crossed all lines in hurting Marinette, so I’m walking away. After I get her justice.”

“I wonder how you’ll do that.”

“I didn’t get my Masters in Business for nothing, Plagg,” Adrien said. “I know my legal rights and options, and your questioning me yesterday about my part of Gabriel shares gave me an idea. I just need to visit a few places and make a couple of calls, and with everything that’s been going on with Gabriel, I say I have a pretty great bargaining chip in my hands to get anything I want.”

Plagg grinned and gave Adrien thumbs up. “Go get your freedom, kid. Avenge your woman, while you are at it.”

“Will do,” Adrien smiled, standing up. “Thanks for hosting me last night. It really helped.”

“About that…” Plagg cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms over his chest. “What do you say, you deal with your asshole father and Marinette’s new job today, and tomorrow we’ll take a train and get away for a few days?”

“Like a mini vacation?”

“Yup. We both need it, and I have a perfect place for that.”

Adrien hesitated. Getting away right now sounded kind of nice but…

“I wanted to be here when Marinette would be ready to hear me out.”

“Tikki said she needs at least a few more days. We’ll be back by then.”

Adrien fell quiet. That’s right. Plagg talked to Tikki. She probably told him what was going on with Marinette. “How is she?” he asked.

"Still upset and heartbroken, but Tikki said she's been re-reading your messages closer to the evening. So, it seems she’s starting to think about it. Now, prove your words with actions, and I bet she’ll give you a chance to talk.”

Adrien could barely withhold a smile, his chest full of hope and happiness. Marinette had read his messages! She didn’t block him. He had a chance. Determined, he grinned. “Then I’d better get to it.”

“You’d better.” Plagg chuckled. “Break a leg, kid. Preferably your father’s, not yours. You need it for tonight’s training.”

“Will do.” Adrien saluted him. “See you later, Plagg.”

***

Chat Noir: This cat is off to Hawkmoth’s Lair to seek justice. Wish me luck. I’ll need it.

***

All Gabriel did when Adrien entered the room without an invitation was to quirk an eyebrow.

“Nathalie told me you were alone, so I didn’t think you’d mind a visit from your son,” Adrien said, settling in a chair across Gabriel. “How are you, Father?”

Gabriel straightened and leaned back into his chair, putting his pen on a desk. “I don’t appreciate being interrupted, Adrien, nor do I like the arrogant tone of your voice.”

“Then I guess you won't like what I’m about to tell you either.”

“And what is that?”

Adrien let a few seconds slip as a smirk appeared on his lips. He crossed his leg over the other and continued, watching Gabriel carefully. “It’s against the law to monitor your employees’ personal emails and communications. You admitted to having Marinette and my private interaction history for the past few weeks on your table.”

Gabriel puffed. “And?”

Adrien continued. “To fire an employee—”

“I didn’t fire her,” Gabriel stated coldly. “She quit. We’ve been over this.”

“I beg to differ,” Adrien said, his face just as emotionless as Gabriel’s. “There are security cameras all over this building, including this office.”

The light panic on Gabriel’s face, as short as it was, was delightful to watch. Adrien pressed on.

“I already paid a visit to security to make sure the footage from yesterday is safe and protected. Shall I continue with the official protocol to fire an employee?”

“I gave her an offer.” Gabriel seethed through his teeth. “She made her choice. I didn’t fire her.”

“You offered her to be fired with such recommendations she’d never find another job in the industry or sign a resignation,” Adrien stated as a matter of fact. “That’s a threat and punishable by the law.”

Gabriel pressed his lips together.

“You also accused her of things like extortion, emotional abuse, and theft without any evidence.”

“I had the victim’s testimony!”

“I wouldn’t believe a single word of that compulsive liar and a bully. Did Lila give you any evidence to prove her words?”

Gabriel stared at Adrien in silence.

“Innocent until proven guilty,” Adrien said. “You had no right to fire her without proving her guilt first.” Gabriel remained silent. Adrien continued. “To fire an employee you have to notify them ahead of time by a mandatary registered letter and arrange a meeting for negotiations. You did none of those.”

“I’m not rehiring that slut back,” Gabriel barked.

Adrien suppressed a growl, staring at Gabriel. “Why would Marinette want her job back? She’d be treated much better at any other company. Though, a compensation which the law requires of you would be prudent.”

Gabriel’s lips went white from the way he was forcing them together. He silently stared at Adrien for a few moments; then snarled. “She’s entitled to 1/5 of her yearly salary, notice period and vacation pay. I’ll get Nathalie—”

“I wasn’t done," Adrien said, standing up. "Work and labour regulations state that if the dismissal was unfair, the employee is entitled to a minimum of six months’ salary with no maximum depending on the circumstances. You’ve not only fired her unfairly in the cruellest of ways, but you also threatened and insulted her with absurd, false accusations. Therefore, five years’ worth of paychecks, including notice period and vacation pay should be enough.”

“You’re insane!” Gabriel growled, standing up. “I’ll never—”

“She’d also need a glowing letter of recommendation. Be as nice as possible, father.”

“Or what?” Gabriel fumed. “You can’t do anything to make me—”

"I can," Adrien stated, his posture straight and confident. “Did you forget that I own forty percent of your company’s shares?”

“So, what? You have no power whatsoever!”

“I don’t think so,” Adrien countered. “I just got off the phone with our investors. In the light of the recent events, they are concerned about your mental stability and capacity to lead Gabriel .”

“What?” Gabriel stared at Adrien in shock. “You aren’t seriously doing this.”

“I am,” Adrien said. “The time has come for you to focus on your health instead of heading such a big, troublesome company, father. You're not the man you used to be. You started threatening, firing and insulting your employees. Your actions in this past month alone tanked Gabriel’s reputation and stocks. People are leaving without notice. Not just designers either. People from other departments, loyal employees who’ve been with Gabriel for years are resigning. There is no job security anymore. No pride in their work. They’re abandoning this sinking ship caused by your actions and your unpredictability. You hiring a talentless, lying bully instead of a loyal, hardworking designer with an unprecedented talent alone caused us a few employees to leave. Look around you, father. You are destroying Gabriel .”

The muscles on Gabriel’s neck twitched as he stopped caring about keeping composure and spat, “You little brat. You wouldn’t side with them. You’re my son. You do what I say!”

“This time, I’ll do what’s best for the company,” Adrien seether through his teeth. “And right now it means removing you from it.”

“You little—”

“I’d think twice about saying anything else,” Adrien said, his voice low as he leaned against the table. “I’m not taking it anymore from you, and if you make me angry, I might change my mind about giving you a choice.”

It took him a few moments but, understanding he had little options, Gabriel cursed and seethed through his teeth. “What do you want?”

Adrien straightened and continued. “A five years’ worth of compensation for Marinette for unfair dismissal and an impressive recommendation letter for her to be sent out by the end of the day, upon my approval. Law-defined compensations and glowing recommendations to all other people who want to leave as well. All hiring and firing from now on to be handled strictly by the HR department. You’re a designer. You should stick to that. As for my freedom, I’m no longer asking for it. I’m taking it and walking out of here.  Your choice, though, if I walk out of here peacefully, or I bring you down with me.”

His breathing visibly laboured, Gabriel gripped at his table. “So, you’ve finally got the balls to threaten me?” He scoffed. “And for whom? For a lowly—”

“Don’t you dare to finish that sentence,” Adrien hissed. “Marinette’s worth more than your pinky would ever be.”

“She’s a manipulative bitch,” Gabriel snarled. “Look at what she did to you. You’re threatening your family!”

“Look who’s talking,” Adrien barked back. “As if you haven’t manipulated and threatened me for my whole life.”

“I did what’s best for you!”

“You did what was best for you !” Adrien growled. “But I’m not you, and I don’t want to live a life you chose for me. I want my own life, and I want to be my own person! How hard is it for you to understand?”

“Get out!” Gabriel seethed through his teeth. “Get out of my office. You are a no son of mine!”

“As soon as I receive what I came here for.”

“You’ll have everything in two hours,” Gabriel said with the coldest voice Adrien had yet to hear from him. “And I want you out of my apartment by the end of the day.” Adrien raised an eyebrow as Gabriel laughed maniacally. “ I bought that apartment. For my son. You aren’t him.”

A few moments of silence passed as the pair stared at each other, after which Adrien turned away, ready to leave. “If I don’t have everything by five o'clock, you'll be replaced as the head of Gabriel next week. Don’t pull any tricks, father or I sell my shares to the public, and then you’ll never get control over this company ever again.”

With his head high, Adrien walked away. He briefly visited Mme Bustier to get a copy of Marinette’s resume and her portfolio and headed to his apartment to pack. He didn’t take much. A suitcase full of essentials and a few items with sentimental value. His mother's picture. Marinette's lucky charm. That t-shirt she slept in.  

Adrien: Do you think I can crash at your place for a few more days?

Plagg: What happened?

Adrien: Sacrifices were necessary. I’m homeless for the time being.

Plagg: I’m ordering pizza. You’re paying. Don’t forget my Camembert. I’m charging two wheels a day for rent.

Adrien chuckled, looking at Plagg’s message. That glutton and his Camembert obsession. With a smile on his lips, he replied.

Adrien: Deal. I’ll be there in a few.

_______________________________________________________________________

Next >

[ragchaser]

Day14: lucky cookie

Genderless pronouns- he/him (he doesnt really care that much about them,so call him whatever)

Pet: golden coin

Phrases:

'Nyaaaaaaa~~♡'

'Good luck!'

'Gold coins are the best coins!'

'Nya,nya,nya!'

'My coins! Cheese! >:3'

Relationships:

Unlucky,nekomata,gold,and heavenly- family

Angel- friends

Cardinal- tension

Cheesecake- friendly rivals

Vampire- friends

Personality:

Sleeping, playing and collecting gold coins, make lucky cookies world go round. He doesnt really like how his older sisters mess with other cookies, because that means he has to clean up their messes, otherwise he feels guilty about it all day. But luckily angel is always willing to help him. Him and cheesecake cookie love to have gold coin scavenger hunts, and play with her pet. But usually you can find him with vampire cookie lounging around and sleeping.

Power:

At given intervals, he will swipe at obstacles

Pet power:

Will occasionally do gold coin showers(extra points for gold coins throughout)

Candy power:

Allows lucky cookie to grab jellies and such with his paws(like the lucky cat statues)

[smollmikey]

Autumn Sentence Starters!

it’s never too early for autumn, so there

“They brought back our favorite fall drinks, should we go get some right now?”

“I bought you a fuzzy sweater.”

“Let’s go look for Halloween costumes.”

“Look at how perfect this leaf is; it’s so red and huge!”

“Let’s hop the fence and go see if any of the trees in the park changed colors yet.”

“I woke up to the house smelling like pumpkin spice and it’s barely September.”

“You’ve got a leaf caught on your hair.”

“If I had realized it would be this windy I would’ve brought a jacket.”

“I know a place where we can get a good view of all the trees.”

“The pumpkin cheesecake pancakes sounds like they’ll kill me, but let’s get them.”

“Do you remember when we were younger and always went to buy pumpkins together?”

“Listen, I’ve never made a pie before, but I tried for you, so be nice when you try it, please.”

“Let’s go get coffee/tea and walk around that fall vendor fair downtown.”

“You know, I actually fell in love with you on a fall day, sort of like today.”

“I asked the neighbor if I could rake his leaves for him, but really I want to jump into the piles-- we can clean it up after, don’t look at me like that.”

“I can’t wait to eat some of the pumpkin bread your mom makes.”

“I’ve only been thinking of Halloween for the last two weeks.”

“It’s adorable how much you love this season.”

“I stepped outside today and it smelled like autumn air.”

“Look at all the sweaters in that store-- let’s go in.”

“Stay in bed with me and watch this Halloween movie.”

“He/She brought home a picture of a turkey he/she made from his/her handprint and feathers from school today.”

“Are the two of you planning to share any of those cookies?”

“I can’t wait for all the leaves to fall and everything to look so red and orange and yellow.”

“I bought you this beanie that looks like a turkey. Treasure it.”

“Last night when you were drunk you started crying about how leaves were falling from trees and tried putting them back on the trees.”

“How do you not get sick of pumpkin spiced everything?”

“I got out the giant, fuzzy, orange blanket, so we’re definitely watching Halloween movies tonight.”

“I saw this little orange cat playing with leaves on the way home, and so I started tossing some around for it to play with, and she ended up following me home, so I think we have a new family member.”

“The moon looks orange tonight!”

“Let’s be real: everyone’s fashion is next level in the fall time.”

“I bought little pumpkins. Aren’t they adorable?”

“It’s not October yet, why are we shopping for halloween lights?”

“I like this season the best, because we met during it.”

“My little cousin’s school is having a fall festival... Anyways I already bought us tickets, so we’re going.”

“The dog started running through the neighbor’s leaf piles... Again.”

“I know you like reading outside and looking at the trees, but it’s already nighttime, so you should come in so you don’t catch a cold.”

“My professor brought a bunch of pumpkin pastries for my class, and I stole you one.”

“On the way here a guy was selling bouquets of sunflowers, so I got you one.”

“Another fall, another season of you wearing my sweaters.”

“Not to be that person, but pumpkin pie isn’t good.”

“I didn’t really care about fall until I met you and saw how much you love it.”

“Take a picture of me and this scare crow.”

“I want to be happy about it being fall, but all I can think about are the four papers I need to write and the exams coming up.”

“Do you remember when we were kids and you climbed up this huge tree to get me a leaf from the top? Then broke your arm?”

“This is the best season of the year, fight me.”

“Remember when we were younger and drank a lot of that spiked cider at your mom’s autumn party, and ended up leaving the house because we didn’t want them to find out when we started getting drunk?”

“I found a picture of you dressed up as a pumpkin from a school play.”

“I will never get sick of pumpkin spiced lattes.”

“It’s time for sweater paws to rise.”

[perditaalottachocolate-blog]

Tikki, claws out!

New ML story, no occasion whatsoever. Posting this today because so many of you were participating in ML Ultimate Guess Who Challenge that you could miss something new came up. 

Summary: When Marinette accidentally utters Chat Noir’s transformation spell things get messy. Now the two main miraculouses are blocked due to disruption of quantum signatures. Long story short Marinette can no longer transform into Ladybug, Chat Noire is her only option now. As a consequence Adrien gets reassigned, no longer Chat, but suddenly able to transform into… Laddiebug. 

Kwami swap, a sequel to “The Party” (ao3 / FFnet). 

Chapter 1. No Such Luck (read it on AO3 / FFnet)

It was really nobody’s fault, although Plagg of course blamed his charge.

Adrien and Marinette were getting accustomed to the post reveal reality, and despite their best intentions things still were a little (okay, a lot) awkward, especially out of suits and without any imminent threats that required flawless teamwork. Ladybug and Chat Noir were good at teamwork. Extremely good. But it went as far as akumas were considered. Other than that Marinette and Adrien sucked at being together (at least according to Plagg).

Currently their relationship was stuck somewhere between classmates, teammates, friends and ‘something more’. Some promises and declarations were made, hands were held meaningfully, hugs and shy pecks on cheeks were exchanged. And even though the two of them were making progress, it was painfully slow, awkward and – if someone bothered to ask Plagg – sickeningly saccharine.

It was the first time after the fateful party when Marinette and Adrien actually both had time outside of suits just to hang out at Marinette’s – only the two of them, not doing anything in particular (Adrien stressed countless number of times, that it was definitely not a date, no matter what Plagg said). Marinette (who as Adrien declared countless number of times, was definitely not his girlfriend, no matter what Plagg said) was working on her newest design, Tikki dozed off on the loft bed and Plagg was keeping her company and munching on a piece of cheesecake.

Adrien however was getting restless, pacing around Marinette’s room and thinking out loud about quantum magic. He had that strange idea that they should explore all the possibilities of that branch to make more of their transformations, and to cooperate better, knowing what the other one was capable off. Secretly he was thrilled to finally have someone other that Plagg to talk about miraculouses, secret identities and such.

This time Plagg listened intently to Adrien’s antics. Somehow he was having a bad feeling about this. He nudged Tikki but she was fast asleep and snoring. The little cat turned his ears to his Chosen.

Adrien was telling Marinette about his own transformation, switching between drowning her with words and shooting questions at her. Soon the girl tuned him out, focused mostly on her sewing. To keep the conversation going she randomly hummed or echoed his words.

‘So, if I want to transform I have to address Plagg by name, right? You do the same with Tikki?’

‘Mhm.’ Marinette hummed noncommittaly.

‘But I can use a few wordings, like different versions of ‘transform’.’ Adrien was explaining the obvious.

‘Yup, different versions.’

‘There’s also a separate command about drawing claws,’ To Plagg’s relief his charge purposefully avoided the correct wording not to trigger his transformation at the moment.

‘Claws? What do you say then?’

‘I can’t tell you now or I’ll transform,’ Adrien chuckled.

‘Right, right. Um, sorry,’ Marinette also gave a little laugh. ‘Can you write it down, tough? I’m just curious,’ she added.

‘Well, my Lady. They say curiosity killed the cat,’ Adrien replied with a wink as he took a piece of paper and a pencil from her desk. ‘But since you’re not a cat, I guess there’s no harm in that.’

And before Plagg was able to swallow the piece of cheesecake in his mouth and explain the importance of keeping the transformation spell a secret, Marinette was already looking at the correct wording.

‘Adrien, no!’ Plagg launched himself from his spot on the loft bed. ‘Marinette, DO NOT read that!’ he yelled, at the same moment as the girl zeroed her gaze on the words and read the spell, wondering how it would roll off her tongue.

‘Plagg… claws… out…~’

In an instant a green glow appeared around her earrings. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a black blur approaching her with high velocity and heard Plagg screaming his lungs out.

‘Noooo!!! Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!!’ the black kwami yelled as he was dragged through the room and sucked inside Marinette’s earrings. Greenish light engulfed her body from head to toe. Adrien watched in horror as she stumbled backwards surrounded by the miraculous glow and toppled over her chaise lounge with a loud crash.  

‘Marinette!’ he cried and rushed to help her up. A black glove caught his extended hand and Chat Noire emerged from behind the chaise, extremely confused.

Her suit looked exactly like Chat’s – the tail swooshed behind her back, the cat ears dropped in embarrassment. The baton was resting on her lower back. But there was no ring on her right hand – she had the earrings instead. They were black, with green paw-prints on them. Her dark hair were still split into pigtails, held with electric-green ribbons, and her now cattish eyes glowed sapphire instead of emerald.

‘Wow!’ Adrien exclaimed. He circled the black clad girl to take a better look. ‘Woooow!’ he whispered once again in awe. Mari was right at the party – that look really was great on her. Suddenly the room was really hot and stuffy. Adrien had to sit down.

‘A-adrien. How the hell has this happened?!’ Marinette groaned looking at her body in black suit. ‘Am I a cat now?!’

‘Oh, yessss,’ was all that Adrien’s brain was able to conjure up. ‘You look… you look just… woooow…’

‘Um, thank you?’ Marinette blushed but she felt really flattered. She approached Adrien swinging her tail with her hand and swaying her hips in such way, that Adrien was sure he was going to pass out. He was mesmerized. He was entranced, the vision of Marinette in tight black suit filling all his world. The coy smile she was giving him reduced him to a smitten kitten. And that was exactly the reason why he did what he did.

‘I can’t believe it! You just said it, and whoosh, you’re Chat Noire!’

‘I know, Adrien. I was there,’ Marinette chuckled amused with his excitement.

‘I mean, who would have thought!? So, do you think I will transform to Laddiebug if I say “Tikki, spots on”? ~…’

It was supposed to be a joke. But with a stroke of bad-luck he got that one just right. As soon as Adrien voiced the spell, he felt a strange pull in his ring finger. His miraculous glowed red and he heard Tikki’s confused voice mumbling ‘Wha… hapn’g…?’ while she soared towards him from the bed in a red haze. At the last moment she caught the side of the chaise trying not to be sucked into the ring. ‘Oh, nooooooo!!!’ she wailed as she lost her grip and vanished inside the miraculous.

Instantly a reddish light swept over Adrien and when it faded away… there stood Laddiebug, in his red suit with black dots, with a red mask on his face and a yoyo at his hip. The thatch of blond hair was still there, though it grew a little now covering his ears. No earrings on him, but his ring was now red, with five black dots, where previously the paw-print had been.

The boy took a dive to the mirror but soon sighed in disappointment.

‘No pigtails,’ he complained. ‘I was counting on the pigtails.’

Chat approached the mirror herself, inspecting their reflection.

‘Well, this is interesting,’ she snickered putting her elbow on Bug’s shoulder. ‘I don’t want to be anywhere near our kwami when you explain all that to them.’

‘Huh!?’ Adrien gasped in mock hurt. ‘As far as I recall it was you, who caused this mess. But hey, you won’t hear Ladybug’s number one fan complaining about this,’ he gestured to his attire. ‘You know, we look even better than at the party!?’

‘I told you that suit should’ve been mine, Bug,’ Marinette tapped Adrien slightly on the nose and he in turn rang the bell under her chin.

‘Like I said, you won’t find me complaining,’ he countered eyeing her suit with a shameless grin.

‘Oh my god, how could I ever think it was Plagg’s influence! You’re just incorrigible flirt!’ Marinette nudged him in the ribs.

‘Only with you, Mon Minou. Only with you!’ Adrien murmured playfully. He took her hand and brushed it lightly with his lips not for one moment breaking eye contact.

A strange sound reverberated in Chat’s throat. Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her other hand.

Adrien raised a brow, mirth written all over his face. ‘Was that a…?’

‘No, it wasn’t!’ Marinette’s denial came out slightly muffled as her mouth was still covered.

The boy gave a little chuckle and gently stroked her hand with his thumb eliciting another vibrant sound from her.

‘Yes, it was!’ he exclaimed. ‘You’re purring, Mon Minou!’

Yet before Marinette could die of embarrassment both the ring and the earrings gave a warning beep, prompting them to drop the transformation.

‘You broke it!’ Plagg, pissed like hell, yelled at the top of his voice head-butting the ring on Adrien’s finger. ‘Ten thousand years of peace and then you just barge in and break it! It was my home!’

Tikki tried to rub soothing circles on the black cat’s back. ‘Plagg, you’re not a genie, for heaven’s sake. Calm down.’

‘Just let me in, you stupid thing!’ the little god was boiling with rage and frustration. Yet no amount of hollering, complaining, head-butting and threats could make the ring let Plagg inside again. No matter how many times Adrien cried ‘Plagg, claws out!’ the miraculous stayed Plagg-proof, granting access only to Tikki after Ladybug’s incantation.

The same went for the earrings. They were not letting the red sprite in anymore, responding only to Plagg now whenever Marinette uttered the spell summoning black cat’s transformation.

The heroes were seated on the chaise, looking infinitely dumbfounded and guilty. When they de-transformed it all seemed like a really good joke. It took some time for them to stop giggling and listed to Plagg’s accusations. It was easy to ignore his rant, he did that a lot and about just anything. But when Tikki responded with concern and anxiety they finally got the message. It was serious. Very, very serious.

Somehow each miraculous got blocked. Tikki speculated it had something to do with disrupting quantum signatures. The memory of the miraculouses got wiped out and overwritten the moment wrong kwami entered the jewels.

There was nothing they could do by themselves, thus it was decided to seek out Master Fu’s advice the next day. In the meantime the afternoon turned into evening and Adrien’s car pulled over the bakery to drive him home.

The final conundrum was the sudden kwami incompatibility. Marinette was no longer compatible with Tikki, as now only Plagg could enter her miraculous. Technically she was also no longer Ladybug, but this was a secondary problem. In order to transform into a hero, she needed Plagg. And if Adrien was to keep the ability to change into Laddiebug, he needed Tikki with him.

‘We need to swap holders, Tikki,’ Plagg pointed out, exasperated and acid at the turn of events.

‘It seems so, yes,’ the red kwami agreed. It was the only logical conclusion. ‘Hopefully Master Fu will sort it out tomorrow and all will go back to normal.’ She sighed. She liked Adrien a lot, he was a really nice boy. But even though Marinette was her charge for only a couple of months, she still was Tikki’s Chosen. The red sprite grew accustomed to the girl and loved her with all of her tiny kwami heart. They were a good team and good friends. Tikki was saddened to leave Marinette with the grumpy old sourpuss that went by the name of Plagg. But there was no other choice and no time to spare as Adrien’s bodyguard was already knocking on the bakery door. Tikki bid her goodbye nuzzling Marinette’s cheek and hid in Adrien’s pocket.

‘Good night, guys!’ Adrien gave Marinette a half-hug and then hesitantly leaned forward to peck her lightly on the cheek. She blushed of course, but Adrien’s face wasn’t really any better. Then the boy patted Plagg on the head and waved a finger in front of his nose. ‘I want you to be on your best behavior, Plagg,’ he warned the black kwami.

‘I don’t know what you’re getting at,’ the little cat sneered. ‘I’m always on my best behavior.’

‘You know what I mean,’ Adrien lowered his voice. ‘No nagging about cheese, no wangling any cheese and no eating cheese in bed either!’

Marinette shuddered at that. ‘Ewww! He really does that?!’

‘Shame on you, Plagg,’ Tikki scolded her partner.

‘Okay, okay, I will behave, I promise.’ Plagg grumbled. ‘Happy now?’

‘I will be, when I get you back, buddy,’ Adrien stroked the little cat one last time, and left. When the trapdoor closed after him the black sprite released a resigned sigh and plopped himself on top of Marinette’s phone.

‘Well, I hope you remember how it was like before the goddess of luck appeared in your life, because let me tell you girl, with this god of misfortune you’re in for a treat,’ he muttered.

Marinette decided to show him some positive attitude. Maybe it would cheer him up a bit.

‘Oh, I’m sure everything will be all right. It’s not like we have an akuma to fight, right?’ she chirped happily. As soon as those words left her mouth Plagg felt his butt vibrate. He flew up and read the notification on the phone.

‘Well guess what, missy, no such luck!’  he snorted pointing at the screen where the words “Ladyblog: Akuma alert” flashed in red font.

[captainurahara]

Coming atcha with some cute Kisuke headcanons before bedtime!!

His favorite sweets are chocolate caramels, gummies, donuts, and cheesecake. He likes very sweet, sticky, rich food.

He absolutely cannot stand spicy food. He won’t just tear up, he’ll sweat and drool and his whole face will turn red.

Speaking of red faces, Kisuke’s blush isn’t just rosy cheeks. His entire face turns from a light pink to a bright red, from his neck to his forehead. Not even his hat and bangs can hide it, so he’s thankful that it’s hard to make him blush.

He loves receiving flowers. Absolutely loves it. You can get on good terms with him by giving him any sort of food, especially sweets, but you will win his heart the second you give him flowers. Even little ones that are considered weeds like dandelions and clovers, he thinks those are just as beautiful. He considers flowers a particularly special gift.

Kisuke has poor circulation, and his hands and feet are often cold when it isn’t warm out. In the fall, winter, and early spring you can find him under a kotatsu, always drinking hot tea, or curled up next to someone or something warm like a cat or his partner. This could be easily remedied if he wore warmer clothes, but he always insists that his black coat is warm enough (it isn’t.)

He really enjoys the little moments when a person makes him feel ordinary and average. Most of his life he had been regarded as special and a “genius” to everyone around him. He acknowledges the benefits of being regarded by others as an intellectually superior person, but at the end of the day it makes him feel lonely and alienated. So those who treat him the same way as they treat everyone else (like Ichigo, for example) are his favorite kind of people.

Kisuke’s hair is a do-not-touch zone except for those he trusts. The reason is because he actually loves his hair being played with and will melt into a puddle if someone does. His chest and stomach are also sensitive areas and he’s quite ticklish. He can’t have someone he doesn’t trust knowing that and taking advantage of it, so he tries his best to avoid intimate contact unless he trusts that person.

Green is his first favorite color for obvious reasons, but his second favorite is actually pink.

Kisuke modified Benihime into a cane in order to be able to carry her around with him everywhere in the human world, that’s how much he cares about being able to carry her and be with her. At the time in Japan there were laws against being able to carry a sword unless you were in the military, so Kisuke made her into a cane to avoid someone trying to take her from him.

He’s a very scientific, realist soul and is quite serious on the difference between a person’s beliefs and the observable realities of the universe. But sometimes... sometimes he just wants to believe that maneki-neko bring good luck. He knows it doesn’t work yet he has a maneki-neko figure near the door of the shop to greet customers with its raised paw. He even gave the figure a name and affectionately calls it “Maru-chan”